SOCINIANS. The Socinians took their name from two Italian theologians, Lielius Socinus (1525-1562) and his nephew, Faustus Socinus (1539-1604). LTBus Socinus was a lawyer, who seems to have felt that jurisprudence ought to rest upon a positive divine basis. He searched the Scriptures to find this basis, and in his search found himself confronted by a number of problems. His nephew Faustus Socinus corresponded with him. He also studied the manuscripts of his uncle. After spending some years in Switzerland, he settled in Poland, which at this time was a haven of refuge for liberal theologians. Unitarianism was already strongly en trenched in Poland, but it was infected with Anabaptist notions. Socinus set to work to form a compact com munity, and to formulate a consistent system of theology. In 1605, immediately after his death, appeared the Rakow or Socinian Catechism (Catechisms Racovensis), which is a good compendium of the theology. It is not, how ever, a confession of faith, for the Socinianc recognised no authoritative Confessions. It was called the Rakow Catechism from the city of Rakow where the general synod of the Socinians met yearly. But interesting as the Catechism is, the doctrinal system of the Socinians is best drawn from the Bibliotheca Pratrum Polonorum (eight volumes, 1656), in which a number of the writings of the leading Soeinians are included. The editor was Andreas Wissowatius (d. 167S). One of the most prolific writers and daring thinkers was J. Crel]. A study of the Socinian writings makes it clear that their doctrines are very different from those of modern Unitarianism (q.v.). In some ways the Socinians held firmly to a positive supranaturalism. " The genuine Socinianism decidedly desiderates a divine revelation. This revela tion is not regarded as some sort of internal working of the divine spirit upon man, but as a purely external com munication of truths of a practical and theoretical nature " (Puenjer). The revelation is to be found in the Bible, particularly in the New Testament. The writers wrote under the impulse and at the dictation of the Divine Spirit. At the same time it was held that
only the essential parts were divinely inspired in the sense of being free from error. Man has to exercise his Reason, which is his spiritual eye. Only through Reason can he receive, know, comprehend, and judge the divine revelation. But Reason is not allowed an unlimited right of criticism. " On the contrary, it is always emphatically maintained by the Socinians that religion is above reason, because it is revealed by God." Miracles are not contrary to reason, but above reason. " A dis tinction between what is above reason and what is con trary to reason is attempted, by holding that it is entirely different to say that a thing cannot be conceived, and to conceive that a thing cannot be." Puenjer points out that " in the application of this principle, reason is re garded as the supreme, indisputable judge of religious doctrines; and an unlimited rationalism is thus intro duced." From this position Socinianism proceeded to criticise the profoundest Christian dogmas, and " almost all that has been presented with reference to Christianity in this connection, even to the present day, may be found already contained in the writings of Faustus Socinus." The Socinians found the doctrines of the Trinity and the Deity of Christ to be contrary to Reason. Christ was not a deity. At the same time they held that he was more than a man, having been conceived of a Virgin and being perfectly holy. They found that the doctrine of Satisfaction also was open to severe criticism. " Satis faction is impossible in the abstract, as well as in the concrete. It is impossible in abstracto, because a satis faction by obedientia activa and a satisfaction by obedientia passive mutually exclude each other. . . . In like manner, satisfaction is, impossible in eonereto, and chiefly because we have brought upon us eternal death, while Christ only underwent bodily death." The Socinians flourished in Poland. They were more success ful in Holland than in Germany. Compare, further, UNITARIANS. See Schaff-Herzog; B. Puenjer; J. H. Blunt.