Meanwhile, [Petrus] Dathenus led a rather checkered life. His preaching soon brought him into difficulties, even with William of Orange, the leader of the fight against Spain. The prince wanted to grant Roman Catholics freedom of worship, but Dathenus strenuously opposed such a policy. When Dathenus began to incorporate strong political statements into his messages, emphasizing in particular that any concession made to Spain would eventually destroy the Reformed faith, William strongly opposed him. Consequently, after 1567 we find Dathenus back in the Palatinate for some years, where he pastored a congregation of Dutch, French, and Walloon exiles, and served as court preacher for John Casmir. In 1578 we meet him back in his homeland as a pastor in Ghent. He again began to travel, preaching extensively, also on political issues of the day. Due to his political involvement, william of Orange had him imprisoned for eight months and then sent him into exile.

Dathenus returned to Frankenthal as pastor, but nearly died from an epidemic disease. He was later dismissed by the congregation as he was no longer able to perform the work in trusted to him. Sadly, this dismissal, together with his rejection by william, deeply embittered him. He was a man subject to like passions as we are (Jas. 5:17). He became a wanderer and took up the practice of medicine. According to his own testimony, he did not despise the Christian ministry but was forced into another occupation by his need to support himself and his wife. Wandering through Germany, he joined a revolutionary and heretical sect for a short time, which resulted in his being barred from the Dutch churches as well. Happily, the Dutch churches sent a delegation to lovingly convince him of his error. Upon their arrival, how grateful they must have been to hear from Dathenus’ own mouth a confession of his sin and a declaration that he had parted from the sect prior to their arrival! Nevertheless, due to the infirmities of age and a life spent fleeing persecution, Dathenus was not able to return to the church or land that he loved. On March 17, 1588 he passed away in Germany, far from home and from his friends and church, but not far from God whom he loved and served, and who washed away all his sins in the precious blood of Christ.

Joel Beeke, “Introduction,” in Petrus Dathenus, The Pearl of Christian Comfort, trans. Arie W. Blok (Reformation Heritage Books, 1997), x–xi.

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