Muslim Piracy! -- Royse ripped off

Muslims operating outside of Western borders and ignoring copyrights have continued to steal and pilfer every scientific and scholarly literature the West has produced, and promulgate it on the net and everywhere.

Royse's Stolen Book

The trend and tradition of Eastern and Far Eastern countries sacking Western treasures is not new, but is certainly escalating. 

Muslims have recently engaged in full frontal attacks against every brand of Christianity, using Western Christian research and discovery only to mock and ridicule Western religious values and claims.   The new attacks from Muslims and other extremists are unique in the history of Christendom.

Before these people have even hung out a shingle, they have stolen and uploaded scholarly works still very much in copyright, and the result is that sales of scholarly books simply stagnate, as Muslims give it away free. 

Here is a perfect example of this outrageous theft.  Remember this is not even for personal use, or to promote the sale of Western authors, but to completely sabotage their efforts by robbing them of legitimate benefit from their hard work.

Now Royse's opus 1000 page book, reasonably priced at under $100 (and in these small markets thats a miracle in itself) has been put on the internet by Muslim pirates, bent on undermining Christianity at all costs and by all methods, regardless of their dishonesty and criminal status.

The following new Muslim site, (and we snapshotted their page below) hasn't even got a greeting or legitimate front up yet, but has made available thousands of copyrighted books, bypassing international copyright agreements:

Front Page of Muslim Pirate Operation: click to enlarge

The link is (or was): http://sheekh-3arb.org/

which translates to an American host-site.

Here is the link to a downloadable and complete copy of Royse's book, found accidentally by merely googling "Novum Testamentum Graece  (Clarendon, 1870)" (found on Google link-page 6 in my browser):

1. [PDF]

   Scribal Habits in Early Greek New Testament Papyri

   File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat
   Clarendon Press, 1935. Novum Testamentum Graece secundum ...... “introduction to the text of the Gospels (1870), privately circulated, and not yet published ...
   sheekh-3arb.org/library/books/up_coll1/Scrib_Habits_Greek_NT.pdf

    

    

    

    

 So this is Muslim honesty and integrity.

Nazaroo

can the C of E and the Anglican communion be saved?

The leading question above is just that. It can be taken a number of ways.

The sense in which I mean it here, and the question to be answered,
will be explained by what follows.

As an Anglican I have a right to be heard,
and according to Holy Scripture,
the church has the obligation to hear (John 7:51),
before making any hasty or negative judgements.

(1) It can be no secret now (indeed it is an open scandal before other denominations and the world), that the Church of England is in crisis.

(2) The divisive issues are of course, ordination, and same-sex 'marriage'.

(3) The Crisis of the C of E however, is not new. Its roots go back
even to the Reformation, and the various dramatic internal upheavals inside the Realm,
and also world-scale judgments upon her and her peoples from outside.

(4) Historically, the C of E did not follow the most extreme impulses of the Reformation,
such as rejection of basic Christian truth and doctrine, and apostacy.

(5) In the midst of that crisis of the Reformation, an amazing thing happened. The clergy and king galvanized themselves in an unprecedented unity of faith and doctrine, and carefully and clearly formulated an agreement and a public statement of their position: The 39 Articles.

(6) The 39 Articles were not just a statement of beliefs. They were a formal contract, an irrevocable commitment by the clergy and king
on behalf of the British people.

(7) Along with the assents and commitments were the terms of enforcement,
meant to bind all parties to their word,
and accept the consequences of any and all violations of letter,
spirit and intent expressed by the contract.

(8) The King, the clergy, the realm, and its people were committed,
committed to a unified sovereign state, a kingdom, a monarchy,
a rule of government and faith and a commitment to the peace, unity,
and common good of the nation.

(9) This was not a 'suggestion', a mere expression of faith,
but an oath of fealty, a commitment to faithfulness;
not a vague interest in the pursuit of truth or goodwill,
but a defense of historical and spiritual facts, detailed, loud and clear.

(10) The Articles of Religion and the Book of Prayer was the blueprint,
the charter, the magna charta, the constitution of the British Empire.
It precedes even the King James Bible or Authorized Version,
which was a natural consequence of this national oath and contract,
evoked by the leadership of the British Isles on behalf of her people.

Perhaps the most important part of the 39 Articles,
and its very foundation as a commitment, contract, and oath
before God and man, a public witness to the whole world,
is the very first statement, and the first foundation-stone
upon which the rest of the Articles were built:

HIS MAJESTY'S DECLARATION.

"Being by God's Ordinance, according to one just Title,

Defender of the Faith, and Supreme Governor of the Church,

within these our Dominions, We hold it most agreeable

to this our Kingly Office, and Our own religous Zeal, to

conserve and maintain the Church committed to Our

Charge, in Unity of true Religion, and in the Bond of Peace;

and not to suffer unnecessary Disputations, Altercations, or

Questions to be raised, which may nourish Faction both

in the Church and Commonwealth. We have therefore,

upon mature Deliberation, and with the Advice of so many

of Our Bishops as might convenientlv be called together,

thought fit to make this Declaration following:

That the Articles of the Church of England (which have

been allowed and authorized heretofore, and which Our

Clergy generally have subscribed unto) do contain the true

Doctrine of the Church of England agreeable to God's

Word: which We do therefore ratify and confirm, requiring

all our loving Subjects to continue in the uniform Profession

thereof, and prohibiting the least difference from the said

Articles; which to that End We command to be new

printed, and this Our Declaration to be published therewith.

That We are Supreme Governor of the Church of

England : And that if any difference arise ahout the

external Policy, concerning the Injunctions, Canons, and

other Constitutions whatsoever thereto belonging, the Clergy

in their Convocation is to order and settle them, having

first obtained leave under Our Broad Seal so to do: and We

approving their said Ordinances and Constitutions;

providing that none be made contrary to the Laws and customs

of the Land.

That out of Our Princely Care that the Churchmen may

do the Work which is proper unto them, the Bishops and

Clergy, from time to time in Convocation, upon their humble

Desire, shall have Licence under Our Broad Seal to deliberate of,

and to do all such Things, as, being made plain

by them, and assented unto by Us, shall concern the settled

Continuance of the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of

England now established; from which we will not endure

any varying or departing in the least Degree.

That for the present, though some differences have been

ill raised, yet We take comfort in this, that all Clergymen

within Our Realm have always most willingly subscribed to

the Articles established; which is an argument to Us, that

they all agree in the true, usual, literal meaning of the said

Articles; and that even in those curious points, in which

the present differences lie, men of all sorts take the Articles

of the Church of England to be for them; which is an

argument again, that none of them intend any desertion,

of the Articles established.

That therefore in these both curious and unhappy differences,

which have for so many hundred years, in different

times and places, exercised the Church of Christ, We will,

that all further curious search be laid aside, and these

disputes shut up in God's promises, as they be generally set

forth to us in the holy Scnptures, and the general meaning

of the Articles of the Church of England according to them.

And that no man hereafter shall either print, or preach, to

draw the Article aside any way, but shall submit to it in

the plain and full meaning thereof: and shall not put his

own sense or comment to be the meaning of the Article, but

shall take it in the literal and grammatical sense.

That if any publick Reader in either of Our Universities,

or any Head or Master of a College, or any other person

respectively in either of them, shall, affix any new sense to

any Article, or shall publickly read, determine, or hold any

publick Disputation, or suffer any such to be held either

way, in either of the Universities or Colleges respectively : or

if any Divine in the Universities shall preach or print any

thing either way, other than is already established in Convocation

with Our Royal Assent; he, or they the Offenders,

shall be liable to Our displeasure, and the Church's censure

in Our Commission Ecclesiastical, as well as any other:

And We will see there shall be due Execution upon

them."

With these words the Royal Throne of Britain spoke clearly
and firmly of an eternal bond of fealty and loyalty taken
by the collective leadership of the Realm on behalf of its people.

It is this oath, which is in the process of being broken and betrayed,
and which will bring upon the British people, government,
and even if possible the very throne of David,
the consequences and curses of unbelief and apostacy,
the sure ruin and devastation of any nation which knowingly and willingly
takes such a sacred and holy oath before the very throne of
the Most High and Living God, and King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

What can a small, pitiful and loyal subject of the Realm, crown, and kingdom of God do,
when so precious a gift and calling is forsaken by a people,
left to fall into ignorance and darkness by a faulty and misguided leadership?

Pray for our leaders we must.
Pray for a new King who can as a worthy steward
of the greatest commission and nation made without hands,
step up and guide her out of darkness,
and not leave her to fall into pit of foolishness.
We don't need another Queen Victoria,
at who's helm the British peoples sailed to shipwreck.

We need a spiritual revival at the highest levels of leadership in Britain.

Don't call this a church.
We should be too ashamed to do so,
for doing so would inevitably force us to compare it to what it once was,
from the time of the Authorized Version until the 1860s,
and the fiasco of the Revised Perversion.

nazaroo

Revelation for Dummies (2)

 The Roman/Jewish Wars (68 - 135 A.D.) were a rapid and colossal disaster for the Jewish people, because the full might of the Roman Empire was brought to bear upon them.
In 69 A.D. the Galilean Rebellion was squashed;
In 70 A.D. Jerusalem was burned, and the Temple destroyed, and possibly millions of Jews were killed or enslaved.
In 73 A.D. the Zealots at Masada were sieged and destroyed.
The final rebellion of Bar Kochba (120-132 A.D.)  was also quashed.

But Christianity, although frequently persecuted, continued to spread throughout the Roman Empire, even heavily infecting the Roman Armies.

Here is the next diagram in the analysis:

Conversion of Empire: Click to Enlarge

The single most important event in the first 500 years of Christianity has to be the conversion of the Emperor Constantine, and the legalization of the Christian Religion.   Around 300 A.D., Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity, which was formerly and underground and illegal religion, often persecuted by Roman authorities.

For our purposes, it matters little whether or not Constantine was truly or completely converted, or if instead he was simply a shrewd leader, realizing that by 300 A.D. a large number of Roman soldiers and citizens were Christian converts. 

The fact is, Constantine legalized Christianity, and to prove the point, began to tear down and loot pagan temples, and use the wealth to build Christian cathedrals all over the Empire.   Constantine also held Ecumenical councils, allowing Christian leaders (at least those willing to cooperate with the Empire) some participation and power in organizing and defining mainstream Christianity.

The second thing Constantine did was to abandon Rome entirely, and rebuild his new Capital and Headquarters in Greece, at Byzantium (Constantinople, now called Istanbul).   The Empire was now ruled from the East (Greece), and the Latin West was left abandoned, and quickly succumbed to local barbarian invasions, beginning around 420 A.D. 

The West sank into the Dark Ages, while the East flourished, enjoying one of the greatest eras of Christian literary and intellectual activity.

The Latins, perhaps in ironic poetic justice for their most recent and violent persecution of the Christians, fell to the barbarians again and again, their economy, security and lives destroyed by sacking and pillaging. 

If the book of Revelation had failed to at all mention what was the most important development in Christian history, while at the same time being a prophecy focussed on the Christian future, it would have to be called a prophetic failure.

 To get an idea of how drastic the changeover was, take a look at these BEFORE and AFTER maps:

BEFORE: ROMAN EMPIRE c. 200 A.D.

AFTER: Animated GIF! Click to Enlarge

 Nazaroo

Revelation for Dummies...

The following simple chart should be helpful in clarifying some points:

Click to Enlarge

This next diagram shows the more important events in the first 200 years of the Christian era.

Most people date the Book of Revelation as having been composed in the reign of Emperor Nero (because of its apparent ignorance of the destruction of the temple), or in the reign of Emperor Domitian (because the book seems to know too much of the subsequent Roman/Jewish Wars.

Only a handful of conspiracy theorists (such as "MountainMan" in Australia from Internet Infidels) think that the book was composed after that (e.g. in the reign of Constantine, c. 300-340 A.D.), because there are no complete copies of the book older than Codex Alexandrinus (c. late 4th cent./early 5th), and Codex Sinaiticus (dubiously dated at about 350 A.D., but probably 50 years newer, i.e., 390-420 A.D.).

Click to Enlarge

peace
Nazaroo

Story of a Fatherless Youth, Eusebius

 Possibly the most important story in Eusebius, is the one in Book 3 regarding Saint John the Apostle and a fatherless youth:

Eusebius' Church History, Book 3, para. 23 (5-19):

5. Clement likewise in his book entitled What Rich Man can be saved? indicates the time, and subjoins a narrative which is most attractive to those that enjoy hearing what is beautiful and profitable. Take and read the account which runs as follows:

6. “Listen to a tale, which is not a mere tale, but a narrative concerning John the apostle, which has been handed down and treasured up in memory. For when, after the tyrant’s death, he returned from the isle of Patmos to Ephesus, he went away upon their invitation to the neighboring territories of the Gentiles, to appoint bishops in some places, in other places to set in order whole churches, elsewhere to choose to the ministry some one of those that were pointed out by the Spirit. 

7. When he had come to one of the cities not far away (the name of which is given by some ), and had consoled the brethren in other matters, he finally turned to the bishop that had been appointed, and seeing a youth of powerful physique, of pleasing appearance, and of ardent temperament, he said, ‘This one I commit to thee in all earnestness in the presence of the Church and with Christ as witness.’ And when the bishop had accepted the charge and had promised all, he repeated the same injunction with an appeal to the same witnesses, and then departed for Ephesus.

8. But the presbyter taking home the youth committed to him, reared, kept, cherished, and finally baptized him. After this he relaxed his stricter care and watchfulness, with the idea that in putting upon him the seal of the Lord he had given him a perfect protection.

9. But some youths of his own age, idle and dissolute, and accustomed to evil practices, corrupted him when he was thus prematurely freed from restraint. At first they enticed him by costly entertainments; then, when they went forth at night for robbery, they took him with them, and finally they demanded that he should unite with them in some greater crime.

10. He gradually became accustomed to such practices, and on account of the positiveness of his character, leaving the right path, and taking the bit in his teeth like a hard-mouthed and powerful horse, he rushed the more violently down into the depths.

11. And finally despairing of salvation in God, he no longer meditated what was insignificant, but having committed some great crime, since he was now lost once for all, he expected to suffer a like fate with the rest. Taking them, therefore, and forming a band of robbers, he became a bold bandit-chief, the most violent, most bloody, most cruel of them all.

12. Time passed, and some necessity having arisen, they sent for John. But he, when he had set in order the other matters on account of which he had come, said, ‘Come, O bishop, restore us the deposit which both I and Christ committed to thee, the church, over which thou presidest, being witness.’

13. But the bishop was at first confounded, thinking that he was falsely charged in regard to money which he had not received, and he could neither believe the accusation respecting what he had not, nor could he disbelieve John. But when he said, ‘I demand the young man and the soul of the brother,’ the old man, groaning deeply and at the same time bursting into tears, said, ‘He is dead.’ ‘How and what kind of death?’ ‘He is dead to God,’ he said; ‘for he turned wicked and abandoned, and at last a robber. And now, instead of the church, he haunts the mountain with a band like himself.’

14. But the Apostle rent his clothes, and beating his head with great lamentation, he said, ‘A fine guard I left for a brother’s soul! But let a horse be brought me, and let some one show me the way.’ He rode away from the church just as he was, and coming to the place, he was taken prisoner by the robbers’ outpost.

15. He, however, neither fled nor made entreaty, but cried out, ‘For this did I come; lead me to your captain.’

16. The latter, meanwhile, was waiting, armed as he was. But when he recognized John approaching, he turned in shame to flee.

17. But John, forgetting his age, pursued him with all his might, crying out, ‘Why, my son, dost thou flee from me, thine own father, unarmed, aged? Pity me, my son; fear not; thou hast still hope of life. I will give account to Christ for thee. If need be, I will willingly endure thy death as the Lord suffered death for us. For thee will I give up my life. Stand, believe; Christ hath sent me.’

18. And he, when he heard, first stopped and looked down; then he threw away his arms, and then trembled and wept bitterly. And when the old man approached, he embraced him, making confession with lamentations as he was able, baptizing himself a second time with tears, and concealing only his right hand.

19. But John, pledging himself, and assuring him on oath that he would find forgiveness with the Saviour, besought him, fell upon his knees, kissed his right hand itself as if now purified by repentance, and led him back to the church. And making intercession for him with copious prayers, and struggling together with him in continual fastings, and subduing his mind by various utterances, he did not depart, as they say, until he had restored him to the church, furnishing a great example of true repentance and a great proof of regeneration, a trophy of a visible resurrection.”

peace
Nazaroo

The "Godly Men" - infamous boners and frauds of Textual Criticism

The following articles will aptly begin with the documentation of some of the most ridiculous and unscrupulous frauds to have taken place in the history of textual criticism:

Unitarian Dishonesty

A Review of Shameful Acts

The posthumous takeover of Wetstein's Greek NT by Semler may have been one of the first in a series of frauds and deceptions by the Unitarians, but it was not to be the last.
At this time, we can list at least four major deceptions perpetrated by the Unitarians in their zeal to destroy the Textus Receptus and with it mainstream Christian doctrine:

1. 1765: J. Semler's Takeover and Rewrite of Wetstein's Prolegomena.
2. 1808: T. Belsham's Takeover and edit of Bishop Newcome's English NT.
3. 1856: S. Tregelles' Takeover and rewrite of Horne's Introduction.
4. 1862: C. Gregory's Takeover and ghost-write of Tischendorf's Prolegomena.

The similarities of the fraud in each case are stunning: (1) in each case, the success and reputation of the original author is capitalized on. (2) in each case, permission was either not obtained, or fraudulently obtained. (3) in each case, the author was dead or dying when the Unitarians stepped in. (4) In each case, history was rewritten, and minds diverted from what was really happening. (5) In each case, the original authors are praised but at the same time dismissed as in significant 'error' for deviating from the Unitarian/Hortian party position on the NT text.

We'll carry on from here shortly.

Peace
Nazaroo