SOCINUS, Laelius, the first author of the sect of the Socinians, was born at Sienna in Tuscany in 1525. Being designed by his father for the law, he began very early to search for the foundation of that science in the word of God; and by that study discovered that the Romish religion taught many things contrary to revelation. Being desirous of penetrating farther into the true sense of the scriptures, he studied Greek, Hebrew, and even Arabic. In 1547 he left Italy, to go and converse with the Protestants; and spent four years in travelling through France, England, the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland, and at length settled at Zürich. He by this means became acquainted with the most learned men of his time, who testified by their letters the esteem which they had for him; but as he discovered to them his doubts, he was greatly suspected of heresy. He however conducted himself with such address, that he lived among the capital enemies of his opinions, without receiving the least injury. He met with some disciples, who heard his instructions with respect; these were Italians who had left their native country on account of religion, and wandered about in Germany and Poland. He communicated likewise his sentiments to his relations by his writings, which he caused to be conveyed to them at Sienna. He died at Zii-rich in 1562. Those who were of sentiments opposite to his, and were personally acquainted with him, confess that his outward behaviour was blameless. He wrote a paraphrase on the first chapter of St. John; and other works are ascribed to him.

Socinus , Faustus, nephew of the preceding, and principal founder of the Socinian sect, was born at Sienna in 1539. The letters which his uncle Laelius wrote to his relations, and which infused into them many seeds of heresy, made an impression upon him; so that, knowing himself not innocent, he fled as well as the rest when the inquisition began to persecute that family. He was at Lyon when he heard of his uncle’s death, and he departed immediately to take possession of his writings. He returned to Tuscany; and made himself so agreeable to the grand duke, that the charms which he found in that court, and the honourable posts which he filled there, hindered him for twelve years from remembering that he had been considered as the person who was to put the last hand to the system of divinity, of which his uncle Laelius had made a rough draught. At last he went into Germany in 1547, and paid no regard to the grand duke’s advices to return. He stayed three years at Basel, and there studied divinity; and having adopted a set of principles very different from the system of Protestants, he resolved to maintain and propagate them; for which purpose he wrote a treatise De Iesu Christa Servatore. In 1579 Socinus retired into Poland, and desired to be admitted into the communion of the Unitarians; but as he differed from them in some points, on which he refused to be silent, he met with a repulse. He did not however cease to write in defence of their churches against those who attacked them. At length his book against James Paleologus furnished his enemies with a pretence to exasperate the king of Poland against him; but though the mere reading of it was sufficient to refute his accusers, Socinus thought proper to leave Cracow, after having resided there four years. He then lived under the protection of several Polish lords, and married a lady of a good family; but her death, which happened in 1587, so deeply afflicted him as to injure his health; and to complete his sorrow, he was deprived of his patrimony by the death of Francis de’ Medici, great duke of Florence. The consolation which he found in seeing his sentiments at last approved by several ministers, was greatly interrupted in 1598; for he met with a thousand insults at Cracow, and was with great difficulty saved from the hands of the rabble. His house was plundered, and he lost his goods; but this loss was not so uneasy to him as that of some manuscripts, which he extremely regretted. To deliver himself from such dangers, he retired to a village about nine miles distant from Cracow, where he spent the remainder of his days at the house of Abraham Blonski, a Polish gentleman, and died there in 1604. All Faustus Socinus’s works are contained in the first two volumes of the great collection entitled Bibliotheca Fratrum Polonorum.