"OF WHOM THE WORLD WAS NOT WORTHY"
-10-
JANUARY
8, 1650 --England. Parliament has appointed Thomas Goodwin as President
of Magdalene College, Oxford. It will become widely known for its strict
adherence to the Word of God.
8, 1664 --France. At Saumur, Moise Amyraut (Lat. Noses Amyraldus) dies. He has
succeeded Jean Daille here and has gained wide attention for what is known as
“hypothetical universalism.” Though opposing Arminianism, he has taught God
wills all men to be saved on condition they believe; but that owing to original
sin, they stubbornly reject. He has nevertheless clung tenaciously to the
atonement of Christ as being effectual only for the elect.
The school at Saumur is however becoming distrusted for its heterodoxy. Mr.
Louis Cappel, a colleague of Mr. Amyraut, denies verbal inspiration of the
Hebrew text of the Old Testament, while Mr. LaPlace, another teacher in the
school, rejects the immediate imputation of Adam’s sin as being arbitrary and
unjust.
8, 1792 --Massachusetts. At Medfield, Lowell Mason is born. He will become
renown for his musical compositions and will write handbooks and manuals for
church choirs and Sunday schools.
In 1855, the University of the City of New York will confer on him a doctorate
in music—the first of its kind to be given in the United States.
8, 1849 --France. When in a general synod of the Reformed church his motion
calling for the formulation of a creed is rejected, Frederic Monod becomes
convinced he can no longer remain in a creedless church. His decision is made
under the gripping conviction of the doctrine of separation of church and state.
Today he resigns his church and in a few months he will open a small chapel in
Paris where he will begin with the hope of organizing a synod of “free
evangelical churches.”
8, 1856 – England. Charles Spurgeon and Miss Susannah Thompson are united in
marriage in the New Park Street chapel. Nearly two thousand people have been
turned away.
8, 1956 --Ecuador. Ten Auca Indians approach five missionaries: Jim Elliot,
Peter Fleming, Edward McCully, Roger Youderian and Nate Saint. An older man
ominously approaches Mr. Saint, the pilot, who raises his hands and implores
mercy. The Indian, however, spears him. When the other missionaries shoot into
the air, the frightened Aucas begin to run. The older man calls after them and
they return to kill the remaining missionaries.
As time passes, the Aucas will be evangelized. One of the murderers will baptize
Mr. Saint’s son and daughter. Another will be martyred himself while carrying
the Gospel to a rival clan.
9, 1700 --Connecticut. Miss Sarah Pierrepoint, who will become the distinguished
wife of Jonathan Edwards, is born in New Haven. Her early conversion at the age
of five years will draw much attention.
9, 1724 --Massachusetts. Isaac Backus is born. He will long be remembered for
his ride by horseback from Middleboro, Massachusetts to Philadelphia to petition
the First Continental Congress for Baptist freedom.
9, 1825 --Germany. The first Sunday school is opened in the city of Hamburg by
Mr. Johann Oncken, a Baptist.
9, 1836 --Pennsylvania. Near Mechanicsburg, Calvin
Mateer is born. As a young man he will become a Presbyterian missionary
to China. The captain of the ship, on which he sails will be so
overbearing that at Shanghai, Mr. Mateer will exchange the ship for a
steamer. A storm will cause the steamer to wreck near Chefoo, the place
of his destination. While here he will revise the Mandarin Bible.
Suffering from Dysentery, he will go to a German hospital at Tsingtau,
Shantung Province where he will die.