Songs of Suffering and Victory

TROWEL & SWORD

Rev. John Vanderbom
May, 1962

The people of the Netherlands in the days of the Reformation were not only a suffering but at the same time a singing nation.

How badly God's people have been persecuted during the first period of the Eighty f Years' War, and how many martyrs have fallen under Spanish and Papal persecution is commonly known. However, this period of suffering and persecution is deservedly named the birth pains of a new nation. A young, vigorous country came into existence. It was the pressing of the milk which brought forth the cream of a self-conscious and militant protestant nation.

The beginning of its struggle was dark and grim with bloodshed, tears and funeral piles, the end of the Eighty Years' War marked Holland's Golden Age.

For the Christian believer it is always a matter of highest interest to notice how the birth and growth of this young nation, namely in its flourishing provinces Holland and Zeeland (and also Friesland) revealed itself and became manifest in the many new hymns and Psalms (in rhymed version) which in those days were sung, not only in the young churches of the Reformation, but also in the street and at home, and by men and women at work or on the fleet.

The churches of the Netherlands are still known as the most psalm-singing churches of the world. And although the rhymed version was revised repeatedly, the tunes of the psalter remained the old Genevan tunes as they were composed by those able friends of John Calvin, Leon Bourgeois and Master Pierre.

The often strong and jubilant Genevan melodies became very popular in Europe which is proved by the fact that even Roman Catholics in France began to sing them. The bitter persecutions of the French huguenots which made many of them flee to find refuge in other protestant countries, has also contributed to the spreading of the Genevan tunes to nearly every country of the European continent, even as far as to Italy, Hungary and Lutheran Scandinavian countries.

In the Netherlands these are the psalms and tunes which are learnt by the children in the Christian Day School. Several specimens with more or less success were introduced into an English version for the American Reformed and Christian Reformed Church, of which we only mention the psalms 100 and 121 as the oldest ones.

During the German oppressions of the last world war many persecuted people began again to discover the riches and strength of the Word of God in the old and popular rhymed version. One could refer to Psalm 3 and 68 (verses 1,2,5) the latter being aptly called ‘the marching hymn of the huguenots’.

In the second place it is proper to mention that most wonderful hymn which often has been called the National Psalm of the Dutch. No nation on earth possesses an anthem so spiritual, so powerful, so biblical. 'Composed in honour of the illustrious Lord Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau, ‘Father of the Country’, so ran the dedication of this "new Christian Ballad" appearing in a Dutch songbook of 1581. Free as it is from all national pride and boast it stands out among all the national anthems as the glorious exception of a hymn filled to the brim with messages from the Word of God. It could be compared with the Song of Luther "A Mighty Fortress", which paraphrases the 46th psalm. The theme of the "New Christian Ballad" is ‘ the Lord, our Help and our Shield’, with the closing prayer of Psalm 25, ‘O God, redeem Israel from all his iniquities’.

It must have been written in the years between 1568 and 1570 which were the days of direst distress. The author (unknown, though most likely the well-known psalm-writer Marnix van St. Aldegonde, friend of George Buchanan) refers to words spoken by David in the days when he was chased by Saul, the tyrant. The ‘theology’ of the anthem is 'Calvinistic', proclaiming obedience to the king. The poem is a fifteen verse acrostic, the initial letters of each verse spelling out the name of its hero, Willem van Nassau. It must have been the anonymous outburst from someone close to the Silent William, during one of the most crucial moments of the latters life. The author lets the Prince himself express his feelings, or his confession of faith in this hymn, according to his own motto: Saevis Tranquillus in Undis, ‘Calm in the midst of raging waves’.

The Wilhelmus was written much earlier than most other national anthems, the majority of which were composed as late as in the 18th and 19th century, the age of romanticism and imperialism, and it is heart warming in a world of nationalism to read these words in which the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.

The author lets the Prince speak: ‘I, William of Nassau, am a free Prince of Orange and have always respected the King of Spain’. All his life the Prince and other knights had maintained the viewpoint that they did not rebel against the King of Spain, but against his misguided and cruel governors (which was also the view of Guido de Bray in his Belgic Confession). Besides, the Prince could not be called a rebel as he was the King's equal, a free Prince of Orange, who as such owed no allegiance.

It is difficult to state how strongly the words of this poem through the centuries and again during the last war have moved and inspired God's children in the Low Lands at the sea. And again: this song is ecumenical, like Luther's song. What Christian could not join in this 'national psalm of prayer’?

Finally, when writing on the miracle of a singing nation in days of cruel suffer-ings, we have to mention that wonderful book of folk songs, nearly all of which are of a deeply spiritual character: the Memorial of Adrian Valerius (Gedenk-klank) first published in 1625.

The collection opened with the 'New Christian Ballad', the Wilhelmus, which in truth has introduced not only the Netherlands' national existence, but also her national literature. The melodies of several of these songs betray a foreign origin (English, French, Italian). But the contents are purely inspired by their contemporary warlike situation. Here is militant Calvinism in a special sense of the word. Sometimes the humour of the Bible is boiling over the brim of the sentences. He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole which he has made. Here we find the songs that were made after the victory of the Armada (1588) (How blessed is the land which God, the Lord protects, 1588) and the hymn that was made for the national day of prayer after one of Maurice's victories (We praise Thee, o Lord, our Redeemer, Creator, 1597).

These are the songs and melodies which for the present generation still are kept alive by the many "singing towers" of the Netherlands (only a city like Amsterdam possesses at least nine carillons), as a reminder of a past that was drenched in the blood of the martyrs but which also kept strength and faith in the promises of God. In sufferings and toil and tribulation, more than conquerors were they!

The history of the First William (who received a worthy statue among the heroes of the Reformation in the Monument at Geneva) and of his God fearing Mother Juliana van Stolberg, cannot be read and these folk-songs cannot be sung without a deep emotion. For they witness realities which are super national, preaching resignation in days of darkness and challenging to fight the good fight with all our might in the light of the glorious sovereignty of the Word of God and of the God of His Word.

The victory is His.

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