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the Transylvanian Antitrinitarians.
It is interesting, however, that Ferenc Dávid, who made ample use of Restitutio while writing his
work, does not elevate the thoughts formulated in the 1542 preface of the Paginus Bible edited by Servet
to the level of principles. The preface explains that due to the richness of the Hebrew language what we
read in the Old Testament cannot be translated into other languages. Therefore, only one who knows
Hebrew and the history of the Jews can undertake to interpret the writings of the prophets. He emphasizes
the importance of the history of the Jews by claiming that it is impossible to properly interpret the
prophets without a thorough study of the historical books of the Old Testament. These conditions lacking,
the interpreter eliminates from the prophecies the literal and the historical meanings (sensus litteralis and
sensus historicus), looking everywhere for the figurative meaning (sensus misticus) only. Thus, according
to Servet, this latter sense can be clearly discovered only if based on the often neglected historical meaning.
During the later debates, while interpreting the psalms or the books of the prophets, Ferenc Dávid
also follows this principle, but here he does not declare it. The discussions relating the differences
between the Old and New Testaments, or the requirement to look for a spiritual meaning beyond the
literal in the Scripture are only similar to, but definitely not identical with, the Servetian rehabilitation of
sensus historicus. And we have seen in the fourth article that the Transylvanian Antitrinitarian is not so
strict about the knowledge of languages as was his Spanish predecessor.
The reason for that is mostly the popularizing tendency of the Hungarian text. Dávid, also considerate
of +simple readers", does not wish to scare lay readers by declaring that they have no competence to
independently interpret the Bible because they do not know Hebrew or Greek. This would contradict the
tendency of Antitrinitarian propaganda, which preaches simplicity and intelligibility.
So the correct interpretation of the Scripture in this work of Ferenc Dávid is based not on learning
or knowledge, nor does it depend on whether the interpreter has mastered certain procedures, but relies
crucially on ethical criteria. He expounds this in several places, while vividly formulating the quest of the
interpreter not restricted by clerical authority: +Someone might raise a question at this point. Is thus all
the Scripture to be explained in a different way, @külemben not as the letter shows it, and is the meaning
of Christ's soul to be found in all Scripture? Who shows us that meaning, and in what book, in what exegete
Doctor are we to find the true meaning of the Scripture? Furthermore, these kinds of exegesis, on
the other hand, bring us to the opinions of men and commit us to follow the meaning recovered from their
thought, thus freedom being given for every one to freely and after their own heads explicate the
Scripture, which is the cause of many a heresy and controversy."103 We have seen what he thinks of the
opinion of the exegete doctors. It is no less interesting what he thinks of the controversies. It is in the
conclusion concentrating exclusively on this problem that he most exhaustively spells out that he regards
conflicts and contests as natural phenomena, though, as it also turns out, not in the long run but only until
the truth he confesses to is victorious. In that sense altercations are caused only by that +the devil in hell,
who is the head of darkness, strongly guards those he keeps in it and resents if, freed from that, they are
brought to the true knowledge of Christ and His word..."104 Thus Dávid is convinced that this is a
transient phenomenon only, and he believes to prove with the examples of the prophets, Christ and the
apostles that the victory of light over darkness has always been at the cost of great struggle. He offers the
consolation that it is better for his readers to struggle with the Scripture than later with remorse.
What guarantees, however, that the author of the work is in possession of the true knowledge of
the Scripture, that he has really considered +the true straightness and flow of the Scripture"? Dávid
answers this question by describing the process of his illumination. He relates that a believer is first
bewildered under the weight of the many contradicting biblical passages, trying in vain to reconcile them
until he sees that since he cannot succeed without God's help he must turn to Him. This is the first stage
of elucidation. This is followed by the second, where man denies himself and understands the word: +In
such denial of ourselves we shall be true disciples of Christ, taking up the cross, following Him, being
instructed by Him, and coming to the Lord, the obscurity of our eyes and the hardness of our heart will be
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