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FEBRUARY
 

7, 1478 --England. On Mill Street, Cheapside, London, Sir Thomas More is born. His father is a lawyer. Sir Thomas will become an opponent of the Protestant reformation. In 1497, he will meet Erasmus who will be visiting England. When Sir Thomas argues in favor of the doctrine of transubstantiation, Erasmus will object contending it is absurd to believe that when the priest utters "Hoc est corpus meum", the host becomes the actual body of Christ. Mr. More will instruct him, "Believe you have it and indeed you have."
        When Erasmus leaves England bound for the continent, he will take Sir Thomas' horse, who when he discovers his loss will hastily send a letter to the theologian accusing him of stealing. Erasmus will respond by letter, "Believe you have it and indeed you have."
         On another visit to the home of Sir Thomas in 1508, Erasmus will complete his book, Praise of Folly, and will dedicate it to Sir Thomas.

7, 1528 --Switzerland. The Disputation of Bern has ended and by the edict passed today, the Reformation is established here. Chief among the thirteen articles are -- 1.) that they approve and confirm the "Ten Propositions" which have been debated and which are declarations of Protestant doctrine. These have been so drawn as to comprehend all points of controversy between the two ecclesiastical systems. They call God to witness that they believe them to be agreeable to the Word of God. 2.) They release their subjects from the jurisdiction of the Bishops of Basle, Constance, Sion and Lausanne. 3.) They discharge their deans and chapters from their "oath of obedience" and the clergy from their vow of celibacy, and the people from the law of meats and festivals. 4.) The ecclesiastical goods they have apportioned to the payment of annuities to monks and nuns they designate to the founding of schools and hospitals, and the relief of the poor. 5.) Games of Chance they prohibit; the taverns are ordered closed by nine o'clock; houses of prostitution are suppressed and the wretched inmates are banished from the city.
            Next, they will pass a law forbidding Foreign Service. No Bernese will be at liberty to sell his sword to a foreign ruler or shed blood in a quarrel not his own.

7, 1633 --England. William Prynne has acquired great notoriety by his scholarly work, Histriomastrix, which he has written condemning plays, masks, dancing, etc. But the work is alleged to be seditious, and today he is tried in the Star Chamber and is condemned to be deprived of his ears, sentenced to perpetual imprisonment and to pay a fine of five thousand pounds. Archbishop Laud whose animosity has been fired by his writings against Arminianism has instigated the punishment.

        On June 30, 1637, the same court will condemn him to be branded, fined another five thousand pounds, and to be imprisoned in remoter prisons. He will be released by the Long Parliament and be received in London, November 28, 1640 with great ovation. When the Archbishop is himself tried in 1644, Mr. Prynne will act as solicitor and will arrange the whole proceedings.

7, 1801 --India. William Carey completes his New Testament in Bengalee. It is the first of its kind, and Mr. Carey will print two thousand copies with an additional five hundred Gospels of Matthew. Within the next fifty years, Mr. Carey's enterprise will dispatch forty missionaries to Africa.

7, 1864 --Confederate States of America. General Order No. 15:

             I. "The attention of the army has already been called to the obligation of a proper observance of the Sabbath, but a sense of its importance, not only as a moral and religious duty, but as contributing to the personal health and well-being of troops, induces the Commanding General to repeat the orders on that subject. He has learned with great pleasure that in many brigades convenient houses of worship have been erected, and earnestly desires that every facility consistent with the requirements of discipline shall be afforded the men to assemble themselves together for the purpose of devotion.

           II. "To this end he directs that none but duties strictly necessary shall be required to be performed on Sunday, and that all labor, both of men and animals, which it is practicable to postpone, or the immediate performance of which is not essential to the safety, health, or comfort of the army, shall be suspended on that day.

          III. "The Commanding Officers will require the usual inspections on Sunday to be held at such times as not to interfere with the attendance of the men on Divine ser-vices at the customary hour in the morning.

            "They will also give their attention to the maintenance of order and quiet around the place of worship, and prohibit anything that may tend to disturb or interrupt religious exercises.”

--R. E. Lee, General


 

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