Gizelius Eustache

Gizelius Eustache, probably a native either of Lithuania or White Russia, was appointed Rector of the School at Kissielin in 1634, and in the year following was admitted into the list of Students at Racow, as a candidate for the ministry, having had a noble youth, of the family of Niemericius, consigned to his care, on condition that he should accompany the young man to that seat of learning. About this time, however, the revision of the Polish version of the New Testament was entrusted to him, jointly with John Stoinius and Jonas Schlichtingius; and this appears to have prevented him from proceeding to Racow in the year 1636. But at the end of that year his views were again directed thither; and he obtained a letter of recommendation to the father of the young Nobleman above mentioned.

In 1638, a plan having been proposed for enlarging and beautifying the School at Kissielin, and forming an institution similar to that of the College at Racow, which was then on the eve of dissolution, Gizelius was employed, to instruct the more advanced pupils in the first class two hours daily, on such subjects as the Governors of the School should determine, till the arrival of a new Rector, who was to be engaged by Ruarus. In 1640, a severe censure was passed upon him, by the Synod of Kissielin, for certain opinions which he had encouraged, and to which the epithet " scandalous" is applied; as well as for certain books, alleged to be of a very dangerous tendency, which he had prepared and published. What these opinions were we are not told; but that they were deemed peculiarly obnoxious by the majority of the Synod is clear, for a threat of excommunication was held out against him, if he persisted in defending and disseminating them; and an injunction was laid upon the Ministers of the Church, to keep a strict watch over him, lest that body should sustain any injury from his imprudence and misconduct. From a marginal note in the Synodical Acts, it appears that the threat of excommunication was subsequently carried into effect at Kissielin. But in 1646, the Ministers of Volhynia were commissioned to bring about a reconciliation, by admonishing him to sue for re-admission into his Church; and it seems probable that he attended to the admonition, because it is remarked, in the Acts of the Assembly of Raszcow, in 1655, that Mark Lubieniecius determined to take him into his house, to translate "The Confession of the Church," (supposed to be the one drawn up by Jonas Schlichtingius,) together with the Preface, into the Russian language. Sandius and Bock mention the following publications of Gizelius.

1. A Greek Translation of Thomas a Kempis's Treatise, "De Imitatione Christi." Frankf. on the Oder, 1626.

2. Antapologia, or a Refutation of the Apology, which Meletius Smotriski, called Archbishop of Polotzk, addressed to the Russian Nation, under the Name of Gelasius Diplicus. Polon. 1631.

(Vidend. Sandii B. A. p. 143. Bock, Hist. Ant. T. I. pp. 401, 402.)

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