Sabbatians of Transylvania and Their Persecution
From the Echo de l'Orient of May 23d, we glean some interesting news of the Sabbatians of Transylvania, in Europe. Three hundred and fifty years ago, one Simon Pechy, a man of influence, became a zealous Roman Catholic persecutor of Unitarian Christians. Subsequently he became a convert to the doctrine that the ten commandments, including the original Sabbath, are obligatory upon all mankind. He also accepted certain views of the Levitical law which are unpopular with Christians. In his turn he was violently persecuted and fled into Turkey, and died in exile at Constantinople. But he left a people in his native Transylvania, who, in secluded places, maintained a conscientious worship and the observation of the Sabbath. In the judgment of their persecutors it was a grievous sin to profess Christianity while keeping the Sabbath! However, the sect has lived on to the present time. When freedom of worship was revived in Hungary, in 1867, the Sabbatians applied for the protection of the government; but they found they had counted without their host. It was “all for us and none for you.” The wrath of the Christian priesthood was aroused, and peremptory terms were offered, in effect as follows: If you persist in keeping the Sabbath and the laws of purification, you must register yourselves as Jews! You cannot be recognized as a religious body outside of Judaism, so long as you keep the Sabbath! Being hard pressed, a portion of them—perhaps all—rather than give up the Sabbath, consented to be registered as Jews. We confess to a great anxiety to hear their own story, and shall not be disappointed to hear of wrongs, insults and sufferings, endured because of their love for the law of God. To drive men from Christ because they keep the Sabbath, is this the Christianity that is going to save the world? We do not believe it.—Sabbath Memorial.