-177-

JULY

    
  
18, 1504 --Switzerland. At Bremgarten, Heinrich Bullinger is born. His father is a priest. As a young man, he will go to Cologne, the seat of opposition to the Reformation, but where he will be convinced of the truth of the new doctrines. Since the Church Fathers, as well as the writings of Luther appeal to the Word of God, he will obtain a copy of the New Testament, which will cause him to hold tenaciously to the truth he has learned.

18, 1704 --England. Benjamin Keach dies at Southwark, London.

18, 1870 --Italy. The Papal bull “Pastor Aeternus” is passed which promulgates the doctrine of Papal Infallibility.

18, 1944 --Poland. The Russian army has invaded Poland and today frees it from German occupation. In 1947, “Freedom of Conscience” will be affirmed but will not allow for freedom of education and speech. In 1948, the entire educational system will become the tool of the state to instill Communist principles in the young. Religious education will be prohibited and thus the work of the church will be severely restricted or altogether eliminated. In April 1950, the Polish church will endorse a church-state agreement to support the government in exchange for certain concessions allowing religious work within close confines.

19, 64 --Italy. The city of Rome is on fire! The conflagration will continue for six days and nights. It is well known Emperor has sought to rebuild and to beautify the city, but Christians are blamed for the holocaust. The deception is credible since the Christians are looking for an immediate second advent of Christ and the destruction of the world by fire. They are therefore to be suspected of having kindled the conflagration.
     The blood of the saints will atone for the fire though as the Emperor instigates the first great persecution of the church. The execution of Christians is made a festival, and in Nero’s gardens some are crucified, others are sewn up in animal skins to be torn by dogs, while others are rolled in pitch and burned at night as torches to light up his gardens.

19, 381 --Turkey. Arian heretics are forbidden to build new churches in Constantinople.

19, 1374 --France. Francesco Petrarch is found dead in his library. His head is resting on an open book. His pen is fallen from his hand. The University of Paris has hailed him as “the finest poet in the Christian world,” but he is called the “Father of Humanism.” “Humanism,” he has said, “is the preparing of a man for this life.”

19, 1775 --Massachusetts. Massachusetts is the first state to conduct a government independent of the king, and has followed its charter as closely as possible. On May 1, 1776, in all commissions and legal processes, it substituted the name of its “government and people” in place of that of the king.
      For more than two hundred years, Protestant sects have lifted up their eyes to Heaven invoking God for freedom to worship; and to the panting for this freedom, half the American states owe their existence, and all but one or two owe their increase in free population. In fact, the vast majority of inhabitants in the thirteen colonies are Protestant dissenters. From Maine to New Hampshire, from Tennessee to Georgia one familiar cry can be heard pleading, and finally demanding the separation of church and state; that there shall be no establishment of any form of religion by civil power; that “all men have a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences and understandings.” At least seven of them will require some sort of religious test as a qualification for office.
      In Maryland and Massachusetts, it will be enough to declare “belief in the Christian religion;” in South Carolina and Georgia, in “the Protestant religion;” in North Carolina, “in God, the Protestant religion and the Divine authority of the Old and of the New Testament;” in Pennsylvania, “a belief in God, the Creator and Governor of the Universe, the Rewarder of the good and Punisher of the wicked” acknowledging “the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by Divine Inspiration.” Delaware will require the officer to profess “faith in God the Father, Jesus Christ His only Son, and the Holy Ghost; one God, blessed forevermore.” But from the beginning, religion will cease to be the servant of the state, and public worship will be sustained on a voluntary basis.
     No where will persecution for religious opinion be so nearly at an end as in America. The church will no longer be maintained by the state. In fact, Maryland will declare, “the legislature may in their discretion lay a general and equal tax for the support of the Christian religion leaving to each individual the appointing of money collected from him to the support of any particular place of public worship or minister.” In Virginia, the law will prevail that “no man could be compelled to maintain any ministry contrary to his own free will and consent.” South Carolina alone will make a test for the voter declaring, “The Christian Protestant religion is hereby constituted and declared the established religion of this state.” But in 1778, the Test Oath and the partaking of the communion according to the forms of the Episcopal Church will cease to be a requirement for holding office.
     The Constitution of South Carolina will go into effect on November 29th and will declare all resident-free men above sixteen years of age, refusing to take the Oath to maintain it against the king of Great Britain and all other enemies will be exiled. They will be given twelve months after their departure to dispose of their property. When plans of the British to reduce South Carolina come to light, death will become the penalty for such persons refusing to leave the state, or for returning without permission.

 

Previous   Next