LEGITIMATE CHILDREN OF THE SAME MOTHER? In the discussion regarding Churchmanship and definitions of Evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics, it should not surprise us, since these are English Church parties, they are children of the same mother. I suppose the question is, are they legitimate children of the same mother? Or. . . . .not. 8-) Before drawing any conclusions about the legitimacy of these at least fraternal twins, it might be helpful to examine their DNA and determine who had been consorting with the mother. An argument can be made that war is very disruptive of society and while there may be no atheists in foxholes, there is likewise no great leap forward in morality, civility and Godly living in wartimes. Civil wars are especially uncivil and unsettling. Following the days of Cromwell and the bloody battles over the throne and establishment, there was a time when the “winners” in the church and state had an affair with rationalism and its leaders were at best deists. The Enlightened Church leadership was captive to a decadent social group that lived well, believed little and cared not for the diseased and starving masses. There is a disconnect between England of that era and the England of the time of the Industrial Revolution. To identify John Wesley and others sympathetic to his ideals with Puritans of an earlier era would be a mistake. Likewise to identify those attached to the Oxford Movement with abusive Bishops of a century before is wrong. We can see, at this distance in time and space, both movements by these fraternal twins were working for a more humane community with high moral values and a deeper spirituality. There is also a disconnect between those 18th and 19th century movements and our own time and place. We are not in Industrial Revolution England. We are in the post Christian United States of America, with very little continuing Christian tradition for the majority of Americans to fall back on. In some ways, modern America is like the time of the Latitudinarians in England when the majority does not bother with church as it is irrelevant and laughable. It should be noted that both Anglo Catholics and non conformists suffered at the hands of the restored monarchy under Charles II in 1660. John Locke had said “Reason, must be our last judge and guide in everything.” (Essay Concerning Human Understanding) David L. Jeffrey writes of that time, “In fact, reason was the ultimate guide and judge in almost nothing, even where most laboriously invoked, to rationalize its failure. Yet the notion that it had somehow eclipsed faith, as science eclipsed superstition, had already helped bring about a massive decline in national religious life. Rationalism had reinforced the moderationism of the Estalishment Church, which for political as well as spiritual reasons became highly intolerant of any form of visible spirituality. After the collapse of the Puritan Commonwealth and the restoration of the monarchy with Charles II in 1660, the Church became effectively a department of state. Both Puritans on the left and Catholics and Anglo Catholics on the right were driven out of the Church with vindictive ferocity.” (David L. Jeffrey “A Burning and Shining Light.”) Jeffrey goes on to note that one fifth of the English clergy were deprived of their livings as a result of the Act of Uniformity. Two thousand rectors and vicars refused to take the oath of allegiance and were ejected without compensation. John Wesley wrote of Charles II that “Bloody Mary was a lamb, a mere dove, in comparison of him,” the Puritans, Baptists, Presbyterians, Independents, Quaker, and any Anglicans who would not swear absolute allegiance were, with Catholics, systematically excluded from the universities, denied any form of public employment, and driven out of “polite society.” The common enemy of these spiritually fraternal twins is the evil culture that had captured the mother. We are not of that time and place. We can learn from it, and profit by the spirituality handed on by giants in both groups. We have our own culture wars to fight in the here and now, and needn’t be pre-occupied with trying to recreate the battle scenes of another century. Cheers! Charles+ . ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - NetZero HiSpeed! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month -visit www.netzero.com to sign up today!