William Cecil - Closet Revolutionary!

The Lord Burghley – William Cecil (1520-1597) – Closet Revolutionary! (30.4.2024)

To remedy this situation, during March 1563, William Cecil drafted a “Bill for the Succession” designed for Parliament to debate and pass (as an “Act”) providing it received Royal Assent. Cecil suggested that if Elizabeth I died suddenly with no direct (or suitable) heirs, the Crown (and all its powers) should be temporally transferred to the Privy Council (effectively making England a “Republic”). Whilst this was happening, the English Parliament was to sit, discuss and then “vote” for the most suitable candidate to ascend to the throne – thus creating an “Elected Monarchy”! If this idea had been successful – virtually everything earned during the English Civil Wars of the 1640s would have been peacefully achieved around 80-years earlier! As matters transpired, Elizabeth I quashed the Bill by refusing to allow it to be discussed – or move to the voting and assenting stages.

Heretics & Believers!

The Other “Richard Hunne” [d. 1514]! (14.4.2024)

The Secular Court case against the murderers of Hunne was continuously adjourned so that NO decision was ever reached (with the accused being quietly pardoned and released) – whilst Parliament’s order for the Church to return the Hunne land and property was never obeyed by the Church. Such a situation represented a totalitarian Canon’s Law controlled by a foreign power (which exempted all clerics from Secular Law) – locked in a deadly competition with the local power of an absolute monarchy – which would eventually end with the destruction of the Catholic Church in England just twenty-years later (through the Dissolution of the Monasteries) and the abolition of the resultant Church of England around one-hundred years after that (During the English Civil Wars)! Such was the dialectic times that Richard Hunne existed!

Sutton: St Nicholas Church – Interior and History! (10.9.2023)

Since around 1539 CE (and Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries) this Church has been ‘Protestant’. This is a large Church built for a substantial Township and can probably hold at least 100 worshippers at any one time. Bear in mind that there used to be a greater number of Churches in the UK per small area than there are today – and that populations used to be far smaller despite virtually everyone professing a faith. Perhaps the ample and impressive size of the Church is linked to it serving a local population with a higher social status and wealth – requiring certain standards as being seen to be kept! As far as we are concerned, archaeological structures retain the data of the past, and by studying these structures we are able to glimpse into that past!

Bonnie Prince Charlie: King James III, King Henry IX & Queen Maria Clementina of Great Britain, France & Ireland! (23.4.2023)

As matters transpired, the Pope over-ruled ‘King Henry IX’ and finally recognised Bonnie Prince Charlie as ‘King Charles III’ on his deathbed – just as he drew his last breath. I assume that the Pope believed this would allow him to enter Catholic Heaven as a ‘King’ – in recognition of his services to the Vatican – if indeed that was what they were (as I am not convinced this was his primary motivating drive). The thousands of Gaelic-speaking, kilted Scotsman who fought with sword and shield against musket, canon and bayonet were surely fighting for something far more visceral. Having visited the Battlefield of Colluden a number of times (and run across it as the Clansman did) this remains my viewpoint today! These brave and great Clansman ‘stood’ for nearly an hour whilst British canons blew their bodies into tiny pieces! They then initiated a Highland Charge after displaying such iron bravery the likes of which is rare throughout the history of military affairs! Surely reminiscent of the Spartans and the Zulu at their absolute best! Whatever the case, as the true ‘Celts’ of Britain – we lit incense sticks out of respect and placed them on the burial mounds representing each ‘Clan’! Hundred were killed in the fighting and then the British (government) soldiers bayonetted the wounded – rolling all the bodies into mass graves denoted by the differing colour of tartan (an institution inflicted by the British so that the various Clans could be easily ‘distinguished’).

Chinese Christian Three (Sided) Self-Reliant Patriotic Movement Committee! (23.3.2023)

This three-sided (independent) self-management of the Church encourages Christians across the country to love their country, love the Church, honour God and benefit people; Strengthen the unity inside and outside the Church, provide services for well-run Churches in China and guide Christians across the country to play an active role in promoting economic and social development. After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party China (CPC) – Ding Guangxun (丁光训), Luo Guanzong (罗冠宗), Ji Jianhong (季剑虹) and Fu Xianwei (傅先伟) – all successively served as the Chairpersons of the Chinese Christian Three (Sided) Self-Reliant Patriotic Movement Committee.

Email: Mr Huu Can Tran – Innocent Until Proven Guilty! (23.1.2023)

OK – so this is a Chinese-language comment left on one of the articles concerning Mr Huu Can Tran (innocent until proven guilty) which reads:

‘一个人走过海旁,看见另一个人想跳海自杀。 他走上前去劝说「先生,不要跳下去!」 那人问道:「为什么?」 他说:「生命是美好的嘛!你是无神论者还是有宗教信仰?」 那人答:「我有宗教信仰。」 「佛教、道教、回教还是基督教?」 「基督教」 「罗马天主教还是新教?」 「新教」 「我也是新教呢!圣公会还是浸信会?」 「浸信会」 「太好啦!我也是浸信会,你是Baptist Church of God还是Baptist Church of the Lord? 」 「Baptist Church of God. 」 「真是太奇妙啦!我也是,那你是原教旨的Baptist Church of God还是改革派的? 「改革派的」 「1879年的改革派还是1915年的?」 「1915年的改革派。」 那人朝他屁股一脚把他伸进海里:「异端!去死吧!」’

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