"OF WHOM THE WORLD WAS NOT WORTHY"
-158-
JUNE
28, 1532 --Germany. At Muenster, the newly-elected
Bishop Franz Waldeck demands the removal of Evangelical preachers and
the restoration of Roman Catholic worship, but the citizens will form a
league for the protection of their Protestant pastor, Bernhard Rothmann.
They will elect a committee of thirty-six men for the purpose of
obtaining not only permission to preach the Gospel freely, but also for
obtaining sole recognition of it in the city.
The city council requests the Roman clergy to
dispute Mr. Rothmann from the Bible, and as they steadfastly refuse to
do so, all the churches in the city, excepting the cathedral, are filled
with evangelical preachers by August 10th.
28, 1539 --England. By the Act of the Six Articles, the English
Parliament today departs from Protestant principles by imposing upon the
English people the doctrine of Transubstantiation upon penalty of death
by burning and confiscation of goods; and the depravation of the
Sacrament which results in the same penalty. The celebration of
Communion in both kinds and the breaking of the vows of celibacy are
punishable by death. Marriages among the clergy are dissolved. Special
commissions are to be sent quarterly to enforce the act.
28, 1577 --Germany. Peter Paul Rubens is born. His family has been
exiled to Germany because the name of his father has appeared on a list
of Calvinists. They have fled the wrath of the Spanish rulers in their
native Flanders. Mr. Rubens will become well known for his contribution
to the field of Religious art, and his paintings will become prized by
the Christian world.
28, 1631 --Italy. Pope Urban VIII issues a brief in which he rejoices
over the destruction of the Protestant forces at Magdeburg by Tilly.
28, 1804 --Kentucky. The Springfield Presbytery dissolves to “sink into
union with the Body of Christ at large.” Taking the name “Christian”,
the group, which is lead by Richard McNemar and Mr. Barton Stone, adopts
the Bible as their only guide and to follow a strict congregational form
of government.
Within a year, Mr. McNemar, an influential
preacher in the Kentucky Revival, will become a Shaker. Mr. Stone, who
has also played a leading role in the Kentucky Revival, will emerge as
leader of the “Christian” movement, which will merge with the
Campbellites in 1832 to form the “Disciples of Christ.”
29, 1906 --Washington, D. C. The Cruelty to Animals Act is passed by
Congress.
29, 1911 --Greece. Michael Demetrius Kalupothakes dies. Be has opened
the first Sunday School in Greece. After eight weeks the school was so
crowded he allowed to attend only the few Greek Protestants then in
Athens. He has witnessed the constitutional guarantee of freedom of
worship for Greek Protestants, which has aroused the Orthodox Church to
renewed activity to counteract the influences of Protestantism.
He was one of the founders of the Greek Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
29, 1931 --Italy. Pope Pius XI issues the encyclical, “Non Abbiamo
Bisogno” to defend Catholic Action in Italy against Fascism. As the
purpose of Catholic Action is “to have the laity participate in some
measure in the apostolate of the hierarchy” through groups devoted to
social activities, the Fascist government has sought to discredit and to
destroy such organizations as being incompatible with the allegiance
owed the State. The Pope protests against such attacks denouncing the
interference of Fascist police with the rights of Catholic groups and
reaffirms the spiritual nature and aims of Catholic Action. He expresses
concern over the monopoly claimed by the State for the spiritual
formation of the Italian youth, forcibly enrolled in the schools and the
other organizations of the party. The Oath extracted from the members of
the Fascist groups is branded unlawful, while persons unable to avoid
taking it are advised to use mental reservations such as “saving the
laws of God and of the Church.”
The encyclical closes calling for Prayer and
Unity.