Challenging the ‘oath of allegiance’

Reflections a year on from Grenfell and Manchester.

This week we were reminded of two tragedies in our nation. On Monday the media carried harrowing reports of the tragic loss of life at Grenfell Tower, as the main inquiry into the cause of the disaster began.

On Tuesday, memories of the 22 lives lost and the multitude injured in the Manchester Arena terrorist attack replaced memories of Grenfell.

I heard no-one in the media asking the obvious question, “Where was God in all of this?” Indeed, God has been so sidelined in the thoughts and lives of the majority of our nation that we no longer even hear the question, “Is there a God?”

Yet, we still live in a nation whose Queen, at her Coronation, swore an Oath to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who has protected us beyond our deserving over many years. Central to that Oath was the commitment to maintain his laws and the true profession of the Gospel. Over a generation, this commitment to God has largely been forgotten by the nation’s leaders and is rarely mentioned by the leaders of the established Church.

Unprotected Children

As far back as the 1980s, I was waiting one day in the playground of the school where our youngest two children were about to finish their school day. I watched as the classes were dismissed and as a crowd of children emerged, each looking for a parent to take them home safely. I thought I heard the voice of God in my mind saying that these children were no longer under his protection.

Over a generation, our national commitment to God has largely been forgotten.

I wondered if I had imagined it, because these were simply innocent children, embarking on their lives in a country God has greatly blessed and protected. I recalled the wonderful protection of my own childhood when, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, family and community co-operated to re-build our nation after the devastation of war, thankful for God’s deliverance from the evil that so easily could have engulfed us.

Yet, since that day when I thought I heard that voice of God, one disaster has followed another in our nation, making me think that God was indeed speaking, in the early stages of removing his hand of protection.

Let me say clearly, however, concerning both the Manchester and Grenfell disasters that God was not punishing those who had assembled there, any more than those who lost their lives when the Tower of Siloam fell in Jesus’ day. The picture is bigger: that, whilst we must also recognise that God allowed these disasters, they serve as signs to our nation – warning signs that we will not live in safety if we choose to live outside of his protection.

Knowing God’s Ways

If, as we should, we search our Bibles to discover God’s ways, we will see that God does take his protection away from his people if they do not seek him with all their heart. At the time of Samuel, for example, when the religious framework of the nation had decayed under Eli the priest and his wicked sons, the Philistines prevailed over Israel.

Again, when the kings of Israel and Judah led the people astray (kings whom God warned his people they should not desire), the troubles of the nations soon followed. Ultimately, God’s protection was removed: first from the Northern Kingdom of Israel which fell to the Assyrians, and then from the Southern Kingdom of Judah which fell to the Babylonians.

Disasters like Grenfell are warning signs that we will not live in safety if we choose to live outside of God’s protection.

God’s sadness was displayed through the weeping of the Prophet Jeremiah, as recorded in the Book of Lamentations. Similarly, Jesus wept over Jerusalem when he foretold the coming second fall of the City.

God knows what will happen when the doors are allowed open to the evil adversaries of the people of this world – adversaries both physical and spiritual. God weeps when the time comes for him to remove his protection from a people who do not seek him, who choose to try to live without him under the beguiling principles of humanism and false religion, where false gods are honoured. But he is willing to remove his protection.

We are reaping the consequences of this in Britain today despite the fact that we have had sign after sign that should bring us to ask, “where is our God?”

The Prime Minister adds her condolences to a 'Tree of Hope' in Manchester. See Photo Credits.The Power of Testimonies

The testimonies of those who lost loved ones at Grenfell and the memories of the fatal night in Manchester are profound. But they should not only be sparking human sympathy and attempts to celebrate and unite a community (such as in Manchester where a concert has been held), but be compelling those who have responsibility for our nation to lead us in seeking God in repentance.¹

God is a loving Father to those who seek him with all their heart and protects his loved ones beyond their deserving – always. But he is also a strong God who will not bend from the eternal balance of justice and mercy. He is Judge of the entire earth and cannot compromise in the ‘big picture’ of his eternal covenant purposes throughout history.

God weeps when the time comes for him to remove his protection from a people who do not seek him.

If he did not spare his own Son in these eternal purposes of overcoming sin and offering eternal redemption to those who would accept it, he cannot continue to protect a people who reject him and choose lives of sin.

There is a Way Back

There is always a way back and those who know the Lord, namely those in the churches of our nation (especially the leaders of the churches), should be his prophetic voice. It is imperative that we take the opportunity while we still have it to call this nation back to repentance and seeking God.

It is time for the leaders of our Government - from the Royal Family through to the executives who are duty-bound to outwork the purposes of the Monarch’s Oath - to take their responsibility before God and lead the nation back to him. This is what the tragic signs are telling us. We are vulnerable outside the protection of Almighty God and that vulnerability is bringing increasing pain, sadness and loss of life - not only to those who lead but to those for whom they are responsible.

Notes

1 And we do not mean just any God. The multi-faith service in Manchester which was part of the memorial activities a year after the attack is yet another symptom of how far our nation has compromised our allegiance to the One True God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Far from it – it is time to reclaim our Christian heritage.

One unexpected fallout of the General Election has been the question about how Christians can, without compromise, serve in Parliament.

With the conservative, Protestant DUP party potentially entering Government with an influence far beyond their small number of ten MPs and the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, Tim Farron, resigning so as not to compromise his faith, much is being said. But can we not also discern the voice of God in all this?

Actually, there is a clear answer to this question that is easily lost in our peer-pressured, politically correct, compromising society. In a nutshell, true Christianity should be at the heart of the government of the UK, with no divide between politics and Christianity.

Sworn Duty

We do not have a written constitution, such as in the USA. If we did, the clear role of Government would be to interpret and defend the constitution. What we have, however, is potentially better.

Over many centuries, since the days of Alfred the Great, our four-nation Union has developed a balance of laws and customs that define our constitutional framework of Monarchy, Church and Government. This framework is intended to be reflected in our laws, education, finance and business structures.

When MPs enter Parliament they are required to take an oath or affirmation of allegiance, known as ‘swearing in’. The exact wording can be found here.

The oath or affirmation is either in the name of Almighty God (the oath) or a statement of honour (the affirmation) to “be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law.”

True Christianity should be at the heart of the government of the UK.

When we consider the constitutional position that is defined by the Monarch’s own Coronation Oath, surely the allegiance declared by MPs is to uphold what the Monarch stands for. If she had not taken the Oath she would not, by law, have been crowned Queen – that is how important this is. As we have said in other articles in Prophecy Today, central to the Coronation Oath is the commitment “to the utmost of power to maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel” (for the wording of the entire Oath click here).

In short, the duty of every member of the Lords and Commons is to test every aspect of UK governance against the Queen’s commitment before God “to the utmost of power to maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel”! Every successive Government must interpret our constitutional position and every MP must measure what he or she is promising when standing for and taking office, against this one benchmark: that by law Britain is a Christian nation and the MPs’ vow is to uphold this position!

Far from Christian MPs struggling over conscience issues to serve in Parliament, the entire conscience of the nation should be measured by the biblical interpretation of all that is done in both Houses. This is especially so since the Monarch’s power has been restricted to a largely advisory capacity and, at the strongest (apart from the power she has over her own hand to sign in new laws!), to warning the Prime Minister during their regular meetings.

Tim Farron: A Case in Point

Tim Farron. See Photo Credits.

Obviously, however, for the past 50 years the UK has been subjected to a powerful process of secularisation which has undermined our biblical heritage.

Look at the issue of Tim Farron. When he was asked whether or not homosexual sex acts were sinful he should have said “yes they are sinful” – and so should all MPs, not based on their own views or party lines, but based on clear interpretation of biblical principles into all matters of governance. This is the responsibility MPs have taken under oath - not a matter of personal opinion.

The allegiance sworn by MPs is to uphold what the Monarch stands for – that which she promised in her Coronation Oath.

It is up to the individual who performs such acts of sexuality to face up to Almighty God, who has declared his principles clearly through his word, but is also full of grace for any repentant sinner. It is for politicians to ensure that laws are in place which protect the vulnerable in society and to bring in educational strategies that help our children to have a conscience framed on biblical principles.

Anything less is a breaking of our constitutional position made before Almighty God. Is it any wonder, with successive governments failing in their oaths and commitments to God, that we are facing the situation in our nation where God’s hand of protection is being withdrawn, with horrendous and escalating consequences?

Defining Our National Character

In the House of Lords there are 26 bishops, including the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. They are termed the ‘Lords Spiritual’. It is their right to serve and their role to bring biblical insight to bear on every issue before them. This is where we must hear a clear declaration and reminder of the laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel, to help all other Members of Parliament be clear on direction.

Many non-conformists in the UK may have long since ceased to think that the Christian faith can be central to the political workings of the nation, but until the Coronation Oath itself is liberalised, this is not so.

Until that time, by law and custom, politics and the Christian faith (albeit expressed chiefly through the Established Church) should be seamlessly connected in the governance of our nation. Christianity should define the character of the United Kingdom. God knows this and that is what he expects – no less. Every Government bill, every debate in the parliamentary chambers, every discussion between Prime Minister and Monarch, every prayer meeting in Parliament, should be centred on interpreting biblical principles accurately into the life of the nation.

Our Responsibility

This is why we have 26 bishops in the House of Lords. They are there to declare the word of the Lord and to give biblical advice to MPs as they make the laws of the land. But do we ever hear the word of the Lord declared by any of the bishops? It is so rare that it would no doubt be headline news in the media!

Until the Coronation Oath itself is liberalised, the Christian faith should be central to the political workings of the nation.

If the Church is silent on the great issues of the day, how can we expect MPs to know the standards of righteousness required to conform to biblical teaching? In ancient Israel the Lord held the religious leaders responsible for the state of the nation. “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock” (Ezek 34:10).

We all have a responsibility to pray for those in authority and in a democracy we have the right and the ability to make our views known to our representatives in Parliament. The whole Church, therefore, not just the bishops, shares the responsibility for the state of the nation. This is a sobering thought! Are we, individually, doing all we can to make the word of the Lord heard in the United Kingdom?

This is not a call for some dry religiosity to descend on our nation, but for us to return to God so that he will protect us in all our ways, restoring a tangible peace and security to the UK. Herein is our prosperity and our commission to serve one another. Herein is the protection of our borders, our care for the elderly and vulnerable, the future and hope for our children - and principles whereby we can avert the tragedies that are currently besetting us.

Where was God on Monday night?

In the aftermath of the horrendous terrorist attack in Manchester, Christians might well be asked, “Where was your God?” The answer is not simple, but there has to be an answer. Indeed, where else but God will we find the bottom line answer to these escalating problems in the world?

Questions like this have been asked as long as the world has existed. At the time Jesus was on earth he needed to address contemporary tragedies like the falling of the Tower of Siloam, which killed 18 people. He made it clear that those 18 were no more sinful than others and warned Israel and Judah in the hearing of Rome that “unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5).

These seem harsh words, but Jesus was not willing to compromise his message to a fallen world. This message echoed through the succeeding 2,000 years to us, coming to mind at such times as the collapse of the Twin Towers on 9/11, the recent Paris terrorism and indeed the Manchester atrocity of this week.

When innocent people suffer such an untimely death, we are not to deduce that they were being punished for their personal sins but we are to consider what God is saying to us all through the incident. There are signs of his presence and word all around us, and these signs are increasing in number and impact.

Where was God on Monday? The answer is not simple, but there has to be an answer.

Where is Our Protection?

When evil abounds we ask why was there no protection. The hard fact is that the protection of God is progressively disappearing from our nation.

Over the years, Prophecy Today has taken the hard path of highlighting the many tragedies that have hit the nation – allowed by God as call after call to turn back to him. This has been through an era when the priorities of our nation have been far from a close walk with him – and many law changes that are against the principles of the Bible.

From the inception of Prophecy Today magazine in the 1980s, we have warned especially about what was then the beginning of the rise of Islamic terrorism. We published articles and sent personal warnings to members of the government. Yet, generally speaking, these warnings were far from heeded. And so, the nation has not been protected as it might have been.

Yet it is not only Islamic terrorism that we are facing when God takes away his protection. We are vulnerable in every area of our society. Surely we all feel this, and despite the massive efforts to gain votes in the coming election, we are not convinced of the strength of man to overcome our vulnerabilities. It is right to increase the presence of the police and the military to increase protection on our streets in this vulnerable time following the Manchester atrocity, but this cannot be the answer alone. Without the help of God, no amount of policing our streets will take away our vulnerability.

God’s Grace and Grief

What, then, is God saying to us? Something like, I have loved you as a nation, but you have rejected my laws and rejected belief in my Son. It was my intention in withdrawing my hand of protection that you should turn to me once more, to reinstate my laws, to seek me in prayer and walk in my ways. I long to restore my protection, but cannot until you turn in repentance: how can I protect a people who do not want to know me? Protection in this transitory world is only effective for a short time. It is your eternal future with me that is of greater importance and you must think on these things. Believe me, when you suffer through the acts of terror of the age I suffer with you, but for the ultimate good I must allow these things to come to pass. Seek me while you can. Only I can protect you against the growing evil in the world.

The hard fact is that the protection of God is progressively disappearing from our nation.

We have highlighted in this magazine the central tenet of the Queen’s Coronation Oath, that to the utmost of her power she will maintain the laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel. We have written personally to the Queen and to her ministers to remind them of this at times of law change and at times when the signs of God’s displeasure are evident through the nation.

God was present in Westminster Abbey when the Queen, on all our behalves, made that Oath on 2 June 1953. We may have forgotten this but God has not and grieves to see the consequence of his removing his hand of protection. He grieves with us at what he must allow and at the consequence when 22 people die so painfully, as they did in Manchester. Yet it was we that turned from him first.

His longsuffering ensured that his grace extended to this nation beyond our deserving, even during our drift to apostasy. So when signs abound of protection removed we have sunk further than we realise.

Now: Our Great Responsibility

Christians have a great responsibility in the midst of this. There are some especially called to intercessory prayer and to the ministry of the watchman exemplified in the call of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 3 and 33), but all of us are called to this ministry to a certain level in these days of crisis.

Unless the Lord God brings back his protection we will remain vulnerable whatever party wins the General Election, whatever Prime Minister handles Brexit, the NHS, social care, the nation’s finances and so on. The evil that hit Manchester is yet another sign intended to point us back to God. Out of a suffering nation it is time for prayer to rise to the throne of God as it has in past times of crisis in our nation. Perhaps our current crisis is more serious than at any other time in our history.

Frankly, we who know these things have a great responsibility. Through the laws of the Lord and true profession of the Gospel, the country can be brought back under the protection of Almighty God. It is not God who is unjust but it is our hands that are stained with blood if we, once appointed, do not fulfil the call of the intercessor and watchman.

A call to prayer.

Several significant anniversaries in recent years have reminded us of what it has taken to defend our nation against physical enemies through two world wars: Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, D-Day and - last week - the horrific Battle of the Somme.

Through such battles Christians have recognised that wars are not fought on earth alone and, through intercessory prayer, they have joined in a spiritual battle that parallels what is experienced on earth.

We are in such a time today. There is a spiritual battle raging right now for the heart of our nation, as evidenced by the confusion among our national leaders following the Referendum. God granted us a door of opportunity through the vote to come out of Europe, but this is no more the end of the battle for Britain than Dunkirk was the end of the Second World War. It is another 'end of the beginning', to remember Winston Churchill's stirring speech after Dunkirk.

Responsibility of Christians

The divided Britain that has been exposed as a result of the Referendum exists because we have lost the biblical principles that once united and defined our nation. Now is the time to re-discover these principles, which brought us through other dark days in our history.

The vote to leave the EU was no more an end of the battle for Britain than Dunkirk was the end of the Second World War.

The topics on top of the Referendum agenda were business, finance, border control, immigration and sovereignty. Across the spectrum of the mainstream debate, the arguments being put forward about these topics were based on humanistic objectives. These objectives have not united Britain – neither have they inspired any party or campaign group to put forward a positive vision for the nation's future.

In the aftermath of the Leave vote, it is now time to re-discover deeper principles that God can bless - or we will simply shift from one set of humanistic objectives to another.

It has fallen to Christians to steer the country through, primarily in prayer and increasingly in witness. We, out of the entire nation, are able to interpret the times in biblical perspective and are able to access and articulate God's vision for Britain and the British people.

Defining 'Britishness'

What is it to be British? Attempts to define what it means to be part of a particular community or nation are where constitutions come in.

If Britain's constitution were left to believers, I would hope that we would use biblical principles to frame the governance of our land in a way that would ensure God's blessing and protection. That would be our constitution – our definition of 'Britishness'.

But we do not need to start all over again. Over many centuries, thanks to God's grace and the faithful efforts of believers down through the ages, Britain has developed the best constitutional framework of any Gentile nation (albeit that it has been betrayed by successive leaders of the nation).

It is time to re-discover principles of governance that God can bless - or we will simply shift from one set of humanistic objectives to another.

Now that we are freeing ourselves from Europe and its secular humanist constitution, a window of opportunity has been opened up for us to re-group on the ancient foundations of our own constitution that God has blessed in times past.

Britain's Unwritten Constitution

Britain has a largely unwritten constitution bound up in laws and customs, but that does not mean that it is vague or difficult to pin down.

At its heart, a key principle is the concept of the Crown, which distributes responsibility for governance interactively among the Monarch, the two Houses of Parliament, the Courts and other tribunals, the servants of the Crown, local authorities, the police and the armed forces.

This principle has been developed and refined over the years, especially through Magna Carta in 1215 and the Coronation Oath Act of 1688, keeping the Monarch central to our constitutional framework but in healthy balance.

The following summaries, taken from Halsbury's Laws of England,¹ illustrate this sharing of power, as well as the balance between laws and customs in the constitution of the UK:

By law the Monarch is the Head of State.
By custom she acts on the advice of her ministers.
By law she has no power in judicial systems.
By custom she can only give opinion and advice.
By law she is not responsible for the acts and decisions made on her behalf.
By law she can choose whichever minister she wishes.
(p26)

The Monarch is the principle source of legislative, executive and judicial power.
By custom the term "Crown" can mean either the Monarch or the body that is delegated to execute the responsibilities of the Monarch.
By custom, Parliament sets out primary legislation.
By law, the Monarch gives Royal Assent to laws presented to her by Parliament.
By law, the courts administer justice. This power has been taken from the Monarch.
(p27)

The Principles Behind our Constitution

Behind the laws and customs which are applied by our leaders lie deeper moral principles which, again, have developed in Britain over centuries. According to AV Dicey, these include the idea that everyone is equal before the law (including those in power), as well as the notion that people are only punishable if they breach the law. Such principles are designed to protect people and to hold authorities to account.²

These deeper principles owe a great debt to scriptural values and ethics. This is nowhere stated more clearly than in the Coronation Oath, the importance of which we have highlighted elsewhere. The Oath acknowledges God and his word as central to the governance of our nation. Its main tenet, sworn by the Monarch, is to "maintain the laws of God [and] the true profession of the Gospel".³

The promises to God made by the Monarch as the Coronation proceeds illustrate a wonderful balance in our constitution between law and Gospel, justice and mercy, dependence on God, responsibility of Christian leaders within Government, responsibility to the Commonwealth - with all parts of the nation held before God for his help and blessing.

Is it any wonder that there is difficulty for our Government to get its hands firmly on the rudder to steer the nation into the future, when these principles are neglected? Is it any wonder that this wake-up call from God seems like the shaking of an earthquake? The shaking is intended to stir us to repentance – a return to our constitutional principles, which we will also find is a pathway back to God.

The current shaking is intended to stir us to repentance and take us back to our constitutional principles – which we will also find is a pathway back to God.

The Bible Central

In a British Coronation, the Bible is placed on the altar along with the paten and chalice, which are used for the Communion Service. This takes place after the taking of the Oath and before the Anointing, prior to events leading up to the Crowning. The entire ceremony is drawn from biblical parallels for the crowning of kings.

The Monarch takes the Oath with their right hand on the Bible, with these words being said:

...to keep your Majesty ever mindful of the law and the Gospel of God as the Rule for the whole life and government of Christian Princes, we present you with this Book, the most valuable thing that this world affords.

Here is Wisdom; this is the royal Law; these are the lively Oracles of God.⁴

Today, the Bible is no longer central to the life of Britain and our Oath to God is betrayed. But what if, with repentant hearts, we were to confess this to God and seek his help to restore biblical precepts in our nation?

Christians must lead the way at this time of appointing new leaders, praying that eyes will be opened and that Godly men and women will come into office. If we are open to such prayer, God will give us the understanding that we need as we engage in the spiritual battle that lies ahead.

Dare We Believe?

Additionally, we might all do well to revise the Oath itself, as there is a sense in which every British citizen has been committed to it because of the declarations made by our Queen.

If we return to its principles, then God will look after those priorities that prompted fear in our nation as Referendum day drew near. He will help us protect our borders and show us how to care for the strangers in our midst. He will help us reverse laws that displease him. He will help us in our businesses, hospitals, schools and homes.

Dare we believe this? Surely God has opened the door for us - so surely he will help us.

There are Christians in our Government, among them some seeking to take leadership roles. Now let eyes be opened, clarity of understanding re-kindled, and with repentant hearts let us go forward to put our constitution back on the rock of biblical intent. Let this again be how our nation as a whole is identified in the world – what it is to be British.

Postscript

If, as a nation, we had more deeply sought God's guidance, we would not have been led into the errors that currently beset our generation. The results of the Chilcot Inquiry illustrate the serious consequences that we are reaping from what has been sown in various aspects of our nation's life.

We cannot go back and restore the multitudes of lives lost in the Iraq War and its fallout. Sadly, had we had biblical truths at our heart and through listening prayer, we would have had the guidance of Almighty God – and things may well have turned out very differently. That is how serious this is.

References

1 Taken from Vol 8, 1996 edition, edited by Lord Hailsham, published by Butterworths.

2 Dicey, AV, 1885. Introduction to the Study of the Law of the Constitution. Discussed on Wikipedia's page on Rule of law in the United Kingdom.

3 Read the text of the Coronation Oath here.

4 For more information on the structure of the British Coronation Service, click here.