Francis Howgill

Francis Howgill (* 1618 in Todthorne , Westmorland ; † November 20, 1668 ) was a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in England. He was a preacher and author and is counted among the Valiant Sixty , a group of men and women who, in the early days of Quakerism, went through great suffering to spread their teaching.

Life

Howgill was born in Death Horns. He studied theology and initially worked for the Anglican Church as a priest. He then joined the Anabaptists and had a parish in Yorkshire in 1652 . In addition, he was in contact with independents and seekers . He maintained this contact until the end of his life. When George Fox was preaching in his cemetery that year, Howgill came into contact with Quakerism. That same year he joined the Quakers.

When he went preaching through Westmoreland with the two Quakers James Nayler and John Autland , he was arrested. After his release from Appleby Prison, he immediately resumed missionary work in the north of England. In 1654 he went on a missionary trip to London with the aim of proselytizing the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell himself. But this was not crowned with success. Howgill founded the first public Quaker meeting in London on Watling Street in Moorfilds, near Bethlem Hospital, in the home of Robert Dring. This gathering grew in the following years up to 3,000 visitors per service or prayer. Devotions were held almost every day.

From 1655 to 1659 his preaching tours took him to Durham, Yorkshire, Northumberland, Ireland and Scotland. In the conflict between James Nayler and George Fox, he tried in vain to achieve a reconciliation. In 1663 Howgill was imprisoned again; this time because of the refusal to take the oath. In addition, he was expropriated and his citizenship was revoked. In 1669 he died in custody. But even in prison he was visited by Quakers and asked for advice. His advice was so important to many that they accepted long journeys to the prison. Together with Edward Burrough and Margaret Fall he created the Kendal Fund "for the service of truth". (Mission) trips, book projects and other things were financed from this. Without this find, the spread of Quakerism would not have been so successful.

Literary work

Howgill became known as an author in Germany from 1661. He wrote the first Quaker script, which was explicitly intended for the German-speaking area and was intended to support the young Quaker communities. In it he addresses the persecutors and appeals to them to end the oppression and to grant freedom of belief. In contrast to other Quaker authors, his writings were taken note of by opposing theologians on the mainland. He is mentioned as "Fanaticus" in Christian Gottlieb's scholarly lexicon . Howgill's texts and sermons are often harsh and interspersed with military metaphors . He was known for his argumentative nature and consciously sought theological confrontation. In doing so, he also made use of condemnations and curses, even if he clearly spoke out in favor of freedom of conscience and belief. According to his Theology of Suffering, he regards his persecution and imprisonment as a necessary sign of divine election.

literature

• Claus Bernet : German Quaker writings. Volume 1: German Quaker writings of the 17th century. Olms, 2012, ISBN 3-487-13569-8 , pp. 47-82.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Opening of the book of the dawn. Amsterdam 1661, p. 11.