Minister makes serious charge without consideration to fact that fellow Christians may have reached different view on church closures

I have no desire to be drawing into a long debate with Rev Kirkland, but he has levelled serious charges against thousands of evangelicals in Northern Ireland.
By Samuel Morrison
Published 25th Mar 2020, 11:23 BST
Updated 25th Mar 2020, 11:37 BST
This crisis has led to empty pews. There were differences of opinion historically on issues such as calling off church servicesThis crisis has led to empty pews. There were differences of opinion historically on issues such as calling off church services
This crisis has led to empty pews. There were differences of opinion historically on issues such as calling off church services

(Rev Kirkland’s letter can be read here: ‘Closure of churches shows the shallowness of evangelicalism and the lack of interest in the public worship of God,’ March 24)

He has done this without giving any consideration to the fact that brothers and sisters in Christ may have come to a different conclusion to him on the matter of church closures.

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Rev Kirkland claims that those who called off services in churches and instead worshiped in their homes, listening to sermons on the internet or on CD, don’t measure up to the Covenanters and Puritans.

Letter to the editorLetter to the editor
Letter to the editor

There were differences of opinion on such issues historically but permit me to cite one example. The Puritan Richard Baxter was fined heavily and imprisoned for defying the law. He showed lots of backbone. Yet writing in 1673 Richard Baxter noted:

“If the Magistrate for a greater good, (as the common safety) forbid Church Assemblies in a time of pestilence, assault of enemies, or fire, or the like necessity, it is a duty to obey him. Because positive duties give place to those great natural duties which are their end: so Christ justified himself and his disciples violation of the external rest of the Sabbath. For the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”

Would Rev Kirkland dismiss the Richard Baxter as a marshmallow?

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I would respectfully suggest that all Christians at this time should use what means they have to call attention to issues of the day.

We have ignored God’s commandment to observe a day of rest and now the entire world is quiet.

We have abused human interaction in how we have behaved even to the point of official government attempts to redefine marriage and now we must all observe “social distancing”.

Society came to regard the family unit as old fashioned and dispensable. Now governments enforce lockdowns preventing interaction with anyone other than those within households.

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Burials are taking place without funerals in countries which sent millions of the unborn into eternity without so much as a coffin much less a funeral.

None of us deserve the least of God’s mercies. In fact, none of us can claim we deserve anything other than judgement.

But there is forgiveness with Thee that Thou mayest be feared. Forgiveness because of the sacrifice of one who never did anything deserving of judgement. And in a world which is convulsed by fear we can know peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Samuel Morrison, Dromore, Co Down

Related topics:Northern Ireland