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AUGUST

   23, 1689 --Maryland. William Joseph, President of the Proprietary government convenes an assembly. Feelings are running high between the Roman Catholic officials and the Protestant "subjects." Mutinous speeches and practices against the Proprietary government have been punishable by whipping, boring the tongue, imprisonment, exile, and even death itself, but nothing has halted the popular spirit for liberty. A pretended Popish Plot has also roused a clamor. Mr. Joseph addressed the assembly: "Divine Providence has ordered us to meet. The power by which we are assembled here is undoubtedly derived from God to the king and from the king to his excellency, the lord Proprietary, and from his said lordship to us. The power, therefore, whereof I speak, being, as said firstly in God and from God; secondly in the king and from the king; thirdly in his lordship, fourthly in us --the end and duty of and for which this assembly is now called and met is that from these four heads; to wit, from God, the king, our lord, and selves." Thus having established the divine right of the Proprietary, he endeavors to confirm it by invading the privileges of the assembly and exacting a special oath of fidelity to his dominion. When the assembly resists, he dismisses it.
     Today, Mr. John Coode and “The Association in Arms for the Defence of the Protestant Religion” usurps the government.

23, 1723 --Massachusetts. Increase Mather dies in Boston. It has been his habit to study sixteen hours each day. He has held one of the most important pulpits in America. In 1662, he married Maria, daughter of John Cotton. He leaves behind three noteworthy sons: Cotton, Nathaniel, and Samuel.

23, 1724 --Maine. Sebastian Rasle is killed along with the seven Indians who have undertaken to defend him. He arrived at Quebec on October 13, 1689 as a French Jesuit missionary to the North American Indians. He first labored among the Abenaki, then traveling to Illinois he worked among the Algonquins. He has acquired so much influence among the Abenakis, he is believed to have incited their attacks upon Protestant settlers on the coast, and a price was fixed upon his head.
     In 1705, 1722 and again today, Norridgewock is attacked by settlers. In the first attack, the chapel was burned; in the second, the rebuilt chapel and Rasle's house were pillaged, and his papers carried off including a manuscript dictionary of Abenaki. Today, in the third raid, he is killed.

23, 1744 --England. At Hawkstone Park, Shropshire, Rowland Hill is born. While at Cambridge, he will come under the influence of the Methodists and will begin preaching in the open air without a license. As a result, the authorities will oppose him, while angry mobs will frequently assault him on account of his preaching. He will be ordained, but will be denied priest's orders. Thus upon the death of his father, he will take his inheritance to build Surrey Chapel in London in 1783. Thirteen Sunday schools will be attached to this chapel with an enrolment of three thousand children.

23, 1761 --Connecticut. At Woostock, Jedidiah Morse is born. He will be one of the founders of Andover Theological Seminary, as well as the New England Tract Society, and the American Bible Society. He will unite Congregationalists against the inroads made by Unitarians. His son, Samuel, will invent the telegraph.

23, 1789 --Virginia. This Sunday, Frances Asbury writes, "We had alarming words at Winchester from Ezekiel 33:11. I feel the worth of souls, and their disobedience gives me sorrow of heart. O Jehovah I Work for Thine own glory."

23, 1792 --France. A bill is passed in the revolutionary assembly, commanding all nonjuring priests to leave France within fourteen days. The penalty in failing to comply is banishment to Guiana. Forty thousand priests will be expatriated, while eight thousand find asylum in Protestant England.

23, 1846 --England. During the past five days in Freemasons' Hall in London, the Evangelical Alliance is formed. It is a voluntary union of saints to promote union between true believers and to advance freedom of Religion. Among them is Mr. Edward Bickersteth, An Anglican, Mr. Jabez Bunting, a Wesleyan, Dr. Thomas Chalmers, Dr. Robert Candlish, and Thomas Guthrie --Presbyterians; Mr. John Angell James, Mr. Adolphe Monod, Mr. F. W. Krummacker and Professor Tholuck. The Evangelical Alliance for the United States, the American branch, will be organized at the Bible House, New York, on January 30, 1867.
     The effectiveness of the Alliance is as follows:

     1.) It will successfully exert its influence for the release of the Madiai family in Florence, in 1852, who were punished for reading the Bible and for holding religious meetings. It also obtained the release of Matamoras, Carrasco, and their friends, who during the reign of Queen Isabella in Spain, were thrown into prison and condemned to the galleys for the same reason in 1863.
     2.) It will aid in inducing the Sultan of Turkey to abolish the death penalty for apostasy from Mohammedanism in his kingdom after the Crimean War in 1856.
     3.) It will intercede for Methodists and Baptists in Sweden in 1858. Sweden will then abrogate its laws against Roman Catholics and non-Lutheran Protestants.
    4.) It will send a large delegation in 1871 to the Czar of Russia to intercede for oppressed Lutherans in the Baltic Provinces.
     5.) In 1872, it will send a similar deputation to the embassy visiting from Japan both
Europe and the United States pleading in behalf of persecuted Roman Catholics in that country.
     6.) It will appeal to the Mohammedan government of Persia in behalf of the persecuted Nestorians.
     7.) In 1874, it will appeal to the Czar of Russia in behalf of the persecuted Baptists.
     8.) It will send a delegation to the Emperor of Austria to intercede in behalf of certain Christians in Bohemia who are forbidden to conduct family worship. The request will be granted by the special intervention of the Emperor.


    
 

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