1648 - The Larger and the Shorter Catechisms - both prepared by the Westminster Assembly the previous year - were approved by the British Parliament. These two documents have been in regular use among various Presbyterians, Congregationalists and Baptists ever since.
1770 - English founder of Methodism John Wesley wrote in a letter: 'To use the grace given is the certain way to obtain more grace. To use all the faith you have will bring an increase of faith.'
1853 - In her home state of New York, Antoinette L. Brown, 28, became pastor of the Congregational church in South Butler - making her the first woman to be formally ordained to the pastorate in the United States.
1920 - Pope Benedict XV published the encyclical "Spiritus paraclitus," which restated the Catholic position on Scripture: '...the Bible, composed by men inspired of the Holy Ghost, has God himself as its principal author, the individual authors constituted as his live instruments. Their activity, however, ought not be described as automatic writing.'
1966 - The American Bible Society published the New Testament of its "Today's English Version" (TEV), otherwise known as "Good News for Modern Man." It marked the end of a two-year effort led by chief translator, Robert G. Bratcher. (The complete Good News Bible was published in 1976.)
© 1987-2008, William D. Blake. Used by permission of the author, from Almanac of the Christian Church
