After drinking the water from the dipper, Philip sat back down at his writing desk. He picked up his quill, and its tip finally landed on the parchment.
He finally began to write.
He was absolutely serious; his preparations just took a little while.
The next moment, however, he suddenly looked up.
"Oh Lord, who has allowed dust to cover Your eyes?"
He had keenly noticed the worrisome state of cleanliness of the Holy Image about four meters away.
He strode over to the Holy Image, tugged on his sleeve, and stood on his tiptoes, trying to wipe away the dust.
"BANG!"
The iron door was kicked open.
Eric had finally had enough!
"Phil—"
"Eric!?"
Eric hadn't even finished saying his name before Philip called out, grabbing both his hands with ghostly speed.
'He was clearly four meters away just a second ago, damn it.'
'I've known him all this time and never knew he had a blink Skill.'
"My brother, my dear brother, you've finally returned. Under God's grace, tell me, was your journey successful?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, cut the sappy lines. Philip, you're starting to scare me."
Eric quickly pulled his hands away from Philip's grasp.
"How could that be? I have become deeply aware of the Lord's glory. I will make the Lord's will walk upon the land of England. Ah, I am so humble..."
Philip began to mutter deliriously.
Eric shook his head, rolled up his right sleeve, spat into his palm, rubbed his hands together, and slowly advanced on Philip.
"Eric, what... what are you doing?"
"Don't be scared. This will be over in a second."
"AH!"
Eric slapped him across the left side of his face.
Philip fell to the ground. A moment later, he clutched his head and staggered back to his feet.
"What happened? Huh? Eric, you're back? Did everything go well?"
Philip looked at Eric in surprise.
"Finally, he's back to normal."
Eric breathed a sigh of relief.
"Ow, my left cheek really hurts. I suddenly can't feel my ear. It feels like someone hit me. Eric?"
"Uh, I'm not sure. Probably a mosquito. Some of the mosquitoes these days are pretty nasty."
"Is that so? I guess I should get some repellent."
"Anyway, things went smoothly. It wasn't a big deal. But you, on the other hand... It's just one paper, it's not worth all this, is it?"
Eric quickly changed the subject with a laugh and handed Philip the market permit.
"Paper... paper, paper, paper..."
It was as if a keyword search had been triggered. Philip's brain crashed, and he began to mechanically chant the word "paper."
"Hey, hey, hey, stop, stop. Don't worry, don't worry, I'll help you."
"Help?"
Philip snapped out of his trance and quickly waved his hands at Eric.
"No, no, no. This... this is my own spiritual trial. To complete it independently is a sign of reverence for the Lord. It is a personal test, a personal trial..."
"But the one reviewing it is Archbishop Lanfranc. When you finally submit the manuscript, are you sure he won't suggest revisions? And could you really ignore his suggestions? This is just a first draft. There's no telling what it will turn into by the end.
It might be completely unrecognizable. Besides, if you don't think my approach is right, you can always revise it yourself. Wouldn't that still be part of your spiritual trial? Just think of me as the co-author."
"Uh... alright."
Philip sat down.
"So, can we begin?"
"Yes."
"What's your title?"
"Uh..." Philip whimpered, looking like he was about to cry.
"Alright, alright."
Eric watched Philip's miserable expression.
'May God have mercy on this poor lamb.'
"On How One May See God."
"Eric, 'See God'?"
Philip was taken aback by the title.
The topic was too grand; a single misstep could get one branded as a heretic.
And with a title like this, Philip could only think of one possibility.
"Are you referring to contemplative prayer?"
Contemplative prayer was a method of meditation from the Eastern Church. They believed that through physical training, Christians could see the light of God with their own two eyes.
It had many supporters in the Western Church as well, but unfortunately, after the Eastern and Western Churches excommunicated each other over a decade ago, this practice was abandoned in the West.
"Will you let me finish? The subtitle is 'Faith Seeking Understanding.'"
"Understanding?"
"If God created the world, then we can expect God's creations to bear His mark. Just as a sculpture clearly reflects the sculptor's unique style, and a painter signs his name next to his work.
So, in what aspects of creation can we see God?" Eric looked at Philip.
"Movement! Or change! Everything in the world is in motion, and every motion has a cause, just as rain falls from the sky and stones roll downhill. All motion originates from a First Cause, and the First Cause is the hand of God."
"Very good. But that's only one aspect. We need to be more concise.
From the tradition of thought on this question, I can find a total of three answers: human reason, the order of the world, and the beauty of the world.
First, human reason. Augustine of Hippo tells us that the pinnacle of God's creation is human nature itself—that is, the human ability to reason. Therefore, only man can see the traces of God, just as we are doing now by thinking.
Second, the order of the world. Like man, the world also possesses reason—that is, the world's order. Human reason is consistent with the world's order; we can understand it, and we have a need to understand it. Just as a flower will inevitably wither without fertilizer, man will one day face death. There are countless testimonies in heaven and on earth, all proclaiming the wonders of His wisdom.
Third, the beauty of the world. This visible world is infinitely magnificent, with unimaginable vastness and a sky of immeasurable height. When we are refreshed by a meadow full of flowers and a gentle breeze, we feel a sense of beauty. These things are undoubtedly imitating the holiness of God...
....
In summary, there are two books from which we must seek our God. Besides the written book, there is another: the book of Nature, the world itself.
Everything in nature, no matter how great or small, is like a multitude of figures guiding us to contemplate the invisible things of God—what Apostle Paul called His eternal power and divine nature..."
"Is it written?"
Eric looked at Philip.
"Everything in nature is enough to convince mankind, leaving them without excuse... Through the holy and divine Word, He reveals Himself more clearly and completely. The greatness of nature is something we must know in this life."
Philip murmured the sentences on the parchment.
"I have sinned, Eric."
He suddenly stood up.
"I cannot use this to secure my own future. This belongs to you."
"No. All things belong to God."
'Because it wasn't really his; it was Aquinas's. Though the old master hadn't even been born yet.' (Saint Thomas Aquinas, a thirteenth-century scholastic philosopher, known as the Doctor Angel, one of the 36 Doctors of the Church, and the greatest Theologian in history.)
"But... this..."
Philip gazed at the paper in his hands.
It might be an exaggeration, but from what Philip could tell, this was an essay that only a scholar from the era of the Church Fathers could have written.
"Philip, I'm leaving. I probably... won't be a Cultivator anymore."