Germany At Heidleberg is courteously treat- among themselves, for some would gladly ed by the Prince Palatine. : have heard me, others would not suffer me; but one of the chiefest of their teachers was ABOUT this time I passed towards Dover, very moderate, and spoke to this purpose, that where I took shipping for Zealand, to go for if I had a nearer way to God to declare, than Holland; and after some hardship sustained that which they knew, or one that was more at sea, by reason of tempestuous weather and excellent than theirs, they would willingly contrary winds, through the providence of the hear me. In order thereto many of them Lord I got to Flushing, where I staid but came together in the afternoon, and heard me little, and passed for Middleburgh, where I declare that way which I preferred before visited the very few Friends that there were in theirs, and affirmed it to be nearer to God, the city; and afterwards I went to Treveare, and more excellent than theirs and little where I found a vessel almost ready to sail they had at that time to object against it. for Dort in Holland. In my journey I was Before we parted they were so far satisfied, exceedingly filled with the Lord's love, and that by their great silence, in which they sat the power of his might, though I was alone, as if they had been Friends, they seemed not not having any Friend in company with me, to have any thing further to object. After but many passengers; and among the rest a the meeting was done, the aforesaid teacher Catholic, who was filled with much envy and invited us to his house, and to take up our wickedness, and uttered desperate threatening lodging there, which for several reasons we words against me, giving some to understand were free to accept of. When we got to his what a small matter it was in their account, house at night, many people followed us, so to do a man a mischief who spoke against that we had a very good meeting. And when their religion. In the height of his wicked- we had continued there some time in very ness he boasted of a pardon which he had in good service, we left that place and returned his pocket, not only for the sins he had com- to Leuwarden, the metropolitan city of that mitted, but also for what he should commit: province: there we found some in whom but before we parted, the power of the Lord there were desires after the truth, with whom reached to his own witness in the man, we had meetings. Afterwards we passed to whereby he was smitten in himself for his a place called Mackham, where there were folly, and his fury against me was much also many of the aforesaid Baptists, and we turned into friendship towards me. Thus do were entertained by an old man, who had we often see the Lord changing the hearts of been a preacher among them for many years. our enemies, and restraining them from the evil they intend against us; which we must acknowledge to be the Lord's doing, which is, and often hath been, marvellous in our eyes; to him therefore be glory, honour, and dominion, for ever and ever. When first-day came, it was upon us to go to their place of worship, which we did; and waited until he that was speaking had done: afterwards I began to speak, but he would not suffer me, (to wit, he that had preached,) but became presently very angry, though the people would gladly have heard me; but he would not suffer them; and he became finally so uncivil, that he put the people out of the meeting place with his own hands; at which some being much offended, I got well to Rotterdam, through mercy, where I found Friends very well in the Lord. After we had been sweetly comforted together, I took leave of them, and went to the city of Leyden, where I also visited that little flock, with whom my soul at that time was com- a skipper or master of a vessel, stood up and forted. From thence I passed to the city of Amsterdam, where my refreshment was augmented in the Lord among his babes in that place, at which I arrived the sixth of the tenth month, 1660. said, If they would not suffer me to speak there, I should speak at his house; and the same man came and took us to his house, where afterwards we had a pretty good meeting, and such as had desires to hear the truth came thither, so that I had some very good service there for the Lord. Afterwards it was upon me with another Friend called Peter Hendricks, to go into Friesland, which we did; and in due time When we were free of that place we went through mercy we arrived well upon a first- to Worchum, where we also had a meeting day in the morning, at a place called Dock- or meetings. When we were pretty clear of ham, where we went into the meeting of the Baptists, so called, which was very large. When he that spoke had done, I stood up and began to declare the everlasting truth in their own language. They were much divided VOL. IX.-No. 12. those parts, we returned again for Amster dam, where we were received with joy and gladness by Friends, who rejoiced with us in the good service which we had had; and blessed be the Lord for our preservation. 59 [From this city W. C. addressed a letter have had in England,* hath also stirred the to Friends in England, (as is supposed,) and swell, as if they would prevail beyond waters very much here, so that they rage from which the following extracts are selected.] "O! my beloved friends, Much the bounds which are set for them. "It is delightful to me to meditate upon the Lord's love to you, and it is a comfort and refreshment to my soul to feel you in the unity of the eternal Spirit, wherein I have daily communion with you, though I am necessitated, for the scattered seed's sake, to be much as without the camp, where the reproach is borne, with many weights and burdens, by reason of which my soul is sometimes bowed down. Yet, O! my friends, I share with you of that joy and peace, love and life, which abound in your tents; and therein can I rejoice with you in the midst of our trials and sufferings, though as to the outward I am far separate from you. Yet know, that I have no more want and scarcity than I had when I was with you; for my heart is filled with love, my mouth with praise, and mine eyes with tears, when I behold your integrity and innocency, your faithfulness and constancy, under your trials and burdens. Often is my soul poured forth unto my Father on your behalf-unto whom a child is born, unto whom a Son is given; whose name is called the Prince of Peace, and of the increase of whose government there shall be no end. This is He, of whom I bear testimony to the nations, though they abhor Him, "Now friends, ye know this day hath been and say within themselves, we will not long foreseen, and often have ye been told have Him to rule over us, or we will not suf- that it would come, and seeing it is come, fer any of His messengers and servants to think not these fiery trials strange which atdwell among us, but we will imprison them, tend, though for the present they may not and put them to death,' &c. Thus the Lord seem joyous; yet without all controversy, may suffer them to do, until they have filled good will be brought forth by them to some, up the measure of their iniquities, as the Amo- and these things shall not be in vain; for it rites did; and then shall his iron rod be appears to me that they work together for the stretched over them, by which they shall be hastening of that work, which the Lord is broken to pieces like a potter's vessel, who determined to cut short in righteousness for have abhorred Him, and hated Him without the elect's sake. Therefore, let that reaa cause; but in that day will he spare you, soning part be kept under, that would say, who have followed Him through great tribu- this would hinder the work: for who art thou lation. In the meantime, O! beloved, he will that reasonest with the Lord! is not the work try your faith and patience; but be ye not his? and knowest thou better than he, what therefore troubled, for he knows what is good would be for the furtherance of it? If not, for you, in whom he has chosen in these latter be still, patient, and content; and let him days to manifest his power and glory, to the work for his Truth with us, or without us, families of the earth, whose glory and digni- according to the good pleasure of his Will; ty must be stained and brought to nothing." who hath all power in his hand; and this is he in whom we have believed, who commands the winds and the seas to be still, and they obey him; have we not seen it, and are not we his witnesses? if so, let us be patient a [He then proceeds to give a similar narrative of his labours in Friesland, &c., though somewhat more minute than given at this place in the Journal. He afterwards adds :] "The sudden and violent storm which ye * See the Histories of England concerning the troubles consequent upon the return of Charles II. little, and we shall see the Lord work wonderfully. Though I have written thus largely to you at present, yet my heart is as full of love as it was when I began to set pen to paper: so in the fulness, do I most dearly salute you, and in it do I leave you, and commit you unto Him, who is of power to establish all your hearts in the living Truth, in which I remain, your dear brother in the fellowship of sufferings, in the gospel of peace, WILLIAM CATON." Amsterdam, 25th of Eleventh month, 1660. I continued several months in Holland, where I had very good service, sometimes at Atkmore, sometimes at Haarlem, sometimes at Leyden, sometimes at Rotterdam, but mostly at Amsterdam; and I was much alone, especially about that time, for William Ames who had had very good service in those parts, was some time in Germany, and some time at Hamburgh: and once he travelled through Bohemia, and to Dantzic, and from thence to Poland. John Higgins who had been much in Holland, was seldom with me; so that I was much alone in the country: but the mercy and goodness of the Lord abounded very much towards me, for which my soul hath cause for ever to praise and magnify his name. An Abridgement,* which I printed at Rotterdam; and after I had finished it, I visited Friends in most places of that country, and had several good meetings among them, to their and my refreshment in the Lord. About that time it was upon me to go into Germany, partly to visit Friends, and partly to speak with the Prince Palatine, and some else in that country, I took my leave of Friends in Holland with much tenderness of heart, committing them to the custody and protection of the Almighty. About the 10th of the seventh month, 1661, with my dear brother William Ames, I set forward on our journey towards Germany, and in due time we got well to Cologne; from thence we travelled towards the Grave de Whitt's country, who had promised large liberty to all sorts of people, that would come and inhabit in his dominion. When we came there, we went to his house, and had an opportunity to speak with him; and he reasoned very moderately with us a while, and we endeavoured to inform ourselves as much as we could from his own mouth, of the certainty of what was published in his name concerning liberty. But in the end, we perceived clearly from him, that his invitation, though promising liberty or toleration, was not so much out of love to tender consciences, as out of covet. ousness for what was theirs, as since hath more evidently appeared. After we had had a very good time with him, and had informed ourselves sufficiently, and tried the ground from whence such things proceeded, we parted from him, and went up into the country, and had good opportunity to speak with some of the priests and people; and after we had satisfied and cleared ourselves, we left those parts, and travelled on our journey towards the Palz or Palatinate; where in due time we arrived, through the mercy of the Lord, at a place called Kriesheim, where we found a small remnant of Friends, that bore their testimony to the truth; with whom we were refreshed, after our long and pretty tedious journey. There we continued some time, helping them to gather their grapes, it being the time of their vintage; and when we had had a time of refreshment among them, we travelled towards Heidleberg, the place of the prince's residence. Soon after we came to Heidleberg, we went to the captain of the prince's life-guard, and About the time called Whitsuntide, in the year 1661, it was upon me to come over to London, chiefly to visit Friends there and thereabouts, after their great suffering. And the Lord gave me an opportunity, with two other Friends, viz: William Welch, and Benjamin Furly. Through the mercy of the Lord we got well over to Harwich, and from thence to Colchester, and so to London; where I was at several precious meetings, and was more than a little refreshed with the brethren, not only at London, but also at Kingston. But being pretty much pressed in spirit to return for Holland again, where there was some needful service for me, which required my hasting, I took my leave of Friends and brethren, in much love and unity at London, with whom my refreshment at that time was so great, that the remembrance of it afterwards was a great comfort to me. We got well back to Colchester, where we had a very large and precious meeting, to our own and Friends' strength in the Lord. We then went to Harwich, from whence we passed over to Holland again, and had a prosperous *"An Abridgement or Compendious Commeand successful journey of it, blessed be the moration of the remarkablest Chronologies which Lord, which tended much to our encourage-are contained in that celebrated Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius," &c., 1661. Reprinted 1689. ment. At that time I had in hand the book, called, Whiting's Catalogue. made known our desires to him concerning afterwards went to Heidleberg again, for I speaking with the prince; and he was willing to procure us access to him. Soon after, the prince sent for us to his palace, and he being at dinner, caused us to stand by him; and withal he heard very moderately what we had to say to him. Afterwards we presented several books to him, all which he kindly received from us, and was very courteous to us, and reasoned very familiarly with us in the presence of the great ones that were with him; and after we had had a favourable opportunity with him, we returned to our lodging. was not clear of that city. When I came there I hired a lodging in a goldsmith's house, and sometimes I went up to the prince's palace, and had good service there; and sometimes I was with some of the great ones of the city, with whom I had also very good service, and some of them were very courte ous and respectful to me: and more love appeared in some of them towards me than others could well bear. Then began the enmity in the clergy to get up against me; and through the means of some that were envious against me, I with another young man, In a short time after we went up to the who were all the Friends that were in that prince's palace again, having some further city, were ordered to appear before the coun occasion to speak with him; and having free cil, as also the man that entertained us. This access to him, we found him very moderate accordingly we did, and had a very good and courteous to us as before. He spoke to service, for never had there been any Friend his captain to cause us to sit down at the there before: so they had many things to table with his attendants, which we found query of me; and the Lord was pleased at freedom in the Lord to do; for he seemed to that very time to give me enough wherewith be somewhat troubled before, when he had to answer them, as also utterance, boldness, observed our unfreeness in that thing. After and dominion, even to the admiration of some. dinner we had much private discourse with They were moderate towards us, and suffered him, the governor of Manheim only being me to speak pretty freely and largely among present, and we found him to be pretty cour-them; but in the end, that they might appear to teously affected towards us; and therefore we were the more free to declare the truth in much plainness to him, and zealous in pleading Friends' cause with him, who had suffered by the priests about their tithe in his dominions. After we had spent some hours with him that day, we returned to our lodging again. do something, they would have me to depart out of their city, though they had nothing to lay to my charge, except for declaring the truth, and dispersing some books which testified of the truth; nevertheless, they suffered us then to depart from their judgment seat in peace. Afterwards the prince came to hear of it, and as we were informed, was very highly displeased with the council for troubling us, when we had given them no just occasion. After that I went to the president's house, who had examined me before the council; and after a little discourse with him, he became pretty moderate, and reasoned very familiarly with me, and asked me many things concerning our Friends in England; as also concerning the magistrates' proceedings towards them; and I was very free to give him About that time we were very busy in answering several books that were extant in High Dutch against the truth and Friends; the answers to which we intended to have printed here, but the printers fearing the reproof of the clergy, durst not print them for us in this city. We then departed from thence, and returned again to Friends at Kriesheim; and when we had staid some time with them, William Ames determined to return again for Amsterdam, there to get the aforesaid books printed. He took his a full account thereof for his information. leave of Friends, and I went along with him to a place called Alstone, where the governor of those parts lived. It was upon us to go to him, to lay some abuses before him that were sustained by Friends. He was moderate towards us, and a good service we had with him; and he gave me an order for the officer of the place where Friends lived, to take care that the rude multitude did not abuse Friends. After we had been with him, we took leave of each other in the endearedness of our Father's love, and he [William Ames] went for Hol. land, and I returned to Kriesheim again; there I staid with Friends some time, and Before we parted he seemed to be very loving to me, and thanked me for the present I had given him, which was some Friends' books; and yet before the council, my giving of such books to people was the greatest crime they had to lay to my charge, though both the prince and he received them from me, and accepted of them. CHAPTER XV. 1661.—He visits Manheim and Frankfort, his ill-treatment in a Monastery-visits the Je suits' College at Worms-At Heidleberg is introduced to the Prince—Is married to Anneken Derricks at Amsterdam, 1662. also some books to dispose of among them, which for novelty's sake they coveted much after: and when I had cleared myself of them, I left them; and in due time returned again into the Palz. I was several months, yea half a-year, in that country, where I had very good service I was also at the city of Worms; and it for the Lord, some time in one place, some was upon me to go to the Jesuits' college, to time in another. I was several times at a city reason with them, or some of them, concerncalled Manheim, where there were a sort of ing the truth of God, and their traditions, Baptists, who lived together as one family, which I did. When I came there, one that and had their goods common; with whom I was eminent among them did soon enter into was several times, and did bear my testimony discourse with me, and spoke very feignedly among them to the truth of God, though few to me for some time; for at the first he seemof them received it. I was several times with ed to have hopes, as it appeared to me, to the governor of that city at his own house; have won or gained me to his religion; and and he was very courteous to me, at least therefore did he seem to be the more ready seemingly, and desired me as often as I came and willing to resolve me in whatsoever I to the city, to come to his house. I was also propounded, so far as I believe he well could. in the country with a countess, so called, who But when he saw I did notwithstanding lay was very loving to me, and pretty open to open their apostacy, and boldly gave my teshear the truth; and at her house I found a timony against their inventions, superstitions, great lord, so called, who formerly had been and traditions, he could scarcely contain himgeneral of the emperor's army, as I was in- self from breaking out into a passion. I formed; and a great conference I had with him spent some hours in dispute with him, in the in the countess' presence, who was rather one presence of several that belonged to the colwith me in her judgment, than with the great lege, for whom he was as the mouth for the man before mentioned; and after I had had whole. When I had cleared my conscience, some very good service with them, I left and borne a faithful testimony unto the truth them. among them, I left them, and returned again [Extract from an Epistle addressed to Friends in London, by William Caton, dated Kreisheim, near Worms, in Germany, 30th of Eleventh month, 1661. This instructive Epistle is printed at large in Besse's Sufferings, vol. ii. p. 451. I was also at Frankfort, and endeavoured to Kriesheim, where our Friends inhabited; to get some books printed there, but could not for sometimes I was there, sometimes at Heiprevail with the stationers; for the books that dleberg, and sometimes elsewhere, where I were to be printed there, were first to be saw the Lord had a service for me. viewed by some of the clergy. When I saw I could not prevail there, I went with a Friend to another city called Hannau, where we got our business done; and afterwards returned again to Frankfort, one of the chief, if not the chiefest, city in Germany. On a certain time, I went into their chief monastery or temple, where the emperors are usually crowned; and the priests were gathering to their devotion: they were exceedingly offended with me, because I did not stand uncovered in what they call sacred, though it be an idolatrous, place. Some of the priests spoke to me, and one especially was exceedingly angry; and when we had spoken but a little together in Latin, he turned from me in a fury, and another that was with him fell upon me, and beat me sorely, and there he left me bleeding in the temple, where I left much of my blood behind me, as a testimony against the idolatry of that idolatrous place. "We have cause to praise and magnify the Lord God omnipotent for ever, who doth not only comfort and refresh us in our tribulations, through the consolations of his eternal Spirit, but also hath prepared a refuge for us, which we have truly found in his eternal light and pure power. And now if no storm had come, then I believe there would not have been such flocking and flying to this refuge, as there hath been, and as there is, and as I hope, there will be; therefore, if the storm of persecution do drive such as were neither cold nor hot from under their green trees of speI was also in the synagogue of the Jews of cious pretences and fair shows of religion and that city, where I reasoned much with them, reformation, to this sure hiding place or reand had a good opportunity to bear a faithful fuge, which is in the eternal light, life, and testimony of the eternal truth; though they power, which you have now made manifest, could apprehend little to it with their dark then will it be good in its season. Therefore minds, which were blinded with the god of let none be afraid of it who are faithful in this world, as their forefathers were. I had their measures; for indeed our heavenly Fa |