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January January 1 1431 - The birth of Alexander 6th who has been called the worst of the Renaissance Popes. 1484 - The Birth of Huldreich Zwingli, the noted Swiss reformer. Born near Zurich to a moderately wealthy family and entered the University of Vienna. His study of Erasmus led him away from scholastic theology to study the Bible. He obtained a copy of Erasmus" Greek New Testament in 1514. His theology was that of the absolute authority of scripture and salvation was by grace through faith alone. He supported clerical marriage, but disagreed with Luther on the issue of the real presence of Christ at the Lord's Table. 1750 - Birth of Frederick Muhlenberg, a Lutheran pastor who served with the United States Continental Congress and as first speaker of the United States House of Representatives. 1819 - Birth of Philip Schaff, a gifted church historian who authored THE CREEDS OF CHRISTENDOM and HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. His material has helped many students of church history. 1826 - Birth of Robert Rainy in Glasgow, Scotland. Leader in the joining of the Free church of Scotland and the United Presbyterian. 1937 - Date of death of Dr. J. Gresham Machen, a Presbyterian minister, teacher, writer and defender of the faith. His book, THE VIRGIN BIRTH defended Biblical account. 1949 - Date of death of Gladys Aylward, an English maid turned missionary to China, where she served 17 years. Her life was the subject of the movie starring Ingred Bergman entitled, INN OF SIXTH HAPPINESS. January 2 1792 - Death of Edward Perronet, an Anglican hymn writer, who gave us the beautiful hymn, ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS NAME. 1822 - Birth of Berhard Felsenthal, a German Jew who as a rabbi worked for the Zionist movement. 1828 - Birth of Jeremiah Rankin, in Thorton, New Hampshire. He was a Congregational pastor and educator who wrote the words to the hymn, GOD BE WITH YOU TIL WE MEET AGAIN. 1898 - Death of Robert Dabney, noted Presbyterian Professor and theologian, defender of the orthodox faith. 1904 - Birth of missionary Rachal Saint in Pennsylvania. She was a Wycliffe translator who pioneered getting the gospel to the Auca Indians in Brazil. Her husband, Nate, was one of five missionaries killed in 1956 by the Aucas. 1945 - Death of Edgar Cayce, leading spokesman for power of mediation and reincarnation. Rejected Bible as authority. 1958 - Death of Mrs. Virgil Brock, hymn writer who gave us HE'S A WONDERFUL SAVIOR TO ME and BEYOND THE SUNSET. 1979 - The World-wide Church of God, led by Herbert W. Armstrong was placed in receivership after church officials were accused of pilfering its assets. This group promotes British Israelism, the teaching that the so-called lost 10 tribes of Israel are the British Commonwealth. 2002 - Death of Milfred H. Waler, who pastured both Southern Baptist and independent Baptist churches in Alabama. He was thoroughly committed to the authority of the scriptures and to the autonomy of the local New Testament church. I first heard the Biblical teaching on the return of Christ from him as a teen in the mid 60's. God used him as the instrument to allow me to see that God wanted me to serve Him as a minister of the gospel. January 3 1521 - Martin Luther, the German reformer was excommunicated from the Catholic Church by papal bull. Excommunication meant to be deprived of the rights of membership, exclusion from the sacraments, including Catholic Burial. 1793 - Lucretia C. Mott, a Quaker, was born in Nantucket, Massachusetts and would become involved in the anti-slavery movement. 1813 - Birth of James Calvert in England became a Wesleyan missionary to the Fiji Islands from 1838-1866. 1825 - First American secular utopian society was begun in New Harmony, Indiana by Robert Owen, a socialist. His plan was to establish a society based on mankind's salvation through rational thinking, cooperation and free education. What he got were 1000 volunteers who ate the free rations while doing little if any work. The society failed. 1884 - Birth of Stanley Jones missionary to the Far East and India. 1963 - A group of Siberian Evangelical Christians were denied asylum at the United Sates Embassy in Moscow. They claimed they were being persecuted for their religion. There were 6 men, 12 women, and 14 children. They were then arrested by the Soviet authorities and sent to the Gulag as punishment. 1984 - Death of Dr. Jacob Gartenhaus, a missionary statesman in evangelizing his Jewish brethren. He was born in an old-world village in Austria in 1896 similar to the one depicted in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. His life was entirely Jewish and he was expected to become a rabbi. He came to America in 1913 and heard the Gospel through missionary Samuel Needleman, a Hebrew-Christian. He came to Christ after that and founded the International Board of Jewish Missions in 1949. Their efforts to reach other Jewish men and women continue to this day. January 4 1528 - Date of official persecution of Anabaptists by Emperor Charles 5th - particularly cited was Austria and Bavaria. Thousands died, others fled in exile. 1577 - Hans Bret was martyred by Catholic authorities over his Protestantism after severe torture. His death was by being burned alive. 1581 - Birth of James Ussher, he was archbishop of Armagh and author of the Annuals of the Old and New Testament which forms the basis of the biblical chronology of the King James Version of the Bible. His scholarship was widely known and respected. 1643 - Birth of Isaac Newton, in England. Considered by many to be the greatest scientist to have lived. His works on gravitional theory, laws of motion and development of calculus are unsurpassed. Yet, many do not know he was a committed Christian who wrote in defense of the Biblical flood, creationism and to refute atheism. 1809 - Birth of Louie Braille, born near Paris. He was an educator who invented aystem of printing and writing used extensively by the blind. He had been blinded at 3 years of age in a shop accident with a sharp knife. He was an excellent organist an cellist. January 5 This is recognized as the feat day of Simon Stylites - a monk who lived for 25-30 years on a pole east of Antioch dying in 459. His action emphasized the hermits and monastics who sought to purify their lives by extreme self-denial and neglect of their bodies. Of course, this is the very thing that Paul warned against in Col. 2:20-23 where there had been just such a substitution of self-will exercising outward personal denial instead of the submission of the will to the power of the Holy Spirit. Periodically in church history there have been outbreaks of this false spirituality and legalism. 1548 - Francisco Suarez, born in Grenada, Spain. He was thought to be one of the most prominent Scholastic philosophers after Thomas Aquinas and most significant theologian of the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits. In the 1600's he opposed the Anglican theologians who argued for the divine right of kings to rule. King James the 1st burned Suarez's books on the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. 1782 - Robert Morrison, who became the first Presbyterian missionary to China in 1807, later translating the Bible into Chinese. He died in 1834. 1844 - Albert Dunning, editor of Congregational church publications and Sunday school material. 1943 - The date of the death of George Washington Carver, noted Afro-American chemist and experimenter. Born a slave and later educated at Simpson College in Iowa, he took his Master's degree in science in 1896. He is especially known for his development of products from sweet potatoes, peanuts and soybeans. He was a Christian who read his Bible daily. 1982 - An Arkansas Federal judge struck down an Arkansas law requiring the teaching of creation science. One may never look to a liberal legal system for fair play when dealing with anything that contradicts the god of modern science. Today there are thousands of scientist that believe in the Biblical account of creation and see through the illusion of Darwinian evolution. For more than 30 years the Institute in Creation Research has sponsored debates on January 6 1412 - Birth of Joan of Arc in France - a woman known for her visions and leadership in war - while visions are legitimate in scripture, outside of those in the Bible, one is on shaky ground. The subjective side of such visions makes them susceptible to demonic influence. A legitimate vision from God must be in agreement with the doctrines and morality found in scripture. Paul warned that tho an angel preach any other gospel than that which he taught it was a false gospel, invoking God's anger. 1736 - On this day John and Charles Wesley arrived in Georgia at the invitation of Gen. James Oglethorp to preach. As a high churchman of England, he created problems prompting him to be sent back to England in 1737. It would not be until 1738 that he would trust Christ alone for salvation while reading Luther's preface to ROMANS. 1740 - Birth of John Fawcett, writer of hymn 'BLEST BE THE TIE THAT BINDS'. 1850 - The date of the conversion of Charles Spurgeon, one of Britain's most powerful pulpiteers of the 19th century. It was at a small Methodist church and the text was ISA 45:22 - "Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth". Spurgeon later became a Baptist and pastured a church of thousands while in his twenties. January 7 1715 - Death of Francis Fnelon, at age of 64. Although Roman Catholic, he sought to win Protestants of France, called Huguenots, by persuasion rather than force. He was a tutor of the royal family and sought separation of the church and state so the church could be a voice to critic the errors of the state. He was influenced in his search for deeper spiritual meaning by one Madam Guyon, a Quietist who emphasized man's passivity to the divine will through mystical experience of prayer. He was attacked by Pope Innocent the 12 for his Saying of the Saints and exiled. 1805 - Birthday of David Whitmer - one of the 3"witnesses" of the veracity of the alleged gold plates found by Joseph Smith in 1823 in upstate New York. These plates would be translated into the Book of Mormon in 1830 and claim to tell of ancient civilizations here in the new world. The Mormon Church elevates this book as equal with the Bible. It should be mentioned that this David Whitmer later repudiated his testimony that the Latter Day Church was valid and was excommunicated from the church. 1832 - Birth of T. Dewitt Talmadge. A gifted Evangelical pastor and pulpiteer Led Presbyterian churches in New York and Philadelphia. 1902 - Birth of Hyman Appleman in Russia. He was the first son of a family of 15 children. Raised Jewish, he came to Chicago in 1913 where he earned degrees and was licensed to practice law in 1921. He heard the gospel and became deeply troubled while seeking satisfaction in gambling and the fast life. By 1925, he was in Denver and God led him to a Pastor James Davis who led him to faith in Christ. After attending seminary, Appleman became an evangelist. In 1948, he led a revival campaign in Australia where 9,600 professed faith in Christ over a 6-month period. He went to be with Christ in May 1983. 1934 - Evangelist Billy Sunday, the converted baseball player and drunk, began his campaign of 2 weeks at Calvary Baptist Church in New York City. Sunday is best known for his Temperance preaching which was colorful and persuasive. 1973 - On this day began ""KEY '73" - the effort of 140 church groups to evangelize the United States. January 8 482 - The date of death of Severinus, the so-called apostle to Austria, who preached the gospel along the Danube. 1198
- Date of the appointment of Giovanni de Contias Roman pontiff,
better known in history as Pope Innocent III, one of medieval
Europe's most powerful popes. He was the first to use the title,
Vicar of Christ and thus usurp what was clear from the New Testament
that the Holy Spirit is the only Vicar of Christ on earth. John
14:26, 15:26 and 16:7-13 make that understandable to all but the
most stubborn. Pope Innocent III thought that the "all power"
spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 28 ought to lie with the Roman Pontiff,
rather than have secular Power parallel that of spiritual authority.
Thus, he claimed Supreme Power over all the earth. His absolute
fanaticism would lead to war, murder and bloodshed in the centuries
to follow. He singled out the Albigenses of southern France as
heretics to be eliminated; they are also called the Cathari who
were seeking to purify the corrupt church of Pope Innocent. 1792 - The birth of Lowell Mason writer of the hymn, "MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE" and "NEARER, MY GOD TO THEE". 1868 - Birth of Dr. Eleanor Chestnut who as a single missionary physician to China, founds and builds and staffs a hospital. Her financial sacrifice is only surpassed by her personal martyrdom as she is stoned to death by rioters after setting her hospital on fire. January 9 1839 - Date of the conversion of Robert "Bob" Sheffey. He was 19 years old and began preaching as a Methodist almost immediately. His life is series of odd events and unusual occurrences. His ministry took him thru the hills and backcountry of the Carolinas and Virginia. There is an often-used story of a preacher praying for a man who had been bitten by a rattlesnake and was near death. The preacher asked God to send more rattlesnakes to reach the other family members who were notoriously ungodly. That story is alleged to have originated in Sheffey"s ministry. 1873 - On this date, Henry Ward Beecher was charged with adultery by his former friend, Theodore Tilton. Tilton alleged an affair with his wife. Beecher was tried by two ecclesiastical tribunals who acquitted him of the charges. During the 1850's he pastured the Plymouth Congregational Church of Brooklyn with attendance running over 2000. He was a gifted speaker and opposed slavery in the 1860's. His sister was the well-known Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin." January 10 1479 - Birth of Johannes Cochlaeus in Germany. He would engage in bitter controversy with the German Reformer, Martin Luther beginning in 1521. Further, in 1525, he sought to prevent William Tyndale's translation from being printed in Cologne, Germany. 1645 - Death by beheading of William Laud, one time Archbishop of Canterbury, England. He was a high-churchman who sought to reintroduce Pre-reformation liturgical practices in England. He received support from King Charles I (who would later be beheaded by Parliament) and in 1634-35, Laud tried to secure conformity to Episcopalian church order, using the Star Chamber to enforce his rule. When the Puritans gained control of England with the Long Parliament, Laud was executed. 1984 - The United States and the Vatican restored diplomatic relations that had been severed in 1867 - the new ambassador was William Wilson. 2002 - Death of W.A. Criswell, the long-time pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. He was committed to the inerrancy of scripture and taught it in an expository manner throughout much of his life. Many were converted through his ministry and many young people went into full-time Christian vocation. January 11 1759 - The First American Life Insurance Company was incorporated in Philadelphia for the "poor and distressed ministers and the poor and distressed children of Presbyterian ministers." 1791 - Death of William Williams, Calvinistic Methodist who wrote the hymn "Guide me O Thou Great Jehovah". 1810 - Birth of Johann L. Krapf near Tubingen, Germany. He would serve as a missionary to East Africa, where he was the co=discoverer of Mounts Kilimanjaro and Kenya (1848-49). He also introduced Ethopian manuscripts into German and England. 1842 - William James was born in New York City - he would be the founder of the philosophy of pragmatism and author of "Varieties of Religious Experience". 1869 - Rev. Kerry Lowe organized the first black Sunday School at Springfield Baptist Church in Augusta, Georgia. January 12 690 - Death of Benedict Biscop, an English monk who founded in Wearmouth and Jarrow, England. He introduced glass making as part of the training in monasteries and was an instructor of Venerable Bede, noted Anglo-Saxon historian and theologian, who wrote the Ecclesiastical History of the English People, which was a valuable document to tell how the Anglo-Saxons were converted. 1825 - Birth of B. F. Westcott, in Birmingham, England. He served as divinity professor at Cambridge University and later Anglican Bishop of Durham. He co-authored with F. A. Hort a Greek text of the New Testament. That text would impact translations of scripture from 1881 to the present. It sought to replace the Majority Text of Textus Receptus as the predominant vehicle of preservation of God's word in the Greek New Testament. 1982 - The United States Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to bar a suit by the Americans United for Separation of Church & State. The suit had charged that a federal gift of property to the Forge Christian College violated the Constitutional separation of church & state. January 13 1616 - Birth of Antoinette Bourignon, a Dutch religious reformer and self-proclaimed visionary. She taught an inner light or direct contact with God. In one vision, she claimed God told her she was a new Eve or New Mary that would reform Christianity. Her writing were condemned by both Catholic and Protestant leadership. 1691 - Death of George Fox, missionary and preacher and founder of the Society of Friends (Quakers). He favored inner light and moving of one's heart over against scriptural authority or creeds. His earlier ministry was in England where he was imprisoned 8 times between 1649-1673; later he did ministry in North America after increased hostility to Quakerism with the restoration of the English monarchy in 1660. 1832 - Birth of Horatio Alger, in Massachusetts. He became a Unitarian clergyman and is best known for his 100 popular books for boys stressing honesty and hard work.
January 14 1477 - Birth of Hermann of Weid, Germany. Once Archbishop of Cologne (1515-46), he originally opposed Martin Luther, but instituted reforms in his diocese. Later his reforms failed and he was excommunicated by Pope Paul 3rd. 1615 - Baptism date of John Biddle, sometimes called the Father of English Unitarianism - his paper called 12 Documents denied the Trinity. Imprisoned and later banished under Oliver Cromwell, he died in a London prison in 1662. 1806 - Birth of Matthew Maury - sometimes called the Pathfinder of the Seas. He is considered the founder of the modern science of Oceanography. Most of his years were spent in the United States Navy charting winds and currents of the Atlantic Ocean. On his tombstone is the quote from Psalms 8:8 - "whatsoever passeth thru the paths of the seas". He believed that the scripture thus did indicate "paths" or currents that he began to document and study. 1847 - Birth of Wilson Carlile, English clergy that founded The Church Army to feed the poor. Occasionally referred to as Archbishop of the Poor. - Died in 1942. 1875 - Birth of Albert Schweitzer, near Alsace north of France. He became a medical missionary serving at the hospital at Lambarene, Africa. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952. 1892 - Birth of Martin Niemoller, German Protestant Clergyman. He was imprisoned from 1938-45 for his stand against the Nazi government and opposition to state control of the Lutheran church. Died in 1984. January 15 1532 - King Henry 8th of England secured from Parliament the authority to have clerics charged with major crimes to be judged by civil courts. This step took considerable authority away from the church. 1533 - Henry 8th married Anne Boleyn, after being unable to obtain an annulment from the Pope from his marriage to Catherine. Henry would eventually break with Rome and establish the Church of England with the King as head. 1549 - Acts of Uniformity, issued by British Parliament and King Edward the 6th, requiring the universal use of the English Book of Common Prayer - this book was not received well - Protestants felt there was still too much of Romanism in it. 1841 - Birth of Charles Briggs in New York City. He was a liberal Protestant who triumphed what was called "higher criticism" that claimed the Old Testament was not, in fact, the Word of God, but a collection of myths. He was suspended from Union Theological Seminary by the Presbyterian church in 1893. 1854 - The First Baptist Church of Santa Fe, New Mexico was dedicated. 1866 - Birth of Nathan Soderblum in Toronto - he was a Lutheran Bishop who organized the first Universal Christian Conference on Life & Work which later helped in developing the World Council of Churches. 1929 - Birth of Michael Luther King in Atlanta - later known as Martin Luther King and leader in voter registration and civil rights struggles of the 50's and 60's. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. 1915 - Death of Mary Slessor, single missionary to Africa. 1911 - Birth of Elizabeth Cole, who devotes her life as a single missionary to working with the lepers of Nazarene Hospital in Swaziland, South Africa. For this labor, she is awarded Member of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth 2nd. January 16 1794 - Death of Edward Gibbon, considered by most to be the most respected English historian of his time. Best known for his HISTORY OF THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE, which was written between 1776-1788. 1756 - Founding of the First Baptis Church of Middleborough, Rhode Island by Isaac Backus, a champion of religious liberty. Backus was a man driven for evangelism - records show he preached 2412 sermons during a period from 1756-1767. 1785 - The state of Virginia passed the Statue of Religious Freedom of which the original draft had been written by Thomas Jefferson. This law with support from the other colonies influenced our United States constitution to read in the First Amendment "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof". 1812 - Birth of Friedrich Julius Stahl, to a German Jewish family of some wealth and position. His father was a banker and lawyer. After admission to a local gymnasium, the equivalent of high school, Friedrich was exposed to the Christian faith. By the age of 17, he was convinced that Jesus was indeed, the Christ, the Promised Messiah. This conversion shocked and angered his father; but in time his father forgave him and due to Friedrich's changed life many in his family also came to know the Christ of the New Testament. Friedrich went on to become a skilled jurist and championed the cause of freedom for the Protestants of Bavaria. He died in 1861 after a distinguished career in law and as a testimony for Christ. 1982 - The United Kingdom established diplomatic relations with the Vatican. 1919 - Amendment to the United States constitution to prohibit the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages was passed - taking effect the next year on the same date. With the ratification of the 2lst Amendment in 1933, prohibition was repealed. January 17 356 - Approximate date of death of Anthony of Egypt, a monk and considered by many to be the founder of monasticism. Monasticism is a form of legalism that is a reaction mentality toward Christian licentiousness. Galatians 5:13 is the appropriate verse to utilize, but not more monasticism or asceticism. The flesh cannot improve the flesh. 1484 - Birth of George Spalatin, the Royal court's chaplain and intermediary for Martin Luther, the German reformer when he was charged with heresy early in his call for change in the church. 1525 - Date of a public debate in Zurich, Switzerland between the Reformer Zwingli and 3 opponents of infant baptism. The three were Grebel, Manz and Hubmaier. The next day the authorities of Zurich ordered all infants to be baptized. On the 2lst of January, these 3 men felt the civil order of baptism to be invalid upon their conscience and preceded to baptize each other as adults. 1829 - Birth of Catherine Booth, wife of Salvation Army founder, William Booth. The Encyclopedia Britannica says "her belief that sacraments were not essential to salvation influenced Salvationist theology." 1832 - Birth of Henry Baird, a Presbyterian pastor who wrote a history of the Huguenots, the French Protestants. January 18 1460 - Pope Pius the 2nd issued "Execrabilis" - which banned appeals from papal action to a council - it re-enforced papal despotism. 1815 - Birth of Konstantin von Tiscendorf in Germany - he was a textual critic that is best known for his discovery of the Siniaticus manuscript. That manuscript was bought from the Soniat Government in 1933 for about half a million dollars. It is believed to date from the latter half of the 4th century. 1917 - Death of missionary, Louisa E.M. Stead in Zimbabwe, Africa. Over 5,000 friends and family sang her favorite hymn at her funeral, TIS SO SWEET TO TURST IN JESUS. January 19 1563 - The Heidelberg Catechism was completed - considered to be moderately Calvinistic - two German theologians wrote it - Olevianus and Ursinus. 1565 - Death of Diego Laines - a contemporary of Ignatius Loyola and Francis Xavier. 1774 - Death of Thomas Gillespie, founder of the Relief Church of Scotland, a dissenting group opposed to the Presbyterian practice of installation of pastors without congregational approval. Gillespie was among a group seeking to empower congregations to choose their own pastors. 1798 - Birth of Samuel Worcester, who became a missionary to the Creek Indians of Georgia, later published a newspaper in the Creek language for which he was imprisoned two years/ 1901
- Birth of E. C. Colwell - educator and theologian - as a textual
critic he wrote January 20 473 - Date of death of Euthymius Zigabenus, an Armenian born monk. He was also a teacher of scripture and a theologian. He wrote a 28 chapter book opposing heresy and defending the orthodox faith. He was influenced in his writings by Chrysostom in proposing a literal, rather than allegorical, meaning to scripture. 1541 - In a meeting held in Geneva under the leadership of John Calvin, a plan was agreed upon to set up a church court to maintain discipline. Unfortunately, such efforts, while well-intended, almost always end in misunderstanding and misapplication of New Testament principles. Due to church rule and local civil law then being mixed together, attempts were made to enforce discipline without distinguishing between believers and unbelievers. 1569 - Death of Miles Coverdale at age 81. He was an English clergyman and biblical scholar who produced the first English version of the entire Bible in 1539. He also edited what is called The Great Bible or Cranmer's Bible. He left England with the rise of Oliver Cromwell in 1542. 1724 - Birth of Isaac Backus in Norwish, Connecticut. He pastured the First Baptist Church of Middleborough, Massachusetts. It is said that between 1756-67 he preached 2412 sermons and traveled 15,000 miles outside his own parish. But Backus should be remembered for his driving and zeal for religious liberty in the developing colonies. His name should be placed alongside that of Roger Williams as a leader in religious freedom. 1891 - Dr. Charles A. Briggs delivered an address at the Union Theological Seminary in New York City on the "Authority of Scripture" where he condemned the doctrine of verbal inspiration. He was tried for heresy, acquitted; then charged again and found guilty. January 21 1525 - The first German Anabaptist Church was organized by Konrad Grebel, Felix Manz and George Blaurock. They performed the first adult baptism. 1621 - The Pilgrims held their first religious service on the shore at Plymouth, Mass after arriving by ship. 1797 - Birth of Edward Mote, Baptist clergyman and hymn writer, born in London. Wrote "MY HOPE IS BUILT…" 1800 - Birth of Theodor Fliedner, a German Protestant Theologian. His efforts to help the poor and social outcasts is note-worthy. Founded the first German prison society (1826) a refuge for female convicts (1833) and a school for infants (1835). 1874 - Birth of Samule H. Hooke, in England. Was edit or for 23 years of the PALESTINE EXPLORATION QUARTERLY. Authored 14 books on the Christian faith and on the Old Testament. January 22 1561
- Birth of Francis Bacon - the man often considered primarily
responsible for the formulation and establishment of the so-called
"scientific method" in science, stressing experimentation
and induction from data rather than philosophical deduction in
the tradition of Aristotle. His writings are credited with leading
to the founding of the Royal Society of London. 1843 - Birth of Francis Patten, a noted educator and theologian. 1899 - On this date, Pope Leo 13th condemned proposals for the Roman Catholic church to modify its doctrines to allow for individual freedom. 1978 - A specified study by the United Presbyterian Church in the United States recommended a policy permitting ordination of practicing homosexuals - this recommendation was disapproved in May, by the General Assembly. January 23 1295 - Boniface the 8th was crowned Pope of the Roman Catholic Church - he followed Pope Innocent III. His may be best known for his infamous, Unam Sanctum - it was the high water mark of Papal claim to supreme authority over civil powers. It affirmed that temporal powers are subject to the spiritual authority, which is judged in the person of the Roman Pontiff by God alone. It declared, in the opinion of Thomas Aquinas, "that it is altogether necessary for every human being to be subject to the Roman Pontiff". Has a more blasphemous statement ever been made???? 1635
- Birth of Philip Spener - a Lutheran pastor who is said to be
the founder of German Pietism - it was a movement to correct the
cold orthodoxy of 17th century Lutheranism. Pietism emphasized
an internal, subjective and individual return to Bible study and
prayer. For the Pietist, Bible study was to be manifest daily
in the lives of men and women in a practical manner. 1789 - The first American catholic college was founded - later called Georgetown University. 1790 - Birth of Samuel Turner, an Episcopalian minister and author of commentaries on the Bible. 1813 - Birth of Franz Delitsch - noted German Scholar and foremost interpreter of Old Testament scripture. 1837 - Birth of Amanda Smith - a slave in Maryland - after being freed she carried the gospel to 4 continents. January 24 1827 - Birth of John Broadus, born in Virginia and who became a leader in the Baptist Church; he taught at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. 1900 - The United States House of Representatives refused to seat Utah's elected representative, Brigham Roberts due to his plural marriages. 1918 - Birth of Oral Roberts, in Ana, Oklahoma, a flamboyant Pentecostal evangelist who founded the university named after him. In the United States, he was the most widely known Pentecostal preacher until the coming of the televangelists of the '80s. Early on he was a saw-dust trail, rousing speaker and healer who made claims to unusual miracles and events. January 25 1138
- Death of Pieto Perleoni, who was anti-pope from 1130-38
and called Anacletus 2nd, Anacletus was opposed by Innocent 2nd
who fled to France when Anacletus seized power thru the majority
vote of the cardinals and wealthy influential friends. Innocent
was recognized as the legitimate Papal power by the monks and
Peter of Cluny and Bernard of Clairvaux. With Anacletus' death
in 1138, the struggle was ended and solemnly announced at the
2nd Lateran Council of 1139. 1366 - Death of the German mystic, Heinrich Suso. He was a Dominican priest who practiced asceticism. He joined Miester Ekhart and John Tauler in denouncing religious ritual that was empty of meaning, while calling for an inward change in men. These men ministered during the Black Plague of England. 1523 - Date of meeting between Heinrich Zwingli, Swiss reformer and the Great Council of Zurich over teachings of the reformers. 1627 - Birth of Robert Boyle, sometimes called the Father of modern chemistry, as opposed to medieval alchemy. His name is associated with the basic law which he discovered relating gas pressures to temperature and volume. Yet, he was a humble evangelical Christian and a diligent student of the Bible. His deep interest in carrying the gospel to those who had never heard of Christ prompted him to financially support Bible translation work. 1783 - Birth of William Colgate, industrialist and philanthropist and founder of the American Bible Society in 1816. January 26 1790 - Birth of William Capers, a Methodist missionary to the Creek Indians of southeastern United States. 1838 - Birth of Joseph Cook, a Congregational minister who defended Christianity against critics of the Bible and those who proposed Evolution. 1859 - Date of marriage of Cyrus McCormick, inventor of machinery to assist in the harvesting of crops. He went to Chicago at 38 with about $60 and became a millionaire in less than two years. He married Nettie Fowler, a tall and graceful lady from New York with a special brightness to her face. He was 26 years her senior and after 26 years together, Cyrus died leaving her a large estate. She used the funds to start McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago for Presbyterian ministers. She invested in the ministries of D.L.Moody and Wilfred Grenfell, a missionary to Labrador. She also assisted in educational efforts in Appalachia. Nettie also became a generous support of missions to Asian Countries while building a women's clinic in Persia and a seminary in Korea. Read Matthew 6:19-21. January 27 417 - Date of the excommunication of a British monk, named Pelagius by Pope Innocent 1st. Pelagius taught that man's will was not effected by original sin from Adam. This teaching was opposed by Augustinian doctrines of depravity. Pelagius was a very moral teacher who had many followers. 1554 - Date of the arrest of John Rogers, a British clergyman and translator. He served as chaplain to a group of merchants in Antwerp, Belgium in 1534 smuggling illegal Bibles and other books into England. There he met William Tyndale and aided him in the translation of the Old Testament into English. By 1537 he produced the MATTHEW'S BIBLE that served to influence the King James Version many years later. He had returned to England and served at St. Paul's in London when he was arrested by Queen Mary. After brutal treatment in Newgate jail, he was burned at the stake in 1555. 1808 - Birth of David F. Strauss near Stuttgart, Germany. He authored a notorious book, LIFE OF JESUS, CRITICALLY EXAMINED, that attributed myth and legend to most of the events recorded in the 4 gospels. He then said that rather than Jesus fulfilling Old Testament prophecies, that his importance in history lay in Hegelian philosophy. 1825 - Birth of William Green in New Jersey. He would become a noted Hebrew scholar. 1847 - Birth of Henry S. Holland in England. He was a High Anglican and accepted some liberal views in theology. He was considered by some to be a very influential preacher of his era due to combining Christian principles with social and economic issues. January 28 814 - Death of Charlemagne, founder of the Holy Roman Empire. 1521 - Date of convening of the Diet or Council of Worms called by Emperor Charles 5th at the instigation of Pope Leo concerning a monk named Martin Luther. It would be here that Luther would utter his famous and courageous words when challenged to retract his teachings that conflicted with Catholic dogma, he said, "Here I stand, I can do no other. God help me." Some have the date of January 27 for this convening. 1769 - Birth of Thomas F. Middleton in England. Became the first Anglican bishop of Calcutta (1814-22). 1834 - Birth in Exeter, England of Sabine Baring-Gould, and Anglican minister and hymnwriter. Edited the 15 volume LIVES OF THE SAINTS and wrote the hymn, ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS. 1856 - Birth of Reuben A. Torrey in Hoboken, New Jersey. He would become the successor to D.L. Moody, Superintendent of Moody Bible Institute, Dean of the Bible of LA, Pastor of the Church of the Open Door in LA. 1906 - Date of the conversion of Oswald Smith, later became Pastor of the People's Church in Toronto and famous for his support of missionary efforts. January 29 904 - Sergius 3rd became pope after having his predecessor, Pope Leo 5th killed. This period of papal history is by far the most embarrassing to Roman Catholic historians. The series of men who held the supreme office of the Catholic church were immoral and thieves. Three women held power over several of these so-called Popes to a degradation that two church historians referred to this period as Papal Pornocracy. Read Peter De Rosa's VICARS OF CHRIST for the sordid details. I mention these events because many dear Catholics are ignorant of them and it reveals the error in having a man claim to be Head over the Church - a position only Christ has according to Ephesians 1:22 and Colossians 1:18. 1523 - A "disputation" was ordered by the Swiss Government to test the truth of the teachings of Huldreich Zwingli, the reformer. The Zurich Council would find him not convicted of error. By 1525, Zwingli had replaced the Roman Mass with the first reformed communion service that emphasized the Lord's Table as a memorial ordinance as is clear from I Corinthians 11:24-25. 1535 - An immense torch-lit procession passed from the Louvre in Paris, France to the Notre Dame Cathedral. It was to "purge" or cleanse the city of the posters written by a Protestant named Freret. The subject of the posters was the errors of the Catholic mass. The procession ended with 6 Protestants being burned alive. 1656 - Birth of Samuel Andrew in Cambridge, Massachusetts. As an adult he would pastor the Milford Congregational Church and help in the founding of Yale University. 1688 - Birth of Emanuel Swedenborg, in Stockholm Sweden. He was influential in mysticism, as he believed that behind the visible, physical world lay a corresponding spiritual world. He maintained correspondence between these two worlds was possible thru conversations with spiritual beings. We are warned in I Timothy 4:l,2 and II Corinthians 11:4 of just such false messages. 1737 - Birth of Thomas Paine, noted political journalist of the American Revolution whose paper COMMON SENSE did much to persuade the Colonist to demand independence from England. He was also a well-known atheist. January 30 1649 - King Charles the 1st of England was beheaded by order of the Oliver Cromwell, the Lord Protector. It followed a period of civil war in England. 1563 - Birth of Francis Gomarus, a scholar of Calvinist theology. He was the chief opponent of Jacob Arminius during a time of conflict in Holland over the rigidity of the Calvinist position that election was done before Adam's fall. Arminius taught that it was possible for any man to become elect. 1617 - Birth of William Sancroft, later Archbishop of Canterbury, but in 1688 he refused to comply the order of King James the Second to read the Declaration of Indulgences due to its purpose to make England a more Catholic Country. He was tried for sedition but acquitted. 1839 - Birth of John F. Bentley in England. He would design the Westminster Cathedral in London. 1840 - Birth of one later called Father Damien, a Catholic missionary to the leper colony in Hawaii, --died of leprosy in 1888. 1877 - Three English missionaries reached the court of Mutesa, chief of the Ugandas in Africa. Two were soon killed. The one left, C.T. Wilson was joined by Alexander Mackay. They would labor 2 years for the first convert. 1948 - Date of the assassination of Mahatma Ghandi, the Hindu leader of pacifism that helped bring India out from under British colonialism. January 31 1561 - Death of Menno Simons, he was Dutch and an ordained Catholic priest when he left the church and became part of the significant number of Anabaptist in Holland at the beginning of the 16th century. As an Anabaptist, he embraced the believer's right to study and interpret scripture as his final authority; that the church is free from state control and should only embrace those who confess Christ as Savior. After his death, most of his followers were called Mennonites. 1686 - French King Louis 14th issued an edict that all churches of the Waldensians were to be burned. The Waldensians were followers of Peter Waldo of the Piedmont Alps of Italy. Under Louis' orders, about 2000 were killed, their children ordered to be baptized into the Catholic faith and about 8000 were imprisoned under inhuman conditions. This would be king that France would call the Sun King and would produce the Louis 14th art style and décor. But I assure you that God will vindicate His people. See Revelation 6:10. 1797 - Birth of Franz Schubert, gifted Austrian composer. Noted for his melody and harmony of his chamber music. Best known for his Symphony in C Major and His Unfinished Symphony. 1892 - Death of Charles Spurgeon, one of the most significant Baptist preachers of Victorian England. He pastured the immense Metropolitan Tabernacle in London. 1737 - Birth of Jacob Duche' in Philadelphia - he would be chaplain of the Continental Congress (1775-77). 1915 - Birth of Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk whose writing has become popular recently. 1955 - Death of John Mott, secretary for the International YMCA (1888-1915), leader in the Student Vol. Movement. |