Historical Writings

Martyrdom of Theodoritus, a Greek-speaking Syrian Christian priest, during the reign of Emperor Julian the Apostate. His relics will be taken to Uzès in the south of France and placed in a cathedral dedicated to him.

King Charles II of England presents a proposed Declaration of Indulgence to Independents and bishops, who offer suggestions for revision. Three days later the revised declaration is promulgated.

Revival leader Jonathan Dickinson obtains a charter for the College of New Jersey to train Presbyterian pastors. It will become Princeton University.

The "Great Disappointment" began when this latest date, set for the return of Christ by religious leader William Miller, passed without event. Over 100,000 disillusioned followers returned to their former churches, or abandoned the Christian faith altogether.

American Presbyterian missionary James B. Rodgers, 34, baptized his first Filipino converts to the Christian faith, thus inaugurating the beginning of Philippine Protestant churches.

Death of Susannah Spurgeon, wife of English Baptist preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Their marriage had lasted thirty-six years, until Charles' death in 1892, and she had engaged in many minstries alongside her husband.

Death in Jacksonville, Florida, of James William Charles Pennington, an escaped slave who had become a Presbyterian pastor and abolitionist, author of the autobiographical The Fugitive Blacksmith and of the first history of African Americans published in the United States.

C. S. Lewis preaches a sermon at the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Oxford in which he asks, "How can we study Latin, geography, algebra in a time like this? Aren't we just fiddling while Rome burns?" He then assures the assembled students that it is worthwhile and essential to continue studies even in the face of World War II.

The complete Jewish Torah was published in English for the first time. A collection of oral and written commentary (dating 200 BC to AD 500) on the first five books of the Old Testament, the Torah comprises the basic religious code of Judaism.

Death of Paul Tillich, existentialist Lutheran theologian, infamous for describing God as the "ground of all being."

Swiss Reformed theologian Karl Barth declared in a letter: 'God makes no mistakes.'

Harold John Ockenga, a leading fundamentalist, is inaugurated as president of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

A volume of Gutenberg's original Bible is sold at auction at Christie's for $5.39 million, one of the largest sums ever paid for a printed book. Ironically, Gutenberg had not profited from his invention of printing because his press was seized for debts.

Death of Emmanuel Adekunle Atilade, who had been an educator, writer, poet and composer, but above all a zealous pastor and evangelist for the Nigerian Baptist Convention and Gospel Baptist Conference.