to have held when he became first acquainted with Blandrata. The unsettled state of David's opinions at this period disposed him to attend the more readily to Blandrata's objections to the leading articles of the popular creed; and the result of their conversations on these subjects was his entire conversion to Unitarianism. The joint efforts of these two eminent individuals, after this event, to disseminate their opinions, though at first they acted with great caution in explaining their views of Christianity, soon attracted the notice and excited the alarm of the ministers of the reformed communions. Peter Melius, the superintendant of the reformed churches in Hungary, preferred a formal complaint against them to the prince, whom he prevailed upon to convoke a synod of the ministers of Transylvania and Hungary at Weissenburg (Alba Julia) in the month of May 1556, for the consideration and settlement of the controverted points. To this assembly Blandrata and David submitted several propositions, declaratory of their sentiments; but they were drawn up with so much care, and expressed in such ambiguous terms, that the synod found no cause for censuring them, and contented itself with subjoining to the several articles, its own "Limitations," or Commentary*. Peter Melius seems to have been little satisfied with the result of these deliberations. Anxious to stop the *These propositions were published at Clausenburg in 1566, with the limitations of the Hungarian ministers and the judgement of another synod held at Vasarhelly. Petri Bod, Hist. Unitariorum in Transylvania, p. 12. progress progress of the new opinions, and with this view to impart to others his own fears, and inspire them with a portion of his own zeal, he assembled in the following year the ministers of his own district, to consider the best means of effecting his object. This synod was followed by some others, convened for the same purpose. The public mind being greatly agitated by these frequent public conferences, the prince, with the design of composing the differences and restoring tranquillity, summoned a general synod to be held at Weissenburg on the 3d of March 1568*,-Blandrata having promised that he would then publicly demonstrate the truth of his opinions. The proceedings of this assembly were formally arranged beforehand, and the discussions held at it were continued during ten successive days, the chief speakers being Francis David and Blandrata †, on the part of the Unitarians, and *The disputations at this synod were immediately published at Weissenburg, under the following title :—“ Brevis Enarratio Disputationis Albanæ de Deo Trino et Christo duplici, coram Serenissimo Principe et tota Ecclesia decem Diebus habita, &c. If the report of the historian be worthy of credit, Blandrata made but an indifferent figure in these discussions, Being pressed on the ninth day by an opponent who had undertaken to reply to some of his observations-he exclaimed -Quod ad me vero attinet-Ego nec scio, nec possum illud explicare, raucedine enim laboro. Neque ego sum Doctor Theologia, sed Medicina. Bod, ubi supra, p. 43. This historian relates (p. 43) that in the course of this year was confirmed a decree which had been passed at the diet of Thorde in 1557, and afterwards sanctioned by the states of the kingdom in 1563, securing to persons of all denominations the free exercise of their religion. From the UNION of the Re formed and on the side of the Trinitarians, Peter Melius. It terminated, however, without accomplishing the object for which it was convened. In the following year, Francis David, with the concurrence, and under the authority of the prince, convoked another synod, of the ministers of Transylvania and Hungary, which was held at the town of Waradin, on the 10th of October. On this occasion, David drew up a series of propositions for the consideration of the assembly, and comprising the sentiments of the Unitarians with respect to the unity of God, the person of Christ, and the nature of the Holy Spirit*. At this synod again, the chief speakers on the opposite sides were David and Melius. Blandrata was present, but took no part in the public discus sions, in consequence, it is thought, of his ill success at the former meeting. The deliberations of this assembly concluded, like those of all the preceding synods, without effecting any thing towards the reconciliation of the contending parties. Before their separation the ministers of the Orthodox Churches delivered in a written confession of their faith in opposition to the propositions of David, wherein, after stating thei. own sentiments, they condemn in no very formed of all parties in passing this edict, an union to which they were led by weighty public reasons, they were designated UNITI, or UNITARII. This title was afterwa 'ds restricted to those persons who maintained that the Father alone was the true and eternal God, and by them read ly adopted of their own accord ;-while those who held that there were three persons in one essence, were by way of opposition styled Trinitarii. * Bod, ubi supra, p. 57. gentle gentle terms, as "heretical blasphemies," the system of the Unitarians*. Not contented with this, Melius, full of zeal for the interest of his party, afterwards addressed a formal letter to the prince, wherein he labours to prejudice his mind against Blandrata and his followers. But in this object he wholly failed, the prince having continued to afford them his protection and patronage until the time of his death, which took place on the 14th of March 1571. John Sigismund was succeeded by Stephen Bathor, who ascended the throne with a disposition to preserve to all classes of his subjects the same freedom of religious worship as they had enjoyed during the reign of his predecessor. On taking possession of his government, he declared that he was the king of the people, and not of their consciences :-that God had reserved three things to himself; To create something out of nothing, to know future events, and to rule men's consciences,-that therefore to tyrannize over conscience was the greatest wickedness, and an invasion of the prerogative of Heaven +. In the year 1574, the prosperity of the Unitarian cause was seriously affected by an unfortunate rupture between the two individuals to whom it had chiefly owed its advancement and success. Blandrata having been guilty of a gross offence, which his accusers have veiled under the designation of peccatum * Bod, ubi supra, pp. 67 et seqq. Italicum, Italicum, David declined all further intercourse with him, and took measures to destroy his influence in the Unitarian body. This conduct naturally drew upon him the enmity of Blandrata, and paved the way for those proceedings which terminated in his death. Blandrata, well knowing the high estimation in which the venerable superintendant was held in the country, felt it necessary to act against him with great art and circumspection. Though liberty was granted to all religious parties alike to conduct public worship on their own principles, there existed at this time a law that none of them should be allowed to promulgate any new doctrine without previously obtaining the permission of the national council. Blandrata learnt that David had violated this ordinance, by maintaining in a public discourse that Christ could not with propriety be addressed in prayer, since he was not God by nature,—an opinion which was then gaining ground among the Unitarians, but had formed no part of their creed when the public profession of it had been originally permitted. His first step, after receiving this information, was to request him to desist from this conduct, intimating, with an appearance of friendship, that if he persisted the Unitarians, including himself, might not be allowed to remain in the country: and then, under pretence of clearing them * Bod, ubi supra, pp. 84 et 102. The authority for this account is a letter addressed by some of the Unitarian ministers of Transylvania to Palæologus, who was then absent, conveying to him an account of the proceedings against David. Bod has given this important document entire. |