Fraternity-Testvériség, 1959 (37. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1959-09-01 / 9. szám
8 FRATERNITY The Bloody Court of Pozsony The years 1671 to 1681 have become known by Hungarian Protestants as the ten years of mourning, so terrible was the opposition made to the people’s exercise of their Reformed faith. During those years, moreover, Protestant ministers and teachers were summoned to a special law court which sat at Pozsony (Bratislava or Pressburg) to answer for the political views that non-Roman Catholics were supposed to hold. And the court was under the presidency of the Prince Primate of Hungary! They were accused of disloyalty, treason and the defamation of the Roman Church. No account was taken of their humble defence. They were first threatened with torture and death, but finally given the choice either of becoming Roman Catholics, of resigning their charges, or of fleeing the country. Of the first batch of 33 to be accused, one minister turned Roman Catholic, the others either resigned or went abroad. After that every minister in the land was summoned, even those in the Turkish area. Naturally, the latter did not obey, and anyway the Turks would not have permitted them to go to the Kingdom, but then neither did the ministers in the free areas to the east obey either. All who turned up were the 400 ministers of western and northern Hungary. Of this number all were first condemned to death, then some were put in irons and thrown into prison for seven weeks on end. The death sentence had been only a threat, but it frightened 200 of the ministers to such a degree that they succumbed and signed a statement that they would cease their activities, and many of that number then left the country. (To be continued)
