Fraternity-Testvériség, 1960 (38. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1960-10-01 / 10. szám

FRATERNITY

15

HISTORY

OF THE

HUNGARIAN REFORMED CHURCH

By

IMRE REVESZ, Th. D.

Translated by

GEORGE A. F. KNIGHT III

THE PERIOD OF REPRESSION 1715—1789

(Continuation)

Developments in Church Government

During this period, by force of circumstances, both a new church official came into existence, viz., the Agent, as well as a completely new church court. Because of the continual coming and going with the Court at Vienna, and the need for an accredited official to live on the spot who could present ecclesiastical petitions at the right moment, both the Reformed and the Lutheran Churches had begun to keep a man constantly both at the royal Court in Vienna and at the seat of the Supreme Council in Hungary to act in their interest as the need arose. The office of this Agent is nowhere defined in the canon laws of either Church, nor in the minutes of any Synod. We can well understand, however, that the Church Agents, not being under any direct ecclesiastical control, were not slow in seizing every opportunity to magnify their office and to make it into one of gret power and prestige.

The new ecclesiastical court that grew up at that time came to be known as the Conventus. Ever since the 16th century the care of the Church had been undertaken not only by superintendents and ministers, but also by many influential laymen. In self-defence against the