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SEPTEMBER
 

15, 1575 --France. Henry III has succeeded his brother, Charles IX as king. Their younger brother, the Duke of Anjou, today escapes from the court and joins Henry of Conde who is gathering an army of Huguenots and "politiques" for a fifth war. The Edict of Beaulieu, which will be passed in May 1576, will grant freedom of worship, in all towns except Paris, and places of Royal residence, and will grant Huguenots representation in Parliament.

15, 1577 --France. The Sixth Huguenot War ends with the Edict of Poitiers, which grossly diminishes the privileges of the Huguenots.

15, 1648 --England. The Westminster Assembly, at last yielding to the argument of Samuel Rutherford that it is hard "to dress up meat and milk in the same dish," has prepared both the Larger Catechism and the Shorter Catechism. Today, Parliament will approve both books with only slight exceptions.
     The Scotch Assembly approved the Larger Catechism on July 2nd declaring it to be "a directory for catechizing such as have made some proficiency in the knowledge of the grounds of religion."
     On July 28th, the Scotch Assembly approved of the Shorter Catechism "to be a directory for catechizing such as are of weaker capacity."
     Both are adopted as "being agreeable to the Word of God, and in nothing contrary to the received doctrine, worship, discipline and government of this kirk."
     The Apostles' Creed is not made the basis of this catechism but is appended "because it is a brief sum of the Christian faith, agreeable to the Word of God, and anciently received in the churches of Christ."

15, 1801 --Connecticut. Eli Smith is born at Northford. He will become a missionary to the Near East. In 1846 he will begin his translation of the Scriptures into Arabic and will complete the New Testament, the Pentateuch and the Historical books as well.

15, 1920 --Italy. Pope Benedict XV issues the Encyclical "Spiritus Paraclitus" in which he restates the Romanist position regarding Inspiration. The Bible, composed by men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit, has God Himself as its principal Author, the individual authors of single canonical books being constituted His live instruments. Their activity, however, ought not be described as automatic writing. In consequence, the Bible is absolutely free from error.

16, 1112 --France. The Synod of Vienne condemns "lay investiture" as heresy and excommunicates Henry V, King of Germany.

16, 1498 --Spain. Thomas de Torquemada dies in the monastery of St. Thomas at Avila. As an Inquisitor General appointed by Pope Sixtus IV, he has been responsible for the burning of four thousand people at Seville and has sentenced thirty thousand "penitents" to various penalties. He has thus outdone all his predecessors by way of executions and confiscation of properties.

16, 1559 --Germany. The Elector Johann himself returns to the city of Treves for the purpose of suppressing evangelical preaching.

17, 1575 --Switzerland. At Zurich, Heinrich Bullinger dies. As a young man, tracts written by Martin Luther fell into his hands and brought him to the Word of God. He was influenced by Philip Melancthon's Loci Communes and consulted further with Leo Juda. With Ulrich Zwingli, he combated Anabaptists.
     Following the Battle Kappel in which the leaders of the Reformation in Zurich fell, he fled on the night of November 20th to buttress the work of the Reformation. As pastor, it was his custom to preach expositions on entire books of Scripture in their order.
     With the help of Peter Martyr, he has prepared the Second Helvetic Confession as a testimony of his creed.
     He has been repeatedly near death, despairing of even life itself. Today the plague completes its work on the man of God and he sinks into the arms of God.

17, 1721 --Connecticut. At Waterbury, Samuel Hopkins is born. As a young man he will study theology in the family of President Jonathan Edwards. During the French and Indian War, he will be compelled to flee with his family for safety from Great Barrington, Massachusetts. When the British capture Newport, Rhode Island in 1776, he will again be forced to quit his place of ministry and will be compelled to seek refuge in other towns.

17, 1764 --Canada. Great Britain has conquered Canada and taken it from the French. By an ordinance passed today, all laws, customs and forms of judicature of a populous and long-established colony are overturned, and English laws, including the penal statutes against Roman Catholics are introduced. All are unknown and unpublished to the Canadians. "A general presentment was lodged against all the inhabitants of the colony as Papists." In one hundred and ten rural parishes, only nineteen families are Protestant; yet all Catholics are disenfranchised. Thus the meek and unresisting province is given over submissively to hopeless oppression, and will leave a trail in the annals of history of cold, rash injustice.

17, 1802 --Tennessee. It is Friday, and Frances Asbury writes, " ...Marv-Holston was before me . . .. I came safe over and stopped with Felix Earnest, making ninety miles this week. I take Fothergill's medicine. I can feel quite resigned to end my days here: thereby I shall avoid great labors and trials for the coming year."

17, 1805 --Prussia. At Kroppenstedt, George Mueller is born. After leading a careless life, he will be converted and will later align himself with the Plymouth Brethren.
     Upon becoming minister at Teignmouth, he will decline any stated salary, living upon voluntary offerings. This will often reduce his family to great straits; nevertheless, he will found five orphanages.



 

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