RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Society Socinus
the ascendency in Poland. Many small congregations were composed almost entirely of the nobility distinguished by humanistic culture. 2. Early The most important society was at Socinian Rakow (55 m. n.e. of Cracow), a city Movement, founded by the Reformed Johannes Sieninski in 1569, which soon became a colonial center for a free-thinking spiritual life, specially after the accession to Socinianism of the younger Sieninski. Its excellent school was attended at one time by 1,000 students. Philosophy and theology were taught; and associated with it was a publishing-house transferred from Cracow. Rakow was also the meeting-place of the annual general synod. The prosperity of Socinianism was mainly due to the influence of its great ministers, theologians, and scholars, proceeding from its academic center at Rakow. Valentin Schmalz (b. in Gotha 1572; d. at Rakow 1622) was won to Unitarianism while studying at Strasburg, 1591; came to Poland and was rebaptized; was rector of the school at Szmigel; became preacher at Lublin, 1598; and teacher and preacher at Rakow, 1605. He made many journeys in the interest of Unitarianism, and left fifty-two writings of a vehement polemical nature. Johann Volkel (b. at Grimma, 17 m. s.e. of Leipsic; d. 1618) became a Socinian in 1585, after the completion of his studies at Wittenberg; was rector of the school in Wengrow; and later preacher in Poland. His chief work, De vera religione (Rakow, 1630), was a systematic presentation of the Socinian doctrine and was authoritative. Christoph Ostorodt (b. at Goslar, 40 m. s.e. of Hanover; d. at Buskow, near Danzig, 1611) studied at Konigsberg; became rector of the school at Luchow in Pomerania; entered the Unitarian society, 1585; fled to Poland and became preacher at Rakow. He was strongly Anabaptist, and warfare, public office, litigation, the oath, and riches were repugnant to him. His most popular work was Unterrichtung von den vornehmsten Hauptpunkten der christlichen Religion (Rakow, 1604). Hieronymus Moskorzowski (d. 1625) founded the Unitarian congregation in the town of Czarkow; and wrote polemical works beside an " Apology of the Socinians." In the following generation Johann Crell (b. at Helmersheim, in Franconia, 1590; d. at Rakow 1631), by his eminent endowments, thorough culture, and tireless energy, takes first rank. He was educated at Nuremberg and Altdorf ; was converted to Unitarianism partly by Ernst Soner at Altdorf; fled to Poland, 1612; became professor of the Greek language in Rakow, 1613; rector of the school, 1616; and preacher at Rakow, 1621-31. Crell was an extremely prolific writer, producing commentaries on the New Testament; two books, De uno Deo patre, a very sharp attack by a Socinian upon the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity; and Ad librum H. Grotii, quern de satisfactione Christi adversus Faustum Socinum Senensem scripsit, responsio. All the works of Crell are published in Bibliotheca fratrum Polonorum, vols. iii. and iv. (ut sup.). Jonas Schlichting (b. at Bukowice, near Strasburg-onthe-Drewenz, 80 m. s.s.e. of Danzig, 1592; d. at Selchow, near Teltow, 11 m. s.w. of Berlin, 1661) studied at Rakow and at the University of Altdorf;
became preacher at Rakow; went to Transylvania, 1638, to settle the controversy of the Non-ador antes, but without success; was outlawed by the diet which burned his confession of faith, 1647; and left Poland, 1658. He left commentaries on most of the books of the New Testament (Bibliotheca, vol. iv.); the Confessio fidei Christiana (1642), translated into Polish, German, French, and Dutch; and De trinitate, de moralibus Veteris et Novi Testamenti (1637). Johann Ludwig von Wolzogen (b. at Neuhausel or Ersek-Ujvar, 50 m. n.w. of Budapest, 1599; d. 1661) was a distinguished exegete, and, besides his commentaries, wrote a Compendium religionis Christiana and a severe criticism of the doctrine of the Trinity (Bibliotheca, vols, viii.-ix.). Samuel Przypkowski (b. 1592; d. in Brandenburg 1670) studied at Altdorf (1614-16); was compelled to flee from Poland; and wrote Vita Fausti Socini (1636); and a comparison of the Apostles Creed with the symbols of his day. Andreas Wiszowaty (b. 1608; d. at Amsterdam 1678) was a grandson of F. Socinus; educated at Rakow, Leyden, and Amsterdam; pastor of various congregations in Poland; expelled by the edict of 1657; lived at Mannheim, 1661-66, as pastor of the Socinian exiles; and subsequently at Amsterdam. The most important of his sixty-two writings was Religio rationalis. Stanislaus Lubienik or Lubienicki, the younger (b. at Rakow 1623; d. at Hamburg 1675), was the author of the Historia Reformationis Polonica (Amsterdam, 1685). Peter Morskowski was the author of Politia ecclesiastica or Socinian agenda, written at the order of a convention at Dazwie, 1646 (3 books, Leipsic, 1745).
Socinianism, which had flourished during the first decades of the seventeenth century, succumbed to the Roman Catholic reaction started under Sigismund III. At the instigation of the Jesuits, the
church at Lublin was destroyed, 1627.
3. The Under Ladislaus IV., by act of the
Dispersion, senate at Warsaw (1638), the school at
Rakow was suppressed, the Socinians were deprived of their church and printing-establishment, and their preachers and teachers were proscribed. Under John Casimir (1648-68) the final blows fell upon the remaining Unitarian congregations. The Swedish invasion occasioned a respite, and some resorted to the party in favor of the Swedish king, hoping for relief. In consequence they were accused of treason and suffered indescribable afflictions. After the withdrawal of the Swedes (1638) the Diet of Warsaw prohibited the confession and promotion of " Arianism " on pain of death. Many migrated to other lands, many joined the Roman Catholics, and others remained, secretly protected by Roman Catholics and Protestants. A new edict (1661) decreed a stricter enforcement of the laws against the Socinians. Soon the same fate befell the other Protestants, and the Jesuit reaction reached its climax with the massacre of Thorn, 1724. Socinianism secured an influential promoter in Germany in Ernst Soner (b. at Nuremberg 1572; d. at Altdorf 1612). He studied at Leyden, 1597- 1598, where Ostorodt and Woidowski converted him to Socinianism. As professor of medicine and physics at Altdorf he clandestinely labored in the
Socinua