Sunday, November 23, 2008

The Law



I don't know if this authentic St Thomas or the fruit of te mind of the script writer of the Man for All Seasons.

More: And go he should, if he were the Devil himself, until he broke the law!
Roper: So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law!
More: Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?
Roper: Yes, I'd cut down every law in England to do that!
More: Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat?
This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down (and you're just the man to do it!), do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then?
Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!

The Church's liturgy is planted thick with Laws, they guarantee authenticity. A woman was telling me recently about a celebration of Mass where the National Anthem was substituted for the Creed, I don't know if the last verse as included!



God save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
God save the Queen:
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us:
God save the Queen.

O Lord, our God, arise,
Scatter her enemies,
And make them fall.
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks,
On thee our hopes we fix:
God save the Queen.

Thy choicest gifts in store,
On her be pleased to pour;
Long may she reign:
May she defend our laws,
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice
God save the Queen.

Not in this land alone,
But be God's mercies known,
From shore to shore!
Lord make the nations see,
That men should brothers be,
And form one family,
The wide world ov'er.

From every latent foe,
From the assassins blow
God save the Queen!
O'er her thine arm extend,
For Britain's sake defend,
Our mother, prince, and friend,
God save the Queen!

Lord grant that Marshal Wade
May by thy mighty aid
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush,
And like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush.
God save the Queen!

I really do feel for people who have to put up with this type of nonsense week after week. The rubrics, the Liturgical Law is to protect people's faith. I really do wonder if my faith would be strong enough to endure onslaughts of this kind of abuse week after week after week.

7 comments:

nickbris said...

It's only a matter of time,we can do away with all this nonsense.

Can we really afford to have these parasites sucking our blood for ever.

The sooner we have a DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC the better off we'll all be.

What is it with all these LORDS & SIRS? It just depends on the depth of their pockets.

PeterHWright said...

It is right, I think, to pray for the Queen.

But what on earth is wrong with "Domine salvam fac reginam nostram" after the main Mass ?

That, as a boy, it what I learned at school (with the Credo in its proper place).

PeterHWright said...

P.S.

I've re-read Father's post.

I honestly don't remember verses 5 and 6, and I don't think I would feel inclined to sing them !

Anonymous said...

I'm pretty sure that the words of St Thomas More are fictional, although they do express what was until recently a common view amongst lawyers.

Anagnostis said...

I really do wonder if my faith would be strong enough to endure onslaughts of this kind of abuse week after week after week.

It wouldn't. No-one's is, whatever people may say. Those who do this kind of thing and those who willingly, or even passively consent to it, have already begun to receive and transmit "another Gospel". Lex orandi lex credendi is not a statement of principle - it's an immutable fact of life.

Anonymous said...

The Creed first appeared in the Mass in 471 at Antioch and at Antioch in 511. Its use was unknown in the Roman Church until the first half of the eleventh century when the Emperor Henry II induced Pope Benedict VII to adopt the custom. As Rome was a very conservative see there were protests at the innovation ,indeed it has been said that the custom of the deacon at high mass spreading the corporal during the creed is a sympton of this. However the fact that the creed is not an original part of the mass is no argument for not having it now.

If the powers that be are ordained of God then we should all surely pray for them, whether we live in a Monarchy or a Democratic republic, or even a Dictatorship; rulers need praying for.

But not by replacing a statement of Christian belief.

As for the National Anthem, is it suitable? Would not the last verse be regarded as criticism of our Scottish Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Speaker, etc?

Anonymous said...

for the second mention of Antioch please read Constantinople. Sorry for the error.

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