Ad Gloriam Dei

"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." - 1 Corintians 10:31

"Let us pursue the things which make for peace and those by which one may edify another"- Romans 14:19

"As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." - Proverbs 27:17

Thursday, July 24, 2008

English MPs Seek to Force Abortion on N. Ireland

See here. N. Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are unique in Europe in banning abortion, except to really save a mother's life (see here).

What is the point of devolved government, if N. Ireland's government and people oppose such a fundamental point of law, but the rest of the British can force it on us?

Please pray earnestly and regularly that the attempts of these wicked people may be thwarted.

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Monday, July 14, 2008

What's Wrong with the 39 Articles?

Well, the answer is: not a lot. I agree with almost everything in it verbatim. It is a good, Calvinistic, Evangelical creed, but I thought it would be useful to mention the few areas where I disagree with it:

3. Of the going down of Christ into Hell.
As Christ died for us, and was buried, so also is it to be believed, that he went down into Hell.


I disagree with the mistaken interpretation of 1 Peter 3:19 that believes that Christ went down into Hell.

6. Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation.
...
And the other Books [the Apocrypha] (as Hierome saith) the Church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine; such are these following...

This statement could be understood in the same sense as the better statement in the WCF (which came out of a revision of the 39 Articles), but the implication and the danger is that this statement means that the Apocrypha can be read in Church like Scripture, even though it is seen as inferior to "Canonical" Scripture. This is what has happened in practice and is a logical outworking of Anglicanism's semi-reformed view of sola Scriptura.

Moreover, the 39 Articles don't claim that the Holy Scriptures are the infallible and inerrant Word of God.

7. Of the Old Testament.
...the Law given from God by Moses... nor the Civil precepts thereof ought of necessity to be received in any commonwealth...


This is a more imbalanced (in my opinion) statement concerning the position of the Civil Law of Moses, compared to WCF 19:4: "To them also, as a body politic, he gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the state of that people, not obliging any other, now, further than the general equity thereof may require."

There is a general equity in the Civil Law that does make necessary requirements, and that equity is more than moral precepts, it is also equitable penology, for equity is about civil justice, not merely morality. Interestingly, the English Reformers Bishops Hooper and Latimer agree.

20. Of the Authority of the Church.
The Church hath power to decree Rites or Ceremonies... yet it is not lawful for the Church to ordain any thing that is contrary to God's Word written... it ought not to decree any thing against the same
...

Here is the great difference between historical Presbyterianism/ Independancy (a.k.a. Puritanism/ Reformed) and Anglicanism: the Regulative Principle. We say you may only rule the Church as Scripture ordains, they say that you may create offices, etc., as you please. We say that you may only worship God as He has asked, they say that you may have any rites that you like as long as they are not forbidden. (Of course, most modern Presbyterian and Baptists are really Anglicans/Lutherans and they don't even know it!)

21. Of the Authority of General Councils.
General Councils may not be gathered together without the commandment and will of Princes...


This is Erastianism. In opposition to this, the Puritans stated in WCF 31:2, "...the ministers of Christ, of themselves, by virtue of their office, or they, with other fit persons, upon delegation from their churches, may meet together in such assemblies."

34. Of the Traditions of the Church.
It is not necessary that Traditions and Ceremonies be in all places one, or utterly like; for at all times they have been divers, and may be changed according to the diversity of countries, times, and men's manners, so that nothing be ordained against God's Word...


This repeats the error of Article 20 contra the Regulative Principle. Of course, this can be given a Reformed interpretation because it is against God's Word to add to or take from what He has ordained. However, this is not how it is interpreted, so we must understand it with the intent of the framers.

36. Of Consecration of Bishops and Ministers.
The Book of Consecration of Bishops, and Ordering of Priests and Deacons... whosoever are consecrated or ordered according to the Rites of that Book... we decree all such to be rightly, orderly, and lawfully consecrated and ordered.


Bishops, priests and deacons, as conceived by the Anglican Church are unbiblical offices. Bishops/ overseers are the same as elders/ presbyters and there is parity between all elders, and deacons have a temporal caring and administrative role, not a ruling and teaching ministry.

37. Of the Power of the Civil Magistrates.
The King's Majesty hath the chief power in this Realm of England, and other his Dominions, unto whom the chief Government of all Estates of this Realm, whether they be Ecclesiastical or Civil...


The 1801 CoE amendment rightly removes the power of the Civil Magistrate over the Church, but the CoI still has the original 1571 rendering as above. Again, this is Erastian.


By the way, what every Irish Anglican should read is the far better Irish Articles of 1615, which were the confession of Irish Anglicanism, before the English Church imposed its will, and which had a profound influence on the WCF. (Good ol' Ussher! Pity he allowed his Erastianism to get in the way!)

Continued...

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Irish Evangelical Anglican Site

For those who are interested in the state of the Church of Ireland, Reform Ireland is a really good way of finding out what is happening. The site has a biblically-balanced approach to commentary, which is to be commended.

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Gene Robinson Publically Called to Repent

We give thanks to God that an ordinary Christian has had the courage to speak-up against the wicked heretic and pervert, Gene Robinson, at a public meeting. See here.

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Sunday, July 06, 2008

What the Ungodly Want from Preachers

A prophecy concerning Williams, Sentamu and Harper from Isaiah 30:9-11:
This is a rebellious people,
Lying children,
Children who will not hear the law of the LORD;
Who say to the seers, “Do not see,”
And to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us right things;
Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits.
Get out of the way,
Turn aside from the path,
Cause the Holy One of Israel
To cease from before us.”

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Saturday, July 05, 2008

R.C. Sproul Turns to Six Day Creation (at Last!)

See here.

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English Archbishops Respond to GAFCON/ FoCA

Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, responds here to GAFCON/ FoCA, and John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, responds here. (I suppose the Archbishop of Armagh's statement about gay union may be part of his response.)

I guess Jesus' and John's response to the Pharisees ("brood of vipers"), and Paul's response to the Judaizers in Galatians ("anathema") and elsewhere, must seem a little "ungracious" to Sentamu. I suppose he should get Williams to counsel them in "appreciative conversation" and "interpretative charity" in such grey areas as justification. After all, why should such things divide us?

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TV Programme on Judaism

Very interesting programme on Rabbinical Judaism that I watched at breakfast today. This is mainly based around the former owner of the Faith shoe shop chain (Mr Faith). Again, it emphasises how many additions to God's Word that the Pharisees added. (Modern Jews are the descendants of the Jews who rejected the Messiah for the teaching of the Pharisees. ) Just shows how far things get out of hand, when you turn your back on the Regulative Principle/ Sola Scriptura.

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We may allow Gay Unions says Irish Anglican Head

It is sad to think how the Church of my maternal ancestors has declined so markedly. See here. The article shows the Archbishop's heretical hermeneutic.

I recently got a copy of the 2004 CoI Book of Common Prayer. When the CoI was separated from the CoE in 1878 it removed readings from the Apocrypha from the Lectionary. It is sad to see that in 2004 they have been added back in, along with an alternative lectionary from the Romanists (just to show that we're "all one"). Also, in the new marriage service, the vows by both parties seem to be the same, and the promise to obey and serve by the wife has been removed.

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