The Movement for Religious Freedom
1492 - Christopher Columbus discovers the new world
Columbus was a Christian
"It
was the Lord who put it into my mind, (I could feel His hand upon me),
the fact that it would be possible to sail from here to the Indies. All
who heard of my project rejected it with laughter, ridiculing me. There
is no question that the inspiration was from the Holy Spirit, because He
comforted me with rays of marvelous inspiration from the Holy
Scriptures.......
I
am a most noteworthy sinner, but I have cried out to the Lord for grace
and mercy, and they have covered me completely. I have found the
sweetest consolation since I made it my whole purpose to enjoy His
marvelous Presence.
For the execution of the voyage to the Indies, I did not make use of intelligence, mathematics or maps.
It is simply the fulfillment of what Isaiah* had prophesied......
No
one should fear to undertake any task in the name of our Savior, if it
is just and if the intention is purely for His holy service. The working
out of all things has been assigned to each person by our Lord, but it
all happens according to His sovereign will, even though He gives
advice. Oh, what a gracious Lord, who desires that people should perform
for Him those things for which He holds Himself responsible! Day and
night, moment by moment, everyone should express their most devoted
gratitude to Him."
- from "Columbus's Book of Prophecies".
This
book is only available in Spanish. It has never been published in the
English speaking world. Some excerpts have been privately translated
into English by August J. Kling. He quoted the passage above from
Columbus's diary in an article which appeared in the October 1971 issue
of "The Presbyterian Layman".
* Columbus's reference to Isaiah's prophecy was probably Isaiah 40:22.
In this scripture passage the prophet Isaiah made reference to "the circle of the earth".
"It is He who sits above the circle of the earth".
(Isaiah 40:22)
During the voyage he wrote in his journal Isaiah 49:1,6
“Listen
to me, all you in distant lands! Pay attention, you who are far away!
The LORD called me before my birth; from within the womb he called me by
name....I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my
salvation to the ends of the earth.””
(Isaiah 49:1, 6 NLT-SE)
On October 12, 1492, the stepped onto the new land, an island they called San Salvador
**Class received two handouts about Christopher Columbus
1550s Henry VIII protests against the Catholic Church
To get divorced and marry his lover, King Henry VIII kicks out the Catholic church and says England is a Protestant country.
This is God’s providence in breaking the yoke of Catholicism
England will go back and forth between Catholicism and Protestantism
http://www.biography.com/people/henry-viii-9335322?page=2
Then comes Edward VI, Lady Jane, and “Bloody” Mary
under
Edward VI (Protestant), the Puritan movement was born, desiring to
purify the Church of England of its errors and ungodliness were
“purifiers” or “puritans”
Lady Jane queen for 9 days (Protestant)
At 16 years old, she was married, became queen, was imprisoned and died for her faith
Queen “Bloody” Mary I Tudor of England (Catholic) in 1553
Persecuted the Puritans, they fled to Geneva
**Class received two handouts about this period (one specifically about Lady Jane)
1558 Queen Elizabeth I (protestant)
The
Puritans coming back to England. The movement to purify the church
changed to separate from the Church of England and they became known as
the “Separatists”
1588 Spanish Armada
King
Philip II of Spain wanted to bring England back under the dominion of
Rome (Catholicism). Queen Elizabeth I (the Protestant) defeats the
Catholics.
Philip
II of Spain send the Spanish Armada to bring England again under the
domination of Rome. As the Spanish fleet sailed up the English Channel,
they were met by the much smaller English navy. In the natural, the
English had no hope, yet all of England had been fasting and praying. A
storm arose which blew many of the Spanish ships up against the coast
of Holland, causing them to sink. Oddly, the smaller English ships were
not affected by the storm and were able to maneuver next to the Spanish
ships and set many of them on fire. A few Spanish ships limped back to
Spain without touching English soil.
God
had providentially intervened to protect His people and ensure that
England would fulfill its purpose as a nation. Even the nation of
Holland acknowledged the hand of God. In commemoration of the event,
they minted a coin. On one side were ships sinking; on the other, men
on their knees in prayer with the inscription: “Man Proposeth, God
Disposeth,” and the date “1588”. Had Spain won, we would probably be
speaking Spanish today.
It was the hand of God that brought defeat of the “invincible” armada
1603 James I becomes king of England
Persecuted the Separatists, many fled from England to Holland
1604 King James Bible
1620 First Pilgrims to New World were Separatists
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