After Piotrków [1 Jan. — 30
Apr. 1565] nothing remained for the liberal congregations in the Reformed
body but to go their way alone. It can hardly be said that they seceded
from the Calvinists, for they did not sever relations voluntarily.
Indeed, they would have much preferred to continue in one undivided church
in which room was allowed for differing doctrinal views to be held in a
spirit of generous mutual tolerance, while all devoted themselves to
promoting the ends that they had in common. Nor can they be said to have
been excluded from the parent church by a dominant majority ; for they
formed in some respects the most important and influential element in it,
(etc).
The new church at fist had no distinctive name. At their first synod
after Piotrków the members are described in the extant records
as 'the brethren in Poland and Lithuania who have rejected the
Trinity.'2 Their opponents, both
Protestant and Catholic, usually called them (however inaccurately) Arians, and
this name is the one still most commonly given them in Polish usage to
this day ; but they themselves preferred to be called simply
Christians.3 However, the official title of
the church was the Minor Reformed Church of Poland. This title seems to
imply that the Reformed Church from which they were now
separate retained the larger number of members or of congregations ;
though in effective strength and efficient leadership it was markedly
inferior to the Minor Church. Already two years before, Jean
Thénaud, whom Calvin had sent to aid the reformed cause as teacher in the
academy at Pinczów, had written to his master that all the best
educated ministers in the church were going after Paulus
;4 (etc).
2 cf. Zachorowski,
Synody, p. 229.
3 cf. Brückner, Róznowiercy,
p. 142, citing Czechowicz, Rozmowy Christianskie, p. 13.
4 Thénaud to Calvin, July
21, 1563, Calvin, xx, 71 ; cf. Sarnicki to Tretius, Nov, 1562, xix, 572.
(pages 327-328)
... Now that the vexed question of the Trinity
had been largely disposed of, the members of the Minor Church were the
more free to attend to other matters inviting discussion, and they
themselves continued to meet in synods as though nothing had happened.
Indeed, their Superintendent, Lutomirski, continued to be the same that they
had had in the Reformed Church before the Schism. Their first separate
meeting was held June 10, 1565, at
Brzeziny.16 Though it might be difficult or
impossible to pronounce which of the reformed congregations was the
first definitely to adopt the new views, it may be confidently said that
the synod of Brzeziny was the first assembly in which antitrinitarian
congregations met as a separate body to consult for their common ends. The
date may therefore be taken as that of the historical beginning of
organized Unitarianism.
16 The sources are in Lubieniecius,
Historia, lib. iii, cap. 3 ; Zachorowski, Synody, p. 229.
There seems to be some uncertainty about the place. (Etc.)
(pages 330-331)