Last week I watched a movie titled Though None Go With Me (2006). I don't make a habit of recommending movies, but I thought this one was well done and sent out a good message. Though None Go With Me is based on a novel by Jerry Jenkins with that same title. Sources say the movie premiered on Hallmark Channel. It was directed by Armand Mastroianni and stars Cheryl Ladd. It tells the story Elizabeth LeRoy, a Christian woman who endures great losses in her life. We can trust the Lord in our sorrow and suffering. The book's and movie's title comes from the words of a Christian song called I Have Decided to Follow Jesus (and part of the song is referenced in the movie).
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.
The origin of this song lies in obscurity, and is often attributed as "author unknown" or "anonymous". The words were possibly written down by Sadhu Sundar Singh (1889--circa 1929) an Indian Christian minister, a Sikh who converted to Christianity circa 1905. In his book Why, God, Why, Peramangalam Porinju Job tells a story of the origin of the words -- some of which were based on the last words of a Christian convert in Assam in northeast India in the mid-1800s. Tribal leaders persecuted the man and his family and adjured him to renounce his faith. He replied, "I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back." The chief ordered the execution of the man's children, but the man said, "Though no one joins me, still I will follow." Next they killed his wife. With a final opportunity to recant, he refused to deny Christ. Before he was executed he said, "The cross before me, the world behind me." Job's story goes on to relate that the village chief came to know Christ, as well as many others in the village.
Singh, it is said, formed the words into an hymn. According to some sources, the melody is also Indian. It is titled ASSAM after the region where the martyr lived and died. William Jensen Reynolds, American musician, teacher, composer and Sacred Harp singer, made an arrangement of the tune, which was published in the Assembly Songbook (of which he was the editor, 1959, Broadman Press). This book was (apparently) used at the 1959 Southern Baptist Convention and Reynolds's version would later become a regular feature in Billy Graham's revival meetings. Much of the song's popularity can be attributed to that connection.
These words falling from the lips of modern Western Christians give the hymn a "decided" decision theology flavor. Knowledge of it's origin in the grace of martyrdom and movement of the Holy Spirit should set a more serious and solemn tone for it.
Showing posts with label Martyrology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Martyrology. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 02, 2016
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
180 persons called Albigenses
180 persons called Albigenses, burnt without the Castle Minerve
"In the year of our Lord 1210, a large sacrifice of believers, called Perfecti or Albigenses took place near the castle Minerve; so that at one time about one hundred and eighty persons, men as well as women, who, forsaking the Roman antichrist, desired to adhere steadfastly to Jesus Christ and His divine truth, were publicly burnt; these, having commended their souls to God, are now waiting for the crown and reward of the faithful." -- For the rest of the story, see HERE. The entire Martyr's Mirror of the Defenseless Christians online is HERE (first published in 1660 by Thieleman J. van Braght, a Dutch Mennonite pastor).
"In the year of our Lord 1210, a large sacrifice of believers, called Perfecti or Albigenses took place near the castle Minerve; so that at one time about one hundred and eighty persons, men as well as women, who, forsaking the Roman antichrist, desired to adhere steadfastly to Jesus Christ and His divine truth, were publicly burnt; these, having commended their souls to God, are now waiting for the crown and reward of the faithful." -- For the rest of the story, see HERE. The entire Martyr's Mirror of the Defenseless Christians online is HERE (first published in 1660 by Thieleman J. van Braght, a Dutch Mennonite pastor).
Saturday, June 16, 2007
The accusation of heresy
Back in April, I posted on the anniversary of the death of Edward Wightman. The accusation of heresy in Wightman's day usually ended in cruel punishment. In modern times (in most places), it is much more subtle. We have upgraded it with more sophistication and hidden cruelty, but the results of the accusation can be cruel nevertheless.*
"...upon the wicked heresies of Ebion, Cirinthus, Valintian, Arrius, Macedonius, Simon, Magnus, of Manes, Manichees, Photinus, and of the Anabaptists, and other arch-heriticks; and moreover of other cursed opinions, belched by the instance of Satan, excogitated and here-to-for unheard of; the aforesaid Edward Wightman...stands adjudged and pronounced a heritick, and therefore as a diseased sheep out of the flock of the Lord, lest our subjects he do infect by his contagion, he hath decreed to be cast out, and cut off. Whereas, the holy mother church hath not further in this part what it ought more to do and prosecute, the same reverend father hath left to our secular power the same Edward Wightman as a blasphemous and condemned heritick to be punished with the condign punishment as by the letters patent of the aforesaid reverend father, the bishop of Coventry and Litchfield, in this behalf thereupon made, as certified unto us in our Chancery. We, therefore, as the zealot of justice and the defender of the Catholick faith, and williing the holy church, and the rights and liberties of the same, and the Catholick faith to maintain and defend, and such like heresies and errors everywhere, so convict and condemn to punish with consign punishment, holding that such a heritick in the aforesaid form convicted and condemned, according to the customs and laws of this our Kingdom of England in this part accustomed, out to be burned with fire. We command thee that thou cause the said Edward Wightman, being in thy custody, to be committed to fire in some publick and open place below the city aforesaid, for the cause aforesaid before people; and the same Edward Wightman in the same fire cause really to be burned in destation of said crime, and for the manifest example of other Christians, that they may not fall into the same crime. And this no ways omit, under the peril that shall follow thereon." -- from Twice Baked, by Sam Behling
Some of Wightman's contemporaries said that if Edward actually held all the opinions of which he was accused, he would have been either an idiot or a madman. If so, he needed the prayers of his persecutors rather than to have them put him to death.
*I recognize, nevertheless, that there are some who are religious heretics.
"...upon the wicked heresies of Ebion, Cirinthus, Valintian, Arrius, Macedonius, Simon, Magnus, of Manes, Manichees, Photinus, and of the Anabaptists, and other arch-heriticks; and moreover of other cursed opinions, belched by the instance of Satan, excogitated and here-to-for unheard of; the aforesaid Edward Wightman...stands adjudged and pronounced a heritick, and therefore as a diseased sheep out of the flock of the Lord, lest our subjects he do infect by his contagion, he hath decreed to be cast out, and cut off. Whereas, the holy mother church hath not further in this part what it ought more to do and prosecute, the same reverend father hath left to our secular power the same Edward Wightman as a blasphemous and condemned heritick to be punished with the condign punishment as by the letters patent of the aforesaid reverend father, the bishop of Coventry and Litchfield, in this behalf thereupon made, as certified unto us in our Chancery. We, therefore, as the zealot of justice and the defender of the Catholick faith, and williing the holy church, and the rights and liberties of the same, and the Catholick faith to maintain and defend, and such like heresies and errors everywhere, so convict and condemn to punish with consign punishment, holding that such a heritick in the aforesaid form convicted and condemned, according to the customs and laws of this our Kingdom of England in this part accustomed, out to be burned with fire. We command thee that thou cause the said Edward Wightman, being in thy custody, to be committed to fire in some publick and open place below the city aforesaid, for the cause aforesaid before people; and the same Edward Wightman in the same fire cause really to be burned in destation of said crime, and for the manifest example of other Christians, that they may not fall into the same crime. And this no ways omit, under the peril that shall follow thereon." -- from Twice Baked, by Sam Behling
Some of Wightman's contemporaries said that if Edward actually held all the opinions of which he was accused, he would have been either an idiot or a madman. If so, he needed the prayers of his persecutors rather than to have them put him to death.
*I recognize, nevertheless, that there are some who are religious heretics.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
On the late massacre in Piedmont
ON THE LATE MASSACRE IN PIEDMONT
by: John Milton (1608-1674)
VENGE, O Lord, thy slaughtered saints, whose bones
Lie scattered on the Alpine mountains cold;
Even them who kept thy truth so pure of old,
When all our fathers worshipped stocks and stones,
Forget not: in thy book record their groans
Who were thy sheep, and in their ancient fold
Slain by the bloody Piedmontese, that rolled
Mother with infant down the rocks. Their moans
The vales redoubled to the hills, and they
To heaven. Their martyred blood and ashes sow
O'er all the Italian fields, where still doth sway
The triple Tyrant; that from these may grow
A hundred fold, who, having learnt thy way,
Early may fly the Babylonian woe.
'On the Late Massacre in Piedmont' is reprinted from English Poems. Ed. Edward Chauncey Baldwin. New York: American Book Company, 1908.
by: John Milton (1608-1674)
VENGE, O Lord, thy slaughtered saints, whose bones
Lie scattered on the Alpine mountains cold;
Even them who kept thy truth so pure of old,
When all our fathers worshipped stocks and stones,
Forget not: in thy book record their groans
Who were thy sheep, and in their ancient fold
Slain by the bloody Piedmontese, that rolled
Mother with infant down the rocks. Their moans
The vales redoubled to the hills, and they
To heaven. Their martyred blood and ashes sow
O'er all the Italian fields, where still doth sway
The triple Tyrant; that from these may grow
A hundred fold, who, having learnt thy way,
Early may fly the Babylonian woe.
'On the Late Massacre in Piedmont' is reprinted from English Poems. Ed. Edward Chauncey Baldwin. New York: American Book Company, 1908.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
This day in 1612
Since this is "time specific" and I've had it saved awhile, I'm breaking into the "Baptist origins" series with something a little different. Perhaps y'all need a break anyway. The post below in based on the Wikipedia entry for Edward Wightman, part of which I wrote:
Edward Wightman (1566 - 1612) has the peculiar distinction of being the last person in England to be executed for heresy by burning at the stake.
In 1611, Wightman presented a petition of his beliefs to King James. For his trouble, he was tried and found guilty of heresy. He was given the sentence of death on December 14, 1611. The charges against him included that he believed "the baptizing of infants is an abominable custom; that the Lord's Supper and baptism are not to be celebrated as they now are in the Church of England; and that Christianity is not wholly professed and preached in the Church of England, but only in part." These charges were doubtless true, and many wild charges were added to them. Some contemporaries said that if Edward Wightman held all the opinions he was accused of, he would have been either an idiot or a madman. Further, they added, if true, he ought to have had sympathy rather than a cruel death.
Wightman was tied to the stake and his body burned on April 11, 1612. In that same year Thomas Helwys wrote A Short Declaration of the Mistery of Iniquity, a plea for religious liberty in England. 1
A few were executed for religious reasons after Wightman, but he was the last person to be burned at the stake in England.
1. Search "Google Books" for Helwys' "Mystery of Iniquity". I think you will find it is a free book you can read online.
Edward Wightman (1566 - 1612) has the peculiar distinction of being the last person in England to be executed for heresy by burning at the stake.
In 1611, Wightman presented a petition of his beliefs to King James. For his trouble, he was tried and found guilty of heresy. He was given the sentence of death on December 14, 1611. The charges against him included that he believed "the baptizing of infants is an abominable custom; that the Lord's Supper and baptism are not to be celebrated as they now are in the Church of England; and that Christianity is not wholly professed and preached in the Church of England, but only in part." These charges were doubtless true, and many wild charges were added to them. Some contemporaries said that if Edward Wightman held all the opinions he was accused of, he would have been either an idiot or a madman. Further, they added, if true, he ought to have had sympathy rather than a cruel death.
Wightman was tied to the stake and his body burned on April 11, 1612. In that same year Thomas Helwys wrote A Short Declaration of the Mistery of Iniquity, a plea for religious liberty in England. 1
A few were executed for religious reasons after Wightman, but he was the last person to be burned at the stake in England.
1. Search "Google Books" for Helwys' "Mystery of Iniquity". I think you will find it is a free book you can read online.
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