History of Protestantism in the Netherlands - James Aitken Wylie

president surveying all the while, from his own
window, the proceedings which he had stringently
forbidden, but was quite powerless to prevent.
There were only four Protestant ministers at
this time in all Holland. Their labors were
incessant; they preached all day and journeyed all
night, but their utmost efforts could not overtake
the vastness of the field. Every day came urgent
requests for a preacher from towns and villages
which had not yet been visited. The friends of the
Gospel turned their eyes to other countries; they
cried for help; they represented the greatness of the
crisis, and prayed that laborers might be sent to
assist in reaping fields that were already white, and
that promised so plenteous a harvest. In answer to
this appeal some ten pastors were sent, mainly
from the north of Germany, and these were
distributed among the cities of Holland. Other
preachers followed, who came from other lands, or
arose from amongst the converts at home, and no
long time elapsed till each of the chief towns
enjoyed a settled ministration of the Gospel.
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