CENT. ing to the famous Dudith [2],) and in several XVI. other places, both in Poland and Lithuania, and PART II. obtained the privilege of printing their produc SECT. III. tions, and those of their brethren, without molestation or restraint [w]. All these advantages were crowned by a signal mark of liberality and munificence, they received from Jo. Sienienius, palatine of Padolia, who gave them a settlement in the city of Racow, which he had himself built, in the year [u] This Dudith, who was certainly one of the most learned, and eminent men of the sixteenth century, was born at Buda, in the year 1533; and after having studied in the most famous universities, and travelled through almost all the countries of Europe, was named to the bishoprick of Tinia by the empe ror Ferdinard, and made privy counsellor to that prince. He had, by the force of his genius, and the study of the ancient orators, acquired such a masterly and irresistible eloquence, that in all public deliberations he carried every thing before him. In the council, where he was sent in the name of the emperor and of the Hungarian clergy, he spoke with such energy against several abuses of the church of Rome, and particularly against the celibacy of the clergy, that the pope, being informed thereof by his legates, solicited the emperor to recal him. Ferdinand complied; but having heard Dudith's report of what passed in that famous council, he approved of his conduct, and rewarded him with the bishoprick of Chonat. He afterwards married a maid of honour of the queen of Hungary, and resigned his bishoprick; the emperor, however, still continued his friend and protector. The papal excommunication was levelled at his head, but he treated it with contempt. Tired of the fopperies and superstitions of the church of Rome, he retired to Cracow, where he embraced the protestant religion publicly, after having been for a good while its secret friend. It is said that he shewed some inclination towards the Socinian system. Some of his friends deny this; others confess it, but maintain, that he afterwards changed his sentiments in that respect. He was well acquainted with several branches of philosophy and the mathematics, with the sciences of physic, history, theology and the civil law. He was such an enthusiastical admirer of Cicero, that he copied over three times, with his own hand, the whole works of that immortal author. He had something majestic in his figure, and in the air of his countenance. His life was regular and virtuous, his manners elegant and easy, and his benevolence warm and extensive, [w] Sandii Bibliotheca Anti-Trin. p. 201, XVI. SECT. III. PART II.. year 1569, in the district of Sendomir [x]. This CENT. extraordinary favour was peculiarly adapted to better the state of the Unitarians, who were, hitherto, dispersed far and wide in the midst of their enemies. And accordingly they now looked upon their religious establishment as permanent and stable, and presumed so far upon their good fortune, as to declare Racow the centre of their community, where their distant and dispersed members might unite their counsels, and hold their deliberations. mary view X. When they saw their affairs in this promi- A sumsing situation, the first thing that employed the of the reliattention and zeal of their doctors and spiritual gion they rulers, was a translation of the Bible into the Po-professed. lish language, which was accordingly published in the year 1572. They had, indeed, before this, a Polish version of the sacred writings, which they had composed, jointly with the Helvetic doctors, in the year 1565, while they lived in communion with that church: But after the breach of that communion, and the order they had received to separate themselves from the Reformed church, this Version lost its credit among them, as it did not seem proper to answer their views [y]. After they had finished their new Version, they drew up a summary of their religious doctrine, which was published at Cracow, in the year 1574, under the title of Catechism or Confession of the Unitarians [z]. The system of religion Kk 4 [x] Sandius, loc. citat. p. 201.-Lubieniecius, loc. cit. p. 239. [y] See a German work of Ringeltaube, entitled, Von den Pohlnischen Bibeln, p, 90. 113. 142. in which there is a further account of the Polish interpretations of the Bible composed by Socinian authors. [z] From this little performance, and indeed from it alone, we may learn with certainty the true state of the Unitarian religion before Faustus Socinus; and, nevertheless, I do not find that it has been so much as once quoted, or even mentioned by any of the Socinian writers, by any historians who have given an CENT. religion that is contained in this Catechism, is reXVI. markable for its simplicity, and is neither loaded SECT. III. PART II. with an account of their sect, nor yet by any of the divines that have drawn the pen of controversy against their religious system. I am almost inclined to believe, that the Socinians (when in process of time they had gained ground, acquired more dexterity in the management of their affairs, and drawn up a new, specious, and artful summary of their doctrine) were prudent enough to desire that this primitive catechism should disappear, that it might not furnish their adversaries with an occasion of accusing them of inconstancy in abandoning the tenets of their ancestors, nor excite factions and divisions among themselves, by inducing any of their people to complain that they had deviated from the ancient simplicity of their first founders. These reasons, very probably, engaged the Socinian doctors to buy up all the copies they could find, of this original Confession or ca. techism, with a view to bury it in oblivion. It will not therefore, be improper to give here some account of the form and matter of this first Socinian creed, which contained the doctrine of that sect before the Racovian Catechism was composed. This account will throw new light upon a period and branch of ecclesiastical History that are highly interesting. The original Catechism now under consideration, which is extremely rare, has the following title prefixed to it; "Catechism, or Con, fession of faith of the Congregation assembled in Poland in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who was crucified, and raised from the dead-Deuter. vi. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one God-John viii. 54. It is my Father-of whom ye say, that he is your God. Printed by Alexander Turobinus, born in the year of Christ, the Son of God, 1574," in 12mo, (1). We find, by a passage at the end of the Preface, that this cu rious Catechism, was printed at Cracow, for it is said to have been published in that city, in the year 1574, after the birth of Christ. Now it is known that the Unitarians had, at that time, a printing-house at Cracow, which was soon after removed to Racow, Alexander Turobinus, who is said to have been the printer of this little production, is mentioned by Sandius (in his Biblioth. Anti-Trin. p. 51.) under the denomination of Turobinczyck, which he undoubtedly derived from Turabin, a town in the Palatinate of Chelm, in Little, or Red Russia, which was the place of his nativity. The author of this Catechism was (1) The original title runs thus: "Catechesis et Confessio fidei cœtus per Poloniam congregati in nomine Jesu Christi, Domine nostri crucifixi et re suscitati, Deut. vi. Audi Israel, Dominus Deus noster Deus unus est, Johannis viii. dicit. Jesus: Quem vos dicitis vestrum esse Deum, est pater meus Typis Alexandri Turobini. anno nati Jesu Christi, filii Dei, 1574." in 12ma with scholastic terms nor subtile discussions; but CENT. it nevertheless breathes, in several places, the XVI. spirit was the famous George Schoman, as has been evidently proved from a piece entitled, Schomanni Testamentum (2), and other circumstances, by Jo. Adam Mullerus, in his Dissert. De Unitariorum Catechesi et Confessione omnium (3). The Preface, which is composed in the name of the whole congregation, begins with the following salutation: "To all those who thirst after eternal salvation, the little and afflicted flock in Poland, which is baptized in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, sendeth greeting praying most earnestly that grace and peace may be shed upon them by the one supreme God and Father, through his only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who was crucified" (4). After this general salutation, the Prefacers give an account of the reasons that engaged them to compose and publish this confession. The principal of these reasons was, the reproaches and aspersions that were cast upon the Anabaptists, in several places; from which we learn, that, at this time, the denomination of Anabaptists was given to those, who, in after times, were called Socinians. The rest of this Preface is employed in beseeching the reader to be firmly persuaded, that the designs of the congregation are pious and upright, to read with attention, that he may judge with discernment, and " abandoning the doctrine of Babylon, and the conduct and conversation of Sodom, to take refuge in the ark of Noah," i. e. among the Unitarian Brethren, . In the beginning of the Catechism itself, the whole doctrine of Christianity is reduced to six points. The first relates to the Nature of God, and his Son Jesus Christ; the second to Justification; the third to Discipline; the fourth to Prayer ; the fifth to Baptism; and the sixth to the Lord's Supper. These six points are explained at length, in the following manner : Each point is defined and unfolded in general terms, in one question and answer, and is afterwards subdivided into its several branches in various questions and answers, in which its different parts are illustrated and confirmed by texts of Scripture. From this it appears, at first sight, that the primitive state of Socinianism was a state of real infancy and weakness, that its doctors were by no means distinguished by the depth or accu racy (2) This testament is published by Sandius in his Biblioth. Anti-Trin. p. 51. (3) The Dissertation of Mollerus is to be found in a collection of pieces published by Bartholomæus under the following title: " Fortgesezten nutzlichen Ammerckungen von allerhand Materien," part xxi. p. 758. (4) Omnibus salutem æternam fitientibus, gratiam ac pacem ab uno illo altissimo Deo patre, per unigenitum ejus filium, Dominum nostrum, Jesum Christum crucifixum, ex animo precatur coetus exigus et afflictus per Pos loniam, in nomine ejusdem Jesu Christi Nazareni baptizatus, SECT. III. CENT. Spirit of Socinianism, and that even in those parts XVI. of it which its authors look upon as most import SECT. III. PART II. ant racy of their theological knowledge, and that they instructed their flock in a superficial manner, by giving them only some vague notions of certain leading doctrines and precepts of religion. In their definition of the Nature of God, with which this Catechism begins, the authors discover immediately their sentiments concerning Jesus Christ, by declaring that he, together with all other things, is subject to the Supreme Creator of the universe. It may also be observed, as a proof of the ignorance or negligence of these authors, that, in illustrating the nature and perfections of the Deity, they make not the least mention of his infinity, his omniscience, his immensity, his eternity, his omnipotence, his omnipresence, his spirituality, nor of those other perfections of the divine nature that surpass the comprehension of finite minds. Instead of this, they characterize the Supreme Being only by his wisdom, his immortality, his goodness, and unbounded dominion and empire over the creatures. By this it would seem, that even at this early period of Socinianism, the rulers of that sect had adopted it as a maxim, that nothing incomprehensible or mysterious was to be admitted into their religious system. Their erroneous notion concerning Jesus Christ is expressed in the following terms: "Our mediator before the throne of God is a man who was formerly promised to our fathers by the prophets, and in these latter days was born of the seed of David, and whom God the Father has made Lord and Christ; that is, the most perfect prophet, the most holy priest, and the most triumphant king, by whom he created the new world (5), by whom he sent peace upon earth, restored all things, and reconciled them to himself; and by whom also he has bestowed eternal life upon his elect; to the end that, after the Supreme God, we should believe in him, adore and invoke him, hear his voice, imitate his example, and find in him rest to our souls" (6). It is here worthy of note, that although they call Christ a most holy priest, and justify this а title (6) This expression is remarkable; for these doctors maintained, that these declarations of Scripture, which represent the world as formed by Christ, do not relate to the visible world, but to the restoration of mankind, to virtue and happiness by the Son of God. They invented this interpre tation to prevent their being obliged to acknowledge the divine glory and creating power of Christ. (6) Est homo, mediator noster apud Deum, patribus olim per prophetas promissus, et ultimis tandem temporibus ex Davidis semine natus, quem Deus pater fecit Dominum et Christum, hoc est, perfectissimum prophe tam, sanctissimum, sacerdotem, invictissimum regem, per quem mundum creavit, omnia restauravit, secum reconciliavit, pacificavit, et vitam æternam electis suis donavit: ut in illum, post Deum altissimum, credamus, illum adoremus, invocemus, audiamus, pro modulo nostro imitamur, et, in illo, requiem animabus nostris inveniamus. |