Angels

Some angelic trivia:
1.The word angel comes from the Greek “angelos” meaning “messenger.”
2. Despite numerous references in the Bible to angels, none says explicitly that they have wings
Angels are numberless and arranged in angelic orders. There are nine orders Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones contemplate God and reflect his glory.
Dominions, Virtues and Powers regulate the stars and the universe
Principalities, Archangels and angels who minister to humanity. (Ephesians 1 v21)
3.The devil is an angel- a fallen angel. He led the angelic revolt.
4.There is no known reference to a female angel- maybe they are genderless.
5. Archangel Michael is the most senior angel, with Gabriel ranked below him. Both are mentioned in the Bible. Other high ranking angels include Raphael (who is mentioned in the Apocrypha) and Unez, Chamuel, Jophiel and Zadkiel (who are all mentioned in Enoch).
6. According to 14th century members of the Jewish Kabbalah sect, the total number of angels is 301,655,722.
7. St Patrick spent 40 days in retreat on the Crough Patrick Mountain, fasting and praying with tears that Ireland might be delivered from the hands of the pagans. Every night an angel appeared to him with more and more promises from God arising from his prayers. Patrick stubbornly refused to leave the mountain until all his prayers were answered including that at the last judgement Patrick himself should be appointed to pronounce judgement on the Irish people. Finally he was assured by the angel that all his prayers had been heard and he descended the mountain pausing only to preach a sermon in which he cast the snakes (meaning the serpent symbolism of the Irish pagans) out of Ireland.
8. In 596 Pope Gregory I spotted some Angles (British) boys who have been bought to Rome and being told they are pagan “angli” the pope exclaimed “They are not Angles but Angels”. Inspired he instructed the respected abbot, Augustine to lead a mission to convert Britain. Within a few years much of southern Britain was Christianised.
9. William Blake (1957-1827), the painter, engraver and mystic described in later life the visionary experiences he had as a child, including visions of angels in a tree and the prophet, Ezekiel in a field.
10. The Angels of Mons became famous after a Fleet Street description by Arthur Machen of an angelic vision during the British retreat from Mons in 1914. Machen later said he made the story up, but many soldiers described a similar experience.
11. The first Russian astronaut told his communist masters that he didn’t see any angels when he went into space.
12. Pope John Paul II confirmed his belief in angels in 1986 when he explained: “They are invisible, for they are purely spiritual beings.”
13. Two Quotes: GK Chesterton: “Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.”
Psalm 91 v11 “For He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”

Anarchy

In 1793 The first anarchist, the Englishman William Godwin, published a book, Political Justice which argued that authority is unnatural and that social evils arise and exist because people are not free to live their lives according to reason. A Nonconformist minister in his younger days, Godwin gave up preaching in the early 1780s due to his increasing doubts about the Christian faith.

Anaesthetic

In 1853 Queen Victoria allowed herself to be chloroformed to diminish the pains of childbirth whilst giving birth to her seventh child. When anaesthesia was first used for this purpose a few years previously, churchmen, who of course were all males, objected quoting God’s words to Eve in the Book of Genesis, “in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children”. However none of these principled churchmen had the courage to reprimand the Queen, which put a stop to their criticism.

Anabaptists

One of the first protestant movements to spring up in the early days of the Reformation in Europe were the Anabaptist groups. They did not consist of a single, coherent organization, but a loose grouping of movements, all of whom rejected infant baptism and practised the baptism of adults upon confession of faith. Their name was given to them by opponents- it literally meant 'rebaptizer.'
The Anabaptists movement quickly gained strength in Europe in the 1520s, in particular in Germany, where they took over the city of Münster. Unfortunately a wild, licentious lifestyle developed there, due to their belief that as the “elect”, they could do no wrong. Jan Matthys of Münster who was regarded by his followers as a prophet and who controlled the city declared that no unbaptized adult was allowed to remain in Münster.
It was soon discovered that the term 'Anabaptist' gave the authorities a legal precedent to persecute and execute them. By the mid 16th century central and northern Europe, the persecution of Anabaptist Christians was so prevalent that in many places anyone who did not drink to excess, curse or abuse his workmen or family could be suspected of being an Anabaptist and was harassed accordingly.
The Anabaptists were forced to find devious ways to avoid persecution. For instance Peter Peters of Amsterdam, a ferry boatman, loaded up his boat with Anabaptists and whilst pretending to ferry his company across the river, they would hold a Bible study. Persecution wasn’t always avoided and they were frequently killed and stuck outside the city gates on poles as a warning to the general populace. This had the opposite to the intended effect as many of the general population were impressed by the Anabaptist’s desire to die for their faith and were consequently drawn to God through their witness.

Amnesty International

The human rights organisation, Amnesty International, was founded in London in 1961 largely through the efforts of Peter Benenson, a lawyer who converted to Catholicism four years previously and a Quaker Eric Baker. Many of the prisoners of conscience that they pleaded for justice for were in prison because of their religious beliefs.

Amish

In the 1690s Swiss Mennonite bishop Jakob Ammon formed his own branch of the church after taking issue with other Swiss Mennonite leaders over discipline issues. The Amish church, which he founded, taught the shunning of any Mennonite who did not conform to the standard of behavior required of a member of the Mennonite society. The Amish still practise an exclusively rural and simple way of life in various parts of the USA and Canada.

Saint Ambrose

Bishop Ambrose (?340-397) was an Italian cleric who was an ardent champion of the church against the power of the state. He is recognised as one of the original four Doctors of the Church, along with Augustine, Jerome and Pope Gregory II.
The story of how Ambrose came to be appointed the Bishop of Milan is an interesting one, so are you sitting comfortably?
374AD was a difficult year in the diocese of Milan. Heresies were threatening to divide the church and the two sides, the Arians and the Catholics couldn't agree on fundamental theological issues. When Auxentius, the Bishop of Milan died, everything came to a head. Should an Arian or Catholic bishop be elected? Ambrose, who was at the time, the Roman governor for the area, fearing an uproar, went to the basilica where the election was due to take place and made a speech urging the people to make their choice peacefully. The governor was completely thrown when a crowd started shouting “Ambrose for Bishop!” He run away, appealing to the Emperor that as he hadn't any theological training or even been baptized he was surely not the right man for the job. However because Ambrose was acceptable to both parties, the emperor believed him to be the right man. The theologically neutral governor hid in a senator’s house before reluctantly accepting the decision. Ambrose was baptized, ordained and consecrated within a week before proceeding, as an example to his flock, to give away his property to the poor.
The honey-tongued Ambrose's preaching helped convert Saint Augustine of Hippo, whom Ambrose baptized and brought into the Church.
A man of strong principals, he bravely denied admission to the church to the Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius for eight months after he had ordered a massacre of rebels in Thessalonica, who had burned down a synagogue. The emperor later recanted.
The former governor remained as the Bishop of Milan until his death of natural causes in 397, having . successfully used his legal and oratory skills to combat the Arian heresy.
Ambrose was musical and composed several hymns, which each had eight four-line stanzas. The best known is the hymn "Te Deum," which is based on the text "Te Deum Laudamus", ("We praise thee O God"). It is claimed it originated when Ambrose was baptising St Augustine. He improvised the hymn starting with the words "Te Deum Laudamus."
Troubled that in the Mass one individual sang all the Psalms and hymns whilst the congregation merely listened. Ambrose introduced to the western church congregational singing, antiphonal singing which allowed congregation to sing alternating parts of the music.

The story goes that the first recorded instance of communal singing in church was during a sit in of the Milan Basilica when the congregation had locked themselves inside. They had been forced into this action as the Empress, Justina, was demanding that Ambrose’s basilica be handed over for Arian worship, sending imperial troops to fulfil this by starving the distressed congregation out. On Palm Sunday, Ambrose preached a sermon about not giving up churches. In order to calm the people, the musical bishop taught them to sing the hymns he had composed and he split the congregation in two in order to alternate verses of the hymns. Hearing this the hearts of the soldiers softened, they joined in the singing and ended the siege. Surprisingly this story has yet to be made into a musical.
Such was Ambrose's speaking and preaching ability that the title "Honey Tongued Doctor" was bestowed upon him. However it is denied by musical historians that it was Ambrose who composed "The Bee Song."

Amazing Grace

This hymn was written by Anglican clergyman and former slave-ship captain John Newton (1725-1807). It was based on an old Scottish air and was included in a collection of Hymns, Olney Hymns, by Newton and William Cowper. Newton and Cowper both lived in the village of Olney and were great friends. Cowper helped Newton with his religious services and they also run a weekly prayer meeting, for which they were in the habit of writing a new hymn to sing, some of which were included in Olney Hymns.
The words date back to when Newton was press ganged. He tried to escape, was whipped and kept in irons. Held prisoner in Madeira, he was so wretched that even the slaves kept scraps of food back to keep him alive. Finally he escaped, and nearly drowned at sea but, while lashed to the helm, he exclaimed, "Lord, have mercy upon us.”
Later in his cabin he thought about what he had said and he came to the conclusion that God had spoken to him through the storm and that His amazing grace had begun to work for him. He dated his conversion to Christianity to that day and in this hymn Newton reflected on how the grace of God was able to save a even ‘wretch’ like him.

The Alpha Course

In 1981 Charles Marnham, a clergyman at the evangelical church Holy Trinity Brompton in London devised a course that was designed to present the basic principals of the Christian faith to new Christians in a relaxed and informed setting. He called it the Alpha Course.
By the mid 1990s a curate, Nicky Gumbel, who had taken over the running of the Alpha Course at Holy Trinity Brompton, was recognizing the possibility of using it as a tool for evangelism by modifying the course to make it attractive to non-churchgoers. (He has noticed the number of non-churchgoers who are attending.) Soon other churches, noting its success, were asking Holy Trinity Brompton if they may use Alpha for their own contacts. By the end of 1994 there were 750 Alpha courses running and by the mid-2000s it use had spread all over the world to over 150 countries and churches within all the mainstream Protestant denominations plus the Catholic church.

William Allen

William Allen (1532-1594) was an English Roman Catholic priest and cardinal during a time when many Catholics were experiencing persecution. Having influenced Pope Pius V to depose Elizabeth I, he was forced into exile in the Netherlands once Elizabeth chose not to continue her policy of religious tolerance and instead began the persecution of her religious opponents. In 1568 he founded a seminary at Douai in the Netherlands to train English priests for the Catholic community in England. Allen desired to restore Roman Catholicism in England and wanted to ensure there would be a supply of trained clergy ready to come into the country when Catholicism was restored. Later he helped plan the Spanish Armada's invasion of England, and was to have been Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor had it succeeded.

Alfred The Great

Alfred the Great (849-899) was the king of Wessex between 871–899. He defeated the Danes who were threatening to overrun England, founded the first English navy and established his kingdom of Wessex in the south of England as a bastion of Anglo-Saxon civilization.
A devout Christian confirmed by the Pope in Rome, Alfred attended the New Minister Church in Winchester, which later became the medieval Hyde Abbey. He came to the throne during a period where the Christian culture of his kingdom was under threat from the Vikings. The new king believed that God was sending those northern heathens as a punishment for his subjects’ neglect of the study of the Bible. His understanding of kingship was based on the conviction that the role of the king is to be Christ’s deputy on Earth and that he is always under the judgement of God.After King Alfred defeated the Vikings at the Battle of Edington, he required their king, Guthrum, to be baptized and he himself stood as a godfather.
Alfred showed the benefits of forgiveness when the Viking leader Haestan broke an agreed peace and made a fortified camp at Benfleet. Arthur’s sons Edward and Ethelred stormed their camp and took Haestan’s wife and sons as captives. Arthur sent them back to him. Haestan never fought Alfred again.
Throughout his reign Alfred attempted to encourage his people to live by the Word of God. To help with this he had many Churches and Monasteries, which had been destroyed by the Vikings, rebuilt and the Gospels and many Psalms translated from Latin into English. He once said “there is only one foundation on which to build any kingdom and that is the sure foundation of Jesus Christ. It is on that foundation I will build my kingdom.”

Cecil Frances Alexander

The Irish daughter of a Major, Miss Cecil Frances Humphreys (1818-1895), began writing verse in her childhood. Her religious work was strongly influenced by her contacts with the Oxford Movement and by the 1840s she was already known as a hymn writer. Her book, Hymns for Little Children was intended to make the articles of the Apostles’ Creed more understandable to children by using poetry and picture language. Among the hymns included were "There is a Green Hill Far Away", which was written for a sick child, "Once in Royal David’s City" about Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus and "All Things Bright and Beautiful", which was based on the phrase “maker of Heaven and Earth” in the Apostle’s Creed. Her collection was a major success reaching its 69th edition before the close of the nineteenth century.
In 1850 Cecil Frances married William Alexander, an Anglican clergyman. They newlyweds began their married life serving together in a church in an impoverished rural area of Ireland.
Mrs Alexander continued her poetry and hymn writing but also devoted much of her time to visiting the poor and the sick in their parish. She gave the profits of her successful hymnbook to support handicapped children in the north of Ireland. William Alexander later became a Bishop and then Archbishop of Ireland but he is chiefly remembered for being the husband of the woman who wrote "All Things Bright and Beautiful" and other beloved hymns.

Alexander the Great

Alexander was King of Macedon 336–323 BC. Having secured the borders of Macedon, Alexander embarked (334) on the invasion of Asia, originally projected by his father, Philip. He defeated the Persian king Darius III at the battle of Issus in 333BC, then moved on to Egypt where he founded Alexandria. He defeated the Persians again at Gaugamela in 331 BC, then advanced further east, invading India in 327 BC. He conquered the Punjab before his weary soldiers insisted on turning homeward. Alexander died at Babylon from a fever while drawing up further plans for consolidating his empire.
Back home in Macedon, Alexander was very zealous in sacrificing to his gods. Once in Asia he accepted homage, which the Eastern peoples gave to rulers whom they thought were godlike.
In Spring 331 he made a pilgrimage to the great temple and oracle of Amon-Ra, the Egyptian god of the sun, whom the Greeks identified with Zeus. The earlier Egyptian pharaohs were believed to be sons of Amon-Ra, and Alexander, the new ruler of Egypt, wanted the god to acknowledge him as his son. The pilgrimage was apparently a success, and it may have confirmed Alexander's belief in his own divine origin.
Alexander adopted oriental usages among which was the demand that all who approached him on official occasions should bow down to the earth and kiss his feet. In 323 he also sent notification to all the Greek cities that he was henceforth to be officially numbered among the gods of each city and that such he was to receive the offerings which each city presented. Thus was introduced into Europe absolute monarchy and the divine right of Kings.
Alexander threatened Jerusalem but it was saved by the boldness of High Priest Jaddua. Originally he was going to set up statue of himself in Jerusalem temple. The outraged Jews protested and the open minded Alexander agreed to forgo this privilege if Jews agreed to name their first born son, Alexander instead. The conqueror went on to grant the Jews many privileges.
The rise of Alexander was prophesied 250 years before he was born in the Old Testament Book of Daniel (In Daniel 8 v5-8 and 20-22). It predicts the kingdom of Medo Persia being overthrown by King of Greece. Then the kingdom is divided on his death between his four generals but they will not have the same power.
The conquests of Alexander spread the Greek language far and wide, thus helping the spreading of different philosophical and theological ideas. The translation of the Old Testament into Greek around 50 years later helped spread the idea of monotheism outside the Jewish world.

Czar Alexander II

Czar Alexander II (1818-1881) was motivated by Christian principles and in 1861 he emancipated 23 million serfs. During his reign there was a revival in the Russian church helped by the wide availability to all Russians from the 1860s of the Scriptures in their native language.
In 1881 Alexander was assassinated by bombs thrown beneath his carriage in St Petersburg by Nihilists. His dying words were “I am sweeping through the gates, washed in the blood of the lamb.”

Czar Alexander 1st

Despite being the father of several illegitimate children, Czar Alexander 1st (1777-1825) was a devout Christian who was behind in 1812 the founding of the Russian Bible Society, which translated the Bible into Russian. During the Napoleonic Wars he corresponded with several evangelical European leaders and as Napoleon’s campaign reached a critical stage the Czar found solace in a mystical pietism and regularly held prayer meetings

Alcuin of York

Alcuin of York (c. 735 – May 19, 804) was an English scholar, who in 782 took up residence at Charlemagne's court in Aachen. He was a prominent member of Charlemagne's academy, providing a strong impulse to the Carolingian Renaissance. In 796 he was made abbot of Saint Martin's at Tours, where he remained until his death. Alcuin had a reputation for holiness, yet he is not included in the canon of saints and never advanced to holy orders beyond those of deacon. His words “Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise,” begin many Anglican services.

Alchemy

The first reference to alchemy, the search for an elixir of immortal life, was made by a Chinese Taoist in approx 140BC. These early alchemists were seeking to convert other metals into gold, not to create wealth, but as a step towards discovering the recipe for eternity. Among their experiments were an attempt to develop an immortality pill through refining mercury sulphide: The use of this poisonous substance lead to many deaths, including Tang emperors.

Alamo

In 1718 the Alamo Franciscan mission and fortress compound was built in San Antonio, Texas. It was authorized by the viceroy of Mexico to be an educational center for local Indians who converted to Christianity. In 1793, the mission was secularised and soon abandoned. In the early 1800s, it became a fortress housing Mexican soldiers. In December 1835, during the War of Texan Independence from Mexico, General Martin Perdecto de Cos surrendered it to the Texian Army. For a few months a relatively small number of Texian soldiers occupied the compound, until it was besieged 23 February–6 March 1836 by Santa Anna and 4,000 Mexicans. They killed the garrison of about 180 Texans, including Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie.

Alaska

In 1867 The United States purchased Alaska for $7.2 million, or about 2 cents an acre from Russia. Ten years later, after lax military administration had only worsened the territory's moral condition, an army private stationed in Alaska begged, "Send out a shepherd who may reclaim a mighty flock from the error of their ways, and gather them into the true fold." Presbyterian missionary Sheldon Jackson (1834-1909) answered the call and spent decades founding numerous schools, chuches and training centers that served these native people, and crusading for better laws. (Source Christian History and Biography)

Akita

In 1973 a statue of the Madonna at a convent in the Japanese city of Akita started weeping. The hearing of a deaf nun was miraculously restored and the crying statue was authenticated by the Vatican and over 500 witnesses.

Akhenaton

King Amenhotep IV was a pharaoh in ancient Egypt of the 18th dynasty (c. 1353–1335 BC). During his reign Amenhotep displaced all the Egyptian gods with a single deity, the sun god, Aten, in honour of whom he built many temples. The pharaoh renamed himself Akhenaton meaning, “It is well with Aten.” This was the first concerted attempt to establish a form of monotheism (the worship of a single god). However his religious reforms were detested and his successor Tutankhamen restored the traditional Egyptian religion with the original gods. The Aten temples were demolished, and Akhenaton became known as "the Enemy."

Saint Aidan

In 635, the newly crowned Christian King of Northumbria, King Oswald (605-642) asked the monastery at Iona to send a missionary to help him spread the faith to the mainly pagan people of Northumbria. They sent an Irish monk called Aidan (600-651) and he has made his base on the island of Lindisfarne, where he founded a monastery. Aidan engaged in widespread evangelism from his base with the active help of Oswald, who acted as interpreter for the non-English speaking monk. The Irish monk succeeded in converting the Northumbrian to the Christian faith and many miracles were attributed to him. One such miraculous event occurred in 651 during a siege on Bamburgh, the site of the Northumbrian royal castle, by the pagan King of Mercia. The town was set on fire and the flames started heading towards the king’s castle. Aidan prayed to God for the deliverance of the town and the wind changed direction sending the flames back to the besiegers.

Agnostic

In 1869 the British scientist, humanist and prominent champion of evolution, Thomas Huxley coined the word “agnosticism” from the Greek “agnostos” meaning “unknowable” to express his own religious attitude. He was alluding to the verse in Acts 17 v 23 that talks about the unknown God. This term is used to describe those who don’t believe in God but are open to the possibility he might exist, in other words the floating voters of faith.

The Battle of Agincourt

On the 24th October 1414, King Henry V’s English army defeated the French at Agincourt. As a child, The English king was deeply religious as a child, attending Mass every day, and he maintained his Christian faith as an adult. On the morning of the battle Henry rose at dawn and took Mass three times. He ascribed his victory to the intercession of the eight century Bishop of York, St John of Beverley, who converted many heathen with his powerful eloquence.

Africa

In 1900, there were 8 to 10 million Christians in Africa, which amounted to 8 to 10 percent of the total population. In 2009 there are said to be 360 million—nearly 50 percent of the continent.

In the twentieth century, there were some 1.8 million Christian martyrs in Africa.

Advertising

In 1980 a C of E vicar, the Reverend Robin Everett, suggested advertising slogans on clergy and choir robes as a means of supplementing church income. The Midlands vicar wrote in his parish magazine that the time will come when on mounting the pulpit he will confront the congregation with the slogan, “British Gas.”

Advent Calendar

According to tradition, the Advent calendar was created in the 19th century by a Munich housewife who tired of having to answer endlessly when Christmas would come. The first commercial calendars were printed in Germany in 1851.

Prince Adolphus

One of George III’s sons, Prince Adolphus, The Duke of Cambridge (1774-1850), became very deaf in his old age and always sat right in the front of church, where the whole congregation could see him. Unfortunately he couldn't help drawing attention to himself as he loudly provided a running commentary on the service. For instance “Let us pray” got an amiable “By all means” from the duke. Or in response to a prayer for rain, he declared “amen, but you won't get it till the wind changes.”

Joseph Addison

The renowned English essayist, Joseph Addison (1672-1719), was a devout Christian. As Addison lay dying he did not pray for himself, but for his stepson, the Earl of Warwick, who was not a believer. Addison asked the young dissolute earl to come to his bedside, and when he arrived he mumbled in a gentle way to him, “See in what peace a Christian can die!”

John Adams

In 1763 the daughter of a Congregational minister, Abigail, married John, who was the son of a farmer. The minister was so enraged that she was marrying beneath her that the lesson he read was from Luke 7 v33, “John came neither eating bread, nor drinking wine and some say he has a devil in him.” The groom, John Adams (1735-1826), was to become the second president of the United States.

Abraham

Abraham (d c1850), a rich farmer from Ur, migrated to Haran, North Mesopotamia with his Father, Terah, his wife Sarah and his nephew Lot. Proceeding to Canaan he received God’s promise of the land to his descendants. From his son Isaac he became the father of the Hebrews then Jews together with Judaism and Christianity. Also through another son Ishmael he became the father of the Arab people together with Islam.

Abortion

TRIVIA

Women greatly outnumbered men among early converts. However, in the Roman Empire as a whole, men vastly outnumbered women. Widespread female infanticide had reduced the number of women in society. Frequent abortions "entailing great risk" (in the words of Celsus) killed many women and left even more barren.
The Christian community, however, practised neither abortion nor infanticide and thus drew to itself women.

In the Middle Ages if a pregnant woman was having pains, it was often thought it was because she had kittens crawling inside her womb as a result of a witches curse. As a result abortions were often allowed by courts in order to remove these cats from the womb. The phrase “Someone is having kittens” originates from this.

If you knew a woman who was pregnant, who had 8 kids already, three who were deaf, two who were blind, one mentally retarded, and she had syphilis, would you recommend that she have an abortion? If your answer was yes- congratulations you would have killed Beethoven!

TIMELINE

C1250 The first reference to abortion in English law appeared in the 13th century, when the law followed Church teaching that abortion was acceptable until “quickening”. This, it was believed, was when the soul entered the foetus at around 13 weeks.
1921 Abortions at the woman’s request were allowed for the first time in post-revolutionary Russia.
1967 In Britain, the Abortion Act legalised abortion, making it free on demand and available on the National Health Service.
1973 In America the Supreme Court decision in Roe v Wade overturned all state laws restricting abortion. As a result abortions became legal during the first six months of pregnancy.
2003 There were 181,600 legal abortions carried out in England and Wales in 2003, a rise of 5,700-3.2% on the year before
Over 4 in 1o Americans think that having an abortion is acceptable behaviour.
2005 There were three abortions in the UK for every ten births-a total of 190,000 terminations in England and Wales every year. The average British woman will have 2.2 healthy pregnancies in her lifetime, but will give birth to only 1.7 children. The number of abortions accounts for the difference. This is not enough to keep the UK population stable. From Britain In Numbers: The Essential Statistics by Simon Briscoe

QUOTES

Hilarion writing to his pregnant wife in Roman times: "If you are delivered of a child, if it is a boy, keep it, if it is a girl discard it."

Douglas Gresham (son of CS Lewis): “Europe and America now worship Satan and you cannot expect your society to be protected by God if you sacrifice millions of unborn children at the altar of convenience.”

Ronald Reagan: “I’ve noticed that everybody who is for abortion has already been born.”

Psalm 139 v 13 “For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb.”

Abide With Me

For 25 years Henry Lyte (1793-1847) had been vicar of the Devonshire fishing village of Lower Brixham. However by the age of 54, his health had broken and he was preparing to leave for the south of France. This immortal hymn was written shortly before his departure from Lower Brixham after taking his final service. He died of consumption at Nice in southern France three weeks later. So "Abide With Me" is a hymn about death, but also about faith.

Peter Abelard

Peter Abelard (1079-1142) was born in Pallet, near Nantes. In 1115 be became canon of Notre Dame in Paris and master of the cathedral school, where he taught theology and logic. Abelard found himself falling in love with Héloïse, a pupil of his, who was 20 years his junior. Because marriage would get in the way of his career they married covertly but their secret was discovered. As a consequence, her uncle, a Parisian Cathedral canon, sent Héloïse away to a nunnery and had the unfortunate Abelard castrated. He became a monk at St Denis monastery and their feelings for each other turned from earthly to spiritual love as they continued to correspond with each other. Resuming teaching a year later, Abelard began writing theological tomes. His first published work, a treatise on the Trinity, was condemned and ordered to be burnt by a Roman Catholic council. Despite the controversy surrounding him, Abelard in time came to be recognised as one of the major Christian thinkers of his day. His scholastic text, Sic Et Non (Yes And No), which discussed the relationship between faith and reason, was read by learned men throughout western Europe, and his lectures attracted crowds of students.

Abdication Crisis

In 1936. Edward VIII, the King of England, abdicated from the throne to allow him to marry the American divorcee, Mrs Wallis Simpson. The British Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin prayed, “God grant him peace and happiness but never understanding of what he has lost”. Baldwin’s stand against the King’s marriage to a divorcee was instrumental in bringing about the abdication of the King.