Angelus Silesius (1624 – 1677), born as Johann Scheffler and also known as Johann Angelus Silesius, was a German Catholic priest and physician, known as a mystic and religious poet. He is remembered primarily as the author of Der cherubinischer Wandersmann (“The Cherubic Wanderer”) which is a major work of Roman Catholic mysticism.
Johann Scheffler has well described the mental attitude of people who converted from Christianity to Islam.
“When you mix with the Turks in the ordinary intercourse of life and see that they pray and sing even the Psalms of David;
that they give alms and do other good works; that they think highly of Christ, hold the Bible in great honour, and the like;
that, besides, any ass may become parish priest who plies the Bassa with presents, and he will not urge Christianity on you very much;
so you will come to think that they are good people and will very probably be saved; and so you will come to believe that you too may be saved, if you likewise become Turks.
Herewith will the Holy Trinity and the crucified Son of God, with many other mysteries of the faith, which seem quite absurd to the unenlightened reason, easily pass out of your thoughts, and imperceptibly Christianity will quite die out in you, and you will think that it is all the same whether you be Christians or Turks.”1
1. Scheffler, § 55.