Dümler Nicholas  was the son of honest, but poor parents, his father being a common mechanic. He wa born at Nuremberg towards the end of the sixteenth century, and went to the University of Altorf in the year 1608. Joachim Peuschel was among the first of this fellow-students, who attempted to shake his faith in the doctrine of the Trinity ; bufor a time his efforts proved unsuccessful. Dümler was first led to entertain serious doubts of the truth of that doctrine, by a conversation which he had with George Richter, while they were walking together ; and his doubts were confirmed by subsequent converstions with Peuschel and Martin Ruarus. He afterwards became a strenuous advocate of the Uniarian doctrine, which nothing could induce him ti relinquish ; and was actively instrumental by argument and the loan of books.

In the autumn of 1615, when an inquiry was made into the opinions of the students by the Curators of the University, Dümler alone confessed, without hesitation, that he could not believe the doctrine of the Trinity, as publicty taught ; and produced, without premeditation, many ressons for dissentinf from it. After this, he debatd the question at considerable lenght with John Fabricius and John Schroeder, learned Divines of Nuremberg ; and not being convinced by their arguments, he was urged to express his doubts more fully in writing. This he at once consented to do, ans "a Summary of the Relation of the preliminary Conference,"  together with a "Confession of Faith" which Dümler prepared, and which is dated Altorf, Nov. 27^th, 1615, are given in full by Zeltner, in his "Historia Crypto-Socinismi" (pp. 1112-1157). The Summary is in the German, and the Confession in Latin ; and both are curious and interesting documents of their kind. In his Confession, Dümler declares his willingness to renounce the opinions which ha has embraced, provided he can be convinced that they are erroneous ; but being invited to Nuremberg a few days after, and having a presentiment that fair play would not be allowed him, in consequence of a prohibition which had been issued by public authority againts his leaving the city, he suddenly disapppeared on the 4^th of December, the day preceding that on which the discussion of the subject was to have been resumed, and made his escape into Poland. 

On the 6^th of Auguts, 1616, Dümler was cited to appear before the Senate of the University within ten weeks ; and it was intimated, that he would be proceeded against without further delay, if he did not appear before the expiration of that time. As he did not answer to this citation, a decree of expulsion, ou banishment, was issued against him. The forms of citation and expulsion were recovered by Zeltner, after the lapse of more than a century ; and both are printed in the work above mentioned. 

Ardore-Tu praevio annos increpans,

Dümlere, cui lanugo vix plagit gensa,

Sapientise prudentiseque lumine.

In the last line, there is an allusion to the subjet of a College disputation, "De Utilitate Sapientise et Prudentise," in which Dümler had engaged, June 14^th, 1614.

In the year 1618, he received ministerial ordination, at the same time with John Crellius ; and being appointed to the charge of the Church at Meseritz, he took up his residence on a neighbouring estate, called Bobelwitz, (in Polish, Bobowicko,) the property of Caspar Sack. But though regularly ordained to the minsitry, he declined the title of Reverend. In a letter to this freind Ruarus, written in the year 1619, he said, "Every one is reverend, who pursues virtue with sincerity. I teach men the way of truth to the best of my ability, at a certain time and place: you do the same, as occasion offers. Why then should we, whose love, whose faith, whose vocation is the same, be desirous of assuming different appellations ?" In the same letter, Dümler alludes, in the following terms, to the offer or a Professorship at Cambridge, which Ruarus, from conscientious motives, had just declined. "You have done well, my most illustrious Ruarus, in being strictly mindful, not only of your religion, but of the mode of professing it, when they allured you, or rather tried to allude you, by promises. 'Our holy profession,' as you most wisely say, 'ought to be exercised in the sight of heaven.' Let no threat of evil, or promise of good, deprive us of this sentiment. Every one who admires virtue, will admire your firmness in the matter." (Epp. Cent. Ii. N.22.)

With regard to the time anf manner of Dümler's death, and any writing which he may have left behind him, except the Confession already mentioned, nothing is known: but Zeltner infers, that he died soon after Ruarus's retourn from England in 1619, on account of the deep silence of his freind respecting him, in all his lettres written after that time. The only subsequent notice of him occurs in a letter from John Crellius to Cornelius Marks, dated Racow, Junuari 21^st, 1625, in which the writee merely says, "You may learn about Dümler from our freind Raurus."

(Vidend. Bock, Hist. Ant. T.I. p. 322, 323. Zeltneri's Hist. Crypto-Socin. Altorf. p. 203-208. 377. 423-428. 528-530. 778. Supplém. pp. 1112-1157. Ruari Epist. Cent. ii.N. 22.) 

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