24 PEEFACE TO THE READER.
goods and a setting up of the kingdom of Christ, calling Racovia, where they met, the New Jerusalem, or at least professing tliat there they in- tended to build and establish the New Jerusalem, with other fanatical follies; which Satan hath revived in persons not unlike them, and caused to be acted over again, in the days wherein we live, though, for the most part, with less appearance of holiness and integrity of conversation than in them who went before.
The leaders of these men, Avho called themselves their " ministers," were Gregorius Pauli and Daniel Biclenscius : of whom Bielenscius afterward recanted ; and Gregorius Pauli, being utterly wearied, ran away from them as from a hard service,^ and, as Faustus Socinus tells us, in his pre- face to his answer to Palteologus, in his old age left off all study, and be- took himself to other employments. Such were the persons by whom this stir began.
This Gregorius Pauli, Schlusselburgius very ignorantly affirms to have been the head of the Antitrinitarians and their captain,^ when he was a mere common trooper amongst them, and followed after others, running away betimes, — an enthusiastical, antimagistratical heretic, pleading for community of goods. But this Gregory had said that Luther did but the least part of the work for the destruction of antichrist ; and hence is the anger of Doctor Conradus, Avho everywhere shows himself as zealous of the honour of Luther as of Jesus Christ. So was the man, who had some divinity, but scarce any Latin at all.
Be pleased now to take a brief view of the state of these men before the coming of Faustus Socinus into Poland and Transylvania, both these nations, after the death of Sigismund IL, being in the power of the same family of the Bathori. Of tho-,e who professed the reformed religion and were fallen from the Papacy, there were three sorts, — Lutherans, and Calvinists, and the United Bretliren; which last Avere originally Bohemian exiles, but, jirofessing and practising a more strict way of church order and fellowship than the other, had very many of the nobility of Poland and the people joined to their communion. The two latter agreed in all points of doctrine, and at length came, in sundry meetings and synods, to a fair agreement and correspondency, forbearing one another wherein they could not concur in judgment. Now, as these grew up to union amongst themselves, the mixed multitude of several nations that had joined themselves unto them in their departure out of Egypt fell a lusting after the abominations mentioned, and either withdrew themselves or were thrown out from their communion.
At first there were almost as many minds as men amongst them, the tessera of their agreement among themselves being purely opposition to the Trinity, upon what principle soever. Had a man learned to blaspheme the holy Trinity, were it on Photinian, Arian, Sabellian, yea, Moham- medan or Judaical principles, he was a companion and brother amongst them! To this the most of them added Anabaptism, with the necessity of itj and among the Papists were known by no other name. That they opposed the Trinity, that they consented not to the reformed churches, was their religion. For Pelagianism, afterward introduced by Socinus,
1 " Quid conimemorem animosi illius Gi-egorii Pauli insalutato suo grege fiigam." — Bez.
^ " Noviisti Ariani exorti sunt in Polonia, Litliuania, et ipsa nimirum Transylvania, ac eonnu caput et ducem se prolitetur (ilregorius Pauli minister ecclesia; Racoviensis, homo inipius, aml)itiosus, ct in blaspliemis effutiendis plane effi£cnis ; et ita quideni jactabundus, ut adscribere sibi, cum aliis Ariauis, non vereatur cxcisionem'anticliristi : et ejusdein cxtirpationem ab iiuis fundamentis : Lutlierum enim vix miuimam partem revel-.ttiouis anticliristi rcliquisiu." — Sclilussclburg. de Antitrin. p. 3.
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. 25
there was little or no mention [of it] among tliem. In this estate, divided amongst themselves, notwithstanding some attempts in their synods (for synods they had) to keep a kind of peace in all their diversities of opinions, spending their time in disputes and quarrellings, were they when Faustus Socinus came into Poland; who at length brought them into the condition wherein they are, by the means and ways that shall be farther insisted on.
And this state of things, considering how not unlike the condition of multitudes of men is thereunto in these nations wherein we live, hath oftentimes made me fear that if Satan should put it into the heart of any person of learning and ability to serve his lust and ambition with craft, wisdom, and diligence, it were not impossible for him to gather the dis- persed and divided opinionatists of our days to a consent in some such body of religion as that which Socinus framed for the Polonians. But of him, his person, and labours, by what ways and means he attained his end, it may not be unacceptable, from his own and friends' writings, to give some farther account.
That Faustus Socinus, of Sienna, was born of a good and ancient family, famous for their skill in the law, in the month of December in the year 1539 ; that he lived in his own country until he was about the age of twenty years ; that then leaving his country after his uncle Lselius, he went to Leyden, and lived there three years ; that then, upon the death of his uncle, having got his books, he returned into Italy, and lived in the court of the great Duke of Tuscany twelve years, about the close of which time he wrote his book in Italian, " De Authoritate Sacra? Scripturte;" that leaving his country he came to Basil in Switzerland, and abode there three years and somewhat more, — are things commonly known, and so little to our purpose that I shall not insist upon them.