Chapter Nine. The Final Years

Abstract

Just a few years after the Complanatio of Des (1638) and the ensuing conversions by many Sabbatarians to one of the recognized religions, the political leadership once again showed its resolve to halt the resurgence of Sabbatarian activities in the country. By the 17th century the charge of witchcraft was different than it had been in the previous century, with respect to both the social patterns of its prosecution and the cultural background of the people accused. With few exceptions, the Catholic literature that circulated in Transylvania in the first half of the 17th century was published outside the country. In 1656, following the death of Simion Stefan, the Orthodox church synod elected Sava Brancovici to be the new metropolitan. Transylvanian-Saxon historians have largely neglected the 17th century, which from their point of view was an epoch of decline.Keywords: Catholic literature; Orthodox Church; Sabbatarian episodes; Transylvanian-Saxon