George Israel

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Georg Israel , also written Georg Izrael (* around 1505 in Hungarian Brod in Moravia ; † July 15, 1588 in Leipnik in Moravia), was a bishop of the Unity of the Bohemian Brothers . Originally he was a blacksmith. In Czech it is mostly called Jiří Izrael or Jiři Izrael , in Polish Jerzy Izrael , in English George Izrael , Latinized Georgius Israel , sometimes the spelling Jiri Israel is also used .

Life

Preacher in Turnau

Georg Israel's Christian-minded parents were already members of the Bohemian Brothers.

He gave himself the surname "Israel" around 1540 as a biblical allusion.

The first reference to George Israel's work dates back to 1542, nothing is known of his previous life. In that year he was preacher of the parish in Turnau and visited as part of a delegation with the preacher Jan Augusta , Joachim Prostibor and other Martin Luther in Wittenberg , whose friendship the Bohemian brothers had sought and found. This visit was apparently the last in a row. Luther said goodbye to numerous professors at the University of Wittenberg , the words of the reformer have been handed down as follows: "Are you the apostles of the Slavic tribe: I, with my family, want to be the apostle of the German tribe."

In 1547 the Schmalkaldic War ended with a victory for the Catholics under Charles V. This led to the destruction of Israel's community in the Bohemian town of Turnau.

Imprisonment in Prague and escape

The other members of the congregation then emigrated to Prussia , while Israel itself was interned in Prague for several weeks . The Oberstburggraf Johann Popielius had given him the choice of standing at the castle or paying a 1000 ducat fine. Acquaintances advised him to decide in favor of the cash payment, but Israel said it was sufficient that he had been redeemed once and completely by Christ's blood and that he did not have to be redeemed with human gold. Instead, he asked for the money as travel money for his future exile and asked that people pray that he would endure all abuse for Christ's sake. So Israel surrendered on the appointed day, professed the faith of the Bohemian Brethren and was imprisoned on May 30, 1548. Jan Augusta and Jakob Bilek had recently been interned in the same prison, but have since been transferred.

After a few weeks Israel saw an opportunity to escape and asked the elder of the university, Matthias Sionius, in writing for his opinion. When the latter had agreed, Israel managed to escape on July 23, 1548: in broad daylight he passed the guards disguised as a scribe, with a pen behind his ear and paper and inkwell in hand. In prison he had left behind a letter to the burgrave and a copy of the denomination of the Brethren Unity from 1535.

Israel also went to Prussia in 1548 by order of the elders.

In Poznan and the surrounding area

Count Andreas von Gorka, Castellan of Posen and Governor General of Greater Poland , invited the refugees of the university to the cities of Posen , Curnic , Koschmin and Samotulia, which he had inherited . Around June 25, 1548, a trek of 900 Bohemian brothers on 120 wagons reached this region to settle there. On August 16, Georg Israel reached the area together with Matthias Sionius and another man. The services of the university were also attended by other residents of Poznan, some of whom converted to their faith.

On August 24, 1548, the Bohemian brothers had to leave the area of ​​Poznan again on the orders of King Sigismund II August . The order was obtained from the Bishop of Posen , Benedict II. Idzbienski.

In Thorn

The brothers now went to Thorn , where the services continued to be held in private apartments. Here, too, many converted to the evangelical faith, not only citizens of Thorner, but also Poznan, who attended the Thorner mass and took part in the services of the Bohemian brothers.

In December 1548, following a royal edict, the university also had to leave Thorn, but a preacher from the Bohemian Brethren was left behind. Even before this exodus began, Georg Israel was attacked by the Roman Catholic priest Samuel Macziejovius, Chancellor of the Bishop of Krakow, over the question of Apostolic Succession . He accused Israel of not having legitimately acquired his ministry in this sense. Israel countered by saying that the discipleship consisted of correct teaching and the biblical instructions for the ministry.

In the Duchy of Prussia

In the same month the brothers reached the part of Prussia that was under Duke Albrecht .

The Duke had the doctrine of the Bohemian Brothers examined on December 27 and 28, 1548 in Königsberg by the theologians Petrus, Melchior Isinder , Friedrich Staphylus , Johann Funck and Johann Tacelius, the ducal court preacher, who lived there. For the examination, representatives of the university, namely Georg Israel, Johann Szerni, Matthäus Stregicius, Urban Hermon, Matthias Czervenka, Johann Girk, Adam Szturm and Nicolaus Bitessius, had to make their confession orally. As a result, the essential correspondence between the Confession of the Bohemian Brethren and the Confessio Augustana was established.

On Sunday, January 13th, 1549 the refugees of the Bohemian Brethren were solemnly introduced to the church of Marienwerder .

A rescript of March 29, 1549 integrated them into the Lutheran Church, obliged them to attend the Confessio Augustana and forbade secessionist efforts and the use of their own confession from 1538.

Travel preacher

In the autumn of 1550, Georg Israel and Matthias Czervenka were sent to Moravia by Elder Sionius via Greater Poland.

In 1551 the new congregation of the Bohemian Brethren in Posen asked Sionius, who was based in Gilgenburg in Prussia , in two letters for a good preacher and teacher. It was then decided to let Georg Israel travel to Poznan more often. The reasons for this were his strong body, his good knowledge of Polish and his local knowledge.

Israel was one of the translators and poets of hymns who made outstanding contributions to the Polish-language congregation chant of the Bohemian Brethren.

Praying psalm over ice floes

On Laetare 1551, on March 8th, he reached Thorn . For fear of flooding, the magistrate had demolished the bridge over the Vistula , so that Israel had to cross the very wide river over the comparatively thin ice.

An often cited incident happened the next day:

Israel wanted to check whether the ice could be crossed by horse. So he left the city and walked over the ice, which had already been trodden and which was apparently stable enough for a car, to an island that separated two arms of the river. The ice on the other arm of the river showed a few holes, but no cracks. When he left the island in the direction of Thorn, the ice broke into pieces under the pressure of the river, which was swelling due to the flood, and Israel was carried away on an ice floe. Quoting Psalm 148 (see Ps 148,1-14  LUT ) he went from clod to clod. Mayor Hoffmann, who stood on the bank with a large number of Thorner citizens, ordered the people to remain silent in order not to confuse Israel. But as he approached the bank, they shouted: "To us, to us!" With the last clod he was driven to the brickworks in the garden of the citizen Prussius and was able to escape to the bank. Those present congratulated him on the divine assistance that they said they saw at work here; two of them followed him to his inn. One of them said that he wanted to write this incident down immediately so as not to forget it, as he had not yet seen anyone in this city being saved from such peril. This eyewitness report was taken over by Adam Mengerscius in his Historia Ecclesiastica Slavonicarum Provinciarum , which he wrote under the pseudonym Regenvolscius.

(Some versions of this story that are circulating on the Internet, for example, erroneously refer to the evangelical clergyman as a Jewish rabbi, probably because of his name; the original context can be read , among other things, in the book by Lochner listed under "Sources" .)

The mayor later congratulated Georg Israel. Finally, Israel publicly thanked God for his salvation in a sermon.

After escaping from prison in Prague, this was the second time Israel had been saved from imminent mortal danger. He felt confirmed in his commission as "Apostle of the Poles", as he was also called. His evangelical brothers and sisters interpreted the incident as a sign of the “true church”, which God saves from temporal need to the shore of eternity.

Travel to Poland

A few days later, the water level of the Vistula lowered and Israel was able to continue its journey to Poznan. There was also flood there, this time starting from the Warta . Georg Israel drove into the city in a boat and was able to touch the archway with his hand. The market square was flooded too, the water reached up over the horses' backs. Israel secretly held its first sermon in Poznan on the Wednesday after Judica in front of a handpicked audience in the house of Andreas Lipczynius. The audience informed about Israel's presence via messenger Catharina Ostroróg, an older unmarried woman and sister of Count Stanisław and Jakub Ostroróg .

She traveled from Pamiantkov the next day, attended the service the following day and spoke to Israel about religious issues. Another sister of the counts mentioned took part in the services with her husband Lucas Jancov. Jancov invited Georg Israel to the Psarsikie estate a few miles away.

On Maundy Thursday , Israel accepted the couple and the servant Martin Kadzinius into the congregation of the Bohemian Brothers and celebrated the Lord's Supper with them.

On Good Friday , Catharina Ostroróg and two of her maidservants in Pamiantkov confessed to the teaching of the university and a little later received the Evangelical Last Supper in Poznan for the first time. She passed this belief on to her friend Anna Cansinovia da Kunovo, who had already secretly participated in the evangelical sacrament of the Lord's Supper in Samotulia. In this way a new Czech Brethren congregation was established in Poznan and the surrounding area.

Israel returned to Prussia and reported to the bedridden Sionius, who died on April 16, 1551, about his reformatory successes.

At the time of the Poznan fair, Israel made another trip to Poznan, accompanied by the German preacher Johann Coritanus. From Poznan he traveled several times to Psarskie and in particular to Pamiantkov. There Anna Cansinovia, her sister, the unmarried Hedwig von Sokolnik, Wolfgang Bucovecius and his wife as well as the unmarried Barbara Jascolec heard his sermons. They joined the congregation and were admitted to the evangelical supper after the appropriate instruction. To the July 25, 1551 around Jakub Ostroróg returned from Krakow after Ostroróg back. He was accompanied by Felix Cruciger, who had preached in Ostroróg a few years earlier before the family converted to the evangelical faith. At the end of the summer, Israel and Cruciger first introduced each other.

Another journey by Israel to Posen dates back to the Passion time of 1552. He preached to Lipczynius, sometimes also to the pharmacist Jakob. During this stay, the tailor Martin, his wife and daughter, as well as Lipczynius' maid Margareta and a few other people, joined the Bohemian brothers.

In the same year Israel traveled again to Posen around June 24th and delivered a sermon in the house of Nicolaus Schilling in the suburbs; He held an afternoon service in the garden of the tailor Martin. In the house of Albert Stammet, who died a little later, he held a communion service. Due to a plague epidemic , Israel had to leave the city again.

In Poland

Israel was a preacher in Marienwerder and Gardensee until 1553; he had done his ministry there for four years at his own expense. After that, Petrus Studenius took over the preaching office there, while Israel took up residence in Poland on the instructions of the elders, since there he had become indispensable for the Bohemian brothers.

After January 6, 1553, he moved to Poznan, where he rented an apartment from Lukas Jankov. He preached in this apartment every day. Among his audience was the nun Praredra, who passed on the evangelical faith to others. Under the impression of the plague epidemic, Israel felt compelled to look after the area around Posen. That is why he also preached in Pamiantkov. The sermons had to be held in secret at the time. So that the singing and sermon could not be heard from outside, the windows were made soundproof with feather beds, pillows or cushions; the front door was guarded; only known people were allowed to enter. The Bishop of Poznan, Benedict II. Idzbienski, is said to have put 40 contract killers on Georg Israel. He was able to survive by disguising himself when visiting parishioners, sometimes as a court official, sometimes as a coachman, sometimes as a cook, sometimes as a craftsman.

On May 1, 1553, Israel preached in the house of Count Ostroróg, these sermons had a more public nature. At this time Johann Coscilecius, the general president of Greater Poland, ordered him to his castle. In a one-to-one conversation, Coscilecius had Israel explain the faith of the Bohemian brothers to him and had nothing to complain about in their articles of faith. However, he warned him of the dangers to which he was exposed and advised him to withdraw from Posen. Israel was allowed to leave the castle unhindered.

Despite the warning, he continued his sermons in Poznan unreservedly for some time. So he spread the evangelical faith in the vicinity of Poznan. In Ostroróg at that time there were Francesco Stancaro and, as preacher of the count, Felix Cruciger. The latter was critical of the Pope, but not evangelical. They feared that it might damage their position with the count if he converted to the faith of the Bohemian brothers. In any case, on the pretext of the plague epidemic, they advised him not to invite Georg Israel to his property. Count Ostroróg agreed and wrote a corresponding letter to Israel, which was delivered by the bailiff of the Pamiantkov and Sokolniki district , Albert Mengerscius von Mengierki, one of his court servants, during a service in the courtyard of the wife of Jakob Cansinov, who was in charge of the place. Cansinov himself did not yet belong to the Bohemian Brothers, but his wife and some servants did. The assembled congregation, including Cansinov, was shocked by the rejection letter, but Israel could infer from the Count's interest in the brothers' faith that Cruciger and Stancaro were responsible for the rejection. So he continued his sermons on the Count's property despite the reprimand; even when Mengerski later warned him again that not he himself, but other servants of the count could drive him out by force, he referred to God's help.

Israel, who was under the protection of Catharina Ostroróg, now moved to Jakub Ostroróg's court in the Poznan suburb. This also became his new preaching place. Later he visited Wolfgang Bucovec in Sokolniki near Ostroróg and from there Jakub Ostroróg, who greeted him warmly together with Cruciger in front of his house. In the conversation that followed, both of them said they were positive about the Bohemian brothers. Count Ostroróg asked to be allowed to be present at the evangelical supper, a short time later Israel and his congregation in Poznan granted his wish, Cruciger also watched. The Count's attitude towards the Bohemian Brothers continued to improve afterwards. Cruciger and Stancaro, which Count Ostroróg employed to improve church life, worked against it, but the count was increasingly concerned with the faith of the university.

Jakub Ostroróg was finally won over to the Reformation

The wife of the still undecided count, Barbara Stadnicia, invited the clergy of the brothers to a private service in the castle in Ostroróg. The countess's immediate servants and many neighboring nobles were present. The count himself was in a different building with some Roman Catholic guests who incited him against his wife. Jakub Ostroróg grabbed a whip and went into the room where the evangelical service was taking place. Matthias Czervenka delivered the sermon, Israel sat next to him. Czervenka continued to preach when the Count entered and adapted the content of his speech to the new guest. Instead of dragging his wife out of the room as planned, Ostroróg stopped and listened in amazement. Georg Israel asked him to take a seat. The count was so impressed by the service that he complied with the request. He later said that he would have obeyed if he had been told to hide under a bench or table. He felt like he was standing before the judgment seat of God. So he stayed until the end of the service and was finally won over to the evangelical faith. It also contributed to the fact that Israel later questioned the audience about the sermon over lunch in the presence of Jakub Ostroróg in order to research their understanding of the evangelical teaching. The count and his wife formally converted, the Roman Catholic clergy of the church in Ostroróg were dismissed and replaced by Georg Israel. Cruciger and Stancaro returned to Krakow without further obstructing Israel's efforts.

Parish office in Ostroróg

In November 1553, Georg Israel moved to the parsonage in Ostroróg, the local church now served the evangelical worship of the Bohemian brothers. From here he continued to travel to Posen, but he was also represented there in church matters by Georg Philippensis and Johann Petrassius, who also came from Moravia. New congregations of the Bohemian Brethren were formed in the region, to whom Israel assigned pastors. In Koźminek , a place of Count Ostroróg, this was Albert Serpentinus, later Joh. Rokita, in Marszewia Petrus Scalnicus, in Lobsenia Georg Philippensis, in Barcin Joh. Rybinius. The Reformation spread in Greater Poland. Through Israel's work alone, 20 evangelical congregations were founded in this part of the country. Due to the reluctant approach of the university, the danger for the evangelical Christians decreased and many were won over to their teaching.

On March 13, 1554, Georg Israel accepted Simeon Theophilus (* September 15, 1544, † 1608, also Simeon Theophilus Turnovius or Simeon Turnovský) from the Bohemian Turnau as a foster son, Simeon lived afterwards in the Duchy of Prussia.

Internal Protestant doctrinal disputes were avoided in Wielkopolska, but developments in the Protestant communities in other provinces made a religious discussion necessary, which was held on March 24, 1555 in Ehrencice in Lesser Poland . The Bohemian brothers were represented by Georg Israel and Johann Rokita.

The talks continued that same year in Goluchovia in Greater Poland, hosted by Count Raphael Leszczyński . Participants were Georg Israel, Johannes Rokita, Felix Cruciger, Andreas Prasmovius von Radziejovia, Alexander Vitrelinus, Georgius Grodisco, who represented Stanisław Ostroróg, Martin von Curnic, Laurentius Prasnisius, called Discordia from Gostyń and Stanislaus Sarnicius, who was in Geneva before and now had returned to Poland. In terms of content, it was primarily about the conception of the Lord's Supper, an agreement between the Lutherans , Calvinists and Bohemian Brothers represented at the conversation could not be reached at this point in time.

A royal order of June 27, 1555 to Joh. Coscelecius, the general captain of Wielkopolska, which forbade private religious gatherings of evangelical Christians, remained ineffective due to the increased influence of the Reformation.

Synodal

From August 24th to September 2nd, 1555, the first Protestant general synod in Greater Poland took place in Koźminek near Kalisz . The city was under the count of Ostroróg. Envoys from the Duchy of Prussia were also present, namely the Prefect of Soldau , Wilhelm Crinec Baron von Ronow and the ducal court preacher Johann Funck, who came from Wöhrd near Nuremberg . The Bohemian Brothers were formed by the clergymen Georg Israel, Jan Černý-Nigranus , Matthias Piscator, Johannes Girk, the pastor of the German Church in Niedburg in Prussia, Petrus Studenius, Petrus Scalnicius, Matthias Machek and Albertus Serpentinus, the first pastor of the church in Koźminek , as well as the candidates for the pastor's office Johannes Laurentius, Johannes Rokita, Johannes Petrasius, Stephanus Budsovius, Georg Philippensis, Martinus Abdon and Paul Cruciger. The Protestant congregations in Lesser Poland were represented by Felix Cruciger from Scebresin, who was now superattendens of the churches in Cracow and pastor of the church in Secemin, Stanislaus Lutomirscius, Gregorius Pauli, Martin Crovicius, Andreas Prasmovius, Alexander Vitrelinus and Laurentius Bresinius. The castellan and later palatine of Inoulodislav Joh. Crotoscius, the castellan of Rogosn, Joh. Tomicius, Count Jakub Ostroróg, Albert Marsevius, Petrus Grudziecius and others participated as political leaders of the Reformation in Greater Poland. From Lesser Poland came the lower chamberlain of Lencicz Stanislaus Lasocius, Hieronymus Philippovius, the poet Andrzej Trzecieski and others. At the synod, the doctrine of the Bohemian Brethren was carefully presented and was approved by the Malopolska Synod, who then formally joined the Bohemian Brethren on August 31 and took part in the communion of the Unity on September 1. Johannes Laurentius, Johannes Rokita, Johannes Petrasius, Georg Philippensis and Stephan Bydsovius received the priesthood of the Bohemian Brothers.

It was not least thanks to Israel's work that the Polish Diet also finally allowed Protestant Christians to preach freely in 1555. Georg Israel became the leader of the Bohemian Brethren in Greater Poland, who inconspicuously established themselves more and more there. They stayed out of the anti-Trinitarian disputes in Lesser Poland (see Polish Brothers ).

Nevertheless, attempts were made to maintain the connection with the other evangelical groups, among other things by holding synods. On April 23, 1556, a synod was held in Pińczów , the center of the Polish Reformation. Georg Israel, Superattendens Matthias Czervenka, Johannes Laurentius, Johannes Rokita and Johannes Gelecius took part.

In the same year a school of the Bohemian Brethren was founded in Koshmin .

Also in 1556 Israel and Johann Rybinius carried out a six-week visitation of the congregations in Lesser Poland, with Georg Israel also taking part in the Synod of Ivanovicz, where he met Francesco Lismanini , in whose apartment the meeting took place in the house of Lady Dluska. The synod was to take place from December 28, 1556 to January 1557. Due to an illness of Jan Łaski , who had recently returned to Poland and who was initially unable to attend the synod, the meeting was temporarily broken off on the evening of the first day after a short time, as the Lesser Poland delegates wanted to visit the sick person.

On the evening of December 28, Israel made a private visit to Lismanini and had an intensive conversation in which Lismanini told Israel about his career. Israel was dissatisfied with the state of the Reformation in Lesser Poland, which was less promoted there than in Greater Poland. Lismanini defended the evangelical clergy of Malopolska. They are of good will, but not sufficiently trained, including Superintendent Cruciger. You need a good teacher. He asked Israel to stay in Ivanovicz and be that teacher. The account of this conversation, however, comes from Israel itself, and is therefore likely to be colored by its own opinion.

Israel could not stay longer because he had to travel on to Prussia on behalf of the elderly. He traveled to Petrikau via Secymin .

From January 1, 1557 Łaski took part in the Synod of Ivanovicz. At the same time, Israel traveled with Krakow carters to Thorn, which he reached on January 6, and where he stayed for four days. Here he talked to Philippensis, Studenius, Marchek and Rokita. Then he went to Soldau at Muchek's request . Pietro Paolo Vergerio had stayed here since December to be close to the Polish Diet. Vergerio questioned Israel on January 13th and 14th about the history and constitution of the Bohemian Brethren and about Lismanini.

From March 9, 1557, Israel's foster son Simeon Theophilus lived with him in Ostroróg.

Senior for Poland

In 1557, at the Synod of the Church of the Bohemian Brethren in Sležany in Moravia, which met from August 24th and was attended by over 200 clergy, the Greater Poland Province of the University was established, the third after the Moravian and Bohemian. It also included the Brethren in Prussia . From the political leaders of the Reformation Johann Crotoscius, Johann Tomicius, Raphael Lescinius, Jakub Ostroróg and Albert Marszewius were present, from the elders of the university Jan Augusta, Matthias Czervenka and Johann Blahuslaus, pastors of the church in Evancziz. Georg Israel was elected and ordained the first bishop (in the language of the Bohemian Brothers senior, eldest or superattendens) of the newly founded province, as well as judge for all of Poland. He was thus responsible for the management of the Polish communities; a task that he performed partly through personal activities, partly through deputies, since he had aged physically, not mentally, through his active life. Johann Rokita was one of these deputies; but closest to him was Simeon Theophilus, who had been his foster son. Under Israel's leadership, the university in Poland experienced a strong boom.

At the end of October and November 1557, Israel visited the Wielkopolska communities together with Paul Drzewicki, Johann Laurentius and Johann Rokita. They came to Tomice and debated in the presence of the lord of the castle with Lismanini about an apology they had written . Lismanini had sent her writings to Switzerland for evaluation by Reformed theologians . The answer should go to Israel and her companions. They asked Lismanini to send in the declarations they had just made about their confessions. Lismanini agreed in case they would write down their own thoughts. A letter in reply to Israel is dated December 28th.

On February 8, 1558, the evangelical congregations of Lesser Poland organized a convention in Sandecz, at which Georg Israel, Johann Laurentius and Johann Rokita represented the Bohemian brothers.

From 1560 Johann Laurentius Georg supported Israel in Ostroróg.

On the 14th Sunday after Trinity this year, that is, on September 15th, the synod in Xians, to which he had been invited by Cruciger on February 4th, the increasingly weak Georg Israel no longer took part himself.

Israel, like Jan Łaski, worked for an unification of the Polish Protestant Christians. In 1567, Erasmus Gliczner, the superintendent of the Wielkopolska Lutherans, invited Israel to a synod in Poznan. The reason was Gliczner's initial skepticism towards these unification efforts. He had Israel answer a few questions and urged them to accept the Confessio Augustana as the only creed of the Bohemian Brethren. Israel refused.

In 1568 Georg Israel sent Johann Laurentius and Johann Polycarp to Wittenberg, partly to find out the opinion of the local theological faculty there on the disputes between the Lutherans and the Bohemian Brothers, partly to deliver a few letters, partly to address the students of the Bohemian Brothers there, including Simeon Theophilus, but above all to maintain close ties with the theologians there. The faculty judged the differences between the confessions of the Bohemian Brethren and the Lutherans to be purely superficial; an opinion that Luther had already held. Laurentius returned with the confirmation of their friendship and letters from both the faculty and individuals to Georg Israel and the Wielkopolska Bohemian Brothers.

On June 15, 1569, Israel ordained Simeon Theophilus as a deacon or catechist.

From February 13 to 16, 1570, a preliminary synod of the Bohemian Brethren, led by Georg Israel, and Lutherans, led by Erasmus Gliczner, was held in Posen. The confession of the brothers and its compatibility with the Confessio Augustana was discussed and another meeting in Christian unity was agreed.

In Vilnius , Lithuania , on March 2, 1570, a preliminary agreement was reached between Lutherans and Calvinists regarding the understanding of the Lord's Supper.

Sandomir and End of Life Consensus

In the spring of 1570, in the Palatine capital of Sandomir in Lesser Poland, an evangelical union of churches for Poland was founded at a well-attended general synod of Polish Lutherans, Calvinists and Bohemian brothers, which opened on April 9 and met from April 10. The synod agreed on the consensus of Sandomir (Latin consensus mutuus in religionis christianae capitibus ). For the first time in the world, the agreement of the three denominational groups represented on the theologically most important questions was determined. Simeon Theophilus, who also contributed to the unification, also took part in the synod on behalf of Israel and Laurentius. Georg Israel himself was unable to take part in the synod due to his age, perhaps also due to illness, but on May 20 at the Poznan Synod he signed for the unification in the name of the Bohemian Brethren.

On June 23, 1573 Israel and the elder Laurentius Theophilus consecrated the priest of the university by the laying on of hands.

On September 29, 1573, Georg Israel took part in a synod for the last time. This was organized by the three Protestant parishes in Krakow and was well attended. At the synod, the consensus of Sandomir and the resolutions of other synods, including those on church offices and church discipline, were confirmed. Arian-minded Baptists, who were also represented at the synod, were excluded from fellowship with the other evangelical groups. It also dealt with the practice of worship. Dances were forbidden, as was sitting while receiving the Lord's Supper, as was the custom among the Baptists mentioned. Both the political leaders of the Reformation and the clergy committed to complying with the resolutions. After the synod, the sick Israel retired, Johannes Laurentius, Johannes Rokita and his foster son Simeon Theophilus took over his duties as preacher and synodal.

In 1579 Israel moved to Leipnik.

In 1580 he resigned from his bishopric.

In 1587 Israel consecrated Simeon Theophilus together with Johann Caleph and Johann Aeneas by the laying on of hands as a senior.

Georg Israel died on July 8, 1588 in Leipnik.

Remembrance day

June 15 in the Evangelical Name Calendar .

The day of remembrance was first introduced by Jörg Erb for his book Die Wolke der Zeugen (Kassel 1951/1963, Vol. 4, Calendar on pp. 508-520). The Evangelical Church in Germany took over in 1969, this Memorial Day in the then established name calendar since he has official character.

Reception: Praying psalms over ice floes

A poetic description of Israel's crossing of the Vistula can be found in Axel Kühner : We hope the best , Aussaat-Verlag, 6th edition 2005, ISBN 3-7615-1618-5 . The text can be found in numerous copies on the Internet, often with a wrong classification of Georg Israels as a Jewish rabbi instead of an evangelical clergyman:

When Jiri Izrael,
one of the quiet people in the turmoil of the world
,
walked across the frozen Vistula near Torun in the year fifteen hundred and fifty- one, the ice suddenly began to break
in front of his feet and Jiri Izrael jumped from clod to clod and sang the psalm Praise in heaven, praise the Lord Him on high From clod to clod Praise him all his angels praise him to all his host From clod to clod Praise him sun and moon praise him all shining stars From clod to clod Praise him heaven from all heavens and you waters above heaven from clod To clod Praise the name of the Lord of all things for he commanded that they were created From clod to clod Praise the Lord on earth you great fish and all the depths of the sea From clod to clod, Praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is high in his glory reaches as far as heaven and earth is And so Jiri Izrael got happily from the current of the river to the bank.




























literature

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Lorenz Hein: Italian Protestants and their influence on the Reformation in Poland during the two decades before the Sandomir Consensus 1570 , Brill, Leiden 1974, ISBN 978-9-00403-893-6 , p. 17
  2. ↑ Peter Kristen: Across the water by prayer , manuscript service of the proclamations of the Evangelical Church of Hesse and Nassau
  3. ↑ Lamentations 3.57 on ERF.de
  4. ↑ Johann Amos Comenius: Concise Church History of the Bohemian Brothers , Johann Jacob Enderes, Schwabach 1739, p. 88, online under "Georg + Israel" + Weichsel & source = bl & ots = N0GRXg-PQe & sig = icQZ_kZnWdx6-aZU8V4MmpcdMcU = aZU8V4MmpcdMcU = aZU8V4MmpcdMcU = aZU8V4MmpcdMcU = aZU8V4MmpcdMcU = aZU8V4MmpcdMcU = aZU8V4MmpcdMcU = aZU8V4MmpcdMcU = aZU8V4MmpcdMcU = aZU8V4MmpcdMcU = aZU8V4MmpcdMcU = aZU8V4MmpcdMcU = aZU8V4MmpcdMcU = 0 v = onepage & q =% 22Georg% 20Israel% 22% 20Weichsel & f = false
  5. ↑ "It is said that when Jakub Ostroróg once heard over the table that his wife was absent because she was attending the services of the Bohemian brothers in another room in his palace, he, irritated by his, rushed to force her into the When he angrily enters the congregation of the brothers to disperse the devotees, Pastor Israel, who is present, makes him quietly take a seat and listen. Forced by the steadfast gaze of the pious man, the count sits down and listens the sermon of Czerwenka and is won over to the cause of the gospel forever. " Festschrift for the 300th anniversary of the Protestant community of Birnbaum , p. 6, 1900 Birnbaum; see also Lochner
  6. ↑ Thoughts for the day
personal data
SURNAME Israel, Georg
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Izrael, Georg; Izrael, Jiří; Izrael, Jiři; Israel, Jiri; Izrael, Jerzy; Izrael, George; Israel, Georgius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Bishop of the Bohemian Brethren University
DATE OF BIRTH around 1505
PLACE OF BIRTH Hungarian Brod , Moravia
DATE OF DEATH July 15, 1588
Place of death Leipnik , Moravia