Farnovius Stanislaus

Farnovius Stanislaus or Pharnovius, (Polon. FarNowski,) sometimes called Farnesius or Fernesius, studied in the German Universities, and principally at Heidelberg ; and was very early in life distinguished as a disseminator of Arianism. Zachariah Ursinus relates, that certain Divines held conferences with him; and that he was afterwards ordered to quit Heidelberg.

He held the doctrine of Christ's preexistence ; and from his name, those who embraced the same doctrine were called Farnovians. Whether he believed in the personality of the Holy Spirit has been disputed. Sandius thinks that he did not: Bock is of opinion that he did. But in whatever way this question may be decided, it is certain, that Farnovius and his followers thought it wrong to invoke, or offer up prayers to the Holy Spirit.

He was an advocate of Adult Baptism: but, disagreeing with the other Unitarians respecting the person of Christ, he separated from them, and drew after him many followers. The lenity and indulgence of the more heterodox party, however, together with the skill with which they conducted the controversy, won back considerable numbers; so that, at length, the whole body, being deprived of its head, ceased to exist, and was in time reduced to nothing. "Tenues abierunt in auras." The few, who did not join the Unitarians, went over to the Calvinistic party. Farnovius's own secession from the Unitarians, who were then called Pinczovians, took place about the year 1568. After that time, he had the charge of a congregation at Sandecz, on the confines of Hungary, under the patronage of Stanislaus Mezeck, or Menzynski, Starost of that town. He also had the strenuous support of Taszycki, an influential noble, who became a convert to his opinions. His other principal followers were Stanislaus Wisnovius, John Cazanovius, Nicholas Zytno, and a lady of the name of Zabawska.

Farnovius was living in the year 1614. Smalcius states, in his "Diary," that he held a conference with him, on the 31st of January in that year, at Zarsyn, which ended, as so many conferences have done, both before and since, in each party being more confirmed in his own opinions. Lauterbach thinks that Farnovius died in 1615. But Bock regards it as more probable, that he survived Smalcius, who lived to a very great age; else Smalcius, as he thinks, would have recorded the time of his death. The following works have been attributed to Farnovius.

1. A Book of Prayers in the Polish language, which was published at the expense of Zabawski's widow, a matron belonging to the author's Church, of whom frequent mention is made in the Synodical Acts.

2. A Proof of the falsifying, and a Confession of the true Doctrine. Polon. Sandius is doubtful whether this work was written by Farnovius, or Gonesius, or Wisnovius ; or whether it was the joint production of all three.

3. Books against the Pacification of Luclavice, inscribed to Stanislaus Szafraniec, Castellan of Sandomir. In these books Farnovius combats the opinion of those, who deny that the Son of God existed before he was born of Mary. Martin Czechovicius, as we have already seen, published a reply to them, in the year 1584, which he had prepared about five years before.

4. Genuine Instruction concerning Christian Discipline in the true Church of the Son of God, arranged and harmonized from the Evidence of the New Testament alone, by Stan. Farnovius, Minister of a Christian Church. 1573, 4to. Polon. This work consists wholly of extracts from the New Testament. In the Preface, which is addressed "to all the Faithful," the author treats of the internal and external characters of the Apostolic Church; and the treatise itself contains admonitions to Pastors and Ministers, and the whole Church, with an account of such things as it is incumbent upon each order to do or to leave undone.

5. On the Knowledge and Confession of the Only God through all Time, Creator of all Things ; and of his Only Son, by whom all Things exist ; and of the Only Spirit of God, by whom the converted cry, "Abba, Father!" &c. 1573, 4to. Polon. This work is upon the same plan as the preceding, and consists chiefly of texts of Scripture, systematically arranged. No printer's name, or place of publication is mentioned. Prefixed to the body of the book is "An Address to the Poles." In this the author treats of the state of heathen unbelief, in which the Polish nation was once sunk, and the Antichristian superstition, by which it was still oppressed; and under the latter head he includes the doctrine of the Trinity, and Infant Baptism. He gives it as his opinion, that Jews and Turks are nearer the Kingdom of God than orthodox Christians; because those who take the Jewish Scriptures, or the Koran, as their sole guide, confess One God, and err only in not having access to him by a Mediator, not believing that he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, while Trinitarian Christians deny the Unity of God, by joining three in one. He compares them, therefore, to the worshipers of a multiplicity of Gods, as Jupiter, Pluto, Mars, &c. His treatise commences with an explanation of the words Elohim, Jehovah and Adonai ; and he thinks that the plural form, Elohim, is used for the sake of expressing honour. He grants that Christ is the Lord Jehovah, yet not of himself, but of the only Jehovah, whose Son he is. He strenuously opposes the doctrine of the Trinity, contending that its advocates, whom he calls Ousians, must either make the Father, Son and Holy Spirit three persons, of which each must be God by himself, thus constituting three Gods ; or three Gods in name only, which is Sabellianism ; or three parts of the same Deity, of which any one without the other is not God, but all three constitute the divine essence. Near the end of the book is a threefold Form of Confession, expressed in scriptural phraseology alone, concerning God the Father, his only Son, and the Holy Spirit ; to which are subjoined two Forms of Prayer,—one addressed to the only God, the other to the Son of God, the Saviour, our God and Lord ; and two Hymns, one to God the Father, and the other to the Son of God. Of the Holy Spirit he says, that, " although he is a living Spirit, Scripture nowhere declares that he is Jehovah, or God ; and does not command us to believe in him, or to invoke him." He observes, that, "on this subject, we have no revelation, and no example."

(Vidend. Sandii B. A. pp. 52, 53. Bock, Hist. Ant. T. I. pp. 334— 340. Lubieniecii Hist. Ref. Polon. L. iii. C. viii. p. 220. Smalcii Diar. p. 1201. Wissowatii Narratio Compend. p. 213. Anonymi Epist. de Vita Wissowatii, apud Sandii B. A. p. 226. Moshemii Inst. H. E. Saec. xvi. Sect. iii. P. ii. Cap. iv. § xxiv. p. 724. KrasinskVs Hist. Sketch of the Ref. in Poland, Vol. H. Chap. xiv. pp. 358—360.)

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