Pastorius Joachim

Pastorius Joachim ab Hirtenberg (ou HirtensBero), a native of Glogau, in Silesia, was invested with the rank of a Polish Knight for his public services. He was a Doctor of Medicine, and discharged the office of Professor in the Gymnasia of Elbing and Dantzic. While at the latter place, or still earlier, he was converted to Unitarianism by Martin Ruarus. In the Manuscript Acts, and elsewhere, he is called Hirtenius. Grotius alludes to him, under this name, in a letter to Ruarus, written at Paris in 1639, in which he says, "Optimum Hirtenium amo, ut certe debeo." It would hence appear, that Grotius was no stranger to the nomenclature of the CryptoSocinians; and that he sometimes adopted it in his correspondence with Ruarus.

We learn from Kochovius, that Joachim Pastorius was brought up in the Reformed Religion from his infancy; that he afterwards became a follower of Socinus; and that he travelled through the various countries of Europe, in company with Ruarus, who had been appointed tutor and travelling companion to Andrew Wissowatius: but that he at last professed himself a Catholic, in order to escape the misery of exile, when, in 1658, the Socinian cause was reduced to the last extremity in Poland. On renouncing his Unitarianism, he was appointed Historiographer to the King of Poland, besides being invested with other honours and dignities; and he acted as confidential Secretary at the Peace of Oliva. At what precise time he became an Antitrinitarian we nowhere find recorded: but we infer from the Manuscript Acts, that it must have been at least as early as the year 1635, for he had then written his "Life of Crellius."

He seems to have concealed his Socinianism for several years; but in the Synod of Siedliski, A.D. 1644, he declared to the Brethren his willingness to preach to some Church in the German language, though he does not appear to have subsequently dedicated himself to the ministerial office; for in the year 1646, Ruarus was commissioned to prevail upon Hirtenius to undertake that office. He died at Frauenburg, in Prussia, Dec. 28th, 1681, in the seventyfirst year of his age. His writings were numerous; but those which he composed after Ins defection from the Unitarian cause are principally on historical and political subjects. The following is the most complete list of his works which has yet appeared.

1. The Life of John Crellius, prefixed to his Works in the "Bibliotheca Fratrum Polonorum," and to his "Ethics." Of this Life a Dutch translation was published in 1663, 4to.

2. Epitaph on Stanislaus Lubieniecius, the Elder, who died A. D. 1633. MS.

3. The Immaculate Courtier.

4. Floras Polonicus: or An Epitome of Polish History, dedicated to Sieniuta. Leyden, 1641, l2mo. A second edition of the same work, increased by the Lives of two Kings. Amst. 1664, 12mo. The first Part of this Epitome was subsequently published in a more enlarged form, A.D. 1680; and the second Part was printed at Dantzic by the author's representatives, after his death, A.D. 1685.

5. Peplum Sarmaticum. Dantz. 1645, 4to.

6. Character Virtutum. Dantz. 1650, 4to. This and the preceding No., together with some other small pieces, were published at Dantzic in 1653, 12mo., under the title of Joachim Pastorius's "Heroes Sacri, Peplum Sarmaticum, Musa Peregrinans, et Character Virtutum."

7. The Scytho-Cossack War against the Kingdom of Poland, brought to a close under King John Cassimir. Dantz. 1652, 4to.

8. Palaestra Nobilium: or, Advice respecting the Education of Illustrious Youths. This was supposed by Bock to have been the work, mentioned by Sandius under the following title :—"De Juventutis Institutionis Ratione. Dantisci, 1653, 4to." But the supposition proves to have been unfounded; for both these works were inserted in a Quarto Volume, published at Leyden, under the title, "De Philologia, Studiis Liberalis Doctrinae, Informatione et Educatione Literaria Generosorum Adolescentium, &c. Tractatus Gulielmi Budaei Campanellae, Joachimi Pastorii, Joh. Andreae Bosii, Joh. Schefferi, et Petri Angelii Bargaei, quos Thomas Crenius collegit, recensuit, emendavit, &c. Lugduni in Batavis, ex Officina Davidis Severini, 1696," 4to. The fourth Treatise in this Volume is by Joachim Pistorius ab Hirtenberg, Doctor of Medicine, &c, and is entitled—

9. A Diatribe on the Method of instructing Youth. Subjoined to it, and numbered V., is—

10. A Letter on the Study of Eloquence. The Diatribe extends from p. 223 to 254; and the Letter from p. 255 to 271. Then follows, also by Joachim Pastorius, "Palaestra Nobilium: seu Consilium de Generosorum Adolescentum Educatione in Gratiam quorundam Ulustrium Polonorum conscriptum a Joachim Pistorio, Medicinae Doctore," extending from p. 272 to 349.

11. Two Speeches on the Principal Writers of History. Dantz. 1656, 4to. In addition to these he published—

12. A Speech on the Dignity of History, delivered at Elbing, "Anno Christi Servatoris, 1651," when he entered

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upon the honorary office of a Teacher of History. 4to. The printer's name was Achatius Corellus: but there is no mention either of the time or place of printing. It is dedicated to the Magistrates of Elbing.

13. Sylvae, Pt. i. Dantz. 1656, 12mo.

14. Tacitus Germano-Belgicus. Colon. 1658, 8vo.

15. The Differences between a genuine and a diabolical Policy, &c. Frankf. 1659, 12mo.

16. Theodosius the Great. 1662.

17. The Minister of State: or, Considerations respecting the Life of Nicholas Neuville de Villeroy. Jena, 1664, 8vo.

18. The Dawn of Peace: or, A Speech delivered in the Presence of the Imperial, Polish and Brandenburg Ambassadors, at Dantzic, about the Beginning of the Treaties of Oliva. This Speech was first printed by Phil. Rhetius in 1659, with a different title. Twenty years later, (A.D. 1679,) it was added to the 5th Ed. of the "Floras Polonicus," or Polish Floras, (vide No. 4,) under the title of "Aurora Pacis," or " The Dawn of Peace."

19. An Ecclesiastical History. The task of compiling a work of this kind was imposed upon Hirtenius, at the Assembly of Siedliski, in 1643, for which purpose Przipcovius, who had been commissioned to undertake a work of a similar kind some years before, was to supply him with materials and documents. Allusions were made to this Ecclesiastical History at the Assemblies of 1644 and 1645; but there is no evidence of its ever having been finished.

20. On the Causes and Remedies of Dissensions. Ruarus was commissioned by the Assembly of Daszow, in 1646, to prepare this treatise for the press.

21. Various Theological Essays. These were mentioned at the Assembly of Daszow, in 1647, when the Ministers of Volhynia were requested to urge upon Hirtenius the desirableness of preparing them for the press.

22. A Catalogue of the Works written by Pastorius, to be comprised in eleven Volumes. Anthony Teisser makes mention of such a Catalogue. (Auctarium Catalogi Auctorum, &c, p. 127.)

23. A Memoir of two Rectors of the Gymnasium of Elbing, John and Michael Mylius. Teisser also mentions this, (p. 269,) as a posthumous work of Joachim Pastorius.

24. The Crown of Glory of Michael, King of Poland. 4to.

25. A Translation of Przipcovius's "Life of Faustus Socinus" from Latin into German. 1637, 4to.

26. An Epitome of European Events, and principally those of Poland, from the Year 1665 to 1667; preserved in manuscript in the Zaluscian Library.

27. A Letter to Christopher Hartknoch, written at Dantzic, April 12th, 1677.

28. Other Letters, addressed to Polish Nobles, and Intimate Friends. MSS. These were formerly in the possession of Paul Vater, Professor of Mathematics in the Gymnasium at Dantzic; and are said to have been remarkable on account of their style, and the political and historical subjects to which they relate.

(Vidend. Sandii B. A. pp. 149,150. Bock, Hist. Ant. T. I. pp. 591 —597, et Reft*. Ruari Epp. Cent. i. N. 42. Zeltneri Hist. CryptoSoc. pp. 77. 320.)

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