Glirius Matthias

Glirius Matthias is designated "a Physician" by Sandius ; and Socin, in the Preface to his Disputation with Francis Davidis, mentions him as one of those, who, in Transylvania, had controverted the received doctrine of praying to Christ, before it was publicly opposed by Davidis himself. That he was a German seems highly probable ; but of what part of Germany he was a native has never been ascertained. Zeltner thinks, that he is the same with Matthias Vehe, who had formerly been a Deacon at Luter, or Kaiserslautern, in the Lower Palatinate, or Palatinate of the Rhine ; and that, having been banished, with James Suter, towards the end of the year 1572, he assumed the name of Glirius, for the purpose of avoiding suspicion. Ruarus, writing to Calovius, says, that he was the person called Dietrich Dorsch, and Nathanael Eliana Matthania. Under the latter name, he published at Cologne, in 1578, a German work, "On the Kingdom of Christ," to a Latin version of which Sandius refers.

His views respecting the kingdom of Christ seem to have resembled those of the Millennarians. Ruarus says, that he manifestly judaized ; and that James Palaeologus, Francis Davidis, John Sommer and Christian Francken adopted his opinions.

In the year 1583, an 8vo. volume was published, bearing the title, "Tractatus aliquot Christianae Religionis," and purporting to have been printed at Ingolstadt. But it is said to have been really printed in Poland, and the impression must have been a small one, for Smalcius, in replying to some Theses, in which Wolfgang Franzius refers to it, confesses that he has never seen the work. The authors of the treatises contained in this volume were Matthias Glirius, Adam Neuser and John Sommer. The Preface was written, as has been stated in a former part of the present work, by Theodosius Schimberg. (Vide Art. 79, No. 4.) It was some years after the apostasy of Neuser, and the death of Sommer, that these treatises were published. That Glirius survived Sommer is placed beyond all doubt. Sandius supposes him to be the same person whom Possevin calls Matthias Polonus ; and who, as a skilful Hebraist, was appointed joint Rector of the School at Clausenburg with James Palaeologus, after the death of Sommer.

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