W W W W  World Wide Web Witness Inc.  Home Page   Contents Page for Volume  What is New

Another England

Which way England ? Which Way World ? Climate is not the only thing that is changing.

There will always be an England; but the point now is this: Will the English live there ? will the little splendours, large thoughts and simple insistences return ? or even continue ?

The England of grand idealism, love of liberty, protection of the hunted, free speech, where antique law with Biblical basics partly embedded was to flower (we do not romanticise, it is well known how far short it fell, but it still did not yield to dictatorship): perhaps this is to pass.

Soon it may be the pawn of Europe^*1, one of the boys, the Grand Religion boys of the Continent, whether this be the religion of Caesar, of Comte, of Rome or of some other exotic yet to be formulated Spiritual Comptroller. Gone is the Protestant link to the Bible. Why ?

It is because England began to lose its distinguished if misconceived State^*2 relationship (to the Church (which for its part, started with a sound relationship with the Bible), toying with visits by Royalty to the Pope, obviously undercutting the famed, impactive language of the Prayer Book, of the 39 Articles^*3, of the Reformation. The 'Head' on earth of the Church of England now paid court to Rome. Prince Charles wanted to become 'Defender of Faith' which clearly was diversified from 'The Faith' defined as by the C. of E. in Protestant, Biblical terms. Look out 'The Faith', for your erstwhile defender now has other business, another business for another England. The glory of England is departing. Will it ever return ?

The British Empire had many faults, but with it, life-threatening cancers of philosophy and religion were not likely readily to prevail. They tended to be discussed till somewhere, somehow their absurdity and folly appeared, even if for a time they had a clientele. Now...let us look.

"Blair move to repair ties with Europe" - The Advertiser, May 6, 1997, p. 8.

i) Doug Henderson, Minister for Europe, steps smartly off to Europe to "take the first step towards signing the EU's Social Chapter, set up to regulate the working conditions." What Europe thinks - apparently that is equated with being first-class citizens in this area - is to be what Britain does. It is a pity the economy is now rated as the best in Europe. Perhaps it is time to learn from those who do worse.

ii) Foreign Secretary to be, Mr Robin Cook, refers to Labour's plans for a "fresh start" with the EU. No more "fruitless, sterile" resistance. (Apparently this is resistance to such merely nominal matters as British sovereignty and independence. The principle is far beyond mere nationalism in such a case as this: cf. SMR pp. 727-732C, 750B-E.)

ii) Working "together with" European States is the new way.

To accomplish what ? "A better deal."

So here we are with deals, while principles totter both in Church and State; and in the Church, not least through the apparent ravishment with Rome shared by a prominent Archbishop of Canterbury with many readers: indeed by one who deplored, as Labour deplores too little with Europe, too little with Rome. In fact, to illustrate, a letter from Lambeth Palace, London, January 17, 1990, outlines not merely the Archbishop's interest in the Pope's primacy (transformed from forwarder of "blasphemous fables^*3, and dangerous deceits", to FIRST bishop) - but an account of the longstanding Anglican approach to this ... eminence, since 1976.

England, fair isle ? or is it ? Is it not what was in the hearts of the inhabitants which gave the land its graces ? Like 'better deals' ? When 2000 astonishingly dedicated clergymen left their livings in the 1660's in England, rather than bow to a government intervention in religion that was unacceptable, and then suffered further - was this for a better deal ? When Cranmer put his hand first to burn, for having compromised , momentarily, with the authoritarian rush to Rome with its political sacraments of blood at public places, that all might see the suffering: was this for a better deal (cf. SMR pp. 920, 951-952) ? Certainly not for Cranmer's hand.

Truly England persecuted the Presbyterians mercilessly and for long, in Scotland (cf. SMR p. 446); but then new accesses of grace began to free this tyranny, while more freedom began to flourish in the land. Unlike the case with some bodies, it was not written in their canons what they did; merely in their history! Moving past this, England has stood increasingly, but now decreasingly, for integrity of principle, not as a paragon, but as a worthwhile comparison with the miserable dictatorships of ideas and religions which want their clammy hands around the throats (and often put them there in the past) of their victims.

For a time, there has been iron in the hand that held the freedom which despises wanton political oppression, dictates of international bodies, in whatever dictatorial form, making the word ... my way.

God does not demand the use of force for the attainment of "faith". (Cf. The Shadow of a Mighty Rock, pp. 1186A ff., 65-67, 977-979, 349A-353, 627-630, 1032-1037). Others however often do and sometimes, in an ecstasy of anomaly and blatancy, in God's name! They will do so again, as Revelation 13 clearly indicates. (Cf. SMR pp. 721-732D, 750A-D.)

How little freedom there is, even to discuss freely, in large segments of the human race. A GROUND for freedom England has had; soon however, it may be looking at some better deal. It does depend, of course, on who is dealing, and what, to whom. Many have found this throughout those violent, and for many near to merciless ages, when those who vaunted power, demanded fealty of ideas, or dealt in death like a trade. In a sense, it became the ultimate trade mark, like the blow on the neck of cattle at the abattoirs.

Soon perhaps little matters like Northern Island wanting to be democratic (special case, cannot be), and England being Protestant will be down the tube; and Europe will be specially crated - crafted ? - caressed ? in the Neo-Look Loveliness in Négligé, the land of ... of what ?

(Cf. SMR pp. 730-732C, 750B-E, 886ff., 902-930.)

Of agreement of course, what else ? Agreement in what ? In a better deal, of course, what else ? By what principles ? Any around, of course, what else ? What are around ? Use your eyes.

Yes, that is what I was doing.

````````````````````````````````````````

Eyes ? There is a word which was spoken, and has been restated times seemingly innumerable. Power, prince, position, rule, dominion, authority, direction, the administration of the earth ? Yes, it is to come before the furnishings of the universe are removed to make way for the new heavens and the new earth (Matthew 24:35). An object lesson there is to be. First the "implements of a false shepherd" (suitable, in view of the betrayal and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, as likewise predicted - Zechariah 11:12-16), and then ? As for the puny potentate, the avid maw of this world's politicians and philosophies, in unholy alliance, this has come to go. Then, with that rubbish swept away (cf. Revelation 19) ?

As the word of God came to Ezekiel : "Remove the turban and take off the crown. Nothing shall remain the same. Exalt the humble, and humble the exalted.

"Overthrown, overthrown, I will make it overthrown.

It shall be no longer,

Until He comes whose right it is,

And I will give it to Him" (21:26-27).

Jeremiah (23:5-6) tells us who He is:

"Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord,

That I will raise to David

a Branch of righteousness.

"A King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth...
Now this is the name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."

Not merely is He identified (cf. Psalm 72, with His redemption and justice and lovingkindness so opposite to the bestial beauties of this world's dominions), but the Gospel concerning Him is clear: in HIM and in HIM only is the acceptable righteousness to be found by which one may be saved. (Cf. Titus 3:5-8, Acts 4:11-12.)

________________________________________________________________________
 

*2 State ? See SMR p. 973A re State and Church in this affair.

*3 Blasphemy ...
Blasphemy as declared by the Church of England in its famed creed, the 39 Articles of 1562, part of the Elizabethan Settlement of 1563  … The designated fables ? The declaration is made in Article XXX1, of these 39 Articles of the Church of England. It is this which  has provided this classical exposé  (cf. SMR p. 954); and whole choirs and literary choruses its justification. Cf. The Shadow of a Mighty Rock, pp. 886-888, 1032-1080, esp. 1033-1038, 1046-1053, 1086-1088H.)

The applicable phrases re the Romanist mass,  in the Anglican Article XXXI, as "agreed upon by the archbishops and bishops of both provinces and the whole clergy ... in the year 1562 ... for the establishing of consent touching true religion" :

• "blasphemous fables and dangerous deceits".