Terra australis - the illusive land down-under

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Terra australis - the illusive land down-under

Written by Mr. Trev McCallum

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Scripture teaches that God is the sovereign Lord over all of His creation. He determines the beginning from the end. All things work according to His foreordained plan.^[1] The question is; does this include the rise and fall of nations? Is God interested in petty politics and the discovery of nations? Did the sovereignty of God extend over the discovery and colonization of Australia? To some the answer is obvious. Others may be wondering; surely God does not involve Himself in the paltry affairs of men. Why would the pure and perfect Creator take interest in the dirty work of humanity? Does the Bible answers these questions? In Acts 17:26we read; “He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings.” Why on earth would God do this? “So that they [all kinds of peoples] should seek the Lord” ( Acts 17:27).

As Bible believing Christians our view of the world should be shaped by understanding the sovereignty of God in the affairs of man. Rulers win and loose. Nations rise and fall. Countries expand and shrink. Cultures are born and die. Civilizations appear and disappear. All according to the sovereign will and plan of God; to cover the earth with His glory, as the waters cover the seas ( Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14). Australia’s discovery and colonization was no exception. Surely we should rejoice, beneath our radiant Southern Cross^[2], in this. In these articles I will endeavor to highlight that our nation, girded by the sea, was not formed by a melting pot of a few wayward pagans. Rather, along with the great Jonathan Edwards, we must understand that God has done great things in bringing the Christian faith to the shores of Australia. This glorious isle has awaited His law and will be used to influence the world for Christ’s crown and glory.^[3]

The idea of a Great South Land (terra australis) had been speculated about since early times.^[4] Pre-Christian Greek writers are said to have believed in the existence of a great continent south-east of Africa. “Professor F.L.W. Wood, in his well-known Concise History of Australia…suggests that [perhaps] some descendants of Adam might have travelled as far as the Antipodes [i.e. possible Australia/New Zealand] and flourished there.”^[5] Many stories from the explorer Marco Polo (1295) confirmed the ancient Greek belief in a terra australis.^[6] Over time many cultures came close to discovering and settling/colonizing Australia.^[7] Only one culture succeeded in finding and colonizing our great South Land, the largest island in the world. Understanding culture is vital. Henry van Til is attributed with the phrase: "culture is religion externalized."^[8] A people’s religion (i.e. internal beliefs) is externalized (i.e. made visible) through their many national and regional cultural expressions; such as music, theatre, poetry and many others. Many western nations “are still deeply influenced by their Christian heritage.”^[9] What must be realized is that the cultures which prosper, over the long term, are those who seek covenantal faithfulness to the revealed Word of God ( Psalm 2). Those who do not seek this covenantal obedience are judged by Christ and fill the dustbin of history. No nation can disobey the commands of God and prosper over the long haul ( Deuteronomy 29). Thus it is important to defend the Christian heritage of our nation. If we do not engage in this battle the freedoms and privileges enjoyed in this land will evaporate. God will not be mocked ( Galatians 6:7).

There were three major cultures who failed to discover and colonize the terra australis; Hindu-Buddhists, Chinese and Muslims. Merchants from these cultures did not progress further than Timor (which means east).^[10] Not one of these false religions succeeded in finding and converting the great southern island. This begs the question; why was it so? Understanding culture helps a great deal in answering this question. Ideas have consequences. What a person believes ultimately effects their actions or lack thereof. There is no escaping it, beliefs liberate or imprison. The superstition of these idolatrous cultures undergirded their exploratory failure.

The Hindus-Buddhists were zealous for wealth and religious converts. However, they did not expand the shores of civilization. Sea voyages and contact with foreigners were prohibited in the Hindu faith. This combined with a belief that the world was flat, triangular and divided into seven habitations (separated by seas of milk, sugar, butter, wine etc) which all balanced on the heads of elephants stunted their expanses into the unknown world. Fanciful stories of islands south of Java; gleaming with gold, jewels and teaming with fair women who would be at the beck and call of colonizers abounded. These tales climaxed in the myth, aimed at deterring exploration, of the tree of Pausengi. This tree stood tall on an island in the seas south of Java. The elusive and dangerous Geruda bird dwelt in its branches. All the south sea currents flowed into an abyss near this island, trapping all exploratory ships. Crews were supposed to starve or fall prey to the great bird when their ships entered these waters. Hence the Javanese populous did not venture more than three miles from the sight of land. This religious bias even forced these people to dismiss Abel Tasman’s account of not finding the island or tree when he had discovered a great land in the south. Therefore, the seas south and east of Timor were taboo for the Hindu-Buddhists. These cultures began to shrink with the aggressive expansion of the Muslims into Java, Sumatra and other islands of the archipelago in the 15^th century.^[11]The Chinese were the second of the great colonizing powers to venture into the waters around Timor. Driven by economic desires to establish and maintain trade routes, “trade with the Celebes for trepang and the bird of paradise; and to trade with Timor for sandalwood” the Chinese came to the divide between known and unknown worlds. At the time Chinese scholars professed ignorance in the seas south-east of Timor. However, like every other false religion, speculation replaced sound thinking. Facts blurred into fantasy. For the Chinese the kingdom of women lay oceans south-east of Timor. The waters of the seas flowed into this mystical kingdom. Still further east was “Wei-Lu,” where the waters of all the seas drained. These convictions, coupled with a palace revolt and subsequent change of government (in 1433), ended the Chinese merchant and exploratory presence in the archipelago.^[12]

From the 11^th century there was a presence of Muslim merchants and missionaries in west Java. With the Chinese departure Muslim crusades to evangelise the area increased fervently until the 16^th century. There were many persuasive or forceful conversions to Islam during this time. The struggle for political eminence shadowed the Muslim trade and religion. Political power struggles and turbulence characterized this period of Islamic expansion. Long and bloody wars began in the 15^th century, with the establishment of Mohammedan kingdoms in Malecca and Java. Unrest continued into the early 16^th century, with the “long bloody war of attrition” and subsequent development of another Mohammedan kingdom in Macassar. The Islamic faith was driving civilization’s expansion into the deep south-east. If these Mohammedan boundaries continued to expand for Islam, gold, spices and trade the Muslims could have moved onto New Guinea and then Australia. However, with the arrival of Torres (and his sailing through the straits in 1607) the Islamic expansion ceased.^[13] This idolatrous religion speculated of the southern land like all others. They were not “epistemologically self conscious.”^[14] Muslim belief of what lay in the uncharted shores was nothing short of fantasy and absurdity. Prior to the 15^th century sailors believed the lands south-east of Java to be the kingdom of the anti-Christ. In manuals circulated to seamen an island known as “Wak Wak” was described to deter further exploration. A fruit in the shape of a human skull populated a tree on this island. As this fruit ripened it fell to the ground and the voice of god cried out “Wak Wak.” In short, the Muslims grandfathered the old Hindu story of Geruda.^[15]These cultures failed to move the bounds of civilization further into the unchartered waters south-east of Timor. Nations and cultures who fail to bow and kiss the feet of the Son of God will be destroyed in His wrath ( Psalm 2). Curses are delt from the hand of God for breaking covenant with Him. Over time, nations and cultures who continue in unrepentant disobedience are judged and punished. The Asian states were materially weak, lacked sea power and were stretched by long and bloody struggles with the Muslims. Their expansions were thwarted through these providential circumstances and a failure to submit all thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). We see God’s providential nurture of His world in the failures of these cultures to expand the known world. These cultures did not serve and honor the Creator. Therefore, “God gave them over to a reprobate mind” ( Romans 1:28). This is seen in the stories of terrifying islands and lustful desires after kingdoms of women to the south-east of Timor. Ultimately this opened the door for Christendom to expand the kingdom of God through the discovery, colonization and establishment of the Australian Commonwealth upon the principles of Biblical Law.

I am hoping to continue exploring the discovery and colonization of Australia through a series of monthly articles. Next time I hope to look at the expansion of Christendom into our Great South Land.

End Notes

^[1] Genesis 1:1; Exodus 4:11; Deuteronomy 2:30;29:4-6; 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6-7; Ezra 1:1; Job 1:1; 23:13-14; 42:2; Psalm 22; 33:14-15; 66:4; 72:11-19; 75:7; 86:9; 100:3; 103:19; 115:3; 118:22; 127:1; 135:6; 138:4-8; 139:7-12; 139:16; 145:15-16; 148:8; Proverbs 16; 19:21; 20:24; 21:1; Ecclesiastes 3:14; Isaiah 2:2; 4:3; 9:7; 10:5-7; 10:15; 11:9; 14:24; 14:27; 19:17; 22:11; 23:9; 26:12; 27:3; 43:13; 43:20; 45:5-6; 45:12; 46:9-11; 55:11; 60:22; 61:11; 63:17; 65:1; 66:1; Jeremiah 18:11; 24:7; 31:33-34; 32:27; 32:40; Lamentations 2;17; 3:37-39; Ezekiel 12:25; 36:22-27; 37:14; 38:23; Daniel 2:21; 2:44; 4:3; 4:35; 5:23; 7:13-14; 7:27; 11:36; Hosea 13:14; Joel 2:26-32; Amos 3:6-8; 4:13; Jonah 2:9; Habakkuk 2:14; Zephaniah 2:11; 3:8-9; Haggai 2:6-7; 2:21-22; Zechariah 3:1-4; 4:6-7; Matthew 10:29-30; 11:25-27; 13:11; 15:13; 18:14; 19:11; 19:26; 20:23; 22:14; 24:22; Mark 4:10-12; 13:20; Luke 8:10; 10:21-22; 18:26-27; John 1:12-13; 3:27; 5:21; 5:25; 6:37-44; 6:65; 8:36; 10:27-28; 12:32; 12:39-40; 13:18; 15:16-19; 17:2-9; 19:11; Acts 1:2; 2:23; 2:39; 3:26; 4:27-28; 10:40-41; 11:18; 13:48; 15:9-11; 16:14; 17:26-28; 18:27; 22:10; 22:14; Romans 2:4; 3:23-24; 4:17; 4:21; 5:6-19; 8:20-21; 8:28-33; 9:11-27; 11:5; 11:27;-36; 1 Corinthians 1:1; 1:27-30; 9:16-17; 12:11; 15:10; 2 Corinthians 1:1; 4:6; 5:14-19; 7:9-10; 8:5; Galatians 1:4; 1:15-16; 3:8; 4:9; 5:1; Ephesians 1:1; 1:4-6; 1:11; 2:4-10; 3:11; 4:6; Philippians 1:29; 12:12-13; Colossians 1:1; 1:13; 1:15-20; 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 5:9; 5:24; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Timothy 1:1; 1:13-14; 2:4; 2 Timothy 1:1; 1:9; 2:25-26; Titus 1:1; 2:11; 3:5; Hebrews 2:8-10; 6:17; 8:8-12; 12:2; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:1-3; 1:20-21; 2:9; 3:9; 3:18; 4:6; 2 Peter 1:10; Jude 1:24; Revelation 1:5; 5:13; 13:8; 15:3-4; 17:14; 17:17; 22:13.

^[2] The Australian National Anthem, Advance Australia Fair, cited (October 2009) on the DFAT website; http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/nat_anthem.html.

^[3] Nigel Lee F, 2000, The Christian Foundations of Australia, pp.2-3, cited (October 2009) on the Anselm Study House website; http://www.anselmstudyhouse.com/images/fbfiles/files/The_Christian_Foundations_of_Australia.pdf.

^[4] Clark CMH, 1962, A History of Australia Volume I, From the Earliest Times to the Age of Macquarie, Melbourne University Press, Parkville, p.11.

^[5] Ibid., Nigel Lee F, 2000, The Christian Foundations of Australia, p.1.

^[6] Ibid., Nigel Lee F, 2000, The Christian Foundations of Australia, p.1. Refer also to: Ibid., Clark CMH, Volume 1, p.10.

^[7] Ibid., Clark CMH, Volume 1, p.5.

^[8] Van Til HR, 1972, The Calvinistic Concept of Culture, Baker Book House, Michigan, p.200. The book can be downloaded (+-4mb) at; http://www.contra-mundum.org/books/Concept.pdf.
^[9] Hill J, 2005, What Has Christianity Ever Done for Us?, first edition, Lion Hudson, Oxford, p. 8.

^[10] Ibid., Clark CMH, Volume 1, p.5. Manning Clark associates Hinduism and Buddhism due to the similarities between these religions (see Buddhism and Hinduism, Wikipedia, viewed October 2009;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_and_Hinduism). However, it must be noted that these religions are not identical; there is a paradigm shift between them.

^[11] Ibid., Clark CMH, Volume 1, pp.6-7.

^[12] Ibid., Clark CMH, Volume 1, pp.7-8.

^[13] Ibid., Clark CMH, Volume 1, pp.8-9.

^[14] Mark Rushdoony defines what it means to be epistemologically self-conscious; “[t]his phrase is actually a very simple idea. Epistemology is the theory of knowledge. It means that when someone is epistemologically self-conscious, he is fully aware of the implications of his knowledge. He knows who and what he is and works tirelessly to fulfill the implications of his worldview in every area of life.” Rushdoony M, Christianity Under Attack, cited (October 2009) on The Chalcedon Foundation website; http://www.chalcedon.edu/underwriters.php.

^[15] Ibid., Clark CMH, Volume 1, p.9.

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Published in : Worldviews, History

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Posted by alastair mccallum, on 10-10-2009 06:52, IP 203.51.175.174, Guest

1. Terra Australis

Another interesting article, Trev.Good to see someone putting God's sovereignty back into our understanding of history. Did you know that apparently the name Australia is derived from the Latin australis, meaning "southern". Legends of an "unknown land of the south" (terra australis incognita) date back to Roman times and were commonplace in medieval geography but were not based on any documented knowledge of the continent.So it appears that the pagan Roman and medieval nations were also unable to colonise our great land as they too failed to keep covenant with God. I often cringe at the realisation of how covenantally barren most contemporary historians are when I read continously in secular histories statements estimating the human habitation of Australia to have begun between 42,000 and 48,000 years ago! I look forward to reading your future papers as you seek to explore the sovereign role of the only true God in His making of Australia.

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