A Tale of the Kloster: A Romance of the German Mystics of the CocalicoJabez, Brother
Religion
A Tale of the Kloster: A Romance of the German Mystics of the Cocalico
Jabez, Brother
Christian fiction; Ephrata Cloister -- Fiction; Seventh-Day Baptists -- Fiction
At the time of which I write this, the fall of 1744, Prior Onesimus and
his three brothers were in the ascendency, and for a time it seemed as
though Brother Beissel would be completely overthrown in his rule by
these designing Eckerlings; but they who thought our superintendent easy
to overcome reckoned without their host, for while to the worldly minded
he had not the graces and attractiveness that marked our prior, our
superintendent, though harmless as a dove, had the wisdom and subtilty
of the serpent, and thus at this time, when the strain between these two
had increased from day to day, Prior Onesimus, no doubt for purposes of
his own, conceived the idea that we make a pilgrimage to the Sabbatarian
communities in Connecticut and Rhode Island. I recollect full well that
when he made his desire known to our superintendent, suggesting possibly
a short absence would tend to heal their differences, Brother Beissel at
once gave his consent.
But if our prior had thought to surround himself with his own followers
and thus make this enterprise redound solely to his credit he was
greatly mistaken, for the superintendent quietly suggested the prior
take with him his own brother, Jephune, and Brother Timotheus (Alexander
Mack), and myself as traveling companions, the prior being promised by
our superintendent that in the meantime he would attend to the prior's
duties at the meetings. This was not exactly to our prior's liking, but
Brother Beissel pointed out that these brethren were selected in order
to insure the success of the expedition as well as the welfare and
comfort of the party. Thus the prior would represent the Zionitic
Brethren and the Theosophists of the community; Brother Timotheus, the
secular congregation and the Baptists in general; Jephune, our mystic
and astrologer, would serve as the physician of the party; while I was
to be the theologian and interpreter.
Thus it was arranged and we at once began our brief preparations for the
journey: extra soles for our wooden sandals, the points of our pilgrim
staffs sharpened, a day's provisions for the inner man, a copy of the
"_Weyrauch's Hügel_," and a few of Brother Beissel's "_Theosophische
Episteln_" for the spiritual man. I have it on my records that this
occurred on the Friday of September 21, 1744, almost a year since our
dear sister had left us, on the night of which an unusually solemn love
feast was held in the _Saal_, at Zion, in our honor. The services lasted
far into the night, even the hours between the midnight prayers and the
dawn being passed in prayer. The next morning being our Sabbath we all
were present at the meeting of the congregation, where every one bade us
a most loving God-speed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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