November

13, 1633 --Isle of Wight. Before the first expedition leaves the Isle of Wight, Cecelius, Lord Baltimore instructs the governor and commissioners of Maryland that "in their voyage to Mary Land, they be very careful to preserve unity and peace amongst all the passengers on Shipboard, and that they suffer no scandal nor offence be given to any of the Protestants whereby any just complaint may hereafter be made by them in Virginia or in England, and that for that end, they cause all acts of Roman Catholic religion to be done as privately as may be, and that they instruct all the Roman Catholics to be silent upon all occasions of discourse concerning matters of Religion, and that the said Governor and Commissioners treat the Protestants with as much mildness and favor as Justice will permit. And this is to be observed at Land as well as at Sea."

13, 1644 --Massachusetts. The General Court passes an act today that reads, "Forasmuch as experience hath plentifully and often proved, that since the first rising of the Anabaptists, about one hundred years since, they have been the incendiaries of the commonwealths, and the infectors of persons in main matters of religion, and the troubles of churches in all places where they have been, and that they who have held the baptizing of infants unlawful, have usually held other errors or heresies together therewith, though they have (as other heretics use to do) concealed the same till they spied out a fit advantage and opportunity to vent them, by way of question or scruple; and whereas divers of this kind have since our coming into New England appeared, among ourselves, some whereof (as others before them) denied the ordinance of magistracy, and the lawfulness of making war, and others the lawfulness of magistrates, and their inspection into any breach of the first table; which opinions, if they should be connived at by us, are like to be increased amongst us, and so must necessarily bring guilt upon us, infection and trouble to the churches, and hazard to the whole commonwealth; it is ordered and agreed that if any person or persons within this jurisdiction shall either openly condemn or oppose the baptizing of infants, or go about secretly to seduce others from the approbation or use thereof, or shall purposely depart the congregation at the ministration of the ordinance, or shall deny the ordinance of magistracy, or their lawful right and authority to make war, or to punish the outward breaches of the first table, and shall appear to the court willfully and obstinately to continue therein after due time and means of conviction, every such person or persons shall be sentenced to banishment."

13, 1646 --England. In London, Jeremiah Burroughes dies. He is distinguished as an Independent. On his study door, he carries the motto, "Difference of belief and unity of believers are not inconsistent." He leaves behind him his Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment.

14, 1605 --Canada. Monsieur De Monts having been granted a patent by the king of France guaranteeing a monopoly of the fur trade of lands from the site of present Philadelphia to one degree north of Montreal, as well as religious freedom for Huguenot immigrants, today lays the foundations for the first permanent French settlement in America. He is himself a Calvinist. The Harbor and Fort are named Port Royal and the whole country including Nova Scotia, the surrounding islands, and the mainland as far south the St. Croix River is called "Acadia."

"The foundation of the Church is that Rock, that Christ, who gave Peter his name, because he confessed Him faithfully. In every nation whosoever believeth with the heart in the Lord Jesus Christ is saved. This is the Church out of which no man can be saved."

-Ulrich Zwingli-

14, 1633 --Holland. In Rotterdam, William Ames, known as "Amesius" dies. He was paid by the States General to attend the Synod of Dort in 1618-1619, and has recently become the pastor of an English church here. As he has entertained thoughts of settling in New England, his family will remove there soon after his death, and taking his library with them. His magnum opus is his Marrow of Sacred Divinity, known as the Medulla. It will become the standard work at Harvard for Divinity students in its early days.

14, 1735 --Scotland. At Lochgoin, Ayrshire, John Howie is born. His family is a farming family and one that has for generations been noted by their zeal for religious freedom. A Layman, Mr. Howie will leave behind a book, Scots Worthies, entailing biographies of the Scottish Covenanters. It has been reprinted under the title Lives of the Scottish Covenanters.

14, 1741 --Wales. George Whitefield, aged twenty-six years, will be married to Mrs. James, a thirty-six year old widow. She lives in Abergaverny. Mr. John Wesley declares she is a "woman of candor and humanity."

14, 1803 --Maine. At Hallowell, Jacob Abbott is born. He will become a Congregational minister and will become known for his books of instruction for the young.

14, 1861 --New York. The Christian Commission for Civil War Soldiers is organized at a special convention of the New York Young Men's Christian Association.