SOCI'NUS. The Latinized form of the name of two Italian Protestants of the sixteenth cen tury. celebrated as the founders of the liberal sect called Socinians, and precursors of the mod ern Unitarians. Both men were born in the Tuscan town of Siena, the elder, LEI.I0 Suzzlxi (L:elius Soeinus), in 1525, the younger, FAUST() (Faustus), nephew of the preceding, in 1539. Lelio was destined for the profession of the law, but his tastes led him to theology instead. He applied himself to the study of Greek, Hebrew, and Arabic, that he might better understand the Scriptures. At. the age of twenty-our he is reported to have joined a society at Vicenza, whose aim was free discussion of religious sub jects, but which, after its heretical tendency had been discovered. was compelled to disband. Soeinus fled from Vicenza, visited France, Eng land, and Holland in his travels, and came into friendly contact with many Protestant. leaders, including Calvin. He finally settled in Zurich, where he died at the early age of thirty-seven (1562). His views on Christian theology, for the most part unpublished, were eagerly read in manuscript by his nephew, who became their champion.—FAusTtIS Socraus had received a rather unsystematic education, hut a developing interest in religious matters, due largely to his uncle's influence, led him in manhood to Basel for further study, thence to Transylvania, where anti-trinitarians were already numerous, espe cially among the nobility, and finally (1579) to Poland, which was to be the chief centre of his influence. As a theological disputant, writer, and preacher, Faustus exhibited both zeal and ability, but he encountered vigorous opposition from Roman Catholics and Protestants alike, on account of his attacks upon fundamental Chris tian doctrines. His position was that, although the Bible was authoritative and the Gospel his tory miraculou-s, no doctrine contrary to reason should be retained. This led him to modify
greatly the current teaching respecting the na ture of man, sin, and the deity of Christ. But he slid not deny that, although other parts of Chris tian faith were above reason, they Were neverthe less to be accepted, or that Christ possessed a superhuman nature and character. After a theo logical disputation with several Protestant lead ers, in which his peculiar tenets were brought forward, Socinus was charged with sedition and furred for a time to withdraw front Cracow, taking refuge at the country estate of a friendly Polish noble, whome daughter he married. Ilis views filially aroused such intense antagonism that popular outbreaks• occurred, in which So (inns was shamefully ha ml led. llis last days were spent in retirement in the village of Luc:I:t wice, where he died in 3604.
Among the most important writings of Faus tus Socinus are his Dc Jcsu christo Serrature and Dc Statu. Primi Hominis ante Lapsnin. In the former lie diAeusses the person and Nviirk of Christ; in the latter, the doctrines of sin and grace. Both works were controversial in their origin. The Raeorian Catechism. ( 1605 ) , formal and elaborate statement of Socinian the ology, was based largely upon outlines which he had made. The Works of Socinus are printed in the Bibliotheea Fratrum Pohmorum, vols. i. and ii. (Amsterdam, 1656). Consult further: Rees, The Raeorian Catechism. (London. ISIS) ; Bonet-Maury, Des origines du ehristiani.sine unitaire (Paris, 1852) ; Foek, Her Socinianis inns (Kiel, 1847) Allen, History of the Uni tarians (New York, 1894) ; Beard, The Reforma tion of the Sixteenth Century in Its Relation to Modern Thought (London, 1883) ; Harnack, His tory of Dogma, vol. vii. (Eng. trans., London, 3899) ; Ritschl, Justification and Reconciliation (Eng. trans., Edinburgh, 1902). See UNI TARIANISM.