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MARCH

 10, 1521 --Germany. Martin Luther finishes his exposition of Luke 1:46-55, or what is known as the Magnificat.

10, 1528 --Austria. Balthasar Hubmaier, having been arrested in Vienna, and condemned as a heretic, is burned at the stake.
              He has become convinced adult baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the only Christian “sacraments”, and having rejected infant baptism, he is despised as an Anabaptist. While Zwingli is a great man of God, he is nevertheless a product of the day in which he lives, and he has participated in the sufferings of Mr. Hubmaier and has ridiculed him while in his agony. It will serve as a blot on his reputation.
            His wife encourages him to remain faithful to the Word of God. But eight days from today she will be drowned in the Danube River, being the wife of a heretic.
            Mr. Hubmaier represents the conservative Anabaptist doctrine which grounds itself upon the Word of God.

10, 1670 --England. The Second Conventicle Act is passed barring worship of more than four persons contrary to that established by the national authority. Each offence carries a fine of twenty pounds to he levied against the houses, the outhouse, the orchard, the field, etc. where the conventicle is held ---A twenty pound fine is to be levied against the preacher or other officiator.

10, 1690 --Germany. The Pietistic lectures of August Hermann Francke have caused such a sensation among the students and towns people at Leipzig that “doubtful conventicles and private assemblies” are forbidden.

10, 1697 --South Carolina. John Archdale, a Quaker is state legislature, and has attained a degree of notoriety for remitting rents for three and four years by regulating land prices. He cultivated friendship with the Indians by establishing board to decide all disagreements between them and the white men. When natives around Cape Fear struggled against kidnappers, Mr. Archdale protected them and was requitted this protection by kindness shown to victims of shipwreck. When tensions ran high between the Spanish at St. Augustine and neighboring Protestant settlers he seized upon an opportunity to buy four Indians who were converts of Spanish priests, and captives of the Yamassees, being exposed to sale as slaves. He ransomed them, and sent them to the governor of St. Augustine, who responded, “I shall manifest reciprocal kindness and always observe a good correspondence with you,” Thus friendly relations sprung up, and when an English ship was wrecked on Florida, the Spanish showed them kindness.
Today, the Huguenots of South Carolina are again granted rights of citizens and liberty of Conscience is conferred on all Christians, with the exception of Romanists. This is the first occasion in Carolina disfranchising religious opinion.

10, 1748 --At Sea. Having spent the last few days reading Thomas A Kempis’ Imitation of Christ, John Newton becomes terrified when a violent storm arises at sea. He blames his wicked life as the cause of the storm, which threatens to engulf the vessel. But a storm in his conscience threatens to engulf his soul. “I cried to the Lord with a cry like that of the ravens which yet the Lord does not disdain to hear. And I remembered Jesus whom I had so often derided.” He regards this as his “spiritual birthday.”

10, 1774 --Pennsylvania. The first Reformed Presbytery is constituted at Paxtang.

10, 1812 --Burma. A fire breaks out in William Carey’s printing office. It will rage for three days. The loss sustained will amount to nearly ten thousand pounds and will include several founts of type, large quantities of paper, numerous books and writings which include several valuable manuscripts, as well as furniture. Mr. Carey loses thirty pages of his Bengal Dictionary and work collected for years. He does not despair.

10, 1865 --Confederate States of America. The President, Jefferson Davis, in accordance with a resolution of the Confederate Congress, has appointed this day as a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer, with thanksgiving.
            “It is our solemn duty, at all times,” he writes, “and more especially in a season of public trial and adversity, to acknowledge our dependence on His mercy, and to bow in humble submission before His footstool, confessing our manifold sins, supplicating His gracious pardon, imploring His Divine help, and devoutly rendering thanks for the many and great blessings which He has vouchsafed to us.
           “Let the hearts of our people turn contritely and trustfully unto God; let us recognize in His chastening hand the correction of a Father, and submissively pray that the trials and sufferings which have so long borne heavily upon us may be turned away by His merciful love; that His sustaining grace be given to our people, and His Divine wisdom imparted to our rulers; that the Lord of Hosts will be with our armies, and fight for us against our enemies; and that He will graciously take our cause into His own hand and mercifully establish for us a lasting, just and honorable peace and independence.
           “And let us not forget to render unto His holy name the thanks and praise which are so justly due for His great goodness, and for the many mercies which He has extended to us amid the trials and sufferings of protracted and bloody war.”
 

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