of the believers in Germany (who, with scarcely
any exceptions, are not only connected with the Establishment, but
have no idea that there is any where else any thing besides
Establishment) might require it. Thus, I judged, something would be
given to Germany of the practical working of labouring out of the
Establishment; of meeting only as believers in the name of the Lord
Jesus, irrespective of any particular religious party or sect, and
that in dependence upon the power and presence of the Holy Ghost in
the Church of Christ; of dependence upon the Lord alone for every
thing; of recognising no other book but the Holy Scriptures for our
rule concerning every thing, &c.; and thus my Narrative, if the Lord
allowed me to publish it, might be working still, after I had left
Germany. 4, Up to that time I had never known an open door for me to
labour on the Continent, at least not in Germany; for in the
Establishment I neither could labour with a good conscience,
according to the light which the Lord had been pleased to give me,
nor should I have been permitted to have done so; and I was not
acquainted with believers on the Continent out of the Establishment;
and as to preaching in the open air, or going somewhere and taking a
place for preaching, any thing of this sort was out of the question;
for I was too well acquainted with the police of Germany, not to know
that that would not be permitted. But now I heard of an open door. At
Stuttgart, I judged, I might labour in expounding the truth in this
close Baptist Church, and seek to bring these dear brethren out of
their sectarian views. 5, But that which in connexion with these four
reasons had likewise much influence upon me, was this: During the
fourteen years that I had been in England, I had never had my mind
drawn to labour on the Continent, and now the very opposite was the
case. It was but two or three days before I received those letters
from Stuttgart, that I had again expressed my mind as to labouring in
Germany, i.e. that I felt no call from the Lord to do it, and had no
drawing towards it. Now the case was altogether otherwise. I could
not but pray about it; I could not but feel drawn to go to Germany in
love to the Lord and in pity towards the poor Church of Christ in
that country. Naturally there was nothing inviting; for I saw a hard
struggle before me with reference to the brethren who were to be won
for the truth, and to be brought out of their errors; in the