Iustitia Protestant Church

Iustitian Protestant Church
Classification	Protestant
Scripture	The Holy Bible
Polity	Episcopal
Archbishop	James Bradley
Language	English
Headquarters	Iustitia City, Libertas Omnium Maximus
Origin	1669 Iustita
Branched from	Church of Valahandia
Members	26.3 million baptized members
Tax status	Church
Other name(s)	Protestant Church of Iustitia

The Iustitian Protestant Church (often abbreviated to IPC) is a Christian communion native to eastern Hesperida. Most worshipers are Maximusian, the church's nation of origin, though the institution maintains diocese elsewhere. Within the Maximusian Republic, the Iustitian Protestant Church is the most widely adhered-to faith and around 30% of the nation's population are baptized members. Founded in the late 17th century by Arthur Covington in the former Valahandian Royal Colony of Iustitia, the nascent church splintered off from the Liberalia-based Church of Valahandia, and would go on to be named the state-church of the Republic of Iustitia from 1802 until the formation of the modern republic in 1840.

The IPC's ecclesiology is undoubtedly High-Church; worship focuses on ritual liturgy and the singing of hymns, while church governance is strictly hierarchical. As the name suggests, the Iustitian Protestant Church practices Reformed theology and does not emphasize legitimacy through apostolic succession. Individual churches within the broader communion do not always bear the IPC name, particularly those located beyond the borders of the Maximusian Republic, but all adhere to common rites, prayers, and exist within the church's episcopal framework of diocese presided-over by bishops. The current head of the IPC is Archbishop James Bradley.

History

The history of the Iustitian Protestant Church is inextricably linked to the history of the Iustitia Colony, an overseas dependency of the Valahandian mercantile empire from the 16th to late 18th century. In 1568, the Valahandian monarch Jannes I (anglicized as "John I") tentatively embraced the Reformation, banning Catholicism in Valahandia and severing ties with the Papacy, but preserving much of the old church's structures and hierarchy. This new church became the official faith of Valahandia, dependent on the Valahandian monarchy as a source of legitimacy. Jannes was later canonized, as the Church of Valahandia venerates saints, along with many other Valahandian patrons of the faith.

In the Valahandian colonies, varying degrees of religious freedom existed, so conversion from Catholicism to the Church of Valahandia was not expected, per se, but most of the colonial gentry embraced the new church in order to stay in the good graces of their monarch. Within a century, most Iustitians had made the conversion. The University of Iustitia, then a school of divinity (which still exists as one of the university's colleges), was one of the premier seminary institutions training Church of Valahandia ministers in the colonies. One such graduate of the university, Aurthur Covington, grew disillusioned with the elevation of secular Valahandian heroes to saintly status and increasing crown interference in the conduct of the church. Between 1649 and 1662, Covington wrote fervently on the issue, garnering significant attention and support within the colony. In 1663, he was censured for his views by the Church of Valahandia.

Doctrine

Iustitian Protestants hold the Holy Bible to be their highest and only divinely-inspired authority on all matters of morality and faith. This doctrine is known as sola scriptura. Iustitian Protestants practice infant baptism and maintain that, in receiving Eucharist, they are consuming the physical body and blood of Christ through transubstantiation, rather than in a symbolic sense. Iustitian Protestants do not venerate the saints, but do affirm the distinct tripartite nature of the holy trinity, the duality of Christ (that he has two natures, one entirely human, one entirely divine), and every other element of the Nicene Creed.