Unitarian believes and thoughts
The founder and first bishop of the Unitarian
Church in Transylvania was Francis David (Dávid Ferenc), who lived
between 1510-1579.
Was born in Kolozsvar (Cluj). Studied theology in Cluj, Gyulafehérvár (Alba Iulia),
he was in pilgrimage [Wittenberg, Frankfurt(Germany)]. After he returned, he
was teacher and minister in Cluj.
He brought back the new
ideas of the reformation and he became the main leader of the reformation in
Transylvania.
From 1565 he started to
preach in unitarian spirit, starting the new branch of the reformation, the
unitarian reformation, proclaiming God is One, proclaiming the religious
freedom because "Faith is the gift of God." In 20th
January 1566. he held his first unitarian sermon in the main church in
Kolozsvar. Many people followed him, even the kind, John Sigismun became
unitarian and supported the unitarian reformation.. Between 6-13th January 1568, the Diet of Torda proclaimed religious
freedom and tolerance to everybody. "In
every place the preachers shall preach and explain the Gospel, each according
to his understanding of it, and if the congregation like it, ok; if not, no one
shall compell them, for their soul would not be satisfied, but they shell be
permitted to keep a preacher whose teaching they approve. Therefore none of the
superintendents or others shall annoy or abuse the preachers on account of
their religion, according to the previous constitutions, allow any to be
imprisoned or punished by removal from his post on account of his teachings,
for Faith is the gift of God; this comes from hearing and hearing by the word
of God." This was the starting moment of the existance
of the Unitarian Church in Transylvania. The Diet of Torda settled the quarrel
about the religion. To the radical reformation (the Unitarianism) under the
direction of Francis David had been accorded legal recognition. So the
Unitarian Church was born in the 16th Century as a natural and logical
development of the Christian Reformation.
In 1571, king John
Sigismund died, and the next king did not supported the unitarian reformation
and the church, the guarantee of religious freedom was narrowed, no further
innovations were tolerated. And Francis David because of his belief: - he
taught that there is one God and Jesus is human, - was tried and
convicted of religious innovation and sent to the Deva castle's dungeon, where
he died - according to the tradition - in 15th November 1579.
Francis David regarded it
as an eternal principle, that the work of reformation must be continued and
extended, "Those who have been enlightened by
God's spirit" - he said - "must not
cease to speak nor can they suppress the truth. Such in the power of the
spirit, that the mind of man, - putting aside every false artifice -
strives only to add to the glory of God, let the whole world rage and oppose it."
The very essence of
Unitarianism is religious tolerance and a consistantly firm attitude in support
of liberty of conscience. Francis David constantly emphasized that religion
must be free, that in question of faith there is no place for compulsion and
that the spreading the Gospel (God's words) requires no weapons or violence,
because Faith is the gift of God. In other words, Unitarianism is inseparably
bound up with freedom of conscience and faith. There
is no greater mindlessness and absurdity than to force conscience and ther
spirit with external power, when only their creator has authority of them.
It has been
said that we Unitarians have no Doctrine, only Principles of faith. The
difference between these two words is that Unitarians possess no articles of
faith enunciated by church meetings which are compulsory and unchangeable. But
there are in the Unitarian membership generally accepted views and principles
regarding religion which more or less shape the Unitarian colective
consciousness. Perhaps these are the beliefs we usually refer to.
The Unitarian religion is
simple. The Love of God and Human are the essence of Jesus' teaching, according
to Unitarian Principles. God is Spirit, who is almighty, wise, good,
just. God is Love. The Holy Spirit is God's power, the cause of life in us. It
is true, that the Bible attributes will, examination of inner thoughts,
teaching and comforting to it. This is not because it would be an other person,
but to illustrate the different ways of God's action. This Spirit is a teaching
power, guiding toward good.
Jesus is human. He is our
master in teaching and our guide toward God's Kingdom. Jesus is the greatest
representative of faith, reason and freedom. The human Jesus doesn't teach
about the essence or person, about the son preexisting eternally, neither about
the dual Christ, but only about One God.
The human being is in the
center. Everything is for humanity's sake; religon also serves humanity. God
created the whole of humanity from one blood, this is the natural foundation of
our brotherhood and sisterhood. God created human beings good and capable to
become perfect. To be human is not a state, but a hard task yet to be
accomplished. Humans can be recognised if they love each other, if they are
merciful, meek, peaceful, generous ... humanness and love must be visible in
all our actions.
Our most pesonal cause if
Faith, which we can accept but also to refuse. If faith it was given in our
nature and it isn't a gift of God, than all of us would believe equally. Faith
in its content is trust in God and it is God's work in us, entering in our
life, connecting with us, who speaks to us by the spirit touching our soul and we
answer. So thus faith and action are inseparable. We demonstrate our faith by
clear thoughts, zealous prayers and our actions of love in relationship with
humans.
Conscience and reason are the
assurance for freedom of faith. Francis David summarizes his theology in this
way: let people argue by their own will, to seek for the hidden essence of God
or deal with the multitude of the person and to turn around the wisdom of
reason, but eternal life is to know your only God. Jesus said: Seek and you
will find, knock and it the doors will open to you.. search everything
and what is good keep it.
Conscience is free. Every one
follows his own best understanding. Thus to be Unitarian means the acceptance
of complete freedom in matters of religion. Unitarian and individual freedom
belong together. Characteristic of Unitarianism is the belief in humans
potential for good, their noble calling and strong faith in enlightenment and
progress. It emphasizes science as an important factor in our religion. It is
enthusiastic for humanism. It emphasizes the authority of the individual
conscience as opposed to creedal authority. The church is a necessary
organization to mature and to spread these views.
These are the general
convictions, the framework within which lies a more precise expression of
communal belief. The following are its main points: God is One and indivisible.
The man Jesus is an example. The Holy Spirit is the power for good within. Its
ethic is to emphasize the possibility of repentance, free will and freedom of
choice, the innerness of religion as opposed to outher forms and ceremonies. It
requires reason among humans and progresive change in the principles of one's
faith and a continuing endeavor to bring into harmony the findings of science
and religion. Possibly this description is sketchy and misses some points, yet
without doubt it describes the main outline of Hungarian Unitarianism.
We can say that Unitarianism is
a richly colorful and varied religion. It is not bound, it gives a free field
for individual thinking, does not put up boundaries, thus provides a personal
way upon which one can proceed. It is not advisable to set up boundaries,
because progress will obliterate them.
Unitarianism as a living
philosophy is first of all a religion, a religious philosophy whose aim must be
to fulfill and to comfort the soul. A religion whose task is to lift and
ennoble humans' soul cannot really be a method, a scientific world view, a
constant search, or any other such endeavour. It must be something which equips
human's souls with a shield against the trials of life, which provides a faith
"which is not of this world".
The basis of the Unitarianism
is the Gospel according to Jesus. The rules of Unitarianism are rooted in the
teachings of Jesus. The seed of continuity in Unitarianism is the seed which
represents ideas accepted in the Gospel, the inferences of humanism and social
liberalism are significant only as they relate to this seed.
Kant has a saying according to
which, observations without concepts are blind, and concepts without experience
are empty. In this saying deep truth is hidden, that every particular idea must
have some universal element in it, othervise it does not have any binding value
to the human situation. This is so regarding Unitarianism as well. There must
be in it some elements which we all can accept or relate to, which we all
understand and know and that we all are able to express in a precise form.
Bibliography:
1.Négyszáz Év (Four Hundred Year),
2.Dr.Varga Béla: Dávid Ferenc és az Unitárius
vallás (dr. Béla Varga: Francis David and the Unitarian religion)
(Work by Rev. Léta Sándor)
