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Series Code: LIN
Program Code: LIN000008A
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00:19 The mid-16th century
00:20 saw the rise of Protestantism in England 00:23 initiated by King Henry VIII break from Rome 00:26 and nurtured by Edward VI 00:28 and a nine-day Queen Lady Jane Grey. 00:31 This was brought to a halt during the reign of Mary Tudor 00:35 who reinstated Catholicism in England 00:37 and earned the title Bloody Queen Mary 00:40 for her role in the murder of over 260 Protestants. 00:44 Things change when Elizabeth I came to the throne. 00:47 She reinstated Protestantism and cemented earlier reforms 00:51 that had started 00:53 and established the Anglican Church. 00:55 Catholics though viewed her 00:57 as an illegitimate Queen because they never recognized 01:00 King Henry VIII divorce from Catherine of Aragon. 01:03 Thus making his marriage to Ann Boleyn, 01:06 Elizabeth's mother illegitimate, 01:09 thus making her an illegitimate Queen 01:11 in their eyes. 01:13 Rome then wanted to establish 01:15 a Catholic monarchy and attempted to do this 01:18 through a military invasion. 01:26 On the 28th of May, 1588, 01:29 the Spanish Armada a fleet of 130 ships 01:33 set sail from Spain to England. 01:36 One of the largest fleets 01:38 ever assembled at a huge cost to Spain, 01:41 it had almost double the firepower 01:43 of the entire English Navy 01:45 almost guaranteeing an easy victory. 01:48 They were first sighted on July the 19th in Lizard, 01:52 Cornwall and the news was relayed to London 01:55 via a system of beacons. 02:03 Sailing up the English Channel, 02:05 they missed an opportunity to attack the English fleet 02:09 stuck in the tidal mud in Plymouth, 02:12 hoping to reach the Netherlands 02:13 to pick up 30,000 soldiers to battle with the English, 02:17 they dropped anchor in Calais. 02:25 On the 29th of July 02:28 across from the cliffs of Dover over in the French waters 02:32 of Calais behind me, 02:34 the Armada was attacked 02:35 by 8 English fire ships that came in, 02:39 broke their formation allowing the smaller 02:42 and more agile English ships to come in and wreak havoc. 02:54 The Armada broke up and sailed up the channel 02:57 to the North Sea while being pursued 02:59 by the English ships. 03:00 They continued around Scotland, 03:02 but much of the fleet crashed onto the rocks of Scotland 03:06 an island as in their hasty retreat that many of them 03:09 had lost their anchors. 03:12 Of the 130 ships that originally set sail 03:15 only 67 of them made it back home. 03:24 Unaware of the Armada's fate 03:26 the English militias assembled in Tilbury, Essex 03:29 where Elizabeth was invited to inspect the troops. 03:33 Wearing a silver breastplate over a white velvet dress, 03:36 she gave a famous speech, 03:39 "My loving people we have been persuaded 03:41 by some that are careful for our safety to take heed 03:44 how we commit ourselves to armed multitudes 03:47 for fear of treachery, 03:49 but I assure you I do not desire to live 03:52 to distrust my faithful and loving people. 03:55 I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman 03:59 but I have the heart and stomach of a king 04:02 and of a king of England too and think foul scorn 04:06 that Parma or Spain or any Prince of Europe 04:09 would dare to invade the borders of my realm." 04:18 When it was clear that the Armada's attempt 04:21 to overthrow Protestantism had failed, 04:24 England was relieved 04:26 and Elizabeth I at her Thanksgiving service 04:29 to St. Paul's Cathedral that was attended by 04:31 almost as many as her coronation. 04:34 Many took the defeat of the Armada to be a sign 04:37 of God's favor 04:38 and the inviolability of the rule 04:40 of the Queen and her realm. 04:42 Protestantism was uplifted and medals were inscribed 04:47 that bore variations of the inscription, 04:49 God blew the winds and they were scattered 04:52 or he blew and they were scattered. 04:55 While historians debate exactly what was the factor 04:57 that led to the defeat of the Armada, 04:59 one thing is clear, providence played a key role. 05:04 Now in our lives today it may not be 05:06 on such a grand scale as the Armada back then, 05:09 but God still moves through providential circumstances. 05:12 He doesn't always speak audibly, 05:14 He doesn't always have 05:15 a bloodless handwriting on the wall 05:17 as in Daniel Chapter 5, 05:19 but God still rules in the affairs of men 05:21 and in our lives today, 05:23 He still moves through providential circumstances. 05:26 May we be open to His leading in this manner. 06:02 Remember, remember the 5th of November, 06:06 gunpowder, treason and plot, I see no reason 06:09 why Guy Fawkes should ever be forgot. 06:12 A short run at I along with numerous of the children 06:15 growing up in England learned in school and yet today 06:19 it seems that many have forgotten the story. 06:22 In the early 1600s England 06:24 was under a Protestant king, King James. 06:28 Born in Edinburgh Castle, 06:29 he ascended to the Scottish throne 06:31 and when the Scottish 06:33 and English thrones merged in 1603, 06:36 he became the King of England as well. 06:44 King James is best known for the translation 06:47 of the Bible that is named after him, 06:49 translated over a period 06:51 of five years and released in 1611, 06:54 it is a masterpiece of the English language 06:57 shaping many of the terms and phrases that we use today. 07:02 Had the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 being successful, 07:06 it is likely that the work of translation 07:08 would have stopped. 07:15 The crown of England had gone back 07:17 and forth between Catholic and Protestant hands 07:20 in the early to mid 16th century, 07:23 but during the reign of Elizabeth I 07:25 some stability had been brought to the throne. 07:28 Despite this it was the dream of Catholics, 07:31 both at home and abroad 07:33 to restore a Catholic monarch to the throne. 07:36 An audacious plot was launched to assassinate the king 07:40 not by a bullet or by poison, 07:42 but by blowing up the houses of parliament 07:45 during the state's opening of parliament, 07:47 thus not only killing the king 07:50 but also many of his close advisors 07:52 and members of parliament. 07:54 It was then the hope of the Catholics 07:56 to bring a new monarch and government to England. 08:05 In those days security was not what it is today 08:08 and they were able to rent a space underneath parliament 08:11 which they filled with 36 barrels of gunpowder. 08:14 This huge supply of explosives could not be detonated remotely 08:19 and someone had to light it manually 08:21 and that job fell to Guy Fawkes. 08:23 Fawkes born in York had worked for several years 08:26 in the Spanish army as an explosives expert 08:29 and whilst he was not a major player in this plot, 08:32 due to the role that he played his name is etched in history 08:36 and he is the one best remembered. 08:43 Up to this point everything had been kept top-secret 08:48 but there was to be a fortunate leak, 08:50 just prior to the 5th of November 08:52 an anonymous letter was sent to William Parker warning him 08:56 not to attend parliament on that day. 08:59 Suspicion was aroused 09:00 and the thorough search of the building took place 09:03 whereby they found Guy Fawkes and his stash of gunpowder. 09:07 He was taken to the tower of London and tortured 09:10 until he gave up the names of his fellow conspirators, 09:13 the coherence of his signature 09:15 before and after his torture reveals 09:17 the severity of his punishment. 09:20 Eventually they captured 09:21 and executed all those involved in the plot, 09:25 including the ringleader Robert Catesby. 09:34 The king and parliament had been saved, 09:37 England had been spared another bloody takeover 09:40 and Protestantism remained the dominant religion. 09:43 Today this event is commemorated in every village, 09:46 town and city across the country 09:48 with bonfires being lit. 09:50 In an event often fondly known as bonfire night, 09:54 in a country that has remained independent 09:56 for hundreds of years, 09:58 this is perhaps the closest thing 09:59 to a national 10:01 or Independence Day celebration. 10:03 Something that stands out from this episode of history is how 10:07 thin and fragile the line is between freedom and tyranny. 10:13 A famous person once said that your freedom 10:15 and mine cannot be separated 10:18 and yet today we live in a society 10:20 where if someone's rights are being abused 10:22 people are more likely to film it 10:24 on their mobile phones 10:25 than they are to stop and do something to help. 10:28 May we defend our freedoms, civil and religious, 10:32 anytime they come under attack 10:34 and the freedoms of others 10:35 if we ever see them under threat as well. 11:22 In 1620, a boat laid with 130 passengers set sail 11:27 for the new world, a frontier that had been 11:30 breached by only a few other Europeans 11:33 and would eventually come to be known 11:34 as the United States of America. 11:37 They would land on the East Coast in Cape Cod 11:40 before finally settling in Plymouth, Massachusetts. 11:44 Their journey however begins in a small English village. 11:54 Scrooby lies in Nottinghamshire and whilst it appears calm 11:58 and humble, the residents 12:00 who came from this village over 380 years ago 12:04 were firm in belief and strong in conviction. 12:07 The principal members of the Scrooby separatists 12:10 were Clyfton as pastor, 12:12 Robinson as teacher and Brewster as ruling elder. 12:17 Thirty residents left Scrooby and headed for the Netherlands 12:20 where they joined John Smith 12:22 who had previously left England 12:24 with another group of separatists, 12:27 though this would not be their permanent home. 12:35 Further meetings would take place 12:37 and those in Holland decided that 12:39 they would head to the Americas. 12:41 On the English side of the channel 12:44 there were people who were unhappy 12:46 with the religious restrictions being imposed by the church 12:49 and they also decided that England was ceasing to be 12:53 a habitable place. 12:59 The Mayflower set sail from this exact spot here 13:03 on the Thames in Rotherhithe, South London. 13:06 Above me the Mayflower pub marks this spot 13:09 where 53 people set sail for America. 13:13 Its sister ship the Speedwell left from the Netherlands 13:16 but when it was 200 miles off the coast of Cornwall, 13:19 they had to turn back 13:20 because it had developed a leak. 13:22 Those onboard the Speedwell then disembarked 13:25 and got on board the Mayflower swelling its numbers 13:27 from 53 to 130. 13:30 Forty-three of those people 13:32 on the Mayflower were separatist, 13:34 puritans who did not believe 13:35 in the union of church and state 13:38 and were unhappy at how the Anglican Church 13:40 was treating those who disagreed with her. 13:49 Those on board had to put up with cramped living conditions, 13:53 food shortages, little fresh meat, 13:56 little water, severe seasickness 13:59 and violent storms making it an incredibly arduous journey. 14:04 They finally sighted land on the 9th of November, 14:07 1620, in Cape Cod and would eventually anchor 14:11 in Provincetown on the 21st of November. 14:15 Of those who made the journey over half would die 14:19 that first winter due to the harsh weather, 14:22 illness and the poor diet available to them. 14:30 Little did these people realize the impact 14:33 that this journey would have on history 14:35 and the legacy that they would leave 14:36 that in just 150 years 14:38 the land that they arrived in would fight 14:41 and win its independence, 14:43 and just 200 years past its independence 14:46 would rank as the most powerful nation 14:48 in the world. 14:49 For those on board the ship I'm sure the actions 14:52 did not seem so heroic and brave, 14:54 but history remembers them well. 14:57 Never underestimate the impact 14:59 that your life can have 15:00 on future successive generations, 15:03 the decisions that you make, 15:05 the sacrifices you enjoy and the principles 15:08 that you live by can have a profound impact 15:10 on your children 15:12 and it can have a profound impact 15:13 on the successive generations 15:14 of young people that come after you. 15:17 Our life that we live however small 15:20 they may seem can have an impact 15:22 that will be reflected only in eternity. 15:54 What was at the heart of the reformation, 15:56 was it a location, was it Augsburg, Geneva, 16:00 Wittenberg or Edinburgh 16:02 or was it something more than that? 16:05 The focal point was that the Bible was written for 16:09 and could be interpreted 16:11 and understood by the common man. 16:14 The result of this focus was a discovery of 16:17 who the Antichrist was and who Jesus Christ was 16:21 and that he was freely accessible to all. 16:29 On October 31st, 1517, 16:32 Martin Luther nailed his 95 thesis to the door 16:35 of Wittenberg Castle Cathedral, 16:37 oblivious of the ramifications of his actions. 16:40 Luther was 34 16:41 and throughout the rest of his life, 16:43 he will be the engine that drove the reformation, 16:45 inspiring countless generations to come. 16:48 At the time Luther was responding to John Tetzel 16:51 who was traveling through Germany 16:53 selling indulgences essentially a fast ticket to heaven 16:56 in order to fund the building 16:58 of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. 17:06 Based on Romans 1:16-18, 17:10 Luther believed in salvation through faith by grace 17:14 while the papacy believed our salvation 17:16 requires some action on our behalf 17:18 which in this case 17:20 was the purchasing of indulgences. 17:25 In 1999 the Catholic Church signed a joint declaration 17:29 with the Lutheran Church which was hailed by 17:32 many as a step in bridging the divide 17:35 and reaching a consensus on justification, 17:38 however the Catholic Church 17:39 still affirmed the view of the Council of Trent 17:42 on justification which declared upholding 17:45 justification by faith alone as anathema. 17:54 The Roman Catholic Church's basic view of salvation 17:57 is still dependent on the mediation of the church, 18:01 the distribution of grace 18:02 by means of the sacraments, 18:04 the intercession of the saints 18:06 and purgatory 18:07 even after the joint declaration of 1999. 18:13 Jesus prayed in John 17 that His people may be one 18:17 as He and the Father are one. 18:19 In the Bible at the end of time 18:21 it says there will be one flock and one shepherd. 18:24 However, truth must never be sacrificed 18:26 for unity and peace 18:28 cannot be attained through compromise. 18:35 Today, unity is often secured through shallow statements 18:38 and a minimization of historical events 18:41 and a reinterpretation of those same events 18:44 to suit current agendas. 18:46 Martin Luther was not a saint 18:48 nor were his beliefs completely without error, 18:51 but his understanding and conviction that 18:53 the Bible could be understood by the common man 18:56 and that salvation was available through 18:59 direct communion between the believer 19:01 and Jesus Christ still stands today. 19:08 The issues that gave birth 19:09 to the reformation 500 years ago 19:12 are still relevant to the church at large today. 19:15 While we should welcome all opportunities 19:17 for clarification and cooperation, 19:20 we should also affirm as did the reformers 19:22 that the Bible is our final authority 19:26 and that salvation is through faith alone. 19:33 Luther famously said, 19:34 "Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason, 19:38 I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, 19:41 for they have contradicted each other. 19:42 My conscience is captive to the Word of God. 19:46 I cannot and I will not recant anything, 19:49 for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. 19:52 Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise, God help me. 19:56 Amen." 20:03 Today it will be well for the church at large 20:05 and each one of us individually to take this 20:08 as our guide. 20:09 It is neither right nor safe to go against conscience 20:12 and Scripture accompanied by sound reason 20:15 and the Holy Spirit needs to be our teacher. 20:19 Let us be faithful to God's Word, 20:21 gracious in how we share it, 20:23 firm in our understanding of its truths 20:26 and immovable in our convictions. 21:11 The Waldensian stand as one of the most faithful 21:13 groups of people throughout history in Europe, 21:16 faithful to the Word of God and faithful amidst much trial, 21:20 despite suffering repeated persecution 21:23 over the course of almost a millennia. 21:25 In the 17th century they would go through 21:28 one of the worst episodes of their history. 21:39 In January of 1655, the Duke of Savoy 21:42 gave the Waldensians in the lower valleys a choice, 21:45 either attend mass or leave the valleys. 21:48 Rather than compromise, some 2,000 believers 21:51 journeyed across snowy rivers and hills in the dead of winter 21:55 to be welcomed by their fellow believers 21:57 in the upper valleys. 21:58 But this was merely the calm before the storm. 22:02 In April of that year, the Duke sent an army 22:05 into the valleys and on April 24th at 4 a.m., 22:09 a Saturday, the massacre started. 22:19 Not contempt with simply killing them, 22:21 the soldiers and monks who accompanied them 22:23 invented barbaric tortures, 22:25 babies and children had their limbs torn 22:28 from their bodies by shear strength. 22:31 Parents were forced to watch their children 22:33 tortured and killed before they themselves 22:35 were tortured and killed. 22:37 Fathers were made to wear the decapitated heads 22:40 of their children 22:41 as they were marched to their death. 22:43 Some Christians were literally plowed into their own field, 22:47 some were flayed or burned alive 22:49 and many endured much worse. 22:52 Unburied bodies dead and alive covered the ground. 22:57 In order to escape this terrible massacre, 22:59 hundreds of Waldensians fled to a large cave 23:02 in the towering mount Castelluzzo, 23:05 the murderous soldiers however found them 23:07 and marched them to the top. 23:19 They came to this spot right here 23:21 and will hurled over the edge to their death 23:23 on the rocks below. 23:25 I believe that on the resurrection morning 23:27 many faithful believers will rise to glory 23:30 from the bottom of this mountain 23:31 and in this valley. 23:33 This is the reference in Milton's famous sonnet too, 23:36 the bloody Piedmontese that hurled mother 23:39 and infant down the rocks. 23:41 Survivors of the massacre were few, 23:43 but they rallied together and wrote to Christians 23:46 throughout Europe for help, 23:48 their letters included the heartrending words, 23:50 our tears are no longer of water, 23:53 they are of blood. 23:55 They do not merely obscure our site, 23:57 but choke our very heart. 23:59 When Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England 24:02 heard of the massacre, 24:04 he called for a national day of fasting 24:06 and collected money to send to meet 24:09 the physical needs of the Waldensians. 24:19 This was not the only instance of persecution 24:21 and it continued over three and a half decades 24:24 from 1655 to 1689. 24:28 During that time more than half were driven from the valleys, 24:31 yet in 1689 Henri Arnaud 24:34 from Noyon, Switzerland led a force 24:37 of 800 warriors back to the border. 24:40 In the winter they resisted four separate attacks 24:43 from a much larger army. 24:45 In spring the papal armies returned with 22,000 soldiers, 24:50 this time to fight a much smaller 24:52 Waldensian force of just 400 men, 24:55 yet they were once again defeated and not only that, 24:58 not one of the 400 men was lost in this battle. 25:01 They returned to the valleys 25:03 in what was called the glorious return, 25:05 we're claiming them once again as a place 25:07 where they could live and worship. 25:19 The Waldensians had a faith that reminds me of Job, 25:23 they were a people who suffered attacks 25:24 and persecutions for several centuries 25:27 close to a thousand years suffering immeasurably, 25:31 for many it did not weaken their faith 25:33 but rather strengthened it. 25:35 Sometimes in life we may be serving God 25:37 dedicating our lives to Him, 25:39 and we still go through hard times, 25:42 trials and suffering 25:43 that may we say we do not deserve. 25:46 May we have a faith like Job 25:48 who said though He slay me yet will I trust Him. 25:52 Whatever we go through in life, 25:54 may we stay hold of God trusting that 25:56 He has our best interests at heart. |
Revised 2020-05-14