Past Postings

Previous William Thomas Sherman Info Page postings, quotes, observations, etc.

***********************************************************************************************************

"8. Having made these declarations regarding the Unity of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, let us return to the order in which we began the discussion. God the Father bestows upon all, existence; and participation in Christ, in respect of His being the word of reason, renders them rational beings. From which it follows that they are deserving either of praise or blame, because capable of virtue and vice. On this account, therefore, is the grace of the Holy Ghost present, that those beings which are not holy in their essence may be rendered holy by participating in it. Seeing, then, that firstly, they derive their existence from God the Father; secondly, their rational nature from the Word; thirdly, their holiness from the Holy Spirit—those who have been previously sanctified by the Holy Spirit are again made capable of receiving Christ, in respect that He is the righteousness of God; and those who have earned advancement to this grade by the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, will nevertheless obtain the gift of wisdom according to the power and working of the Spirit of God. And this I consider is Paul's meaning, when he says that to 'some is given the word of wisdom, to others the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit.' And while pointing out the individual distinction of gifts, he refers the whole of them to the source of all things, in the words, 'There are diversities of operations, but one God who works all in all.' Whence also the working of the Father, which confers existence upon all things, is found to be more glorious and magnificent, while each one, by participation in Christ, as being wisdom, and knowledge, and sanctification, makes progress, and advances to higher degrees of perfection; and seeing it is by partaking of the Holy Spirit that any one is made purer and holier, he obtains, when he is made worthy, the grace of wisdom and knowledge, in order that, after all stains of pollution and ignorance are cleansed and taken away, he may make so great an advance in holiness and purity, that the nature which he received from God may become such as is worthy of Him who gave it to be pure and perfect, so that the being which exists may be as worthy as He who called it into existence. For, in this way, he who is such as his Creator wished him to be, will receive from God power always to exist, and to abide for ever. That this may be the case, and that those whom He has created may be unceasingly and inseparably present with Him, Who IS, it is the business of wisdom to instruct and train them, and to bring them to perfection by confirmation of His Holy Spirit and unceasing sanctification, by which alone are they capable of receiving God. In this way, then, by the renewal of the ceaseless working of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in us, in its various stages of progress, shall we be able at some future time perhaps, although with difficulty, to behold the holy and the blessed life, in which (as it is only after many struggles that we are able to reach it) we ought so to continue, that no satiety of that blessedness should ever seize us; but the more we perceive its blessedness, the more should be increased and intensified within us the longing for the same, while we ever more eagerly and freely receive and hold fast the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But if satiety should ever take hold of any one of those who stand on the highest and perfect summit of attainment, I do not think that such an one would suddenly be deposed from his position and fall away, but that he must decline gradually and little by little, so that it may sometimes happen that if a brief lapsus take place, and the individual quickly repent and return to himself, he may not utterly fall away, but may retrace his steps, and return to his former place, and again make good that which had been lost by his negligence.
"[Ch. 4] 1. To exhibit the nature of defection or falling away, on the part of those who conduct themselves carelessly, it will not appear out of place to employ a similitude by way of illustration. Suppose, then, the case of one who had become gradually acquainted with the art or science, say of geometry or medicine, until he had reached perfection, having trained himself for a lengthened time in its principles and practice, so as to attain a complete mastery over the art: to such an one it could never happen, that, when he lay down to sleep in the possession of his skill, he should awake in a state of ignorance. It is not our purpose to adduce or to notice here those accidents which are occasioned by any injury or weakness, for they do not apply to our present illustration. According to our point of view, then, so long as that geometer or physician continues to exercise himself in the study of his art and in the practice of its principles, the knowledge of his profession abides with him; but if he withdraw from its practice, and lay aside his habits of industry, then, by his neglect, at first a few things will gradually escape him, then by and by more and more, until in course of time everything will be forgotten, and be completely effaced from the memory. It is possible, indeed, that when he has first begun to fall away, and to yield to the corrupting influence of a negligence which is small as yet, he may, if he be aroused and return speedily to his senses, repair those losses which up to that time are only recent, and recover that knowledge which hitherto had been only slightly obliterated from his mind. Let us apply this now to the case of those who have devoted themselves to the knowledge and wisdom of God, whose learning and diligence incomparably surpass all other training; and let us contemplate, according to the form of the similitude employed, what is the acquisition of knowledge, or what is its disappearance, especially when we hear from the apostle what is said of those who are perfect, that they shall behold face to face the glory of the Lord in the revelation of His mysteries."
~ Origen (c.185–254), De Principiis, Book 1, Chs. 3-4.

~~~~~~*~~~~~~

["The Zombies - She's Not There" -- from (what appears to be) "Shindig"]

~~~~~~*~~~~~~

There are those who claim they would like to solve (whether real or unreal) major issues that concern society, and yet go to and trust the mainstream corporate conglomerate taken-over media of the present day for much (if not all) of their information. This, I submit, makes absolutely no sense, and evinces on their part an almost complete and utter lack of intelligence and credibility.

~~~~~~*~~~~~~

All in favor of pop-up ads on YouTube videos, signify by saying "Aye!" (Opposed, "Nay!")

~~~~~~*~~~~~~

For our most recent Lee's Legion posting, "Major Robert Rogers’ 'PONTEACH: Or the Savages of America. A Tragedy' (1766): Some Excerpts," see http://www.gunjones.com/Ponteach.pdf

~~~~~~*~~~~~~

In the Rankin/Bass "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" television program, by show's end "Bumble" or the "Abominable Snow Monster" is not only overcome, but is rehabilitated. Well, last night I had a reminder of how this may also be possible with "very bad" spirit people. At the same time as I am round-the-clock and routinely subject to brain radios, it is also not unusual for me to suffer demonistic "dream productions" (when sleeping) and related telepathy -- all of which are very unwelcome by me, I assure you. But last night was somewhat different. While normally the things relayed to me take on the form of either personal abuse and or present gossip about others, on this occasion "they" were talking history.
First, understand I forbid both brain radios and demonistic telepathy, and told them countless times I will not put up with these (if I can help it.) Nonetheless, this does not mean that these spirit people don't necessarily, in a given instance, have something worthwhile or interesting to impart. Yet there are two possible problems with spirit people communications (in a given instance.) I mentioned the first with respect to the means used (e.g., radios and telepathy); while the second is that you cannot necessarily trust the accuracy of what they say or claim. So again, for these reasons I will not tolerate or put up with their communications. At the same time, however, I did tell them they can, if they choose to, communicate to me, using a willing flesh and blood intermediary, by means of a letter, e-mail, or conventional form of messaging. They haven't yet done so, but the greater point is that I don't prohibit their communicating to me of itself necessarily or as such, but only proscribe certain means they use to do so -- regardless of whether or not what they have to say is of value or useful. So while we do not condone, let alone encourage, demonistic telepathy, it is true on the other hand that some spirit people may otherwise be of aid with respect to our further understanding spirit people, history, and other important topics.
With this all understood, let me relate to you what they were talking about last night; which, for my own convenience sake, I will enumerate by way of a short list.

* There a spirit people who for a long time have been living in the Pantheon in Rome, and at various times efforts have been made to try to get rid of them. When this was tried, however, the would-be evictors (I assumed by this last regular people were meant) were told by the spirit people trespassers that if they persisted they (the spirit people squatters) would be justified in and would cause trouble. Presumably then the regular people were compelled to desist. (Interestingly, in my own experience there would seem to be parts of Westminister Abbey with this same problem; as I myself encountered in London many years ago on a visit to that city.)

* The reason Nerva was chosen as emperor to succeed Domitian was that by then (if not sooner) some senators and or others understood that what was and had been plaguing the imperial seat was troublemaking spirit people, and that Nerva was selected was because he had an intelligent grasp of the subject. Notwithstanding, his efforts for reform in this department were not as successful as could have been hoped.

* Meanwhile, Trajan was described by this spirit person conveying these things to me as "not someone you want to know;" which either means people would not respect or take him very seriously (due to spirit people making him look bad), or else that he was a bad or else weak person who succumbed to spirit people pressures.

He would have gone on and told me more, but under the circumstances I told him I didn't want to hear it.

~~~~~~*~~~~~~

*------*

["Jimmy Cliff - Johnny Too Bad"] and ["007(Shanty Town) - Desmond Dekker" -- from a Jools Holland show]

~~~~~~*~~~~~~

Who does he think he is, Almighty God?

"No, not God. Merely his chief rival and competitor."

~~~~~~*~~~~~~

He, the Stars Wars Kid, assumed he knew what was supposed to be cool, funny, awesome, and musical, but in fact he never actually did. Meanwhile, the Phantom of the Opera thought he was the one who could best help the girl, but in truth he was the worst thing for her. What then went wrong? The Kid and the Phantom had made a childhood friend of a dragon.

~~~~~~*~~~~~~

Of course we suffer terribly under their tyranny, violence, and oppression -- and have had to do so now for many years. But far -- indeed incomprehensibly -- worse than all these and more would be enjoying wealth, love, luxury and freedom and the way and manner they do. And much better it is to fight them instead.

~~~~~~*~~~~~~

["James Hunter Carina at SPACE Evanston by Wayne Luttrell"]

~~~~~~*~~~~~~

States "Wikipedia regarding IMVU ["I Move You"?]: "IMVU Instant Messaging Virtual Universe) is a 3D graphical instant messaging client developed by IMVU Inc. It hosts over 90.174 million registered users, and six million unique monthly visitors. It is in public beta, and has been available since April 2, 2004 on Windows and in 2010 on Mac. IMVU was founded by Will Harvey, a video game developer and founder of There and is now run by CEO Cary Rosenzweig, who took the position in November 2007. It is estimated that IMVU currently generates approximately $2 million in revenue per month, 90% of which comes directly from the sale of virtual goods."

"$2 million in revenue per month." Quite incredible when you realize that here at gunjones.com, we've taken in only $25.00 in five years' time. (Or is there possibly something fishy about all this?)

~~~~~~*~~~~~~

Is there honor among thieves? Yes, but not through thick and thin. And life after all, as some have said, is very long...

~~~~~~*~~~~~~

"You reject, unhappy one, the advantage of heavenly discipline, and rushest into death while wishing to stray without a bridle. Luxury and the shortlived joys of the world are ruining you, whence you shall be tormented in hell for all time. They are vain joys with which you are foolishly delighted. Do not these make you to be a man dead? Cannot thirty years at length make you a wise man? Ignorant how you have first strayed, look upon ancient time, you think now to enjoy here a joyous life in the midst of wrongs. These are the ruins of your friends, wars, or wicked frauds, thefts with bloodshed: the body is vexed with sores, and groaning and wailing is indulged; whether a slight disease invade you, or you are held down by long sickness, or you are bereaved of your children, or you mourn over a lost wife. All is a wilderness: alas, dignities are hurried down from their height by vices and poverty; doubly so, assuredly, if you languish long. And do you call it life when this life of glass is mortal? Consider now at length that this time is of no avail, but in the future you have hope without the craft of living. Certainly the little children which have been snatched away desired to live. Moreover, the young men who have been deprived of life, perchance were preparing to grow old, and they themselves were making ready to enjoy joyful days; and yet we unwillingly lay aside all things in the world. I have delayed with a perverse mind, and I have thought that the life of this world was a true one; and I judged that death would come in like manner as you did— that when once life had departed, the soul also was dead and perished. These things, however, are not so; but the Founder and Author of the world has certainly required the brother slain by a brother. Impious man, say, said He, where is your brother? And he denied. For the blood of your brother has cried aloud to Me to heaven. You are tormented, I see, when you thought to feel nothing; but he lives and occupies the place on the right hand. He enjoys delights which you, O wicked one, have lost; and when you have called back the world, he also has gone before, and will be immortal: for you shall wail in hell. Certainly God lives, who makes the dead to live, that He may give worthy rewards to the innocent and to the good; but to the fierce and impious, cruel hell. Commence, O you who are led away, to perceive the judgments of God."
~ Commodianus (c. 250 A.D.), from Commodiani Carmina, ch. 26.

~~~~~~*~~~~~~

Where the Laughs Don't Stop

There is, I'm inclined to think, reason to believe the secret behind Steven Spielberg's billion dollar movie career is spirit people and money laundering -- though bear in mind even if -- for the sake of argument -- this surmise turns out to be correct, it doesn't follow that he himself necessarily knows all that is going on. In any event, I chanced to come across the Dreamworks animation website, and for all the hype behind these films and their creators, I defy and challenge someone to find even one single genuinely funny moment in any of them. Note also the kind of themes and topics they address. Is this what the public wants? But you be the judge (and for more samples, check YouTube.)

http://www.dreamworksanimation.com/

~~~~~~*~~~~~~

More