this is taken from the puritans by samuel hopkins (1860) the public puritan ferment is just beginning in england. queen elizabeth is publicly favoring the church of england birthed not long before when king henry VIII made himself head of the church of england in place of the pope. on paper she was against papists but in actuality was in practice attacking the puritans who at this time the first english presbytery. they were moving away from the church of england.
edward deering was then lady margaret lecturer in the university and was in the habit of plain speaking even to the highest dignitaries, never mincing words to mollify truth when he thought it his duty to speak...in his sermon before the queen, feb. 25, 1569, he had had the boldness to say; 'if you have sometimes said - meaning in the days of her sister mary, as a sheep appointed to be slain, (a reference to romans 8) take heed you hear not now the prophet as an untamed and unruly heifer'.
..he had not violated any law of the land. he had not said anything against the queens supremacy. although 'disaffected to bishops and ceremonies', he was peaceable with regard to both. he had not defamed the book of common prayer; but had kept to it and to the surplice and to the 4 cornered mathematical cap though he liked them not. but the man had been THINKING. instead of dipping stale theology and crude maxims out of dead men's tanks, he had been going to living fountains...he himself had drawn from the Word. there was no act of parliament against this, but there was danger in it - to church and state, to hierarchy and crown. besides, he had 'drawn away many proselytes. therefore it was thought convenient -soon after he came to london - to silence him from preaching his lecture any more'. to effect this, he was charged before the council with thinking, with thinking and telling his thoughts from the pulpit; for he had been heard to say things 'which were interpreted to reflect upon the magistrate and tending to the beach of the peace of the church'. (having been brought up before the council several times)...further process was then instituted against him before the lords of the council, for words alleged to have been uttered by him at a public dinner dec. 11, 1572. he was charged that he had then spoken against godfathers and godmothers; that he had said that the statute of provision for the poor was incompetent and that he could provide for them in 2 ways, - first, by committing them to the rich to be kept and second, by doing away with such things as superfluous plate then upon the table; as though he were for 'a community of goods'. it was further charged against him, that he put off his cap and said, 'now i will prophesy, matthew parker is the last archbishop that ever shall sit in that seat'. (the puritans, among many other things, where stating publicly that there are no ARCHbishops in the ancient church, the pattern of the church for all time)
there were also 20 other articles of inquisition ministered to him in the stare chamber. in these interrogatories, there was not a word about any omission of duty or any overt act; not a word about what he had preached or what he had said in private. they were 20 searching ?s about his secret thoughts; not his thought about the sinfulness of man or salvation by Christ or justification by faith which hath works or heaven or hell...but his thots about the church of england and about the civil authority.
mr. deering was aware that his opinion respecting the lordship or civil magistracy, of bishops - although he had not vaunted it - was 'the main thing that created him enemies'. therefore, to prepare the way for his answer in the star chamber, he largely expressed his views upon this subject in a letter to the lord treasurer burleigh..after premising that in his very heart he had always honored the magistrate, that in his speech he had never disregarded the peace of the church, that even the bishop of london had of late exonerated him of such a pulpit fault and that it had been determined to silence him only lest he should speak offensively, -he frankly and plainly declares -
'i am persuaded that the lordship, or civil government of bishops, is utterly unlawful. after stating a scriptual reason for this opinion, he says. let Him, therefore, that is king of kings have the preeminency of government. let Him whose dominion is the kingdom of heaven have the sword and the sceptre that is not fleshly. let not a vile pope, in the name of Christ, erect a new kingdom which Christ never knew, - a kingdom of this world which in the ministry the gospel hath condemned: which kind of rule hath...mingled together heaven and earth in confusion; so that God's ordinance cannot prevail to deliver the sword into the hand of the magistrate and take the word into the mouth of the minister....the popish prelacy hath shamed the princes and sometimes raised up such rebellions as have cost their kings both crown and life. of these examples, a great many; but i remember not one archbishop or lord bishop, that ever saved a country or brought peace into it...the king's minister or pastor hath his authority equal over king and subject; but the king's pastor must not execute civil punishment against his prince.
therefore the king's pastor can be no civil magistrate...what power, what authority, will you give unto him? will you set him upon a seat of justice, and put a sword in his hand? then bring the prince to plead her cause, - 'guilty' or 'not guilty'? fie upon the pope, that hath so dishonored God and made the glory of his judgment sent to be spotted in the countenance of a faint hearted king! we will be no proctors for such an untimely fruit, that hath made princes bondmen, nobility thraldom and himself a tyrant. let us learn a better lesson from our saviour, Christ...the prince alone is the person in the world to whom God hath committed the seat of justice and they only to execute the duty of it to whom it is committed...
the minister is appointed for another defence, where horsemen and chariots will do no good. they may hinder the minister and make him forget his duty: they cannot profit him in his office and function. he must frame the heart, on which you cannot set a crown and deify the soul, which flesh and blood cannot hurt. he sealeth unto the conscience God's mercies, which are sweeter than life and maketh rich the thoughts with righteousness and peace which shall abide forever. to those that are disobedient, he pronounceth the judgment that maketh the heart afraid; and to the poor in spirit he bringeth comfort which no tongue can express. and to these things, what availeth sword or spear? God asketh but a tongue that is prepared to speak and he ministereth the power that is invisible. and cursed be the times that have bewitched to set up dumb dogs (note: isaiah 56.10f) in so honorable a place.
if this function were supplied with dutiful officers, the sword of the Spirit, which God hath given them, would vanquish satan and destroy the power of darkness, till the knowledge of God were plentiful upon earth and all the joys of heart were sealed unto men in prefect beauty; till the eyes did see great happiness in the face of the heavens and the ear did hear the sweet harmony of the forgiveness of sins; till the meat tasted of that secret manna, of which he would eat forever and his drink were pure, of the water of life which proceedeth out of the throne of God and of the lamb; till his garments did smell of the righteousness of Jesus Christ and in life did shine the life of immortality. but i will not go about to express it in words which the ear cannot hear nor the tongue speak. i beseech the Lord make you feel the pleasure of it within, till all the world be but dung in respect of Christ. for in Him all honor is a glorious blessing; and without Him, but a covering of an after woe. and when it shall fall in the dust, his sight of the sorrow that is behind shall make the man to mourn when it is too late. if you will know this thoroughly and indeed, procure their liberty which will tell you the truth...
but now again to our purpose...as the minister hath nothing to do with the temporal sward, so much less it becometh him to be CALLED a lord. the reason is plain in scripture.
here he urges, pertinently and pungently, the various humble appellatives by which ministers are denominated in the new testament; and also several texts which are direct to his point. he then proceeds -
these scriptures that have been alleged are no vain authorities, that are easily rejected; nor any dark speeches, that are hardly understood. the words are written by the apostles and prophets; and they have the strength of the Spirit of God. they shall sound far and near and accomplish the work for which they were spoken, though all the world were in arms against them. in vain we cry, 'the state! the state!' and 'the commonwealth!' when indeed there is no state nor no commonwealth. for the lordship of a bishop hath ever been a plague sore in the state of a kingdom and is at this day a swelling wound, full of corruption, in the body of a commonwealth...and yet, if the state did require it, the voice of the lord must be obeyed, though all the kingdoms in the earth did fall before it. God is not a man, that we may control His honor. He hath made both heaven and earth; and when He shall appear, all the creatures of the world shall be moved at His presence and the children of men shall throw down their crowns. let us harden our hearts as the adamant stone not to hear His counsel, yet when the force of His word shall knit together again our bones and ashes, that they may arise into eternal life, we shall say then, 'blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord'...
and now, to shut up this long discourse..let us a little remember the honor of our Archbishop, which is Jesus Christ. He was born of a poor woman, in a strange place and received into an inn and put forth into a stable, wrapt in coarse clothes and laid in a maner; persecuted from His swaddling clothes into strange countries, returning home in fear and often hiding himself; brought up in the sweat of His brows and the occupation of His father; mocked with His base parentage and reproached with the name of beggarly nazareth; not one of the nobility known to favor Him , but a poor company which were basely despised. in all His greatest glory He was laughed to scorn; and the title of His kingdom was set upon a cross of shame. and in this estate doth he not say unto His disciples, 'I have appointed you a kingdom, as My Father hath appointed unto Me?' (luke 22.29 and how can you frame out of this pattern, either pope's monarchy or the bishop's kingdoms; either a triple crown so far above princes or a sumptuous mitre so unmeet for apostles?surely, my lord, this gear it will not stand. it is a plant which our Father in heaven never planted; and it will be rooted out. it is of the pope and it shall drink of the same cup of confusion; of which the pope hath begun unto them. and doubt you not, but it is of the pope. for besides the plainness of the word of God, it is also printed before your eyes, that you might see the truth, though you would not hear it. for where is this lordship in the greatest honor, but where the pope's holiness is set highest? where is it abated, but where the pope's head is broken? and where is it rejected, but where the pope is trodden under feet? it standeth with the pope; it reigneth with the pope; it falleth with the pope; it is shamed with the pope; and is it not of the pope?
but now i have to answer many thoughts which very easily will rise within you. you will muse firest of the state of the primitive church; and think that augustine, ambrose, etc. were al bishops. to this i answer, that if they were, yet men must not prejudice the word of God. true it is they were bishops; but this is as true, they were no lords, neither agreed with our bishope almost in anything, save only names.
1. the bishops and ministers then were one in degree; now they are divers.
2. there were many bishops in one town. now theree is but one in a whole country.
3. no bishop's authority was more than in one city. now it is in many shires.
4. the bishops then used no bodily punishments. now they imprison, fine, etc.
5. those bishops could not excommunicate or absolve, of their own authority; now they may.
6. then, without consent, they could make no ministers. now they do.
7. they could confirm no children in other parishes. they do now in many shires.
8. then they had no living of the church, but only in one congregation. now they have.
9. then they had neither officials under them, nor commissioners, nor chancellors.
10. then they dealt in no civil government, by any established authority.
11. then they had no right in alienating any parsonage, to give it in lease.
12. then they had the church where they served the cure, even as those whom we call now parish priests, although they were metropolitans or archbishops.
these diversities they are very great; and if your honor doubt in any of them, when it shall please your honor, we will refuse no conference with whom you will...
if you will object against us the bishops of our time, we may answer of them favorably, as before. we know their doings. and our hope is of them, as of members of the church. we love them as brethren and honor them as elders. and the Lord grant that we have no cause to call back this praise and dare not give it them. but this i must needs say, and freely confess, if i were in one of their places, i should no have been so soon persuaded. we are all men and born in sin. if one speak against our belly, it hath no ears; or against our back, it hath no eyes. so that we will hardly see or hear a truth. but if the consent of men of our times may help the cause, then i trust it shall help us that all reformed churches are of our side; and not one of them is governed by a lord bishop...you see how bold i have been with your honor; and i am not ignorant what portion of my life i have committed into your hands. but i have done no more than i would have done to her majesty herself, if such occasion had been. for i cannot be persuaded to conceal any truth from such a magistrate as feareth God, and hath advanced His gospel...
and i beseech God, in these grievous times, to make me content with a good conscience; and enrich you honor with such grace, that when you shall think upon Him in your bed and remember Him in your night watches, you may remember the nights of the prophet david and feel His joy, that is , the God of glory. amen your honor's bounden in the Lord Jesu, even as His own, edward deering
Friday, October 14, 2011
10.14.2011 DISCIPLESHIP
i recently read 'peril by choice', the story of john and elaine beekman who were wycliffe translators in mexico starting 1948, by james c. hefley. there i read the following account of discipleship by john.
..twice a week he held morning classes for about 50 teenage preacher boys who evangelized outlying villages on the weekends. on a typical tuesday morning, john arose to see the boys already waiting beside a fire near the front porch with water for coffee simmering on the fire.
class got under way as soon as john could dress. he climbed down the ladder and greeted them cheerily, leaving elaine and judy still in bed upstairs. then after coffee with the boys outside he said, 'the sun isn't going to wait any longer on us. you will soon have to go to your cornfields'. about half of the boys moved inside the beekman living room. the rest sat on the porch. only those who felt they could hold their spit could come inside. john had a practical reason for this; many of the boys were mild tubercular cases.
brothers, choose your message for next sunday, john said.
by consensus the boys settled upon a paragraph of scripture after one stood and read it aloud, john asked each fellow to tell what he thot it meant. not until all had finished did he begin asking leading questions.
after the boys settled on a reasonable interpretation, john asked them to think of illustrations from tribal life. a favorite showed the distinction between true and false believers: 'the outside of the corn looks perfect. but when we pull back the husks, we find crooked rows of little kernels. in other ears we find that rain or worms have gotten inside the husk and the kernels have rotted. we open other ears of corn and find even rows of large kernels. it is what's inside that counts'.
the preacher boys had trouble understanding many biblical symbols. sheep, goats and even plowing were unknown to the chols who cultivated their cornfields with the prim8itive dibble stick. yoke was a difficult word to translate. one explained john's first rendition as meaning 'the necktie that the mexicans wear which we don't'. john then proposed 'bark' which was immediately understood. 'take my yoke upon you' matt. 11.29 became; 'hang my bark upon your forehead'. the chols were accustomed to supporting and balancing heavy back loads with a cloth or bark band secured around the forehead. frequently the load was switched to another back, using the same bark bond.
when john felt the fellows had mastered the content of the scripture passage and had two or three good illustrations from chol culture, he asked for a volunteer to give a talk on the material.
when he finished, john asked, brothers, how can he improve?he should look straight at the people, one replied. even when he reads the scripture he can look up some.
another added, he should speak so people on the back row can hear.
and another said, he should not scratch his ear while talking. people will think he has a bug there.
the preacher quietly received the criticism. then at john's request, he gave a short re-run, keeping in mind the suggestions made.
by the end of the friday class the boys had their messages and illustrations prepared and were ready to work out their itineraries.
john did not say, francisco and jose, you go to this village. instead, he asked each to name the village where you think God's Spirit is leading you. when more than 2 mentioned the same village, he said, brothers, Jesus' disciples went 2 by 2. perhaps one of you would want to go with jose to la gloria. then, the circuits agreed upon, john equipped the young evangelists with precious copies of bible stories in chol, phonographs and records, medicine kits, including a medical hand book prepared by elaine, and the literacy charts to place in each village.
the following tuesday they gave reports of their troubles and successes. always, some told of death threats from fanatical opponents of the gospel. more than one bore the marks of beatings and machete cuts when he stood to report. after hearing their reports, john declared to elaine, it's the book of acts all over again.
one friday, 20 year old francisco. a thin, wiry youth with a shock of thick black hair to match his black eyes, volunteered for san pedro. domingo, 2 years younger, volunteered to be his partner.
brothers, bitter enemies of the gospel are there, john warned.
the boys refused to be turned. we will tell them about jesus, francisco said, his eyes flashing. if we die, we go to be with Jesus that much sooner.
friday the boys left with phonograph machine and gospel records both in chol and spanish. saturday noon they arrived by foot in san pedro.
soon a large crowd of indians gathered to hear the' talking tortillas'. a mexican rancher arrived to survey the situation. let's get them, he snarled to a friend. they'll cause these indians to follow the foreign devils and quit buying liquor from us.
gun in hand, the rancher slipped through some undergrowth behind the boys and sprang at them. tie them up, he ordered 2 of his employees.
the mexicans tied francisco and domingo and dragged them away to the home of the rancher. like paul and silas in the philippian jail, they kept courage thru the night by singing and prying.
the next morning was sunday. the rancher took the fellows in a canoe downriver to the mexican village of salto. he marched them to the village plaza where he handed a written accusation to the municipal president. the accusation charged them with attempting to burn a sacred indian idol in san pedro and disturbing the peace.
a large crowd quickly gathered around. did you try to destroy the idol? the president asked.
no, francisco said. we came to tell our poor chol brothers in san pedro about the true and living God. i used to dress in rags, the thin boy continued. i didn't know how to read or write. what $ i had was wasted on drink. that's how the chols of san pedro still live. i want to give them that which helped me. now i have a good home and clothes. i can read and write. the word of God has made me different. my friend and i came here not to burn the idol, but to tell our brothers the gospel which can change them, too. if you want to hear the message we are spreading, let us play the phonograph machine for you.
the official nodded, ignoring the rancher's scowl. the boys played several gospel messages in spanish.
let's see your books, the mayor asked.
domingo handed them over, but asked permission to read from one. the official agreed and he read the 10 commandments in chol.
the official looked hard at the shifty eyed rancher. these fellows have broken no law. he ripped the accusation in two and said to the boys, take your machine and books and go.
the boys left the plaza in triumph and visited the town jail where they played the records and preached for the prisoners, guards and prostitutes who hung around the jail waiting for new prisoners with $.
oh Lord help me to be You disciple and to make others Your disciples.
..twice a week he held morning classes for about 50 teenage preacher boys who evangelized outlying villages on the weekends. on a typical tuesday morning, john arose to see the boys already waiting beside a fire near the front porch with water for coffee simmering on the fire.
class got under way as soon as john could dress. he climbed down the ladder and greeted them cheerily, leaving elaine and judy still in bed upstairs. then after coffee with the boys outside he said, 'the sun isn't going to wait any longer on us. you will soon have to go to your cornfields'. about half of the boys moved inside the beekman living room. the rest sat on the porch. only those who felt they could hold their spit could come inside. john had a practical reason for this; many of the boys were mild tubercular cases.
brothers, choose your message for next sunday, john said.
by consensus the boys settled upon a paragraph of scripture after one stood and read it aloud, john asked each fellow to tell what he thot it meant. not until all had finished did he begin asking leading questions.
after the boys settled on a reasonable interpretation, john asked them to think of illustrations from tribal life. a favorite showed the distinction between true and false believers: 'the outside of the corn looks perfect. but when we pull back the husks, we find crooked rows of little kernels. in other ears we find that rain or worms have gotten inside the husk and the kernels have rotted. we open other ears of corn and find even rows of large kernels. it is what's inside that counts'.
the preacher boys had trouble understanding many biblical symbols. sheep, goats and even plowing were unknown to the chols who cultivated their cornfields with the prim8itive dibble stick. yoke was a difficult word to translate. one explained john's first rendition as meaning 'the necktie that the mexicans wear which we don't'. john then proposed 'bark' which was immediately understood. 'take my yoke upon you' matt. 11.29 became; 'hang my bark upon your forehead'. the chols were accustomed to supporting and balancing heavy back loads with a cloth or bark band secured around the forehead. frequently the load was switched to another back, using the same bark bond.
when john felt the fellows had mastered the content of the scripture passage and had two or three good illustrations from chol culture, he asked for a volunteer to give a talk on the material.
when he finished, john asked, brothers, how can he improve?he should look straight at the people, one replied. even when he reads the scripture he can look up some.
another added, he should speak so people on the back row can hear.
and another said, he should not scratch his ear while talking. people will think he has a bug there.
the preacher quietly received the criticism. then at john's request, he gave a short re-run, keeping in mind the suggestions made.
by the end of the friday class the boys had their messages and illustrations prepared and were ready to work out their itineraries.
john did not say, francisco and jose, you go to this village. instead, he asked each to name the village where you think God's Spirit is leading you. when more than 2 mentioned the same village, he said, brothers, Jesus' disciples went 2 by 2. perhaps one of you would want to go with jose to la gloria. then, the circuits agreed upon, john equipped the young evangelists with precious copies of bible stories in chol, phonographs and records, medicine kits, including a medical hand book prepared by elaine, and the literacy charts to place in each village.
the following tuesday they gave reports of their troubles and successes. always, some told of death threats from fanatical opponents of the gospel. more than one bore the marks of beatings and machete cuts when he stood to report. after hearing their reports, john declared to elaine, it's the book of acts all over again.
one friday, 20 year old francisco. a thin, wiry youth with a shock of thick black hair to match his black eyes, volunteered for san pedro. domingo, 2 years younger, volunteered to be his partner.
brothers, bitter enemies of the gospel are there, john warned.
the boys refused to be turned. we will tell them about jesus, francisco said, his eyes flashing. if we die, we go to be with Jesus that much sooner.
friday the boys left with phonograph machine and gospel records both in chol and spanish. saturday noon they arrived by foot in san pedro.
soon a large crowd of indians gathered to hear the' talking tortillas'. a mexican rancher arrived to survey the situation. let's get them, he snarled to a friend. they'll cause these indians to follow the foreign devils and quit buying liquor from us.
gun in hand, the rancher slipped through some undergrowth behind the boys and sprang at them. tie them up, he ordered 2 of his employees.
the mexicans tied francisco and domingo and dragged them away to the home of the rancher. like paul and silas in the philippian jail, they kept courage thru the night by singing and prying.
the next morning was sunday. the rancher took the fellows in a canoe downriver to the mexican village of salto. he marched them to the village plaza where he handed a written accusation to the municipal president. the accusation charged them with attempting to burn a sacred indian idol in san pedro and disturbing the peace.
a large crowd quickly gathered around. did you try to destroy the idol? the president asked.
no, francisco said. we came to tell our poor chol brothers in san pedro about the true and living God. i used to dress in rags, the thin boy continued. i didn't know how to read or write. what $ i had was wasted on drink. that's how the chols of san pedro still live. i want to give them that which helped me. now i have a good home and clothes. i can read and write. the word of God has made me different. my friend and i came here not to burn the idol, but to tell our brothers the gospel which can change them, too. if you want to hear the message we are spreading, let us play the phonograph machine for you.
the official nodded, ignoring the rancher's scowl. the boys played several gospel messages in spanish.
let's see your books, the mayor asked.
domingo handed them over, but asked permission to read from one. the official agreed and he read the 10 commandments in chol.
the official looked hard at the shifty eyed rancher. these fellows have broken no law. he ripped the accusation in two and said to the boys, take your machine and books and go.
the boys left the plaza in triumph and visited the town jail where they played the records and preached for the prisoners, guards and prostitutes who hung around the jail waiting for new prisoners with $.
oh Lord help me to be You disciple and to make others Your disciples.
10.14.2009 SATISFIED?
proverbs 14.14 says, 'he that is of a perverse heart is satisfied with his own ways; and a good man from himself'.
'perverse', one turning aside, in this context it would seem...one who is turning aside from God's way is likened to dross, which is that useless part which is separated, drawn away the good part..God! the idea of the first part of the verse is not that there is true satisfaction found apart from God, but that the reward of a person's wandering from God is estrangement from God.
the 'good' man, on the other hand, is satisfied not with having his own way but is satisfied because he no longer is doing what he wants but what God wants.
so the verse would seem to say that the only true satisfaction is not having to do what oneself wants but what God wants, just as the only true freedom is not doing what oneself wants but being free to do what God wants.
some time ago i wanted to get ahold of what the core idea of 'joy' is. after following all the etymological trails from that word in webster i came up with the concept 'enough'.
tonight i was in great peace and joy with the Lord and thought of this and went to webster to look at 'enough' and this is what i found: satisfy, please, content; be quiet, satisfied. the definition proper:
that satisfies desire, or gives content
that may answer to purpose
that is adequate to the wants
a sufficiency.
i have little spots of what i would think approach the fruit of the Spirit, joy. but they are at this point in my life few and sometimes far between. if i were fully changed in heart experiencing an ongoing freedom to do what God wants i believe there would be much more joy. i find that nothing and no one i know or have known or hope to know is enough...only Jesus. oh may God give me a heart of flesh in place of my heart of stone, oh may He cause me to walk in His statutes so that i may be careful to observe His ordinances.
'perverse', one turning aside, in this context it would seem...one who is turning aside from God's way is likened to dross, which is that useless part which is separated, drawn away the good part..God! the idea of the first part of the verse is not that there is true satisfaction found apart from God, but that the reward of a person's wandering from God is estrangement from God.
the 'good' man, on the other hand, is satisfied not with having his own way but is satisfied because he no longer is doing what he wants but what God wants.
so the verse would seem to say that the only true satisfaction is not having to do what oneself wants but what God wants, just as the only true freedom is not doing what oneself wants but being free to do what God wants.
some time ago i wanted to get ahold of what the core idea of 'joy' is. after following all the etymological trails from that word in webster i came up with the concept 'enough'.
tonight i was in great peace and joy with the Lord and thought of this and went to webster to look at 'enough' and this is what i found: satisfy, please, content; be quiet, satisfied. the definition proper:
that satisfies desire, or gives content
that may answer to purpose
that is adequate to the wants
a sufficiency.
i have little spots of what i would think approach the fruit of the Spirit, joy. but they are at this point in my life few and sometimes far between. if i were fully changed in heart experiencing an ongoing freedom to do what God wants i believe there would be much more joy. i find that nothing and no one i know or have known or hope to know is enough...only Jesus. oh may God give me a heart of flesh in place of my heart of stone, oh may He cause me to walk in His statutes so that i may be careful to observe His ordinances.
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