“The prince received his first religious impressions under his
chaplain, Alexius, who was a Lutheran. On his removal he chose
Francis Davidis to succeed him, and by him was further informed
of the principles of the Reformation. Davidis was a native of
that extremely populous and well-fortified town which is called
Coloswar by the natives, Clausenberg by the Germans, and by
others, Claudiopolis. He was a man of learning, address, and
piety, and reasoned in this part of his life more justly on the
principles of the Reformation than many of his cotemporaries.
In 1563 his highness invited several learned foreigners to
come into Transylvania for the purpose of helping forward the
Reformation.[1017]
“Several other foreigners, who had been persecuted elsewhere,
sought refuge in this country, where persecution for religion
was unknown. These refugees were Unitarian Baptists, and
through their indefatigable industry and address, the prince,
the greatest part of the senate, a great number of ministers,
and a multitude of the people went heartily into their plan of
Reformation.[1018]
“In the end the Baptists became by far the most numerous
party, and were put in possession of a printing office, and an
academy, and the cathedral was given to them for a place of
worship. They obtained these without any violence, and while
they formed their own churches according to the convictions of
their members, they persecuted nobody, but allowed the same
liberty to others, and great numbers of Catholics, Lutherans
and Calvinists resided in perfect freedom.”[1019]
Mr. Robinson further informs us that Davidis took extreme Unitarian
ground with respect to the worship of Christ, which seems to have
been the only serious error that can be laid to his charge. Davidis
was a Unitarian Baptist minister, intrusted by his brethren with the
superintendency of the churches in Transylvania. His influence in that
country at one period was very great. His views of the Sabbath are thus
stated:—
“He supposed the Jewish Sabbath not abrogated, and he therefore
kept holy the seventh day. He believed also the doctrine of the
millennium, and like an honest man, what he believed he taught.
He was considered by the Transylvanian churches as an apostle,
and had grown gray in their service; but the Catholics,
the Lutherans, and the Calvinists, thought him a Turk, a
blasphemer, and an atheist, and his Polish Baptist brethren
said he was half a Jew. Had he been a whole Jew he ought not to
have been imprisoned for his speculations.[1020]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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