Acontius James

Acontius James

A contius James,  (Ital. Giacomo Aconzio,) was born at Trent, early in the sixteenth century. We learn from a letter, addressed by him to John Wolfius, of Zurich, that he was educated for the profession of the Law, and afterwards spent many years in a Court ; not, however, basking in its luxurious ease and blandishments, but engaged in the duties of a laborious department. In another letter, addressed to his friend, Francis Betti, he speaks of their being joint exiles from their native country, for the sake of the Gospel.

Acontius left Italy in 1557, and settled in England, where he was employed by Queen Elizabeth in the capacity of a military engineer. He joined the Strangers' Church in Augustin Friars, London ; and incurred the censure of Grindal, on account of the freedom of his religious opinions. Little is known of his subsequent history ; but Cheynell informs us, that he was living as late as the year 1613. (The Divine Trinunity, p. 443.)

Peltius, in the Dedication of his "Harmonia Remonstrantium et Socinianorum," calls him "clandestinus Socinianorum assecla;" and Pareus, in a letter written March 1st, 1613, and addressed to N. N., mentions him, in connexion with Bonfinius, as secretly favouring the Socinians. Voetius says, that the Arminians made great use of him ; and that he was but one remove from a Socinian, or was guilty at least of a Socinian syncretism, because he expressly condemns the heresy of the Sabellians, while he tacitly favours that of the Photinians. "This moderate man," says Cheynell, (p. 446,) "did never say, that it was necessary for our Salvation to know and beleeve that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are one and the same God, who is the only true God blessed for ever." Peter Ramus testifies his admiration of Acontius, as one who has long been favourably known to the world by the excellent monuments of his wisdom ; and Commenius makes honourable mention of him, in the Preface to his "Idea or Epitome of Natural Philosophy." Rivet speaks of him as the forerunner, or fellow-soldier of the Socinians ; and Arminius calls him "divinum prudentiae et moderationis lumen."

He was the author of a Latin work in eight books, entitled "Satanae Stratagemata," which he dedicated to his patron, Queen Elizabeth. From this work it has been inferred, both by orthodox and heterodox readers, that he was an Antitrinitarian. "It is his maine business and designe in his third Book," says Cheynell, (p. 447,) " which is now in English, and in his seventh, which I hope will never be Englished, to shew, what are the only points necessary to be beleeved for the attainment of Salvation. But Acontius is not very modest when he comes to pass sentence upon the Ancients, who were rigidly Orthodoxe, and faithfully severe in requiring men to beleeve those grand Articles of Faith, which are necessary to Salvation. For when he discourses of the faith of the man sick of the Palsie, he saith, 'Credebat enim (ut par est,) hominem eum qui Jesus diceretur, &c.' ' For he believed (in all probability, saith the Translatour) that that same man whose name was Jesus came from God, and was in favour with God ; and therefore he hoped that by this means he might recover his health. But that he knew all those things which the Church hath for a long time accounted as Articles of Faith necessary to be beleeved to Salvation, how likely a matter it is, I leave it to every man to judge. There are likewise many other Texts to the very same purpose.' Concerning the faith of Abraham he speakes somewhat like an Arminian, and an Anabaptist, but concludes like a Socinian ; that Abraham did beleeve, 1. That he should be the Father of many Nations. 2. That the Nations should be happy by his seed. 3. Somewhat concerning the Land of Canaan. ' But,' saith he, ' of those points of Religion which it is judged every body is bound to know upon pain of damnation, we read not a word. Yea, and the mystery of Salvation itself by his seed is very closely and obscurely promised.' I know Acontius doth acknowledge Christ to be the Son of God, and to be God, and so do the Socinians in some sense, as we have shewn: But then Acontius qualifies all with a pretty diversion. 'Many things,' saith he, 'may be reckoned up, which that we might be saved, ought both to be, and to be performed : As that our sins were to be abolished, and that by a man void of all sin, and of infinite virtue and power, and he therefore to be the Son of God, yea, God, and the like.' And then he presently mixes some things of lesse consequence, and concludes thus. 'Doubtless that it may evidently appeare to us that these things are likewise necessary to be known, either we must have a plain Text of Scripture that shall pronounce, Whatsoever is necessary to be done, that also (to attain Salvation) must necessarily be beleeved.—But there is no Testimony of Scripture that I know which pronounces, That what ever ought to be done ought to be beleeved.' By this one taste you may plainly see, that though it should be granted necessary unto Salvation, that Christ should be God, abolish sin, &c, yet Acontius will not grant, that this is necessary to be beleeved for the attainment of Salvation ; and therefore he left it out of his Catholick Creed, and Syncretisme, and yet condemns the Sabellians, who did not deny the Godhead of Christ, but said that he was one God (and somewhat which they should not have said, or beleeved, that he was one Person) with God the Father. You may hereby understand the modesty of the man, and cry out as he did, 'En modestiam satis perfrictam, usque ad os impudentiae perfrictam.' But if his seventh Book (which the Translatour durst not adventure to English till he saw how this would take) had been translated, I need not have said any more for the discovery of this subtill Sir."

The " Satanae Stratagemata" was first printed at Basle in 1565. A second edition of it appeared at the same place in 1610, to which was added a Letter by the author, "De Ratione edendorum Librorum." A third edition was printed at Oxford in 1631 ; and a fourth at Amsterdam in 1674.

"It is impossible," says a writer in the "Monthly Repository," (Vol. XVI. pp. 456—458,) "to read the work of this great man, without being delighted with the amiable and enlightened spirit which breathes through every page. To our shame be it spoken, that, although from the circumstances under which it was written, it is peculiarly connected with England, it has never been translated (at least in a complete state) into our own language. But it had the misfortune of too far anticipating the progress of civilization. Had it been less excellent, it would have been more prized. The highest eulogium will be pronounced upon it, if I say that some of the finest passages of Milton's Areopagitica, may be traced to Acontius. It is melancholy, however, to see how popular prejudices affect the greatest works, even when the author has freed his own opinions from their thraldom."

" Some said of him," writes the author of "Free Thoughts on Religion, the Church, and National Happiness," (pp. 223, 224,) "that he had a mind to reduce all sects into one, and inclose them in the same ark, as Noah did all sorts of animals in his, wherein they were preserv'd, tho' sustained by different food: others accuse him, that by reducing the points necessary to salvation to a small number, and requiring a toleration for the particular opinions, which were against the other articles, he open'd a wide door to all manner of heresies."

The first four Books of "Satanae Stratagemata" were translated into English, and published by John Goodwin, in 1648, 4to., under the title of "Satan's Stratagems, or the Devil's Cabinet-Councel discovered." The translation was not a very happy one, and was far from doing justice to the powerful reasoning of Acontius. John Goodwin, however, was not unworthy of the cause ; for his Epistle to the Reader proves him to have been firmly attached to the great principles of religious liberty. The translation probably had a slow sale ; for in the year 1651, a part of the impression of 1648 was re-issued, with the following title. "Darkness Discovered, or the Devil's secret Stratagems laid open." Acontius's works were

1. The Stratagems of Satan. Basle, 1565. 1610. 1631. 1674.

2. On the Method of publishing Books. 1610.

3. The right Method of investigating and transmitting Arts and Sciences. 1658.

4. A Letter inserted in the Second Part of Thomas Crenius's Animadv. Philolog. et Historic. Cap. iv. § ix. To whom this Letter was addressed is unknown, as the manuscript from which it was printed was much soiled and worn, and the direction was lost.

(Vidend. Zindsey's Hist. View of the State of the Unitarian Doctrine and Worship from the Reformation to our own Times. Lond. 1783, 8vo. Chap. ii. pp. 79—84. M. B. H. apud Mon. Rep. Vol. XVI. (1821) p. 456. CheyneWs Rise, Growth and Danger of Socinianisme. Lond. 1643, 4to. Chap. iv. pp. 36—39. CheyneWs Divine Trinunity. Lond. 1650, 8vo. pp. 441—459. Free Thoughts on Religion, the Church, and National Happiness: by B. M. 2nd Ed. Lond. 1729, 12mo. 1. c. Bayle, Diet. Hist, et Crit Art. Aconce. T. Crenii Anim. Philol. et Hist. P. ii. C. ii. § ii. pp. 30—33; C. iv. § ix. pp. 131 —138.) 

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