[As] for the leaders of them, they were for the most part unlearned, and so unable to defend their opinions in any measure against a skilful adver- sary. Blandrata, their great patron, was not able to express himself in Latin, but by the help of Statorius, who had some learning, but no judgment;^ and therefore, upon his difference with Franciscus David in Transylvania, he was forced to send for Socinus out of Helvetia to manage the disputation with him. And what kind of cattle those were with whom he had to do at Cracovia as well as Eacovia, is manifest from the epistle of Simon Ronembergius, one of the leaders and elders of that which they called their " church," which is printed, Avith Socinus' answer unto it. I do not know that ever in my life I saw, for matter and form, sense and language, any thing so simple and foolish, so ridiculously senseless and incoherent, unless it were one or two in our own days, which with this deserve an eminent place " inter epistolas obseurorum virorum." And therefore Socinus justly feared that his party would have the worst in disputes, as he acknowledges it befell Licinius in his con- ference with Smiglecius at Novograde,^ and could not believe Ostorodius that he had such success as he boasted in Germany with Fabritius f and tells us himself a story of some pastors of their churches in Lithuania, who were so ignorant and simple that they knew not that Christ was to be worshipped.* What a facile thing it was for a man of his parts, abilities, and learning, to obtain a kingdom amongst such as these is easily guessed. He complains, indeed, of his own lost time in his young days, by the instigation of the devil, and says that it made him Aveary of his life to think of it, when he had once set up his thoughts in seeking honour and glory by being the head and master of a sect, as Ignatius the father of the Jesuits did* (with whom, as to this purpose, he is compared all along by the gentleman that wrote his life); yet it is evident that his learning and abilities were such as easily promoted him to the dictatorship among them with whom he had to do.
It may, then, be easily imagined what kind of esteem such men as those would have of so great an ornament and glory of then- religion, Avho at least was with them in that wherein they dissented from the rest of Christians.
' " Petro Statorio operam omnem suam fucandis barbarissimi scriptoris Blandrata3 commcntis navante." — Beza.
* " Dolerem equidem mirum in modum si disputatio ista sic habita fuisset, ut adversarii affirmant : suspicor tamen nihilominus, quatenus dispntationem ab ipsis editam per- currendo animadvertere ac consequi conjectura potui, Licinii antagonistam arte dispu- tandi et ipso superiorem esse, et id in ista ipsa disputatione facile plerisque constitisse : nam etsi (ni fallor) Licinius noster neutiquam in ea liferesi est, in qua non pauci ex nostris sunt, non esse Christiano homini dandam operam dialecticse," etc — Ep. ad Bal- cerovicium, p. 358.
_ 3 " Voidovius Ostorodi comes ea ad me scribit, quae vix mibi permittunt ut exitum disputationis illius eum fuisse credani, quern ipse Ostorodius ad me scripsit." — Ep ad Valent. Smalc. quarta, p. 522.
* " Quod totum fere pondus illius disputationis, adversus eos qui Cbristum adhuc ignorare dici possunt, sustinueris, vehcmenter tibi gratulor : nihil mihi novum fuit, ex narratione ista perciptre. pastores illos Lithuanicos ab ejusmodi ignoi'atione minime li- beros deprebensos fuisse. " — Ep. 5 ad Smalc.
* " Me imitari noli, qui nescio quo malo genio ductore, cum jam divime veritatis fontos degustassem, ita sum abreptus, ut majorem ct potiorem juvcntutis meae partem, inanibus quibusdam aliis studiis, imo inertias atque otio dederim, quod cum mecum ip?e reputo, reputo autem sa^pissime, tanto dolore afficior, ut me vivere quodam modo pi- geat." — Ep. ad Smalc. p. 513.
38 THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
Not only after his death, when they set him forth as the most incom- parable man of his time, but in his OAvn life and to himself, as I know not what excellent person,^ — that he had a mind suited for the investigation of truth, was a philosopher, an excellent orator, an eminent divine, that for the Latin tongue especially he might contend with any of the great wits of Europe, they told him to his face; such thoughts had they generally of him. It is, then, no wonder they gave themselves up to his guidance. Hence Smalcius wrote unto him to consult about the propriety of the Latin tongue, and in his answer to him he excuses it as a great crime that he had used a reciprocal relative where there was no occasion for it.2
And to make it more evident how they depended on him, on this account of his ability for instructions, when he had told Ostorodius an answer to an objection of the Papists, the man having afterward forgot it, sends to him again to have his lesson over once more, that he might re- member it.'
And therefore, as if he had been to deal with school-boys, he would tell his chief companions that he had found out and discovered such or such a thing in religion, but would not tell them until they had tried themselves, and therefore was afraid lest he should through unawares have told it to any of them ;* upon one of which adventures, Ostorodius making bold to give in his conception, he does little better than tell him he is a blockhead.® Being in this repute amongst them, and exercising such a dominion in point of abilities and learning, to prevail the more upon them, he was perpetually ready to undertake their quarrels, which themselves were not able with any colour to maintain. Hence most of his books were written, and his disputations engaged in, upon the desire of one assembly, synod, or company of them or other, as I could easily manifest by particular instances. And by this means got he no small advantage to insinuate his own principles ; for whereas the men greedily looked after and freely entertained the things which were professedly written in their defence, he always wrought in together therewith some- thing of his own peculiar heresy, that poison might be taken down with that which was most pleasing. Some of the wisest of them, indeed, as Niemojevius, discovered the fraud, who, upon his answer to AndrfBUS Volanus, commending what he had wi'itten against the deity of Christ, which they employed him in, falls foul upon him for his delivering in the same treatise that Christ was not a priest whilst he was upon the earth ;*