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 ".

Deminovicius John, (Polon. Demianowicki,) was taken into the number of the alumni, at the Synod of Piaski, in 1641; and at the end of his second year, in 1643, when Masters were appointed at the School of Luclavice, his services were engaged as an assistant. In 1647, he took charge of the Church at Krzelow, which the former Minister, Krzyskievicius, had left for the purpose of visiting foreign countries. Two years later than this, he received from the Synod of Raszcow a commission to travel, and was absent during the whole of the year 1650, with an allowance of one hundred dollars. On his return home in 1651, he was stationed at Raciborsk, from which place he was removed to Milostow and Halicz, in 1653. Of the subsequent part of his history nothing appears to be known: but for a time he probably had the joint charge of the Churches in Volhynia, with Daniel Jaskievicius.

(Vidend. Bock, Hist . Ant. T. I. pp. 243, 244. 418.)

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 ".

Demianovicius Stanislaus, (Polon. Demianowicki,) was private tutor, in 1651, to the children of a noble lady, named Suchodolia; and in 1653, to those of John Moscorovius. In 1654, some expectation of being allowed to go abroad was held out to him, by the Assembly of Czarcow; and in 1655, he received a grant of money from the Assembly of Raszcow, and was sent into Germany, for the purpose of learning the language of that country. In 1662, after the banishment of the Unitarians from the Polish territory, he maintained himself by instructing the children of Mark Lubieniecius; and in 1668, received ministerial ordination at the Assembly of Kreutzburg. The time of his death is unknown; but he appears to have been living in 1672.

Mention is also made, in the Manuscript Acts, of a Stephen Demianovicius, who, having been excommunicated in 1683, at a General Assembly held at Rutow, in Prussia, was again received into the bosom of the Church. 

(Vidend. Bock, Hist . Ant. T. I. p. 244.)

De Chiari James  was a member of the society at Vicence, who, in 1546, was seized by the officers of the Inquisition, and thrown into prison, where he died (what is called) a natural death: but his end was probably hastened by the severe treatment to which he was exposed. 

(Vidend. Bock, ot Illgen, ubi supra. Lubienicii Hist. Ant. Ref. Polon. L. Ii. C. i. P.39.)

Davidis Francis, known among the Crypto-Socinians of Altorf by the name of Desiderius Erasmus, was not a Hungarian, as Sandius and many other writers have said, but a Transylvanian, of the Saxon race. The Rev. Theophilus Lindsey justly characterizes him as "a most learned man, of admirable sense, and of a life irreproachable." (Hist. View, Ch. iii. Sect. i. p. 154.) Before he contemplated studying for the Christian ministry, he had made the requisite proficiency in languages, and general literature ; and while yet a youth, his progress was such as not unfrequently to surpass the demands and expectations of his instructors. When, at length, he devoted himself to the study of Divinity, his acquirements were so various, that he soon became a skilful theological disputant ; and his command of language was so great, that those who heard him were struck with wonder and admiration at the powers of eloquence which he displayed. He was appointed tutor to John Sigismund II., son of John de Zapolya, and grandson of Sigismund Augustus, King of Poland ; and acquired great influence over his pupil, who, besides following him as a guide in other matters, adopted, and became interested in the diffusion of his religious opinions.

At first Davidis supported the views of the Evangelical Lutherans ; and for some time was a warm opponent of those, who adopted the Helvetic Confession. He afterwards inclined to the party of the Reformed Church: then he was led, by his inquiries, into a kind of Syncretism, and, at length, he was converted to the Unitarian faith by George Blandrata.

While he was Rector of the School at Coloswar, or Clausenburg, he successfully opposed Stancarus, who was charged with exciting disturbances among the Reformed Churches of Transylvania. By some tracts, which Davidis published against this restless man, he so weakened his influence, that, after the death of his patrons, Petrovizi and Anthony Kendi, he lost all his supporters ; and, finding no place of refuge in Transylvania, he retired into Poland. The question in dispute was, In what sense Christ is our Mediator ; whether both in his divine and human nature, or in his human nature only ? Davidis, with the members of the Synod of Clausenburg generally, contended for the former ; and Stancarus for the latter.

The above controversy took place in the years 1557 and 1558. But it was not the only one, in which Davidis distinguished himself ; for, after his conversion to Unitarianism, he displayed as much zeal and erudition, in opposition to the Trinitarians, as he had previously shewn in his contest with Stancarus. He became the intimate friend of Blandrata, by whose recommendation to John Sigismund II., he was appointed Preacher to the Court at Clausenburg, in which office he displaced Dionysius Alesius, the Lutheran Minister. He was also constituted Superintendent of the Unitarian Churches in Transylvania, and was the first person who held that office.

Davidis and Blandrata, by their joint labours, succeeded so far as to engage the Prince, and the greater part of the Nobility in their cause, and brought over almost the whole province to their sentiments ; obtaining, for the Ministers and members of their communion, the privilege of professing and preaching their doctrines, without let or hindrance.

"This paper," says Dr. Toulmin, (Mem. of F. Socinus, p. 463,) "shews the great difference between Socinus [for it was no doubt drawn up by him] and Francis David in the sentiments they entertained concerning the character of Christ, and the Christian doctrine. Most persons will be disposed to consider those of Francis David as derogatory to the glory and excellency of the Gospel, and as bearing a greater resemblance to Judaism than to Christianity. Hence he and his disciples were called SemiJudaizers. Mosheim seems to consider this name merely as an ignominious appellation, bestowed upon them by the Socinians from a spirit of rancour, and with a view to render them odious: but I apprehend the reader will be ready to conclude, from the above Theses, that it was really grounded on their sentiments, and expressive of the partial preference they gave to the law of Moses above the gospel of Christ. It is certain that the Invocation of Christ was not the only point of difference between them and the Socinians ; but all the ideas of these two sects concerning the present dignity of Christ, and the perfection of his religion, were totally opposite to each other. It looks as if the former had recourse to peculiar notions on those heads, in order to evade the force of Socinus's arguments for the worship of him, from the high trust, and vast power and dominion with which he was invested by God. The modern Unitarians, who have denied the worship of Christ, have been far from running into notions of his office so derogatory to his dignity, which evidently deprive his disciples of the consolation flowing from the contemplation of his character, and tending to enervate the weight and authority of his precepts. Though, with Socinus, they believe that our Lord does now actually sustain the office of High-Priest for us in heaven, ministering to God, and acting for us, and that he filleth a station of great power and dignity ; yet they do not see the force of these conclusions, which he drew from these sentiments, to vindicate the worship of Christ." Blandrata, with Socinus, and the rest of their party, fearing lest they should be charged with holding the same opinions as Davidis, referred the whole dispute to the Prince of Transylvania, who ordered Davidis to be cast into prison. "It would have been happy," says Mr. Lindsey, (Hist. View, Chap. iii. pp. 159—164,) "if Blandrata had suffered things to have gone on in their own train ; and left the Ministers to settle the point in question among themselves, and with their respective congregations, without interfering himself any farther, or calling in the secular power, as was afterwards done. In which case it may well be conjectured, that the sentiment of Davides would have prevailed, and the worship of Christ, or of any other person, but the God and Father of all, would have been intirely excluded from their Churches. For, after all, Socinus himself tells us, that he neither satisfied Blandrata, nor the Unitarians of Transylvania, nor his Polish Brethren, that he stood upon solid ground in this controversy; because he confessed, that there was no express command in the Scriptures for the Invocation of Christ: so that they would never consent to his printing his own account of it ; and he adds, that at the last it came out by the encouragement, and at the expense of a particular friend. And moreover, while the dispute was depending, or soon after, in a private assembly of some of the Ministers of Transylvania, there had been a general agreement in disapproving the custom of praying to Christ ; and they had come to some resolutions against it, 'Christi invocationi plane adversantia,' says Socinus.—It was laid to Davidis's charge, that he had violated his word, by taking a principal part in the resolutions of this assembly. As this accusation was brought against him after he was dead, and could not defend himself, we cannot determine how far, or whether he was at all blameable ; only we find his friends vindicated him in it intirely. As to that which Socin farther urges against him, viz. that after having been cautioned not to propagate his impious doctrine, (as he calls it, but surely in too dogmatical and imperious a way,) Davidis, on the contrary notwithstanding, upon the very next day, being Sunday, preaching in the great Church to the people, told them in so many words, that there was as much foundation for praying to the Virgin Mary and other dead saints, as to Jesus Christ: there seems to have been nothing reprehensible in this. Who had any just authority to restrain or limit him, in the instructions which he was to deliver from the Scriptures to the congregation ? It might have been his duty, and so esteemed by him, to bear his testimony in this public way, to so important a doctrine, as that which related to the true and only object of divine worship. At the last, however, when Davidis could not be prevailed upon to try to procure a repeal of those resolutions, made by himself and other Ministers, which condemned the worship of Christ, nor would promise to conceal or suppress his sentiments (which was much to his honour, as it was very assuming in Socinus and Blandrata to put him upon it); the civil power interposed, most probably at the instigation of the latter, and three days after Davides had preached the above discourse, the Senate of Clausenburg had orders from the Prince, to remove him from his office of public Teacher, and put him in prison."

The proceedings against him were of a very summary nature. A Synod was convened ; and to this assembly, consisting of Nobles and Pastors, it was left to acquit, or condemn Davidis, or prevail upon him to recant. On being introduced into the presence of his Judges, he was asked, whether he was the author of the Propositions attributed to him, which not only common report said were his, but which were also ascribed to him by those, who had formerly been his most intimate friends ; and he replied, that he taught the same things as others, who now threw the whole blame upon him. His son-in-law, Lucas, Notary Public of Clausenburg, and Dragetta Sandor, whose religious opinions coincided with his own, and who also shared his imprisonment, asserted the same thing. But he was pronounced guilty, and three days afterwards sent to Deva, where, in three days more, according to Haner, as quoted by Lampe, (p. 304,) he died in a state of frenzy, June 6th, 1579.

Other accounts say, that the death of Davidis did not take place, till the 15th of November ; and represent the quarrel between him and Blandrata as having originated, not in any actual difference of religious opinion, but in a spirit of revenge, which is said to be the besetting sin of Italians, ("Italorum maximum vitium,") and has therefore been emphatically designated, "Peccatum Italicum." Disgusted with his duplicity, it is said, that Davidis declined all further intercourse with Blandrata, and took measures to destroy his influence in the Unitarian body, which naturally drew upon him the resentment of the wily Physician, and paved the way for those proceedings, which terminated in his own death.

It has been thought, indeed, that it was Davidis's honesty, and not his heresy, which rendered him an object, first of dislike, and then of persecution ; and that Blandrata, finding him unwilling to cloke his convictions on a subject, which appeared likely to impede the progress of Unitarian views, by deterring the orthodox from embracing them, or even approaching them in a spirit of candid inquiry, resolved upon silencing him, by the strong hand of the civil power. Mosheim, who tells us, that "the little sect" to which Davidis belonged "is branded, by the Socinian writers, with the ignominious appellation of SemiJudaizers," subjoins, by way of note, the following remarks, which may be thought by some to afford a key to the conduct of the Socinian party, not only on this, but on some other occasions, at a later period of their history. "Faust Socin wrote a particular treatise against the SemiJudaizers, which is published in the second volume of his Works, p. 804. It is, however, worthy of observation, that the motive, which engaged Socin and his friends to employ so much pains and labour in the suppression of this faction, was not a persuasion of the pernicious tendency of its doctrines, or peculiar notions. On the contrary, Socin himself expressly acknowledges that this controversy turns upon matters of very little importance, by declaring it as his opinion, that praying, or offering up divine worship to Christ, is not necessary to salvation. We find also Lubieniecius, in his Histor. Reformat. Polonicae, lib. iii. cap. xi. p. 228, speaking lightly enough of this controversy, and representing it as a matter of very little moment ; whence he says, that in Transylvania, there was a storm in a tea-cup. From all this, then, it appears manifest, that Socinus and his followers were more artful than ingenuous in their proceedings with respect to Davidis. They persecuted him and his followers, lest, by tolerating his doctrine, they should increase the odium under which they already lay, and draw upon themselves anew the resentment of other Christian Churches, while, in their private judgment, they looked upon this very doctrine and its professors as worthy of toleration and indulgence." (Instit. H. E. Saec. xvi. Sect. iii. P. ii. C. iv. § xxiii. Not. m. p. 723.) What part Faust Socin took, or did not take, in the proceedings against Francis Davidis, will afford matter for future consideration. In the mean time, it may be remarked, that if he did not regard "praying, or offering up divine worship to Christ" as "necessary to salvation," he may still have considered the difference between his own views and those of Davidis, on this and other kindred subjects, as neither few nor unimportant. Besides, when Lubieniecius expresses himself as he does, respecting the controversy in Transylvania, it may be presumed, that he does not mean to characterize it as useless, or trifling in itself, but that he looks upon it as having acquired an undue degree of importance, by the manner in which it was prosecuted, and the consequences to which it led.

In the year 1569, Davidis and Blandrata published jointly, "A Refutation of a Writing of George Major, in which he has endeavoured to prove, that God is three in Person, and one in Essence." This work is supposed, by Sandius, to have been printed at Weissenburg ; but though the name of Davidis stands first in the title-page, Blandrata seems to have been the principal author. In the year following, Davidis published, at the same place, "Letters to the Polish Churches, on the Question concerning Christ's Reign of a thousand Years upon Earth." Another work, in Latin verse, has been attributed to him, bearing the inscription, "Dehortatio et Descriptio Dei tripersonati." It has no proper title, or title-page ; and some of the allusions to the doctrine of the Trinity contained in it, are such as do no credit, either to the candour, or taste of the author, whoever he may have been. Sandius makes no allusion to this poem, in his account of Davidis ; but Bock was led, by what he deemed conclusive internal evidence, to attribute it to him. The other writings of Davidis consist chiefly of tracts, in controversy with Faustus Socinus and Blandrata; and are as follow.

1. Four Propositions, addressed to F. Socin, on the Non-invocation of Christ in Prayer. To these F. Socinus opposed his "Responsio ad Theses IV. Franc. Davidis."

2. A Confutation of the Answer of Faust. In this "Confutation" Davidis hazards the supposition, that the word , Acts vii. 59, is not in the vocative, but the genitive case, as though Stephen had intended to invoke, not Jesus himself, but the Father of Jesus. This mode of interpretation has recently been advocated by Mr. Herman Heinfetter in a small tract, entitled, ", their Usage and Sense in Holy Scripture. London, 1847, Cradock and Co." 12mo. (Vide Christian Reformer, N. S. Vol. IV. Sept. 1848, pp. 557. 691.)

3. A Defence of Francis Davidis, intended to shew that Jesus Christ ought not to be invoked in Prayer. This seems to have been the joint production of James Palaeologus, Matthias Glirius, and Francis Davidis ; and was published in 8vo., 1580, and at Basle, 1581.

4. Some Questions, and Faust Socin's Answer to them. These Questions are inserted in the collected Works of Faust Socin.

5. A Treatise, in three Chapters, on the Duality ; to which is annexed a second Treatise, intended to prove that the One God of Israel alone, the Father of Jesus Christ, and no other, is to be invoked, and containing the Sixteen Theses proposed in the General Synod at Thorda, April 26th, 1579. A third Treatise also is added, containing Observations on the Nine Theses of George Blandrata.

6. Three Propositions, to which Blandrata opposed Thirty.

7. A Reply to Blandrata's Thirty Propositions, in which it is asserted, that Jesus Christ cannot now be called God; that Jesus cannot be invoked in Prayer; and that Justification and Predestination have not been properly understood by Luther and Calvin : together with some Remarks on the Kingdom of that Messiah, whom the Prophets foretold, and who was Jesus Christ. 1578. To the preceding may be added,

8. A Confession concerning the Trinity ; presented to the Synod of Waradein, in 1569, with Nine Articles. In this Confession Jesus Christ is recognized as an object of adoration and worship (Lampe, Hist. Eccles. Ref. in Hung. et Transylv. L. ii. Anno 1569, p. 227): but it should be recollected, that it was drawn up ten years before the death of Francis Davidis.

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 ".

Czenadius Paul according to Bock, was a Doctor of Medicine, and succeeded Valentine Radecius, as Rector of the Gymnasium of Clausenburg. His name has been sometimes incorrectly spelt Isanadius; and Mersennus has been supposed to allude to him in a letter to Ruarus, when he refers to a work "On the Providence of God," as written by one Synadius, a Transylvanian. But as the Christian names differ, Synadius being called John, and the subject of the present article Paul, the supposition is inadmissible. It appears, from Gittichius's Index, in which he is called Isanadius, that his secret designation was Odontius. 

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 ".

Czechovicius Albert,  (Polon. Czechowicz,) was ordained to the ministry among the Evangelicals. The first mention of him in the Synodical Acts of the Socinians is about the year 1617. When he joined the latter party, a sum was granted to him, for the purpose of enabling him to prosecute his studies in the College at Racow. He is mentioned as a student in that institution as late as the year 1620; and is supposed to have been afterwards associated with Stanislaus Lubieniecius, in an examination of the writings of Christopher Lubieniecius, for the purpose of selecting such of them as might be thought worthy of publication.

(Vidend. Bock, Hist. Ant. T. I. p. 237.)

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 ".