24 April 1533 A.D. Birth: William 1 “The Silent:” Defender of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands from the Spanish and Romanist King Philip
24
April 1533 A.D. Birth: William 1 “The Silent:” Defender
of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands from the Spanish and Romanist King
Philip
William I
"the Silent" (1533 to 1584)
Reformed
Church
A Father of
His Country.
Birth of William I
"The Silent," known as "the father of his Country," the
Netherlands, where he, as governor (Stadtholder) of Holland, led the army which
freed his people from the tyranny of Spanish rule. Although raised a Roman
Catholic, he opposed King Philip's policy of persecution of Protestants by
means of the Inquisition. In 1572, at the time of the St. Bartholomew's Day
massacre, he called on the Calvinists of Holland and Zealand to unite, and led
them forth to victory (although he was assassinated), His son Maurice gained
the independence of the Netherlands, recognized in 1609. William the Silent had
embraced Calvinism when he became governor
Comments
Post a Comment