Fraternity-Testvériség, 1959 (37. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1959-02-01 / 2. szám

FRATERNITY

9

of the other leaders began to differ from his fellows and disagree in matters of doctrine amongst themselves. And so, with a split such as this in the ranks, it is natural that the star of Uni- tarianism soon began to wane. In 1571, John Sigismund, the prince who was the great supporter of the movement, died. His successor, Stephen Báthory, who was a Catholic, dismissed David from his office of court preacher. The return to the Reformed Church among the clergy and people was consequently a speedy one. Within a few years only a small group was still faithful to the leader, and continued to look upon him as bishop of the Church with its own particular witness.

Those Unitarians who remained loyal to Blan- drata, on the other hand, were more moderate, calling themselves “Adorantists” from the fact that they were willing to worship Christ. Thus, they could strictly say that they came under the category of “allowed religions”, as they were termed under the law of the land. David, however, soon came under the ban of the Transylvanian parliament in that he had “introduced” a new religion. Eventually he was imprisoned and remained there till his death in 1579. His followers continued in their faith in large numbers, but it was only in the Turkish areas that they could openly show their colours. These latter Unitarians, after the fall of David, severed themselves from their Transylvanian brethren and under the lead of bishop Paul Karádi organized themselves into a separate superintendency. This group produced a martyr. In 1574 a minister named George Alvinczi sealed his faith with his blood.

Throughout the 17th century the Unitarian cause slowly declined in central Hungary, but so it did also in Transylvania itself, even though it remained there a religio recepta. But the number of David’s extremist followers soon melted owing to the pressure of persecution, although their descendants continued in secret as a sectist movement for hundreds of years to come.