Zwicker Daniel

Zwicker Daniel   was born at Dantzic, January 22^nd, 1612. He was the son of Frederick Zwicker, Minister of the Church of St. Bartholomew at Dantzic; and was educated for the medical profession at Konigsberg, where, in due time, he took his Doctor's degree. He entered the University of Konigsberg on the 8^th of June, 1629 ; subscribed the usual academical oath on the 30^th of July, 1630, during the Rectorship of Reimer ; and held a public anatomical disputation on the 27^th of October, 1634, at which Daniel Bekher, Licentiate and Professor of Medicine, presided. His assiduity in those literary and scientific pursuits to which he applied himself was great ; and being of an inquisitive turn of mind, and possessed of good natural abilities, he did not allow himself to be easily turned aside, in his researches after truth. The learned John Fabricius speaks of him as a man of piety and integrity, and one who, though he might err, would never do so wilfully. 

It is placed beyond doubt, that Florian Crusius first instilled into the mind of Daniel Zwicker the principles of the Unitarian faith, and Hartknoch intimates, that Frederick Zwicker, Daniel's eldest brother, who succeeded his father as Minister of the Church of St. Bartholomew, and in whose house Daniel resided, used his utmost influence to bring him back to the creed of his birth. But though Bottsaccus, and other eminent Divines of the city of Dantzic, combined their efforts with those of his clerical brother, their arguments were unavailing ; and as he was the occasion of much controversy, both by his conversation and his published writings, he was compelled to leave the city by an order of the Magistrates, and went into Poland. There, at the Assembly of Siedliski, in the year 1643, he was present with Hesychius, the subject of the next Article; after which, he resided for some time at Strassin, near Dantzic, and then went into Moravia. A particular account of the manner in which he employed himself, during his sojourn in that country, may be seen in a letter, which he addressed to Ruarus, July 18^th, 1654, and which is inserted in the First Century of Ruarus's Epistles (No. 70). He agreed with the Moravian Brethren in advocating a community of goods, and recommended the adoption of this practice to the whole Christian world. Returning from Moravia before the expiration of the year 1654, he again took up his abode at the village of Strassin, where he appears to have resided three more years. In 1657, he went into Holland ; and after wandering up and down for several years in that country, he died at Amsterdam, Nov. 10^th, 1678, in the sixty-seventh year of his age, and left behind him a large family of young children, very scantily provided for. He told Fabricius, in the year 1670, that he had repeatedly experienced the wonderful providence of God, in the course of his life. As an instance of this, he said, that on a certain day, on which he had not a single stiver to procure the means of subsistence, and his wife was driven to the very verge of desperation, he prayed to God with great fervour, and urged her to do the same, and that their prayers did not remain unanswered ; for that a messenger arrived before sunset, who brought him, from some unknown friend, a purse, containing a thousand Dutch florins. He said also, that he had been summoned before the Magistrates on different occasions, and ordered to leave the city, on account of his religion ; but that there was always some one in authority, who, in consideration of his age, his inoffensive mode of life, and his scrupulous discharge of the duties devolving upon him as a citizen, extended over him the shield of his protection, and averted the fatal sentence. 

Comenius dedicated to Zwicker, on the 3^rd of February, 1661, a new edition of Raymund Scbond's "Natural Theology," originally published at Venice in 1581 ; and recommended it to his attention, as a work of great merit.

John Adrian Osiander, alluding to the religious opinions of Zwicker, says, that he professed himself neither a Lutheran, nor a Calvinist, nor a Remonstrant, nor a Socinian, nor a Mennonite; and that he belonged to none of the sects of his own day, and communicated with none. It is certain, however, that he was an Antitrinitarian, and the first and most distinguished of those Unitarian writers, who fell under the animadversion of Bishop Bull. The biographer of that Prelate, (Robert Nelson, Esq.,) gives the following account of Zwicker, and his opinions.

"He was before Sandius, and both Sandius and Mr. Gilbert Clerke have but copied in a manner after this learned Dantzicker, as also the rest have done, that have engaged on that side of the controversy. When he was between the age of thirty and forty, he set himself to examine into the pretensions of the several religions, professed by those among whom he lived: and when he was now seven and thirty years old, he wrote and printed a Dissertation by way of question, 'Whether a Christian Man were always obliged to learn and enquire ?—and about half a year after that, a Discourse which he called, 'A short and true Demonstration when and where the Holy Scripture ought to be properly, and where figuratively explained and understood.' Both these were published by him in the High-Dutch, his own native language ; with the 'Rules and Confession of zealous Christians.' And when he was about forty years old, he published, in the same tongue, 'An Historical Account of the Grounds of his quitting the Opinion in which he had been first educated;' for he had been bred a Lutheran. But upon this change of his religion, being obliged to leave his own country, he retired into Holland for security and convenience, where he became acquainted with Curcellaeus: and there is added to his famous 'Quaternio,' a Dissertation of this very Zwicker, but without his name, against Maresius, the great enemy both of Curcellaeus and Blondel. The title of it is, 'Judicium de Johanna Papissa contra Maresium;' in which he discovered a great fund of ecclesiastical learning, with that sagacity and penetration of judgment, which is required to make a critick. At or about the same time, he printed at Amsterdam his 'Irenicum Irenicorum,' &c.; or 'the triple Rule of the Reconciler of modern Christians;' the first of which is here established to be the universal Reason of mankind, or sound sense ; the second, the sacred Scriptures; and the third, Catholick Tradition, or Testimonies of approved ecclesiastical writers. This made the greatest noise of all his writings, which were many, and drew several answers to it from learned men. It was published without a name: and the concealed author might not have been discovered, but that Sandius, who personally knew him, and was privy to the secret, resolved to make the world acquainted with this piece of news, so soon as it was safe to be done. The good Comenius, the last Bohemian Bishop, was unhappily engaged in this controversy with Dr. Zwicker ; whereby the cause did suffer not a little. Zwicker did unmercifully triumph over the honest old Prelate, under the name of 'Irenico-mastix.' There are no less than three several vindications of his Irenicum, successively set forth by himself, against the attacks of Comenius, Hoornbechius, and others. So that there wanted still a solid confutation of this book, which had perverted many, and continued still to do mischief; the arguments of it being translated also, and new dressed up in our own tongue, that the infection of it might spread here: upon which, Dr. Bull undertook this labour, and hath acquitted himself, to the satisfaction of all that are capable of weighing without prejudice what he hath written. This Dr. Zwicker hath published several other books, both in Latin and in High and Low Dutch, upon variety of subjects, but chiefly in defence of the Unitarians. He died at Amsterdam in the year 1678, aged sixty six years and ten months. Now to say somewhat of his sentiments, and particularly his Irenicum.

"He pretended, that the simplicity of the Gospel of Christ, according as it was believed by the ancient Nazarens, was first corrupted by Simon Magus and his disciples: That the most primitive Christians, both Jewish and Gentile, believed in God the Father, as in the only true God ; and acknowledged not Jesus Christ in any other capacity, but according to his humane generation only, till Platonism and Gnosticism crept into the Church: That the disciples of this Simon first interpolated and changed the sound doctrine about God and Christ, which had been preached by the Apostles of our Lord ; and introduced another Christ, pre-existent to, and distinct from him that was born of the Virgin Mary: That the eternal and divine generation of the Word was no better than a dream of the Simonians, destructive of the common notions of mankind, and of the truth of the Gospel, as built upon that Man whom God hath anointed, and exalted to be a Saviour: That the beginning at least of the Gospel ascribed to St. John, was never written by that Apostle, but by some heretick out of the school of Simon: That by the same Simonian hereticks were forged certain verses under the name of Orpheus, making mention of the Voice or Word of the Father begotten by him before the world was created, and whom he consulted in the creation thereof ; and that Justin Martyr, being imposed upon by these pretended Orphaic Verses, as if they had verily been composed by Orpheus himself, and by him derived from Moses, had thence taken up his opinion, concerning the generation of Christ from God the Father, before the foundation of the world, as the Mind, the Voice, the Reason of the Father, to the end the world might through his begotten Mind or Voice be brought forth, and that this divine offspring might descend to converse among men, and might at length become himself also a Man: That besides the early perversion of the Gospel by the Simonian Magic, and by the forgery of the Orphaic and Sybilline Oracles, there were several other reasons that concurred, to induce Justin and his followers to embrace so easily the opinion of the pre-existence of Christ, and his generation before all worlds ; such as Justin's acquaintance with and affection for the Platonick Philosophy, the memory of Paganism not yet obliterated, some traces particularly in the minds of the Gentile converts, and prejudices in favour of the commonly received scheme for a plurality of Gods not quite extinct ; the ordinary custom of deifying great and extraordinary persons, and a sort of natural reluctance in all, to the worshiping of any one who is no more than man. From all which he concluded, that the pre-existence and divine generation of our Saviour was unknown to the Apostles ; and that it was an opinion which derived itself from Simon Magus, but owed its growth and establishment to Pagan Philosophers embracing the Christian religion, and blending their Philosophy with it ; and therefore he laboured to expose to the utmost contempt, the greatest man of his time among the Heathen converts to Christianity, and one whose pen had served twice to stop the fury of two persecutions, by two famous Apologies which he wrote in behalf of the Christians ; and to represent this very person, who was of so great eminence among the primitive Christians and Martyrs, and who lived in communion with the disciples of the Apostles, as the principal corrupter of Christianity, and the intruder of a New Christ, and a New Gospel, because he hath spoken so plainly of the pre-existence and godhead of Christ: wherein he hath been followed by the author of the 'Judgment of the Fathers touching the Trinity,' who hath taken out of his quiver the arrows which he hath shot against both the person and doctrine of this blessed Martyr ; and by several others, who have written in defence of the ancient hereticks and heresies, thereby to overthrow Dr. Bull's 'Defence of the Nicene Faith,' and the authority of his Anti-Nicene witnesses." (The Life of Dr. George Bull, late Lord Bishop of St. David's, &c, by Robert Nelson, Esq., Sect, lxix.)

It was probably this last remark, which led Dr. Horsley, when Archdeacon of St. Alban's, to charge Dr. Priestley with having borrowed from Zwicker the arguments, by which he attempted to prove, that the doctrine of the primitive believers in Christ was Unitarian. "Our modern historian," said the Archdeacon, in his celebrated Charge, "hath produced few, if any, arguments which make directly for his purpose, but what are to be found in the writings either of Zwicker or Episcopius. Nor is a single argument to be found in the writings either of Zwicker or Episcopius, which is not unanswerably confuted by our learned Dr. George Bull, afterwards Lord Bishop of St. David's." (Horsley's Tracts in Controversy with Priestley, p. 10.) In making these assertions Dr. Horsley was singularly unfortunate, particularly as regards Zwicker ; for Dr. Priestley was an entire stranger to the works, and even to the very name of that writer ; and S. Crellius has shewn that Bishop Bull himself, having read only the "Irenicum Irenicorum," and not the three defences of that work, was often led to censure Zwicker on erroneous and insufficient grounds. But what tends still more to blunt the edge of Dr. Horsley's accusation, is the circumstance, (which incidentally transpired during the controversy,) that his own knowledge of the writings of Zwicker was derived at second-hand from the animadversions of Bishop Bull, and that he had himself never seen so much as a copy of the "Irenicum."

Subjoined is a list of the writings of Zwicker, originally formed by Sandius, and subsequently enlarged by Bock.

1. The Question, Whether a Christian Man is always obliged to learn and inquire? 1640, 4to. Germ.

2. A short and true Demonstration when and where Scripture ought to be literally or figuratively explained and understood. 1650, 4to.Germ. This was also published in Dutch, A. D. 1678.

3. Rules and Confession of zealous Christians. 1650, 8vo. Germ.

4. Historical Account of D.D.Z.'s [Dr. Dan. Zwicker's] Abandonment of his first Opinion. 1651. Germ.

5. On the very dangerous, and by no means Christian State of all Sectaries. Zwicker alludes to this writing in a letter to Ruarus, dated 1654 (Cent i. N. 70).

6. A Revelation of true Catholicism: that is, a solid Judgment concerning the most pacific and most certain Doctrine of Christians, in which is made manifest the Weakness of those who are opposed to the Monarchians [or Unitarians], 1655. Germ. A Dutch translation of this appeared in 4to., with a Preface by Adrian Swartepaard, dated Amsterdam, 1678, 4to.

7. Some remarkable Specimens of the unhappy Contest of Dr. Abraham Calovius, in Natural and Revealed Religion, undertaken against the Book of John Crellius, Frank, concerning the One God the Father (under the name of A Student of Sacred Literature). Amst. 1650, 4to.

8. Irenicum Irenicorum: or the triple Rule of the Reconciler of modern Christians ; namely, the sound Reason of Mankind, Sacred Scripture, and Tradition. Amst. 1658, 8vo. Replies to this work were published by Comenius, Maukischius, and Dr. George Bull ; and to the first Section of it by John Paul Fehvinger.

9. Judgment concerning Maresius's "Pope Joan restored." This was placed in the hands of Stephen Curcellaus in 1658, and added to his "Quaternion of Dissertations against Maresius."

10. The Visible Church of Christ still standing and triumphing against the Gates of Hell, &c. Amst. 1660,4to. Belg.

11. Irenico-Mastyx (Pt. i.): or, a new Confirmation of the Infallibility of the "Irenicum Irenicorum," by an Exposure of the Futility of Comenius's Accusatory Refutation. Amst. 1661, 8vo. Comenius replied to this in the course of the same year.

12. Vereenings-Schrift der Christenen, &c. 1661, 4to. A version of this, from Dutch into Latin, was published in 1662, 8vo., to which was prefixed the following title. "Henoticum Christianorum, seu Disputationis Mini Celsi Senensis: Quatenus in haereticis coercendis progredi liceat? Lemmata potissima, &c. Amst. 1662," 8vo.

13. Irenico-Mastyx, Pt. ii.: or, A New and Memorable Example of the most unhappy Attack of John Amos Comenius upon the Author of the "Irenicum Irenicorum." 1662, 8vo. This was a brief reply to Comenius's attack upon No. 11. That author defended himself in "A Third Admonition against Zwicker, &c, Amst. 1662," 8vo., which was immediately followed, on the part of Zwicker, by

14. Irenico-Mastygis Pars Specialis: or, A Final Confutation of Comenius, Hoornbeek, Maresius and others. 1662, 8vo. But the date in the title-page is 1667, which appears to be a typographical error.

15. Brief Notes on Two Disputations of Maukischius, Professor at Dantzic ;—one against " Remarkable Specimens of the unhappy Attack of Calovius upon Crellius," and the other against "The Revelation of True Catholicism. Amst. 1664." These Notes were transmitted by the author to his brother, Frederick Zwicker, of Dantzic, from whom Maukischius received them in manuscript, with a request that he would refute them.

16. "Compel them to come in:" or, On the Opposition which is shewn to Churches, and which is likely to reform them. 1666, 4to.

17. Against Joachim Stegmann, Junior, on Magistracy, War, &c.

18. The ancient unarmed Church again rightly asserted after the Lapse of so many Ages: or, The last Reply of an anonymous Annotator to the thirteen Collections of a Collector likewise anonymous, concerning Magistracy, Physical Force, Capital Punishments, and lawful Christian Wars. 1666, 4to. A Dutch translation of this appeared in 1668, 4to.

19. A clear Proof that 1 Cor. xiv. has been wrongly explained even to this Day by the Advocates of Freedom of Speech. Amst. 1668 and 1680. Printed by David Ruarus. 4to. Belg.

20. The Liberty of Church Assemblies firmly demonstrated from Scripture, and wonderful Examples of Divine Providence within these last three hundred Years. 1668, 4to. Belg.

21. The non-Apostolic Advocate of Liberty of Speaking in the Church evanescent. 1666. Belg.

22. The Josiah of the New Testament. 1670, 4to. Belg. In the same year, a Latin version of this appeared under the title, "Novi Foederis Josias." 4to.

23. An Argument against the antemundane Preexistence of human Souls: inserted, with an Answer, by Christopher Sandius, Jun., in his Treatise " On the Origin of the Soul. 1670," 8vo. (Vide Art. 343, No. 6.)

24. Refutation of the Answer of Christopher Sandius to the aforesaid Argument. MS.

25. The Revelation of Daemonolatry among Christians: or, the Victory of the Protestants. 1672, 4to. This was translated into Dutch.

26. The Revelation of the Enemies of the Cross of Christ: or, the Acts of a Conference with four Friends concerning the Magistrate, Whether he can bear the Cross of Christ? &c. 1672, 4to. Belg.

27. Second Part of the Revelation of Daemonolatry among Christians: or, a Letter to Cornelius Hazart, the Jesuit. 1675, 4to. Belg.,-1675, 4to. Lat.

28. A Letter to Martin Ruarus concerning the Moravian Brethren, dated Dantzic, July 18^th, 1654 ; and inserted in the First Century of Ruarus's Epistles, of which it forms No. 70.

29. Another Letter to Martin Ruarus on the Word "Aula," on the Moravian Brethren, on a Community of Goods, and on Christian Poverty, dated Dantzic, August 20^th, 1654; and forming No. 73 of the First Century of Ruarus's Epistles.

30. Three Letters: the first from Daniel Zwicker to John Van Kuyck ; the second, from John Van Kuyck, in Answer to the preceding; and the third, from Zwicker in Reply, to which there is no Answer. Amst. 1678, 4to. Belg. These Letters are on the argument against the Supreme Divinity of Jesus Christ from John xvii. 3; and are ushered in by a Preface from the pen of Adrian Swartepaard.

31. Twenty-one Fundamental Rules, by which the whole of Scripture may be explained and understood. Amst. 1678, 4to. Belg. This paper was annexed to a Dutch version of the tract "On the Revelation of true Catholicism." (Vide No. 6.) It seems to answer to No. 2, with which it may possibly be identical.

32. An Answer to the Wittenberg Theologians' "Refutation of the Racovian Catechism." Germ.

33. Brief but ample Annotations for testing a short Disquisition of John Paul Felwinger, published at Nuremberg, in 1637. MS.

34. The Mirror of Christians and Non-Christians: or, a solid Answer to the Question, Who will not be saved, and who will be condemned ?—from which it appears, that not one Man among a Thousand will attain to Salvation. Germ. MS.

35. On the Nature of the Son of God. Germ. 3fS.

36. The Mystery of the Trinity explained and made manifest: or, the Rise and Progress of the Opinion concerning the Trinity. Germ, and Lat. MS.

37. On the Truth of the Christian Religion. MS.

38. Christian Poverty revived. Germ. To this is added, in the same language, The Consent of the Teachers of the Primitive Church, called Fathers, as to the Unlawfulness of Christians possessing Wealth. MS.

39. The Last Trump: or, a Warning to all Sects,—to wit, Catholics, Greeks, Lutherans, The Reformed, Remonstrants, Collegiants, Quakers, Mennonites, and Monarchians, or Polish Brethren; that they ought to amend their Doctrine and their Lives, if they would be saved. Belg. MS.

40. A Letter to his Brother, Frederick Zwicker, written at Dantzic, Aug. 20^th, 1659. Germ.

41. Another Letter to his Brother, dated Amst., July 22^nd, 1662. Germ.

42. A Comparison of the seven Principal Sects of the present Day among Christians ; in what Articles of Faith they agree, and in what they differ. Belg. MS.

43. The Simple, Ancient, Apostolic Confession concerning the Son of God. MS.

44. Remarkable Events from the Foundation of the World. MS.

45. Annotations on Stephen Curcellaeus's Treatise on the Eating of Blood. MS.

46. Refutation of a Treatise of Valentine Smalcius, written by him against the Hutterians, or Moravian Communists. Germ. MS. 

 47. Objections against Samuel Przipcovius, concerning the Magistrate, &c. MS.

48. Against Andrew Wissowatius," On God's Prescience respecting future Contingencies."

49. Animadversions on Christopher Sandius's "Ecclesiastical History" of the Arians. MS.

50. Continuation of "The Revelation of Daemonolatry." MS. (Vide No. 25 and 27.)

51. An Answer to a Paper of Frederick Sylvius, entitled, "An Epistolary Dissertation, addressed to Daniel Zwicker, Champion in the present Day of the Socinian Doctrine, respecting the Person of Christ," &c. MS.

52. Against the same Frederick Sylvius, "On the Authority of the Church in these Times." MS.

53. Against John Sylvius," Concerning the Trinity." MS.

54. A Letter to J. L. Wolzogenius. MS.

55. Manuscripts on various Subjects, including Letters to other Correspondents. Here Sandius's list of Zwicker's works closes ; but Bock adds the two following.

56. Vertooninghe van de algemeene Vryheid van Spreeken in de Gemeende, Amst. 1680, 4to., which, together with No. 21, was formerly in the library of P. E. Jablonsky; and—

57. Tractatus Tractatuum, which is referred to by Val. Velthemius, in his " Institutiones Metaph." p. 140.

(Vidend. Sandii B. A. pp. 151—156. Bock, Hist . Ant . T.I. pp. 1045—1069. Ruari Epp. Cent. i. N. 70—74. Bp. Butts Primitiva et Apostolica Traditio Dogmatis in Eccles. Cathol. recepti, de Jesu Christi Divinitate, contra Dan. Zuickerum, &c. Lond. 1703, Fol. Controversy between Hartley and Priestley. Life of Bull, by Robert Nelson, Esq., 2nd Ed. Lond. 1714, Sect . lxix. pp. 391—397.)

Le Roux Didier - Unitariens - © Since 2006 -  All rights reserved " No reproduction, even partial, other than those planned in the article L 122-5 of the code of the intellectual property, can be made by this site without the express authorization of the author ".