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Pisecius Thomas , (Polon. Pisecki,) of Martowitz, is called by some Piasecius, but must not be confounded with the Polish family of Piasecius, of whom Paul was celebrated for his "Chronicles," published at Cracow, A. D. 1643. In Walchius's "Bibliotheca Theologica," Thomas Pisecius is reckoned among the number of German Socinians. He was not a Pole, but a Silesian. For many years, however, he lived in Poland ; and in some of his published works he calls himself "Pisecki."

He was one of those, who frequented the Conferences held in the house of Smalcius at Racow, between the years 1606 and 1609. Zeltner calls him the greatest patron of the Crypto-Socinians at Altorf ; and tells us, that he was known among them by the name of Martius Piso. He was a man of varied learning ; remarkably skilful in conversation and debate ; and zealous in defending his own religious views, which were strictly Socinian,

It was through his acquaintance with Crellius, that Pisecius became connected with the Socinian party. Sandius and Bock were unable to learn the particulars of his birth and death ; but the former ascertained, from those who knew Pisecius, that he was living till near the middle of the seventeenth century, and was then about seventy years of age. This account is confirmed by the Synodical Acts, which testify that, in 1630, he was requested, at the Synod of Racow, to print something. Five years later than this, a written request was made to him by the Synod, that he would prepare some work for the press. In 1640, he is called an old man. At that time an allowance was granted to him by the Synod at Kissielin ; and the Acts state, that his debts were paid out of the funds of the Church. They also mention his son, to whom an exhibition was granted, by a vote of Synod, for the purpose of enabling him to study the Law.

We learn, from the Dedicatory Epistle to one of his works, that Thomas Pisecius had a brother, named Martin, who was a Doctor of Philosophy and Medicine. (Vide infra, No. 3.) He also had a sister, named Rosina, who has already been mentioned, as the wife of Simon Pistorius. The following is a list of his writings.

1. An Answer to the Ten Reasons of Edmund Campianus, the Jesuit, to prove that the Catholic Church is to be preferred to all others. Typ. Stern. Racow, 1610, 12mo. Pisecius dedicated this Answer to James Sieninius, Palatine of Podolia. The work of Campianus, to which it was a reply, was published in England, and dedicated to the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

2. On the Origin of the Trinity. The manuscript of this treatise perished by fire, some time between the years 1590 and 1604.

3. Is the Doctrine of the Trinity a Mystery, hidden from before all Worlds, which ought to become known to Men by the Revelation of the Divine Word ? 1605, 8vo.; 1608 and 1654, 12mo. This is a part of the preceding treatise, which having been copied out before the fire consumed the original, escaped destruction. It is dedicated by the author to his brother Martin. The last reprint of it was in a very scarce volume, entitled, "Fausti et Laelii Socini, item Ernesti Soneri, Tractatus aliquot Theologici, nunquam antehac in Lucem editi. Eleutheropoli, 1654," 16mo. In this volume it occupies the sixth, and last place.

4. On Antichrist. Two Books, 8vo. This was published under the feigned name of Marcus Camillus, without any notification either of time or place ; and has been incorrectly ascribed by some to Jonas Schlichtingius, and by others to Elias Arcissevius, Jun. That Pisecius was himself the author of it Sandius affirms, not only on the ground of common report, but because he was able to verify that report by consulting the friends and relations of Pisecius.

5. Against Leonhard Less, the Jesuit. Bock, who was not able to give the exact title of this work, supposes it to have been a reply to Less's treatise, "On the Incarnation of the Word."

6. A Guide to the Peace of the Church. Eleutheropolis ; printed by Godfr. Philadelphus. 1650, 8vo. This work was really printed at Amsterdam, by the brothers, John and Cornelius Blaeu. It was published under the assumed name of Josephus Castim, the letters of which, by transposition, as Bock says, form the sentence Pacis Es Ostium. But that writer seems not to have been aware, that it is also the anagram of Thomas Pisecius, the author's real name.

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Pigelius John was present at the Conferences, held at the house of Smalcius, at Racow, between the years 1606 and 1609. In 1613, he was sent as a colleague to Christopher Lubieniecius, at the Church of Kostrow, and was then intending to devote himself to the instruction of youth: but in the year 1616, at the Synod of Racow, he declined sustaining the office either of a Minister, or a Schoolmaster, and looked out for some other employment. He seems to have been the same John Pigelius, who subscribed the decrees of the General Synod held at Thorn, in 1595, by which the "Consent of Sandomir" was confirmed. He was then called Pastor of the Church of Pirano ; and belonged to the Evangelical party. But he afterwards joined the Socinians. Whether it was another Pigelius, and the son of this one, who, in 1641, was removed to the School at Schleschink, by a decree of the Synod of Piaski, there seem to be no means of determining. Nor does it appear, that any other mention is made of this School elsewhere, in the Synodical Acts. It is stated in these Acts, that Pigelius submitted some Hymns of his own composition to the inspection of the Synod, held at Racow in 1616. 

(Vidend. Bock, Hist. Ant. T. I. p. 632.) 

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Piekarscius Jerome, (Polon. Piekarski,) was a person of noble rank and great wealth, and the proprietor of many estates. His Christian name is never mentioned in the Synodical Acts; but it is not improbable that he was the Jerome Piescarski, or Piekarski, who so ably seconded Peter Gonesius, when that intrepid reformer attacked the prevailing doctrines respecting the Trinity and Paedo-Baptism, at the Synod of Brzesc, in 1558. (Vide Art. 44.) Piekarski was once a Minister of the Reformed Church, but passed over to the Antitrinitarians ; and defended the opinions of this party, at the Synod of Lublin, in the year 1578, at which time he is said to have gone from Thrace into Poland. The Acts of the Synod, held at Lublin in 1585, state, that he was removed from the communion of the Church, on account of his partiality to the opinions of the Judaizers. It is recorded, by the Polish historians, that one Michael (or Caspar) Piekarski attempted to take away the life of Sigismund III., King of Poland, in 1620, for which he suffered death as a regicide.

(Vidend. Bock, Hist. Ant. T. I. p. 631. Smalcii Diarium, Nov. 15th, 1620, apud Zettneri Hist. Crypto-Soc. p. 1216.)

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Philipovius Jerome, (Polon. Filipowski,) must be placed among the earliest Unitarians of Poland, and thenpresidents and patrons, who, in the Conference held at Petricow, in 1565, strenuously defended their party. When Ochinus was on his way into Moravia, and was detained by illness at Pinczow, Philipovius kindly received him into his house, and took care of him; for whicli act of humanity he is said to have expressed his obligation in these words. " I thank God, brother Philipovius, that He has rendered thee worthy of conferring a kindness upon Ochinus, in such distress!" Philipovius was afterwards a person of great influence among the members of the Unitarian Church. He assisted at the Synod of Skrzynna in 1567 ; and many other assemblies of the same kind. Christopher Lubieniecius, Junior, married his granddaughter, Catharine Philipovia.

(Vidend. Bock, Hist. Ant. T. I. p. 630; T. II. p. 508.)

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Peyn A Augustin, Jun., studied in the University of Wittenberg, about the years 1619 and 1620 ; but afterwards, having abandoned the orthodox doctrines concerning the Trinity, and the Person of Christ, at Amsterdam, he went over to the Unitarians, who were traversing Holland, and who made him instrumental in propagating their opinions, though he was unwilling to have it appear, that he had deserted the Evangelical Church. The Divines of Wittenberg, and the Pastors of the Consistory of Amsterdam, made strenuous efforts to convince him of his errors, but without success. In the mean time, he requested that he might be received as one "weak in the faith," adducing, as his rule of belief, the declarations of the Apostles, interpreted by the principles of reason. Much is said concerning him in the letters addressed to him, and to the Clergy and Evangelical Consistory of Amsterdam, by the Theological Faculty of the University of Wittenberg, in the years 1621 and 1622. From these letters, it is evident, that considerable pains were taken by the Divines of Wittenberg and Holland, to bring him back into what they regarded as the path of revealed truth. Whether he published anything on the subject of the Trinity is not known: but we learn, from one of the letters in the above-mentioned correspondence, dated September 15^th, 1621, that he was labouring at that time to defend, by conversation, though not by his pen, the opinions which he had newly embraced.

(Vidend. Bock, Hist. Ant. T. I. pp 629, 630.)

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Peterson Daniel was a student in the College at Racow, where he was living at his own expense in 1631. In 1633, he undertook to accompany a noble youth of the name of Lubelski in his travels into Holland; but of his subsequent history no traces appear to be left.

Mention is made of a John Paterson, by the anonymous author of the Epistle containing an account of the life and death of Andrew Wissowatius (p. 256); and Bock supposes, that Paterson is an error of the press for Peterson. But it is more probable, that the individual alluded to was a Scotchman of the name of Paterson, or a person of Scotch descent, of whom there were many at that time naturalized in Poland. John Paterson was an eminent Physician, who, on the expulsion of the Socinians from Poland, in 1660, went to Kasemark, in Hungary, under the protection of Count Stephen Tekeli, whom Andrew Wissowatius visited as an old friend in 1661, and with whom he spent the summer of that year.

(Vidend. Bock, Hist. Ant. T. I. pp. 628, 629. Anonymi Epist. de Vit. And. Wissowatii, l. c.)

Le Roux Didier - Unitariens - © Since 2006 -  All rights reserved " No reproduction, even partial, other than those planned in the article L 122-5 of the code of the intellectual property, can be made by this site without the express authorization of the author ".

Le Roux Didier - Unitariens - © Since 2006 -  All rights reserved " No reproduction, even partial, other than those planned in the article L 122-5 of the code of the intellectual property, can be made by this site without the express authorization of the author ".

Le Roux Didier - Unitariens - © Since 2006 -  All rights reserved " No reproduction, even partial, other than those planned in the article L 122-5 of the code of the intellectual property, can be made by this site without the express authorization of the author ".

Pauli Stephen,  a Hungarian, son-in-law of Adam Franck, and probably grandson of Gregory Pauli, was Pastor of the Saxon Church of Unitarians at Clausenburg, in Transylvania. He died about the year 1672, at the age of forty-two, or forty-three; and left behind him a manuscript treatise on controverted passages of Scripture, and some Latin Sermons, but published nothing.

(Vidend. Sandii B. A. p. 168. Bock, Hist. Ant. T. I. p. 628.)

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