SECT. III. The pro cinus. CENT XI. The dexterity and perseverance of Faustus XVI. SOCINUS gave a new face to the sect of the UniPART. tarians, of which he became the zealous and industrious patron. He was a man of true genius, ceedings of but of little learning; firm in his purposes, and Faustus So-steady in his measures; much inferior in knowledge to his uncle LALIUS, while he surpassed him greatly in courage and resolution. This eminent sectary, after having wandered through several countries of Europe, settled, in the year 1579, among the Unitarians in Poland, and at his arrival there suffered many vexations and much opposition from a considerable number of persons, who looked upon some of his tenets as highly erroneous. And, indeed, it is evident, that the religious system of FAUSTUS Socinus, which he is said to have drawn from the papers of his uncle LELIUS, was much less remarkable for its simplicity than that of the Unitarians. He triumphed, however, at last, over all the difficulties that had been laid in his way, by the power of his eloquence, the spirit and address that reigned in his compositions, the elegance and gentleness of his manners, the favour and protection of the nobility, which he had acquired by his happy talents and accomplishments, and also by some lucky hits of fortune that favoured his enterprizes. By seizing the occasions when it was prudent toyield, and improving the moments that demanded bold' resistance and firm resolution, he stemmed dexterously and courageously the torrent of opposition, and beheld the Unitarians submitting to his doc trine, firmed by the writer of the Epistola de Vita Andr. Wissowatii, which is subjoined to the Bibliotheca Anti-Trin. of Sandius. This writer tells us, that his sect were distinguished by the denominations of Anabaptists and Arians; but that all other Christian communities and individuals in Poland were promiscuously called Chrzesciani, from the word Chrzest, which signifies Baptism, SIL trine, which they had before treated with indig- C EN T. nation and contempt. They, in effect, laid aside SECT. III. XVI. all feuds and controversies, and formed themselves PART II. into one community under his superintendency and direction [c]. rian reli cinus. XII. Thus did SocINUS introduce a consider- The Unitaable change into the ancient Unitarian system, gion chanwhich, before his time, was ill-digested, ill ex-ged by Sopressed, and chargeable in many places with ambiguity and incoherence. He disguised its inconsistencies, gave it an air of connexion, method, and elegance, and defended it with much more dexterity and art, than had ever been discovered by its former patrons [d]. And, accordingly, the [c] See Bayle's Dictionary, at the article Socinus, tom. iv. p. 2741-Sandii Biblioth. Anti-Trin. p. 64.-Sam. Przypcopii Vita Socini, which is prefixed to the works of Socinus. -Lamy Histoire du Socinianisme, part I. ch. xxiv. p. 101. part II. ch. xxii. p. 375, &c. [d] Hence it appears, that the modern Unitarians are very properly called Socinians. For certainly the formation and establishment of that sect were entirely owing to the labours of Lælius and Faustus Socinus. The former, indeed, who was naturally timorous and irresolute, died at Zurich, in the year 1562, in the communion of the Reformed church, and seemed unwilling to expose himself to danger, or to sacrifice his repose, by founding a new sect, that is, by appearing professedly and openly in this enterprize. Besides, many circumstances concur to render it highly probable, that he did not finish the religious system of which he had formed the plan, but died, on the contrary, in a state of uncertainty and doubt with respect to several points of no small importance. But, notwithstanding all this, he contributed much to the institution of the sect now under consideration. For he collected the materials that Faustus afterwards digested and employed with such dexterity and success. He secretly and imperceptibly excited doubts and scruples in the minds of many, concerning several doctrines generally received among Christians; and, by several arguments against the divinity of Christ, which he left behind him committed to writing. he so far seduced, even after his death, the Arians in Poland, that they embraced the communion and sentiments of those, who looked upen Christ as a mere man, created immediately, like Adam, SECT. III. CENT. the affairs of the Unitarians put on a new face. XVI. Under the auspicious protection of such a spirited PART II. and insinuating chief; the little flock, that had been hitherto destitute of strength, resolution, and courage, grew apace, and all of a sudden, arose to a high degree of credit and influence. Its number was augmented by proselytes of all ranks and orders. Of these some were distinguished by their nobility, others by their opulence, others by their address, and many by their learning and eloquence. All these contributed, in one way or another, to increase the lustre, and to advance the interests of this rising community, and to support it against the multitude of adversaries, which its remarkable prosperity and success had raised up against it from all quarters; the rich maintained it by their liberality, the powerful by their patronage and protection, and the learned by their writings. But now the system of the Unitarians, being thus changed and new-modelled, required a new confession of faith to make known its principles, and give a clear and full account of its present state. The ancient Catechism, which was no more than a rude and incoherent sketch, was therefore laid aside, and a new form of doctrine was drawn up by SOCINUS himself. This form was corrected by some, augmented by others, and revised by all the Socinian doctors of any note; and, having thus acquired a competent degree of accuracy Adam, by God himself. What Lælius had thus begun, Faustus carried on with vigour, and finished with success. It is indeed difficult, nay scarcely possible, to determine precisely, what materials he received from his uncle, and what tenets he added himself; that he added several is plain enough. This difficulty arises from hence, that there are few writings of Lælius extant, and of those that bear his name, some undoubtedly belong to other authors. We learn, however, from Faustus himself, that the doctrine he propagated, with respect to the person of Christ, was, at least, the greatest part of it, broached by his uncle Lælius. XVI. accuracy and perfection, was published under the CENT. title of the Catechism of Racow, and is still consi-sc. II. dered as the Confession of Faith of the whole sect. PART. An unexpected circumstance crowned all the fortunate events that had happened to this sect, and seemed to leave them nothing further to desire; and this was the zealous protection of JACOBUS A SIENNO, to whom Racow belonged. This new patron, separating himself from the Reformed church, in the year 1600, embraced the doctrine and communion of the Socinians, and about two years after, erected in his own city, which he declared their metropolis, a public school, designed as a seminary for their church, to form its ninisters and pastors [e]. gation of Transylva XIII. From Poland, the doctrine of SocINUS made its way into Transylvania, in the year 1563. The Propaand that, principally, by the credit and influence Socinianof GEORGE BLANDRATA, a celebrated physician, min whom SIGISMUND, at that time sovereign of the nia and country, had invited to his court, in order to the Hungary. restoration of his health. BLANDRATA was a man of uncommon address, had a deep knowledge of men and things, and was particularly acquainted with the manners, transactions, and intrigues of courts. He had brought with him a Socinian minister, whose name was FRANCIS DAVID, who seconded his efforts with such zeal, that, by their united solicitations and labours, they engaged the prince, and the greatest part of the nobility, in their cause, infected almost the whole province with their errors, and obtained, for the ministers and members of their communion, the privilege of professing and propagating their doctrines in a public manner. The Batori, indeed, who were afterwards chosen dukes of Transylvania, were, by VOL. IV. [e] See WISSOWATI Narratio de Serratione Unitariorum a Reformais, p. 214.-LUBIENIE eius, Histor. Reformatorum, Polon. lib. iii. c. xii. p. 240. CENT.no means, prejudiced in favour of the Socinians; XVI. but that sect was grown so powerful by its numPARTI bers, and its influence, that they could not, in SECT. III. In Holland Jand. prudence, attempt to suppress it [f]. Such also was the case with the successors of the Batori; they desired ardently to extirpate this society, but never could bring this desire into execution; so that to this day the Socinians profess their religion publicly in this province, and, indeed, in it alone; and, relying on the protection of the laws, and the faith of certain treaties that have been made with them, have their churches and seminaries of learning, and hold their ecclesiastical and religious assemblies, though exposed to perpetual dangers and snares from the vigilance of their adversaries [g]. About the same time the Socinians endeavoured to form settlements in Hungary [b] and Austria [i]; but these attempts were defeated by the united and zealous opposition both of the Roman-catholic and Reformed churches. XIV. No sooner had the Socinians obtained a and Eng- solid and happy settlement at Racow, but the dictates of zeal and ambition suggested to them views of a still more extensive nature. Encouraged by the protection of men in power, and the suffrages of men of learning and genius, they began to lay several plans for the enlargement of their community, and meditated nothing less than the propagation [f]-See SANDII Biblioth, Anti-Trinit. p. 28. & 55-PAULE DEBREZENI Historia Ecclesiæ Reformata in Hungaria, p. 147. -MART. SCHMEIZELII De statu Eccles. Lutherane in Transylvania, p. 55-LAMY, Hist. du Socinianisme, part I. ch. xiii. p. 46-SALIG, Histor. Aug. Confessionis, vol. ii. lib. vi. cap. vi. p. 847 GUSTAV. GEORG. ZELTNERI Historia Crypto-Socinismi Altorfini, cap. ii p. 357. 359. [b] DEBREZENI Histor. Eccles. Reform, in Hungaria, p.169. [i] HENR. SPONDANI Continuat. Annal. Baronii, ad A. 1568, n. xxiv. p. 704. |