Fausto Sozzini

in a league where nothing was required but undying hatred and opposition to the Catholic Church.

Bale threw doubt upon everything, and Spinoza destroyed the little respect left for the deity in the system of Socinus by introducing pantheism to the world.

In effect, both the deists and the pantheists of that period were atheists.

Whether they held that everything was God, or that God was not such a God as Christians hold him to be, they did away with belief in the true God, and raised up an impossible being of their own imagination in his stead.

For them it had special attractions and special uses, which they were not slow to appreciate and to employ.

Now, though it very little concerns us to know much of the origin of this society, which became then and since so notorious throughout the world, still as that origin throws some light on its subsequent history, it will not be lost time to glance at what is known, or supposed to be known, about it.

Monsignor Segur, Bishop of Grenoble, who devoted much time to a study of Freemasonry, is persuaded that it was first elaborated by Faustus Socinus, the nephew of the two celebrated Lelius Socinus, the heresiarch and founder of the sect of Unitarians, or, as they are generally called after him, Socinians.

Both were of the ancient family of the Sosini of Siena.

Other foreign clergymen became apostles of the new faith and of even bolder doctrines which found ready acceptance among the impressionable Slavs.

A Netherlander, Pastoris by name, taught quite independently of Lelio and Fausto Sozzini, Socinus, the rejection of the Trinity, and a community of Unitarians was secretly formed in Krakow.

Numerous students went to the German universities and returned confirmed Lutherans.

Even Polish priests and theological professors in the University of Krakow preached under the protection of the nobles against Catholic dogmas.

The Lord's Supper was explained symbolically as in the Calvinistic Church.

This Unitarian community taught and practiced, besides, the greatest tolerance and abstention from all sorts of violence.

The progress of Unitarian sentiment in Poland and the religious liberty that prevailed there attracted thither the nephew of Lelio, Fausto Sozzini, a man equally learned, lovable, and conscientious.

For twelve years he had been a favorite of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, but in order to be free to follow his religious convictions he left his fatherland and after many wanderings settled in Poland, where he remained and worked until his death in 1607.

Other foreign clergymen became apostles of the new faith and of even bolder doctrines which found ready acceptance among the impressionable Slavs.

A Netherlander, Pastoris by name, taught quite independently of Lelio and Fausto Sozzini, Socinus, the rejection of the Trinity, and a community of Unitarians was secretly formed in Cracow.

Numerous students went to the German universities and returned confirmed Lutherans.

Even Polish priests and theological professors in the University of Cracow preached, under the protection of the nobles, against Catholic dogmas.

The Lord's Supper was explained symbolically, as in the Calvinistic church.

This Unitarian community taught and practiced, besides, the greatest tolerance and abstention from all sorts of violence.

The progress of Unitarian sentiment in Poland and the religious liberty that prevailed there attracted thither the nephew of Lelio, Fausto Sozzini, a man equally learned, lovable, and conscientious.

For twelve years he had been a favorite of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, but in order to be free to follow his religious convictions he left his fatherland and after many wanderings settled in Poland, where he remained and worked until his death in 1607.

Other foreign clergymen became apostles of the new faith and of even bolder doctrines which found ready acceptance among the impressionable Slavs.

A Netherlander, Pastoris by name, taught quite independently of Lelio and Fausto Sozzini, Socinus, the rejection of the Trinity, and a community of Unitarians was secretly formed in Krakow.

Numerous students went to the German universities and returned confirmed Lutherans.

Even Polish priests and theological professors in the University of Krakow preached, under the protection of the nobles, against Catholic dogmas.

The Lord's Supper was explained symbolically, as in the Calvinistic church.

This Unitarian community taught and practiced, besides, the greatest tolerance and abstention from all sorts of violence.

The progress of Unitarian sentiment in Poland, and the religious liberty that prevailed there, attracted thither the nephew of Lelio, Fausto Sozzini, a man equally learned, lovable, and conscientious.

For twelve years he had been a favorite of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, but in order to be free to follow his religious convictions he left his fatherland and, after many wanderings, settled in Poland, where he remained and worked until his death in 1607.

In a league where nothing was required but undying hatred and opposition to the Catholic Church.

Bale threw doubt upon everything, and Spinoza destroyed the little respect left for the deity in the system of Socinus by introducing pantheism to the world.

In effect, both the deists and the pantheists of that period were atheists.

Whether they held that everything was God or that God was not such a God as Christians hold him to be, they did away with belief in the true God and raised up an impossible being of their own imagination in his stead.

For them, it had special attractions and special uses, which they were not slow to appreciate and to employ.

Now, though it very little concerns us to know much of the origin of this society, which became then and since so notorious throughout the world, still as that origin throws some light on its subsequent history, it will not be lost time to glance at what is known, or supposed to be known, about it.

Monsignor Segur, Bishop of Grenoble, who devoted much time to a study of Freemasonry, is persuaded that it was first elaborated by Faustus Socinus, the nephew of the too celebrated Laelius Socinus, the heresiarch and founder of the sect of Unitarians, or, as they are generally called after him, Socinians.

Both were of the ancient family of the Sozzini of Siena.