Radecius Matthew , (Polon. Radecke, or Radetzki,) the father of Valentine Radecius the elder, was born at Dantzic, on old Michaelmas-day, 1540. Having acquired the rudiments of his education in his native city, he went to the University of Konigsberg, of which he was admitted a student, July 18th, 1560, during the Rectorship of John Hoffmann ; but being too poor to pay the usual entrance-fee, it was not demanded of him. When he had finished his academical course, he discharged the office of Secretary in his native city for twenty-six years, during which time he was very unsettled in his religious opinions. He was born of Catholic parents, and therefore brought up a Catholic ; but he afterwards joined the Lutherans, then the Reformed, then the Mennonites, and last of all the Socinians.

How the last of these changes was brought about has never been distinctly ascertained. An Antitrinitarian Church had existed at Dantzic from the year 1580 ; and it is stated, in the Synodical Acts, under the year 1582, that Radecius had been driven from Holland, on account of his Unitarianism. It is evident, therefore, that he had imbibed Unitarian opinions at that time ; and it appears from his correspondence with Faust Socin, that he was a leading person in the Antitrinitarian Church at Dantzic from the year 1584. But it was not till the spring of 1592, that he made a public profession of Unitarian sentiments by Baptism. Soon after this, he was deprived of his office of Secretary to the Magistrates.

He was baptized no less than three times: first, when an infant, by sprinkling, in the Catholic Church ; then, by affusion, when he joined the Mennonites ; and lastly, by immersion, when he became a Socinian. Of this he has himself given a particular account, in his "Ursachen, warum er sich von Dantzig weggemachet," u. s. w. His being admitted into the Socinian Church by immersion was laid to his charge as a heinous offence ; and being commanded by the Senate of Dantzic, on the 17th of August, 1592, to defend himself against this charge, and not choosing to deny what had taken place, or to recant, he was formally deprived of his office, and immediately left Dantzic, with his wife and eight children.

Sandius, and, after him, Lauterbach, assert that Radecius was appointed Pastor of Smigel: but Bock calls in question the correctness of this assertion, because he does not find it mentioned in the Manuscript Acts, although he admits, that the first thing which Radecius did, after he left Dantzic, was to go to Smigel, where he took up his temporary abode, and where, for a short period, he afterwards taught, in the year 1605. There is no doubt, that, in the year 1599, he presided over the Church at Dantzic, or Buskow ; but being succeeded in that place by Ostorod, he removed, in 1603, to Racow, and after holding the office of Deacon, and Steward of the College at Racow for a fewyears, died there. During his residence at Racow, he attended the Conferences held in the house of Smalcius, which began January 7th, 1606 ; were suspended from Feb. 22nd to Nov. 28th of that year, on account of the disturbed state of Poland ; and terminated January 3rd, 1609. The substance of these Conferences was committed to writing, and, as Sandius conjectures, by Matthew Radecius, who, instead of writing his name at length, like the rest of those who were present at them, only attached his initials, M. R. Smalcius, in his Diary, makes the following memorandum of his death. "On the 29th of March, 1612, aged seventythree years and a half, at Racow, calmly fell asleep in the Lord, Matthew Radecius, a most upright and pious man, Secretary to the City of Dantzic for twenty-six years, who had come from that city to Smigel as an exile, for the sake of acquiring a knowledge of the truth, and passing a more quiet life, in the same year and month in which I came, viz. Sept. 1502." (Zeltneri Hist. Crypto-Socinismi, Supplem. p. 1195.) In the same part of his Diary, Smalcius represents him as having discharged the ministerial office nine years at Buskow, and ten at Racow ; and mentions it as a remarkable fact, that he was born on the day of the autumnal, and died on that of the vernal equinox. Two of his sons, and two of his daughters, attained the age of maturity. Valentine, one of the sons, adopted his father's religious sentiments, and acquired considerable eminence among the Unitarians of Transylvania. Matthew, the other son, appears to have held different views ; but what they were does not very clearly appear. The latter died at Padua, March 4th, 1607. The elder of the two daughters was married to James Frencelius, who was born at Elbing, but practised as a Surgeon at Lublin, and professed himself a Socinian. The younger daughter became the wife of Andrew Voidovius.

As an author, Radecius was dogmatical, and his style was characterized by such acerbity, that Bock classes him with Michael Servet, George Blandrata, John Sylvanus, Francis David and Gregory Pauli. The following is a catalogue of his writings.

1. A Paper against Erasmus Johannis, impugning the Doctrine of Christ's Preexistence. This was prepared about the year 1584, but never published.

2. Letters to Faust Socin, written in and about 1584, and treating upon the Restoration of the Church, the Adoration of Christ, and other Questions. In this correspondence, Radecius alluded to his own paper against Erasmus Johannis on the Preexistence of Christ, and requested a sight of the remarks which Socinus had addressed to the same person upon the same subject ; in reply to which Socinus says, that he has only one copy, and that so badly written, that it can scarcely be read by any one but himself. He then takes occasion to state, that he has seen Radecius's paper, and read it with great pleasure and satisfaction ; and that he entirely approves of all which Radecius has said respecting the person, dignity and power of Christ, except that he regards it as a refutation of the opinions held by Trinitarians, rather than of those held by Arians. Socin, in the course of this correspondence, treats at great length the question concerning the Invocation of Christ ; but it does not appear, that he was able to bring Radecius over to his own opinion on that subject. Radecius's part of the correspondence was never printed.

3. Reasons why Matthew Radecke, who acted as Secretary to the City of Dantzic for twenty-six Years, removed from that Place, and settled elsewhere. Racow, 1593.

4. Answer of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ at Smigel to the Explanation of the Apostles' Creed, by the noble and most honourable M. Sigmund Schuchtingius of Starpel, which he caused to be publicly printed against the aforesaid Church, in the Year 1592. This as well as the preceding work was written in German ; but it has no date, though it was probably printed at Racow, in 1593. Sandius and Lauterbach attributed it to Wolfgang Schuchtingius, who wrote the Preface ; but Bock claims it, and apparently on sufficient grounds, as the production of Matthew Radecius.

5. On the Millennium. This also, was written in German, and published about the year 1590, at which time Budzinius, Gregory Pauli and Andrew Lubieniecius, treated upon the same subject.

6. A Letter to Andrew Voidovius, written from Buskow, January 20th, 1598, and published with the Correspondence of F. Socin.

7. A Letter to Cornelius Daems, who was residing at Gouda, in Holland, to inform him of the Calamity sustained by F. Socin at Cracow ; written June 18th, 1598, and inserted in the "Animadversiones Philol. Hist." of Thomas Crenius.

8. Conversations, or Theological Exercises, held at various Times in the House of Valentine Smalcius.

9. A Correspondence with Ernest Sohner on the Immortality of the Soul.

In addition to the preceding, two other works in German have been attributed to Matthew Radecius, though apparently without any good authority, the style being altogether different from his.