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Show Unitarianism in Utah orthodox Protestants against the Socinian heretics. cuhnination of all this was a decree, in 1658, based The on an anti-heresy law of 1424, that all adherents of this heretical movement must" quit the kingdom within two years." Some of the exiled Socinians managed to escape unharassed. Some escaped robber bands that deprived them of all their worldly goods, including, in some instances, the clothing they wore, so that they crept back into the Church for a rag to cover themselves with. The escaped Socinians found hospitable old welcome among more liberal German Protestants or among the Mennonites of Holland. Some of them found their way to Transylvania, where a Unitarian movement had already for half a century borne that name. The great hero of Transylvania Unitarianism was-Francis Like Socinus he was a brilliant controversialist. A David. favorite Unitarian painting depicts Francis David making an eloquent plea for religious toleration at a Diet at Torda in 1568, just 90 years prior Poland. to the expulsion of Unitarians from The result of this in Christian plea was the first law of its kind Europe, Transylvania's Magna Charta of religion, decree which read in part: "Preachers shall be allowed to preach the gospel everywhere, each according to his own a understanding of it. If the community wish to accept such preaching, well and good; if not, they shall not be compelled, but shall be allowed to keep the preachers they prefer. No one shall be made to suffer on account of his religion, since faith is the gift of God." In the generation in which this law was passed, the Inquisition was doing its worst in Spain and Italy, Alva was putting Protestants to death by the thousands in the Netherlands, the 20,000 258 or leaders in 30,000 denying massacre victims took the dogma of St. Bartholomew with its place in of the France, while certain Trinity were still to be |
