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 http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/birthdays/04-24.html 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 b...