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MAY

6, 1688 --Germany. Lutherans are granted full religious liberty in Brandenburg.

6, 1746 --Pennsylvania. At Neshaminy, William Tennent dies. A former Episcopalian in Ireland, he has turned Presbyterian soon after coming to America. He has pastored here for sixteen years, but sensing his educational inadequacies, he has founded the “Log College” where he has taught three or his four sons, as well as several other young men. It has become the first literary and theological institute of the Presbyterian Church in America.

6, 1864 --Virginia. General Lee has sent two corps of his army under Generals Ewell and Hill to oppose the advance of General Grant to Richmond. In his report of this day’s bloody work, General Lee writes, “Every advance, thanks to a merciful God, has been repulsed.”

7, 1530 --France. Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Conde is born. He is closely related to the Valois kings of France and will become the first great Huguenot leader. He will be the “Silent Chief” of the “Conspiracy of Amboise,” a daring attempt to kidnap the king and to get rid of the Guises. It will be plotted in 1560, but will be discovered and suppressed with great bloodshed.
Conde will hatch another plot, the design of which will not only be the same as the “Conspiracy of Amboise” but will add to it a plan for the surprise capture of several large French cities. A young nobleman named, Maligny, from Conde’s forces will attempt to seize Lyons, but Conde will be immediately summoned to court, thrown into jail, tried and convicted of treason, and be sentenced to death. Only the unexpected death of King Francis II will save him.
     Following the Massacre at Vassy, Conde and Theodore Beza will leave Paris to try to win control of the king and Queen mother. He will seize Orleans, will issue a call to arms, and publish a manifesto. More than thirty-five important French cities will immediately take their stand with Conde and large numbers of noblemen will pour into Lyons. He will dispatch a series of special ambassadors to German princes, to Switzerland, and to England to justify his course of action and to ask for financial and military aid.
      When further negotiations with the French court fail, civil war will erupt.

7, 1586 --Belgium. When Gaspar Van Der Heyden became a Protestant at the age of sixteen, he was forced to leave home. In Antwerp he earned his living by repairing shoes and aligned himself with a Calvinistic congregation. His pastor Jan Van Ostende was martyred in 1551, and Mr. Heyden became his successor. He has preached in the city of Antwerp until it fell into Spanish hands last year. Today, Mr. Heyden dies.

7, 1776 --Virginia. Devereux Jarratt writes to Archibald McRoberts, “The work of God still increases among us: I believe within these eight days, more than forty here have been filled with joy and peace in believing. Of these I have had an account, but there may be many more. And several who have been justified some time, believe God has blessed them with perfect love.
       “I have no doubt but the work now carrying on is genuine: yet there were some circumstances attending it which I disliked—such as loud outcries, tremblings, failings, convulsions. But I am better reconciled since I read President Edwards on that head who observes that ‘wherever these most appear there is always the greatest and deepest work.’
      “There is another thing which has given me much pain—the praying of several at once and the same time, sometimes five or six, or more have been praying all at once in several parts of the room for distressed persons. Others were speaking by way of exhortations: so that the assembly appeared to be all in confusion, and must seem to one at a little distance, more like a drunken rabble than the worshippers of God. I was afraid this was not doing all things in decency and order. Indeed, Dr. Edwards defends this also. But yet, I am not satisfied concerning it. I had heard of it but never saw it till Sunday evening. But this is a deviate point. It requires much wisdom to alloy the wild, and not damp the sacred fire.
     “The first appearance of anything of the kind at my chapel, was Saturday night. I was not there but a young man who studies at my house was. He is grave, prudent and solidly religious without the least tincture of enthusiasm. He met the society there in the afternoon, and would have returned home, but that many who were in great distress begged him and some others to stay and pray with them. They continued in prayer the whole night, during which about twelve were set at liberty. But notwithstanding all they could do, there were often two, three, or more speaking at one time.
     “I heard of this the next day, when I was at church, and hastened thence to the chapel. Some hundreds were assembled there, and were in much confusion when I went in. I went into the pulpit and began to sing, adding short exhortations and prayers. The confusion ceased: several spirits were revived, and some mourners comforted.
      “Since that evening, this kind of confusion has never been known in my neighborhood. It continued longer in other places, but for some time has been totally gone. But as this abated, the work of conviction and conversion usually abated too. Yet, blessed be God, it still goes on, though not with such rapidity. I had heard but of two or three that found peace for three weeks; whereas sometime ago, seldom a week passed, but I could hear of eight or nine—sometimes between twenty and thirty, at one meeting . . ..

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