View source for Cremer, Abraham Willemsz (1631-1690)

Abraham Willemsz Cremer, an important elder of the Groninger Old Flemish in [[Deventer (Overijssel, Netherlands)|Deventer,]] [[Netherlands|Holland]], died 15 July 1690, "a man very famous and of great understanding, experienced and mighty in the Scripture" (<em>Doopsgezinde Bijdragen</em> 1879, 10), was in 1669 summoned with his colleague Jan Lambertsz ten Cate, preacher of the United Flemish and High German congregation at Deventer, by the city government to give an account on several questions concerning their attitude toward the Socinians and the state. These questions and answers were published in two booklets (<em>Remonstrantie en deductie over de leere, en conventiculen der Mennisten der stede Deventer uyt name des Kerckenraets geexhibeert aen de Ed. Achtb. magistraet derselver stede den 17. October 1670, and Antwoorde op het Boeckjen geintituleert: Remonstrantie . . . 1670</em> found in the library at Amsterdam. In 1670 another book was published, <em>Redenen waerom de Ed. Achtb. Magistraet den Mennisten tot Deventer niet magh toelaten Conventiculen te houden: door een Liefhebber van Waerheyt en van rechte vryheyt</em>, which raised very severe charges of a theological and political nature against the Mennonites. A. W. Cremer countered with a <em>Nootwendige ontschuldinge . . .</em> (1670), in which he skillfully refuted the charges. His opponent composed a violent answer, <em>Rechtmatige bestraffinge aan A. W. Cremer over zijn boekje . . . genaemt Nootwendige Ontschuldinge</em>, to which Cremer replied in a similar vein with <em>Wederlegginge op de onrechtmatighe Bestraffinge</em>. The magistrate obviously sided with the opponents of the Mennonites and prohibited their meetings on 17 November 1670. Two other pamphlets against the Mennonites appeared in 1671, but Cremer did not trouble to reply to them. Among his brethren A. W. Cremer stood in high regard. He was repeatedly summoned to settle difficulties among them.
= Bibliography =
<em>Catalogus der werken over de Doopsgezinden en hunne geschiedenis aanwezig in de bibliotheek der Vereenigde Doopsgezinde Gemeente to Amsterdam</em>. Amsterdam: J.H. de Bussy, 1919: 148.

<em>Doopsgezinde Bijdragen</em> (1870): 17-31, 115; (1879): 12 f.; (1883): 75; (1919): 48-60.

Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. ''Mennonitisches Lexikon'', 4 vols. Frankfurt &amp; Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. I, 381.

Visscher, H. and L. A. van Langeraad. <em>Het protestantsche vaderland: biographisch woordenboek van protestantsche godgeleerden in Nederland, </em>8 vols. Utrecht, 1903-1918: 301-302.
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[[Category:Persons]]