#157 Letter to the brethren

Louis Hencsey (1814–1844) was a Hungarian locksmith or blacksmith who helped establish the Nazarene Christian movement in Hungary. After being baptized in Switzerland in 1840 through the movement associated with Samuel Heinrich Fröhlich, he returned to Hungary and spread a faith emphasizing personal conversion, adult baptism, practical discipleship, and nonresistance. Although he died only four years later, his evangelism helped lay the foundations of the Hungarian Nazarene community. The following is a letter he wrote to the brethren.

Dear Brethren:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God whenever I think of you; and when I pray for you all, my prayers are always joyful because of the part you have taken in the work of the gospel from the first day unto now. Of one thing I am certain: the One who started the good work in you will bring it to completion until the day of Jesus Christ. I exhort you daily to live as saints, pray always, and practice charity. I do hope that with the Lord’s help I can come and see you again. Then our hearts will be filled with a greater joy, rejoicing at your spiritual growth. It was hard for me to leave you so suddenly, but through my correspondence I shall not cease to strengthen you. I want you to know that if you go back to live your former life, your lot will be worse than before. Therefore gird up yourselves with the Holy Ghost that you would prefer death rather than turning away from the divine you have found.

With brotherly love, your humble servant,

Louis Hencsey