p. 131 | THE SPANISH ARMADA by S. Isadore Miner

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · March 3, 1885

FromAdvent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 62, No. 9

THE SPANISH ARMADA.

By S. Isadore Miner

BY S. ISADORE MINER.

After the death of that intolerant Catholic Queen, Mary of England, in 1558, her half-sister Elizabeth ascended the throne according to the decree of their mutual parent, Henry VIII. Elizabeth was as zealous a Protestant as Mary had been a Catholic; and Protestantism and its adherents, therefore, were as greatly prospered in the reign of the former as they were persecuted in that of the latter.

Among the most bigoted enemies of Protestantism during the reign of Elizabeth, was Philip, king of Spain; and as the British domain was at that time almost the only country in which the principles of the Reformation had obtained anything of a foothold, it was, therefore, the chief object of Catholic hatred and malevolence. These reasons alone would have been sufficient to secure the enmity of Philip, had he not been strongly actuated by those of a personal nature. He long had entertained the desire to obtain possession of the English throne, and with this design had married Mary during her supremacy; but the evident determination of her subjects to resist any attempts made to instate the intruder as monarch, had defeated his object, and caused him to retire in discomfiture to his own kingdom. When Mary died, and Elizabeth came to the throne, he tried the same policy, but was summarily rejected. This fact, together with his mortifying failure in enforcing Catholicism to the exclusion of all other religions in his Holland possessions, so enraged the Spanish despot that he determined on a grand onset upon England, which would render it again subject to Rome, and would avenge himself on its queen, who, besides committing the grievous sin of upholding Protestantism, had refused him as her husband, and materially aided his Dutch provinces in their rebellion against his dominion in particular and Catholic dominion in general.

To this end he conceived the scheme of swooping down upon England with a vast fleet, and utterly crushing it by one decisive blow. At that time, England was not, as now, mistress of the seas, her navy consisting of but a few poorly equipped vessels. Philip had been a resident of England long enough to become thoroughly acquainted with her resources, both on sea and land. This, coupled with his influence in his own and foreign provinces, as well as with the pope, made him a most formidable enemy.

The enterprise was no sooner planned than preparations were immediately begun. It met, of course, the pope's approval, and to incite the support of the people, he issued a fresh bull of excommunication against Elizabeth, declaring all her subjects free from their oath of allegiance, and granting indulgences to all who would assist or engage in the invasion. This appeal brought in men of every rank and class, many hoping by this means to gain honor and distinction. Even the cities responded; those in the interior furnishing supplies and means, while in all the sea-port towns, vessels of every description were constructed to join the immense armament Philip was fitting out in Cadiz.

This fleet, the largest then known, was called the “Invincible Armada,” and who could doubt the appropriateness of its name. It consisted of 150 large vessels, and carried 19,295 soldiers, 8,460 sailors, besides slaves as rowers, and 2,431 cannon.

Arrayed against this powerful force, together with an army which Philip had ordered to cross the channel from his German provinces, was the then weak kingdom of England. But she had not been idle. Besides constructing and equipping as many vessels as the resources of the government would permit, ships were fitted out by private parties and means. Notwithstanding, the three years spent by the Spanish in preparation were years of anxiety and suspense to the English. They had kept themselves well posted in regard to the progress of the Armada, however, and were thereby enabled to hinder it considerably. At one time, Drake, a brave English commander, dashed into the harbor at Cadiz, and, before the sluggish Spaniards realized what had occurred, destroyed a large amount of shipping which took nearly a year's work to replace. Providence also interfered, and the experienced commander who had been entrusted with the expedition, not only died, but his assistant also, which necessitated the appointment of a totally inexperienced man.

At last, in May, 1588, the fleet, toward which the whole energies of the Spanish nation had been directed, set sail, and in due time appeared in the channel before England in the form of a huge crescent stretching seven miles from point to point. To all appearances the fate of England was sealed, her power swallowed up in foreign rule, and Protestantism forever crushed by papal usurpation. But God does not desert his cause. He who had delivered Israel by the waters of the sea, by the same means would again deliver his chosen cause, and protect the little spark of reformation which now seemed almost extinguished.

The handful of English boats went bravely out to meet the enemy. Being light and swift-sailing, while the Spanish ships were so large and unwieldy as to be almost unmanageable, they were enabled to harass the enemy and do much damage, receiving little injury themselves as the missiles of the invaders passed harmlessly over them. Thus they prevented the near approach of the Armada to the shore, and also the landing of the German force, and held them in check till a storm arose. The wind being favorable, a number of old boats daubed with tar were fired, and set adrift among the fleet, which effected its separation, and as they dared not attempt a return, they were compelled to push their way around through the North Sea. Here the storm struck them in all its fury, and the fleet was almost totally wrecked, the few who were spared from a watery grave off the stormy, rock-bound coast of Scotland being but a miserable remnant of the once mighty force.

Thus the cause of right had been most miraculously rescued. Not one Spaniard had been permitted to place foot on English soil, and, whereas Spain had expected to effect the destruction of the English by a single battle, even a single blow had been denied. Had the expedition succeeded, England, instead of being one of the staunchest upholders of Protestantism, would to-day be aiding its downfall, even if that religion had survived without her support.