| Home > True followers of Jesus > Maria Sozini |
Lelio Francesco Maria Sozini
(1525 -1562)
by bro.Muhammad Ata ur-Rahim
Lelio Sozini was born in 1525, and he became a jurist whose legal studies led him to researches in Hebrew and the Bible. When he was a young man , he left Bolonga and moved to the area around Venice where a degree of religious freedom existed which was unknown to other parts of Italy. The writings of Servetus had found their way there and influenced many. Among those who are embraced his belief, writes Wallace in his Anti-trinitarian Biography, there were "many persons of distinguished rank and eminent attainments in the city of Venice"1. Since these opinions were not openly tolerated by the Senate, those who held them began to meet in secret. Their intention was to study the truth of Christianity and to re-establish the teaching of Jesus in its purity. Lubinietski in his A History of the Reformation in Poland, writes :
They came to the conclusion that there is but one God. Jesus was truly a man. He was conceived by the operation of the Holy Ghost in the chaste womb of a virgin. The doctrine of Trinity and the divinity of Jesus were the opinion introduced by pagan philosophers. 2
Lelio met theses people and, writes Wallace, "soon became enamored of these views and embraced them with all the ardour and ingenuousness of a youthful mind bent upon the pursuit and acquisition of religious truth" . A gnostic called Camillo influenced him especially. A new vista opened up before him. Up until then, his mind had been inhibited by the rigid dogmas of the established church. He now felt a new freedom which he had not experienced before. His life had taken on a new meaning, and he wished to devote himself to the search for truth. It is known that the number of the members in the Secret Society of Vineceza, as it is known today, as over forty. When the existence of this society was ultimately discovered , some of its members were arrested, and put to death, while others were fortunate enough to make their escape and find asylum in other countries. Other known members of this society besides Lelio Sozini, were Ochinus, Darius Sozini (Lelio's cousin), Alciati and Bucali. There is a strong tradition that the last two of these men ultimately embraced Islam. Dr.White, in his Brompton lectures, called the disciples of Sozini "followers of the Arabian prophet".3
While the existence of this soceity was still a secret, Lelio Sozini attenstion was drawn to two men outside it. One was Servetus and the other was Calvin. Servetus had the courage openly to declare his belief in the Divine Unity, whilst Calvin made himself known as a force to be reckoned with in the Reformist circles of Europe.
Sozini decided to see Calvin first. When Sozini met him, he was utterly disappointed to find that Calvin was as hidebound as any Roman Catholic priest. This feeling soon changed to one of disgust when he discovered that Calvin himself had helped to have Servetus arrested. From then on, Sozini relied on the example of Servetus and the inspiration of Camillo in his extensive studies of the accepted doctrines of the established church.
In 1559 he went to Zurich and spent the last three years of his life deep in reflection and study. He died in 1562 when he was thirty-seven years old.
reference note:
from the Book : Jesus - A prophet of Islam
Author : Muhammad Ata ur-Rahim
(ICRA)