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The Polish Brethren (Polish: ''Bracia Polscy'') were members of the Minor Reformed Church of Poland, a Nontrinitarian
Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
church that existed in
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...
from 1565 to 1658. By those on the outside, they were called "
Arians Arianism ( grc-x-koine, Ἀρειανισμός, ) is a Christological doctrine first attributed to Arius (), a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt. Arian theology holds that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who was begotten by Go ...
" or " Socinians" (, '')'', but themselves preferred simply to be called "Brethren" or "Christians", and, after their expulsion from Poland, "
Unitarians Unitarian or Unitarianism may refer to: Christian and Christian-derived theologies A Unitarian is a follower of, or a member of an organisation that follows, any of several theologies referred to as Unitarianism: * Unitarianism (1565–present) ...
".


History

The ''Ecclesia Minor'' or ''Minor Reformed Church of Poland'', better known today as the Polish Brethren, was started on January 22, 1556, when
Piotr of Goniądz Piotr of Goniądz ( pl, Piotr z Goniądza, ; Latin: Gonesius; c. 1525–1573) was a Polish political and religious writer, thinker and one of the spiritual leaders of the Polish Brethren. Life Little is known of his early life. He was born to a p ...
(Peter Gonesius), a Polish student, spoke out against the
doctrine of the Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the ...
during the general synod of the Reformed (
Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...
) churches of Poland held in the village of Secemin.


1565: Split with the Calvinists

A theological debate called by the Polish king
Sigismund II Augustus Sigismund II Augustus ( pl, Zygmunt II August, lt, Žygimantas Augustas; 1 August 1520 – 7 July 1572) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, the son of Sigismund I the Old, whom Sigismund II succeeded in 1548. He was the first rule ...
himself in 1565 did not succeed in bringing both Protestant factions together again. Finally, the faction that had supported Piotr of Goniądz' arguments broke all ties with the Calvinists and organized their own synod in the town of Brzeziny on June 10, 1565. In the 1570s a split was developing between the pacifist and
Arian Arianism ( grc-x-koine, Ἀρειανισμός, ) is a Christological doctrine first attributed to Arius (), a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt. Arian theology holds that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who was begotten by G ...
group, led by Marcin Czechowic and
Grzegorz Paweł z Brzezin Grzegorz Paweł z Brzezin (English: Gregory Paul of Brzeziny, Latin: Gregorius Paulus Brzezinensis) (1525–1591), was a Socinian ( Unitarian) writer and theologian, one of the principal creators and propagators of radical wing of the Polish Brethre ...
and the non-pacifist and Ebionite group led by the Belarusian Symon Budny. In 1579 the Italian exile Fausto Sozzini arrived in Poland and applied for admission to the ''Ecclesia Minor'', which was refused because of his rather unusual personal objection to water baptism, however they saw in the Italian an able advocate and Sozzini's capable answering of Budny, followed by his marriage to the daughter of
Krzysztof Morsztyn Sr. Krzysztof Morsztyn Sr. (1522–1600) of the Leliwa coat of arms, was founder of the Polish Brethren community in Filipów in 1585. He was father of: * Krzysztof Morsztyn Jr. (c.1580–1642) who taught at the Racovian Academy. * Elżbieta Morszt ...
in 1586 cemented his place among the Polish Brethren. The calling of the group " Socinian" in England is more a result of the place given to Sozzini's writings in the publishing of his grandson
Andrzej Wiszowaty Sr. Andrzej Wiszowaty Sr. (Latin ''Andreas Wissowatius'') (Filipów, Podlaskie Voivodeship, Filipów 1608 - Amsterdam, 1678) was a Socinian theologian who worked with Joachim Stegmann (1595–1633) on the Racovian Catechism of 1605, and taught at the Ra ...
in Amsterdam a century later than any role of active leadership in Sozzini's life – especially given that without submitting to baptism he could never formally join the church that later bore his name abroad.


1602–1638: The Racovian Academy

Their biggest cultural centers were
Pińczów Pińczów is a town in southern Poland, in Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, about 40 km south of Kielce. It is the capital of Pińczów County. Population is 12,304 (2005). Pińczów belongs to the historic Polish province of Lesser Poland, a ...
and
Raków Rakow may refer to: People *Benzion Rakow (1925–1985), rabbi in London, England *Bezalel Rakow (1927–2003), rabbi of Gateshead, England * Ed Rakow (1935–2000), American baseball player * Edward F. Rakow (1861–1942) *Mary Rakow, American no ...
, site of the main Arian
printing press A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier printing methods in which the ...
and the university '' Racovian Academy'' () founded in 1602 and closed in 1638, which trained over 1000 students.


1658: Expulsion

The Brethren never participated in the Sandomierz Agreement of 1570 between different Polish
Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
s. The Minor Church in Poland was dissolved on July 20, 1658, when the
Sejm The Sejm (English: , Polish: ), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland ( Polish: ''Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej''), is the lower house of the bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of ...
expelled the Socinians from Poland. This occurred after a series of 17th-century wars known as the Deluge in which Protestant Sweden invaded Poland, since they (like almost all non-Catholic Christians) were commonly seen as Swedish collaborators. The Brethren were exiled in three directions, finding asylum in the following regions: *
Duchy of Prussia The Duchy of Prussia (german: Herzogtum Preußen, pl, Księstwo Pruskie, lt, Prūsijos kunigaikštystė) or Ducal Prussia (german: Herzogliches Preußen, link=no; pl, Prusy Książęce, link=no) was a duchy in the region of Prussia establish ...
, where
Christopher Crell Krzysztof Crell-Spinowski (Latin: Crellius Spinovius, English: Christopher Crell) (Raków, Kielce County 1622 - December 12, 1680) was an Arian theologian, pastor of the church of the Polish Brethren. Christopher Crellius was the middle generation ...
and his sons founded new congregations. *
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, where
Andrzej Wiszowaty Sr. Andrzej Wiszowaty Sr. (Latin ''Andreas Wissowatius'') (Filipów, Podlaskie Voivodeship, Filipów 1608 - Amsterdam, 1678) was a Socinian theologian who worked with Joachim Stegmann (1595–1633) on the Racovian Catechism of 1605, and taught at the Ra ...
published the '' Bibliotheca Fratrum Polonorum quos Unitarios vocant'' (1668) and
Christopher Sand Christopher Sandius Jr. (Königsberg, October 12, 1644 – Amsterdam, November 30, 1680) was an Arian writer and publisher of Socinian works without himself being a Socinian. His name was Latinized as Christophorus Sandius, though his German name a ...
published the (1684). *
Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the ...
, where the
Unitarian Church of Transylvania The Unitarian Church of Transylvania ( hu, Erdélyi Unitárius Egyház; ro, Biserica Unitariană din Transilvania), also known as the Hungarian Unitarian Church ( hu, Magyar Unitárius Egyház; ro, Biserica Unitariană Maghiară), is a Christian ...
enjoyed freedom. This was the destination of
Andrzej Wiszowaty Jr. Andrzej Wiszowaty Jr. (c.1690 – 1735) was a grandson of Andrzej Wiszowaty Sr. He taught at the Unitarian Gymnasium in Kolozsvár (today Cluj ) from 1726 or before. It appears that Andrzej Jr. was born while his father Benedykt Wiszowaty was a Un ...
who became a teacher at the Unitarian College in Kolozsvár (today
Cluj ; hu, kincses város) , official_name=Cluj-Napoca , native_name= , image_skyline= , subdivision_type1 = County , subdivision_name1 = Cluj County , subdivision_type2 = Status , subdivision_name2 = County seat , settlement_type = City , le ...
, Romania).


Beliefs


Theology

Originally, the Minor Church followed a non-trinitarian doctrine inspired by the writings of
Michael Servetus Michael Servetus (; es, Miguel Serveto as real name; french: Michel Servet; also known as ''Miguel Servet'', ''Miguel de Villanueva'', ''Revés'', or ''Michel de Villeneuve''; 29 September 1509 or 1511 – 27 October 1553) was a Spanish th ...
. Later on, Socinianism, named for Italian theologian Fausto Sozzini, became its main theological approach. They were against
capital punishment Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that ...
, and did not believe in the traditional Christian doctrines of Hell or the
Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the ...
.


Church and state

They advocated the
separation of church and state The separation of church and state is a philosophical and jurisprudential concept for defining political distance in the relationship between religious organizations and the state. Conceptually, the term refers to the creation of a secular sta ...
and taught the equality and brotherhood of all people; they opposed social privileges based on religious affiliation, and their adherents refused military service (they were known for carrying wooden swords instead of real, almost obligatory,
szabla (; plural: ) is the Polish word for sabre. The sabre was in widespread use in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth during the Early Modern period, especially by light cavalry in the 17th century. The sabre became widespread in Europe foll ...
s), and they declined to serve in political office.


Influence

Although never numerous, they had a significant impact on political thought in Poland. After being expelled from Poland, they emigrated to
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
,
East Prussia East Prussia ; german: Ostpreißen, label= Low Prussian; pl, Prusy Wschodnie; lt, Rytų Prūsija was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1 ...
and the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, where their works were widely published and influenced much of the thinking of later philosophers such as John Locke and Pierre Bayle. Their main ideologues were Piotr z Goniadza ("Gonesius"),
Grzegorz Paweł z Brzezin Grzegorz Paweł z Brzezin (English: Gregory Paul of Brzeziny, Latin: Gregorius Paulus Brzezinensis) (1525–1591), was a Socinian ( Unitarian) writer and theologian, one of the principal creators and propagators of radical wing of the Polish Brethre ...
, Marcin Czechowic, although
Johannes Crellius Johannes Crellius (Polish: ''Jan Crell'', English: John Crell; 26 July 1590 in Hellmitzheim – 11 June 1633 in Raków) was a Polish and German theologian. Life Johann Crell's father, Johann Crell Sr., was pastor of the church at Hellmitzheim, (t ...
(from Germany), and Johann Ludwig von Wolzogen (who came to Poland from Austria) were far better known outside Poland. Among the best known adherents of this fellowship are
Mikołaj Sienicki Mikołaj Sienicki of Bończa (c. 1521-1582) was a member of the landed gentry of the Kingdom of Poland. He held the office of chamberlain of the land of Chełm and was a notable politician of his period. Considered one of the best Polish political ...
,
Jan Niemojewski Janusz Jan Niemojewski (1531–1598) was a Polish nobleman, and theologian of the Polish Brethren.Kęstutis Daugirdas, "Die Anfänge des Sozinianismus", Göttingen, 2016, p. 91-94, 180-183 Works * 1583 – "Odpowiedź na potwarz Wilkowskiego" * 1 ...
, and writers and poets Zbigniew Morsztyn,
Olbrycht Karmanowski Olbrycht Karmanowski (born circa 1580, died after 1632) was a Polish nobleman, member of Polish Brethren Church, courtier, poet and translator. He is regarded as one of the minor poets of Polish late Renaissance and Baroque. Biography Olbrycht Karm ...
and Wacław Potocki. This expulsion is sometimes taken as the beginning of decline of famous Polish
religious freedom Freedom of religion or religious liberty is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance. It also includes the freedom ...
, although the decline started earlier and ended later: the last non-Catholic deputy was removed from parliament in the beginning of the 18th century. Most of Polish Brethren moved to the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, where they greatly influenced European opinion, becoming precursors to
Enlightenment Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to: Age of Enlightenment * Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...
.


Influence in Britain

John Locke was preceded by a few decades by Samuel Przypkowski on tolerance and by Andrzej Wiszowaty on 'rational religion'.
Isaac Newton Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author (described in his time as a " natural philosopher"), widely recognised as one of the g ...
had met Samuel Crell, son of
Johannes Crellius Johannes Crellius (Polish: ''Jan Crell'', English: John Crell; 26 July 1590 in Hellmitzheim – 11 June 1633 in Raków) was a Polish and German theologian. Life Johann Crell's father, Johann Crell Sr., was pastor of the church at Hellmitzheim, (t ...
, of the Spinowski family. Newton was well informed about the developments in Poland and collected many books from the Racovian Academy. The Englishman John Biddle had translated two works by Przypkowski, as well as the Racovian Catechism and a work by Joachim Stegmann, a "Polish Brother" from Germany. Biddle's followers had very close relations with the Polish Socinian family of Crellius (aka Spinowski).


Influence in the United States

Subsequently, the
Unitarian Unitarian or Unitarianism may refer to: Christian and Christian-derived theologies A Unitarian is a follower of, or a member of an organisation that follows, any of several theologies referred to as Unitarianism: * Unitarianism (1565–present ...
strain of Christianity was continued by, most notably,
Joseph Priestley Joseph Priestley (; 24 March 1733 – 6 February 1804) was an English chemist, natural philosopher, separatist theologian, grammarian, multi-subject educator, and liberal political theorist. He published over 150 works, and conducted e ...
, who had emigrated to the United States and was a friend of both
James Madison James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for h ...
and
Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the nati ...
, the latter of whom sometimes attended services at Priestley's congregation in Philadelphia. Notably, Priestley was very well informed on the earlier developments in Poland, especially by his mentions of
Socinus Fausto Paolo Sozzini, also known as Faustus Socinus ( pl, Faust Socyn; 5 December 1539 – 4 March 1604), was an Italian theologian and, alongside his uncle Lelio Sozzini, founder of the Non-trinitarian Christian belief system known as Sociniani ...
and
Szymon Budny Szymon Budny or Symon Budny ( be, Сымон Будны, pl, Szymon Budny, russian: Симеон Будный; c.1533, Budne – 13 January 1593, Vishnyeva) was a Polish- Belarusian humanist, educator, Hebraist, Bible translator, Protestant ref ...
(translator of Bible, author of many pamphlets against the Trinity).


In the modern era

In the
Second Polish Republic The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 1918 and 1939. The state was established on 6 November 1918, before the end of the First World ...
, 1937, priest
Karol Grycz-Śmiałowski Karol may refer to: Places * Karol, Gujarat, a village on Saurashtra peninsula in Gujarat, west India * Karol State, a former Rajput petty princely state with seat in the above town Film/TV *'' Karol: A Man Who Became Pope'', a 2005 miniseries *' ...
recreated what he considered was a revival of the Church of Polish Brethren in
Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 159 ...
. In the
People's Republic of Poland The Polish People's Republic ( pl, Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) was a country in Central Europe that existed from 1947 to 1989 as the predecessor of the modern Republic of Poland. With a population of approximately 37.9 million nea ...
it was registered in 1967 as the Unity of Polish Brethren (). Modern groups which look to the Polish Brethren include the Christadelphians and CoGGC. Although Christadelphians had since their origins in the 1840s always looked for historical precedents, the group was unaware of closer precedents in Socinianism. This changed with a series of articles in the community magazine during the early seventies subsequently published. The Polish arm of the Christadelphians use the name in a conscious echo of Socinian precedents. The Atlanta Bible College of the CoGGC also publish a Journal continuing research into the Polish Brethren and related groups.


See also

*
Unitarianism Unitarianism (from Latin ''unitas'' "unity, oneness", from ''unus'' "one") is a nontrinitarian branch of Christian theology. Most other branches of Christianity and the major Churches accept the doctrine of the Trinity which states that there ...
* History of philosophy in Poland


Notes


References

* Phillip Hewett, ''Racovia: An Early Liberal Religious Community'', Providence, Blackstone Editions, 2004.


Further reading

* Joseph Kasparek, ''The Constitutions of Poland and of the United States: Kinships and Genealogy'', Miami, FL, American Institute of Polish Culture, 1980. * Earl Morse Wilbur, ''A History of Unitarianism: Socinianism and Its Antecedents'', Harvard University Press, 1945. * George Huntston Williams, The Polish Brethren: Documentation of the History and Thought of Unitarianism in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and in the Diaspora 1601–1685, Scholars Press, 1980, {{ISBN, 0-89130-343-X


External links

* Socinian.or
Polish Socinians: from the Polish Socinians to the American Constitution
Marian Hillar Marian Hillar is an American philosopher, theologian, linguist, and scientist. He is a recognized authority on Michael Servetus and together with classicist and political theorist, C. A. Hoffman, translated the major works of Michael Servetus from ...
, article from ''A Journal from the Radical Reformation, A Testimony to Biblical Unitarianism,'' Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 22–57, 1994 * Alan Eyre, chapter from ''Brethren in Christ'' CSSS, Adelaid
''The Little Ecclesia in Poland
'
Cyprian Sajna's bracia polscy.com portal
(Polish)
The Polish Brethren: The First Reformed Peace Church & Poland’s First Banned Religion
Nontrinitarian denominations Protestantism in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 1560s establishments in Poland 1658 disestablishments in Europe Polish Unitarians 1650s disestablishments in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 1565 establishments in Europe 16th-century Protestantism 17th-century Protestantism Nature of Jesus Christ