PROTESTANT CHURCH IN HUNGARY AND TRANSYLVANIA

Sion L40.2/L17

PROTESTANT CHURCH IN HUNGARY AND TRANSYLVANIA

c.1676-c.1677

Historia Hungarica et Transylvanica; in qua praecipue persecutio ministrorum ecclesiarum et scholarum Hungaricarum necnon eorundem miraculosa liberatio continentur, Subiuncta est Brevis delineatio hodiernae faciei earundem ecclesiarum. Authoribus ipsis Rev. D.D. ministris exulibus. Collegit H Hottingerus anno 1677'. A collection of texts on the persecution of the Reformed Church in Hungary during the reign of the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I (1640-1705). Brought together by Johann Heinrich Hottinger (1647-1692), Professor of Hebrew at Zurich 1671-92. Hottinger provided a refuge in Zurich for exiled Hungarian pastors in the years 1676-7. A number of the documents appear to be autograph manuscripts supplied to Hottinger by the Hungarian pastors. ff. 1r-210v. 'Narratio brevis de oppressa libertate Hungaricarum ecclesiarum' [by Kocsi Csergo Balint (1647-1698)]. An account of the persecution of the Reformed Church in Hungary during the reign of the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I (1640-1705). Written by Balint in 1676, after his release from the galleys. See f. 210r: 'Scribebam anno reperatae salutis 1676 mensis Novembris 25 die'. Written in several hands. Interspersed through the text (ff. 7, 33, 55, 62, 89, 98, 164) are Dutch engravings showing scenes of persecution. ff. 211r-250v. A printed work: 'Kort en waaragtig verhaal van de laetste vervolginge der Evangelische leeraaren in Hungarien...' (Amsterdam, 1677). 64 pp. ff. 251r-365r. Testimonies, letters and other documents concerning the persecution of the Hungarian Protestants, written in various hands, brought together by Hottinger. Some have marginal notes concerning their authors, written in the same hand as the title page at f. i recto, probably Hottinger's. ff. 251r-254v. Testimony addressed to Hottinger ('Joh. Hen. Hottingero linguae sanctae professori') by Petrus Kalnai, formerly a pastor in Hungary, and a guest of Hottinger. Zurich, 24 July 1676. Marginal note: 'propria manu Rev. D. Kaln' ff. 255r-256v. Testimony from Johannes Peter Jablonczai, a Hungarian pastor. Marginal note: 'Autographa Rev. D. Jablonczai'. ff. 257-258. Blank. ff. 259r-265v. Testimony from Valentinus Csergo Kotsi. 27 May 1676, written in Hottinger's house at Zurich. Marginal note: 'Autographa Rev. D. Kotsi'. ff. 265v-266v. 'Carmen quod Rev. D. Samuel Nicletius... olim ... in Hungaria minister, albo suo amicorum praemisit'. Verses written in the galleys at Naples. ff. 267r-272v. 'Historische Erzellung...' An account of the Hungarian persecutions, written in German. ff. 273-274. Blank. ff. 275r-288r. Copies of correspondence from, and concerning, Hungarian pastors in captivity in Trieste, Naples and Chieti, 1675-6. Much of the correspondence is from, or addressed to, Nicolaus Zaffius, a physician from Nuremberg based in Venice. Included are letters to Zaffius from Stephanus Beregsassi (whose name is printed as Stephanus Beregszaszi at f. 238v), Stephanus Harsanyi and other Hungarian pastors, and letters from Zaffius to church leaders in Switzerland. ff. 288v-290v. Blank. ff. 291r-296v. Imperial decree for the liberation of the captive Hungarian ministers, 20 March 1676. With related safe conducts and medical certificates. ff. 297r-303v. Letter of thanks to the swiss Cantons from the pastors of Hungary. Signed at the end by 'Jacobus C Czuzius, SS Theol D et ecclesiastes Losoncinus'. His name is printed as 'Jacobus Csuzi M[inister] Losoniciensis' at f. 241v. f. 304. Blank. ff. 305r-306v. 'Literae ministrorum Polonicorum ad ministerium Tigurinum'. Letter from Protestant ministers in Poland to Zurich, 6 Jan. 1676. In German. ff. 309r-318v. Valedictory orations and letters by Stephanus Szelley and other Hungarian pastors on leaving Switzerland. 1677. Szelley's name is given as 'Stephanus Sellyei' in the printed work at f. 240r. ff. 319r-337r. 'Brevis et succincta casuum tragicorum in Regno Hungariae factorum conscriptio'. Marginal note: 'Authores Rev. DD Tobias Masnicius et Johannes Simonides'. f. 338. Blank. ff. 339r-358v. 'Observationes in S.I in quo dicitur Praedicantes Acatholicos (ut vocant) esse radicem rebellionis in Regno Hungariae'. ff. 359r-360r. 'Descriptio ecclesiarum Transylvaniae per D.D. Paulum Tzernatoni ... transmissa 6 Julii 1666'. ff. 365v-366v. Blank. ff. 367r-394r. 'Brevis delineatio ecclesiarum reformatarum in Hungaria et Transylvania, hic quidem sub uno superintendente, illic vero sub quinque superintendentibus et totidem senioribus'. Compiled from the accounts given by Hungarian pastors in exile in Switzerland from 1676-7 by 'Valentinus Kotsi, olim Scolae Reformatae Papensis director, nunc vero praefatorum Reverendorum fratrum Hungarorum ... coexul afflictus', dated at Zurich, 9 Oct. 1677 (f. 394r). Another manuscript copy is bound with printed works on related subjects in A89.3/Si3[Sion ARC quarto].

Another copy of the Narratio brevis de oppressa libertate Hungaricarum ecclesiarum is Sion L40.2/L16.

Latin (ff. 267-272, 277r-280v, 305-306 in German)

ii, 394 ff.

Open

Originally compiled and owned by Johann Heinrich Hottinger (1647-1692), Professor of Hebrew at Zurich 1671-92. Found loose in the volume (and now pasted in at f. ii) is a note from Isaac Behayhel to Thomas Bray (1656-1730) accompanying a packet [presumably containing this volume] from Professor J.H. Hottinger. The note is dated 16 October 1715. Amongst books and manuscripts received by Sion College as a bequest from Thomas Bray (1656-1730) on 20 Feb. 1729/30 (See Sion L40.2/E96, f. 210r). A list of the manuscripts and printed books bequeathed to Sion College by Bray is also included in [Samuel Smith], 'Publick spirit illustrated in the life and designs of the Reverend Thomas Bray', 2nd edition (London, 1808), pp. 100-120. Transferred from Sion College to Lambeth Palace Library, 1996.

Vellum binding 220 x 180 mm. with leather ties. Paper leaves.