Reverend Father, Highly
educated, highly esteemed Mr. Pastor!
No longer can I dwell unknowingly in the
contentment, therefore I feel obligated to mail out those lines, which I
hope will bring back pleasant news from you and your family.
My stay in Banat was only ¾ year long,
as soon thereafter I had to give a Exultatum, which per tot discrimina rerum
for a quarter of the year became a dangerous traveling around until finally
the ever trusted God lead me after many tribulations into safety through the
help of his Excellency Mr. General Field marshal von Mercy, of whom I
received many favors, as they extended their hospitality to me with
accommodation and cost for two months on their local landholdings belonging
to the Mr. Count de Mercy jun., the adoptive son, until a door opened
through God’s generous provision, as my predecessor had to be let go because
of unacceptable behavior and I could take the position over, where I am
happily living as of 2nd Trinitat of the year 1725.
Besides my parish I also have another
filial parish, both places consisting of 180 families and can live
comfortable on my salary, which is provided by our ruling house and includes
the wages to the Catholic priest as well. Besides myself there are two other
German pastors on Mercy’s landholdings, one of them Mr. Walther, 5 hours
away from here, and the other Tonsor, half an hour distant, and it looks
like the last place I also will receive as a filial, as his Majesty the
Emperor is granting the Excellency only 2 pastors.
Last fall it looked like there was a
counter revolution against the Protestants in this Kingdom as we had to
cease with all church related work, however because of the feared upheaval
and through God’s administration the tide wended. The Calvinist are very
strong in this country and they could have made much trouble since they are
well known for their inherited stubborn ways. During the time of this
rebellion his Excellency Count General took us under his wings, as most of
the Germans on his Landholdings are Lutherans; he wrote as well in that
respect to County’s Palatinum von Pálfy in Pressburg, who is the president
of the Consilium Regil there, which letter myself and another representative
of his Excellency Count General delivered, after which we received our
religious freedom, through which this place was confirmed as Religons
Exercitio, as back in 1719 prior to Pest’s conference of Commissione Caserea
in 1721 one pastor of our confession already worked here; any pastors
appointed after the Commissione are not given permission to stay.
I have much to do here, as there are
many big and little places with mixed confessions living together.
….Through God’s mercy I recuperated from
the Hungarian illness, which almost took my life, and I am now settled down
in Hungarian ways. This winter brought much frost and snow, not remembered
ever, which happens seldom in Hungary, so they have not made provisions of
hay and much of livestock perished.
I am ending this letter with best
regards and greetings to the Family, friends and hope that God will favor
you with His mercy,
Your devoted
Reichard p. t. pastor “
Original letter at Privatarchiv des
Freiherrn Hans von Berlichingen in Jagsthausen, Kirchensachen 1724
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