Egyháztörténeti Szemle 14. (2013)
2013 / 4. szám - SUMMARIES IN ENGLISH - Szabadi István: The Relationship between the Diocese of Szilágy and the Transylvanian Reformed Church District in the 18th century - Misák Marianna: A Short Biography of Lajos Zsarnay
96 Egyháztörténeti Szemle XTV/4 (2013) address the wider layers of the society and also integrate them to its membership, regardless of gender or financial situation. The Relationship between the Diocese of Szilágy and the Transylvanian Reformed Church District in the 18th century Szabadi, István From the beginning of the Hungarian Reformation, the diocese of Szilágy (Kraszna) belonged to the Transtibiscan Church District of the Reformed Church. However, the county (comitatus) of Szilágy was attached to Transylvania administratively in 1732, to be subject in every respect to the jurisdiction of the Transylvanian ‘Gubernium’. This was the time in the diocese of Szilágy that efforts were launched to attach the tractus to the superintendetia of Transylvania. The Diploma Leopoldinum, issued for the estates of Transylvania in 1691, privileged Reformed people in Transylvania over their brothers in faith under Hungarian church administration (the previous rights of the four acknowledged religions were upheld). While the diocese of Szilágy (which also incorporated a few congregations in Közép-Szolnok county) was unique in its situation that it was governed by local Transylvanian ecclesiastical law, and its reports were submitted to the Transylvanian Reformed High Consistory which the diocese was subjected to in matters of church politics. In matters of church discipline it was subjected to the Transtibiscan Church District. The first major break between the Transtibiscan District and the tractus of Szilágy was brought about by a case of divorce in 1769: József Zoványi, dean of Szilágy, opposed the will of the district. This was the first occasion ever that the Transylvanian High Consistory encroached upon the issues of the tractus of Szilágy. From then on, as József Pokoly, church historian, says: “the jurisdiction over the diocese was practiced by the High Consistory ‘in ecclatiastico politicis’ and the Transtibiscan Church District ‘in mere ecclesiasticis’. The final secession of Szilágy from the Transtibiscan District occurred between 1818-1821, when it became part of the Transylvanian Reformed Church District. A Short Biography of Lajos Zsarnay Misák, Marianna Lajos Zsarnay was born on 1 January 1808, in Zsarnó (today Zarnov) in Torna County. He took the name of his native village as a noble surname, and became known as Lajos Zsarnay Zsarnói in church history. He started studying at the schools of Zsarnó and Szepsi (today Mol- dava). In 1811, he became a student at the Sárospatak College. At first, he wanted to pursue a legal career, but after he was elected ordinary professor of the Practical Theology Department and minister of the
