Good analysis, which prompts some comments that I'll have to make at a later
time, as I am off to make a talk on to the Rotary Club on ideas of Tom
Peters presented in his book, In Search of Excellence.!  Regards.
KnoxDuncan@...

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <chasrscott@...>
To: <faithandlife@...>
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2003 3:13 PM
Subject: [FaithandLife] 3rd Try LEGITIMATE CHILDREN OF THE SAME MOTHER


>
> 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+
>
>
> .
>
>
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