Fraternity-Testvériség, 1958 (36. évfolyam, 1-11. szám)
1958-10-01 / 10. szám
FRATERNITY 15 Calvin upon him is also evident in that he turned the Hungarian Psalter into verse. Stephen Kis Szegedi Szegedi was perhaps the most learned of all the Hungarian reformers. Moreover, we know more about his life and activities than we do of any others of his contemporaries; in fact, we even possess a portrait of him. Born in 1505, he had a good schooling in the south of Hungary, then went abroad for further study. We find him in Vienna and then in Cracow, where, in 1540, he was actually teaching classics in the university. After a short visit home he obtained his heart’s desire when he was enabled to study in the Lutheran city of Wittemberg where he graduated with highest honors. No sooner was he back home (1544) than he suffered dreadful persecution; the local Roman Catholic leader, who, though he drew the emoluments of a bishop, was really an uneducated boor, not only had him beaten almost to death, but tor, and wherever he went his great biblical and philosophical learning attracted to him the best confiscated his whole library of 200 books as well. But other areas were glad to receive him as pas- young minds of the country. Yet his story is one of constant persecution, of fleeing from one town to another, and of continual suffering and penury. It was towards the end of the first half of the century that Szegedi became definitely interested in the Swiss form of the Reformation. He was then general superintendent of a large distinct, so that he had influence over the minds of many ministers and layfolk, and was consequently one of the potent fashioners of the Hungarian Reformed Church. But Szegedi stumbled into great trouble towards the end of his career. In a new year sermon in 1561 he objected to the custom followed by many church members of giving their children pagan names. That sermon produced him a deadly enemy. An influential woman with the pagan name of Ursula (like she-bear) thought that Szegedi was aiming specifically at her, and in revenge she i
