The Atlantic Monthly — The German Popular Legend of Doctor Faustus
“ If this article were devoted to Goethe's "Faust," instead of the popular legend of Faustus, of which the former is only the most eminent apprehension, it would be easy to add to these reasons for the universal "approbation" which it has won still others, founded on the great genius of the poet. This, however, would by far exceed our limits. [Footnote 1: Some regard Sabellicus and Faustus Socinus as one and the same person.] ”
Alexander Gordon, Dictionary of National Biography… (1889)
“ His fundamental position is that Faustus Socinus is not to be allowed to rank as a heretic, but treated, like Muhammad, as the founder of a new religion (pt. i. p. 7) . The Socinians, who had many passages of arms with Edwards's contemporary and namesake, John Edwards, D.D. (1637–1716) [q. v.] , scarcely noticed the 'Preservative; 'in fact, by the time it was finished, the Socinian controversy was practically over, its place being already taken by the Arian controversy, initiated by Thomas Emlyn [q. v.] The title of Edwards's book was borrowed by Edward Nares, D.D. (1746–1841) [q. v.] ”
The Atlantic Monthly — The German Popular Legend of Doctor Faustus
“ And when we think of the superstitious fear and monkish prejudice with which the great invention of printing was at first regarded, such a confusion of two persons of similar name, and both, in the eyes of a dark age, servants of Satan, cannot surprise us. Our John Faustus was also sometimes confounded with two younger contemporaries, one of whom was called Faustus Socinus, and made Poland the chief theatre of his operations; the other, George Sabellicus, expressly named himself Faustus Junior, also Faustus Minor. ”
