Spangenberg Everhard  was a Preacher in the Reformed Church at Antwerp. He was born about the year 1550, and had doubts respecting the Trinity while yet a youth. At first he embraced and defended Arianism ; but he afterwards joined the Socinian party ; and as his change of opinion rendered it necessary for him to leave his country, he went into Poland and Transylvania. When this happened cannot be precisely determined ; but it is certain, from a letter of Faust Socin, addressed to him March 14th, 1593, that he was then settled in the capital of Transylvania, and that he had previously been at Cracow, and returned to his native country. He was still at Clausenburg in the autumn of 1596 ; but whether in any public capacity or not, is altogether uncertain.

He held some peculiar notions about the speedy restoration of all things ; and seems to have been anxious to interest Socin in his speculations on that subject. But Socin, with characteristic prudence and good sense, says in reply, that he does not possess sufficient skill in such prophetic questions to be able to instruct others, and has always been of opinion, that it is not necessary for a Christian man to inquire diligently, within how many years, and much less in what year, or even whether early or late, the predictions contained in Scripture ought to be fulfilled. He adds, that he shall be glad to learn, either from his correspondent or others, anything relating to Christian duty ; and that it forms, in his opinion, no part of the duty of a Christian to know, whether the restoration of all things will take place at an early, or a remote period ; and that all which we have to do with it, as followers of Christ, is to be prepared for it, whenever it may come.

About the year 1597, Spangenberg returned from Transylvania into Poland, and settled at Rakow, where he probably spent the remainder of his life.

In 1598, he sent another of his prophetic interpretations, on the two beasts in the Apocalypse, to Socin, who, at the request of the Brethren, wrote some remarks upon it. But not content with this, he troubled Socin again, who, on the 11th of August, 1601, wrote him a long reply, in which he endeavoured to shew the fallacy of his interpretations ; and to convince him, that such speculations were mere solemn trifling. Spangenberg, who does not appear to have been ever made sensible of his errors on this subject, continued to live at Rakow many years after this ; and dragged on his existence in a state of the most abject poverty, till death put a period to his sufferings, on the 30th of August, 1620. There is a simple record of his death in Smalcius's Diary, unaccompanied by any other remark, than that he lived till he had attained the age of sixty-nine. From the heads of a letter in German, addressed to a Polish Unitarian lady, the autograph of which Sandius saw in Holland, in the year 1682, it appears that Spangenberg was excommunicated by the Polish Brethren ; but the charge exhibited against him is not specified. The date of this letter was May 18th, 1610 ; and the contents were said to be as follow. 1. His own confession, and that of the Polish Brethren, on the humanity and divinity of Christ, and on his sacerdotal and royal office. 2. His confession concerning the excellence of Christ, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God his Father. 3. Reasons why he was excommunicated by the Polish Brethren, with his apology. 4. Who his accusers were. 5. On the matter of his excommunication. 6. A brief account of a paper, which he drew up twelve years before the writing of this letter, containing some "Assertions concerning the Church of Rome," and the time in which we live. 7. His lamentation over the miserable state of the Church of the Polish Brethren.

In addition to the writings incidentally mentioned above, Spangenberg left behind him,

1. Theses concerning the Destruction of the Church of Rome, and

2. A Paper containing an account of Erasmus Johanis.

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