, a man of great learning and abilities, was the third son of Marianus
, a man of great learning and abilities, was the third son of Marianus Socinus, an eminent
civilian at Bologna, and has by some been reckoned the
founder of the Socinian sect, as having been in reality the
author of all those principles and opinions, which Faustus
Socinus afterwards propagated with more boldness. He
was born at Sienna in 1525, and designed by his father for
the study of the civil law. With this he combined the
perusal of the scriptures; thinking that the foundations of
the civil law must necessarily be laid in the word of God,
and therefore would be deduced in the best manner from
it. To qualify himself for this inquiry, he studied the
Greek, Hebrew, and Arabic tongues. What light he derived from this respecting the civil law is not known, but
he is said to have soon discovered, that the church of Rome
taught many tilings plainly contrary to scripture. About
1546 he became a member of a secret society, consisting
of about forty persons, who held their meetings, at. different times, in the territory of Venice, and particularly at.
Vicenza, in which they deliberated concerning a general
reformation of the received systems of religion, and particularly endeavoured to establish the doctrines afterwards
publicly adopted by the Socinians; but being discovered,
and some of them punished, they dispersed into other
countries; and our Socinus, in 1547, began his travels,
and spent four years in France, England, the Netherlands,
Germany, and Poland; and then settled at Zurich. He
contracted a familiarity, and even an intimacy, with the
learned wherever he went and Calvin, Melancthon, Builinger, Beza, and others of the same class, were amongst.
the number of his friends. But having soon discovered,
by the doubts he proposed to them, that he had adopted
sentiments the most obnoxious to these reformers, he became an object of suspicion and Calvin, in particular,
wrote to him an admonitory letter, of which the following
is a part; “Don't expect,
” says he, “that I should answer all your preposterous questions. If you chuse to soar
amidst such lofty speculations, suffer me, an humble disciple of Jesus Christ, to meditate upon such things as conduce to my edification; as indeed I shall endeavour by my
silence to prevent your being troublesome to me hereafter.
In the mean time, I cannot but lament, that you should
continue to employ those excellent talents with which God
has blessed you, not only to no purpose, but to a very bad
one. Let me beg of you seriously, as I have often done,
to correct in yourself this love of inquiry, which may bring
you into trouble.
” It would appear that Socinus took this
advice in part, as he continued to live among these orthodox divines for a considerable time, without molestation.
He found means, however, to communicate his notions to
such as were disposed to receive them, and even lectured
to Italians, who wandered up and down in Germany and
Poland. He also sent writings to his relations, who lived
at Sienna. He took a journey into Poland about 1558;
and obtained from the king some letters of recommendation to the doge of Venice and the duke of Florence, that
he might be safe at Venice, while his affairs required his
residence there. He afterwards returned to Switzerland,
and died at Zurich in 1562, in his thirty-seventh year.
Being naturally timorous and irresolute, he professed to die
in the communion of the reformed church, but certainly
had contributed much to the foundation of the sect called
from his, or his nephew’s name, for he collected the materials that Faustus afterwards digested and employed with
such dexterity and success. He secretly and imperceptibly excited doubts and scruples in the minds of many,
concerning several doctrines generally received among
Christians, and, by several arguments against the divinity
of Christ, which he left behind him in writing, he so far
seduced, even after his death, the Arians in Poland, that
they embraced the communion and sentiments of those who
looked upon Christ as a mere man, created immediately,
like Adam, by God himself. There are few writings of
Laelius exta.it, and of those that bear his name, some undoubtedly belong to others.