"OF WHOM THE WORLD WAS NOT WORTHY"
-27-
JANUARY
24, 1076 --Germany. The Emperor, Henry IV, has called a council of
bishops, which today meets at Worms and declares it no longer recognizes
Gregory VII as Pope. The following letter is sent to him: “Henry, king
not through usurpation but through the ordination of God, to Hildebrand,
at present not pope but false monk . . .. Thou therefore, condemned by
the judgment of all our bishops and by our own, descend and relinquish
the apostolic chair which thou hast usurped. Let another ascend the
throne of St. Peter who shall not practice violence under the cloak of
religion, but shall teach the sound doctrine of St. Peter.”
On February 14th, the Pope will excommunicate Henry
saying, “Blessed Peter, prince of the apostles, lend me, I pray thee, a
favoring ear. It is because I am thy representative that thy grace has
descended upon me, and this grace is the power granted by God to bind
and loose in Heaven and in earth. Strong in this faith, for the honor
and defense of thy church, on behalf of Almighty God, Father, Son and
Holy Ghost, by virtue of Thy power and authority I deprive Henry son of
the Emperor Henry (III), who has opposed Thy church with unheard of
insolence, of the government of the whole kingdom of Germany and of
Italy; I release all Christians from the oath which they have made to
him or that they shall make to him. I forbid everyone to obey him as a
king.”
24, 1579 --California. Sir Francis Drake makes a temporary landing on
the coast. His chaplain, Rev. Frances Fletcher will conduct regular
services out of the Book of Common Prayer and after a manner, will claim
the new territory for the Church of England.
25, 1077 --Italy. This morning, the excommunicated king, Henry IV,
climbs the hill to the Castle of Canossa and knocks at its outer gate.
The gate is opened to and he is led through the first and second wall.
The third gate remains closed, however, He stands all day in the
courtyard fasting and wearing the course woolen garb of a penitent;
bareheaded and barefooted he stands in the snow. Night falls, and the
gate remains closed.
The third day, Henry is again found standing in the
courtyard. It is late afternoon on the 27th day of January when the
inner gate slowly opens and Henry is told to enter. In tears, the
Emperor prostrates himself on the ground and kissing the Pope’s foot
implores his forgiveness.
Gregory lifts the ban of excommunication from Henry.
25, 1596 --England. Sir Francis Drake dies. His father,
Edmund Drake, a lay preacher of the Reformed faith, was forced to flee
Devon in 1549 where he found refuge on the East Coast. His son, Francis
early served as apprentice on a small lugger. When the skipper died he
bequeathed it to Francis. On a voyage with Admiral Hawkins, he risked
his savings, and was captured by the Spanish. Narrowly escaping with his
life, he regained his ship. He has enforced regular religious services
aboard his ship. He has figured in a large measure in the defeat of the
Spanish Armada in 1588. All his ships carry Bibles, Prayer Books, and
Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.
25, 1627 --Ireland. Robert Boyle, who will become known as the “Father
of Modern Chemistry” is born in Lismore Castle, in Munster, Ireland. He
is the fourteenth child. In his early teens, he will be converted, and
will study in Geneva, Switzerland, where he will come under powerful
Calvinistic preaching. At his own expense, he will have the Bible
printed in Irish and Gaelic, and will support missionary endeavors in
Ireland, Wales, Scotland, India, and North America. His love for the
Word of God will be evidenced by his regular morning readings, and he
will translate the Gospels and Acts into Turkish, Arabic, and Malayan.
26, 1564 --Italy. The Council of Trent has asked the Pope to ratify its
decrees and definitions. Today, Pope Pius IV enjoins strict obedience
upon all Roman Catholics, and forbids, under pain of excommunication,
all unauthorized interpretations, reserving this to the Pope alone, and
threatening the disobedient with “the indignation of Almighty God, and
of His blessed apostles, Peter and Paul.”