Fraternity-Testvériség, 1961 (39. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1961-03-01 / 3. szám

FRATERNITY

HISTORY

OF THE

HUNGARIAN REFORMED CHURCH

By

IMRE REVESZ, Th. D.

Translated by

GEORGE A. F. KNIGHT

IV

THE PERIOD OF REFORM 1789—1848

(Continuation)

In 1848 the War of Independence broke out, and forced the “religious question” into the background, since now the larger question of “independence” both in Church and State was the one at issue. But just before the crisis came, there had again been long discussions between State and Church, followed by the unexpected and hurried passing of a bill enshrining the replies to a ten-point petition from the Trans-Tibiscan Church District, though the hierarchy fought tooth and nail to prevent the passing of the bill. The ten points included such requests as the granting of universal freedom of conscience, equality before the law of all Christian Churches, and such like. Revolution was in the air, and the bill was passed. And so a new era of freedom opened out before the Reformed Church of Hungary, or at least so it seemed to the oppressed Protestant Churches in that year when the masses in almost every country of Europe were rising in rebellion against the governments that were oppressing them and denying them the freedom which they craved.