Ruarus Joachim , (Germ. Ruar,) the brother of Martin Ruarus, became a student in the University of Altorf on the 9th of July, 1612. He had received the whole of his previous education under the paternal roof ; and his object in going to that University was to prepare himself for the medical profession, in which he afterwards attained to considerable eminence. 

During his residence at Altorf, he was converted, by his brother Martin, to the Unitarian faith, of which he remained a steady and consistent professeur through the rest of his live. He was known among the Antitrinitarian party by the name of Dominicus Anastasius Crispicus. The origin of the name Crispicus has already been explained, in the account of his brother Martin ; and he was Dominicus Anastasius from his Christian name Joachim, which, in Hebrew, signifies The rising, [or avenging] of the Lord.

In the first Volume of the Correspondance of Martin Ruarus, there are two letters addressed to this brothers, Joachim and Peter, jointly, and numbered 14 and 15. They are without date ; but an introductory note informs the reader, that they ought to have placed much earlier. In the second Volume, besides one (N° 8) written to the two brothers jointly, there are two (N° 11 and 98) adressed to Joachim, and two (N° 18 and 19) to Peter. In the former of the two addressed to Joachim, Martin earnestly entreats him to leave no stone unturned, in his endeavours to bring over their brother Peter to the same way of thinking, on religious subjects, with themselves ; and adds, “O Jucudum illum diem, et eretâ notandum, quando nuncium hoc à te acceptarus sum!” It does not appear, however, that Peter over quitted the communion of the Eavgelico-Lutheran Church.

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Ronemberg Simon , sometimes called Simon PharmaCopjeus, in allusion to his trade of an Apothecary, was a citizen of Cracow, and Elder of the first Unitarian Baptist Church in that place. He was an exceedingly zealous advocate of Adult Baptism by immersion. It was chiefly under his guidance, that the Unitarian Baptists of Poland first formed themselves into Churches, in the year 1569, about ten years before the arrival of Faust Socin in that country. In the autumn of that year, when their affairs were in a very discouraging state, Ronemberg went with Jerome Philipovius, George Schomann, and some others, into Moravia, for the purpose of holding a conference with the Brethren in Moravia, on subjects both of doctrine and discipline. The discipline they found to be admirable. According to Schomann, it was everything that could be desired. But the doctrine was such as they could not approve ; for all the sects of the Moravian Baptists believed in the doctrine of the Trinity, and defended it with a pertinacity, which surprised and grieved Ronemberg and his companions. They returned to Poland dejected and dispirited; and for a time it was thought, that nothing could be done to revive their drooping cause. Almost all their Ministers, except Czechovicius, left off preaching. "But God," says Schomann, "taking compassion upon us, restored our fallen affairs, by that excellent man, Simon the Apothecary, as by another Ezra ; and, in the midst of the existing tumults, erected a ministry, with the Baptism of adults." (Schomanni Testamentum, A. D. 1569.)

Such was the origin of the Unitarian Baptist Church at Cracow. It was formed in 1569, by Ronemberg, who was one of its Elders ; and Gregory Pauli was appointed its first Pastor. But none were admitted to communion, except those who had been previously baptized by immersion. Some have thought, that George Schomann was the founder of this Church ; but that is impossible, because he himself expressly says, in his Will, "On the last day of August, 1572, being in the forty-second year of my age, was baptized in the name of Christ at Chmielnik;" and, "in the year 1573, was sent to the ministry of the Minor Church at Cracow." (Ibid.) Now it seems very improbable, that he should have been the founder of a Baptist Church, with which he had no pastoral connexion till four years after it was formed, and which had been established as much as three years before he himself was baptized ; besides that he speaks, in the most direct and positive terms, of "Simon the Apothecary" as its founder, doubtless meaning, as Lubieniecius understood him, Simon Ronemberg, the Apothecary of Cracow.

The piety and zeal of this man were unquestionable ; but in his notions respecting the necessity of Adult Baptism by immersion, and his advocacy of close communion, he displayed a zeal which was not according to knowledge. In the year 1580, Faust Socin wrote his "Disputation on Water Baptism," in which he contended, that this rite was meant for proselytes only ; and not for those, who had been born of Christian parents. He also represented the practice of Infant Baptism as a great and hurtful error ; and endeavoured to shew, that the baptized person must be a believer, which could not be the case with infants. A copy of this work was forwarded to Ronemberg, at his own request ; and after the lapse of between two and three years, Ronemberg addressed a letter to Socin, in which, instead of answering his arguments, he urged him to join the Baptists, by way of healing the wounds of the Church. Socin, in his reply, endeavours to shew, that the party with which Ronemberg acted was in error, and imposed an unnecessary burden on the Brethren, as they could receive none under this character, nor admit them to their communion, who did not, in mature life, submit to immersion, as an avowal of their faith in Christ.

Matthew Radecius, in a letter addressed to Cornelius Daems, and written June 18th, 1598, says, "All the pious have left the city of Cracow, except Simon Ronemberg the Apothecary, who cannot remove on account of his advanced age, for I believe him to be nearly a hundred years old."

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Ritter Raphael , Doctor, though of German extraction, as may be inferred from his name, was born in London ; and was the reputed author of a small tract, entitled, "A brief Demonstration, that Christ is not himself God the Father, or coequal with him." This tract, which he was at great pains to disseminate in Ducal Prussia, and among the Students in the University of Konigsberg, was answered by John Wigand, Bishop of Pomerania, in a work, entitled, "Arian Mists, spread in Prussia by Mr. Raphael Ritter, of London, dispersed by the Light of Divine Truth. Konigsberg, 1575," 8vo. But that the author of the tract, to which this was intended as a reply, was no Arian, appears evident from the tract itself ; for the writer not only disavows a belief in the doctrine of the Trinity, and that of two natures in the person of Christ, but argues also against our Lord's preexistence. No copy of the "Brevis Demonstratio" has ever come under the present writer's observation ; but the whole of it was interwoven into the reply, and Sandius, in his account of Ritter, has extracted the concluding part of it, of which the following is a translation.

"It cannot be dissembled, that many are ignorant, why Christ is called 'the Son of God.' They think that he was begotten of the essence, or substance of God, and is therefore called 'the Son of God.' This is a very ancient error, but must not be tolerated on that account. For the God Jesus neither is, nor is called 'the Son of God,' on account of his being born of the substance of God. These are the idle dreams of the Sophists. The pious reader should rather learn, from the Gospel, the cause of Jesus Christ being called 'the Son of God: 'for there the angel, instructing the Virgin Mary concerning the mode of her wonderful conception, addresses her after this manner. ' The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee ; therefore, also, that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.' Here the cause of the Messiah's being called 'the Son of God' is pointed out with the greatest clearness ; namely, that he was conceived, and born without the intervention of man. Therefore Gabriel says, 'that holy thing shall be called the Son of God,' because, after the Holy Spirit had come upon her, and the power of the Most High had overshadowed her, a most holy infant would be conceived. But let it be observed, that the angel did not say of Christ, that he had formerly been called 'the Son of God,' or that he was then ' the Son of God;' but that he would be called 'the Son of God,' when he was born. It was not that Spirit, therefore, which had descended from heaven, but that man, who was born of the Virgin Mary, who was called 'the Son of God;' and that, simply because he was conceived, and born, by the immediate agency of God, contrary to the order of nature. Hence it is, that, though all the Prophets had predicted that he would come, and had said many things concerning him, yet he was nowhere called 'the Son of God' till he appeared, and was baptized in the Jordan. For Jesus Christ is 'a man,' as the Apostle calls him. 'The Son of man,' however, as he calls himself, is nevertheless God ; but only in the way in which we have stated above. Away then with the fables, and inventions of the Sophists, about a Tri-une God, and about a Christ' begotten of the Father before all worlds ; 'about two natures in this Christ; and similar trifles! There is One God, whom no man hath at any time seen. Christ is God, because he is ' the image of God.' But this God is a real man, consisting of a soul and flesh, and born of the Virgin Mary ; through whom to God, the Father, be praise and honour for ever. Amen."

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Rhaw Matthias was unnown to Sandius, Möller, and most others, who have written on the history of Antitrinitarianism  ; but is mentionned by Zeltner, and included in the list of Bock. He was a Transyvanian, and a native of Clausenburg ; and had been instructed, from a child, in the doctrines of Unitarianism. His friends induced him to go to the University of  Altorf, in the year 1614, for the purpose, as it is said, of propagating his religious opinions. His name was accordingly enrolled among the number of students in that University, on the 7^th of February in that year ; and he had no soonere arrived there ; than he began to seek a disposition favourable to the reception of them. He was deemed a peculiarly fit person to coöperate with Ruarus, in instructing them as to the mode of celebrating the Lord's Supper praticed among the Unitarians, since he had often been present at its celebration in his own country. Zeltner infers, that his object in going to Altorf was not to study, but merely to make proselytes, because, in the summer of the same year he accompanied Ruarus in Poland, after which he seems never to have returned into Germany. It is no improbable,  that he went from Poland into Transylvania. During his short stay at Altorf, he lodged with John Vogel, and was known by the name of Carcharias ; but why that name was given to him does not very clearly appear. Many years after this, he was officiating as the Minister of a Unitarian Church at Clausenburg, where he engaged in  a controversy with some of his brethrene, on the office and dignity of Christ, which threatened to be productive of serious consequences to the peace of the Church. To put a stop to this dispute, Jonas Schlichtingius was sent into Transylvania, by the Synod of Racow, in 1638 ; and it is not improbable that he succeded in accomplishing the object of his mission.

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Reychelius is mentioned by Sandius, as the author of Annotations on various Passages of Scripture ; but that writer gives no further particulars of Reychelius, or of these Annotations. Bock, in this instance, merely repeats what Sandius had previously said.

(Vidend. Sandii B. A. p. 134. Bock, Hist . Ant. T. I. p. 711.)

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Redoch Wilhelm Davidsz was a native of Amsterdam, and Mennonite Preacher at Groningen. He died, in 1680, near the above-mentioned city, about forty-seven years of age. He was probably a brother, or some relation of G. F. Redoch, who communicated to the Brethren in the Marquisate cautions respecting the propagation of Socinianism, to be observed with all possible care, and written at Hamburgh in 1652.

In 1672, W. D. Redoch published, in 8vo., The Vanity of Weenig's Antidote, (Belg.,) in which, as Sandius informs us, he defends the opinion of the Mennonites of Hamburgh concerning Baptism by immersion; the washing of the feet after the command, and in imitation of the example of Christ; and the celebration of the Lord's Supper in the evening, or at night, with unleavened bread; and opposes Sebastian Van Weenig, Pastor of the Church of Mennonites, called Flandrians, at Rotterdam.

(Vidend. Sandii B. A. pp. 168,169. Bock, Hist . Ant . T. I. pp. 710, 711.)

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Radzivil Nicholas , Prince, Palatine of Wilna, and Grand Marshal and Chancellor of Lithuania, was first cousin of Barbara Radzivil, Queen of Poland, and one of the earliest, and most illustrious, as well as consistent patrons of the Reformation in that country. He travelled, in his youth, into most parts of Europe ; and was so skilful in bodily exercises, that he surpassed, in this respect, all the gentlemen of his time. His fame as a warrior was also great. He was Captain of the Guards of Sigismund Augustus, and commanded his armies three times in Livonia, where he gained a signal victory over the Germans, which deprived them of this province, and rendered it subject to Poland. But he was distinguished most of all for his strenuous advocacy of the grand principles of the Reformation. When the Protestant clergy were excluded from the pulpits, in which they had been accustomed to officiate, he accommodated them with a place of meeting in his own court-yard, and himself attended their religious services. Lippomani, the Pope's Nuncio, hearing of this, addressed a letter to him, in which, after having referred to many reports of his heresy, he asked him, whether there was any truth in these reports. "Public rumour," says he, "asserts, that the Palatine of Wilna patronizes all heresies, and that all the dangerous innovators are gathering under his protection ; that he erects, wherever his influence reaches, sacrilegious altars against the altar of God, and that he establishes pulpits of falsehood against the pulpits of truth." The Nuncio adds, after alluding to various other reports of a similar kind, that, if the Prince would only abandon his heresy, and return to the pale of the Church, he would be the most perfect of men, as he is possessed of every other conceivable good quality, and is deficient only in true religion. 

Of this patronizer of all heresies, and protector of all dangerous innovators, who bade defiance alike to the Nuncio and the Pope himself, Lubieniecius justly remarks, that, "in propagating the truth, according to the light which he possessed, he was second to none." Martin Czechovicius and Simon Budnaeus, who were distinguished by their early advocacy of the proper Unitarian doctrine, were his chaplains. When Calvin wrote to the Polish Reformers, advising them not to trust Blandrata, not only did the Synod of Wilna receive the advice with displeasure, but the Prince Radzivil, who was presiding over its deliberations, expressed his dissatisfaction at Calvin's interference, and was so far from treating Blandrata with harshness, that he entrusted him, as his representative, with full powers, to the Synod of Pinczow, in 1561.

A Synod of the Calvinistic party having been convened at Cracow on the 14th of May, 1563, which denounced the Antitrinitarian doctrines, another was held by the Unitarian party at Mordy, in Podlachia, on the 6th of June, in the same year, with the consent of Prince Nicholas Radzivil, at which forty-two Ministers attended, who signed a Confession, avowing their disbelief in the Divinity of Christ. At this Synod, many inveighed strongly against the doctrine of the Trinity ; but some who were more timid, and fearful of alarming the consciences of the weak, thought that the period had not arrived for an open disavowal of that doctrine. The Synod, therefore, in recording its decision, which was transmitted to Prince Nicholas Radzivil, accompanied it with these explanatory words. "Vocabulum Trinitatis etsi non omnino rejicere potuimus, propter aliquos infirmiores, maxima tamen ex parte praesenti abusu, illud purgavimus, ut nunc utpote verbum hominis et non divinum, minus valoris quam antea apud multos obtinuerit." 

In the same year, Bernardine Ochinus published his celebrated "Dialogues," the nineteenth and twentieth of which, relating chiefly to the Trinity, were dedicated to Prince Nicholas Radzivil. It appears, however, from a letter, which the Prince himself wrote to Calvin, at the beginning of the next year, that the copy intended for him had not reached its destination. In this letter he writes as follows. "They say, that not long ago certain Dialogues were published by Bernardine Ochinus, a man most eminent for his Christian piety, who, in these Dialogues of his, criticizes and finds fault with what the old schoolmen taught concerning this dogma; but this book, though dedicated to us, we have hitherto not read, or even seen. It is reported, that these Dialogues were sent to us, but that they have been studiously intercepted by some person, in order that they may not find their way from Germany into Poland." 

To diffuse as widely as possible the liberal sentiments which he cherished, this truly magnanimous Prince established a printing-press at Brest, in Lithuania ; and one of the works which issued from it was a translation of the whole Bible into the Polish language, which was prepared under his own auspices, and printed at his sole expense. This version, which was the first Protestant one that issued from a Polish press, made its appearance in the year 1563 ; and most of the translators were Unitarians, as will be seen from the following list, containing such of the names as have come down to our times. John a Lasco, Francis Stancarus, Bernardine Ochinus, Simon Zacius, Orsacius, Francis Lismaninus, Peter Statorius, George Schomann, George Blandrata, John Paul Alciati, Martin Crovicius, Gregory Pauli, Peter Brelius, Alexander Vitrelinus, Andrew Tricesius, and James of Lublin. This version, which, as far as regards the Old Testament, was much extolled by the Jews, came into general use in the Protestant Churches, and particularly those of Lithuania ; yet it is said, that, in the mode of rendering some passages, a Unitarian bias is shewn, and Ringeltaube, in his "Nachricht von den Polischen Bibeln," has endeavoured to shew that such is the case. Instances of this kind must, however, be very rare, and of a very unimportant and harmless nature, to have escaped the vigilance of the orthodox Reformed Churches in Poland. The Rev. T. F. Dibdin, in his "Bibliotheca Spenceriana," has the following remarks respecting this Bible. "Clement, in the IVth volume of his Bibliotheque Curieuse, p. 190-2, has availed himself of the aid of Ringeltaube ; from whom we learn that Prince Radziwil was the liberal patron of this publication ; that he procured a printer of the name of Woiewodky, to come from Cracow to Pinczow, a small adjoining town, where nearly twenty learned men (whose names are enumerated by Ringeltaube) laboured for six years at the present translation. During the whole time they were generously maintained by Radziwil ; who, moreover, defrayed the expences of the publication, which amounted to 3000 ducats. Although the Polish Prince was at the head of the then sect of Socinians, yet as their separation from the Reformed Church did not take place till 1565, the present version is equally claimed by the Reformists. Melchior Adam, in his Lives of the German Lawyers, gives us some account of this version ; copies of which (he says) were bought and burnt malitid adversariorum, 'c'est la (observes Clement) le meilleur moien de pousser un livre a la derniere rarete.' Janozki, more than 60 years ago, pronounced a copy of it to be worth a hundred crowns. Schelhorn, Freytag, Vogt and Bauer are only transcripts of the preceding authorities. De Bure speaks of the most perfect known copy of it, in the Emperor's library at Vienna ; with which, in fact, the present perfect copy has been collated. He is unjust in dispraising the type and wood-cuts ; as the bad quality of the paper only produces the rude aspect of the pages: Bibl. Instruct. Vol. I. No. 79. Peignot is laconic, but interesting: Diet, des Livres condamnes, supprimes, ou censures; Vol. II. p. 67. He notices a copy in the public library at Stuttgard. Another is in the Duke of Brunswick's library. The Bishop of Ely had one nearly perfect. The noble owner of the present copy was obliged to give 100 guineas for two imperfect copies, to render his own complete." 

The pious efforts of Prince Radzivil to diffuse among his countrymen the pure word of God, were zealously seconded by his lady, Elizabeth Szydlowiecki ; but his sons, after his death, which took place in the year 1567, all returned to the communion of the Roman Catholic Church ; and one of them, who was named Nicholas, after his father, but was a most unworthy representative of that good and great man, collected, at a considerable expense, all the copies of his father's Bible which he could procure, and caused them to be publicly burnt in the market-place at Wilna. This fanatic performed a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Another son, George, entered the Church, and became a Cardinal. The remaining two, Albert and Stanislaus, occupied civil posts of eminence in their native country.

(Vidend. Lubieniecii Hist Ref. Polon. L. i. C. v. p. 33; L. ii. C. iv. p. 64; C. vi. pp. 126. 129; L. iii. C. i. p. 167; C. ii. p. 170. Cahini Epistolae, N. 202. Schomanni Testam. p. 194. Bock, Hist. Ant. T. II. p. 517. Robinsori's Eccles. Res. Chap. xv. p. 563. Gen. Mag. Sept. 1814, p. 243. Krasinskts Hist. Sketch of the Ref. in Poland, Vol. I. Part. ii. Chap. vi. pp. 307—312; Chap. viii. p. 355; Vol.11. Chap, xiii. pp. 318—320. Bayle, Diet. Hist, et Crit. Art. Radziwil.) 

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Radzivill Anne, Princess, like the Lady Barbara Kiszka, has been honoured with a place in Sandius's "Bibliotheca Antitrinitariorum," and for a similar reason ; namely, because she addressed a letter to the Synod of Brzeziny on the subject of Baptism, which was, as we have just seen, an absorbing topic among the Antitrinitarians of Poland, and the neighbouring countries. This Synod was held in the year 1565 ; and at that of Wengrow, towards the close of the same year, these two noble ladies enrolled themselves as members of that section of the Antitrinitarian Church, which discountenanced Paedobaptism.

(Vidend. Sandii B. A. p. 54. Krasinski's Hist. Sketch, &c. ubi supra.)

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Radecius Valentine,  (or Radetzki,) Junior, the son of Valentine Radecius, Senior, was a Transylvanian, and Senator of Clausenburg. Sandius refers to a manuscript treatise by him, On the Trinity and the Two Natures of Christ, in Latin and Hungarian.

(Vidend. Sandii B. A. p. 156. Bock, Hist . Ant. T. I. p. 710.)