Memoir and Diary of John Yeardley, Minister of the GospelYeardley, John
Religion
Memoir and Diary of John Yeardley, Minister of the Gospel
Yeardley, John
Clergy -- United States -- Biography; Quakers -- Biography; Yeardley, John, 1786-1858
For, says J.Y., we have made the acquaintance of several religious
persons. An evangelist and colporteur named Hermann Lange, a German Swiss,
took us to see some Protestant converts, amongst whom we have found much
of the interior life. The Lord gave me a word of exhortation for them, and
helped me to utter it in French. We had a conversation with our friend
Lange respecting the ministry in our Society. Like many other persons he
supposed we had no recognized ministers; we explained the usage of
Friends, and showed him our certificates, with which he was pleased. He
admired the good order in use amongst us, and said that he had for a long
time desired to be informed respecting the principles of Friends; that he
thought as we did, that an express call of the Holy Spirit was necessary
to the ministry, and that women as well as men ought to be allowed to
preach, I felt intimately united to him in spirit: on parting we gave him
some tracts explanatory of our principles.
Lyons is the head-quarters of popery; the Jesuits here exert a strong
influence with the government against the Protestants. We visited a good
man named Elfenbein, who with his wife, is very useful to the awakened
Protestants. He is a colporteur, and introduces the Holy Scriptures into
families to whom he speaks concerning the things of God. He and his wife
called upon us in our hotel. On parting he proposed we should pray
together. This gave us the opportunity of explaining our sentiments
regarding prayer; and we proposed remaining a while in silence, and if it
should please the Lord to put words of prayer into our heart, we would
express them with the help of the Holy Spirit. After a time of silence,
Elfenbein prayed for us with unction in a few words: it was a favored
time; thanks be to God.
On the 15th they resumed their journey, and passing through Nismes
proceeded to Congenies. They found there Edward and John Pease, who were
travelling on a religious errand, and were about concluding their labors
in those parts. The meeting was a source of comfort on both sides. The
next day, which was First-day, was a solemn season: the gospel message was
largely delivered in the little meeting-house, and Christine Majolier
interpreted for those who spoke in English. The Two-months' Meeting was
held, and here, as well indeed as on every other occasion, the English
Friends missed the company and help of their valued friend, Louis A.
Majolier.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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