104 THE FOOLISHNESS OF THE DUTCH Word, or ruling over that Word? They are two In the meantime, what was happening in The very different attitudes! Netherlands? How did the Enlightenment and the French Revolution affect that little country? The people thought they had become so educated and clever that they could judge which parts of Not good at all! the Bible were true and which parts were just The 'Enlightenment' had a devastating influence fables. They knew better than the Bible. People there as well. The people had left the path of believed they were 'enlightened'! truth despite God's continual care for them. Believe everything in the Bible? The authors promoting the ideas of ‘Liberty, Not likely! Equality and Fraternity', were mainly writers from Many stories are just Jewish fables. The Bible is full of lies! different countries who lived in The Netherlands. Election and reprobation? They had moved to the Lowlands because this Nonsense! country was known to be very tolerant of people If people just live decently, they'll be okay. with different ideas. That man had to repent and convert? Streams of blood flowed in France as millions of That their sins had to be forgiven by the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ? people were callously murdered. Thankfully, this No, of course not. didn't happen in The Netherlands. Why not? The people were not that bad! Were they better? Oh no, on the contrary! But They no longer believed that a person had to be because the Lord protected them. Only God's justified by faith alone. incredible patience is the reason for this. The No, those ideas were old fashioned. They didn't Dutch people must thank God that during the believe that anymore! They had become too Revolution, Dutch soil was not soaked in blood. intelligent for that! In the Bible and confessions, we read about Slowly but surely, deformation set in. At the 'original sin'. But that was the wrong term, so they beginning of the 18th century, the people replaced it with 'moral corruption'! That sounded outwardly still professed the truth, but genuine a little more refined! love and fear for the Lord was growing cold. They no longer spoke about man's 'depravity'. They changed that term to 'weakness' and THE REVOLUTION TAKES HOLD 'infirmities. As a result, they eagerly read the wicked books in God's wrath upon sin? which the doctrine of Revolution was taught. As in Brrr, no, that sounds way too harsh. They changed France, it poisoned the minds of thousands of that term to 'holy displeasure'. That sounds a bit nicer. people. It even penetrated the Church. Instead of Regeneration? opposing and warning against the spirit of Not likely, that was not necessary. Enlightenment, the Church began to teach it! Ridiculous! The spirit of Enlightenment penetrated the They changed that term to 'moral improvement'! theological colleges. The professors taught that That sounds better! The people could improve the Reformation was not about serving God themselves! Sanctification through the blood of Christ? according to His Word, no, the Reformation had Nonsense! come so that we could study God's Word freely! The people had to live virtuously. That's what Well, isn't that true? Shouldn't we study God's counts! Word? Yes, of course! But the question is, how must we do this? Prayerfully, in subjection to that And so we could go on. Reason and intellect replaced the authority of the Then the governor got the blame. Word of God. They even openly told parents to: 'Carefully hide the Bible from your children!' Is A war broke out with England, and the Dutch navy that not terrible?! was no match for the English fleet. The governor God's Word teaches us differently. There we read: got the blame, even though he had urged them to 'And you fathers, bring your children up in the build up the fleet, but they had refused to listen! nurture and admonition of the Lord.' They even got Patriotic ministers. With a sword But they laughed at that. That was old-fashioned. belted to their side, these ministers climbed the The government protected those wicked and pulpit and preached about 'true' liberty. Those deceitful ministers. fools! They were the 'intelligent' ones, so the people had to listen to them. No, it did not go well in The Netherlands. True, there were still ordinary people who feared When the Church was flourishing, our fore-fathers the Lord uprightly. But nobody listened to them as insisted on a good education. Children had to the 'Enlightened' people knew better now. learn to read so they could study scripture and THE DUTCH IMITATE THE FRENCH confession. Do you notice how things developed the same But now the new age of Enlightenment had way in the Netherlands as in France before the arrived. So education had to change, and children Revolution? They imitated may no longer read the Bible. the French in everything. In 1784 a society was established in Fashion was copied, and the The Netherlands to take care of upper-class even started education. That society received the speaking French instead of appealing name: 'Society for General Dutch; that was more Welfare.' New, modern and beautiful fashionable, more dignified! schools were built everywhere. That In France they had rejected society also organised the training of royalty; the Dutch imitated teachers and provided new, bright, that as well, they rejected modern-looking books for the children. the House of Orange. These were all good things. Nobody would deny that. And yet... that Their governors William IV 'Society for General Welfare' brought and especially William V corruption into the country because were not strong leaders. those new teachers followed the They were too easygoing Governor Willem V 'Enlightenment'. and friendly. They wanted 1751 -1806 to be friends with everyone. And now the people Those who rejected the Bible had to teach the called them ‘tyrants'! How could they? They were children. not tyrants at all! No good could come from that. The people who said these things called And those new books, so nice and bright? They themselves patriots! Those Dutch people would were full of so-called 'honesty', and ''virtue'. Poor only be happy if the House of Orange were children! From their youth, they were pumped full expelled. of false teachings! When something went wrong? But was no one left to warn against that? Yes, Then the governor got the blame. there were some. When things did not go their way? One was the godly Alexander Comrie. He was a Enemies? minister in the little town of Woubrugge, near Not at all! Rotterdam. He was born They are friends! They come to bring true liberty in Scotland and originally and deliver them from the 'tyranny' of the princes came to The Netherlands of Orange. as a clerk. Liberty, Equality, Fraternity! Wherever the French army marches into a town, This Reverend Comrie the people receive them with open arms and fought against that spirit throw big parties. They set up a tall pole, decorate of 'Enlightenment' for his it with wreaths and ribbons, and a 'revolution hat' entire life. He focused on adorns the top. Arm in arm with French soldiers, the people dance preaching justification by Alexander Comrie. and skip around the 'Tree of Liberty'. Now true faith alone, which was 1707 -1774 the opposite of the happiness will begin, and therefore they 'Enlightenment' teachings of 'virtue', 'honesty', celebrate. Happiness is worth celebrating, isn't it! and 'being a good citizen'. He was a minister in WILLIAM V Woubrugge for almost forty years. In that same bitterly cold month of January 1795, GOD COMES WITH HIS JUDGEMENTS a man stands at the empty beach of A biting east wind blows over the Dutch fields. Scheveningen, absorbed in gloomy thoughts. That Shivering, the people seek shelter indoors against man is Governor William V. The majority of the the bitter cold. Everything is covered with a thick layer of snow; the waterways are frozen. Even the major rivers lie covered under a thick layer of ice. The French army approaches the southern border. They cross the border and arrive at those major rivers, but these cannot prevent them from advancing, for the ice is thick and strong enough to hold them all. Cannons, horses and wagons, thousands of soldiers; they all ride or march over the frozen river into The Netherlands. It couldn’t get any easier. Tree of Liberty But. but... is that allowed? Can they just cross Dutch people had rejected him. So to prevent the border without anyone offering any bloodshed, he decided to leave voluntarily. resistance? Where are the Dutch soldiers who should be defending their country against the There stands that so-called 'tyrant'. invading army? He departs without resisting. The boat that will carry him to England lies ready. Offer resistance? Yet he hesitates, for he finds it so hard to leave his Fight? beloved country. He walks up and down the No way. The French troops, bedraggled and beach, still waiting and hoping for favourable shivering from the cold in their threadbare reports. uniforms, can simply march in unhindered. Offer Perhaps he need not go. resistance? Perhaps a miracle will happen. Everywhere the French forces are welcomed with But he waits in vain. The miracle did not happen! cheering. The bewitched people skip and dance Although he received reports from The Hague, with joy. Yes but, isn't it the enemy that is they are all bad reports. He hears that the French approaching? have entered the country by crossing the frozen rivers and are already approaching The Hague.