The Struggle for Protestant Religious Liberty at the 1646–47 Diet in Hungary

Abstract

The basic question of how far, if at all, religion and politics can be divorced in early modern Central Europe is one of the main problems with which this volume is concerned. In view of the innumerable wars and revolts connected with religion in this period the question may seem to be an absurd one. Besides, it is the general opinion of historians that the politics of that region and age were determined by religious considerations. Rulers, for example, who refrained from persecuting denominations different from their own, are treated as rare individuals of exceptional worth. It strikes me, however, that all in all there were quite a number of such instances. The present essay has no intention of attempting a fresh and general answer to the problem: it seeks only to discuss an episode in which politics and religion were clearly divorced. In this instance eminent Hungarian Catholics acted on behalf of the Protestants in a highly important political matter. The Hungarian Protestant estates, who had claims against the Catholics, were supported by King Ferdinand III, and by some members of the Catholic estates. Their support made the Protestant party so arrogant that at one point it had to be reminded that ‘since His Majesty was King, not only of the Evangelicals, but also of Catholics, he was bound in equity to defend the rights and liberties of the latter too.’¹