John Keble’s Sermon on National Apostasy 14th July 1833 –can it say anything to us in the 2020 world post Covid-19?



Keble’s sermon (preached to the Assizes in Oxford Church of St. Mary the Virgin) was based on the Old Testament Bible text: 1 Samuel 12:23 which reads:
“Moreover for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you and I will instruct you in the good and right way.”
The Prophet Samuel is commenting (again) on the manner in which the Israelites have turned away from the Lord God.  In his own time Keble feels that his nation has turned away from God hence he sets out “the symptoms by which one may judge most fairly whether or not a nation as such is becoming alienated from God”.
Keble believes that during its history prior to 1833 the country has acknowledged itself to be a Christian nation but in 1833 he suggests it is “throwing off restraint”.  His examples of this include the example of people holding public office who are not acknowledging Christ and His Church.  Furthermore he believes that people explain away voluntary oaths not recognising God “to leave him out of all their thoughts”.  He thinks that the tenor of conduct of people is becoming hostile to the Church”.
May be some of these features apply to our political leadership today?  Even before the Covid-19 pandemic and the divisive Brexit issue some local councils had abandoned the practise of prayer at the commencement of their meetings.  Some events during the Covid-19 lock down both in the UK and abroad have caused many questions to be asked about the integrity of those elected to hold public office.  In Geneva, in the sixteenth century Calvin asked whether the church was following secular authority as St Paul describes in Romans “let every person be subject to the governing authorities” (Romans 13:1) or whether it was obeying God as Peter and the apostles said “ we must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).  Calvin presupposed that those who held public office were God-fearing and that all secular rulers were in place due to the will of God.  In our society today as with John Keble maybe we cannot assume this is the case?

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