“Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?” Psalm 94:20.
The annual band parade in Castlewellan was banned because of a hastily arranged mass in the chapel, made so as to clash with the parade and thus give an excuse to the authorities to ban that parade. The parade was rearranged for last Thursday, June 27th. At no time did the local police wish to ban the parade. The banning was a political decision. The announcement of the ban was made in the early hours of Thursday morning in order to create the greatest possible confusion and to hinder the making of any alternative plans.
I issued a call for men to come to Castlewellan and that call was responded to despite the cancellation of buses that had been booked to carry supporters and bands to the parade and extensive police roadblocks stopping any approach to Castlewellan.
When I made to approach Castlewellan from Newcastle, just over one mile, I was told by the police that I could neither drive nor walk there. I insisted that I had a right to walk to Castlewellan and was arrested for ‘disorderly conduct’. I was released from police custody in Newcastle RUC police barracks at about 12:15 am on Friday morning.
During the evening the police were defied and Castlewellan was paraded.
The blame lies entirely with those who made the decision — Hermon, head of the RUC and Hurd, the Secretary of State for NI!
Their decision was a response to Dublin’s demand for a manifestly greater say in the affairs of Northern Ireland. The banning of certain parades that John Hume’s SDLP wished was one of those demands. Thus the RUC was acting under Dublin rule that night in Castlewellan. I believe it would have been treason for me to have obeyed them and complied with their demands.
I. MISCHIEF HAS OFTEN BEEN FRAMED BY A LAW
The law-making agencies and the law-enforcing agencies may be ‘hi-jacked’ by wicked men and the means of government usurped. This happens when: —
1. Bad laws are passed and enforced. Pharaoh, Exodus 1:15-17. Jeroboam 1 Kings 12:26-30.
Here in Ulster, we had the ‘Home Rule Bill’ of 1912-1914. It was deemed an evil law and our Protestant forefathers formed the ‘Ulster Volunteer Force’, armed themselves and prepared to face any attempt by the London government to enforce Home Rule on Ulster for ‘Home Rule’ was deemed by them as ‘Rome Rule’! It was so deemed because the plans by London involved the Protestants of Ulster being placed under the dominion and rule of a Roman Catholic government in Dublin.
2. Good laws being perverted. “The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God,” John 19:7.
The law they referred to was a good law but they were perverting it for their own evil purposes. “And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death,” Leviticus 24:16. The Jews claimed that the Saviour blasphemed when He claimed to be the Son of God. Thus the greatest crime ever committed was deemed by some to be ‘lawful’!
That perverting of good and right laws continued still today!
II. SUCH ACTONS IDENTIFY SUCH LAWMAKERS AS INIQUITOUS
It is the “throne of iniquity” “which frameth mischief by a law.” That is a significant title used by the Holy Ghost.
There are many references to that evil which is at work in the formulating of such laws.
Please consider:
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming,” 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8.
What happened at Castlewellan was but an example of the workings of the ‘mystery of iniquity’ today.
Consider also: —
“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. . . . . And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast,” Revelation 17:5, 9-12.
Note that the allies of Antichrist are KINGs, that is the lawmakers of the land.
1. It is the intent of Satan to foist wickedness upon nations by disguising it as good. “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works,” 2 Corinthians 11:13-15.
Thrones and governors were ordained of God for good. “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God,” Romans 13:1. Satan has perverted the use of thrones. The history of the Protestant Reformation and the slaughter of tens of thousands by the decrees of kings illustrates this fact.
2. What tragedies will follow such perversions. “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20. That is what we see taking place today. The whole policies of the ecumenical churches and their political supporters is to have evil called good and good called evil!
III. GOD HAS SET US AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT TO DO WHEN FACED WITH SUCH PERVERSION
“Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee”? We are not to join with or submit to such wicked laws. We do as God does. He has no fellowship with the ‘throne of iniquity’!
1. The Lord Jesus defied the evil demands of rulers “And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?” Matthew 21:23. They were say that He had no authority to preach and should stop!
2. The disciples learned form the Saviour to defy evil rulers. “And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. . . And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness,” Acts 4:18-20, 29-31.
3. They did so repeatedly. “And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ,” Acts 5:40-42. See also 6:10-15 and 7:58-60, 9:2.
May we be filled with just such a spirit of defiance to evil men and submission to God and His Word.