Historical Writings

Death of Deusdedit, the sixth Archbishop of Canterbury.

Bishop Bonner has Robert Miles, Stephen Cotton, John Slade, Robert Dynes, William Pikes, and Stephen Wight burned at the stake. The case is especially notorious because the six had been guilty of no more than praying and reading the Bible while no longer considering themselves Catholics. Furthermore a note from Bonner "scribbled in haste" will later be found requesting permission (apparently from Cardinal Pole) to burn them at Brentford, Essex, where it can be done more quickly and quietly than at St. Paul's Cathedral, because imprisoning the six at his house has become an inconvenience.

Death of Richard Taverner, a Bible translator and reformer in England.

Death of Camillus de Lellis at Rome. After a wild life as a soldier, he underwent a conversion experience, served the sick, and founded the Agonizants, an order to care for the sick and minister to the dying.

The first annual conference of the Methodist Church in America convened at St.George's Church in Philadelphia, PA.

Anglican clergyman and hymnwriter John Newton wrote in a letter: 'The knowledgeof God cannot be attained by studious discussion on our parts; it must be by revelation onHis part.'

Samson Occom's wife finds him dead, having collapsed as he walked back to his house after writing an article in his study. Occom had been a notable evangelist among American Indians, a hymnwriter, and the principal fundraiser for the college which became Dartmouth University.

Birth of Anglican clergyman Matthew Bridges. In 1848 he converted to Catholicism,under the influence of the Oxford Movement in England. He is remembered today for authoringthe hymn, 'Crown Him with Many Crowns.'

Death of Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain, a champion of contemplative prayer and the co-compiler (with Macarius of Corinth) of the Philokalia (Love of the Good), an anthology of spiritual writings by monks from the desert fathers to Gregory Palamas.

Anglican clergyman John Keble preached his famous sermon on national religiousapostasy. It marked the beginning of the Oxford Movement, which sought to purify andrevitalize the Church of England.

Theodore Fliedner escorts four deaconesses to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where three days later a deaconness home will be solemnly dedicated, the beginning of the Lutheran deaconess work in the U.S. from which will spring many deaconness hospitals.

Death of Johann August Wilhelm Neander. Born David Mendel, a Jew, he had taken the name Neander at his conversion and become an influential theologian and church historian.

Forty-seven-year-old Ting Ang, a trader in Fuchau, China, is baptized on this day, the first Methodist convert in China.

The Baptist Young People's Union held its first national convention in Detroit.The founding of the BYP Union was inspired by the earlier work of Francis E. Clark, aCongregational pastor who founded the first 'modern' youth fellowship in 1881.

Death of William Ofori-Atta ("Paa Willie") a fervent Christian evangelist and politician in Ghana, known for his simple and incorruptible life. He had been imprisoned five times for being out of step with ruling powers.