Calvin Synod Herald, 1984 (84. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)
1984-06-01 / 3. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD — 6 — REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA read the word of Pastor Guido de Bres, who since had sealed his faith with his life, having been killed as martyr among the 18,600 who had been executed by Alva during the six blood-stained years of his rule. “Our great Count Lewis, who just a few months ago died the death of a hero for our faith and cause on the battlefield at Mookerheyde, said about our religion, that it is a sentiment ‘deeply rooted in the hearts of men, which is not to be plucked out by force of arm’. And how true it is!” “Religion is the sublimest of all human instincts. We will fight for our true religion till the last beat of our heart. Should Leyden stay or fall, we Hollanders and Zealanders will fight to the last man till the conditions that the “Father of our Country” laid down, will be granted to us in full.” It sounded like a solemn oath, and it resounded in every heart throughout the whole congregation. The three firm conditions of the Prince were written in every one of those hearts more vividly than as if they had been carved into marble or stone: freedom of worship and liberty to preach the Gospel according to the Word of God; the restoration of all ancient liberties of the land; and the withdrawal of all Spaniards from the land. “Now at the present when everything seems gloomy, and hope begins to sink in many a heart, let me repeat to you the convincing words of the “Father of the Country”, whose trust has always been absolute in God; ‘when I took in hand to defend these oppressed Christians, I made an alliance with the mightiest of all Potentates — the God of Hosts, who is able to save us if He choose!’ We are at the hand of the God of Hosts in this terrible hour of fear and anxiety. He is able to send us westerly wind and floating waves of the tide if He chooses!” Then he took the Confession of Faith into his hands and raising his voice yet higher, pronouncing every word distinctly, he quoted the mighty words of the Confession based on the text of Heidelberg Catechism: “... nothing can befall us by chance, only by the direction of our most gracious and heavenly Father who watches over us with a paternal care, keeping all creatures so under His power that not a hair of their heads might be harmed nor a sparrow might fall to the ground without the will of our Father, in whom we do entirely trust. He so restrains the devil and all our enemies that without His will and permission they cannot hurt us.” At that moment the church door suddenly opened, and the officer of the halberdiers with the shining breastplate rushed into the church. With quick and excited steps, he hurried through the nave up to the Prince’s pew and handed him a letter. All eyes turned at once on “Father William”. As he eagerly read the letter, all eyes tried to read his face while their souls trembled. It was evident that the tiding was of life and death importance. But which of the two now: Life? . . . or . . . Death? The Prince handed the letter back to the officer, whispering a few words to him in a low calm tone, and the officer hurriedly ran up to the pulpit and whispering a few words in turn, gave the letter over to Pastor Villers. Tremendous anxiety was felt all over the church. The silence was so intense and deep that even the rustling of the paper could he heard all over the large church, as the Pastor unfolded the letter. “God is gracious! He heard our prayers!” he cried suddenly in loud and excited voice. “He hath sent us wind and hath given us waves!! It is Admiral Boisot’s letter to the “Father of the Country” that I’m holding here in my hand. God has made to rise a furious westerly gale that drove the waves over the land and carried the vessels through the Spanish lines. The Spaniards, that remained, fled panic-stricken from the overwhelming waters of the flood. Admiral Boisot’s flotilla today entered Leyden in enormous triumph!” Loud sobs broke out here and there in the church. Women, and even men, were weeping from the maddening joy. Loud sentences, intended to be whispers, flew through the church: “God our Lord be praised! Leyden is saved!” “God had commanded, and winds and waves obeyed!" “Jehovah is gracious! Jehovah is righteous!” Then the whole congregation rose as one man. Drops of tears, those precious pearls of the grateful soul, glistened in hundreds of eyes, as the ancient psalm of thanksgiving broke out of their souls: “O my soul, bless thou Jehovah, All within me bless His name: Bless Jehovah and forget not All His mercies to proclaim. He forgives all thy transgressions, Heals thy sicknesses and pains: He redeems them from destruction, And His love thy life sustains." After the congregation poured out of the church, their rejoicing knew no bound. On Groot Markt they hugged and kissed each other in their joy. Men threw their caps high in the air. “Long live ‘Father William’!” “Long live Boisot!” “Long live the Gueux!” “Long live the ‘Sea Beggars’!” “Hail Leyden!” “Down with the Spaniards!” “Fie to the boastful legions of Alva!” “Where are the ‘Invincibles’? “Where are the ‘Invincibles“?’’ “Defeated by the wind and waves!” “Where are the proud ‘Immortals’?” “Their dead bodies carried by the flood!” “Where are the ‘None-such’?” “None-such!! Killed by the ‘Sea Beggars’!” Soon many patriot flags were flying, trumpets blaring and drums beating. With the beating of the drums and the tapping of their feet, the crowd sang: "Beat the drum gayly, rub a dow, rub a dub; Beat the drum gayly, rub a dow, rub a dub; Beat the drum gayly, rub a dow, rub a dub; Long live the Beggars! is the watchword now.” Then a young lad, sitting up on the neck of a husky stout man, dressed in the beggars’ costume, dictated a joking, martial song line by line; and the large crowd sang it with him in rejoicing unison: “With double quick time the Spaniard proud Against Leyden advances, The piping and drumming are merry and loud, We play them the best of dances. The Spaniards stop - though they look very big -They dance a very new Spanish jig, But forget the use of their lances.” The Prince of Orange stood at the church door for awhile, smilingly looking at the rejoicing crowd and gently patting his faithful dog standing close to him. At his right stood his master of the horse, Jacob Van Maldere; on his left, the stout, red-faced, happy burgomaster of Delft. “Leyden,” said the Prince, “will reduce the pride of our enemies, who have thought that they were about to swallow us alive! I trusted ever that the Great God of armies was with me, and fought in the midst of our forces. With His help I am determined to go on.” Then he started towards Prinsenhof, determined to hurry to Leyden (though still weak from the illness) to congratulate the “Sea Beggars” for the wondrous rescue and the Leydeners for the marvelous endurance; and to present Leyden with a great university to be a perpetual monument of this miraculous deliverance.
