Required reading
The Protector: A vindication by J. H. Merle D'Aubigne (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 5 (Death of the king).
My summary
Today we learn about the death of King Charles I.
We hear about:
(i) prayerful deliberations concerning the fate of the king;
(ii) a second civil war in which Cromwell remained victorious;
(iii) Parliament's eventual trial of the king;
(iv) Cromwell's reluctance to support the execution.
What grabbed me
I continue to enjoy D'Aubigne's commentary on the events he is describing: 'And yet, were they really in the right path ? [the path of trying Charles I for treason] We entertain some doubt on this point. There is perhaps no case in which we see more clearly the importance of being enlightened on the true principles of Christian conduct. When the leaders of the army wished to know what they ought to do, they examined into what they had done when they felt happiest and nearest to God: such are not the means prescribed by Heaven. They should have asked themselves, " What does God command us in His word ?" It is not by our feelings that He will guide us, but by his commandments. Our feelings may lead us astray. There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. The Word of God never misleads us. A Christian's walk is in the Divine commandments : to act according to one's own sensations, one's interior illumination, is the walk of the mystic.'
The importance of including Scripture in all decision making cannot be overstated.
Next week's reading
Read Chapter 6 (Ireland).
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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