William Carey

In 1792 a Baptist pastor, William Carey (1761-1834), co-founded the Baptist Missionary Society at a house in Lower Street Kettering. A year later, Carey and his family together with another minister, John Thomas, were chosen as the first Baptist missionaries to India and after several years of struggle in 1799 he founded there the Serampore mission in North East India. A gifted linguist, he translated the entire Bible into the major Indian languages and from 1801-30 he was the Professor of Oriental languages at Fort William College, Calcutta.

Carey had for many years had an interest in worldwide mission and his avocation of the sending of missionaries to convert the heathen was unusual in an age when much of the church believed that missions had died with the apostles. His interest in mission once led him to make an inventory naming every place in the world and its religion. From that he calculated there were 731million people in the world, of which 421 million were pagans.

Carey achieved much in India, he founded mission schools, conceived the idea for a college to train native church leaders and campaigned against widow burning, infanticide and assisted suicide. In addition he developed a vast library system, printed the first Indian language newspaper, and introduced the idea of saving banks. He is considered to be a pioneer of the modern missionary movement and laid the foundation for many succeeding missionaries in India. A legacy of his trailblazing work, is that by the end of the nineteenth century there were over half a million native Indian Protestants.

Gerolamo Cardano

Gerolamo Cardano (1501-1576), the renowned Italian mathematician, physician and gambler, was a steadfast believer in the accuracy of the so-called science of astrology. He constructed a horoscope predicting the hour of his own death. When the day dawns it finds him in good health and safe from harm. Rather than having his prediction falsified, the famous astrologer killed himself.

King Canute Commands The Waves To Retreat

One day Canute found he needed to rebuke some courtiers who were assuring him was so great that he could even rule the waves. He decided to put their flattery to a practical test and on a beach near the home of his chief steward, Godwine at Chichester, he had a chair placed on the water’s edge before the incoming tide. He then proceeded to challenge the sea to soak his feet. The sea accepted the challenge and dampened the royal toes. Thus the King proclaimed "Behold how feeble is the power of Kings of men for the waves will not hear my voice. Honor the Lord only, and serve him, for to him all things give obedience." From this time
Canute never wore his crown again, but instead put it on a statue of the crucified Christ.
It should be noted that there are doubts as to the authenticity of this well-known story. In the main this is because due to King Canute’s positive treatment of the church, this might have been merely Pro-Canute propaganda by the church who in the early 11^th century were responsible for most of the recording of contemporary events.

King Canute

After defeating Edmund (II) Ironside at Assandun, Essex, in 1016, Canute (c995-1035) was offered the English throne. became king of all England . He succeeded his brother Harold as king of Denmark in 1018 and conquered Norway in 1028 forcing the devout Olaf II to take refuge. Bought up as a pagan, who worshipped the Norse god Woden, Canute converted to Christianity mainly because of the influence of his devout wife, Emma of Normandy.

As king of England, Canute revived the alliance of church and state by instructing his sheriffs to pay attention to the bishops in the administration of justice and by mandating that offenders against church law are to be punished. The Viking king gave rich gifts to monasteries, founded abbeys, and is introducing a number of Christian laws for the payment of tithes to churches. He also legislated that Sunday be observed as a day of rest from business and amusements. However despite supporting the church with great zeal, his murdering of political opponents and his removal of the Christian King Olaf II from the Norwegian throne cast doubts on the extent of his own personal commitment.

Canterbury Tales

The Canterbury Tales is collection of stories in prose and verse by Geoffrey Chaucer told in Middle English prose and verse by a group of pilgrims (including Chaucer himself) on their way to Thomas Becket's tomb at Canterbury. The author died in 1400, having failed to complete his 14 year old project. By the time of his death twenty-four tales have been told. Chaucer had intended 31 pilgrims would tell two tales each on their way to Canterbury and another two on their way back. The book was a major influence on the development of  English literature.

Camp Meetings

At the beginning of the nineteenth century in the vast wilderness of the American Frontier, there were few places of worship. In 1801 Presbyterians and Methodists joined together at Cane Ridge in Kentucky to hold a ‘camp meeting’ whereby believers spread across the mid west trekked days before setting up camp to hear a series of circuit preachers expound the Gospel. So popular was this gathering that similar camp meetings were held throughout the century and when word spread that a religious meeting was to be held, both believers and non believers would attend. Such meetings proved popular with non believers as they were glad of a break in routine and upon hearing the Gospel many were consequently converted.

Calvinism

In 1536 French-born theologian John Calvin published The Institutes of the Christian Religion, his personal testament of faith written to put a finish to the divisions within the expanding Protestant movement. The book had a profound effect on the development of Protestantism and outlined the theological system known as Calvinism. His central doctrine was predestination under which God predestines certain souls (the elect) through the sacrifice of Jesus to salvation, and the others whose fate is damnation. He emphazised the utter sinfulness of mankind that cannot be saved unless they are one of the elect, one of the chosen ones to be saved. Calvin taught that there are three tests that constitute a good yardstick by which to judge who is God's chosen, the elect and therefore saved. Firstly participation in baptism and the Lord's Supper, secondly a public declaration of one's faith and lastly a righteous moral life.