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SEPTEMBER
 

26, 1626 --England. At Winchester House, Southwark, Lancelot Andrewes dies. He has served as a member of Hampton Court Conference at which conference the list of scholars was appointed to prepare the Authorized Version of the Bible.

26, 1698 --Pennsylvania. Thomas Clayton, an Anglican clergyman writes, the Baptists in Philadelphia to "return to your Church of England."
     In a letter dated March 11, 1699, the Baptist will respond, " ...We understanding that our Lord Jesus Christ is the only Head, King, Lord, and Lawgiver of His Church ...and that His laws and will are only to be found in and known by the Sacred Scriptures which are the only Supreme, Sufficient and Standing rule of all faith and worship; and not understanding the constitution of your church (with all the orders, officers, worship and services at this day in use and maintained therein) to be agreeable thereto and warranted thereby, hath been the cause of our separation from her, and is the objection we have to make, or the stumbling block which lies in our way to such a union and communion as you desire; we therefore hope and expect .... you will endeavor its removal by showing us from Holy Scripture these two things as absolutely necessary thereunto:

     1.)That the formation of your church, with all the orders, officers, rites, and ceremonies now in use and practiced therein are of Divine institution; particularly, that the Church of Christ under the New Testament may consist or be made up of a mixed multitude and their seed even all that are members of a nation who are willing to go under the denomination of 'Christians', whether they are godly or ungodly, holy or profane
     2.) That you will give us clear and infallible proof from God's Holy Word, such as will bear us harmless in the last day, that our Lord Jesus Christ hath given power and authority to any man, men, convocation or synod to make, constitute and set up any other laws, orders, offices, rites and ceremonies in His Church besides those which He hath appointed in His Holy Word .... " It is signed, John Watts, George Eaton, Joseph Wood, George Eaglesfield, Samuel Jones and Thomas Bibb.

27, 1722 --Massachusetts. Samuel Adams is born. He will become a fervent Calvinist adhering to Congregational government in the church and will be a decided friend to civil and religious liberty. A strict Sabbatarian, his life will be pure; his character well-tempered steel. Evening and morning his house will be a house of prayer. His home will testify his tenderness as a husband and his affection as a father. No dissipation, levity or frivolous amusements will be tolerated.
     He will affirm "it to be lawfu1"to resist the chief magistrate of the commonwealth if it cannot otherwise be preserved . . ..
     The British parliament will overrule the laws of the colony and his father's estate will be seized. At forty-two years of age, he will be a poor man, but will be so contented with what God has given him he will be censured as "wanting wisdom to estimate riches at their just value." It will be said his small resources would have made the least opulent class deem it a very imperfect support. He will combine his poverty with a stern and incorruptible integrity.
     He voiced his concern over the Stamp Tax: "Those unexpected proceedings may be preparatory to more extensive taxation, for it our trade may be taxed, why not our lands and everything we possess? If taxes are laid upon us in any shape, without our having a legal representation where they are laid, are we not reduced from the character of free subjects to the miserable state of tributary slaves? This annihilates our charter right to govern and tax ourselves. We claim British rights, not by charter only, we are born to them. Use your endeavors that the weight of the other North American colonies may be added to that of this province; that by united application all may happily obtain redress."

27, 1920 --United States. The Mennonite Central Committee is founded and represents all branches of Mennonites in the United States and Canada. Its purpose is to relieve the people of Russia of the famine.
     In 1929-1950, the Committee will establish a large colony of Mennonite refugees from Russia in the Paraguayan Chaco that will develop into four colonies.
     From 1940 onward, it will engage in a world-wide program to relieve war sufferers, and will have units in England, France, Holland, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Poland, Austria, Hungary, Ethiopia, Paraguay, Brazil, India, Java, China, Japan, Okinawa, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Formosa and Mexico.

 

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