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OCTOBER
 

12, 1637 --New England. All New England unites in giving thanks to Almighty God for the recent overthrow of the hostile Pequod Indians.

12, 1658 --England. The Savoy Confession drawn up for one hundred and twenty Congregational Churches is unanimously approved. Among those appointed to draw it up have been Thomas Goodwin, John Owen, Philip Nye, and Joseph Caryl.

12, 1692 --Massachusetts. Sir William Phips, newly-appointed royal governor, sends a letter to the clerk of the Privy Council stating the Court which he has himself instituted along with Lieutenant Governor William Stoughton, for the exposing of witches in the Bay Colony, has given too much weight to "spectral evidence." "I found that the Devil had taken upon him the name and shape of several persons who were doubtless innocent and to my certain knowledge of good reputation."

12, 1842 --Ireland. Alexander Carson has written of man's Responsibility, " ...The Scriptures assure us faith is the gift of God; they assure us nevertheless the want of it is the sin of man. How it is beyond man's power and yet is his duty is not for me by metaphysical arguments to establish. I leave this to Him from Whom I have learned it."
     Concerning the doctrine of Election, he has written, "To charge God with partiality in having mercy on some of His enemies and leaving others to perish denies Sovereignty and charges Merit in those He overlooks."
     "If there is anything plainly taught in Scripture," he says concerning the Atonement, "it is that the Sacrifice of Christ was made for those only Who shall be eventually saved by it. If the wisdom of men cannot reconcile this with their views of what is right, let them be prepared to dispute the matter with the Almighty in the Day of Judgment."
     Today he writes, "Sometimes people talk foolishly as if to employ the means God has appointed to effect an end is to take the thing out of God's hand; but surely to employ means God has not appointed, neglecting the means He has appointed is to take the thing out of the hands of God."
     "A Church in its meetings for its own edification ought to have constantly in view the conversion of sinners. It ought never to forget in any meeting of the saints that the Gospel in some way or another should be exhibited for the Salvation of those who have not yet believed. If in some part of a sermon I cannot find an opening to tell sinners the way to Heaven, I am a bungling workman. Why is the Church called, ‘the Pillar and Ground of Truth' if it is not a fingerboard constantly pointing to Hell?"
     When he comes to die, Alexander Carson will confess, "It makes no difference how or in what name my writings are published if Christ be honored."

13, 1605 --Switzerland. At Geneva, Theodore Beza dies. In 1565 he made a Greek translation of the New Testament, and later made a Latin translation of the same. He has accompanied William Farel to the Piedmont to visit the Waldensians who are harassed by the French Government. He then accompanied him to Worms where Philip Melancthon and other theologians assembled to consider writing all Protestants. A third trip with Mr. Farel landed them in Strasbourg and Frankfort in behalf of the persecuted Huguenots.
     Upon the death of his teacher, John Calvin, he succeeded him at the school in Geneva. Here, he granted asylum for Protestant refugees following the St. Bartholomew Day Massacre.
       The city magistrates here have decided against burying Mr. Beza as they did Mr. Calvin in the general cemetery because the Savoyards have threatened to steal his body and to take it to Rome. For this reason they decide in favor of placing his remains in the monastery of St. Pierre.

13, 1719 --Massachusetts. Mr. Samuel Sewell writes in his Diary, "Governor Dudley visits me in his chariot; speaks to me in behalf of Col. William Dudley, that I would give him leave that he might visit my daughter Judith. I said 'Twas a weighty matter; I would consider of it . . ..'"

13, 1781 --Austria. A patent of toleration is issued in favor of Protestantism in Austria.

13, 1858 --Scotland. John Brown of Edinburgh dies. He is the grandson of John Brown of Haddington, and is the father of the well-known medical doctor by the same name.                      

      Mr. Brown leaves behind an Exposition of the Discourses and Sayings of Our Lord Jesus Christ; Expository Discourses on First Peter; and Expository Discourses on Galatians.


 

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