October

28, 312 --Italy. Constantine has been proclaimed Emperor by the Roman army stationed in Britain. It has given him rule over Britain, Gaul and Spain. Maxentius is present ruler over Italy and North Africa, and is desirous of becoming Emperor of the western part of the Empire. As a result, Constantine has marched before Maxentius can prepare for war.
     Yesterday the two armies met. The army of Maxentius is three times as large as that of Constantine and contains the elite Praetorian Guard, but as evening fell, Constantine claims to have seen a cross above the sun that he has worshipped as Mithra, the Persian Sun god. As the sun sank into the west, letters of light appeared which read, "Hoc signo vinces" or "In this Sign, Conquer."
     Today the battle joins and the army of Maxentius is defeated. Maxentius himself is drowned attempting to escape. This victory in the Battle of Milvian Bridge will convince Constantine he had received help from the Christian God for which he will himself embrace Christianity.
     He will bring the sword of civil government into the church to maintain order by punishing heretics. He will also combine the powers of Church and State by causing the State to support the Church's ministers. Thus as Emperor Constantine marries the Church to the State and the rod of oppression will result.

28, 1628 --France. Cardinal Richelieu dominating the influence of the French king and deeming it essential to the unity and power of France to annihilate the Protestants as a political party has advised the attack on Rochelle, the headquarters of the Huguenots, and which is regarded as the citadel of Protestantism in France. The inhabitants of Rochelle have bravely defended themselves against the French army for more than a year enduring great privations. But their resistance has been in vain.
     England incensed at France's treatment of her Protestant subjects has urged Charles I to send help to the besieged, but when the fleet lands, on the Isle of Rhe off Rochelle, and under the command of the Duke of Buckingham, it is driven back with a great slaughter. He returns to England carrying a disgraced flag and a murmuring fleet.
     A second fleet has sailed under the command of the Earl of Lindsey who though they catch sight of Rochelle, they do not attempt a landing but return to England. It is quite possible Charles never intended Rochelle should be spared seeing his Queen Henrietta Maria is the sister of the French king.
     Today, Cardinal Richelieu will ride into Rochelle by the king's side in velvet and cuirass at the head of the royal army: and after proceeding to the Church of St. Margaret, he will perform high mass in celebration of his victory.

"I am much afraid that schools will prove to be the great gates of Hell, unless they labor diligently in explaining the Holy Scriptures, engraving them in the hearts of youth. I advise no one to place his child where the Scriptures do not reign paramount. Every institution in which men are not unceasingly occupied with the Word of God must become corrupt."

-Martin Luther-

28, 1636 --Massachusetts. The General Court of Massachusetts Bay Colony votes to provide four hundred pounds toward the founding of a college. The result will be furthered by the endowment made by John Harvard of half his estate and his four hundred-volume library.
Within the first few years of its founding, Harvard College will so astound the world that Old England will have more ministers from New England, than New England will have from Old England. This is the observation of Cotton Mather.
The reason for this fledgling institution's signal impact on the world in so short a time is two-fold: the first is the Rules and Precepts observed by the college, and second, the curriculum. The Rules and Precepts are listed below as they appeared in 1643.

1. When any scholar is able to understand Tullius (Cicero) or such like classical Latin author extempore, and make and speak true Latin in verse and prose: "to stand" as they say on his own feet, and decline perfectly the paradigms of nouns and verbs in the Greek tongue, let him then, and not before, be capeable of admission into the College.

2. Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well: the main end of his life and studies is "to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life" and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning. --John 17:3

3. Everyone shall so exercise himself in reading the Scriptures twice a day that he shall be ready to give such an account of his proficiency therein, both in theoretical observations of the language and logic, and in practical and spiritual truths, as his tutor shall require, according to his ability: seeing "the entrance of the Word giveth light: it giveth understanding unto the simple." --Psalm 119:130

4. That they, eschewing all profanation of God's name, attributes, Word, ordinances and times of worship, do study with good conscience carefully to retain God and the love of His truth in their minds. Else, let them know that (not withstanding their learning) God may give them up "to strong delusions" --II Thessalonians 2:11,12 -- and in the end "to a reprobate mind." --Romans 1:28

5. That they studiously redeem the time, observe the general hours appointed for all the students, and the special hours for their own classes; and then diligently attend the lectures, without any disturbance by word or gesture. And if in anything they doubt, they shall inquire as of their fellows, so (in case of "non-satisfaction") modestly of their tutors.