Just Curious

License to preach

Interestingly, Bishop Bruno also issued a decree forbidding the Episcopalian priests of the three parishes that decide to leave his diocese to preach and to minister to their flocks.

Well, his spiritual ancestors did exactly the same thing to good ole' George Fox (1624-1691), the First among Friends. Not only were Quaker preachers "forbidden" by the Church of England under harsh penalty to preach their religion, they were also forbidden to organize Meetings that are composed of more than four believers!

No wonder, his voice full of amused contempt, Fox told the Judge who tried him not only to "quake" before the Power of the Lord, but that if his laws were truly valid, then Christ and his Twelve Apostles shouldn't be allowed to gather either!

Anyway, my point is the following:

Should the Episcopalian priests of the said parishes decide to comply to this decree and stop preaching, then they clearly are not true ministers of Christ, since "they ought not be silent at man's command if the Lord had sent and commanded them to preach..."

This above statement is valid regardless of whether the anti-homosexual-marriage-stuff preached by these priests is true religion. Should they decide not to comply, they could still be wrong in asserting the unlawfulness of homosexual marriage; but should they do decide to comply, then they clearly are human teachers, rather than ministers of Christ.

posted by James Chang @ 4:49 PM