Reformátusok Lapja, 1959 (59. évfolyam, 1-22. szám)
1959-07-01 / 13. szám
12 REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA Mission front was greatly strengthened by the fact that the church dared to stretch out her hand toward those who had not yet a chance to hear the Word of God. More prayer, more sacrifice, more devotion, more humility could only help the church become a living church. Is is worthy to mention that this growing interest in the International Mission of the Magyar Reformed Church has produced on the theological front a doctoral dissertation, the first of its kind in the world, written by the Rev. Jenő Horváth, D. D. Its title is “A kiil- misszió lényege (The Fundamental Principles of Foreign Mission), with the sub-title: “A külmisszió Református Theológiai Alapvetése” (The Fundamental Principles of Foreign Mission in the Light of Reformed Theology”), Debrecen, Hungary, 1936. The writings of Bishop László Ravasz, Rev. Sándor Virág, Rev. Otto Nagy, Rev. Alexander Babos, Dr. Lajos Imre, Dr. Sándor Tavaszy, Bishop Sándor Makkai and others helped to clarify theologically the problems of missions. The second World War temporarily has brought an end to the missionary efforts of the Magyar Reformed Church.. International communism cannot allow such a thing as missions to exist. But we hope that the time will come when the Magyar Reformed Church will be able to again obey the command of her Master: Go and teach all nations. The contribution that the Magyar Reformed Church has given and can give to the complex problems of missions is that any mission work must be a confessional-biblical-reformed mission, and that as such it must be done by the church and not by private societies. For the communication of the Gospel is the duty of the church, of the Body of Christ. Alexander Babos our pastor at Fairfield, Conn. UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES In the land of unlimited possibilities it was possible even for Hungarians to perform achievements which are worthy to be related to later generations. “Ad seros transmittere nepotes’” — as Stephen Parmenius Budaeus, the young Hungarian Oxford scholar, one of the foremost Latin poets of his time, wrote in his long poem: “Carmen Epibatikon”, in flawless hexameters. It was possible for this Hungarian Calvinist to achieve fame as a Latin poet in England. When Sir Humphrey Gilbert organized his five- ship expedition to New Foundland, he asked Parmenius to join them. He was charged “to record in the Latin tongue the gists and things worthy of remembrance happening in this discovery, to the honour of our nation, the same being adorned with the eloquent style of this orator and rare poet of our time” — as Edward Hayes, captain of one of the ships, “Golden Hind”, relates in his eye-witness description. Parmenius wrote the Carmen before and during this short expedition. He was eager to participate in the adventure which might bear far-reaching historical consequences. It was possible for him to hope that in the new world a new golden age might dawn for humanity: “Quod si parva loquor, nec adhuc fortasse fatenda est Aurea in hoc iterum nostro gens vivere mundo, Quid vetat ignotis ut possit surgere terris?” (“But if I may not yet assert that this golden age has come again in our world, what is there to prevent its emergence in lands unknown?”) Humanity’s universal yearning for democracy found expression in his words when he envisions a land where “a man’s value will not be measured by birth, nor the people’s liberty crushed by riches . . .” “Non illic generi virtus, opibusque premetur Libertás populi . . .” He spent about three weeks in America and thus became the first Hungarian to set his foot on the new world’s soil. He did not want its possible riches. On the return trip, his ship, the 120-ton “Delight”, went down in a storm on August 28, 1583. Shakespeare was a young struggling married man of 19 at that time. About 200 years after Parmenius it became possible for Hungarians even to die for a “new nation, conceived in liberty”, and dreamed of by the long-dead Parmenius. A staunch Calvinist soldier, Michael de Kowáts (1724-1779), who offered his services to the cause of the United States, also wrote his first letter to Benjamin Franklin in impeccable Latin, January 13, 1777, in France. He starts his letter with the quotation: “Aurea libertás fulvo non venditur auro” — “Golden liberty cannot be sold for yellow gold.” He offered himself without reserve, ready to die if need be (“Totum me fide! issime sacrificaturum . . . Jugi cum obsequio vivam et moriar”) and closed his letter with these words: “Fidelissimus ad mortem” — faithful unto death. He was 55 when, second in command of the Pulaski Legion, an English bullet killed him in a skirmish before Charleston, S. C., on May 11, 1779. His words: “Fidelissimus ad mortem”, became the motto of American Hungarians. Several decades later it became possible for one single Hungarian to stir the conscience of
