History of Protestantism in the Netherlands - James Aitken Wylie

whom William himself should grant commissions.
Every ship was to carry a Protestant minister on
board, whose duty it was to conduct regular
religious service; and no one who had ever been
convicted of a crime was to be permitted to serve
in the fleet. The ships of all friendly Powers were
to pass untouched, and Alva and his adherents only
were the Sea Beggars to regard as lawful prey.
At the same time the prince adopted another
method of improving his finances in prospect of
the coming war of independence. Commissions
were given to the Protestant preachers, who
traversed the Provinces in disguise, and collected
money from all who were disaffected to the
Spanish Government, or inimical to the Romish
religion. None knew so well as they to whom to
apply, or were so able by their eloquence to
recommend the cause. William, besides, acquired
by their means an intimate and accurate knowledge
of the dispositions of all classes in the Netherlands.
Their mission was specially successful in Holland
and Zealand, where the Reformed religion had
made greater progress than in the southern
303