Niemojevius John

Niemojevius John (1526-1598)

Niemojevius John, (Polon. Niemojewski ; sometimes called Niemoiovius in the Synodical Acts, and the "Bibliotheca" of Sandius,) was a Polish Knight, and Judge of the territory of Inovladislavia, which office he voluntarily relinquished, on joining the Unitarian Church. This disinterested conduct was in strict unison with his general character ; for, though tenacious of the opinions which he had embraced, and impatient of contradiction, no one was ever more ready to avow and defend what he believed to be the truth. Faust Socin, in a letter addressed to him, March 20th, 1587, says, "Since, as it must be clear to yourself, our brethren deservedly hold you in the highest esteem, and your influence among us both publicly and privately is very considerable, I adjure you before God and Christ, that it may not be owing to you, if all salutary truth do not shine forth, and open upon us all ; but that you will use your endeavours, that elsewhere, and particularly in the Synods, the questions, chiefly connected with religious truth, may be proposed and examined with calmness and love ; not for the sake of condemning any particular doctrine, as has been preposterously done in the Church hitherto, but for the sake of discovering the truth, and of retaining it when found. Nor be so much shocked, I pray you, when you hear anything affirmed contrary to your opinion, and that of the majority, before it is first understood, and the force of the reasons and proofs duly weighed; especially as you have already learnt by experience, that you have at first started back with horror from those propositions, which you have afterwards cordially embraced." (F. Socini Opera, T. I. p. 402, col. 1.)

Niemojevius was among the chief disputants against the doctrine of the Trinity, in the Conference held at Petricow in 1565. At first he defended the preexistence of Christ against the other Unitarians ; but he afterwards went over to the opinion of the Racovians, or that of Socinus. He died at Lublin on the 8th of March, 1598. His writings, according to Bock, were eleven in number.

In his reply to a work, entitled "The Curb," and written by Powodowski, Canon of Posnania, he openly avows himself a Socinian, and expresses his conviction, that the received views concerning the person of Christ are not founded in Scripture, but borrowed from the writings of Athanasius, Cyril and Augustin. From John viii. he endeavours to shew, that all the declarations concerning the One God in the Old Testament refer to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ alone, and not to a Trinity of persons in the divine essence. He expresses doubts respecting the ascription of divine honour to the Saviour; and denies that there is any superiority of nature in the person of Christ. He strives to shew, likewise, that Infant Baptism has no foundation in Scripture. This reply of Niemojevius was printed by Alexius Rodecki, A.D. 1583, in 4to.

In another work, written in answer to the so-called "Lamp" of Canon Powodowski, Niemojevius altogether denies the deity of Christ, and says, " Christ is a man, and not God; for God does not stand in need of baptism. After he was dead, he returned to life, which cannot be said of one represented as God, but may of one who was truly man." Of the Holy Ghost he says, "Christians neither knew him, nor believed in him, for three hundred years after the times of the Apostles: the words,' I believe in the Holy Ghost,' may be admitted for the sake of peace, as they can do no harm to the Christian faith ; but the Holy Ghost is not therefore God, or the third person of the deity." He further says, " As no other Son of God existed before the man Jesus, so he had no glory before he became man.

It was at the request of Niemojevius, that Faust Socin wrote his work "On the seventh Chapter of Paul's Epistle to the Romans." (F. Socini Opera, T. I. p. 87.) This was first printed at Cracow, in 1583, with a letter of Niemojevius on this exposition, and Socinus's answer to this letter ; and again at Racow, in 1612, 8vo. The question on which that disputation turns is, Whether the Apostle speaks in his own person, now renewed by the spirit of Christ, or not ? Niemojevius supported the affirmative side of the question ; but at length, convinced by the arguments of Socinus, retracted his sentiments, and afterwards espoused and defended the negative. Dr. Toulmin, who alludes to this fact, in his "Memoirs of Faustus Socinus," (Chap. iv. p. 328,) adds, "The mention of this work reminds me of a striking occurrence, relative to the controversy about the sense of this chapter. The sentiments of Socin on the subject were warmly debated in the Synod of Lublin, 1589. Some defended them, but a greater number of Ministers opposed them. One of these, whose name was Nicholas Zitinius, was requested to explain the chapter in a manner different from Socinus, and accordingly argued the matter strongly: but, coming to the words in which the Apostle gives God thanks on account of his deliverance, he stood stock still like one astonished, and then recovering himself said, ' What is this deliverance ? What is the benefit which called forth such grateful acknowledgments from the Apostle? Was it that he was necessarily detained in so great a servitude of sin ? I can by no means approve of this notion. I therefore,' said he, ' in like manner, give thanks to the Father of lights, that it hath pleased him that the light of truth should arise upon my mind, which is now freed from error.' He immediately adopted, and skilfully defended the opposite explanation: when they, whose cause he undertook, were amazed and reproved him, he answered, that he could not resist the convictions of his judgment. This event greatly contributed to the propagation of the sentiments of Socinus on this point."

In addition to Niemojevius's two replies to Powodowski, and the part which he took in the controversy about Rom. vii., Bock enumerates the following.

1. A Disputation with a Jesuit, held at Lublin in 1581. In this Disputation, Niemojevius took part with Martin Czechovicius, in the Church of the Jesuits. They were opposed by the Priests, Warszycius and Jodocus, and by the Dominican, Severinus.

2. A Reply, in the Polish Language, to the Latin Theses of Emanuel Vega on Transubstantiation. These Theses were entitled, "Assertiones Theologicae de Eucharistiae Sacramento. Antw. Plantin. 1586," 4to. Faustus Socinus wrote some Animadversions on Niemojevius's Reply to Vega, which may be found in his short treatise, " On the Lord's Supper." (Socini Opera, T. I. p. 768.) Even at that time Niemojevius's Reply appears to have been very rare.

3. A Letter to George Schomann on Faustus Socinus's treatise, " On the Use and Object of the Lord's Supper." March 8th, 1588. Of this Letter, which was written in the Polish language, a Latin translation was inserted by F. Socinus in the above mentioned treatise, (Opera, T. I. pp. 756—766,) together with his own reply.

4. Two Letters to F. Socinus on the Sacrifice and Invocation of Christ. The former of these was written Feb. 28th, 1587; the latter, April 28th, in the same year. They were inserted in F. Socinus's work, entitled, " Breves de diversis Materiis ad Religionem Christianam pertinentibus Tractatus," &c, together with Socinus's two Replies, dated March 20th, and May 20th, 1587. (Socini Opera, T. I. pp. 465—488.)

5. Reply to part of Socinus's Disputation "De J. C. Servatore." This was written in Polish, and translated into Latin by George Schomann. Socinus's rejoinder may be seen in his "Works, T. I. p. 444.

6. A Proof that the Papal Church is neither Apostolic, nor Holy, nor One, nor Catholic; together with a Reply to the Calumnies of Caspar Wilkovius. Polon.

7. An Oration addressed to Sigismund III., King of Poland. This Oration contains an expostulation and complaint concerning the overthrow of the Church at Cracow, in 1591.

8. A Disputation held at Levartow, in 1592, with Hadrian Radziminski, the Jesuit, who had proposed Theses against the Ebionites, Samosatenians and Arians, proving, that Jesus Christ was not only true Man, but true God; and also against the Sacramentarians, on the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ ; which were opposed by Albert Calissius, Rector of Levartow ; Gregory, Minister of Levartow ; Francis Kurowski ; and John Niemojevius. Sandius ascribes this writing to Albert Calissius (B. A. p. 94); but Daniel Clementinus, to whom, as Bock says, it ought to be best known, (Hist. Ant. T. I. P. i. p. 554,) expressly mentions Niemojevius as the author.

(Vidend. Sandii B. A. pp. 49, 50. Bock, Hist. Ant. T. I . pp. 548— 554. Zeltneri Hist. Crypto-Soc. Altorf. Supplem. p. 1169. Socini Opera., T. I. p. 115. Toulmin's Mem. of F. Socinus, Chap. iii. Sect. i. pp. 157—160. 328. 331, etc.)

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