Hungarian Church Press, 1968 (20. évfolyam, 2. szám)

1968-06-01 / 2. szám

HOP Vol XX Special Number

1968 No 2

~ 103 -(07807)

Wyclif’s heritage. The first phase of the Hussite uprising was sparked off by Huss’ death at the stakes,31)

The emergence of the main trends of the Reformat ion was paralleled by the appearance of a trend of radical ecclesiastical revolution. Although Luther had not failed to express, in his writings, his sharp cri&jque of the conditions caused by ecclesiastical and secular feudalism as welbty the rising capitalism of the cities, he left no doubt that his main objective was not a social transformation. The radical trend, however, in opposition to him, in the camp under the leadership of Thomas '»linzer, made an alliance with the efforts aiming at the renewal of the whole structure of sociaty. It was under the influence of mystical and speculative ideas that this radical revolutionary trend enfolded, and its influence, to a significant extent, was also felt in the history of the Zwinglian and Calvinist Reformation, The revolutionary message of Münzer and his followers was a conglomeration of Biblical, enthusiastic, spiritualizing and individualistic motifs. With its bearing on the relation between church and society, it appeared as a serious factor of social change throughout Europe, and, especially in Hungary, Germany and Switzerland, it became the leavening influence of the subsequent peasant revolt s, 82) Just as the previous movement of the Taborites, tiie trend associated with the name of Münzer also separated itself from the Roman Catholic Church as well as from the emerging Protestant churches: its revolutionary struggle was opposed to the church adhering to the traditional patterns of sooial life#

On those fronts of the European Reformation at which the national Reformation preserved its alliance with feudalism and the countless fetters imposed by the church hierarchy on organization, doctrine and practical piety, it was the Puritans’ lot to take the role of the critics. While their main effort aimed at the cleansing of the national church, they also recognized the defects and faults of social life and thus took part in preparing the bourgeois revolution of England, As opposed to the mare moderate Presbyterians, the Independents led by Oliver Cromwell gained the upper hand, 83) The latter^of^emff§h polity and ethics, further developed the Calvinist trend of the Reformation and fought for "complete Reformation", By this they‘me ant as the first step, the radical transformation of church life, replacing eoclesiastical feudalism by a kind of "ecclesiastical democracy". They translated their theological views into social action. In this respect, the Presbyterians would have been content with mere reforms. But, on their radical and revolutionary wing, the Independents actively worked for social transformation, thereby effecting an important change in the traditional idea which the peoples of Europe had entertained about social life.

This brief survey váll suffice to substantiate the statement: in past centuries it was not the "official church" that identified herself with or gave/'support to the revolutions. Positive response to the revolutionary challenge was given in opposition to the church, under the circumstances of contemporary developments, under the influence of a humanistic and individual