-22-

JANUARY

19, 1807 --Virginia. Robert E. Lee is born in Stratford, Virginia. He will distinguish himself throughout the War Between the States as a Christian General and a Southern gentleman. When President Abraham Lincoln offers him a commission to fight on the side of the Union, he will refuse.
     An Episcopalian, he will see there are prayer meetings held throughout the War, and he will never allow his army to fall short of hearing the Word of God. “ He will see the Word of God is distributed and will on many occasions, give them as gifts. He will order his surgeons to treat the wounded, both the Federal and the Confederate, alike.
Following the War, an interesting narrative was published:
           “I was at the Battle of Gettysburg myself, and an incident occurred there which changed my views of the Southern people. I had been a most bitter anti-Southern man, and fought and cursed the Confederates desperately. I could see nothing good in any of them.
     “The last day of the fight, I was badly wounded. I lay on the ground not far from Cemetary Ridge, and as General Lee ordered his retreat, he and his officers rode by me very close. As they came along, I recognized him and though faint from loss of blood and exposure, I raised up my hands, looked at Lee in the face and shouted as loud as I could, ‘Hurrah for the Union.’
     “The General heard me, looked, stopped his horse, dismounted, and came towards me. I confess that at first I thought he meant to kill me. But as he came up, he looked down at me with such a sad expression on his face, that all fear left me and I wondered what he was about. He extended his right hand to me and grasping mine firmly and looking right into my eyes, he said, ‘My son, I hope you will soon be well.’
     “If I live to be a thousand, I shall never forget that expression on Lee’s face. There he was retiring from a field that cost him and his cause almost their last hope, and yet he stopped to say a word like that to a wounded soldier of the opposition who had taunted him as he passed by.
     “As soon as the General left, I cried myself to sleep there upon the bloody ground.”

20, 1156. Finland. Henry of Upsala has come to Finland with Eric, king of Sweden to convert and baptize the Finns. When Eric returned, Henry remained. Today a peasant named Lalli murders him. Lalli has already been punished for a previous murder. Henry will become known as the “Apostle of Finland.”

20, 1529 --Germany. Luther is preparing his Larger Catechism in the form of two tables: the first table, intended for children, includes the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed as well as other prayers. It is published today. The Second Table will appear the middle of March and is intended for adults and deals with the doctrines of baptism, and the Lord’s Supper.

20, 1561 --Germany. The Naumburg Convention opens today, and in twenty-one sittings lasting until February 8, the Assembly attempts to unite the Protestant estates by their subscribing to the Augsburg Confession, and against the Council of Trent soon to be re-opened. It is a common protest against Pope and Council.
     Two Papal legates together with an imperial embassy will arrive to invite the Protestant princes to participate in the Council of Trent. The Papal briefs will begin, “Dilecto filio”, “(to my) beloved son,” and will be sent back unopened with the remark, that Protestant princes were not, and would never be, the sons of the Pope.

 

Previous   Next