Spiritual Reformers in the 16th & 17th CenturiesJones, Rufus M. (Rufus Matthew)
Religion
Spiritual Reformers in the 16th & 17th Centuries
Jones, Rufus M. (Rufus Matthew)
Mysticism; Reformers
We get a very interesting side-light on Galenus Abrahams in the _Journal_
of George Fox. William Penn and George Keith held a "discussion" with
this famous Collegiant leader in 1677, at which time the latter "asserted
that nobody nowadays could be accepted as a messenger of God unless he
confirmed his doctrine by miracle,"[20] and Fox says that Abrahams was
"much confounded and truth gained ground."[21] Fox himself was not
present at the "discussion," but he had a personal interview with
Abrahams at about the same time as the "discussion." The interview was
not very satisfactory. Fox says that he found this "notable teacher"
"very high and shy, so that he would not let me touch him nor look upon
him, but he bid me keep my eyes off him, for {123} he said they pierced
him!"[22] But at a later visit, in 1684, Fox found the Collegiant
doctor, now venerable with years, "very loving and tender." "He
confessed in some measure to truth," Fox says, "and we parted very
lovingly." At a meeting, held in Amsterdam a few weeks later, Abrahams
was among the large group of attenders, and "was very attentive to the
testimony of the truth," and, when the meeting was over, Fox says, "he
came and got me by the hand very lovingly,"[23] and seemed no longer
afraid of the Quaker's "piercing eyes." In spirit they were very near
together, and with a little more insight on both sides the two movements
might have joined in one single stream. For many years afterwards the
common people, not given to nice distinctions, called the annual
gathering of the Collegiants at Rynsburg "the meeting of the Quakers."[24]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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