Book Review: Five English Reformers

JC Ryle was the first Bishop of Liverpool, and a leading evangelical churchman in his day. Throughout his writings there are warnings of the rise of ritualism in the Church of England and an appeal to return to the great martyr-reformers who died at the hands of Queen Mary for the truths of the gospel. This little book, Five English Reformers, collated and published by The Banner of Truth Trust turns the spotlight on the person, profile and legacy of John Hooper, Rowland Taylor, Hugh Latimer, John Bradford and Nicholas Ridley.

The opening chapter presents a paper entitled 'Why Were Our Reformers Burned?' In what may be an early assault on postmodernism (so early, in fact that a hundred and some years ago it wasn't even imagined), Ryle declares that 'It is fashionable in some quarters to deny that there is any such thing as certainly about religious truth... Yet three hundred years ago, there were men who were certain they had found out truth, and were content to die for their opinions.' He goes on to present the broad facts of the persecution arising under Bloody Mary when she assumed the throne on her brother Edward VI's death: 'She began at once to pull down her brother's work in every possible way, and to restore Popery in its worst and most offensive forms.'

The facts are shocking - in the years 1555 - 1558 there were 288 martyrs in England, including an archbishop, four bishops, 21 clergy, 55 women and 4 children. Most died by fire at the stake. Horrifying. Of these, Ryle suggests that, 'Never, I believe, since Christ left the world, did Christian men ever meet a cruel death with such glorious faith, and hope, and patience, as these Marian martyrs.' Indeed, one 'went to death as if he was walking to his wedding.'

Why were they killed? Ryle is adamant that it was the refusal of one doctrine: 'the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the consecrated elements of bread and wine in the Lord's Supper.'

In each of the remaining chapters, one of the reformers is in view, with an in-depth look at their person, ministry, martyrdom, and writings. There are some interesting insights into the time of the reformers, one instance of which relates the ignorance of the clergy in the diocese of Gloucester in 1551: 'Out of 311 clergy in his diocese, 168 were unable to repeat the Ten Commandments, 31 of the 168 could not state in what part of the Scripture they were to be found; 40 could not tell where the Lord's Prayer was written; and 31 of the 40 were ignorant who was the author of the Lord's Prayer!'

There was a very relevant reflection which has been borne out even more in these days of the internet and the celebrity pastor. Ryle is discussing the scarcity of Rowland Taylor's remains - his sermons and letters were not compiled or published or famous beyond his congregation: 'The causes of this absence of information are easily explained. For one thing, the good man lived, and laboured, and died, in a small country town, fifty miles from London. Such a position is fatal to a world-wide celebrity. It is the dwellers of large cities, and the occupiers of metropolitan pulpits, whose doings are chronicled by admirers, and whose lives are carefully handed down to posterity.' You'd wonder what Ryle would make of podcasting and real celebrity pastors these days...

Yet despite Taylor's insignificance on the world stage, his ministry was powerful in his parish: 'The whole town seemed rather a university of the learned, than a town of cloth-making or labouring people; and what most is to be commended, they were for the most part followers of God's Word in their living.' What a testimony!

On examining Bishop Hugh Latimer's ministry, Ryle speaks of the power of his sermons. While they (extant sermons) may seem quaint, very familiar and rambling, Ryle declares that his contemporaries would be poor judges of sermons: 'A modern sermon is too often a dull, tame, pointless religious essay, full of measured, round sentences, Johnsonian English, bald platitudes, timid statements, and elaborately concocted milk and water. It is a leaden sword, without either point or edge: a heavy weapon, and little likely to do much execution.'

On the contrary, when Latimer was reminded he was preaching in the hearing of the King, Latimer would remind himself: 'remember also thou art about to speak before the King of Kings, and Lord of lords. Take heed that thou dost not displease Him.'

This was a good book to read to gain a general impression and introduction to the reformers in question, and also to be reminded of important reformation principles. The only problem is that it is a collection of papers and addresses delivered on separate occasions in magazines and/or meetings. As such, there is a lot of repetition, both on the individuals concerned - the opening chapter is like a summary of the stories of the later chapters), and also regarding the dangers of aggressive Romanism. If Banner were to re-publish this volume, it could profit from some editing to streamline the material.

Those wishing to learn a bit more about the leading reformers in England, those who compiled the Articles and Homilies at the centre of Anglicanism, will find this a useful book, and a prompt to commit to keeping the gospel flame burning brightly. Five English Reformers(Kindle)

Book Review: Pride and Prejudice *Spoilers*

'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.' So begins Jane Austen's novel 'Pride and Prejudice' - a book I had never read. It seems to echo through our culture, probably through the endless television and movie remakes, such that I knew Darcy was a character, but knew nothing more about it. Coming free in the Amazon Kindle bookstore, I picked it up and started reading.

To my surprise, I enjoyed it more than I expected (and perhaps more than I should admit!). Austen's writing style takes a little bit of getting used to, what with the partial dialogue in scenes (where one character might be quoted extensively, but the other's contribution is paraphrased by the narrator), and the language is certainly of the time. Having said that, the pace is good, the characters are portrayed vividly, the story draws you in and keeps the reader intrigued, and the ending is very satisfying.

Just in case you've never read it either, Pride and Prejudice follows the Bennet family as Mrs Bennet fusses and promotes 'The business of her life [which] was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.' The five daughters are caught up in the social scene, each with their unique character and personality, which is well captured. We're also introduced to the head of the household, Mr Bennet, who seems to reside in his study, well away from the cares of courting.

Along the way, we meet many other characters, but the main protagonist is Mr Darcy, who in the first half of the book portrays the 'pride' of the title, although we discover that in her own way Elizabeth Bennet is just as proud (and even more prejudiced). The romance blossoms along the way, with Elizabeth receiving a fair number of marriage proposals, from a variety of men.

While the English upper class social scene of the 1800s is quite alien, it's a fascinating insight into the lives of the 'great and the good' at the time. Perhaps lovers of Downton Abbey may wish to revisit one of the original classics from the period.

For me, it was interesting to hear of Mr Collins, a cousin of the Bennet family, who served as a clergyman under the patronage of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and to hear some of his insights on ministry. That is, keep in with the lady of the manor, and do your work:

'The rector of a parish has much to do. In the first place, he must make such an agreement for tithes as may be beneficial to himself and not offensive to his patron. He must write his own sermons; and the time that remains will not be too much for his parish duties, and the care and improvement of his dwelling, which he cannot be excused from making as a comfortable as possible.'

One of my favourite characters, however, was Mr Bennet. Early on, we're told that 'they found Mr Bennet still up. With a book he was regardless of time.' He has some of the best funny lines, as when Elizabeth comes to discuss Mr Collins' proposal with him: 'An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never seen you again if you do NOT marry Mr Collins, and I will never see you again if you DO.'

It's as if the book is perfectly split between the pride and the prejudice - indeed, my Kindle told me that the first mention of prejudice came at 51%! Misunderstandings are dealt with; prejudices are overturned and pride is replaced by humility as the romance drives towards its conclusion.

All in all, it's a great book, and well deserving of being hailed a classic. I'm glad to have read it, and enjoyed it, and will perhaps have a go at another of Austen's books before too long.

Shakespeare: Book Review

William Shakespeare has always been a mystery to me. He's been at the background of my awareness, with a few well-known quotations and phrases floating around. But beyond knowing that he was a playwright and poet associated with the Globe Theatre, I couldn't have told you much about him.

Having recently read Bill Bryson's biography on Shakespeare, it appears that most people, even Shakespeare scholars can't know much more for sure. Thus far, Shakespeare has been an elusive character, with little documentary evidence in the remaining legal documents from the period of his life.

Indeed, of the remaining signatures, Shakespeare doesn't even spell his name the same way twice, and never uses the now accustomed spelling of his name which I've been using throughout the review! Another mystery is the order of writing of his plays - scholars are so divided that there are almost as many chronologies as there are scholars, each with their own theory and insight.

So on one level, my quest for more information wasn't overly successful, with Bryson being frank with the lack of documentary evidence and the details of the life of one of England's greatest authors. Yet it wasn't a waste of time, as the book is laced with Bryson's characteristic humour, both in describing life in Elizabethan and Jacobean England, and in writing about the Shakespearean scholars and their weird and wacky ways. I may not know much more about Shakespeare, but I enjoyed the ride!

Remember, Remember

It's very interesting that people over on the British mainland complain about the long memories of people in Northern Ireland when historical battles are remembered and celebrated. Especially when such commemorations are associated with bonfires and other cultural festivals. Such events are seen as merely sectarian triumphalism or raking up the past.

(Photo by Bernie.)

Yet today is the day when many will attend bonfires and other cultural festivals in England and parts of the Commonwealth to recall an even older historical event. Interesting indeed, considering that the Boyne was fought in 1690, while the victory against Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators was 85 years earlier, in 1605.

Remember, Remember the fifth of November,
Gunpowder, Treason and Plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.

Liverpool!

And now a special report on our day away to Liverpool. I was up at 3.30am and Ruth arrived at 4am, so we set off to Banbridge to lift Robert. As we pulled into his drive, there was the ominous sign of no lights. No sign of life at all (although bizarrely, there were lights on in the house across the road...). Maybe the sound of the car would bring him out of the house. Nope. Maybe if we rung his phone, he would come out. Nope, phone was off. What to do?

I knocked on the front door. Nothing. Knocked again louder. Nothing. Knocked a third time. Nothing. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I rang the doorbell. Nothing. Doorbell again, more sustained ringing. Nothing. Doorbell again and again, and behold, the sound of stirring from inside - Robert had awakened! 'Gimme two minutes' was the hurried cry from inside the door. We retired to the car, laughing.

And then we were off, on the road to Dublin. Er, well, we got as far as Scarva Street before turning back so Robert could get his college room key and his band card. But you get the idea. Eventually we were on the road to Dublin; parked up at the Quickpark and into the airport.

Flight was smooth, once we got out onto the runway to take off - the queue at the airport was as bad as the Westlink. Into Liverpool John Lennon Airport, and onto the bus to the city centre.This was Ruth's first time in Liverpool, I had been there a couple of times, but Robert was the Liverpool guide supreme. From the bus station we walked to Paddy's Wigwam - the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral. (I almost wrote the Metropolitan Tabernacle there!) We had a look around it - such a huge structure, but well laid out liturgically. Everyone could see what was happening. Sadly the original crypts were out of bounds due to exams being held there, so we made our way out to the bus stop for the city sightseeing tour bus.

Even though it was a short distance to Liverpool Cathedral, we were able to have the ticket for the whole day to jump on and off as required. Liverpool Cathedral is massive - seemingly the biggest in the British Isles, with the highest and heaviest peal of bells in the world. Up we went to the top of the tower to enjoy the view of the city and further afield. Then back down to explore the cathedral, and get lunch in the cafe. One of the most refreshing things about both cathedrals in Liverpool was the fact that you aren't confronted with a till as soon as you arrive. Rather, visitors are asked to make a donation - much better than being forced to pay a set fee when you arrive at Christ Church Cathedral Dublin, or St Patrick's Cathedral Dublin, or Westminster Abbey. The respective Deans, take note!

We got back on the tour bus, and were taken right round the two cathedrals again, before going on through the city centre, and arriving at Albert Dock. Here we find the headquarters of Granada Television. This Morning used to be filmed here, but sadly the floating weather map has been removed. In the sunshine, we had a wander around the dock, calling into the Tate Liverpool, then the Merseyside Maritime Museum and the Customs and Excise Museum. Fun stuff, although I couldn't help but wonder if the displays could be used to help the forgers and smugglers get better at their trade...

Back onto the bus again, and surprise, surprise, back round by the two cathedrals for the third time, before back to the city centre, where we left the bus tour for the day. Speaking of the two cathedrals reminds me of a couple of problems with the bus tour commentary. The claim was made that Liverpool is unique in being the only city with two working cathedrals. I'm not sure where their catchment area is - possibly only England, because within Northern Ireland there are three cities with two working cathedrals in each - Londonderry, Belfast and Armagh. The other howler was when the commentary talks about the four bells in Paddy's Wigwam's bell tower. I quote - 'They are named after the four apostles, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.' Hmm, slight problem in that they are four Evangelists, rather than apostles. Matthew and John were apostles, but Luke and Mark didn't have that role or function!

Having got off in the city centre, we wandered about, finding the essential commodity of water (in a roasting hot day). We then went into the Cavern Quarter to find the home of the Beatles - the Cavern Club in Mathew Street. From there, it was on to the World Museum Liverpool, which we explored in the last hour before it closed. This was a brilliant place - completely free (museums in Northern Ireland take note!) and packed with brilliant displays.

My favourite was the Wallace and Gromit exhibition. There you could see some of the models used in the 'Were-Rabbit' film, and there were interactive elements. One such element was where you could add your own sound effects to a clip from the film, then watch it back! In total there were five floors of stuff, with a bugs exhibition with tanks of tarantulas, beetles, scorpions, bees, stick insects and many others; and an aquarium feature with lots of colourful fish.

Then we sat in the gardens for a while, taking it easy, and marvelling at the lack of traffic in the city for rush hour. Had it been London, Dublin or Belfast (or even Lisburn) at the same time, traffic would be crazy, but in Liverpool, you could hardly notice any cars, and there were no queues!

We then went for dinner in a Chinese buffet restaurant, where there was a special offer of 10% off food for students. I have to admit, that partly swayed our decision, and in we went. We said we were students, and the waitress asked to see our cards. On seeing that we were students at Trinity College, Dublin, she refused us the student discount, because we weren't students at a British university. We were the victims of racism from Chinese people! The food was decent, although they were very prompt in coming to clear away plates almost as soon as you had finished eating, which I wasn't too fussed on.

From there, we went back out to the airport, getting photos taken beside the Yellow Submarine fixture outside the airport. Inside, it was virtually deserted as there were just two more flights going out that evening, so we grabbed the comfy chairs at the (closed) Starbucks and relaxed until the flight was called.

All in all, it was a great day. Just a pity Simon Genoe (to name and shame him) wasn't able to go with us as he was tired!

Photos will soon be available at the usual place - Flickr!

Buckingham Palace photos

Just a few photographs of Buckingham Palace, the home of HM Queen Elizabeth II. On Monday, she wasn't in - the Union Flag is flying, but the night time photos further down are from Tuesday night, when she was in residence - the Royal Standard was flying. You can't see it though - I was too busy playing with the night time settings on the camera to get some light effects!

I love the taxi fading in or out of this picture: