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

1959-01-01 / 1. szám

10

FRATERNITY

During the same period, the Reformed faith had to go on the defensive in the central parts of Hungary as well. Gáspár Karolyi, in the area known as Cis-Tisza, and Meliusz, in the area called Trans-Tisza, each in turn besought the leading landowners of their districts to arrange for a public disputation with Blandrata and his followers. Such a disputation did finally take place in April, 24-27, 1566. Meliusz was then instrumental in inducing the 1567 Synod to agree to publishing a definite Confession of Faith with the object that all Reformed people might know exactly where they stood. A Latin as well as a Hungarian version of this Confession was issued with a view to the instruction of the commercial classes in the cities. To strengthen the witness of their own Confession, the Reformed Church leaders then reasserted their allegiance to the faith of their brethren abroad as it was enshrined in the Second Helvetic Confession. Then new church canons were promulgated and enforced, and were in regular use for centuries after and became a pattern for all districts of the Hungarian Reformed Church.

Meanwhile David in Transylvania called together Synod after Synod to fight against the Helvetic Reformation cause, and to further his ends he disseminated a large amount of literature written by his own hand. In his works he attacked not only Luther, Zwingli and Calvin, but he even enunciated the fact that Satan would be finally bound and the Reformation brought to a conclusion only when the dogma of the doctrine of the Trinity was finally cleared up. He had other odd and peculiar ideas as well. For example, he announced the return of Christ for the year 1570 which was just approaching, and was sure it would mai’k the beginning of the millenium on earth. Transylvania moved over to him almost in a body, and in 1569 even old Gaspar Heltai went with the crowd.

(To be continued)