ir-h 
 
 
 LIBEAEY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Theological Seminary 
 
 PRINCETON, N.J. 
 
 Case, O..C-As w ....Di v i sl 
 
 Shelf, ^s^Y / Sec 
 Boole, No,.. 
 
THE 
 
 *&j£S<*^ fom^* 
 
 E 
 
 O F 
 
 SERVETUS. 
 
 b y 
 JAQUES GEORGE de CHAUFFPIE. 
 
 B E J N G 
 
 An ARTICLE of his HISTORICAL 
 DICTIONARY, Vol. IV. 
 
 Printed at Amsterdam, Hacue, and Leyden, in the Year 
 MDCCLVI. 
 
 Tranflated from the Frenc h, 
 By J A M E S "Y A I R, 
 
 Minifter of the Scots Church in Campvere. 
 
 L O N D O N: 
 
 Printed for the AUTHOR, and fold by R. BALDWIN, 
 at No. 47. in Pater-Noster-Row. 
 
 MDCCLXXI, 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2011 with funding from 
 
 Princeton Theological Seminary Library 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/lifeofservetusOOchau 
 
THE 
 
 Tranflator's Preface, 
 
 THERE is not perhaps 
 any queftion in the whole 
 iyftem of human government 
 more difficult to be folved, than 
 that which concerns toleration 
 in matters of religion. What is 
 the proper definition of toleration ? 
 What bounds and limits are to 
 be prefcribed ? Or whether it is 
 to be unbounded and unlimited ? 
 How far the civil Magiftrate is to 
 interpofe his authority in articles 
 of faith ? If there are any parti- 
 A 2 cular 
 
iv PREFACE. 
 
 cular exceptions to be made in 
 different climates, countries, laws, 
 manners, cuftoms, 6cc. Or, if it 
 is to be allowed the fame ex- 
 tent in every age, and in all 
 communities ? Thefe, I fay, and 
 many more difficulties that may 
 be fuggefted, to give them any 
 tolerable anfwer, will require 
 more penetration, a deeper in- 
 fight into human nature, and a 
 more perfect acquaintance with 
 the hiftory and connexions of 
 mankind, than many feem to 
 be aware of, who have entered 
 upon, and endeavoured to ex- 
 plain this hard chapter of hu- 
 man government. And it is 
 certain, whatever may be faid 
 by way of fpeculation upon this 
 fubjec"t, that hitherto no ftate, 
 or monarchy, or republick, has 
 ventured on the experiment of 
 an univerfal toleration, notwith- 
 standing 
 
PREFACE. v 
 
 ftanding it has, and no doubt will 
 exercife men of reflection and 
 genius, though there is little 
 hope of believing they will be 
 brought to view it in the fame 
 point of light fo long as this 
 prefent world continues in its 
 prefent ftate of imperfection. 
 
 From what I have faid, I 
 fhall make thefe two remarks : 
 
 I. That thofe who have taken 
 upon them to maintain or im- 
 pugn either fide of this quef- 
 tion, ought to ufe their anta- 
 gonists with more foftnefs and 
 moderation of language, than 
 they generally do. The one, hav- 
 ing the countenance, and very 
 often the encouragement of a 
 civil and ecclefiaftical eftablifh- 
 ment upon their fide, may un- 
 happily make them too confi- 
 dent 
 
vi PREFACE, 
 
 dent in their caufe, and too 
 fevere in their expreffions ; 
 while their adverfaries accounting 
 themfelves poffibly an oppreffed 
 and differing party, complain in 
 a ftyle dictated by a fenlible feel- 
 ing of injuftice, and tyranny. 
 
 II. We are not to imagine that 
 all thofe who delivered over 
 hereticks to the fecular arm, 
 and thofe who put fentences againft 
 them in execution, were men 
 void of all humanity, principle, 
 or confcience, and therefore 
 deferve to be ufed with more 
 lenity, and good manners, than 
 they frequently meet with from 
 thofe into whofe hands they 
 fall, efpecially in the prefent 
 age. There is a very great 
 odds between condemning thefe 
 bloody and unmerciful laws, 
 which cruelly punifhed thofe 
 
 who 
 
PREFACE. vii 
 
 who diffented in the leaft ar- 
 ticle from the eftablidiment, and 
 making no kind of allowance 
 for the principles of education ; 
 a doctrine univerfally 'taught, 
 and believed ; the violent fpirit 
 of the laws, both civil and reli- 
 gious ; and alas, the common 
 practice of the times : When 
 many great, and no doubt 
 other wife humane men, were 
 dragged in to be the Judges, 
 and fpectators of the moft fhock- • 
 ing fufterings and tortures in- 
 flicted upon their fellow-crea- 
 tures : When under the fatal 
 word herefy, whatever contra- 
 dicted the doctrine or ceremo- 
 nies of the church, was a ca- 
 pital crime ; and it was equally 
 criminal, and puniflied with the 
 fame feverity, the denial of the 
 Pope's infallibility, or, eating a 
 bit of meat in Lent. Inftances 
 
 no 
 
viii £ R E F A C E. 
 
 no doubt may be given, when 
 unhappy men were punifhed by 
 their unrelenting Judges, from 
 pride, intereft, perfonal revenge, 
 or private views ; but ftill we 
 can't but be perfuaded, that 
 many of thofe who had the 
 fword in their hands, drew it 
 for the fupprefling of herefy, 
 from a conviction they were 
 doing their duty to God, and 
 preferving good order and tran- 
 quillity in the ftate. 
 
 Few examples of perfecution 
 have made more noife, than 
 that of Servetus at Geneva, in 
 the year 1553. Had he not ac- 
 cidentally efcaped from prifon in 
 Vienne, he would have fuffered 
 the fame cruel death in a Popifh 
 country, which was unhappily 
 referved for him when he fell 
 into the hands of Proteftant 
 
 Ma~. 
 
PREFACE. ix 
 
 Magiftrates : Had he been exe- 
 cuted in Vienne, he would only 
 have made one of an endlefs 
 lift of victims, which have been 
 made to the cruelty of Popery ; 
 but to be fent to the flames 
 for herefy, by thofe who were 
 but lately delivered from the 
 devouring jaws of an intolerant 
 religion, againft which they fo 
 keenly and fo juftly remonftrated, 
 has drawn the attention, and 
 given full fcope to the cenfure 
 of mankind upon it - y which in 
 the courfe of two ages, has been 
 thrown entirely upon Calvin. 
 While the Judges are forgot, 
 or overlooked, the whole load 
 of reproach has fallen upon that 
 famous Divine ; how juftly, or, 
 how unjuftly, muft be left to 
 an impartial enquiry into, and 
 a fair conftruction upon the 
 whole. The learned, candid, 
 
 a and 
 
x PREFACE. 
 
 and laborious author of the Bio- 
 graphical DiEiionary^ in the fol- 
 lowing article, fo far as I know, 
 has furnifhed better materials, 
 more authentick documents, and 
 a fairer enquiry into the hiftory, 
 trial and untimely end of Ser- 
 vetus, than are to be found 
 any where elfe. 
 
 Truth is the foul of hiftory. 
 An agreeable ftyle, an elegant 
 expreflion, and lively obferva- 
 tions, may give it a gay and 
 fplendid figure ; but when Truth 
 is fet aiide, thefe are not only 
 of no value, but fpoil its native 
 beauty, and impofe upon the 
 world. As authors ought to be 
 impartial, readers ought to be 
 unbiaffed likewife : To mention 
 only the cafe before us, it mould 
 be indifferent to either, whether 
 
 Calvin, 
 
P R 'E F A C E. xi 
 
 Calvin was a reformed Divine. 
 The Proteftant Magiffrates of 
 Geneva judge Servetus an here- 
 tick, condemned to death for 
 the firft time, by the Roman 
 Catholicks, The fame fentence 
 pafled upon him for the fecond 
 time, and executed at Geneva, 
 which had revolted, from Popery: 
 I fay the author, and the reader 
 likewife, ought to take no other 
 fhare in thefe articles, except 
 honeftly to draw the moft na- 
 tural inferences or conclusions, 
 which are fupported by truth, 
 and truth only. 
 
 There is fome difficulty in 
 turning feveral phrafes of the 
 old French into Englifh ; as it 
 is well known what remarkable 
 changes that language has un- 
 dergone in the fpace of two 
 
 hundred 
 
xii PREFACE. 
 
 hundred years. However, I have 
 done my bell to preferve the 
 meaning of the original in the 
 translation. If any miftake or 
 inaccuracy fhall be found, the 
 candid reader will be pleafed to 
 forgive a fault unwillingly com- 
 mitted. 
 
 THE 
 
Met- '<&£*?* 
 
 THE 
 
 L I F E 
 
 O F 
 
 SERVET 
 
 lERVETUS (Michel) was born 
 either at Villa Neuva in Ar- 
 ragon, 1509, or at Tudelle 
 in the kingdom of Navarre, 1 5 1 1. 
 (A) It is alledged that he was born 
 
 with 
 
 (A) Or at Tudelle in the kingdom of Na- 
 varre, 151 1. Some make Terragone the 
 place of his birth. Mr. de la Roche (1) and (i)Bibl. 
 Mr. d'Alwoerden (2) followed by F. Niceron, Angl. t. 
 (3) make him born in 1509, at Villa Neuva 2 ' ( X'ff* 
 in Arragon. They found the date of his birth M.Servet 
 upon an anfwer which he gave 28th Auguft, Bibl. 
 1553, " That he v/as then forty four years old." R a y en • f - 
 But Mr. Abbe d'Artigny, who has extracted l 'iJR^m 
 his procefs from the archives of the Arch- d' Horn. 
 bifhoprick of Vienna in Dauphene, pretends illuft t- 
 that he v/as born at Tudelle in 151 1. The * »•?•■*+• 
 B inter- 
 
k LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 with a great deal of ingenuity and 
 inclination for the fciences ; and 
 
 from 
 
 (4) D ' interrogation (4) is as follows •, " After the 
 Arugny tt oat ^ ^ ^{ xm taken upon the Holy Gofpel, 
 Mem. d. " to declare the truth, having afked his name, 
 r Hift. " he told us that his name was Michel of 
 Critic, t. t < VilleNeuve, Do&or of Phyfick, aged forty 
 2 (0'ib° O ' " two years or thereby, a native of Tudelle 
 56, 57. " in the kingdom of Navarre." The exa- 
 mination is of the 5th of April, 1553. Some 
 have believed that he was born at VilleNeuva, 
 becaufe he calls hi mfelf Michel of VilleNeuve, 
 and becaufe Calvin having reproached him for 
 difguifing his name, Servetus excufed himfelf in 
 faying, " that he had taken his name from 
 the city where he was born." Mr. D'Artigny 
 (Oib. (5) endeavours to reconcile the contradiction 
 5 ' 57* there is between the two declarations of Ser- 
 vetus in the following manner. " We may 
 " probably," fays he, " remove this difficulty by 
 * c fuppofing thatServetus' anceftors, originally 
 tl from Villa Ncuma, had come to fettle at Tu- 
 " della. And indeed" continues he, " we don't 
 **. fee any reafon which could determine Ser- 
 " vetus to difguife the name of his country 
 " before the judges of Vienne. This circum- 
 " (lance could be of no ufe on his trial : but 
 " it was not fo, with refpect to his true name, 
 " Servetus : as it was his intereft for feveral 
 ** reafons, to conceal it, he always called him- 
 ** felf in France, Michel of Ville Neuve." I 
 don't know if this reafon will be found fuffi- 
 ciflfit ; it appears to me that the fame motive 
 which engaged Servetus to difguife his true 
 
 name, 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. f 
 
 from his earliefl: youth he applied 
 himfelf incefTantly to the moft fe- 
 rious ftudies, wherein he made fuch 
 a rapid progrefs, that at fourteen 
 years of age he nnderftood Latin, 
 Greek, Hebrew, and had a pretty 
 exteniive knowledge of Philofo- 
 phy, Mathematicks, and the Scho- 
 laftick Divinity. (a) (B) ThofeJO^ 
 
 whoNouv. 
 
 U 11 L A 1 ' Mem ' d ' 
 
 name, ought naturally to nave engaged him Hiftoire 
 likewife to difguife the name of his country, ^ Cnt.Sc 
 and even his age. We find by the examina- Llter « 
 tion he underwent at Vienne, that he carefully ,' 
 diftinguifhed himfelf from Servetus, and that 
 he was afraid left he fhould be taken for Ser- 
 vetus. The fureft method to fhun being con- 
 founded with that man, was to multiply dif- 
 tinctions between the one and the other, in order 
 to fhew that they were from different countries, 
 and that the one was younger than the other. 
 But at Geneva, where it was known that Ser- 
 vetus and Michel de Villeneuve was the fame 
 perfon, there was no reafon to difguife either 
 his age or his country : add to this, that Ser- 
 vetus had always given himfelf the title of 
 Ab Aragonia Hifpanus, or Villanovanus, at 
 the head of his works, at a time when he did 
 not think he fhould have any reafon to conceal 
 his name or the country where he was born. 
 
 (B) Philofophy, Mathematicks, and the 
 
 Scholaftick Divinity ] It is Mr. D'Anigny 
 
 B 2 (6) who 
 
k LIFEOFSERVETUS. 
 
 who have written his life, pretend 
 that his father, who was a notary, 
 
 fent 
 
 (6}D'Ar-££) w h draws his picture fo much to his ad- 
 Nov y vantage ; and he adds, That if he had made a 
 Mem. good ufe of his talents, there never without 
 d' Hift. injuftice, would have been refu fed him a diftin- 
 de Cm. Q-ui^gj r ank amongft the children who are 
 
 & de Lit. *-* . 
 
 t. 2. p. become famous by their ftudies. Mr. Simon 
 57. does not appear to have had fo high an opi- 
 
 nion of Servetus's knowledge : " It is evident," 
 (7} Rep. fays he (7) " by this author's books, that 
 aux Sen- < t -^ cq q. ^ m a g. re at deal of trouble to write 
 quelques " m Latin ; and what he cites in Greek or 
 Theolog. *' Hebrew is fo very poor, that it cannot be 
 de Hoi- a inferred that he was a great proficient in 
 an -; " thefe languages; he was even afhamed 
 ' " himfelf of writing fuch pitiful books upon 
 " the Trinity, he retracts them in the preface 
 " which is prefixed to his Dialogues concern- 
 " ing the Trinity : §)md autem, fays he, it a 
 * bar bar as, cenfufus, et in cor renins prior liber 
 <c proderit, imperilia mea et typographi in- 
 " curia adfcribendum eft.''* Mr. D'Artigny 
 (8) ubi himfelf has cited this fame paffage, (8) and 
 ^P 1- ' adds, That this fecond work, notwithstanding, 
 is neither clearer, more methodical, nor better 
 written than the firft : I don't know very well 
 how to reconcile this with the high compli- 
 ments made Servetus. Read likewife this paflage 
 (a) Shel- °^ a famous Earned man : (9) " Profecto 
 bom " nee mifer ille homo, ut ut phrenefi laberafTe 
 Ameen. " confendus fit, manuumque potius medi- 
 Leter. t. et carum , quam carnificum indignus fuifTe; 
 9P'393'n a b omni adeo lepore, ab omni ita penitus 
 
 " arte 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 fent him to Touloufe to ftudy the 
 Law ; and that it was in this city, 
 that in reading the Holy Scriptures 
 he began to form to himfelf a new 
 fyftem of Divinity, and took it in 
 his head to reform the Chriftian 
 Church: but they are miftaken; for 
 it was neither at Touloufe, nor in 
 Africa, that he became an Anti- 
 trinitarian, but in Italy, (C) where 
 
 he 
 
 " arte deftituebatur, ut nifi a paris infanise 
 " reo laudari colique non potuerit." 
 
 (C) Antitrinitarian in Italy,] Thofe who 
 make him go to Touloufe, as MefT. Roche 
 and Allwoerden, fay, That he read the Bible 
 there for the firft time, and this reading con- 
 vinced him that the Church had great need of 
 a reformation, and that he imagined that the 
 Doctrine of the Trinity was one of thefe 
 tenets which ought to be rejected. Thele 
 who make him go to Africa and become an 
 enemy of the Doctrine of the Trinity by the 
 converfarion he had with the Mahometans, 
 are no lei's deceived : The voyage he made to 
 Africa, is, in all probability, a fable : for if he 
 had made fuch a voyage, he would have inti- 
 mated fomething of it in the preface to his 
 Ptolemeus, where he enumerates the different 
 countries he had vifited j but he does not fpeak 
 of Mauritania except upon the report of ano- 
 ther ; and he does not fo much as ufe one ex- 
 preifion which can give the moll diftant fufpi- 
 B 3 cion 
 
59 
 
 ; LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 lie went, after leaving his own 
 country. About fifteen years of 
 
 age 
 
 cion that he ever was in Africa. It is much 
 more natural to fuppofe that he became an 
 Anti-trinitarian in Italy, where he went upon 
 his leaving Spain, and where Socinianifm 
 (jo) loc. began to grow. Mr. D'Artigny (10) has ve»-y 
 cit-p- 5 8 » well obferved, " Italy," fays he, "• was then in- 
 fected with Hereticks, who began to fow 
 there the feeds of Arianifm revived, and 
 Socinianifm, from whence arofe the two 
 Socinus's, uncle and nephew, Gentilis, 
 Aleratus, Gallo, Paruta, Telia, Blandrata, 
 Gonefius, and many others. — Servetus, who 
 was much of the fame fentiments with thefe 
 fanatick?, had frequent conferences with 
 themj he v/as admired there for the flrength 
 of his genius, and the knowledge he had 
 in Scholatlick fubtilties-, as they talked of 
 nothing elfe at that time, but the pretended 
 reformation of Luther and other innova- 
 tors-, it was concluded in the private meet- 
 ings of Servetus and the Italians, that the 
 tenet of the Trinity was one of the principal 
 articles which ought to be rejected. Ser- 
 vetus, who was chofen with common confent 
 to ftrike the firft blow, fell to work with 
 his Treatife De Trinitatis Errcribus, akho* 
 he was then but eighteen years of age." 
 This account on the main, appears to me 
 very probable ; but yet it deferves fome 
 fmall remarks. I can't conceive that Servetus 
 in going from Spain to Italy, could be as yet 
 of the fame fentiments with the founders of the 
 Socinian Doctrine 5 and fuppofe he was, from 
 
 whence 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 7 
 
 age he was taken into the fervice 
 of Charles the Vth's Confeffor, 
 called Quintaine, and went into 
 Italy amongft the attendants of 
 this Emperor, whom he faw crowned 
 at Boulogna. He quitted Italy to 
 go to Germany with Charles Vth's 
 Confeffor, who died about a year 
 after: (b) and Servetus finding (t>) vid. 
 
 v rir • • 1 ' n °l'Interro- 
 
 himiejr without a matter, re-gaten-e 
 folved to fet up for a Reformer. a vien.ap! 
 He went to Bafil in 1550, where £"££• 
 he conferred with Oecolampadius 
 about his opinions. (D] From Bafil 
 
 he 
 
 whence arofe the necefiity of concluding in 
 their fecret afiemblies, that the tenet of the 
 Trinity was one of the principal articles which 
 muft be rejected ? I could have wifhed that 
 Mr. Ab.d'Artigny had cited the author who 
 fpeaks of thefe conferences : on the other hand 
 it appears to me for certain, that Servetus 
 went firft to Italy, and that the conferences 
 he had with the Ant'i-trinitarians, had infufed 
 into him thefe principles which he published 
 afterwards. 
 
 (D) He conferred with Oecolampadius about 
 his opinions.] Mr. Rouchat (11) who places (ir)Hift. 
 thefe conferences likewife in the year 1 530, is de Refbr. 
 miftaken in fuppofing them pofterior to the ^ e Surfrc 
 impreflion of §ervetus his firft work $gajr){t. * ©7", , ©g. 
 B 4 the 
 
8 LIFEOFSERVETUS. 
 
 he went to Strafburg, to confer 
 likewife with Bucer and Capite, 
 
 and 
 
 the Trinity, after having faid, that Servetus 
 having caufed to be printed at Bafil, or in the 
 neighbourhood, ieven fmall books entitled 
 De Trinitatis Err or thus, and after having 
 expofed in few words the doctrine therein 
 contained, Mr. Rouohat adds, " Oecolam- 
 padius oppofed the introduction of thefe 
 hereiies with all his might : the magiftrate 
 having appointed him to examine Servetus's 
 books, he extracted the erroneous and blaf- 
 phemous proportions contained in them, 
 and publifhed them at the faid magistrate's 
 defire. He had a conference upon this 
 fubject with Servetus, who in order to 
 fkreen himfelf, acknowledged . that Jefus 
 Chrift is the Son of God ; but Oecolampa- 
 dius made the hearers obferve, that Servetus 
 fought nothing elfe but to throw dull in 
 the eyes of his judges by this fhort con- 
 feifion •, and demanded of Servetus that if 
 he would ~^e a true chriftian, he muft con- 
 ffcfs, Thai Jefus Chrift is the eternal Son of 
 God, and of the fame Effence with his Father. 
 Servetus complained of this, that Oecolam- 
 padius- who was fo mild, yet pufhed him 
 fo keenly •, but Oecolampadius anfwered, 
 I (hall be mild in other things, "rfut not fo 
 when fuch blafphemies are uttered againft 
 Jefus Chrift." The truth of the matter is, 
 that the conferences between Servetus and 
 Oecolampadius were antecedent to the work 
 of the fir ft. They treated of the Trinity in 
 general, and of the Confubftantiality of Jefus 
 
 Chrift 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. . 9 
 
 and he irritated the firft of thefe 
 Divines, who was a very moderate 
 
 man, 
 
 Chrift in particular, which the Spaniard im- 
 pugned with an obftinacy and bitternefs that 
 enraged his adverfary. This appears from two 
 letters of Oecolampadius to Servetus. They have 
 found favour however, with Mr. de la Roche, 
 (12) who fays, " That Oecolampadius refutes ( I2 ) g^L 
 " Servetus in a very civil manner:" Mean Angl. i. 
 while the firft accufes the other with blaf-3-P- 8 S* 
 phemy, and blindly following Tertullian, to 
 the prejudice of the Scripture and all the fa- 
 thers, the beginning of the firft letter is as 
 follows. " Johannes Oecolampadius, Serveto 
 " Hifpano Domini Spiritum precatur: Con- 
 " quereris me effe tibi moleftum et durum ; 
 cc mihi autem major conquerendi caufa eft. 
 " Quafi enim otiofus efTem, obtrudis mihi 
 " quicquid de Trinitate Sorbena ineptial. 
 " yEgre fers quod Athanafium et Nazianze- 
 " num, optime meritos Theologos, probem, 
 " nee more tuo confutem. Contendis tanto 
 " tempore ecclefiam Cniifti a fundamento 
 " fidei fu^ amotam. Non pateris ut ad de- 
 " clarationem numinibus novis utamur ; quod 
 " tamen tibi permittis in fingendis gloffis pro 
 " tuo arbitrio. Tertulliani major eft honor 
 cl apud te quam totius ecclefias. Fingis quali 
 " nos, humano more, de filiatione Dei loqua- 
 " mur, et crude faciamus filium Dei, abole- 
 iC amufque honorem filii Dei, id quod tu 
 ** cum fumma blafphemia facis, deprehendo 
 " enim diabolicas illas verfutias: interim dum 
 " non fummam patientiam pne me fero, 
 " dolens Jefum Chriftum filium Dei fie deho- 
 " neftari, parum crviftiani tibi agere videor: 
 
 " in 
 
ie LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 man, to fuch a degree, that he 
 declared from the pulpit, " That 
 
 " he 
 
 " in aliis manfuetus ero ; in blafphemiis quse 
 " in Chriftum, non item 5 led paucis iterum 
 cc agam, et rationcm fidei reddam : non ut 
 " curiofo en contentiofo fatisfaciam, fed ne 
 " vane perpetuo glorieris : tu negas in una 
 " perfona duas naturas; ego,juxta Johannem, 
 " dico, Verbum caro fattum eft, &c." There 
 is a very juft reflection made upon this fub- 
 
 (i3)BiblJ e( ^» ("3) anc * is of ufe to fet the cha- 
 Raifm. t. rafter of Servetus in its true light : " Ob- 
 1. p. 370. « ferve," fay they, " the age of the two dif- 
 379- « putants : Oecolampadius was then forty- 
 " eight, and Servetus at mod in his twenty- 
 (i4)fup- t£ fecond year (14); the fird upon the verge 
 pofing he" f old age, and a divine loaded with occu- 
 pations, did not difdain to yield to the 
 ' " defires of a danger, fcarce got out of his 
 " infancy, who wanted to confult him upon 
 " one of the mod ferious articles of religion ; 
 " but this young ftranger has the iniblence 
 " to treat this old divine as an ignorant 
 *' fcholar, and to teize him both in publick 
 " and private, and to break out before him 
 " in the mod provoking expreflions. The 
 " prefumption of youth, and the Spanifli 
 " vanity fufficiently explain this conduct: To 
 " this mud be added, a four, crofs, chican- 
 * 4 ning, unmannerly temper, with a very un- 
 " common degree of pride." We (hall find 
 a new proof of this character of Servetus in 
 the following letter, where he endeavours 
 nevertheleis to footh Oecolampadius. It is 
 without date, but mud be poderior to the 
 
 impreffiofi 
 
 was born 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. it 
 cc he deferved to be cut in pieces, 
 " and his bowels torn out of him." 
 
 On 
 
 impreflion of his firft work, for which he fo- 
 licits the divine of Bafil, that he would furTer 
 the copies of it to go to France ; there we fee 
 how much Oecolampadius had been enraged 
 againft him. The letter is as follows : (15) (15) Epif. 
 Quantum foleat iratus animus (maxime in abfkcief. 
 his judicandis, quas noftrce confuetudini et Rg^ ma _ 
 rebus quas arTectam us repugnant) caligare, tor. vel ad 
 optime puto nofti, dum claris oculis de cof.fcript. 
 Luthero et aliis judicare folebas. Ea prop- cen 5; N .°* 
 " ter ne iracundiam fuper iracundiam tibi 
 " forte adderem, vehementer te adire timui, 
 " etiamfi hoc fumme defiderem, et adibo, 
 " modo panaris, fin autem, abs te hoc unum 
 " precor, ut ne me prohibeas, libros quos 
 " jam hie habeo paratos, in Galliam mittere, 
 " cum indent nundinas Lugdunenfes ; hoc 
 " enim tibi magis conducit quam ceteris aliis, 
 " qui in orbe lunt inauditis fententiam pro- 
 " ferre : Et fi tibi videatur utilius me non hie 
 " permanere, fine dubio recedam, modo ne 
 " putes me efTe fugicivum. Deus enim novit 
 " confeienmm meam in omnibus quas fcripfi 
 " fuilTe fanam, etiamfi tu forte propter cruda 
 " mea verba oppolitum arbitraberis ; fed tibi 
 " caufas, fi libenter audias, exponam, nee Lu- 
 " theranorum nomine te ita graviter ofren- 
 " dendum putavi, prascipue cum ex ore tuo 
 " audierim, Lutherum crude nimischaricatem 
 " traclare, folum enim fe ea facere dicit ne 
 " fitotioius; et nullam omnino Deum chari- 
 " tatis habere confiderationem affirmat Me- 
 " lanchton. Crede mihi, intolerabiliora funt 
 
 " iita 
 
r 2 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 On leaving Bafil, he left a manu- 
 
 fcript with a bookfeller called 
 
 Conrad 
 
 " ifta quam ea, qure ego dico, et major hie 
 " animarum pernicies, prascipue cum inter 
 " vos de fide veftra non conftet : aliter enim 
 *' propriis auribus a te declarari audivi, et 
 «' aliter a Domino Paulo, et aliter aLuthero, 
 " et aliter a Melanchtone ; teque in domo tua 
 " monui, fed audire noluifti. Regula tua de 
 u probandis fpiriribus te forte decepit ; nam 
 " fi in tuo fpiritu fit aliqua formido, aut 
 " tenebrc-r, aut confulionis pars, non poteris 
 " de meo clare judicare, eo magis, quia 
 44 etiamfi in uno errantem noveris, non prop- 
 €e terea debuifles in ceteris damnare : nam 
 " fecundiim hoc nemo eft mortalium, qui non 
 <e eflfet millies comburendus ; ex parte enim 
 " omnes cognofcimus, et maximi Apoftolo- 
 " rum fuerunt aliquando in errore, nee Lu- 
 " therum in ceteris damnas, etiamfi eum 
 " errare optime videas •, et ego a te doceri 
 " petebam, quod tamen non fecifti, fed me 
 " prodifti. Conditionis humans ea eft infir- 
 " mitas, ut, noftris exceptis,oeterorum fpiritus 
 ** judicemus impoftores et impios, nam errata 
 " fua nullus intelligit. Secundo, te per Deum 
 " oro ut nomini meo et famas parcas, noli de 
 tc aliis, qui prsefentem quasftionem non con- 
 '-* cernunt movere tumultum, dicis me velle, 
 * e quod omnes fint latrones, et quod nullus fit 
 " puniendus aut interficiendus : teftem invoco 
 " omnipotentem Deum, quod non fim in hac 
 " fententia, immo earn omnino deteftor ; fed 
 <l fi quid diquanclo dixi, eft quia grave mihi 
 tl videbatur interfici homines, eo quod in 
 
 quasftione 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. ij 
 
 Conrad Roufs. In this perfor- 
 mance he attacked the Doctrine of 
 the Trinity : the bookfeiler not 
 daring in all probability to print 
 it, fent it to Hagenau, where Ser- 
 vetus went himfelf in order to 
 haften the publishing of it, and 
 the work appeared in 1 53 1. The 
 year following he publiihed a fe- 
 cond upon the fame fubjedl. (E) 
 
 Servetus, 
 
 " quasftione aliqua circa intellectum fcriptune 
 " fint in errore, cum fciamus inducendos fere 
 " in errorem etiam electos : Satis nofti me 
 " caufam meam non ita irrationabiiiter trac- 
 w tare, ut fim eo modo rejiciendus. Tibi 
 " non magnum vifum ell, quod angelum 
 *' intellexeris Spiritum Sanctum, et mihi erit 
 " magnum facinus quod hominem dicam effe 
 " filium Dei. Vale. 
 
 " Michael Servetus." 
 
 The mod rational part of this letter is that 
 which Servetus fays about toleration. He was 
 in the right to believe the people ought not to 
 be mafiacred becaufe they are in an error: It 
 feems he began even at this time to be afraid 
 of what betel him afterwards •, but his felf- 
 conceit and prefumption prevented his fol- 
 lowing the rules of prudence. 
 
 (E) Publijhed a fecond upon the fame fubjeff.'] 
 
 As thefe two performances are found joined 
 
 together in feme copies which are dill extant, 
 
 4 I mall 
 
i 4 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 Servetus, bold and daring, ima- 
 gined he had a right to write 
 
 againfl: 
 
 I (hall likewife join them together under one 
 
 note •, The title of the firft is, De Trinitatis 
 
 Erroribus Libri Septem, per Michaelem Ser- 
 
 vetum, alias Rcves, ab Arragonia Hifpannm. 
 
 An. MDXXXI. It contains 119 leaves in 
 
 (i6)Bibl. 8vo. (16) The place of impreffion is not 
 
 • An | I,t * 2 ' marked, but it is known that it was in Ha- 
 
 Ihave genau. Mr. Shelborn firmly believes (17) 
 
 myfelf that it was printed in this city, by John Sccer 
 
 a copy of a famous bookfeller; this is what he concludes 
 
 fi )Am-^ rom ^ ie r yP cs ' which are he fays, the very 
 
 enet. Li- fame with which Seccr in the month of Sep- 
 
 ter. t. 2. tember 1530, had printed the Scholia of 
 
 p. 108. j hn Agricola, upon the Epiftle of St. Paul 
 
 to Titus, and with which he had printed in 
 
 153!, in 8vo. the Commentaries of Brentius 
 
 upon Job. Notwithstanding this work is very 
 
 fcarce, I can draw from different authors, 
 
 that there are ftill fevcral copies extant. Mr. 
 
 08) Bib! ^ e * a R° cn e fays, (18) That he has had two 
 
 Ang]. ubi in his hands, but as he does not fay where, 
 
 ftpr. I don't know whether thefe two copies are to 
 
 be reckoned amongft the number of thefe 
 
 mentioned by other writers. Mr. Simon fays, 
 
 (19) Bibl.that there are two to be found in Paris, (19) 
 Critic, t. one in the King's library, which is incomplete, 
 *' p " 3Z ' and the other in Mr. Colbert's library, which 
 
 is entire. Mr. Shelborn afTures us, that he 
 
 (20) A- has feen two, (20) one at Altorff when he 
 ineen. was a fludent there, in Mr. Guftavus George 
 Lit. t. 2. Zeltner's library, and the other in the publick 
 cio, library at Ulm j he fays likewife, that there 
 
 . was one in the library of Prince Eugene of 
 
 Savoy, 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. \$ 
 
 ao-ainft the Dodrine of the Tri- 
 nity, with as much freedom, as 
 
 the 
 
 Savoy, and another in that of the Landgrave 
 of Caffel-, that Mr. John William Paterfon 
 was in pofTeflion of one, and that the authors 
 of a periodical work at Berlin had the ufe of 
 two •, Mr. Wolf of Hamburg informed Mr. 
 de la Croze in the month of September, 1720, 
 (21) that he had copied Servetus's book with(2i)Thef. 
 his own hand, about two years ago ; and upon^P lll,la 
 the fame occafion he fpeaks of a printed copy, _ , * 
 to be found in the publick library at Lubee. 
 Mr. Mofheim (22) had received a copy from( 22 ) lb ; *• 
 a Polifh gentleman, and likewife one of the/j|\p et " 
 dialogues; mean while all thefe gathered to-Ad.Boy- 
 gether, amount to no more than about afen.Hift. 
 dozen of copies, which is not very confider-M; 5>ei ' vet * 
 able, including even that copy which Grotius shdbo'in 
 fays he had feen at Rotterdam. The reafon of ubifupra. 
 this fcarcity is, the great pains taken to fup- 
 prefs this work, and that a great number of 
 copies were burnt at Francfort and other 
 places, which I learn from an hiftorian of Ser- 
 vetus, cited by Mr. Shelborn. (23) " Simul( 2 3)ib. 
 * c ac publice confpiceretur liber, quafi com- 
 " muni incendioreftinguendo accurrebant viri 
 " pii cordatique, infelicem lafcivientis ingenii 
 tc fcetum fupprefluri, imprimis Francofordenfes 
 " plurima libri exempla flammis tradiderunt, 
 " cumqne Ratisbonam qusdam allata fuiifent, 
 *' et Jo. Quintadse, Csefari Carolo. V. a con- 
 " filiis ecclefiafticis, et confeffionibus privatis 
 «• qui erat, vifa, indignabatur initio auclori, 
 ct quern a facie fibinotum ajebat, et quotquot 
 " nancifci poterat, exempla lbllicite abolenda 
 
 " curabat, 
 
16 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 . the reformers wrote againft Tran- 
 fubftantiation, and other tenets 
 
 peculiar 
 
 " curabat, telle Cochla^o — cum itaque undique 
 ct fupprimeretur liber, contigit ut varius re- 
 " periatur, et inftructiflimee extera Biblio- 
 " thecns illo deftituantur." Mr. Wolf is the; 
 only peribn who appears to have found any 
 genius or learning in this book, while he de- 
 tefts his opinions. " Miratus fum," fays he, 
 
 (24) The. ( 2 4) " hominis ingenium et doftrinam inter 
 Epift. la. " medias deteftationes peftilentiflimarum erro- 
 Croze. t. " rum \ n quib\is animo, ni fallor, non malo 
 ?• p. '59- « ha?fit." Mr. Mofhiem judges the ftile both 
 
 of this and the dialogues to be barbarous *, 
 
 (25) ib. t. (25) " barbaro dicendi genere confcripti." 
 i.p. 268. jy[ r< Simon fpeaks of it with a great deal of 
 (26)EiW. contempt. (26) " There is fo little good 
 Crit. ubi " fenfe in all this impious work, — that if it 
 fapr. p. it was common, both the work and the au- 
 3 2 > 33* tc t h or Y^ouid De held j n tne greateft detefta- 
 
 " tion. He is fo much at a lofs both as to 
 
 " the diction and the matters he treats of, 
 
 " that it is evident he did not underltand 
 
 " them, as appears from the words he begins 
 
 " with." Oecolampadius wrote to Bucer 
 
 concerning thefe two works in the following 
 
 (2-) vid. words-, (27) " Invifi hac hebdomada Bernates, 
 
 BiblAng. " qui te et Capitonem falutant plurimum ; 
 
 t. 2. p. 88. « iibdi us De Trinitatis erroribus a quibuf- 
 
 " dam ex iliis vifus duntaxat, fnpra modum 
 
 -* — ** offendit. Vellem te fcribere Luthero, quod 
 
 " nobis infciis liber alibi excufus fit, impu- 
 
 " dentia enim erat adfcribere Lutheranis, jirfti- 
 
 tc ficationis rationem eos ignorare •, ut de 
 
 " reliquis taceam. Sed Photenianus ille vel 
 
 " nefcio 
 
LIFE OF SERVE T US. if 
 
 peculiar to the Church of Rome, 
 
 Servetus muft have remained at 
 
 Straf- 
 
 4 nefcio cujus fectas homo folus fapere fibi 
 4 videtnr. Nifi ab ecclelias ncftras doctoribus 
 4 explodetur, peflime auditura eft. Tu, prs 
 4 aliis oro vigiles, et fi non alibi, certe in con- 
 4 futatione tua ad imperatorem ecclefias nof- 
 
 * tras cxcufa, utcunque hac beftia irrepferit. 
 4 abutitur omnibus in ilium fenfum, tantumne 
 ; confiteatur, filium coeternum patri et con- 
 4 fubftantialem, atqui hie eft qui fufcepit pro- 
 ' bandum hominem Chriftum efte filium Dei.'' 
 
 This letter is dated Auguft 5, 153 r. Ser- 
 vetus impugns in this work the do&rine of the 
 Trinity in a very (hocking manner: he calls 
 the Three Perfons, a pure imagination, a chi- 
 mera, metaphyfical Gods. (28) See what Mr. (28) ib. 
 de la Roche fays of his doclrine. (29) " He ib]d \ 
 4 undertakes to mew that the terms, Jefus g ( 9; 1 ' * • 
 4 and Chrift, and the Son of God, defign 
 4 nothing but a man, and he -endeavours to 
 4 prove it by a great many paffages of the 
 c Holy Scripture : he explains a great many 
 4 other paflages agreeable to his own fyftem, 
 
 * and anfwers the objections of the orthodox ; 
 4 this part of his book is eafily underltood ; 
 4 but when he. explains his opinions about the 
 4 perfon of Jefus Chrift, what he fays, ap- 
 4 pears unintelligible. I fhall give only one 
 
 ' jnftance : Erat Chriftus, fays he, (30) (30) Ser- 
 
 4 in mente Divina $r <e format us, erat qui dam v f c ; dc 
 
 ' modus fe habendi, quern in fe ipfo Dws r ™ r ' T# 
 
 4 difpofuit ut fe ipfum nobis patefaceret, fci- YW.M. 
 
 4 licet Jefu Chrifti effigium in fe ipfo dejeri- 120 ver{q+ 
 
 4 bendo" Servetus calls this reprefentation a P udeun - 
 C the 
 
it LIFE OF SERVETUS, 
 
 Strafburg or in fome other part of 
 
 Germany till the year 1531 ; but 
 
 feeing 
 
 the Face of God, and the word which has 
 been made Flem •, he denies the Trinity, but 
 the- idea he had of Jefus Chrift was very dif- 
 ferent from that which the Unitarians have in 
 our days. Sandius pretends that he had almoft 
 the fame fentiments as Paulus Samofatenus : 
 " fuit Servetus ejufdem fere opinionis quam 
 (^i)Bibl." olim Paulus Samofatenus." (31) But Mr. 
 Antitrin. Simon has obferved that, on the contrary, (32) 
 P; 9- Servetus declares that he is very far from the 
 aux fcrm ' fentiments of Paulus Samofatenus, whom he 
 desTheol.accufes as very ignorant of the myfteries of 
 de Hoi- religion, becaufe he had no knowledge of the 
 hiide. i-] e b r ew language. " Paulus de Samofata," 
 
 220227. CD > * 
 
 (33) Oe % s Servetus, (33) " ante Arianos philofo- 
 Trin. er- " phos, et Trinitarios Chriili myfteriorum, 
 ror. Lib. c< q U£S j n Hebraicis latent, penitus ignarus, 
 apudeun*" f im P ncem hcminem, non Deum, qui nunc 
 
 ' " primum et non antea fuerit, Chnftum afle- 
 " rendo, pnilofophos Grascos Hebraice etiam 
 ct ignaros et Ariftotelica contagione infectos 
 " fcandalizavit, eofque in ccelum fine aliis 
 " afcendere coegit, ubi divinitates venari 
 " quilibet fuo fenfu ccepit." It is evident 
 from this piflage that he acknowledged fome 
 kind of I don't know what divinity in Jefus 
 Chrift i and this is what we may fee from two 
 
 (34) idem other places cited by Mr. Simon. (34) " Ali- 
 fol. :i2. " qua divinuatis ejus prceconia recolam, 
 apudeun. t c quorum radix eft, ut eum fuifle Elohim 
 
 " memoria teneas, ex quo profunditatem 
 " arcani quomodo ab initio erat apud patrem 
 " in oraculo contemplabis, et qualiter ipfe 
 
 M nunc 
 
*9 
 
 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 feeing that the principal reformed 
 Churches held his doctrine in de- 
 
 teftation 5 
 
 " nunc eft in patri realiter ficut antea erat in 
 •■ ipfo perfonaliter :" and a little below: 
 rt Aliud Divinitatis preconium quod haec 
 " omnia luperat eft pater in eo manens, qui 
 " per lpfum iblum videtur ipfe eft paterna 
 " fades, nee eft alia Dei perfona nili Chriftus." 
 Mr. de la Roche therefore had reaibn to fay, 
 (35) That (ince .servetus rejected the doctrine (35) Bibl. 
 of the Trinity, he ought not to have fubfti-Angl. t. 
 tuted an opinion ib obfeure and fo little intel- 2, P* 8z * 
 ligible in its place ; Grotius owns that he had 
 not read the writings of Servetus exactly- 
 enough to know all his tenets •, but he plainly 
 acknowledges however, that his fentiments 
 were different from thofe of Socinus and his 
 followers. (36) " Scrveti dogmara fateor non (36) Vot. 
 *' omnia mihi efle no r a, er ea quas novi nequeP ro P ace 
 " cum Socino, neque cum ejus difcipulis l c ? ." ap .' 
 " congruunt." Mr. Simon has mad.- a remark t . 1<p . 
 upon this occafion that ought not to be forgot- 33, 36. 
 ten, which is, that Grotius is in the wrong to 
 infinuate that Calvin had imputed things to 
 Servetus which he never faid, becaufe he did 
 not find in the copy which he had in his 
 hands, that which Calvin had obje&ed againft 
 him. " Serveti libri non Genevas tantum, 
 '* fed et aliis in locis per alvini diligentiam 
 " exufti fiint. fateor enim *ne dum vixi exem- 
 " plum vidiffe Latine in quo certe ea non 
 *• reperi, qune ei objicit Calvinus." " This 
 * { learned critick," lays Mr. Simon, " pro- 
 " bably did not know that there is a very 
 *' great difference between the W£>rk of Ser- 
 C 2 '* vetus 
 
20 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 teftation, that he could find no 
 partizan, and that he had no re-. 
 
 fource 
 
 '* vetus againft the Trinity printed in 153 1, 
 
 " and that which was printed in 1 -33." This 
 
 (37)Thef. 1S f° true > t ' iac Mr. Mofheim fays (37) that it 
 
 Ep. la is not in the two works publifhcd by Servetus 
 
 Croze t. in 1 53 1 and 1532 where we are to fearch for 
 
 l ' P' 2 ' his real fentiments, but in the lateft publifhed 
 
 by him in 15^3. " At enim vero cum iterum 
 
 " poftea fententiam mutaverit homo pra; con- 
 
 " ceptas hypotheieos prasjudicio plane excse- 
 
 " catus, ex folo ejus quern Reftituticnem 
 
 " Chrijiianipni ihfcripfit, libro mens ejus vera, 
 
 " maximaque hiftorias pars percipi poterit, 
 
 " ultima fcilicet ejus fcripta." I mail add, 
 
 that Calvin is unjuftly accufed of having 
 
 caufed the copies of Servetus's firft work to 
 
 be burned, the contrary of which is proved, 
 
 citation (23.) This book was printed not 
 
 only at Hagenau, but likewife at Francfort. 
 
 (38.)Bibl. (38) In 1532 Servetus caufed to be printed 
 
 ■AngJ. at Hao-enau, another treatife againft the Tri- 
 
 t 2 D 1 2 • 
 
 Shelborn! n ^Y' w ' tn tn * s tl!: ^ e ' " Dialogorum de Trini- 
 Amsen. tl tate Libri duo. De Juftitia Regni Chrifti, 
 Liter, t. 3." Capitula Quatuor, per Michaelem Serveto, 
 p. 108. t < a jj as R e ves, ab Arragonia Hifpanum, 
 ff MDXXXII." This work contains only 
 fix leaves in 8vo. Mr. de la Roche fays, he 
 had feen three copies of it, two at Geneva, 
 (39) ubi ar, d on e in Holland. (39) In an advertifement 
 fupr. he retraces all he had laid in his former work, 
 P* 8 S- as has been faid in the note (B), not that he 
 believed that what he had faid againft the 
 doclrine of the Trinity was falfe, but.becaufe 
 the work was imperfect and only in its in- 
 fancy. 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 2* 
 
 fburce in a country where he was a 
 ftranger to the language, he re- 
 folved to go to France ; he wanted 
 to perfect himfelf in the Mathema- 
 ticks, and above all to apply him- 
 felf to Medicine, for which he had 
 always a ftrong inclination. His 
 hiftorians make him go from Straf- 
 burg to Lyons, where they make 
 him ftay two years ; but the loofe 
 way in which they explain them- 
 
 felves, 
 
 fancy. The curious will not be difpleafed to 
 find the advertifement here. (40) " Lectori (40) F. 
 " falutem. Quae contra receptam de Trinitate Niceron 
 *' fententiam feptem libris fcripfi, omnia nunc, " 3rni |"« s 
 " candide lector, retraflo. Non quia falTa t h; s j n » n £ s 
 '* jfufit, Ted quia imperfecta •, et tanquam a Mem.des 
 " parvulo parvulus fcripta. Precor tamen ut llom - 1,J * 
 ** ex illis ea teneas, quse ad dicendorum in- *' ' '' P V 
 " telligemiam te poterint juvare. Quod 
 " autem ita barbarus, confufus et incorrectus 
 " prior liber prodierit, imperitias measet typo- 
 " graphi incurise adfcribendum eft. Nee vel- 
 " lem quod propterea chriftianus aliquis offen- 
 " deretur, cum foleat aliquando Deus per 
 ftulta mundi organa fuam iapientiam pro- 
 ferre. Obferva igitur, obiecro, rem iplam, 
 nam fi mentem advertes, non te impedient 
 impedita mea verba. Vale." We have ob- 
 ferved that thefe who have feen this fecond 
 work, agree that it is neither better, more 
 C 3 diftindly, 
 
42 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 felves, is a proof that they have 
 advanced this fact purely on con- 
 jecture. Mr. d'Artigny (e) from 
 (e) ubi t j ie an f wers f Servetus himfelf to 
 
 Jupr. p. 
 
 *>-> 63- his judges at Vienne, and fome 
 other places, relates, that he went 
 to Paris, where he ftudied medi- 
 cine under the famous profefTors 
 Sylvinus and Fernel, and was re- 
 ceived Mafter of Arts and Doctor 
 of Medicine in this univerfity ; 
 without all doubt he did not ne- 
 glect 
 
 diftin<5tly, nor more methodically written than 
 the firft. [Since I have written this remark, 
 there has been communicated to me thefe two 
 firft works of Servetus in MSS. bound in one 
 volume. I don't find any thing in them which 
 obliges me to alter what I have faid here: I 
 have confirmed the paftages I have cited from 
 other authors and found them exact ; I have 
 likewife had in my hand a printed copy of the 
 firft work. J '1 he titles of the fi ur chapters 
 of the treatife " De Juftitia Regni Chrifti," 
 are, " I. De Juftificatione. II. De Regno 
 14 Chrifti. III. Collatio Legis et Evangelii. 
 " IV. De Charitate." In 1533 Melanchton 
 wrote a letter to Camerarius, wherein he gives 
 his opinion about Servetus and his works. 
 He owns that Servetus is a man fubtle enough 
 in difpute, but that he has no kind of de- 
 cency, that he has confufed ideas, and that 
 
 he 
 
LIFE OF SER VET US. n 
 
 gleet to dogmatife, fince it appears 
 that Calvin oppofed his do&rine 
 being then in 1534 at Paris : they 
 were even to have had a confer- 
 ence together, the day and hour 
 were fixed, but Servetus did not 
 keep the appointment, (f) Servetus $ ft Be d z e a s 
 after having taken the Doctor's E«LRef. 
 cap, went and profeffed Mathema-t. i. P . .9. 
 ticks in the Lombard Colledee: it 
 
 to 
 
 was probably at this time that he 
 was employed in making a new 
 
 edition 
 
 he does not meditate enough upon the mat- 
 ters he treats of, and that his idea of justifica- 
 tion is altogether extravagant. " De Serveto 
 " rogas quid fentiam. ego vero video fatis 
 " acutum ac vafrum effe in difputando, fed 
 *' plane gravitatem ei non tribuo. et habet, 
 " ut mini videiur, confufas imaginationes, 
 " non fatis explicatas earum rerum quas agitat 
 " cogitationes ; de Juftificarione manifefte 
 * c delirat." (41) Servetus did not neglect to(4i)Mt 
 fend his books into Italy, where they were E P il1 - 1-4» 
 fpread in fo many places, that Melanchton ^/t * 
 thought himfelf obliged to write a letter in ap> Bibl.* 
 1539, to tne fenate of Venice, by which heAngl.t.2. 
 begs of them to take proper meafures to pre- P* 88, 
 ferve their dominions from the deteftable 
 errors of Servetus. If Servetus, as it is pro- 
 bable, had got his Anti-trinitarian ideas in 
 Italy, I don't fee any reafon to think it pro- 
 C 4 bable s 
 
^4 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 edition of Ptolemy's Geography, 
 to that publifhed by Pirckheymer 
 in folio, at Strafburg in 1525 ; as 
 he could not agree upon terms ad- 
 vantageous enough with the book- 
 fellers in Paris, he made a better 
 bargain with a printer at Lyons, 
 and his Ptolemy appeared in 1535, 
 in one volume in folio. (F) in 
 
 (42) Bibl. bable, as Mr. de la Roche believes, (42) that 
 Angl.loc. Lslius Socinus, uncle to Fauftus, 2nd fome 
 '?' 9 '' other Italians, began to oppofe the Dodlrine 
 of the Trinity, alter having read Servetus's 
 book; it is more likely that he had taken the 
 hint of attacking this article by converting 
 with them, and being vain and prelumptuous, 
 he wanted to do it in another manner than 
 they. 
 
 (F) His Ptolemy appeared in one volume in 
 
 folio.] Mr. de Marzeaux who had in his 
 
 hands the edition of 1525, and that of Ser- 
 
 (43) JKM. vetus, has given us an account of them ; (43) 
 
 Raifnn. t. h f Pircktymer is intituled, " Claudii 
 
 ~ . D. ! . . 
 
 Arfi,.' " Ptolemsei Geographic enarrationis libri 
 " octo, Bilibaldo Pirckeymero Interprete, 
 <s annotationes Johannis de Regio Monte in 
 " errores commifias a Jacobo Angelo, in 
 " Tranflatione fua Argentorati, =525." Pirck- 
 eymer dedicates his translation to the bifhop 
 of Brefcia, after Ptolemy there is found fifty 
 geographical maps with a defcription of the 
 countries, printed upon the back of them : 
 
 but 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 25 
 
 1536, he had a keen difpute with 
 the phyficians of Paris, which 
 
 having 
 
 butPirckheymer,in afhort advertifement which 
 is at the end of the remarks of Johannes de 
 Regio Monte, declares, that he had no hand in 
 them, and that the bookfellers had made this 
 ■addition to make their wares fell the better. 
 ** Sane," fays he, " nee hoc pra^tereundum, 
 " nihil a nobis prater Ptolemsi fcripta ac 
 * € Johannis de Regio Monte adnotationes 
 " editum efTe, castera vero ab aliis utcunque 
 " addita, quo librarii merces fuas facilius ex- 
 " trudere porfent". It was upon this edition 
 that Servetus worked : he has made fome very 
 important corrections in Pirckheymer's tranl- 
 lation with the afliftance of ancient MSS. He 
 has not reviewed the defcriptions which accom- 
 pany the geographical maps with the fame 
 care ; he has left them fo as they were, except 
 a few, which he has corrected, or which he 
 has even fuppreffed, that he might give new 
 ones, fuch as the defcriptions of France, 
 Germany, Spain, America •, he has caufed 
 the defcription of Spain to be printed in an 
 Italick character, from a particular love to his 
 country, but he has not in the leaft meddled 
 with the defcription of Judea ; he has given 
 it word for word as it was printed in the 
 edition of Strafburg-. This edition of Ser- 
 vetus is intituled, Claudii Ptolemai Alexandrini 
 Geographic^ Enarrationis Libri cc7o, ex Bili- 
 baldi Pierckeymeri tralatione, fed ad Gr<sca & 
 prifca Exemplaria a Michaele Villanovano, jam 
 ■primum recrgniti. Adjeffia infuper ab evdem 
 Scholia, qtiibus exoleta Urbium Nomina ad nofiri 
 
 •feculi 
 
26 LIFE OF SERVETUS, 
 
 Iiavincr ohiicred him to caufe his 
 
 o o 
 
 apology to be printed againfl: them, 
 
 it 
 
 ficuli morem exponuntur. Quinquaginta ilia quo- 
 que cum velerum Him recentium tabula adnetlun- 
 tur> variique incoleniium ritus & mores i expli- 
 cantur. Lugduni^ ex Officina Melchicris & Gaf- 
 paris T'recb/ti Fratrum, MDXXXV. I have 
 had in my hands a very beautiful copy of this 
 edition. Servetus gave a fecond edition of his 
 Ptolemy in 1541, and dedicated it to Peter 
 Palmer, Archbifhop of Vienne, to whom he 
 had formerlv explained this work, and who 
 honoured him with his protection. It was 
 printed at Vienne by Gaf r ard Trcchfel, at the 
 expence of Hugh de la Porte, bookfeller at 
 Lyons. This fecond edition, fays Mr. des 
 (44) ibid. Maizeaux (44), is as it were buried in obli- 
 P« l 79- vion. The iirfl is only mentioned in the 
 Ptolemy of Mercator of 160c, and in the The- 
 atrum Geographic veteris of Bertius, printed in 
 1618. Mr. Fabricius, fays Mr. des Maiz- 
 eaux, does not mention either the firit, or the 
 feconc". in his Bibliotbeca Graca : this F. Ni- 
 ceron has faithfully repeated, without giving 
 himfelf the trouble to examine the matter. 
 Mr. des Maizeaux is deceived •, Fabricius 
 does fpeak of the firft edition given by Ser- 
 (45)Bibl. vetus. (45) " Sub Michaelis Villanovani no- 
 Grace, v. " mine, qui Ptolemasi Geographiam, Ann 
 3. p. 415. c t 1535, cum Notis edidit, latet Servetus qui 
 " Villanovs in Arragonia, An. 1509, natus 
 ** eft." The fecond edition has been un- 
 known likewife to Mr. de la Roche, and Mr. 
 Alwoerden, who have written the Life of Ser~ 
 vetus : my author is pofuive, that it is more 
 
 exact 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 27 
 
 it was turned into a very eonfider- 
 
 able procefs before the parliament, 
 
 and was terminated by the fup- 
 
 preffion of this apology, which is 
 
 no more to be found; but the phy- 
 
 ficians were ordered to live upon 
 
 better 
 
 exact and correct by far than the firft. There 
 is one alteration which has appeared remark- 
 able to Mr. des Maizeaux, in the defcription 
 of France, Servetus had faid in the fir it 
 edition, fpeaking of the gift of the King of 
 France of curing the King's Evil, by touching 
 the patients, Vidi ipfe Regem plurimos hoc lan- 
 guor e correptos tangentem, an fanati fuerint non 
 vidi; but in the fecond, in place of an fanati 
 fuerint non vidi, he puts, plurefque fanatos pajjim 
 audivi .* this place has probably been corrected, 
 and there rnuft have been fomething likevvife 
 which had been found cenfurable in the de- 
 fcription of Judea, fince there is no fuch thing 
 in this edition. Mr. d'Artigny fays (46) that t.£\ n ov# 
 this is a very fplendid edition, and at the fame Mem. de 
 time fo uncommonly fcarce, that the only Hift. de 
 catalogue where he had found it was that of "g** 
 Cardinal de Bois's library, which had been ' * > * 
 fold publickly at the Hague. A paffage of 
 the defcription of Judea, which is found in 
 the firft edition, made one of the heads of 
 accufation againft Servetus at Geneva •, that 
 which parTed on this occafion furnifhed matter 
 for a great many declamations againft Calvin. 
 Let us fee how this arfair is managed. Let 
 us firit give the words as they ftand, being a 
 
 4 part 
 
it LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 better terms with Servetus, and to 
 ti|ny,ioc" ufe him with humanity, [g] He 
 cu. p. 62, cau f ec j to | 3e printed at Paris, 
 
 M Syruporum univerfa ratio ad 
 16 Galeni cenfuram diligenter ex- 
 " pofitaj cui, poft integram de 
 
 " COn- 
 part of the introduction to the xli chart, which 
 (47) Mr. is that of the Holy Land. (47) " Hanc ter- 
 delaCha-" ram Biblici Libri et Jofephus eos fecutus, 
 pelle is tt Cananeam appellant, terram variarum 
 
 deceived ,, _r • r -i r 1 
 
 in faying opum divitcm, rrugibus rertilem, aquis 
 
 that this " illuftrem, opimam balfamo, in medio orbis 
 
 is the xii. «« conftitam; quo fit ut nee frioore nimis 
 
 cnart. « r ig eat> nee calore correatur, ob quam 
 
 Raifon.t. " elementorum gratiam, seftimaverunt Tfra- 
 
 %. p. 120. " helitas five Hebrsei earn qus patribus 
 
 " olim Abraham, Ifaac et Jacob promiffa, 
 
 " a Numine effet, terram videlicet lacle et 
 
 " melle fluentem. Ideo Jofua^ fortiffimi 
 
 " ducis duclu, quadragefimo anno poftquam 
 
 <c iEgypto exifTent, fufe ditionis fecerunt 
 
 " Scias tamen, 'lector optime, injuria aut jac- 
 " tantia pura, tantam huic terras bonitatem 
 *' fuifle adferiptam, eo quod ipfa experientia, 
 " mercatorum et peregre profitentium, hanc 
 " incultum, fterilem,- omni dulcedine caren- 
 " tern depromit. Quare prorniffam terram, 
 " pollicitam, et non vernacula lingua lau- 
 *'• dantem pronuncies." That is, according to 
 Mr. de la Chapelle's translation ; " The 
 " books of the Bible, and Jofephus, who 
 " has followed them, call this land Canaan, 
 " and fay, that it abounds in various riches, 
 
 " fertile 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. *£ 
 
 " conco&ione defcriptionem, prae- 
 " fcripta eft vera purgandi me- 
 " thodus, cumexpofitione aphorif- 
 " mi, conco&a medicari, Michaele 
 " Villa Novano authore, in 8vo. 
 " I537> Venice 1 5.4.5, & Ly- 
 ons.' ' 
 
 tl fertile in fruits, well watered, full of balm, 
 V and fituated in the middle of the world, 
 " that which makes it neither incommoded by 
 too great cold, nor burnt up by heats : on 
 account of a climate fo happy, the Israelites, 
 formerly called the Hebrews, believed that 
 this was the country flowing with milk and 
 " honey, which God had formerly promifed 
 " to their fathers, Abraham, Ifaac, and 
 " Jacob ; for this reafon, forty years after 
 " their departure from Egypt, they took 
 " poneifion of it under the conduct of the 
 " valiant general, Jotliua. Know, however, 
 " friendly reader, that this is either a miftake, 
 " or pure, oftentation, that they have afcribed 
 " fo much goodnefs to this country ; for the 
 " experience of merchants and travellers have 
 " diicovered it to be uncultivated, barren, 
 " and deftitute of every thing agreeable." I 
 have not tranflated the lad words, adds Mr. / 8 % A . 
 de la Chapelle, becaufe I don't understand meen. 
 them; probably he did not nnderftand High Lit. c. ig. 
 Dutch, and it is by this language, that we are p '| 9 ^' 
 to explain thefe words. Mr. Shelborn has 
 diicovered the my fiery of them. (48) The 
 land of Canaan is called in common ftyle, 
 in German, das gdobte land, which may fignify 
 
 two 
 
$0 LIFE OF SERVE T US. 
 
 ons." He published likewife, Apo~ 
 logetka Differtatio pro Artologia^ 
 and a defence of Symphorein Cham- 
 pier, doclor at Lyons, entituled, In 
 Leonartium FuJJinum Apologia pro 
 Symphorio Camp eg to. [I don't 
 
 know 
 
 two things, in deriving the word geJobte from the 
 
 verb loben, to praife, it will fignify the praifed 
 
 land, or land worthy of praife-, but if the 
 
 word gelobte is derived from the verb gsloben, to 
 
 promiie, it will fignify the promifed land : fo 
 
 the author of the advertifement would fay, 
 
 that this land may be called the promifed 
 
 land, but not the land worthy of praifes ; 
 
 this allufion to the original word in German, 
 
 has made Mr. Shelborn fufpect what was true: 
 
 he conjectures, that Servetus had fpoke the 
 
 truth in denying thefe words to be his, there 
 
 being no probability that a Spaniard would 
 
 (49) De- call the German his vulgar tongue, or that he 
 
 claration underftood the language fufficiently to make 
 
 P 0l ? r . fuch an allufion. We mail fee afterwards that 
 
 lalrave tms conjecture was well founded, this pafTage 
 
 foi, &c. having been objected to Servetus, heanfwered, 
 
 Genev. what we are going to fee from Calvin's own 
 
 8vo 9 &ia account °f * c '> (49) " They brought forth 
 
 Opufc " the book of Ptolemy with a preface, where 
 
 de Cak. " the faid Servetus had boafted to h^ve been 
 
 vid. p.50. cc t he corrector, and to have made fome tole- 
 
 French " raD ^ e g 00 ^ advetifements, but when they 
 
 and the " came to the land of Judea, he advertifed 
 
 Opufc. « the readers, that this was wrong, or out 
 
 in. Lat. p. « Q £ £tcntation, that they had made it fo 
 
 ' 5 * 4 valuable, 
 
LIFE OF SERTETUS. % % 
 
 know how to reconcile the ex- 
 amination of Servetus upon this 
 apology, with what we read in the 
 advice to the reader, at the head 
 of his Treatife DeSyrupis, I fhall 
 make ufe of the edition of Venice 
 
 in 
 
 valuable, fo good and fertile, becaufe the 
 experience of merchants had difcovered 
 that it was dry, barren, and unprovided 
 with every commodity. True it is, that in 
 the beginning, he muttered between his 
 teeth, that it v/as not his, but I knew how 
 to clofe his mouth eafily, for by this means 
 he was convicted of being an audacious 
 man, in afcribing to himfclf what was not 
 his own ; he was therefore forced to main- 
 tain fuch a blafphemy, faying, that there 
 was nothing but good in it. Then they 
 afked him, who it was that had fo defcribed 
 the goodnefs of the land of Judea ? if it 
 was not Mofes ? but fee, fays he, if others 
 have written fo favourably of it ? to this I 
 replied as the cafe required, how that others 
 agreed with Mofes, for fo it was, confider- 
 ing that he is moft ancient of all, and that 
 they follow his teftimony ; wherefore the 
 principal fault lay in him, who by his 
 boaiting had deceived thofe who come after 
 him. For who is it who has faid, that this 
 land is fo fat and plentiful, and that it flows 
 with milk and honey ? We may not cer- 
 tainly without a great affront to the Holy 
 Spirit who has fpoken by the mouth of 
 
 44 Mofes, 
 
32 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 in 1545, " Illud obiter monen- 
 " dum eft, lector, me non efTe 
 " ilium quern corrupta quasdam 
 " Furchfium Apologia depingit 
 cc Campegius, ftudiofum Arabum 
 " fedtatorem et digeftivorum Syru- 
 
 " porum 
 
 ee Mofes, cancel fuch a commendation ! I 
 " added, befides that he had judged like a 
 " blockhead and a beaft, to efteem the land 
 
 " of Judea as they lee it now. That which 
 
 < { I faid may be thought incredible, was 'it 
 " not that our magnificent lords, with many 
 " other perfons of worth and diftin&ion, 
 " were witneffes fufBcient; but this villainous 
 " dog was fo far from being confounded by 
 " thefe folid arguments, that he only wiped 
 " his mouth, faying, Let us pafs over this, 
 " there is no harm in it : and how that he 
 " had no kind of colour to paint his villainy, 
 " fo as he did, and they could not draw one 
 ** word of confeffion from him." It being thus 
 proved that this paffage was really not Serve- 
 tus's, but the author's who had lent his pen 
 to the printers at Strafburg, we may examine 
 two queftions : 1 ft. Why Servetus kept to a 
 fimple denial, having the means in his hands 
 of proving that he was not to be blamed ? 
 2d. Has Calvin deferved the bitter reproaches 
 which fome writers have thrown upon him on 
 this occafion ? 
 
 1. As to the flrfl queftion, Mr. Maizeaux 
 appears to me to have hit this point in a great 
 
 niealurc. 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 33 
 
 <c porum Compegianum Difen- 
 c£ forum ; cum ego Arabas ipfos 
 cc cum Compegio ncgligendos 
 1C potius crediderim."] Thefe two 
 laft works, as likewife the apo- 
 logy againft the phylicians of Paris, 
 
 have 
 
 meafure. (50) He believes that there are cer-($o) BIM.' 
 tain fituations wherejn a man who is in & a «° n « 
 danger of forfeiting his life, will not, either *|* ,'g^ 
 from a mif-placed pride, or an affected con- 
 tempt of death, condefcend to ufe proper 
 means in his own j unification •, and, he af- 
 firms, thae this was rhe cafe of Servetus, in 
 the whole of this affair : he gave himfelf up 
 too much to his refentment, and took upon 
 him an air of pride and diidain, which exas- 
 perated his enemies •, add to this, that his 
 pride no doubt was touched by the reproach 
 Calvin made him, that if this was none of 
 his, he was an impoilor, by taking to himfelf 
 the honour of another's work ; rather than 
 own it, he chofe to adopt this impious ex- 
 prefllon, and impudently to maintain it, which 
 came to the fame thing as if he had been the 
 author of it himfelf. Mr. Shelborn makes 
 this reflection upon it: (51) " Quis autem ^0 Am- 
 " non rideat novum hunc ex medenrium ter# " t> ,"? 
 " fchola Atlantem, terrarum orbem, fuis in- p. 121, 
 ct fcribi paffim humeris, cum peregrini eum 
 " fuftinerent ? aut quis non itolidam mon- 
 " ftrofi capitis indignetur pertinaciam, qui 
 " alienas quoque calumnias in criminum fu- 
 " orum rationes referri delegatus eft ?" 
 
 D 2. Has 
 
S* LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 have not been known to the hifto- 
 
 (h)id.ib. r i ans f Servetus, (h) the chagrine 
 
 which this procefs gave Servetus, 
 
 and the mifunderftandinp- with his 
 
 CD 
 
 brethren of profeflion, made his 
 living at Paris difagreeable to him. 
 
 He 
 
 2. Has Calvin deferved the bitter re- 
 proaches which fome writers have thrown upon 
 him on this occafion ? Mr. de la Roche con- 
 tents himfelf with blaming Calvin indirectly, 
 " I dare fay," fays he, in fpeaking of Servetus, 
 (,2)Bibl. (52) " that he never intended to make any 
 Angl. t. " reflection to the prejudice of Mofes. I be- 
 2. p. 122. ct jj eve ^ t j ie worc i S} vanus pr<eco Judxus, 
 
 " he wanted to point out fome modern tra- 
 " veller, who had publifhed an account of 
 " the Holy Land, and who had fpoken of it 
 " as a very fertile country. Servetus was 
 " neither Atheift nor Deift; it appears by his 
 " writings, that he was firmly perfuaded of 
 *' the truth of the Old Teftament, and there- 
 " fore I can't imagine that the words in 
 •' queftion relate to Mofes." Mr. de la 
 Roche muft have read Calvin very negligently 
 to reafon in this manner ; thefe words, vanus 
 ■prteco Judfus, are not Servetus's, they are 
 the terms in which the queftion was made 
 him ; his anfwer proves that he was not 
 thinking on any traveller in particular, fince 
 he fays in general, that others, as well as 
 Mofes, have written of ic, and that it was no- 
 thing elfe, but the author of the advertife- 
 ment undoubtedly meant Mofqs : to be 
 
 con- 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 35 
 
 He went to Lyons, where he (laid 
 fome time with the Frellon book- 
 fellers as corrector of the prefs ; 
 he made a journey to Avignon, 
 returned to Lyons, and at laft 
 went and fettled at Charlieu, 
 
 where 
 
 convinced of which, it is fufficient to read the 
 pafTage over again, and Servetus, although 
 he had not himielf written this impious fen- 
 tence, yet he adopts it as his own ; but be- 
 hold, a heavier accufation againft Calvin : 
 F. Niceron, after having given the relation 
 of this divine, but fupprefling the reafoning ;^) 
 in it, adds (53) " Calvin had done well to Mem. d* 
 " have pafied by this article in filence, which Hom - *"• 
 " gives us no great opinion of his fincerity, " '' p * 
 " and his regard for truth, and of his capa- 
 " city in the art of reafoning." We fhall fee 
 immediately, that if we fubftitute the name 
 of Niceron, in place of Calvin, this reflection 
 will be perfectly juft: but we muft firil hear 
 Mr. l'Abbe d'Artigny, (54) whofe memory (^Nou. 
 has been a little flippery on this occafion too ; d ' Hill. 
 " As the accufers of Servetus had fvvorn his < ~ rit * 
 " ruin ; they made no fcruple of forging x * ' p * 
 " imaginary crimes againft him, and his 
 " anfwers, however good they were, were 
 *' turned into proofs againft him." After 
 this, the paffage of the edition of Ptolemy is 
 exhibited, inferted in the edition of 1525, and 
 curtailed in the edition of 154.1. " It was there- 
 " fore very eafy for him," continues Mr. d'Ar- 
 tigny, «« tojuftify himfelf, in faying, that be 
 D 2 " was 
 
%6 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 where he practifed medicine for 
 
 CO ibid, three years, (i) but for fome blun- 
 der he committed, he was obliged 
 to leave that place ; Bolfec, the 
 only perfon who fpeaks of it, does 
 not fay what it was, but the paC- 
 
 fage 
 
 " was not the author of this pafiage, and 
 " that afterwards he had fuppreffed it -, h<e 
 <c fays as much in effect, and adds, to evite all 
 * c chicane, that he was not at all fpeaking of 
 * s Mofes, but of the modern geographers : 
 " the ill-nature and difingenuity of his 
 " enemies turn thefe means of his juftifi- 
 " cation into a new crime." Let us examine 
 thefe facts impartially, i. There is a book 
 produced, whole title advertifes an edition 
 reviewed upon a MSS. by Michael de Ville- 
 neuve, where the general preface is, as from 
 * the publifher ; and at the head of fifty 
 geographical charts, which have every one 
 their introduction and particular defcription, 
 there is this infcription, Europe regionum tra- 
 ditto recem Michaelis Villanovani. Is there not 
 reafon to judge according to appearances, that 
 the fhocking paffage is his ? 2. Servetus fays, 
 that it is not his, but not as the turn of the 
 expreffions of Mr. d'Artigny would infinuate, 
 " that he had fupprelfed it :" of this there is 
 neither trace nor veltige ; he might have faid 
 it, and he has not faid it, he contents himfelf 
 with fimply denying it : let us be fair, and 
 judge candidly : Ought this fimple denial to 
 have been admitted as a means of justification 
 4 when 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. p 
 
 fage deferves attention, in order to 
 know the character of Servetus. 
 K This Servetus," fays he, (k) g lv ^ de 
 " was arrogant and infolent, as 9- ed d- 
 " thofe have affirmed who knew ap. eund. 
 c< him at Charlieu, where he 
 cc lodged with la Riviere about the 
 cc year 1540, but was forced to 
 " leave that place on account of 
 " his extravagancies. He went to 
 cc Vienne in Dauphine." Bolfec 
 is deceived as to the laft circum- 
 
 ftance, 
 
 when the pannel alledges no proofs of it, as 
 he might have done ? 3. Could any thing be 
 more natural than the objection Calvin made, 
 that if this was not his, he was a plagiary, 
 and took the honour of another's labour ? What 
 anfwer does Servetus give to that ? It is, 
 " That it was nothing but good." 4. It was 
 infilled upon, and demonftrated to him, that 
 there could be no queftion but about Mofes. 
 He anfwers not at all, " That the queftion 
 " was only about modern geographers ; but 
 " that others had written as -Mofes had done.'' 
 Nothing was more natural than the reply- 
 made him, That the principal fault would 
 then fall upon Mofes, as the moft ancient 
 writer, who had boafted fo much of Paleftine ; 
 and by that had impofed upon others. Ser- 
 vetus contents himfelf with aniv/ering haugh- 
 D 3 tily 
 
38 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 fiance, Servetus from Charlieu re- 
 turned to Lyons, where he found 
 Peter Palmer, Archbifliop of Vi- 
 enne, whom he knew at Paris, 
 and this prelate, who loved learned 
 men, and encouraged them by his 
 favours, preffed him to come to 
 Vienne, where he gave him an 
 apartment in his palace. Servetus, as 
 a teftimony of his gratitude, pub- 
 lifhed the fecond edition of his Pto- 
 lemy, and dedicated it to him. He 
 might have lived very fweetly and 
 quietly at Vienne, if he had confined 
 
 himfelf 
 
 tily and difdainfully, " Let us go on, there 
 " is no evil in it." I appeal to any unpre- 
 judiced judge, if in this cafe, upon infpecling 
 the paffage, and upon the anfwers of Servetus, 
 without being acquainted either with the 
 edition of Pirckheymer, or of the fecond 
 given by Servetus, and all the marks which 
 aicribed the work to Servetus alone, any 
 one would have thought, reafoned, and de- 
 cided otherways, than Calvin did, misfor- 
 tunately for this great man : he is not lefs 
 odious ftill to certain people, than Servetus 
 hitnielf; they have not the refolution to do 
 him that juftice, which no impartial man can 
 refufe, without doing violence to his own 
 
LIFEOFSERVETUS. *<? 
 
 liimfelf to Phyflc, and his literary- 
 occupation : but always full of his 
 former ideas againft religion, he 
 flipped no opportunity of eftablim- 
 ing his wretched fyftem ; he made 
 frequent journeys to Lyons, where 
 he revifed an edition of the Bible 
 in folio, printed by Hugo de la 
 Parte, to which he put a preface 
 in his fafhion, under the name of 
 Villanovanus, with marginal notes 
 (G). Calvin affures us that the 
 
 bbok- 
 judgment -, give me leave to exprefs myfelf 
 in this manner, without the leaft inclination of 
 offending any perfon whatfoever. 
 
 (G) He put a 'preface in his fajhion with 
 
 marginal notes.] This bible has the title of 
 Biblia Sacra, ex San t is Pagnini tralatione, fed et 
 ad Hebraic^ Lingua amuffim ita recognita et fcho- 
 His illujirata, tit plane nova editio videri pojjit. 
 Lugduni 1542, in fol. As this bible Ts very 
 rare, we believe that it will be very agreeable 
 to find the preface of Servetus here, and fomc 
 of his notes, whereby we may judge whether 
 Calvin was in the right or in the wrong, when 
 he called them impertinent and impious. The (55) c °- 
 preface is as follows, (55) " Michael Villanova- fjj^™ 
 # nus Lectori Salutem. Docuit nos fapiens illefui copy 
 " Jefus Filius fuo in Prcemio Libri fui, quern commu- 
 
 ^ e eccleiiafticum vocant, Hebraica verba deficere mcated 
 
 D c to me. 
 4 five 
 
40 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 bookfellers gave him five hundred 
 livres for his trouble : he corrected 
 
 like wife 
 
 M five obtcrpefcere, cum in aliam linguam 
 " fueririt tranflata, probe dijudicans vivam 
 " illam Spiritus ejiergiam, diclionum empha- 
 " fes, concurfus, ant.thefes, allufiones et re- 
 *' liqwa ejus modi non pofle in verfionibus 
 " nofl:ris ad unguem fervari, unde merito et 
 ct olim et nunc, bibliorum interpretation! ple- 
 * c rique defudantes, rem integram funt nun- 
 " quam aifequuti ; quum prsefcrtim hiftoricum 
 " et literalem fenfum, cui certum eft futurse 
 " rei monumentum, ii qui Htbmrorum res 
 " geftas ignorant, facile contemnant. Unde 
 " ec myfticos fenfus illi et ridicule parTirn 
 * c venantur. Ob quam rem te femel et iterum 
 " velim rogatum, chriftiane leclor, ut primuni 
 ''- Hebraica dilcas, deiade hiftorias diligenter 
 " incumbas antequam prophetarum ledlionem 
 <c aggrediaris; finguli enim prophets luam 
 *' juxta literam fequebantur hiftoriam, quas 
 " et futura pr^figurabat, et in qua Chrifti 
 " myfteria iecundurn Spiritum concludebantur: 
 " nam omnia in figura contingebant illis, ut 
 " ait Paulus, et tellimonium Jefu Chrifti, ut 
 " ait Johannes, eft Spiritus prophetic, quan- 
 <c quam alius juxta literam fuerit tunc pro- 
 " phetarum fenfus, ut rei gefts ferebat 
 " hiftoria. Quod fi fenfum ilium effe vere 
 " literalem quis neget, eo quod vis liters 
 '* noii femper vere congruat, id ego dicenti 
 " lubens conced ,ffi. Illud tamen perpenden- 
 " dum, Hebraicam linguam effe totam hyper- 
 61 bolis plenam, et majora alia ibi contineri 
 g! myiteria : perpendendum item, quod fi 
 
 " literalis 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. ft 
 
 likewife feme books for John 
 Frellon, and tranflated feveral 
 
 treatifes 
 
 <c literalis ille fenfus non dicatur, aliqualis 
 Ci tamen erat future veritatis obumbratio, 
 ** ut in umbra Davidis relucet Veritas foli 
 " Chrifto conveniens. Ab ejus enim hiftoria 
 " defumpt:e in pialmis funt prnsdicendi de 
 " Chrifto occafiones. Imohacrationedicitur ille 
 " fuifTe Chrifti typns. De Salamone enim in 
 *' umbra dictum eft-, Era illi in partem, et 
 " de Ifraelirico populo dictum eft, Ex ALgypto 
 * c vocavi filium maim, cum tamen foli 
 ** Chrifto id vere conveniat, ut et lkeralem 
 <c propheticum fenfum effe de Chrifto dicamus. 
 " Adde quod liber hie diciturfcriptus intra et 
 " extra, et duplicem efle conftat fcripturas 
 *' faciem inftar gladii utrinque fcindentis ; 
 " far cunda eft fcripturas vis, et fub vetuftate 
 " occidentis liters novitatem ita continec 
 ** vivificantis Spiritus, ut collecto inde uno 
 " fenfu, alium fit nefas omittereeo magis quia 
 * c hiftoricus ille alium ultro patefacitj unde 
 " et nos, literalem ilium veterem, feu hifto- 
 " ricum paffim neglectum fenfum conatifem- 
 u . per fumus fcholiis eruere ut ejus typo-myf- 
 " ticus, imo verus innotefceret utque ilium 
 " qui fcopus eft omnium Jdum Chriftum fub 
 " ill is umbris et figuris obvelatum, quern 
 M ob id non vident csei Judsei, nos omnes 
 *' revelata facie Deum noftrum clare videa- 
 *< mus. In qua re, ficut in ipfa Pagnini 
 ec noftri verfione, non parum eft nobis poft 
 " omnia ejus annotamenta defudatum, anno- 
 *' tamenta inquam quae ille nobis quamplu- 
 " rima reliquit, nee folum annotamenta fed 
 
 et 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 treatifes upon the Grammar, from 
 the Latin into Spanim. The 
 
 book- 
 
 " et exemplar ipfum locis innumeris propria 
 " manu caftigatum, ex quibus omnibus 
 <c affirmare aufim, et integras magis nunc 
 " cffe fententias, et Hebraicae veritati pro- 
 " pinquiores. Ecclefice tamen et Hebraic^ 
 " peritorum fit de hac re judicium, alii enim 
 " id judicare nequeunt. Quicquid vero com- 
 M modi hinc, lector, retuleris, primum Deo 
 " optimo maximo : deinde Hugoni a Perta 
 cc Lugdunenfi civi gratias ago, cujus opera 
 " et impenfis ruec in lucem prodeunt. Vale.'* 
 In this preface we fee that Servetus had formed 
 a fingular fyftem of the prophecies, and that 
 he pretended they have their proper and direct 
 fenfe in the hiftory of the times when they 
 were delivered, and that they regard Jefus 
 Chrift only fo far as the hiftorical facts therein 
 mentioned figuratively reprefent the actions 
 of our Saviour; or even that thefe prophe- 
 cies can't be applied to Jefus Chrift but in a 
 fublime and exalted fenfe, which is to be ken 
 in his notes, where Jefus Chrift never enters 
 but as a fecond perfon ; for inftance, that the 
 pernicious counfel which Achitophel gave to 
 Abfalom, gave occafion to the firft, and the 
 five following pfalms : So that upon thefe 
 words of the fecond pfalm, " The Lord hath 
 " faid unto me, Thou art my Son, this day 
 " have I begotten thee," he makes the fol- 
 lowing note, " Ad diem refurrectionis Chrifti 
 " vocem hodie refert Paulus, ficut in die qua 
 " evafit ab hofte, dicitur David hodie natus, 
 " et hodie denuo factus rex." We fee by this, 
 
 that 
 
LIFE OF SERVE TUS. 43 
 
 bookfeller I have juft now named, 
 was a friend of Calvin, and it was 
 
 that he always pretends againft the explication 
 of the Scriptures themfelves, that it was the 
 actions of kings and prophets, which repre- 
 fented Jefus Chrift, and not the very words of 
 the prophets. We may fee a great many 
 examples of this in the Bibl. Angl. * I fhall* T. 5, 
 confine myfelf to his notes upon three of the art - 2 * 
 molt direci proprieties, to fhew in what man- 
 ner Servetus wrefts the fenfe of the Scrip- 
 tures, and if he was injured, when he was 
 looked upon as a man who had not the lead 
 refpe<5t for the cleared: articles of Revelation ; 
 upon thefe words of pfalm ex. v. 1. " The 
 *' Lord faid unto my Lord,'* we read what 
 follows, " Scilicet Salamoni, quern ut Chrifti 
 " typum Dominum vocat David tranflato in 
 * c eum tanto regno. 1. Paralip. 29. Sciebat 
 " David ex fe oriturum Dei filium domina- 
 *' torem orbis, ideo fub dilecti filii typo eum 
 " Dominum vocat. Citato enim loco dicitur 
 *' Salomon fediffe fuper filium Dei fecundum 
 *' fortitudinem, a dextris Dei in umbra 
 * 4 fcilicet." It is a misfortune that Servetus 
 did not live in the time of the Pharifees, he 
 would have furniflied them with an anfwer to 
 a difficulty, whereby the Saviour confounds 
 them, and which was founded precifely upon 
 thefe words : he would have taught them, and 
 even Jefus Chrift himfelf, that this paffage 
 belongs only to Solomon, and that the 
 Mefliah is not brought in there, but only as 
 reprefented by Solomon. It has never been 
 c*lled in queflion hitherto, but that thefe 
 
 words 
 
U LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 by this means, that Servetus en- 
 tered into an epiftolary correfpon- 
 
 dence 
 
 words of the fame pfalm, " Thou art a pried 
 *' for ever, after the order of Melchizcdeck," 
 may be underftood of Solomon, but our Spa- 
 niard learnedly teaches us, that this prince 
 had performed fometimes the functions of a 
 pried. " Salomon facerdotem aliquando egit." 
 He explains the liii. ch. of Ifaiah about Cyrus, 
 by acknowleding that in a mydical fenle the 
 truth is found in Jefus Chrid. Sometimes, 
 however, he forgets himlelf entirely, and 
 applies the prophefies which can only regard 
 the Median to the hidory of the Jews, with- 
 out faying, that they have the lead refpecl: 
 to Jefus Chrid: fuch is the explication he 
 gives of the famous prophecy of the feventy 
 weeks of Daniel, which we mall fubjoin here : 
 " Ab egrefiu pnedicti ait me a Deo fermonis 
 " de redituenda et, asdificanda Jerufalem, uf- 
 " cue ad ducem Cyrum Chridum Dei, qui id 
 c< exfequituF, hebdomades funt feptem : 
 " heb Jomadifque fexaginta duabus redi- 
 *i tuecnr, ef scdificabitur platea et fofla in 
 •■ anguftia fcilicet temporum, et pod eas 
 Ci fexaginta hebdomades occidetur Cyrus et 
 " erit in nihilum : didipabitque aedificium et 
 tc defolabit Cambyfes Cyro fuccedens. Fardus 
 <c autem primum firmabit Darius, pod quern 
 " iterum fequitur Antiochi abominatio du- 
 <c penda, et erit finis orbis Judaici." Here is 
 nothing which relates to Jefus Chrid, every 
 thing regards Cyrus his fucceflbrs and Antio- 
 chus. 
 
 (H) Obliged 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. jjg 
 
 dence with this famous reformer : 
 the way he behaved to Calvin, 
 obliged this laft to break all corref- 
 pondence with him. (H) There 
 
 are 
 
 (H) Obliged this laft to break all correfpon- 
 dence with him.] Mr. d'Artigny fays, (56) (56) ub. 
 *' That Servetus had examined the works of fupp. p. 
 " Calvin very carefully, and not finding they 6 9« 
 " deferved the great reputation they had ac- 
 " quired amongft the reformed, he confulted 
 " him not fo much to be inftructed by him, 
 " as to perplex him." I don't know if Ser- 
 vetus found that Calvin did not deferve the 
 great reputation he had ; I rather believe 
 that his vanity engaged him to break a 
 launce with fuch a famous champion, in 
 order to raife himfelf •, being flattered he could 
 effectually embarrafs him. Be this as it will, 
 he fent from Lyons three qneftions to Calvin, ' 
 concerning the Divinity or Jefus Chrifi:, Re- 
 generation, and the Neceffity of Baptilin. 
 1. " An homo Jefus crucifixus fit filius Dei, 
 " et quas fit hujus filiationis ratio." 2. " An 
 " regnum Chrifti fit in hominibus ; quando 
 " quis ingrediatur et quando regeneretur." 
 3. " An Baptifmus Chrifti debeat in fide fieri 
 " ficut ccena, et quorfum hsec inftituta fint 
 " fcedere novo." Calvin anfwered him with 
 a great deal of prudence and good manners : / * j a 
 (57) Servetus refuted his anfwer very haugh- his Opuf- 
 tily * Calvin replied with vivacity, but at the c " • p. 
 fame time in fuch a manner, as teftified that m ; 5 J 7- 
 the intereft of truth, the pride of his adver- Lat.1667. 
 fary, and the nature of the errors he defended, in foi. 
 
 extorted 
 
4 6 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 are a great many falfehoods pub- 
 lished on this occafion againft Cal- 
 vin. 
 
 extorted unwillingly from him, fome expref- 
 fions a little too fevere •, this is what he fays 
 in effect : " Itaque quid tibi velis, non afie- 
 " querer, nifi utcunque tuis deliriis effem 
 " affuefactus, ignofce; ita res me loqui cogir. 
 " Ego te nee odi nee contemno nee durius 
 " infectari velim : atqui ferreus fum nifi com- 
 " movear, quum te fanae docTxinas tanta pro- 
 (58) ib. " tervia infultare video." (58) i. e. " I could 
 p. 522. " not know what you mean, if I was not 
 " accuftomed to your reveries ; pardon the 
 " harfhnefs of thefe words, the nature of the 
 " thing forced them from me: I neither hate 
 " you nor defpife you, and I have no delign 
 " to pufli you too rudely •, but I mud be 
 " made of iron, not to be moved, when I 
 " fee you infulting the Sacred Doctrine with 
 " fo much pride." I imagine that it is this 
 anfwer, which Calvin fent to John Frellon, 
 having wrote him the letter, we mall give 
 an account of juft now, after having obferved, 
 that Calvin concealed himfelf under the name 
 of Charles Efpeville, as he had formerly done 
 in his journey to Ferrara. The letter follows j 
 
 « Mr. John, 
 
 " As to your laft letters that came to my 
 46 hand, upon my departure, I had no time 
 " to give an anfwer to the contents of them : 
 * c fince my return, with the firft leifure I 
 " have had, I have been very fond of fatis- 
 * c fy m g y° ur defire, not that I have any great 
 " hopes of doing any good to fuch a man, 
 
 li feeing 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 47 
 
 vin. Some have faid that the 
 divine of Geneva was fo piqued 
 
 sgainft 
 
 *' feeing him fo dilpofed, but in order to try 
 " if there is yet any means of reclaiming 
 " him, which will be, when God fhall have 
 " fo wrought in him, that he becomes another 
 " man. As to what he has written me with 
 " fuch a fpirit of pride, I have been willing 
 " to bring down his arrogance, by talking to 
 " him in a harfher manner than I am accnf- 
 " tomed to do. But I could not do other- 
 " wife •, for I aflure you, that thtre is no 
 " leflbn more neceffary for him to learn, than 
 " that of humility •, and that muft come from 
 '* the Grace of God, and no where elfe. But 
 " we ought likewife to put to our hand, if 
 " God grant his Grace to him, and to us, 
 " that he profits by our prelent anfwer, I 
 " (hall have wherein to rejoice -, if he goes 
 " on in fuch a ftile as he has done hitherto, 
 " you will but lofe your time in foliciting me 
 " to take any further pains upon him, for I 
 " have other affairs upon my hands that are 
 " more preffing •, and I would have a fcruple 
 " of confcience to give myfelf any further 
 " trouble about him, not doubting but he is 
 " a Satan, to turn my attention from other 
 " ftudies more ufeful. I intreat you there- 
 " fore, to fatisfy yourfelf with what I have 
 " done, if you can find no better way. 
 « Whereupon after my hearty recommenda- 
 " tion, I pray our God to have you in his 
 " keeping. This 13th. of February, 1546. 
 " Your fervant and entire friend, 
 
 " Charles Despeville." 
 
48 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 againft Servetus, that he wrote to 
 
 his friends, that if ever this here- 
 
 tick fhould fall into his hands, he 
 
 fhould order it fo, that it fliould 
 
 coft him his life (1). If Bolfec is 
 
 to 
 
 At the foot of this letter there is a note 
 from Frellon to Servetus, which he fent him 
 with Calvin's anfwer: Servetus was lb piqued, 
 that he conceived a very great hatred againft 
 Calvin, who complains that he never ceafed 
 to vomit forth injuries and imprecations againft 
 (59) Loc. him. Mr. d'Artigny affures us, (59) That 
 at. p. 70, their correfpondence in letters, confided almoft 
 *3* of nothing elfe but injuries and invectives, 
 
 which can hardly be believed; if it continued, 
 as the fame author fays, to the year 1548, 
 what Calvin wrote to Frellon won't fuffer us 
 to think that this divine gave himfelf fo much 
 trouble for more than two years in reading 
 and anfwering thefe injuries of Servetus : what, 
 makes me think that their correfpondence 
 terminated in 154-6, is a letter of Calvin's we 
 fhall fpeak of in the following note. What 
 probability is there that Calvin wculd keep 
 a correfpondence of letters, with a man of 
 whom he had faid, that if he fell into bis hands y 
 it fhould coft him his life ? 
 
 (I) He fhould order it fo, that it fhoidd coft 
 him his life.] There are fome who fay, that 
 that which finimed this divine's hatred againft 
 him, was, that Servetus had fent him in MSS. 
 his Refutation of Chriftianity j wherein he had 
 infertcd thirty letters he had written to Calvin. 
 
 (60) Mr. 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 49 
 
 to be relied on, Calvin wrote to 
 
 Cardinal de Tournon to purfue 
 
 the 
 
 (6q) Mr. de la Roche (61) appears to be of jg^].R a j. 
 another opinion : he fays, that Servetus aboutt. i.p. 
 fix years before he was imprilbned at Geneva, 376. 
 fent a MSS. to Calvin, to know what he ^^f 5 , 1 * 
 thought of it, and that this piece was never p | ' " 
 printed. This was not therefore his Reftitu- 
 tion of Chrifiianity. Mr. d'Artigny is pofitive, 
 I don't know whether he has taken it from 
 the pieces of his procefs, that he had extracted 
 from the archieves of the archbifhoprick of 
 Vienne, " That (62) Servetus wanting in his .g * ,. 
 " turn to humble Calvin, who had treated j- U p r> p , 
 cc him with very little refpect, and had lent 72. 
 " him a MSS. wherein he feverely repri- 
 " manded a great number of miftakes and 
 " errors he had remarked in his writings ; 
 " above all, in his Cbrijlian Iajlitutions, the 
 " favourite production of this pretended 
 44 reformer : Calvin was fo irritated thereby, 
 44 that he wrote to his friends, Farel and 
 44 Viret, " that if fuch a kcretic!:, &V." 
 Bolfec is the witnefs alledged for the letter 
 written by Calvin to Viret. Sorbiere lpeaks of 
 a letter to Farel, (63) and fays, that: Grotius (6$) Sol- 
 had ken it at Paris. Uytenbegaeri; allures V1 r> t!ana 
 us, (64.) that one of his friends had read it ^' ,5* 
 in a collection of MSS. letters, in four vols. (64) 
 where there were- a great many original pieces, Kerklyke 
 and he lays, that he had even a copy of it, J lIt - Rou 
 v;h ; ch could not come from a better hand. & p.' 81,' 
 " I have had," fays he, (6,) " a MSS. 82. 
 44 copy which was fent me from a very good ( fc 5y b * 
 44 and authentick harfd, who declares that he p * 7 
 7 E 44 had 
 
50 LIFE OF SERVE T US. 
 
 "' had feen and read the original of a Latin 
 " letter from Calvin to Farel of the year 
 " 1546, wherein the following words are to 
 " be read, Serve t us nuper ad me fcripjit, et 
 " Uteris adjunxit magnum volumen fuorum delt- 
 " riorum cum Tbrafonica jaclantia, me Jlupenda 
 " et haclenus inaudita viforum. Si mihi placeat, 
 * l hue fe venturum recipit, fed nolo fidem me am 
 " interponere ; nam ft venerit, modo valeat mea- 
 ec authoritas, vivum exirf nunquam patiar.'* 
 What a great noife about this letter ! Mr. 
 d'Artigny fays, " That notwithftanding the 
 " formal teftimony of Bolfec and Giotius, 
 ic who have faid, that they have feen this 
 " letter, fome proteftant hiflorians have not 
 " failed to deny that it exifts •, without doubt, 
 " becaufe it does not contribute a great deal 
 K to Calvin's honour." I don't know who 
 thefe hirtorians are, the abbot fpeaks of, and 
 we are going to fee that this letter is in no 
 fhape to Calvin's difhonour. The author of 
 the extracts of the hifhory of Servetus upon 
 (66)Bibl: the article of thefe letters, fays, (66) " I (hall 
 Raif. ubi. « no t make any remark upon thefe witneffes 
 fupra p. - « b e i n g fufpecled ; perhaps I might with little 
 7 ' ' '" trouble, prove k upon Bolfec ; and the 
 " refpect I have for the memory of Grotius, 
 " mould never hinder me to afk, with Mr. 
 " Alwoerden, Why did not the remonftrants 
 " caufe all thefe MSS. letters to be printed,,, 
 " which would have done lb much harm to 
 " Calvin and Calvinifm ? why did not they 
 " at lead print two or three bundles of them, 
 " if they had of them actually four volumes 
 " compleat ?" Here this able man is miftaken^ 
 TJytenbegaert does not fay, that all thefe four 
 volumes were Calvin's letters ; he only alTerts 
 
 that 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 51 
 
 that there was amongft them fome of this 
 reformer's - 3 as for what follows, I willingly 
 adopt what this learned Journalift adds ; " I 
 " frankly own, that it appears very probable 
 " to me, that Calvin did write what is im- 
 " puted to him : If he was in good earneft 
 " convinced, -that his confcience obliged him 
 " to punifh hereticks with death, might he 
 " not believe, that he was under an obligation 
 " to profecute Servetus criminally, if he mould 
 " take it in his head to come to Geneva ? and 
 " if he believed, that he was under fuch an 
 *' obligation, is there any thing furprifing, 
 * c that he fliould tell it in confidence to his 
 " intimate friends? and does not fuch a con- 
 *' fidence teftify the uprightnefs of his inten- 
 " tion, and the purity of his aim ? had he 
 " been actuated by a principle of worldly 
 " hatred, and black revenge, can any one 
 «' believe, that he would have been fo ftupid 
 " as to have owned it to two perions of this 
 ** character ? people may fay, if they pleale, 
 " that his zeal was blind •, I fhall not fay but 
 " it was ; but to conclude, thefe two letters 
 " about which fo much noife has been made, 
 " inconteftably prove, that he was actuated 
 " by zeal only, and not by any perfonal 
 * e refentment." Here is an evident proof of 
 the fentirnents which the Journalift afcribes to 
 Calvin, in that which he laid, that he could 
 not bring himfelf under any obligation if he 
 accepted the offer which Servetus made him, 
 to come and vifit him ; which does him 
 honour. If Calvin had wanted to revenge 
 himfelf, he might very eafily have drawn 
 Servetus into the fnare, and deftroyed him. 
 He had no occafion to violate a M<: conduct, 
 E 2 as 
 
52 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 this Spanifh hcretick (K). But we 
 
 may fee in the remarks, that all 
 
 this 
 
 as certain councils have done ; and which Mr. 
 d'Artigny very well knows, an anfwer fome- 
 vvhat equivocal, would have done the bufi- 
 nefs, and Calvin might have juftified himfelf 
 by examples fufficiently illuftrious. I wifh 
 that moderate people were not forced to 
 awaken certain fads, by throwing out reflec- 
 tions, to which they can't be ignorant, that 
 there are anfwers abundantly mortifying, for 
 thofe who draw them upon them. 
 
 (K) Cardinal de Tournon to perfecute this 
 
 Spanifh heretick.] It does not appear to me 
 
 that Mr. d'Artigny, or Mr. de la Roche have 
 
 given any credit to this fable -, But Mr. d'Al- 
 
 woerden adopts it, and he has been folidly 
 
 refuted by the Journalift cited in the preceding 
 
 (67) ib. remark ; he obferves, (67) That Bolfec relates 
 
 p* 379* it in a manner which (hews the little credit 
 
 that ought to be given to it. See what he is 
 
 (63) vit. made to fay in Latin ; (68) " Nam omnes 
 
 Calv. c. " poftea modos perveftigarit Calvinus quibus 
 
 3- p- 8 a homini nocere, necemque procurare polTet. 
 
 " et icnpht ldcirco ad reverendum Dominum 
 
 tc Cardinakm Turnoneum, eo ipfo tempore 
 
 tc Regis Gallias vices gerentem, Servetum de 
 
 " hsrefi accufans, unde Cardinalis in rifum 
 
 ct vehementer folutus, Hsereticus aiebat hie 
 
 " hsreticum acculat. From that time Calvin 
 
 " tried all forts of v/ays to hurt Servetus, and 
 
 " bring him to death ; with this view he 
 
 " wrote to the Rev. Cardinal de Tournon* 
 
 " who was then vice-roy or recent of France, 
 
 " accuiing 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. SZ 
 
 this is either doubtful or falfe ; 
 Servetus always very headftrong 
 
 in 
 
 " accufing Servetus of herefy, which made 
 " the Cardinal fay, burfting out in laughter, 
 V Behold one heretick wants to accufe ano- 
 " ther." Behold a (lory, the fimple reading 
 of which expofes its falfehood ! i. Cardinal de 
 Tournon never was either vice-roy or regent 
 of France. 2. Francis I. being dead in the 
 month of March, 1547, and the perfecution 
 becoming general, in the beginning of Henry 
 lid's reign, it behoved to be only under this 
 laft, that Calvin imagined he could flir up the 
 court againft Servetus •, and then, it was not 
 to the Cardinal de Tournon he was to apply ; 
 he was difmiffed from all employments in 
 the beginning of this reign, and Cardinal 
 Lorrain became all-powerful at court : it was 
 to him that Calvin ought to have written, if 
 he wrote to any one, to do Servetus a mif- 
 chief in good earned. 3. Cardinal Tournon 
 was always an implacable enemy of the re- 
 formed : fee his picture drawn by a catholick 
 hand : (69) " All hiftorians agree in repre- (6g) Vid. 
 " fenting Cardinal Tournon to us s as the d'Artig. 
 " fcourge of herefy. He caufed the fevered oc ' Clt * 
 
 O J m _ p. I 1 4. 
 
 " edicts to be published againft the innovators. , , 5 , n qt. 
 " He eftablifhed at Paris a fiery court, (b) 
 ct (cbambre ardente,) which was properly 
 " an inquidtion, and ordered all the tribu- 
 " nals of the kingdom to profecute the new 
 " errors as crimes againft the ftate. The 
 " fury of his zeal tranlported him fo far, 
 " that he caufed all the hereticks to be 
 " burned, who had the misfortune to fall into 
 E 3 *' his 
 
54 LIFEOFSERVETUS. 
 
 in his fentiments, bep-an a third 
 work againft the Trinity, and 
 
 other 
 
 " his hands. " Behold the man they want to 
 make a correfpondent of Calvin by letters I 
 "Whatever wickednefs they would load him 
 with, they muft fuppofe him a perfect block- 
 head, to attempt fuch a correfpondence by 
 a criminal accuiation of his enemy; as it would 
 appear by the loud fits of laughter they make 
 the Cardinal fall into, upon receiving this 
 letter. " I would fain know," adds the Jour- 
 nalift, " if ever Calvin pafTed for a fool." 
 4. But fuppofing that this reformer had been 
 capable of fuch extravagant folly, how can 
 we imagine that the Cardinal, " this fcourge 
 " of herefy," would have fatisfted himlelf 
 with laughing at this affair ? that he made 
 himlelf merry with the accufer, needs not fur- 
 prife us, but that he neglected to profecute 
 fuch a heretick as Servetus, we can't fo eafily 
 be perluaded of. 5. Thus Calvin himfelf 
 gives no other reafon in anfwer to the calumny 
 we are refuting, as we fhall fee by his own 
 words ; that the calumny came originally 
 from Servetus, and that Bolfec knew nothing 
 hV • e " of the matter, but from uncertain reports. 
 
 c! '.ration . r 
 
 <r.-.:. p. 53," I nave no occafion," fays Calvin, (70) " to 
 54. edit. " infill longer to anfwer fuch a frivolous 
 in Ryo. u ca l umn y ? which falls to the ground, when 
 
 Opufc ' " ^ ^ a ^ ^ave ^ a ^ * n one wor ^» tnat there is 
 
 in Lat. p. " nothing in it. It is four years lince Servetus 
 
 &< 5'7- " forged this fable upon me, and made the 
 
 et report travel from Venice to Padua, where 
 
 5* they made ufe of it according to their 
 
 f< fancy ; I don't difpute, however, if it was 
 
 2 "by 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. $f 
 
 other tenets of Chriftianity ; which 
 coll him four years labour, and 
 
 then 
 
 " by deliberate malice he had forged fuch lies 
 46 to bring the hatred of many upon me, or 
 " whether fear made him fufpicious •, only I 
 " demand how it could happen, that fince 
 " the time I difcovered him, he has lived 
 " three years in the fight of his enemies, 
 " without being difquieted, or fpeaking one 
 " word about it to him ; certainly either thofe 
 who complain of me muft confefs, that it 
 has been falfcly invented, or, that their 
 martyr Servetus, has had more favour 
 from the papifts than I : if this had been 
 objected to me with juftice, and that I had 
 publilhed it in order to have him punifhed 
 "■ by any perfon whatfoever, I would not have 
 " denied it, and I don't think it could have 
 il turned to my dishonour." This I am con- 
 fident is fufBcient to fatisfy realbnable men •, 
 above all^.if we add to it what Calvin had 
 faid immediately before the pafiage, I have 
 cited : " A report flies about, that I had 
 tc endeavoured to have had Servetus appre- 
 ** hended in a popifh country, viz. at Vienne ; 
 " upon which a great many fay, that I have 
 " not behaved difcreetly, in expofing him to 
 '? the mortal enemies of the faith, as if I had 
 " thrown him in the jaws of wolves ; but I 
 " pray you, from whence comes fo fuddenly 
 " this private dealing with the Pope's fatel- 
 " lites ? It is very credible, indeed, that we 
 " fhould correfpond together by letters, and 
 " that thofe who agree v/ith me, as well 
 E 4 S 4 ajs 
 
$6 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 then fent it in MSS. to a German, 
 called Marinus, one of his friends, 
 to caufe it to be printed at Bafil ; 
 whether the bookfellers of this 
 city durft not take it upon them, 
 or for other reafons, we know 
 nothing of, this project did not 
 fucceed : Marinus fent back his 
 
 book, 
 
 " as Belial, agrees with Jefus Chrift, fhould 
 
 " enter into a plot with fuch a mortal enemy 
 
 " as with their own companion." The J'our- 
 
 nalift who has fet himielf to refute this idle 
 
 tale, is juftly furprifed that Mr. d'Alwoerden 
 
 has paid fo much deference to this pretended 
 
 letter of Calvin's to Cardinal Tournon, fo 
 
 much the rather as the author of the dia- 
 
 (7i)Apudl°g ues " inter Vaticanumet Calvinum," (71) 
 
 Clytab. talks of it as a very uncertain thing. There 
 
 K'.i* 1 * are Ibme who fay that Calvin wrote him- 
 
 p* 1 g P * 2 'felf to Cardinal Tournon plainly to this 
 
 purpofe, ' If you are as zealous for reli- 
 
 6 gion as you pretend, you would not fuffer, 
 
 * that Servetus who is amongft, &c. The 
 
 • queftion here is only about a hearfay.* The 
 writer did not know thai" the fcnfe of the 
 letter and the &c. marks a fufpenfion of the 
 meaning, the affectation of which demon- 
 ftrates, that they did not know very well 
 what the letter contained •, but if it had 
 exifted and been (hewn to any perfon who 
 wanted to fee it, as Bolfec infinuates, how 
 h$s it happened that none of Calvin's enemies 
 
 5 ever 
 
LIFEOFSERVETUS. 57 
 
 book, acquainting him, that he 
 was furely not ignorant why he 
 could not print it at Baiil at that' 
 time. Not being able to fucceed 
 there, Servetus chufed to intruft 
 it with Balthazat Arnollet, book- 
 feller at Vienne in Dauphine, and 
 William Gueroult Arnoilet's bro- 
 ther-in-law and director of his 
 printing-prefs. He gained them 
 by arguments and promifes, and 
 the work appeared in the begin- 
 ning of 1553, under the title of 
 Chrijlianifmi Reft it at io (L). This 
 
 work 
 
 ever took a copy of ir, and that it never has 
 been exactly known what were the words of 
 the original ? 
 
 (L) The beginning of 1553 under the title 
 of Chrijlianifmi Reftitutio.\ Servetus, in order 
 to gain Arnollet and his brother-in-law, " Let 
 " them know," fays Mr. d'Artigny, (7 2) (72) ubi 
 tc That although his book was againft Calvin, fu P r * P* 
 '•' Melanchton, and other hereticks, he had 74" 
 " very ftrong reafons which would not allow 
 " him to put his name to it, nor the name of 
 " the city, nor of the printer : he added, to 
 " make them undertake it, That the impreflion 
 " fhould be at his own expence; that he 
 " fhould correct the proofs himfelf, and 
 " promiied a gratuity to each of them of a 
 
 " hundred 
 
S$ LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 work was printed fo fecretly, that 
 not one peribn in Vienne had the 
 
 leaft 
 
 " hundred crowns •, a confiderable fum for 
 " that time." It appears by the anfwers of 
 the compofitors who were employed in this 
 book, that the printing of it was finifhed 
 
 (73) Ibid. January 3, 1553 (y 3 ). The title of it, as 
 jp. 117. Meflf. de la Roche and d'Artigny have given it, 
 
 is, Chrijlianifmi Refiitutio, h. e. totius ecclejite 
 apojiolicte ad faa limina vocatio, in integrum 
 rejiituta, cognitione Dei, fidei chriftian^e, jujli- 
 ficationis no fir a, regenerations, baptifmi 3 et 
 ctentf Domini manducationis. Refiituto denique 
 regno calefii, Babylonis imp'a captivitate fioluta, 
 et anti-Cbrifto pen it us cum fuis penitus defirutlo. 
 MDLIII. Mr. Shelborn gives it with fome 
 
 (74) Am. difference (74); inftead of jidei cbrifiian^e, he 
 Liter, t. reads fidei Chrifii ; and after the title, fo as it 
 ? 'P-35z-i s above, he adds, "ET^S** M TOPK *HJ1 
 
 J")V3 * a ' iyivslo -zzoXtpos evtw ovpavZ MDL1II, and 
 at the end of the book, M. S. V. 1553. Thefe 
 initial letters certainly defign the name of the 
 author, Michael Servetus Villanovanus. It is in 
 8vo. of 734 pages •, fome fay there were eight 
 hundred copies ca(t off, and others raife the 
 number to a thoufand. This book is excef- 
 fively rare, " ipfa raritate major," fays Mr. 
 Shelborn. Mr. de Hafe, a Bremen divine, 
 affirms, That he never faw any perfon who 
 I could fay that they had {tea it in print, 
 except Sandius, who affirmed, That it was 
 in the library of the Landgrave of Heffe. 
 Mr. d'Artigny fays, " That the copies are 
 " become fo rare, that there is fcarcely four 
 
 " or 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 59 
 
 leaft knowledge of it. Servetus 
 
 caufed all the copies of it to be 
 
 tranf- 
 
 5 { or five known in the world ;" but he does 
 
 not tell us where thofe four or five are to be 
 
 found. Let us not forget the curious note 
 
 which he adds (75) : " I have feen," fays he, (jtfd'Ar- 
 
 " in Mr. Dufay's library, a piece of this book^.g- loc - 
 
 ," in MSS. it was a fmall quarto, about a clt * p ' 7 >° 
 
 f* finger thick, containing about 200 pages, 
 
 " written by the hand of Caelius Horatius 
 
 " Curio : fee the note at the head of this 
 
 " copy of Mr. Dufay." c Forfan ipfius 
 
 * au£toris autographus codex hie MS. qui fuit 
 6 perlecebris Bibltopolse Baptienfis, Ccelii Ho- 
 6 ratii Curionis. Videtur prima conceptio 
 
 * (Gallice l'esquisse, a sketch) libri valde fa- 
 
 * migerati, Michaelis Serveti, a Johanne Cal- 
 ' vino, cum ipfo Serveto combufti, cui titulus 
 ' Cbrijiianifmi Reftitutio, hoc eft, totius ec- 
 c clefias apoftolicse ad fua limina vocatio, &c. 
 ' typis Mandati. anno. 1553. Vinns Allobro- 
 
 * gum. in 8vo. pag. 734, cujus exemplar 
 4 unicum, quod in Bibliotheca principis 
 ' Hefllae quas eft Caftelis, affervabatur, qu^e- 
 
 * renti et perfcrutanti curioib admodum prin- 
 ' cipi Eugenio a Sabandia, cum ab aliquot 
 ' annis pertranfiret CalTellas, pactare non 
 
 * potuit, ipfo Landgravio comite et inquirente 
 ' adeo ut de jaclura illius libri unici nullus 
 
 * fit dubitandi locus, vid. Biblioth. Fayans. 
 € p. 98.' As every thing is interefting con- 
 cerning rare books, I (hall add here, what we 
 find in Bibliotheca exquifitijfima^ part. 2. p. 
 209. no, 4514, which was fold at the Hague, 
 
 in 
 
60 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 tranfported to Lyons, a part of 
 them was entrufted with Peter 
 
 Merrin 
 
 in 1732. By Adrian Moetyens, bookfeller. 
 Codex praeclarus, et rariffimus nitide manu- 
 fcriptus in charta continet, auctoris ignoti 
 delineatio Chriftians Theologize a pag. 1. ad. 
 64. Michaelis Serveti ReftitutioChriftianifmi, 
 a pag. 65. ad 356. Ejufdem de Trinitate 
 divina, dialogi duo inter Michaelem et Pe- 
 trum •, primus agit delegis umbris et Chrifti 
 complemento, angelorum animarum et in- 
 ferni fubftantia : iecundus modum genera- 
 tionis Chrifti docens quod ipfe non fit crea- 
 tura, nee finitae potential, fed vere adoran- 
 dus verufque Deus a pag. 357 ad. 480. 
 Idem de fide et juftitia regni Chrifti legis 
 juftitiam fuperantis et de charitate a pag. 481. 
 ad 584. ejufdem Serveti de generatione 
 fuperna et regno anti-Chrifti, libri IV. a pag. 
 585. ad 940. ejufdem epiftolas XXX. ad 
 Joan. Calvinum Gebenneniium conciona- 
 torem a pag. 941. ad 1079. Ejufdem Serveti 
 figna fexaginta regni anti-Chrifti, et reve- 
 latio ejus jam nunc praefens a pag. 1079. ad 
 
 1089. idem de myfterio Trinitatis, et vete- 
 rum difciplina ad Philippum Melanchtonem, 
 et ejus collegas. Item hiftoria de morte 
 truculenta Michael Serveti Hifpani ex 
 inftinctu Johannis Calvini Genevas combufti, 
 anno Servatoris 15531 27 Octobris a pag. 
 
 1090. ad finem, 4 voluminibus in folio.' 
 He who has drawn up this advertifement 
 otherwife exact, appears not to have known, 
 that except the firft and the laft piece, all the 
 
 reft 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. g,; 
 
 Merrin Cafter of Types, expe&ing 
 
 fome opportunity of fending them 
 
 to 
 
 reft belong only to that work of Servetus, 
 called Chriftianifmi Reftitutio. The fame is 
 found in two vols, quarto, in the Bibliotheca 
 Seleffijjima, which was fold at Amfterdam 
 in the month of November, 1743, by the 
 bookfeller Peter Mortier. The Delineatio 
 Chriftian<e Theologize which is afcribed to 
 Joachim Stegmann, a famous Socinian ; it is 
 alledged that it was afcribed to him by Samuel 
 Crellius > this is not exactly true : I have in 
 my hands the work of Servetus in MS. in a 
 large vol. in quarto, which was generoufly 
 communicated to me by the famous Doctor 
 Tronchin : at the head of the volume we find 
 likewife, Chriftiana Theologize Delineatio, on 
 which there is the following note written by 
 Crellius's own hand, " Num Joachimo Steg- 
 " manno, num vero alteri alicui Unitario fit 
 *' adfcribenda non fum certus •, defcripta eft 
 •■ manu foceri mei Johannis Precuflii, ecclefise 
 " Unitariorum in Polonia et poftea in exilio 
 " miniftri, partim filii ejus eidem cogno- 
 " minis." We find after this Servetus's 
 work, Chriftianifmi Rejiitutio, written from a 
 printed copy, the title is exactly the fame as 
 Shelborn had given it, with the Hebrew and 
 Greek words before the date of the year : at 
 the end likewife, we find the initial letters 
 of the author's name, M. S. V. and the 
 date 1553 : after the work we have a picture 
 of Servetus in copper-plate, done at Am- 
 fterdam in 1607, by Chriftopher van Suhim, 
 
 engraver : 
 
Sz LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 to Italy ; John Frellon took upon 
 him to fend the reft of them to 
 
 Franc- 
 engraver ; with a kind of abridgement of 
 Servetus's life in Dutch : after this follows 
 an account of his death, then follows a piece 
 in the Polifh language, if I am not miftaken, 
 and a letter which has for a title, De Fuga Per- 
 fecution'iS) being a mixture of Latin and Polifh : 
 on the margin we read, " Epiftola cujufdam 
 " Unitarii ad amicum, varias continens rati- 
 " ones cur Jonas Schlichtingius ob libros 
 ct editos, ad comitia regni citatos, non debeat 
 " comparere." By the detail I have made, 
 we fee that this volume is moft curious, a kind 
 of engraved vignetto which they have fixed 
 upon the firft leaf of it, ihews that the MS. 
 has belonged to the famous library of Mr. 
 d*UfFemback, and a note of Crellius's upon 
 the works of Servetus, which follows that 
 which we have related above, is as follows, 
 Chriftianifmi Reftitutio fubjuncta, defcripta 
 eft partim a modo diclo focero meo PreufHo, 
 partim a Jeremia Felbingero, partim ab 
 ignoto mihi homine. In media parte Iibri 
 a pag. 367. ad. 840. inch manus eft Filbin- 
 geri'j pag. 841, ufque ad 869. item pag. 
 873, ufque ad pag. 920, eft manus ignoti. 
 Primam partem libri et reliqua omnia focer 
 meus deicripfit. Ufi autem funt defcrip- 
 tores ifti codice Serveti typis imprefTo, 
 quern Daniel Marcus Szent-Ivani, alumnus 
 ecclefias Unitariae Tranfilvanica?, poftea ple- 
 baneis ecclefias Claudopolitans et epilcopus 
 4 reliquarumperTranfilvaniam ecclefiarum in 
 
 « Anglia 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 6$ 
 
 Francfort. This bookfeller was 
 the common friend of Calvin and 
 
 Servetus, 
 
 '• Anglia nefcro, ubi et quomodo nactus,. 
 " cum per Marchiam Brandeburgicam re- 
 u mearet in patriam, (quod inter annum 
 sc 1660 et 1670, occidiffe collego) cum 
 " Preuflio communicaverat, hsec adfcripfi in 
 tc gratiam ampliflimi et excellentifiimi dc- 
 " mini pofleflbris. Berolini die 3 Augufti, 
 " 1720. 
 
 " Samuel Crellius. 
 
 " Joannis Crellii Franci Nepos." 
 
 Mr. de la Roche who had read a MS. copy 
 of Servetus's work, has giyen publick notice 
 of it, (76) vvhich has been followed by F. (76) BibL 
 Niceron, and Mr. d'Artigny : thefe who (hall Angl.t.2. 
 have no opportunity of feeing this book, will p ' 97, 9 " 
 not be ill-pleafed to know the contents of it a 
 little more particularly. The Chriftianifmi 
 Rejlitutio is compofed of fix parts. The firft is 
 intituled, De c Trinitate Divina, quod in eo non 
 fit invifibilium trium rerum illufio. Sed verafub- 
 flantitf Dei manifeftatio in Verba et communicatio 
 in Spiritu. Libri feptem. The titles of the 
 feven books are as follows : De homine Jefa 
 Chrifii et Simulachris falfis. Liber primus. Let 
 us give the beginning of Servetus's book, 
 which contains partly the plan of this firft 
 book. " Librum narrationis filii Dei, inftar 
 " primas apoftolorum prasdicationis, a noti- 
 " oribus inchoabo ab iis, qus cordati cuique 
 " fint manifefta, et omnibus publice prsedi- 
 &< cata, ut haec" noftra via facile principium 
 
 " habeat, 
 
t>4 LIFE OF SERVETUS, 
 
 Servetus, and it was through his 
 hands the feveral pieces paffed : 
 
 they 
 
 46 habeat. Ipfe Homo Jefu eft oftium ct via, 
 cc a quo et merito exordium fumam, turn quia 
 tc de ipfo nunc agetur, rum ut lbphiftas repri- 
 " mam, qui ad verbi cognitipnejm fine hoc 
 " fundamento aicendentes, in alium filium 
 " traducuntur, et verum filium Dei oblivioni 
 " tradunt. Quibns ego ad memoriam, quis 
 " fit ille verus films reducere curabo. Pro- 
 " nomine ad fenfum demonftrante ipfum 
 " hominem verberibus cai-fum et flagellatum 
 " concedam hasc tria iimpliciter vera eile. 
 " Primo hie eft Jefus Chriftus, fecundo hie eft 
 e{ filius Dei. Tertio hie eft Deus." After 
 having laid down thefe three propofitions, or 
 maxims, as he calls them, he anfwers the 
 three arguments of the Pharifees : explains 
 two texts, that of i John v. 7. and Matth. 
 xxviii. 19. and anfwers the reafons which are 
 aliedged to prove the Trinity, and at laft im- 
 pugns this tenet, by metaphyilcal arguments, 
 by paffages of Scripture, and fome other 
 reafons. " De Trinitate divina liber fecun- 
 " dus, quorundam locorum expofitionem 
 " continens." The twenty texts which Ser- 
 vetus explains in this fecond book, are thefe 
 following: John i. 1. 1 ColoiT. i. 15. Pf. ii. 7. 
 Gen. xlix. 10. Pf. xcv. 7. (according to the 
 vulg. xciv. 8.) Pf. ex. 1. (vulg. cix.) Pf. 
 ex. 3. Ifa. vii. 14. Joh. iii. 13. ColoiT. ii. 9. 
 Joh. xiv. 11. and viii. 58. and i. 15. 1 Pet. 
 iii. iS. 20. After this he coile&s together all 
 the paffages where it is faid that God has 
 
 created 
 
XIFE OF SERVETUS. 65 
 
 which they had written againft 
 
 one another; it is alledgcd, (n)( n) ib. P , 
 
 that 78 * 
 
 created all things by Jefus Chrift, Joh. x. 18. 
 After that he explains in what fenfe Jefus 
 Chrift in different places is called the Wif- 
 dom, the Power of God, the Brightnefs of 
 his Glory, Gen. xix. 24. Hebr. ii. 16. " De 
 " Trinitate divina liber tertius, perfonse 
 <c Chrifti in Verbo prasfigurationem oftendens, 
 •' vifionem Dei et Verbi hypoftafim, liber 
 <{ quartus. Nomina Dei ejufque eiTentiam 
 ** omniformem manifeftans, et rerum omnium 
 " principia, liber quimus : in quo agitur de 
 *' Spiritu Sanclo." Then follow two dia- 
 logues, which make the fixth and feventh 
 book " Primus agit de Legis nmbris ec 
 " Chrifti complemento, angelorum, ani- 
 " morum, et inferni fubflantia. Dialogus 
 M fecundus, modum generationis Chrifti do- 
 " cens, quod ipfc non fit cieatura, nee finite 
 " potential, fed vere auorandus verufque 
 M Deus." The fecond trearile of this work 
 of Serve tus is enrituled : De Fide et Juftitia 
 Regni Chrifti, Legis JulUtiam fuperantis, et de 
 Charitaie libri ires. Liber primus de Fide et 
 Juftitia Regni Chrifti, in four chapters, cap. I. 
 de Fide. cap. 2. de Fidet EJfentia. cap. 3. de 
 Juftificatione. cap. 4., de Regno Chrifti. Liber 
 fecundus de Legis et Evangelii tic Judai et Chrif- 
 tiani Differentia, in three chap.ers. cap. I. 
 Quod Judteum excellat Ch.iftianus. cap. 2. Quod 
 in Lege \ f iter it Juftitia carnis, cum in EvargeLo 
 fit Juftitia Spiritus. cap 3 Quod in lege fuerit 
 Juftitia failorum, cum in Evangelic fit Jujtiiia 
 
 F Fidii 
 
6S LIFE OF SERVETUs: 
 
 that by his means, he firft got a 
 copy of this new work of Ser- 
 
 vetus : 
 
 Fidei fiber tertius, de Charitate cum Fide collata 
 et Operis Bonis in five parts, cap. i. de Mer- 
 cede et Gloria Differentia, cap. 2. de Charitatis 
 illuftribus epittetis. cap. 3. Quid Fides effciat, 
 Quid Charitas, et Opera, cap. 4. de Faclorum 
 engine et efficacia. cap. 5. de Char it at is et 
 Fidei Ccllatione ipfiufque Charitatis Excellentia. 
 The third treatife is entituled, De Regenera- 
 tione fuperna et de Regno anti Chrijli libri qua- 
 tuor \ de Orbis perditione et Chrijli reparations 
 liber primus, in two parts. Pars prima, de 
 Orbis perditione et Chrijli reparatione. Pars 
 fecunda de Calefti, 1'errejlri et infernali Satan*?, 
 et anti-Chrifti potejlate, et de nojlra victoria, liber 
 fecundus -, pars prima, de Circumcifione vera, 
 cum reliquis Chrifii et anti-ChriJli my ft er Us 
 omnibus jam completis. Pars fecunda, de anti- 
 Chrijli myjleriis omnibus jam completis. Liber 
 tertius, de minijleriis ecclejia Chrijli ei eorum 
 efficacia, de Baptifmi efficacia, de Cana Domini. 
 Liber quartus, de Ordine Myjleriorum Regene- 
 rations f, de Catechijmo. De impofitione Manuum. 
 In the fourth part, we have thirty letters from 
 Servetus to Calvin. Epift. 1. de Chrijli filia- 
 tions Ep. 2. de generatione. Chrijli ex Dei 
 fubjlantia, et an Deltas Chrijli dicatur Filius. 
 Ep. 2. de Chrijli sterna generatione digne tern- 
 poraria. Ep. 4. 8. de natura angelorum et 
 d<emonum, an habeant corpora, et de Gigantibus, 
 Genef. 6. Ep. 9. 20. de fide jujlificante. Ep. 
 21. 30. de Natura et Potentia Fidei, et an pojfit 
 emitti. The fifth piece of this work is the 
 
 Sigria 
 
LIFE OF • SERVE TUS. $rj 
 
 vetus : others only fay 3 ; (o) that ^ c ^ 
 
 Calvin having; learned that Ser- Cibl - 
 
 11 r i • i_ ! An s 1 ' t * 
 
 vetus was the author ot this book, 2. p. 102. 
 
 and that he found means to get a 
 
 copy of it. Mr. d'Alwoerden is 
 
 lilent as to the manner how this 
 
 work 
 
 Signa fexaginta regni anti-Cbrijli et Revelatio 
 ejus jam nunc prafens. Laft of all, there is 
 de Myfterio Trinitatis et veterum dijciplina ad 
 Philippum Melanchtonem et ejus collegas. Such 
 are the contents of Servetus's work, of which 
 I have a fplendid copy before me, (befides the 
 one communicated to me by Mr. Trenchin) 
 taken from the copy made from the very- 
 original of Szent-Ivani, and where the pages 
 of the printed copy are exactly marked in the 
 margin. From a note of Samuel Crellius 
 found here, amongfl other remarks, I learn, 
 that he had made a prefent of that MS. now 
 in the pofTeffion of Mr. Trenchin, to Mr. 
 Andrew Erafmus Scidel, Counfellor to his 
 Pruffian Majefty, after whofe death it was 
 purchafed by Mr. de la Croze, who gave it 
 in a prefent to Mr. John Chriftopher Wolf, 
 of Hamburgh, by whom it was conveyed to 
 Mr. UfTemback's library, which being fold at 
 Francfort after the profeflbr's death, Peter de 
 Hondt the bookfeller caufed the MS. to be 
 purchafed, where Crellius had ieen and 
 owned it, and from thence it came into Mr. 
 Trenchin's pofiefllon. With refpecl: to the 
 printed original from whence thefe copies are 
 F 2 taken, 
 
61 LIFE OF SEfcVETUS. 
 
 work fell into Calvin's hands ; but 
 he affures us, that Calvin, who 
 found out by fecret means what- 
 ever concerned Servetus, knew 
 immediately that Servetus was the 
 author of this book. May not all 
 
 thefe 
 
 taken, there is fome probability that it has 
 fallen into the hands of the Jeiliits, who per- 
 haps could give fome account of it j this at 
 leaft is what Mr. Crellius means in a note : 
 M Poftea Amftelodami, Ann. 1735, a clarif- 
 ■* fimo Stephano Agh, ecclefise Unitariorum 
 " Tranfylvanorum, tunc alumno ftudiofo 
 " nunc profefTore gymnafii eorum Claudipoli- 
 tc tani, percepti, opus illud typis impreffum 
 " Servetianum, jam inter Unitarios Tranfyl- 
 M vanos non reperiri. Nam eum eis, occu- 
 " pata a Leopoldo imperatore Tranfylvania, 
 " utrumque templum Claudiopoli a Romano- 
 ct Catholicis adimiretur, imminente hoc peri- 
 • e culo improvide fecuri, neglexerunt Bibli- 
 " othecam fuam e templo majore, ubi collo- 
 cc cata fuerit, mature fubducere, quas proinde 
 " a Jefuitis occupata fuit." (We fee in a 
 catalogue of Mr. de Bpze's books, p. 40. 
 this work of Servetus, if not the only copy, 
 at leaft a very curious one; a Angularity 
 which ftruck me, is, that it is dated 1559, 
 whereas the book had been printed in 1553 : 
 perhaps after Servetus's death, they put a new 
 title to fome copies which had efcaped de- 
 ftruction.) I flatter myfelf that thefe parti- 
 culars 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. | 
 
 thefe variations make us fufpecl: 
 that thefe gentlemen hazard their 
 conjectures only to bring Calvin 
 in the play ? This is not all ; the 
 hiftorians of Servetus pretend that 
 Calvin, by the affiftance of a 
 profelyte of his at Geneva, called 
 William Frie, found means to 
 arreft Servetus at Vienne : but it 
 is not difficult to prove, that there 
 is a great deal of paffion in every 
 thing that has been publifhed on 
 this fubjecl, and many things are 
 advanced without proofs (M). Be 
 
 that 
 
 culars will not difpleafe the curious. I mall 
 fay nothing here of Servetus's opinions, be- 
 caufe I (hall have occafion to fay fomething of 
 them afterwards ; and if my time allows me, 
 I fhall make them known more fully than 
 hitherto has been done. 
 
 (M) And many things are advanced without 
 proofs.]' I have already obferved in the text, 
 that the hiftorians of Servetus don't agree 
 amongft themfelves : as to the manner in 
 which Calvin was concerned in the arrefting 
 this phyfician, let us firft give their different 
 accounts, and then make our obfervations 
 upon them. Mr. de la Roche fays, C77) (77) Ibfd. 
 **_ Although the Chrijiiamfini ReftituHo hadp, iq 2 . 
 F 3 '* been 
 
7 o LIFE OF SERVET'US. 
 
 that as it will, William Trie of 
 Lyons, who had embraced the 
 
 reformed 
 
 cc been printed very fecretly, Calvin under- 
 " ftood that Servetus was the author, and 
 " found means to get a copy of it. After 
 " which he caufed a letter to be written to 
 " Lyons, by one William Trie, in the month 
 " of March, i 53, in which Servetus was 
 " reprefented as extremely pernicious. This 
 <c letter was accompanied with the title, the 
 " index and the firft meets or his book. Ser- 
 " vetus complained of this at Geneva, during 
 " his trial, and laid that Calvin had lent 
 " thefe letters to Lyons, that he might be 
 <c arretted and purfued as a heretick. About 
 * £ fifteen days thereafter, Calvin by the fame 
 " peribn fent to France, more than twenty 
 " Latin letters, which he had received from 
 *' Servetus, that he might the more eahly be 
 <c convi&ed of herefy : There is mention 
 " made of thefe letters in the fentence, that 
 " was pronounced againfr. him at Vienne." 
 
 (7S)Apud_L et us f u bjoin Mr. Alewoerde's account (78): 
 1 . a. . u S erve t US ve ry foon furnifhed Calvin with 
 
 383, ^84. " tri at favourable opportunity, the latter was 
 " feeking to attack him more dangeroufly; 
 " for, in the beginning of the year 1553, 
 " he published at Vienne, a very pernicious 
 " book. It is true that this book was pub- 
 " lifned under a feigned name, fmce he there 
 ** calls himfelf Villaneuve : but Calvin who 
 41 detected what regarded Servetus by fecret 
 ** means, immediately knew that Servetus 
 *» was the author of this book. Serving him- 
 
 " felf 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. yr 
 
 reformed religion and lived at Ge- 
 neva, kept a correfpondence by 
 
 letters, 
 
 " felf for that end, of a certain Lyonnefe, 
 " called William Trie, who lived in Geneva 5 
 " he made Servetus's name publick, and that 
 " fo efFeclually, that he was put in prifon. 
 " That thefe things patted in this manner, 
 " and that Calvin was the fole canfe of Ser- 
 vetus's imprisonment, befides what I have 
 already Said of the hatred he bore him, a 
 great many other things put it beyond all 
 doubt: Firft, the a<5ts of the procefs itSelf, 
 and tne Sentence pronounced againft him 
 by^he judges of Vicnne, evidently prove 
 it. Acid to that, Servetus relates this very 
 thing, which is contained in thefe pieces. 
 Jerom Bollec confirms it likewife. All this 
 is confirmed, and clearly explained by the 
 " dialogues between Vaticanus and Calvin, 
 " which were publi>Tied againfl: Calvin's trea- 
 " tile, de puniendis Heretics. From whence it 
 " appears likewife, that William Trie lived 
 " then at Geneva : befides^ the magiflrates of 
 " Vienne teftified the fame thing, by the 
 " mefienger who came from the Genevefc to 
 " them-, that is, that Servetus had been put 
 ** in prifon at tne inftigation of the chief 
 " minifter, which could mean no body elfe 
 IS but Calvin." Mr. d'Artigny has, if pof- 
 fible, improved upon the reft (79); but we (79) Ncv. 
 are obliged to him for publishing thefe pieces, M . em - de 
 which Serve to confute himfelf and them q x ^ t 
 likewife, after having faid that Frellon fur- 2 . p . 7 8," 
 nilhed Calvin with a copy of Servetus's book, 79* 
 
 he 
 
7$ LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 letters, with one of his relations 
 called Anthony Arney, eftablilhed 
 
 at 
 
 he adds, **• That Calvin was extremely 
 *' fhocked at the difdainful manner with 
 " which he fpoke of his perfon and works s 
 *' but joy loon fucceeded this refenunenr, 
 *' when he found that Servetus himfelf gave 
 * c him an opportunity to deftroy him, which 
 *' he had long fought after. There was then 
 " at Geneva one William Trie, born at 
 •' Lyons, lately become a prolelyte to the 
 '* pretended reformed religion. He kept a 
 " correfpondence by letters with one of his 
 " relations callrd Anthony Arney, fettled at 
 " Lyons, who inceffantly exhorted him to 
 " return to the bofom of the Romifli church. 
 * 4 Trie communicated Arney's letters to 
 i *' Calvin, who dictated the anfwers to th'-m. 
 " It was by the help of this man that he 
 " wanted to fatiate his revenge : he made 
 ■* him write a letter to his relation, in th6 
 " month of February, &c." At the end of 
 this ftory comes William Trie's firft letter, 
 which Mr. d'Artigny intitles, as he does the 
 reft of them, " Calvin's letter under the 
 *' name of William Trie." He gives them 
 from the original, and we are obliged to in- 
 fert them here, becaufe they will furnifh us 
 with proofs againft the hiftorians of Servetus* 
 Here is the firft: 
 
 " Sir, my Coufin, 
 " I thank you heartily for fo many fine 
 6C remonftrances you have made, and don't 
 
 " doubt 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 at Lyons. This laft was conti- 
 nually exhorting him to re-enter 
 
 into 
 
 *' doubt but you have acted from friendfhip, 
 
 " by endeavouring to bring me back to the 
 
 " place I have departed from •, fo much the 
 
 " more as I am noc acquainted with letters as 
 
 " you are, I mall, however, do my bed to 
 
 " fetisfy you as to the points and articles 
 
 *' wh ch you alledge: Qod has given me, 
 
 '•' however, lb much knowledge that I have 
 
 " fo nething to anfwer. For God be praifed, 
 
 " I am not lo ill-founded as not to know, 
 
 " that the Church hadi Jefus Chrift for its 
 
 M Head, from wlrch it never can be fepa- 
 
 " rated; and that it ha:h otherwife neither 
 
 , <e life nor falvation ; and that above all, k 
 
 * c cannot exift but in God's Truth, which is 
 
 *' contained in the Holy Scripture: and 
 
 " therefore, whatever you advance about the 
 
 *' Church, I look upon as a perfect phantom 
 
 *' except Jefus Chrift prcfide* in it, as having 
 
 *' fud authority, and that the word of God 
 
 '* reigns there as the foundation and the 
 
 * c fubftance, without which all your formal*- 
 
 *' ties go for nothing. I beg you will reflect 
 
 " upon the liberty I take with you, which is 
 
 *' not only to defend my caufe, but to give 
 
 *' you an opportunity of thinking ferioufly by 
 
 •' yourielf. But to be Ihort, I am aftomlhed 
 
 *' how you dare reproach me amongft other 
 
 * c things, with our having no ecclefialtical 
 
 *' difcipline or order •, and that our teacheis 
 
 " have introduced a licenrioufnefs, which 
 
 *' throws every thing into confulwn i and yet 
 
 "at 
 
 B 
 
74 ' LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 into the bofom of the church of 
 Rome. Trie in anfwering him 
 
 February 
 
 *'* at the fame time, I can obferve (blefled be 
 44 God) that vices are better corrected here 
 " than among all your officials. And as to 
 44 the doctrine, and what concerns religion, 
 " although there is more liberty here than 
 " amongftyou, neverthelefs it is not permitted 
 44 to blaipheme the name of God, or that 
 44 doctrines or wicked opinions fhould be 
 44 fown without being repreflcd. To your 
 " great confufion I can give you one example, 
 44 fince I am forced to mention it, which is, 
 44 that with you they fupport a heretick, who 
 44 deferves to be burnt wherever he is found ; 
 when I mention to you a heretick, I mean 
 one who (hall be condemned by the papifts, 
 as well as by us, at lead he deferves to be 
 fo : for albeit we may differ in opinion 
 44 about many things, yet we are ftill agreed, 
 " that there are Three Perfans in one Effence 
 •' of God i and that the Father hath begotten 
 44 the Son, who is his Eternal Wifdom before 
 44 all time, and that he hath had his Eternal 
 " Virtue, which is his Holy Spirit. But 
 <c when a man fhall fay, that the Trinity 
 " which we maintain, is a Cerberus, an in- 
 " fernal Minifter; and difgorge all the villa- 
 te nies that pofiibly can be thougln of, againft 
 * c what the Scripture teaches of the eternal 
 " Generation of the Son of God •, and that 
 44 the Holy Spirit is the Efficacy of the Fa- 
 tc ther and the Son, and with open mouth 
 44 fhall make a mock of all which the anti.ent 
 
 44 doctors 
 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 7^ 
 
 Feb uciry 26, 15^3, reproaches 
 him for fupporting amongft the 
 
 Roman 
 
 doctors have taught, I beg to know what 
 efteem and regard you can have for him ? 
 I fay this to obviate all the replies you 
 can make me, and that you don't deceit- 
 fully hold that for an error which we main- 
 tain to be luch : for what I have faid you 
 will not only acknowledge to be an error, 
 but a detedable herefy, which is fufficient 
 to abolifh chriftianity ; I am obliged to 
 fpeak freely : What a lhame is It that thefe 
 are perfecuted to death, who fay, That we 
 muft invoke One only God, in the name of 
 Jefus Chrijl ; 'That there is no other fatisfac- 
 tion but that which has been made in the 
 Death and Paffion of Jefus Chrijl ; That 
 there is no other purgatory but in his blood - x 
 That there is no other fervice agreeable to 
 God but that which he commands and approves 
 by hi Word \ That all pictures and images 
 counterfeited by men, are fo many idols which 
 profane his Majejly; That we ought to keep 
 the Sacraments after the ufage appointed by 
 Jefus Chrifi ? But to fee that they are not 
 content with putting fuch people limply to 
 death, but that they fhould be cruelly 
 burned. And yet behold him who fhall 
 call Jefus Chritr. an idol ; who fhall deftroy 
 all the foundations of faith; who mall 
 gather together all the dreams of the 
 ancient hereticks ; who mall even condemn 
 the baptifm of little children, calling' it a 
 diabolical invention ; and yet he ihall have 
 
 " the 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 Roman catholicks, fuch a danger* 
 ous heretick as Servetus; and to 
 
 prove 
 
 c< the vogue amongft you, and be fupported 
 64 as if he had committed no fault. Where 
 * 4 is, I pray you, the zeal you pretend to ? 
 64 and where is the wifdom of this fine Hier- 
 64 archy you magnify fo much ? The man I 
 " fpeak of to you, has been condemned in 
 " all the churches which you reprove. In the 
 " mean time he is tolerated amongft you, 
 * 4 even to the printing of his books ; which 
 * 4 are fo full of blafphemy, that I need not 
 44 fay any thing more of them. This man 
 c4 is a Portuguefe Spaniard, called Michael 
 " Servetus for his proper name, but at pre- 
 " fent he calls himfelf Villeneuve, pradthing 
 " phytic. He has made fome (lay at Lyons 5 
 44 juft now he is at Vienne, where the book 
 tc I have mentioned, has been printed by a 
 44 certain perion who has directed the prefs, 
 * 4 called Balthazard Arnoulet; and that you 
 44 may not think I talk upon hearfay, I fend 
 * 4 you the firft meet as a fpecimen. You fay, 
 " that fuch books as contain nothing elfe, 
 •* but that, 'we muft keep to the pure fimplicity 
 " pf the Holy Scripture, poifon the world ; 
 44 and if they came from any other quarter, 
 •* you would not fuffcr them ; mean time 
 * 4 you fofter thefe poilbns, which are enough 
 44 to annihilate the Holy Scripture, and every 
 44 article of the chriftian religion you believe. 
 " I had almoft forgot myfelf by mentioning 
 4< this example; for I have been four times 
 u longer than I thought, but the enormity 
 
 it of 
 
LIFE OF SERVE.TUS. ?£ 
 
 prove to him what he advanced, 
 he fent him the title, index, and 
 
 the ' 
 
 " of the cafe has made me go beyond bounds; 
 " and for this reafon I fhall not be long upon 
 " other matters -, as in truth I don't fee any 
 <£ great ncceflity of anfwering you upon every 
 " article. Only I intreat you to enter a little 
 " further into your own conference, that 
 " you may judge yourfelf ; fo that when you 
 " muft appear before the great Judge, you 
 " may not be condemned. For to lay all in 
 " one word, we have no other aim, except 
 " to afk of God that he would hear us ; 
 " wherefore making an end for the prefent, 
 " I fhall pray to God that he may give you 
 " ears to hear, and a heart to obey ; that he 
 *' may take you in the mean time into his 
 " holy keeping •, recommending myfelf with 
 *' great fincerity, to your favour, and that of 
 *' my coufin, your brother. From Geneva, 
 " February the 26th.'* 
 
 This letter occafioned a profecution agarnft 
 Servetus •, but, as they could not in the mean 
 while find fufficient matter to caufe him to be 
 arretted, Arneys had orders to write to Trie 
 and defire him to fend the treatife of Chrifti- 
 anifmi Restitutio entire ; Ory the inquifuor 
 dictated the letter himfelf. " Calvin," fays 
 Mr. d'Artigny, (80) " charmed with finding (go) ub. 
 " that every thing fucceeded according to his^pr- p- 
 " defire, composed an anfwer in his confi-9 2 * 
 " dant's name, and fent other papers which 
 *' were more than fufficient to convict Ville- 
 *^ neuve : the two following letters charac- 
 
 " terife 
 
78 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 the four fir ft ftie^ts of Cbrif- 
 tiamfmi Rejtitutio. Arneys piqued 
 
 to 
 
 " terife this pretended reformer to perfection, 
 " who with an external fhew of great modera- 
 " tton, and an ardent zeal for religion, me- 
 " ditared nothing elle but revenge for per- 
 " ibnai injunes." We fee that Mr. d'Ar- 
 tigny is highly delighted with the evil he 
 believes he can lay of Calvin, and we mail 
 fee below, that he publifhes it with as 
 much aiTurance as it is ill-founded ; let us 
 proceed to the other two letters which we 
 can't fjpprefs without doing an injury to 
 truth : here is the fecond. 
 
 " Sir, my Coufin, 
 " When I wrote you the letter which 
 " you communicated to thefe who were taxed 
 *' in it with cowardice, I did not think the 
 " matter would have gone lb far ; my fole 
 *' intention was to remonftrate againft the 
 " flaminor zeal and devotion of thofe who 
 cc call themfelves Pillars of the Church, while 
 " they fuffer fnch diforder amongft them, 
 " and mean while fo cruelly perfecute thefe 
 " poor chriftians who defire to follow God in 
 " fimplicity : and fince the example was fo 
 " notorious, and that I was advertifed of it, 
 " I thought it gave me a very natural occa- 
 *' fion to mention it in my letters in the 
 tc manner I have done ; but fince you have 
 ct published what I only wrote you privately, 
 cc God grant for the belt, that it may tend to 
 " purge chriftianity from fuch ordures •, con- 
 
 fidering 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 79 
 
 no doubt, with his friend's re- 
 proaches, communicated the letter 
 
 and 
 
 " fidering what deadly plagues they are, if 
 " they are fo much inclined to be employed 
 " this way as you fay, the thing does not 
 te appear to me to be very different, although 
 ** for the prefent you can't furnilh them 
 " with that which you defire, viz. the printed 
 " book. But I mall put into your hands 
 " more than enough to convict him, viz. 
 " two dozen of pieces written by the perfon 
 " in queition, where a part of his herefies 
 " are contained ; if he is confronted with 
 " the printed book he may deny it, that 
 " which he cannot do with his own hand- 
 " writing. And lo the people you mention, 
 '" having the thing fully proved, can have 
 " no excuie if they difTemble or delay taking 
 ** proper meafures any longer. As for the 
 " reft, the large bock, as alio the other 
 " treatife, written with the author's hand, 
 " are here ; but I mud confefs one thing to 
 " you, that I had a great deal of trouble to 
 " get what I ferjt you out of Mr. Calvin's 
 " hands, not that he dees not defire, that 
 fuch execrable herefies mould not be fup- 
 prefled, but becaufe he thinks that as he 
 does not bear the fword of juftice, his duty 
 confifts rather in expofing herefies by 
 do&rine, than perfecuting them by fuch 
 " means. But I have importuned him fo 
 " much, remonftrating to him the reproach 
 "*of levity which I would certainly incur, if 
 ** he did give me his afliftance: at laft he 
 
 *' agreed 
 
$0 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 and the fheets which accompa- 
 nied it, to Matthew Ory inqui- 
 
 iitor, 
 
 agreed to give me what you fee ; befides 
 this, I hope when the caule, fhall be in a 
 better train, to recover in time about a 
 quire of that very paper which the gentle- 
 man has caufed to be printed. But for the 
 prefent I think you fufficiently furnifhed 
 with good materials, and you will find no 
 difficulty of having more than enough for 
 feizing his perfon, and commencing his 
 proceis. As for myfelf, I pray God that he 
 would open the eyes of thofe who fpeak fo 
 wickedly, in order to learn to judge more 
 favourably of the inclination which moves 
 us. As for that part of your letter wherein 
 it appears, that you are not willing to 
 enter any further upon the fubject of our 
 former correfpondence ; I fhall endeavour 
 likewife, not to give you any trouble on 
 that head, hoping that God at laft will 
 make you fenfible, that I have not taken 
 this ftep rafhly ; recommending myfelf to 
 your favour, and praying God to keep you 
 in his. Geneva, March the 26th." Let 
 us add to this, William Trie's third letter. 
 
 <c Sir, my Coufin, 
 cc I hope that I fhall have fatisfied you in 
 <e part, as to what you have afked me, 
 <c fending you the hand-writing of him who 
 " has compofed the book, and in the laft of 
 *' thefe letters which you have received, you 
 *« will find that he has confeflcd his name, 
 4 «' which 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 81 
 
 fitor, whom Cardinal de Tourrion 
 
 archbifhop and governor of Lyons, 
 
 had 
 
 " which he had difguifed, but he excufes 
 " himfelf in calling himfelf Villeneuve, fince 
 <c that his name is Servetus, alias Reves, 
 " faying that he took his name from the city 
 " where he was born; befides if it pleafe 
 " God, I mail keep my promife, that if 
 " there is any need for it, I fhall furnifh you 
 " with thefe treatifes which he has caufed to be 
 " printed, and written with his own hand, 
 " as well as the letters : I would have had a 
 " great deal of trouble in getting hold of 
 " them if they had been in this city, but 
 " they have been at Lufanne thefe two years. 
 " If Mr. Calvin had had them, I believe of 
 " whatever confequence they were, he would 
 " have immediately remitted them to the 
 " author. But fince he has addrefTed letters 
 " to others alfo, thefe have kept them. I 
 " have even heard formerly that the aforefaid 
 " gentleman (Calvin) having given anfwers 
 " fufficient to content any reafonable man, 
 " feeing that he could gain nothing in a work 
 " of this kind, he would not condefcend to read 
 *' any more upon the fubject ; as it was already 
 fluffed with ftupid fancies and nonfenfe, while 
 the other did nothing elfe but repeat always 
 * c the fame fong: and that you may know 
 " that it is not juft now, that this unhappy 
 " man has fpared no pains to trouble the 
 " church, endeavouring to miflead the igno- 
 " rant with himfelf; it is more than twenty 
 41 four years ago that they have turned him 
 G " out. 
 
 cc 
 
%% LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 had ordered to come from Rome 
 to watch over the hereticks ; Ory 
 having examined the pieces in 
 queftion, with Benedict Buatier 
 Vicar General to the Cardinal ; 
 they refolved to advertife this 
 prelate, who was then in his caftle 
 of Rouffilon, three leagues below 
 
 Vienne, 
 
 44 out, and driven him from the principal 
 44 churches in Germany, and if he had found 
 44 any place of reft, he would never have left 
 44 it. Amongft the letters of Oecolampadius r 
 44 the firft and fecond are addreffed to him in 
 44 a tide which very properly belongs to him, 
 44 Serveto Hifpano neganti Chriftum ejje Dei 
 44 filium^ confubjlantialem Patri : Melanchton 
 " talks of him in fome paffages likewife, 
 44 but I think that you have a very eafy proof 
 44 from what I have fent you, to proceed 
 44 farther, at leaft for a beginning. As to the 
 44 printer, I have not told you the marks 
 4< whereby we underftand that it was Bal- 
 4 ' thazard Arnoullet and William Gueroult 
 44 his brother-in-law; but there rs fufficient 
 44 proofs to confirm it, and indeed he cannot 
 44 deny it •, very poflibly this fhall be at the 
 44 author's charge, and that he fhall take all 
 44 the copies into his own hand, but you will 
 44 find that the impreflion is come from the 
 44 fhop that I have mentioned. As to what 
 44 the melfenger delires to be difpatched im- 
 
 jj mediately, 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. $3 
 
 Vienne, the inquifitor wrote the 
 1 2th of March to Mr. de Villars, 
 the Cardinal's auditor, that he 
 might give information to the 
 prelate; this laft conjunctly with 
 this Grand Vicar, and with Lewis 
 Arzellier, Grand Vicar of the Arch- 
 bimop of Vienne, whom he had 
 
 ap- 
 
 " mediately, having delivered me your letters 
 " very late, for fear 1 fuppofe, that I fhould 
 " anfwer you to the purpofej wherefore I 
 <c defire you will excufe my hurry. I believe 
 " I forgot to write to you, that after you 
 " fliall have ufed the letters, you will not 
 " fuffer them to be fcattered, that they may 
 " be returned to me : and here I fhall make 
 " an end at prefenr, always recommending 
 " myfelf to your kind favour, without for- 
 " getting my coufin your brother, being 
 " glad that God has blefTed him with an 
 " offspring as you write to me. May God 
 " by his Holy Spirit direct you to do what 
 " is agreeable to him. From Geneva the 
 " laft of March." 
 
 After giving the originals themfelves, it is 
 Incumbent on me to prove what I have faid, 
 that there is a great deal of partiality in what 
 is publimed about Calvin on this fubjecl:, 
 and that many things are advanced without 
 proofs. 
 
 G a I. I obferve 
 
«4 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 appointed, took proper meafures 
 and wrote to Mr. de Maugiron, 
 Lieutenant General for the King; 
 in Dauphine, for whom he made 
 the necefiary fearch at Vienne. 
 They began the procefs againft 
 Servetus March 16, who is always 
 called Michael de Villeneuve ; 
 
 the 
 
 I. I obferve that if Calvin had caufed Ser- 
 vetus to be arretted at Vienne, he would not 
 have denied it, according to the principles 
 he then had. " If it had been," fays he, 
 
 (Si) De- " really objected to me, (81) that I had made 
 daratioii t < ^j m p L1 blickly known in order to have 
 •P«5*»« fc m p Un ifhed by any perfon whatfoever, 
 " I would not have denied it ; and don't 
 " think that could have turned out to my 
 " dishonour." A man who talks in this 
 flrain deierves to be believed, and we ought 
 not to tax him with lying for the pleafure of 
 it, without a demonstration. 
 
 II. The perfonal hatred which they afcribe 
 to Calvin againft Servetus, is purely imagi- 
 nary, and contradicted even by facts. Calvin 
 detefted Servetus with refpect to his opinions, 
 but we have no proof that he hated his 
 perfon. They pretend that it was the Chrif- 
 tianifmi Reflitutio which determined Calvin to 
 deftroy Servetus. But in the year 1546, he 
 had fent a MS. of this book to the divine of 
 Geneva, or, according to others, a MS. at 
 
 leaft 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. %5 
 
 the judges ordered him to Mr. 
 de Maupiron's houfe, interrogated 
 him, and afterwards examined his 
 papers. As Amoullet was abfent, 
 the * judges ordered William 
 Gueroult his brother-in-law di- 
 rector and corrector of the prefs, 
 to attend ; but they couid not 
 
 draw 
 
 lead of the fame kind ; and they allure us 
 that when Caivin conceived fuch an impla- 
 cable hatred againft him, that he wrote tp 
 Viret and Farel in 1547, tnat ne fh° l1 ld caufe 
 him to lofe his life if he could find him (82). (82) Vid. 
 Behold however, fix years run, during which Rem - i 1 ) 
 time the vindictive Calvin fuffers Servetus 
 to live in peace j the means of revenging 
 himfelf however, were not wanting, fince he 
 had in his hands the fame pieces upon which 
 they alledge, that this Phyfician had been 
 condemned at Vienne. He has a MS. of 
 Rejlitutio Chrijlianifmi^ or at lead fomething 
 of that kind. He has letters of Servetus, 
 if it was by them that Calvin wanted to 
 ferve himfelf, as means of deftroying Ser- 
 vetus, why did he delay producing thefe 
 materials till the year 1553 ? Would they 
 not have done the fame injury to Servetus 
 in the year 1547, that they did him fix years 
 after? Here we don't fee that implacable 
 hatred which the hiftorians of Servetus fo 
 freely afcribe to Calvin ; add to this the 
 G 3 fanner 
 
B6 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 draw any information from him ; 
 and as little by vifiting his houfe, 
 his prmting-houfe, and his papers, 
 or by the queftions they asked the 
 printer's boys feparately. March 
 18, Arnoullet being returned, was 
 interrogated, but to no purpofe ; 
 fo that they came to this fentence, 
 
 " That 
 
 manner in which this divine exprefTes him- 
 felf in his anfwer to Servetus, and which we 
 have related above (58). Mr. d'Artigny fays, 
 " That Calvin was exceedingly mocked at 
 " the difdainful manner wherewith they talked 
 *' of his perfon and his works." But I don't 
 know any place in this work where there is 
 any particular queftion about Calvin and his 
 works, except the letters which Calvin had a 
 long time after. 
 
 III. Mr. d'Alwoerden doubly deceives him- 
 felf in faying that Servetus pnblifhed his 
 book under the feigned name of Villeneufoe, 
 and that Calvin made his true name known,, 
 reffum nomen. Mr. de la Chapelle likewife has 
 (%3) L Bibli believed without foundation, (83) that the 
 t."i°p." ^ieur Villeneufoe had put his name at the 
 387. ' head of the book, but he had reafon to 
 correct the hiftorian of Servetus as to the 
 imputation he throws upon Calvin. The 
 name of Villeneuve was not unknown to the 
 magiftrates of Vienne ; on the contrary, Ser- 
 vetus was known by this name only at 
 4 Vienne j 
 
LIFE OF SERVE TUS. IJ 
 
 <c That there was not as yet fuffi- 
 cc cient evidence for an imprifon- 
 c< ment." But they refolved to 
 oblige Arneys to write to his 
 friend at Geneva, to fend him the 
 whole book, Chrijlianifmi Refii- 
 tutio, Inftead of the book which 
 Trie could not get, he fent fome 
 
 letters 
 
 Vienne-, there was therefore no neceffity for 
 making it known, that Villenenve was Ser- 
 vetus ; fo far from that, we find in our 
 Spaniard's fecond interrogatory, that he pre- 
 tends not to be Servetus, but only the Sieur 
 de Villenenve. He was the very perfon who 
 had been imprifoned, interrogated, and fen- 
 tenced ; Calvin is therefore accufed very im- 
 properly, of a thing which was quite ufelefs, 
 fince the name of Villenenve had been on the 
 title-page of his book, every body muft have 
 known him at Vienne. 
 
 IV. It is afTerted with great afTurance, that 
 Calvin cauied Trie to write, that he is the 
 author of the letters of this profelyte, and 
 had dilated them •, but where is the proof of 
 this fact ? Has Mr. d'Artigny who tells us 
 that he has the originals of thefe letters, 
 given proofs of what he advances ? What is 
 publifhed with refpecT: to this, takes its rife 
 from the dialogues, inter Vaticanum et Calvi- 
 num. We read there what follows (84) : (84) ib. 
 £ Cum Michael Servetus curaret libros fuos 
 G 4 V. imprimi 
 
S3 LJFEOFSERVETUS. 
 
 letters of Servetus's to Calvin, 
 which he prevailed upon this 
 divine to give him. April 4, 
 there was held a grand meeting 
 at the cafile or Rouffillon, and 
 after a mature examination, it was 
 concluded, that Michael de Ville- 
 neuve physician, and Bakhazard 
 
 Arnoullet 
 
 86 imprimi Viennse, fuit quidam Lugdu- 
 " nenfis, Geneva; habitans, qui literas 
 * c fcripfit ad quendam Lugdunenfem amicum 
 " fuum, Lugduni habitantem, in quibus 
 ** Uteris inter casie»a fcribebat talia, Ncs non 
 " favemus bareticis, cum vos patiamini a pud vos 
 " Michaelem Srrvtum, bominem waxim." .hare-- 
 " ticam, qui facit imprimi libros pines errorum, 
 " et is ejl nunc Vienna in tali domo, &V. Has 
 " literas qui viderunt putant fcriptas fuiffe a 
 *' Calvino ob ftylum fimilem, nee tantam 
 <c Luguunenfis illius eloquentiam ut potuerit 
 " tarn diferte fcribere, ipfe quieem Lugdu- 
 " nenfis dixit fuiffe a fe facias. Fuerunt 
 *' autem de induftria ita mirTas, ficut nobis 
 " narrarunt qui ipfi has lireras viderunt ut 
 " venirent in manus magiftratus, atque adeo 
 " ipfius Cardinalis Turnonii, i. e. When Ser- 
 " vetus was taking care of the printing of 
 " his books at Vienne, there was a certain 
 cc Lyonnefe living at Geneva, who wrote a 
 " letter to a certain Lyonnefe his friend, 
 ^ living at Lyons, wherein he faid j We don't 
 
 " favour 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. «o 
 
 Arnoullet bookfeller, " Should be 
 " taken into cuftody, made and 
 ? detained prifoners, to anfwer 
 " upon their iincerity, the charges 
 " and informations laid againft 
 <c them." About fix o'clock in 
 the evening the Archbiinoo of 
 Vienne's Grand Vicar ordered 
 
 Arnoullet 
 
 <c favour heretieks, while you tolerate amcngft 
 "you Michael Servetus. a very great heretic k ; 
 " who caufes books to be printed which are full 
 *f of errors. He is jufl now at Vienne, lodged 
 ** in fuch a hcufe, &c. Thoie Who have leen 
 " this letter, believe that it was written by 
 " Calvin, on account of the hkenefs of the 
 *' ftyle i as the Lyonnefe was not orator 
 *' enough to write io elegantly. The Lyon- 
 " nefe laid, however, that they were written 
 " by himlelf, and as thoie have told us who 
 * 4 have feen them, they were fent in fuch a 
 " way, as that they fhould fall ir>to the hands 
 " of the magiftrates, and confequently into 
 " the hands of Cardinal de Tournon." 
 Obferve here, that Calvin's cotemporaries 
 only fufpedled that he was the author of the 
 letters, and yet MefT. de la Roche, d'All- 
 woerde, and d'Artigny, more than two cen- 
 turies after, are perfectly fure that they were 
 dictated by Calvin. Obferve alio, that v\ illiam 
 Trie affirms, that he is the author of them ; 
 that Calvin does not afcribe them to himlelf, 
 ■ : ■ : and 
 
9 o LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 Arnoullet to be arretted, who was 
 
 carried to the Archbilhop's prifon. 
 
 At the fame time the Vice-bailiff 
 
 went to Mr. de Maugiron's houfe, 
 
 where Michael de Villeneuve was 
 
 waiting on the faid gentleman in 
 
 his ficknefs, he told him that 
 
 there were a great many lick and 
 
 wounded 
 
 and that Arneys does not declare that he fuf- 
 pected that his relation had borrowed the 
 afiiftance of another, notwithstanding of all 
 •which, they are pofitive that Calvin had 
 written and dedicated thefe letters, for which 
 no reaion can be given except that they are 
 determined at any rate to make him odious. 
 What is laid about the ftyle, fignifi s little 
 except they had fome other of William Trie's 
 letters, and I can't fee upon what foundation 
 they can conclude, that thefe which were 
 written with his hand are not his own. 
 
 V. Let us examine the letters themfelves, 
 and we ihall find that they fufficiently intimate 
 their true author. We fee by the firft, that 
 Arneys had attacked Trie upon changing 
 his religion, &'c. that he had amongft other 
 things reproached him, " That amongft the 
 " reformed there was neither ecclefiaftical dif- 
 *' cipline, nor order •, and that their teachers 
 " had introduced a licence, to throw every 
 " thing into confufion. 51 The profelyte an-. 
 fvversj and takes occafion from what he knew 
 
 abouc 
 
LIFE OF SERVE T US. 01 
 
 wounded prifoners in the palace of 
 Dauphine, and begged of him 
 that he would go along with him, 
 and vifit them. Servetus con- 
 fented, and when he was making 
 his vints, the Vice-bailiff fent 
 to the Grand Vicar, defiring he 
 would come and join them y when 
 
 he 
 
 about Servetus, to retort the reproaches he 
 had thrown upon him, and quickly to recri- 
 minate in his turn. Is there any thing more 
 fimple, and mud we go about to find a great 
 deal of myftery in it ? And what is the whole 
 affair ? This friend at Lyons piqued without 
 doubt, at the reproach thrown upon his 
 church, communicates his letter to a vigilant 
 inquifitor ; fleps are taken, they want to 
 know more of the matter, they caufe him to 
 write to Trie; what does this laft aniwer ? 
 That he is furprifed that his relation had 
 fhewn his letter, that he had not mentioned 
 Servetus but to return his reproaches, and to 
 mew the injuftice of perfecuting the reformed, 
 while they tolerated people of luch a character 
 as Servetus. All this is very far from what is 
 pretended, that the letter had been written 
 with a defign to make it fall into the hands 
 of the magistrates and Cardinal de Tournon, 
 We muft not forget that if Calvin himfelf 
 had formed an intrigue to deftroy Servetus, 
 |)e would have turned his view towards 
 
 Vienne, 
 
$z LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 he arrived, they acquainted the 
 Phyfician, that he was their pri- 
 soner, and was to anfvver e to the 
 charges and informations laid 
 againft him ; they ordered the 
 jaylcr to life him civilly, accord- 
 ing to his rank ; they left with 
 him his valet, called Benedict 
 
 Perrin, 
 
 Vienne, as it was there where he was to 
 attack him -, Father Niccron has made a 
 reflection on this, without adverting to the 
 confequence : " We fee but too well," fays 
 he, " the reafon why he wrote to Lyons 
 tc rather than Vienne, fince it was in the laft 
 " city where Servetus lived, and where his 
 " book was printed." As there was really 
 no reafon which could engage Calvin to 
 tranfact this affair at Lyons, it is a proof 
 that he did not act in it at all; and that there 
 was nothing but what was very fimple in the 
 correfpondence between Trie and his relation. 
 
 VI. What lhall we fay of the original letters 
 of Servetus to Calvin, fent to Lyons in order 
 to convict him ? This has made a great deal 
 of noiie, and one would think that the whole 
 caufe was to depend upon it. Let us examine 
 what there is in it : i. It is certain that 
 Calvin did not fend them from any motive 
 of his own, and that he made a great deal 
 of difficulty to give them up, and that 
 Trie very earnestly folicited him to furnifh' 
 
 him 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 Perrin, aged fifteen years, who 
 had been five years in his fervice ; 
 
 and 
 
 him with fomething to prove what he had 
 afferted, " I muft confefs one thing," fays 
 he, c * to yon, that I had a great deal of 
 " trouble to get what I fend you out of Mr. 
 " Calvin's hands — But I have importuned 
 " him fo much, remonftrating to him the 
 " reproach of levity which I would certainly 
 " incur, if he did not aflift me, at laft he 
 " agreed to give me what you fee." Nothing 
 is more natural •, Trie is required to give 
 fuller proofs of what he had written, by way 
 of recrimination : he was afraid of being fuf- 
 pec~ted of having afferted too much ; he knew 
 that Calvin had kept a correfpondence with 
 Servetus ; he begs of him to put him in the 
 way of getting clear of this fufpicion, and 
 at laft he obtains what he had defired. If 
 Calvin can be blamed at all, it is his giving up 
 thefe pieces too eafily -, but really Servetus 
 could not make any thing of that, fince he 
 had caufed them to be printed: befides he 
 himfelf confented that they mould be required 
 of Calvin, in a paper which he presented 
 to the magiflrates of Geneva intituled, Articles 
 upon which Michael Servetus requires that John 
 Calvin Jhall be interrogated, the 4th article is 
 in thefe words, " If about fifteen days after 
 tc the faid letter, &c. there were fent befides, 
 " by the faid Trie more than twenty Latin 
 <c letters, which the faid Servetus had written 
 " him, and he had fent them, befides the 
 <' reft, at the requeft of others, that the faid 
 
 " Servetus 
 
 93 
 
94 Ll£E OF SERVETUS. 
 
 and that day his friends had the 
 $**£*" liberty of feeing him (p). Servetus 
 fupr. p. was 
 
 78, 100. 
 
 " Servetus might with the greater certainty, 
 
 " be accufed and convicted, as it afterwards 
 
 <8 5 )Bibl.« happened." ($5) Mr. de la Chapelle has 
 
 Ang2 * commented upon this, and made fome 
 
 p. I CO. . * . - 
 
 (86)Bibl. conjectures that are very ill-founded (86). 
 Raif. t. 1. Ft is a certain truth that Calvin gave up no- 
 J>' 395* thing without being required, and that with 
 great importunity. 2. It appears by the two 
 examinations Servetus underwent, that thefe 
 pieces alone would not have been fufficient 
 to have condemned him in a rigorous manner. 
 q. His evafion makes more againft him, than 
 the letters received from Geneva : it aug- 
 mented, and that juftly, their fufpicions ; 
 gave occafion to new enquiries whereby the 
 copies of the Rejlitutio Chrijiianifmi were dis- 
 covered ; the affair was examined more 
 thoroughly, and it appears by the fentence, 
 " That the pieces in vindication of the here- 
 " fies of Servetus are different from the 
 •* letters and writings under the hand of the 
 * faid Villeneuve, addrefled to Mr. John 
 " Calvin preacher at Geneva." Although 
 thefe letters had never exifted, Servetus 
 .would not have been the lefs condemned. 
 The remarks which I have made won't allow 
 me to give credit to what is related by the 
 author of the dialogues between Vaticanum et 
 Calvinum ; that the magistrates of Vienne in 
 putting into the meffenger of Geneva's hands, 
 the copy of their fentence againft Servetus, 
 added, ' s That Servetus had fallen into their 
 
 " hands, 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 95 
 
 Was therefore arretted on the 4th 
 of April, and not in the beginning 
 of June, according to Mr. la 
 Roche (q). (N) The 5th and (q)ioc.dt. 
 6th he was interrogated. After p * I03 * 
 
 the 
 
 * £ hands, by the information of the chief 
 ** preacher at Geneva." This muft be falfe, 
 fince at leaft it would have been by the infor- 
 mation of Trie ; but this calumny is founded 
 on the fuppofition, that Calvin was the author 
 of the profelyte's letters. However, to dis- 
 mount all the batteries of Calvin's enemies, 
 nothing elfe is requested, but plainly and 
 fimply to deny this fact, and to demand the 
 proofs of it. 
 
 (N) The $th. and 6th. he was interrogated^ 
 Mr. d'Artigny (87) has furnifhed us with (g 7 ) n ot . 
 thefe two examinations which deferve a place Mem. t.3. 
 here, both on account of the facts they con-P* Ioi » 
 tain, and becaufe of feveral particulars of c " 
 Servetus's difingenuity in many things. 
 
 Examination I. 
 
 *' The fifth of the month of April one 
 •' thoufand five hundred and fifty three years, 
 " We, brother Matthew Ory, Doctor of 
 " Divinity, Penitentiary of the Holy ApoP 
 " tolick See, Inquifitor General of the Faith, 
 " in the kingdom of France, and over all 
 " the Gauls : Lewis Arbzeilier Doctor of 
 £ Law, Vicar General of the mod reverend 
 
 " Lord 
 
96 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 the fecond examination Servetus 
 fent Perrin to the monafteiy of St. 
 
 Peter, 
 
 <e Lord Mr. Peter Palmer, Archbimop of 
 " Vienne ; Anthony de la Court, Lord of 
 " the Tour de Bois, Doclor of Law, Vice 
 " Bailiif, and Lieutenant General of the 
 " Bailiwick of Vienne ; we being come to 
 " the prifon of the Dauphinal palace of 
 " Vienne, and there in the jufticiary court, 
 " ordered to compear before us Michael de 
 " Villeneuve, gradja'ed phyfician conftituted 
 " pnfo er according to our orders, to the 
 " pnions of the faid Dauphinal palace, and 
 cc have interrogated him as follows : 
 
 " And afrer the faid Viileneuve had com- 
 " peared before us, we remonflrated to him, 
 <c that in the exercife of our duty through the 
 
 kingdom, we had found fomething again ft 
 
 him, which, according to the duties of our 
 " office, he was bound to anfwer ns, which 
 " he prom.ifed to do ; and after having 
 " taken the oath upon the Holy Evangelift, 
 " we afked his name, he faid that his name 
 " was Michael de Villeneuve, Doctor of 
 " Phyfic, two and forty years old, or thereby, 
 " a native of Tudelle in the kingdom of 
 *' Navarre, which is a city under the em- 
 " peror's jurisdiction ; at prefent an inhabit 
 " tant of Vienne for twelve years paft, or 
 " thereby. 
 
 " Being interrogated where he lived after 
 " he left his own country ? he anfwered, that 
 " about ieven or eight and twenty years ago, 
 ^ fometime before the Emperor went from 
 
 Spain 
 
 cc 
 
LIFEOFSERVETUS. 9 ? 
 
 Peter, to ask the Grand Prior if 
 he had brought him the three 
 
 hundred 
 
 " Spain to be crowned, he entered into the 
 " fervice of one Quintin the Emperor's Con- 
 " feflbr, being only fourteen or fifteen years 
 " old at that time. He went with the faid 
 " ConfefTor amongft the Emperor's train to 
 " Italy, where he faw him crowned at Bo- 
 " logna-, and then followed the faid Con- 
 " feflbr into Germany, where he lived about 
 " a year: and after the death of the faid 
 " Quintin, he lived alone without any 
 " matter ; thence he came to Paris, and ftaid 
 ." in the college of Calvi for fome time; 
 " after this he went to read Mathematicks in 
 " Lombard college ; and after he left Paris 
 " he went to Lyons, where he lived for fome 
 ** time, and from thence to Avignon, from 
 " Avignon to Lyons, and from Lyons to 
 " Charlieu •, where he continued three years 
 •' practifing Phyfick, and then he returned 
 *' to Lyons, where he found my Lord of 
 " Vienne, and my Lord of St. Maurice; 
 ** who made him come to Vienne, where he 
 " has remained to the prefent time. 
 
 " Being interrogated, if he caufed any 
 " books to be printed ? anfwered, that he 
 " caufed a book to be printed at Paris, 
 " intituled, Syroporum univerfa Ratio ad Galeni 
 " Cenfuram ; and likewife another fmall book, 
 " intituled, Apologetha Dffirtatio pro Ajlro- 
 " logia ; and another called in Leonartium 
 " FuJJinum, Apologia pro Symphoriano Campegio. 
 %i And Annotations upon Ptolemy's Geo- 
 H " graphy, 
 
98 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 hundred Crowns due to him front 
 St. Andrews, and the Grand Prior 
 came and delivered him the faid 
 fum ; there was in the prifon a 
 garden with a platform, which 
 looked towards the court of juftice 
 
 in 
 
 " graphy, and faid* that he never caufed 
 " any other book to be printed of his own 
 <c compotkion ; conferring however, that he 
 •' had corrected a great many without dimi- 
 " nifhing or adding any thing of his own. 
 
 " Whereupon having fhewn him two 
 *' meets of paper, printed on both fides, 
 " and fome of his hand-writing upon the 
 if margin ; reprefenting to him, that there 
 " were fome propofitions in thefe written 
 "* notes, which might give offence, but 
 ec owning at the fame time, that he who had 
 " written and made them, may be allowed 
 " to interpret and explain how he underftands 
 " them ; for this reafon he was afked how 
 *' he underftood one of thefe propofitions, 
 " which faid, Jujlificantur ergo Parvuli fine 
 u Cbrijii Fide, prcdigium monjirum Damonium; 
 " reprefenting to him, that if he underftood 
 " thereby that- little children had not the 
 " Grace of Jefus Chrift by regeneration^ 
 cc more perfectly than they partake of Adam's 
 4C fin by terreftrial generation, it would be 
 " doing an injury to Jefus Chrift, requiring 
 " him to declare to us what he underftood 
 " by it : to which he anfwered, That he firmly 
 
 *' believed, 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 99 
 
 in the palace ; above this platform 
 was a hog-ftie whereby one could 
 get down to the corner of the 
 wall, and thence get into the 
 court. Although the garden was 
 always kept fhut, yet fometimes 
 
 they 
 
 f 6 believed, that the Grace of Jefus Chrift 
 * c came by the regeneration of baptifm, 
 " furmonnts the fin of Adam, as the Apoftle 
 " fays, ad Romano s quint o, Ubi ahmdavit De- 
 " liolum, fuperabundavit Gratia : and that 
 " little children are faved, without any 
 " acquired faith by baptifm, haying faith 
 " always infufed into them by the Holy 
 *' Spirit •, and upon our reprefenting to him 
 " that he ought to correct fome words written 
 " with his own hand on the above (beets* 
 " which he promifed to do ; faying he could 
 " not know by the firft view, whether it was 
 " his or not, confidering the length of time 
 " fince it was written ; but taking a narrower 
 " look of it, faid he believed he had written 
 * c it ; and if any thing be found there againft 
 * 6 the faith, he fubmits it to the determination 
 " of our holy mother the Church, from which 
 " he never had, nor never would depart ; 
 ** and faid if any other thing is written there, 
 " he did it thoughtlefsly, or by way of dif- 
 " pute, without ierioufiy weighing it ; and 
 " fince that time he was defirous to look 
 * 4 more carefully into what he had written 
 " on the two meets ab'ovementioned, and to 
 H 2 " ^ive 
 
too LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 they allowed the freedom of it to 
 prifoners above the common rank, 
 either to walk or for other reafons. 
 Servetus having gone in there in 
 the evening, examined every thing 
 narrowly. On the 7th of April 
 
 he 
 
 " give us his meaning or interpretation of 
 " it ; declaring to us that if there was any 
 " other thing which might be taken ill, or 
 " fufpected of falfe doctrine, in reprefenting 
 " it to him he was ready to correct it. And 
 * 4 that thefe two fheets may not be altered, 
 (88) It « we h ave ordered them to be marked, (88) 
 
 be S reId° " b ? the recretai T and the fa5d Villeneuve, 
 
 Nousks " a °d are marked page 421, 423, 424, and 
 
 awns fait" the title is De Baplifmo, cap. xvii. and 
 
 paraphir. i< w j t h t h e f a id anfwers containing three 
 
 '* Iheets including the prefent. We have 
 
 " compared them in his prefence, and they 
 
 " are fubferibed Michael de Villeneuve.^ 
 
 De Baplifmo cap. xvii. I don't know what 
 Iheets thefe were, they could not be thofe of 
 Cbriftianifmi Reftitutio \ for in this work in 
 the pages cited, he does not fpeak of Bap- 
 tifm, and in all the book there is no chapter 
 de Baptifmo cap. xvii. they muft have been 
 fheets of fome treatife, on which Servetus 
 had written notes, and which did not come 
 from Geneva, but were probably found in his 
 jhoufe : Trie fays in exprefs words, that he- 
 ■ had fent the firft fheet of the book, but that 
 is not mentioned here at all. 
 
 4 Examin- 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. i«x 
 
 he got up at four o'clock in the 
 morning, and asked the key from 
 the jaylor, who going away to 
 work amongft his vines ; this laft 
 obferving that he had a night- 
 cap on his head, and in his night- 
 gown, 
 
 Examination II. 
 
 u The fixth of the faid month of April, 
 " We the Inquifitors and Vicars aforefaid, 
 " being come to the prifon of the Dauphinal 
 <? palace, and having ordered the above- 
 ** mentioned Mr. Michael de Villeneuve to 
 ** compear before us, and after having taken 
 " the oath upon the Holy Evangelift to 
 '* declare the truth, was interrogated by us 
 " as follows : 
 
 " Firft, how he underftood a proportion 
 " of a letter in a bundle marked (Epijiola 
 '* xv. a.) where he explains a living faith 
 " and a dead faith ? and becaufe the faid 
 " letter appeared to us fufficiently catholick, 
 " and contrary to the errors of Geneva, we 
 " made him read it ; and after having read 
 " it, we afked him how he underftood thefe 
 " words ? Mori autem fenfim dicitur, in nobis 
 " fides, quando tolluntur veftimenta, who an- 
 " fwered, Veftimenia fidei funt opra charitatis 
 " & virtutis" 
 
 " Secondly, we fhewed him another letter 
 
 ** marked xvi, which is de libero Arbitrio, 
 
 H 3 * c againft 
 
102 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 gown, did not iufpecl: that he was 
 dreffed, and his hat concealed 
 under the night-gown, gave him 
 the key, and went out a little 
 afterwards with his workmen. 
 When Servetus thought they were 
 
 at 
 
 " againfl thofe who are for fervum Arbitrium y 
 " which he read likewife, and fhedding tears, 
 " he fpoke thefe words : Gentlemen, I will 
 " tell you the truth ; as thefe letters were 
 " written when I was in Germany, about 
 " five and twenty years ago, there was 
 " printed in Germany a book of one called 
 " Servetus, a Spaniard ; but otherwife I 
 " don't know from what place of Spain he 
 " was, nor what place of Germany he lived 
 " in.-, probably, hearing it had been faid 
 " that he was at Aganon •, (89) the book 
 " might have been printed there, at the faid 
 " city of Aganon, four leagues from Straf- 
 " burg. And after having read the faid book 
 " in Germany, being then but fifteen or 
 " feventeen years old, it appeared to him 
 <c that he wrote as well, or better than 
 " others: with all this leaving Germany, he 
 '' came to France, not bringing any books 
 " whatfoever along with him, intending 
 " only to fludy Medicine and Mathernaticks, 
 " which he has always, done fince. Mean 
 ct while hearing that Calvin was in great 
 " efteem amongft fome v/ho faid that he was 
 <c a very learned man j from the curiofity he 
 
 " had, 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 103 
 
 at a proper diftance, he left his 
 cap of black velvet, and his furred 
 night-gown at the foot of a tree, 
 jumped from the terrace to the 
 hog-ftie, and got into the court 
 without hurting himfelf in the 
 
 leaft ; 
 
 " had, wanting to write to him without 
 " making any acquaintance with him, and 
 €c actually did write to him, begging that 
 <c this fhould remain between him and me 
 " only J ub figillo ft creti, and as a brotherly cor- 
 u rediion to fee if he could make me change 
 " my opinion, or if I could make him change 
 " his ; for I could not fubmit to his affertion. 
 " And in this way propofed to him certain 
 "' queftions, gravis Difputationis, and he gave 
 £ c me an anfwer : and feeing my queftions 
 " were taken from what Servetus had 
 " written, he told me that I was that very 
 f* Servetus •, upon which I replied, that 
 f* although I was not that perfon, yet in 
 " difputing with him, I was willing to per- 
 " fonate Servetus, and to anfwer him as Ser- 
 " vetus ; for I was not very much concerned 
 ^ s for whom he took me ; only let us debate 
 " upon our opinions, and upon thefe terms 
 " we exchanged letters, till we were both 
 " piqued, and abufed one another, Ob- 
 " ferving this, I gave him over, and for ten 
 " years or thereby, I have not written to him 
 cc nor he to me, protefting before God and 
 " you Gentlemen, that I was never difpoled 
 H 4 ". tQ 
 
104 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 leaft ; he got quickly to the gate 
 of the bridge of the Rhone, 
 which was not very far from the 
 prifon, and got into the Lion- 
 , nefe. They did not know of his 
 efcape till more than two hours 
 
 there- 
 
 " to dogmatize or maintain any thing of 
 " that kind, which might be found againft 
 *' the church or the chnftian religion. And 
 *' as to the third letter being the xviii, con- 
 " cerning the baptifm of little children, 
 " fuppofing he had been formerly of opinion, 
 ** that he thought that Parvuli Caniis non 
 " erant cafaces Doni Spiriius ; he has left off 
 " all that long ago, and defires to regulate 
 " himfelf by what the church maintains. 
 
 " And after having fhewn him another 
 iC epiftle intituled, xxvii, which he feern- 
 <{ ingly acknowledged, and faid that he had 
 }} written it in disputing in behalf of the 
 " faid Servetus ; not that he adhered to it, 
 '* or believed it, but only to fee what Calvin 
 ,c would think or fay to the contrary ; and 
 •' the argument of the faid epiftle is, de Tri- 
 " niiate et Generatione filii Dei, after the man- 
 " ner of the faid Servetus's book. 
 
 " And after having fhewn him another 
 " epiftle intituled, xviii, where he difputes 
 41 againft the faid Calvin, de came Chrifii 
 " glorijjcata, qu<e abfcrbetur a gloria Divini- 
 " talis, rnore plainly and fully than at t^ie 
 " transfiguration. He faid that he had 
 
 " addreffed 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. to* 
 
 thereafter ; there were very dili- 
 gent fearches made to difcover 
 him ; they wrote to the magis- 
 trates of Lyons and other cities^ 
 where they prefumed Servetus 
 might have fled, and feized upon 
 
 all 
 
 '* addrefied himfelf to Calvin, when he was 
 " in a place where he had the fulleft liberty 
 " to fay every thing he thought, and to 
 41 anfwer all my queftions, figned Michael de 
 ** Villeneuve. 
 
 " The fame day, the 6th of April, before 
 " us Inquifitor of the Faith and Vicar Ge- 
 "' neral aforefaid, and we Anthony de la 
 " Court, Vice Bailiff of the Viennois above- 
 " named ; recalling the aforefaid Villeneuve, 
 ** and adminiftring the oath fo as above, 
 " and after reading the anfwers made this 
 *' day by him, above written, to which he 
 " adhered, and faid they contained the truth, 
 *' and has fubfcribed the two parcels of letters 
 " mentioned in the faid anfwers ; which he 
 " has put a mark upon, and being marked 
 ** likewife by our fecretary, ne varientur. 
 
 " This being done, we fhewed him and 
 " put into his hands a parcel of fourteen 
 " letters, containing ten meets ; and having 
 " intimated to him, that we found fome- 
 " thing written therein which was incum- 
 '*' bent on him to anfwer; after having 
 ** taken and looked at them, he told us, that 
 •' he had written thefe fourteen epiftles a 
 
£Q6 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 all his effects. It is believed^ 
 that the Vice Bailiff being an 
 intimate friend of Servetus, fa- 
 voured his efcape ; but there is no 
 proof of this, neither was the 
 jailor an accomplice of his flight. 
 The procefs begun, however, was 
 . carried on, and June j j y he was 
 condemned to be burned alive in a 
 
 flow 
 
 " long time ago to Calvin., that he might 
 ce know what he thought of them only by 
 " way of difpute-, as he had faid already, 
 " without adhering to any thing contained in 
 " them, except what fhall be approved by 
 " the church, and his honourable judges. 
 " And as to the contents of the faid epiftles, 
 " he is ready to anfwer us when we pleafe, 
 " as to any article we fhall interrogate him 
 " upon ; which we promifed him we fhould 
 " do, after having extracted the principal 
 <c points where it appears to us there is an 
 " error againit the faith ; and in the mean 
 " time, we have caufed to be marked the 
 " faid bundle, containing ten fheets, and 
 " fourteen epiftles ; and at the beginning is 
 " written as a title, Michaelis Epiftola quatu- 
 *' ordecim ; and to the narration, Jefum ilium 
 11 Nazarenum •, and at the end is written, 
 '• Utinam in Chrijlo vale a s ei hac diligent ius 
 " mediieris. Amen. 
 
 " And 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS, 107 
 
 flow lire (O) ; and the fentence 
 
 was executed in effigy the fame 
 
 day, 
 
 " And the contents a v s above, have been 
 " fubfcribed by us, Inquifitor, Vicar, Vice 
 «! Bailiff; Prefident : 
 
 •' Matthew Ory, Inquifitor 
 
 General. 
 " Arzelier, Vicar. 
 " De la Court, Vice Bailiff, 
 
 and Delphinal Judge." 
 
 We fee clearly that Servetus in many things 
 endeavoured to delude his judges, which he 
 did fo artfully, that they could not condemn 
 him to any rigorous puniQiment upon the 
 papers they had in their hands. By diflin- 
 guifhing himfelf from Servetus, as a man 
 unknown to him, whatever was found againft 
 Servetus, could not be imputed to him ; by 
 faying, that he had perfonated Servetus only 
 for the fake of difputing again (I Calvin. He 
 weakened very much the proof thefe letters 
 furniflied, and they could at moft, only 
 blame him for rafhnefs and imprudence in 
 maintaining heretical propofitions ; and the 
 excufe for that, was the fubmiflion he testified 
 for the church. He does not appear at this 
 time to be in a difpofition to hazard his life 
 for his fentiments, which will furniih us with 
 a very ftrong proof, that his ftiffnefs upon this 
 article at Geneva, arofe from fome other 
 principle than an attachment to his opinions. 
 
 (O) Condemned to bs burned alive in a flow 
 fire.] The obligation for being fo well 
 
 instructed 
 
108 LIFE OF SERVfiTUS. 
 
 day. The effigy of Servetus was 
 put upon a dung cart with five 
 
 bales 
 
 inftrucled in this whole procedure, is due to 
 Mr. d'Artigny, which throws a great deal of 
 light upon Servetus's hiftory ; fee what he 
 (90) Nov. tells us (90), the reft of the month of April, 
 Mem. ub. t} ie y were bufy in making a new examination 
 j" pr p ' g of the books, papers, and letters of Ville- 
 'neuve and Arnoullet, and copying the epiftles 
 addrefled to Calvin •, the originals being de- 
 pofited in the Secretary's office. They let 
 the Inquifitor know, that there were two 
 preffes in a feparate houfe, which had not 
 been mentioned in d'Arnoullet's perfonal 
 anfwers ; upon which he, with the Grand 
 Vicar, and Vice Bailiff, went to that place on 
 the fecond' of May : there they found three 
 boys belonging to the prefs, Thomas de 
 Straton, John de Bois, and Claude Papillen j 
 the Inquifitor before he interrogated, endea- 
 voured to frighten them, by telling them, 
 that they could not be ignorant, that fince 
 the procefs againft their matter and Michael 
 Villeneuve had commenced, all perfons had 
 been commanded, upon pain of being treated 
 as hereticks, to difcover what concerned the 
 book compofed by Villeneuve, which had 
 come from Arnoullet's printing-prefs ; that 
 there was proof, that they, the printers, 
 had been employed in that book, and ex- 
 horted them honeftly to tell the truth, " and 
 *' if they had done wrong to afk pardon, 
 *' the judges did not mean to punifh, but 
 ** only to correct them." The poor innocent 
 
 fellow^ 
 
LIFE OF SERVE TUS, lof 
 
 bales of his books, and all was 
 burnt together. Let us return to 
 
 Servetus 
 
 fellows much frightened, fell upon their 
 knees, and Straton fpeaking for the reft, 
 acknowledged that they had printed a large 
 book in octavo, entituled, Chrijlianifmi Rejti- 
 tutio, that they know nothing of its contain- 
 ing any heretical doctrine, but only heard of 
 it fince the procefs began ; that they had 
 worked from the laft St. Michael's day, to the 
 3d of January, when the printing of the 
 faid book was finifhed ; and that they durft 
 not difcover it to the judges for fear of being 
 burnt •, that upon the whole they afked their 
 pardon, and referred themfelves to their 
 mercy : he added, that Mr. Michael Ville- 
 neuve had printed the book upon his own 
 expences, and had corrected the proofs ; and 
 that he, Straton, by his order, had fent on 
 the 13th of January five bales to Perer 
 Merrin, type-founder, living at Lyons, near 
 to Notre Dame de Confort. This was an 
 excellent difcovery for the Judges, and they 
 did not fail to inform the Archbifhop of 
 Vienne immediately, who advifed the Car- 
 dinal de Tournon of it. Next day the In- 
 quifitor and the Grand Vicar went off for 
 Lyons. They began by interrogating Peter 
 Merrin, who told them ingenuoufly, that 
 about four months ago, or thereby, he had 
 received by a lighter from Vienne, five bales 
 with this addrefs -, " remitted from Mr. 
 " Michael de Villeneuve, Doctor of Medi- 
 4£ cine, thefe bales to Peter Merrin, type- 
 
 " founder, 
 
iiio LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 Servetus himfelf, efcaped from 
 the prifons of Vienne the 7th of 
 
 April, 
 
 " founder, near Notre Dame de Confort." 
 And the fame day a clergyman of Vienne, 
 called James Charmier, came to defire him 
 from the faid Villeneuve, to keep the bales 
 till he came to take them away, " that it 
 " was nothing elfe but clean paper •," and 
 frnce that time he had no account of the faid 
 "Villeneuve, nor had feen any body from him 
 to take the bales away, and that he never 
 knew whether they were clean paper or 
 printed books. After having taken his de- 
 pofition, the Inquifitor and the Grand Vicar 
 caufed the five bales to be carried away, and 
 returned to Vienne, where they were put 
 into one of the chambers of the Archbifhoprick. 
 James Charmier was afterwards interrogated, 
 he always denied that he ever knew what thefe 
 bales contained, which he recommended to 
 Peter Merrin ; but the great connexions be- 
 tween him and Peter Merrin, made him 
 much fufpected, and he was condemned fome- 
 time afterwards, to three years imprifonment. 
 The 10th of May the Inquifitor made an ex- 
 tract of the principal errors of Servetus's 
 bock, " to make fuch cenfures upon it as 
 " it deferved more eafily." In the month of 
 June the procefs having been iufficiently in- 
 ftructed, the Vice Bailiff pronounced fentence 
 conformable to the King's Procurators con- 
 ditions. As Mr. la Roche has given this 
 ■ fentence from a copy not lo exact as that 
 
 which 
 
LIFE OF SEHVETUS. lu 
 
 April, not finding any retreat, he 
 refolved to retire to Naples, 
 
 there 
 
 which Mr. d'Artigny had in his pofleflion, we 
 
 jfhall make ufe of this laft. 
 
 *' Between the Procurator of* the King 
 Dauphin, purfuer fo: the crime of fcan- 
 dalous herefy, dogmatation, compofition 
 of new doctrines of heretical books, fedi- 
 tion, fchifm, difturbance of the union and 
 publick peace, rebellion and difobedience 
 to the ordinances made againft herefies 3 
 breaking and efcaping from the royal Dau- 
 phinal prifons upon the one part, and Mr. 
 Michael de Villeneuve, Phyfician, formerly- 
 detained prifoner in the prifon of the Dau- 
 phinal palace of Vienne, and at prefent a 
 fugitive accnfed of the aforefaid crimes, on 
 the other part. 
 
 " Having Cctn the pieces vindicating the 
 faid herefies, and even the letters and 
 writings by the hands of the aforefaid Ville- 
 neuve, addreffed to Mr. John Calvin, Preacher 
 at Geneva •, acknowledged by the faid Vil- 
 leneuve, his anfwersj confeflions, and de- 
 nials ; the anfwers and other procedures 
 concerning Balthazard Arnoullet, printer % 
 certain bales and printed books, intituled* 
 Chrifiianifmi Rejlitntio ; the witnefTes ex- 
 amined upon the faid Villeneuve'shavingcom- 
 pofed, and caufed to be printed, the faid book 
 at his own charge; the reports of the Doctors 
 of Divinity and other notable perfons upon 
 the errors contained in the faid book and 
 epiftles ; which errors and herefies are 
 5 " evident 
 
m LIFE OF SERVE TU 5. 
 
 there to exercife his profeflioii 
 of Medicine ; but we are alto- 
 gether 
 
 ce evident from the bare reading of them ; 
 *' acts made upon the faid Villeneuve's 
 cc efcaping from prifon, and diligence ufed 
 " to apprehend him •, adjournment for three 
 " days, and defaults obtained upon them ; 
 " re-examination of witneffes ; definitive con- 
 <c clufions of the faid Procurator of the Dau- 
 " phin King, and every other thing which has 
 " been remitted to us ; the whole being confi- 
 '* dered, we have declared, and do declare, 
 " the faid defaults to have been well and duly 
 " obtained; for the confirmation whereof, we 
 " have debarred, and hereby do debarr the 
 *' faid Villeneuve, from all exceptions and 
 " defences declared, and do declare that he 
 ** is attainted and convicted of the crimes 
 " laid to his charge ; for reparation whereof, 
 " we have condemned, and do condemn him 
 " as to a pecuniary fine, to pay the fum of 
 " a thoufand livres Tournois of fine to the 
 " Dauphin King : and immediately upon his 
 " being apprehended, he fhall be carried upon 
 *' a dung-cart together with his books, the 
 cc firfl: opportunity, from the market at the 
 <c gate of the Dauphinal palace, through the 
 * c feveral flreets, and cufiomary places to the 
 " place of the hall of the faid city, and 
 " then to the place called the Charrure, and 
 " there to be burned alive at a flow fire, 
 " until his body be reduced to allies. And 
 " in the mean time the prefent fentence fhall 
 ^ be executed in effigy, with which the laid 
 
 " books 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. Ifj 
 
 gether ignorant where he lived 
 
 from the 7th -of April to the 
 
 month 
 
 " books fhall be burnt. And we have con- 
 " demned, and do condemn him to pay all 
 ** expence and charges of procefs, the tax 
 ct whereof we referve, declaring all and every 
 €t part of his goods forfeited, and confifcated 
 " to the profit of whom it may appertain, 
 " the faid expence of juftice and fine being 
 " preferably delivered and paid out of the 
 " faid goods, De la Court Vice Bailiff, and 
 " Judge Dauphinal, Gratet afTdfor, Carier 
 <c afleflbr, Pietod afleflbr, Duprat afleflbr, 
 ** A. de Bais afleflbr, Beraud a fie (Tor, Philip 
 " Morel aflTefibr, Damptefieu afleflbr, Pertier 
 " afleflbr, De Court afleflbr, Loys Merd 
 " afleflbr, Chriftofle afleflbr; the faid fen- 
 " tence publifhed in open court, and hearing 
 " of the faid Procurator of the King of 
 " Dauphinee. We the Vice Bailiff and Judge 
 " of the faid feflion in the hall of the 
 " Dauphinal palace in Vienne, the feven- 
 " teenth day of the month of June, one 
 " thoufand five hundred and fifty three years. 
 " Prefent, Meff. Phillebert Gollin, Alex- 
 '* ander Rolland, Claude Magnin, Charles 
 ct Verdency, Peter de Vignes, and a great 
 " many other perfons of quality of Vienne, 
 " being prefent there, and I the underwritten, 
 
 <c Chasalis." 
 
 c ; * The fame day about twelve o'clock, after 
 
 " the effigy was brought before the Dauphinal 
 
 " palace, the faid effigy was put upon a 
 
 ** dung-cart by Francis Berode, executioner 
 
 I « of 
 
ii 4 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 month of Auguft ; it is certain 
 that he went to Geneva ; authors 
 
 differ 
 
 " of juftice, who was fent for on that 
 " account, together with five bales of books 
 " compofed by the faid Villeneuve, and when 
 " the effigy and books were juft upon the 
 " faid cart, it was conducted and led by the 
 " faid executioner, from the gate of the 
 " palace through the ftreets and accuftomed 
 " places, to the hall of the prefent city of 
 " Vienne, and then to the place called the 
 " Charnive, where the faid effigy was fixed 
 " to a gibbet erected for that purpofe, and 
 " afterwards burnt in a flow fire by the faid 
 " executioner, who has fully and entirely 
 " executed the faid fentence with regard to 
 " the faid effigy, according to the form and 
 " tenor thereof-, in prefence of Guignes 
 " Ambrofin, common crier and trumpeter of 
 u Vienne, Claud Reymet, Michael Baifet, 
 ** catch-poles of the King of Dauphine, 
 *' Sermet des Champs, Bolenger of Vienne, 
 " and a great many other perfons afiembled 
 ** to fee the fentence put in execution. Thus 
 €i has it been conducted, attefled, and figned 
 '* by me, 
 
 " Secretary Chasal is." 
 
 The fentence of the ecclefiaftical Judges was 
 not pronounced till fix months after that of 
 the Vice Bailiff, viz. Saturday the 23d of 
 December, 1553 » ll declared, " Michael 
 " de Villeneuve a heretick, accufed on ac- 
 <c count of herefy, compofing and printing 
 " Chrijlianifmi Rejlitutio ; his goods confil- 
 
 4. " cated 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. jij 
 
 difFer as to the time of his 
 flaying there before he was put 
 in prifon, and the manner of 
 his being arrefted (P). Calvin 
 
 having 
 
 " cated for the benefit of the courts of 
 " Vidtine, deducting the eypence of jufticej 
 U ordaining befides, that all the books of the 
 " faid Villeneuve which can be found, fhall 
 " be burnt." Mr. d'Artigny has given this 
 fentence entire, (gi) it is in Latin; I fhall (9 ' ) Lgg * 
 
 flit 144 
 
 obferve here, that befides the errors of Ser- x ' 3> 
 vetus about the Trinity and baptifm, there 
 are fome things in his book againft the Pope's 
 authority, the Mafs, the Sacrament of the 
 Altar, and other points peculiar to the Church 
 of Rome, which alone were fufficient to have 
 burnt him, had there been no other herefies ; 
 and thofe who fhall read his book will have 
 no doubt, but this rendered him a great 
 deal more guilty in the eyes of his Judges 
 than all the reft. 
 
 (P) Before he was put in prifon, and the 
 manner of his being arrefied ] All the writers 
 of Servetus's life, being ignorant of the pre- 
 cife time when he got off from the prifon of 
 Vienne, make him go flraight to Geneva, 
 wherein they are certainly miftaken ; for from 
 the 7th of April, when he efcaped from 
 Vienne, until the 13th of Augufl:, when he 
 was arrefied at Geneva, being more than four (9?)Epift. 
 months, thefe gentlemen are unwilling to Calvin P- 
 credit Calvin, who in a letter to Sulzer, {92) ^'/dus^* 
 fays, that Servetus had been four months in Sept. 
 I 2 Italy : 1553* 
 
ti6 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 having learned that Servetus was 
 
 in the city, prevailed upon the 
 
 chief 
 
 Italy : "Re vero patefacla in carcerem eft 
 " conjectus (Vienna). Unde nefcio quomodo 
 44 elapfus, per Icaliam erravit quatuor menfes. 
 " Tandem hue malis aufpiciis appulfum, 
 44 unus ex Syndicis, me auctore in carcerem 
 " duci juffit." According to Calvin, no lefs 
 than four rnonths had paffed when Servetus 
 arrived at Geneva ; he might be deceived as 
 to the places where Servetus had been, but 
 he could not be deceived as to the time. Mr. 
 (93] i Bibl c} e ] a Chapelle (93), who likewife believed 
 t. 2 p* t ^ at Servetus came ftraight to Geneva, pre- 
 94» 95' ten ds to conclude from that calculation that 
 he mull have been a long time in the city 
 before he was imprifoned •, let us give the 
 words of the Journal : " In the requeft of 
 " Servetus dated Sept. 15, 1553, he fays, 
 " that Calvin had kept him in confinement 
 " 6ve weeks, he mud have been put in 
 " prifon then, the 10th or nth of Auguft. 
 " But obferve, that if he efcaped from the 
 V prifon of Vienne before the 17th of June, 
 6< this muft have been two months before his 
 <c impriionment at Geneva •, let us allow two 
 14 weeks of thefe eight for his journey, which 
 *' is fufficient for a man who is flying from 
 44 punifhment, and who certainly would not 
 " trifle away his time in a country where 
 *' death was every where before his eyes. 
 " He muft 'therefore have been near fix 
 ** weeks at Geneva before he was arrefted ; 
 14 this calculation is eafy, and why have not 
 
 44 thefe 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 117 
 
 chief Syndick to caufe him to 
 be put in prifon ; there was found 
 
 upon 
 
 thefe gentlemen made it ? It was becaufe 
 it did not anfv/er their purpofe to make it. 
 In order to render the confinement of Ser- 
 vetus the more odious •, according to fome, 
 it was the very next day after he arrived, 
 according to others, even that very day, 
 coming out from the fermon, where Calvin 
 had obferved him ; or, according to Mr. 
 Allwoerden, Calvin had been inf -rrned by- 
 means of his fpies, that Servetus had taken 
 the road for Geneva, and of the very mo- 
 ment of his arrival. His words in Latin 
 are, Compertum habebat per tx-ploratores Cal- 
 vinus, Vienna difceffijfe Servetum, et Genevam 
 venturum ejfe, neque latebat eum, fimulac 
 advenijfet adejfe hominem. A flay of five or 
 fix weeks was more than fufficient to ac- 
 quaint all the inhabitants of Geneva, that 
 Servetus had fled to their city ; Calvin 
 without the trouble of fearches, or fpies, 
 might very eafily have known it, and he 
 could not be ignorant of it ; it is indeed 
 probable, that he was informed amongft 
 the firft, and therefore altogether picardian 
 or cholerick as he was, he had time 
 enough to proceed (lowly, and do nothing 
 in a rage, he had at leaft a whole month to 
 reflect : for fuppofing Servetus arrived at 
 Geneva the ift of July, it would be odd 
 if he mould be fifteen days there without 
 being known by any body ; and Theodore 
 de Beza marks the precife day of his im • 
 I 3 *'' prifojjri^il' ; 
 
;ix8 LIFE OF SERVETUS." 
 
 upon him ninety feven pieces of 
 gold, a gold chain, which weighed 
 
 about 
 
 " prifonment the 13th of Augnft, which 
 " agrees perfectly well v/ith the fix weeks 
 " which Servetus fays in his requeft, Sep- 
 *' tember 15, he had been confined." Ob- 
 ferve here, that Mr. de Alwoerden has without 
 any proof, fuppofed that Calvin was informed 
 by fpies, that Servetus was to come directly to 
 Geneva. We mud own that thefe fpies mud 
 have been very artful to know that a man, 
 who had efcaped from Vienne, about four 
 o'clock in the morning, without feeing any 
 mortal, and wandered about four months, 
 no body knows where, mould at laft, come 
 to Geneva, and arrive there upon a fixed day. 
 Mr. de la Chapelle on the other hand, has 
 reaioned upon a falfe fuppofition, which is, 
 that Servetus went ftraight to Geneva, and 
 confequently muft have ftaid there five or fix 
 (94) ibid, weeks. Mr. d'Artigny (94) feems to fall 
 fupr. p. into the fame miftake, which he might have 
 12 7- prevented by adverting to the time of Ser- 
 vetus's efcape. " The fear of being difco- 
 •'* vered by the Catholicks, made him take 
 " the road to Switzerland rather than to Pied- 
 " mont, and he arrived at Geneva, where he 
 " concealed himfelf for a month, waiting for 
 V an opportunity of getting away." Mr. la 
 (9-yBibl. Roche (95) is nearer the truth with refpect to 
 Angl.c.z. Servetus's flay at Geneva, but he is deceived 
 P* iC 9' as all the reft are, in making him come there 
 directly after his efcape from Vienne. " He 
 *' took," fays he, " the road to Geneva, 
 
 " where 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. n 9 
 
 about twenty crowns, and fix 
 
 gold rings. As it was neceffaiy 
 
 that 
 
 " where he came on foot, having lain the 
 " night before at Luyfet, where he arrived 
 " on horfeback j I could never difcover what 
 " day it was he entered into Geneva, but he 
 " lodged at the Sign of the Rofe ; he had a , 
 *' defign to hire a boat next day, to get over 
 M the lake, and then to Zurich." It appears 
 very plain to me, that Servetus was arretted 
 foon after his arrival at Geneva, and that he 
 had not ftaid lb long there as Meff. de la 
 Chapelle and d'Artigny make him : Calvin 
 feems to fay in the pafiage ciced, in the be- 
 ginning of this note, that he was imprifoned 
 directly. With refpect to the day and the 
 manner of his being imprifoned, Sebaftian 
 Chateillon, othervvife Caftalio, has railed bit- 
 terly again ft Calvin, becaufe he made Ser- 
 vetus be taken hold of coming out of the 
 church upon a Sunday, a day on which no 
 perfon could be arretted by the laws of Ge- 
 neva, except for a capital crime. " Servetus 
 t; fimulac confpectus die Dominico ex con- 
 " cione tractus eft in carcerem, unde poftea 
 " nunquam exivit, nifi cum ad ignem ductus 
 " eft." And in another place, " Servetus 
 " venit Genevam, et eodem die viz. Domi- 
 " nico audivit concionem pott: prandium, ibi 
 " cum ante inceptam concionem, federet una 
 " cum aliis, agnitus eft a quibufdam qui id 
 t£ continuo Calvino nunciatum iverunt, Cal- 
 " vinus e veftigio ad magiftratum reum de- 
 £ tulit aut deferendum curavit, ut Servetum, 
 I 4 *.« propter 
 
Y20 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 that fome perfon mould profecute 
 Servetus, to bring him to juftice, 
 Calvin employed a ftudent called 
 Nicolas de la Fontaine, (Q^) 
 
 whom 
 
 " propter herefin, in vihcula petat :" add to 
 this, the words following, " Genevas lex eft 
 " ne quern die Dominico capi liceat, nifi ob 
 " capitale facinus." Thefe paffages are taken 
 from a MS. which has been communicated 
 to me ; Caftalio is not miftaken as to the day, 
 if it is true that Servetus was imprifoned the 
 13th day of Auguft, as Beza fays, this was 
 upon a Sunday. But Servetus was guilty of 
 a capital crime, according to the laws then in 
 force againft hereticks ; it is falfe however, 
 thac Servetus had been in the church, and 
 that he was from thence led to prifon, being 
 known by fome people. Mr. de la Roche 
 has very well obferved, that it is certain by 
 his own confeflion, that he did not appear in 
 publick for fear of being difcovered •, but 
 why was he afraid, or how could he be 
 known ? By his hiftory it does not appear that 
 he had ever been at Geneva, and he ought 
 naturally to be unknown there, except he had 
 betrayed himfelf by difcovering his name. 
 But yet it is true, that there might be people 
 who had feen him elfewhere, and probably it 
 was by this means, that Calvin was acquainted 
 with his arrival. 
 
 (Q) Calvin employed a Jludent called Nicolas 
 de la Fontaine.'] It is certain, that Nicolas 
 de la Fontaine appeared only for form, and 
 
 to 
 
LIFE OF SERVE T US. ia«. 
 
 whom fome make Calvin's cook, 
 
 or 
 
 to begin the procefs. Galvin cfi reded him, 
 and was the real accufer of Servetus ; he made 
 another perfon to act in ir, only to be free 
 of the trouble of imprifonment, which the 
 laws could not have difpenfed with, if he 
 had direclly ftated himfelf a party. Calvin 
 agrees to this himfelf; fee what he writes to 
 Farel, (96) the aoth of Auguft, 1553. (96)Epift. 
 " Jam novum habemus negotium cum Ser- ( - alv '- 2 ° 
 " veto hac tranfire forte cogitabat. Necdum / u £ ut » 
 " enim fcitur, qui confilio venerit. Sed the letters 
 4£ quum agnitus fuhTtt, retinendum putavi, are not 
 " Nicolaus meus ad capitale judicium pcente ? umbere<i 
 " talionis fe ofFerens ipfum vocavit." He^idon. 
 fays to Suker in a letter, Sept. 8, " Tandem 
 " (97) hue malis aufpiciis appulfum unus(? 7 )ik. 
 " ex fyndicis, me auctore in carcerem ducig P *S* Id * 
 " juflit, neque. enim diflimulo, quin officii , -^ ,* # 
 " mei duxerim, hominem plufquam obfti- 
 
 " natum et indomitum quoad in me erar, 
 
 " compefcere ne longius manaret contagio." 
 
 It was not to his friends only, that he ex- 
 
 prefled himfelf in this manner, he was not 
 
 afraid to acknowledge the fame thing openly. 
 
 " I don't want to deny," fays he, " but that 
 
 " it was upon my accufation that he was 
 
 " made prilbner (98). For as by the laws of (98) De- 
 
 " the city it is neceflary that fome perfon ciaratone 
 
 " fliould ftace himfelf a party to have the?! 11 ' 5 *' 
 
 " caufe opened, I confefs, that the perfon 
 
 " who demanded juftice againfh him, did it 
 
 " by my advice. Let malicious and ill— 
 
 " fpoken people throw out as much jargon 
 
 " " as 
 
122 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 or his valet, to give the affair a 
 more odious turn (R). Servetus 
 
 compeared 
 
 " as they pleafe; I declare frankly, that 
 
 " fince according to the law and cuftom of 
 
 * c the city, none can be imprifoned for any 
 
 " crime, without an accufer, or prior infor- 
 
 " mation j in order to bring this man to 
 
 " reafon, I have made it fo, that a party 
 
 " mould be found to accufe him, not deny- 
 
 (oo) con- a j n g ? f>ut the action laid againft him was 
 
 tr a libel- e c j rawn up \yy m y at ] v i ce j n order to com- 
 
 vini, in mence the proceis. 1 his is clear and 
 quo often diftincl ; Calvin owns it himfelf, that he was 
 dere co- j n re ality Servetus's accufer. 
 haret'icos (**) ^ cm f ome ma ^ e Calvin's cook y or his 
 jaregladii^tf/etf, to give the affair a more odious turn. ~\ 
 coercen- Caftalio or Chateillon has many times repeated 
 J° s . efl f' it, that Nicolas de Fontaine was Calvin's 
 i6iz, in cook. (99) " An Calvini coquus potuerit de 
 121110. " Served erroribus circa Trinitatem et fatum, 
 num. 131. « e t ejus generis obfeuriflimas quasftiones, (in 
 there is tc qu ^ DUS tot ; am f eC ulis fudavit ecclefia) 
 
 another ,*1 •> . . . , ' 
 
 edition of" judicare r et primus lapidem jacere, aut ut 
 this work " falfus teftis, eodem fupplicio affici, iis ju- 
 in Switz- cc dicandum relinquo, qui norunt hominis 
 cr an ' " io-norantiam. Item an paftori licuerit ex 
 
 1 5 54* r • 
 
 Cha- " culina fua accufatorem rei capitis depro- 
 teillon " mere, judicent ii qui Apoftolorum mores 
 pubhjhed cc } ng eniumque norunt. coquus ille non eft 
 
 it under 
 
 therame " accufator, fed muta perfona, et accufatoris 
 of Martin" larva, ut ea deceptus magiftratus pateretur 
 Bellius, « verum accufatorem Calvinum totam Ser- 
 vid Bibl. tc veti caufam agere •, id quod ei non licuifTet, 
 s. p. 96." ft fecundnm urbis legem, fuiffet ipfemet 
 
 " ia' 
 
LIFEOFSERVETUS. j 2 ? 
 
 compeared for the firft time, on 
 the 14th of Auguft: La Fontaine 
 like wife produced againfl: him a 
 MS. and a printed book ; Ser- 
 vetus owned that he was the 
 author of both, but faid, that 
 the MS. had never been printed ; 
 that he had only fent it about 
 fix years ago to Calvin, to know 
 what he thought of it. The 
 
 accufer 
 
 " in vinculis." And in another place, " Gal- 
 " vinus ut inimicum luum pofTec apprimere, 
 " fubornavit accufatorem ex culina fua, ho- 
 " minem Serveti et Servetianarum qnsefti- 
 * 6 onum ignariffimum." Thofe who know 
 Calvin and the cuftoms and manners of that 
 age, cannot but fmile when it is ferioufly 
 publifhed, that this reformer had a cook with 
 the title of this office ; there is great proba- 
 bility indeed, that a man who lived very 
 fparingly, and left only two hundred crowns 
 to his heirs, mould want a cook ! Read this 
 pafTage of Beza, which Mr. de la Chapelle 
 furnilhes me with (100): " He abftained (ioo)BL 
 " from certain common victuals which he K,aif ' r * 2 * 
 " loved on account of his ftomach, but 1 '* 9 ^" 
 " this was without any delicacy, or being 
 tc troublefome in company ; one fault he had, 
 *' that in his abftinence he had too little 
 44 regard to his health, contenting himfelf 
 
 " for 
 
124 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 accufer produced Kkewife a copy 
 of Ptolemy, and a Latin bible 
 with marginal notes ; Servetus 
 confeffed that he was the pub- 
 lifher of both of thefe works, 
 and author of the notes. The 
 15th of Auguft, he fubmitted to 
 a new examination upon the fame 
 articles ; he owned fome, and 
 denied others, and La Fontaine 
 
 was 
 
 <c for many years, with one meal in four and, 
 
 *' twenty hours •, never tailing any thing in, 
 
 " the interval : his reafons were the weaknefs 
 
 " of his ftomach, and a head-ach, for which 
 
 " he found no better remedy from experi- 
 
 " ence, than a conftant fpare diet-, fo that 
 
 " I have fometimes known him to fafb till 
 
 ?' the fecond day." Florimond de Remond 
 
 who can't be fuipected of being favourable to 
 
 (101) See Calvin, witneffes the fame (101), " That he 
 
 Drclin- " (hewed from his youth that he was not 
 
 court de- ct gj ven t0 t h e pleafures of the fielh, or 
 
 Calvin, p. " ^' s De ^y i tnat ne was a great fafter, even 
 109. " in his younger years-, that he was fo intent 
 " upon his labours, that very often he pafied 
 " whole nights without lleeping, and days 
 " without eating." Muft it not be owned, that 
 a man who lived in this manner, could not 
 eafily difpenfe with a cook ! Thole who have 
 fucceeded Chateillon, being fenfible of the 
 
 ridicu- 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 125 
 
 was discharged upon bail. The 
 next day the accufer returned 
 to the charge, and brought with 
 him one German Colladon ; he 
 prefented likewife a requeft, de- 
 firino; that Servetus mould be 
 made to anfwer more preciiely, 
 and to difcharge him from all 
 expence, Sec. in caufing his 
 effeds to be profecuted by the 
 
 Procu- 
 
 ridiculoufnefs of the fable of the cook, have 
 taken another turn, contenting themfelves 
 with faying, that la Fontaine had been Mr. 
 de Falaix's cook, and thence went into Cal- 
 vin's fervice. Mr. d'Allwoerden thinks this 
 very probable, " fed verifimilius tamen ar- 
 <c bitror inde famam natam, effe de coquo 
 " Calvini, quod homo hie antea coquus fu- 
 " erit." We find the fame fact in Uylen- 
 bogaerd (ioz) in thefe terms, tranflated from (102) 
 the Low Dutch ; " Calvin had a valet who Kfrklyk 
 •' had formerly been cook to a gentleman „ * ° r * 
 
 • P* 74* 
 
 <c called Faleze, whom Calvin boafted much 
 " of, on account of his religion, although 
 " afterwards under his own hand, he treated 
 *' him as a heretick, becaufe he was of con- 
 " trary fentiments to his, upon the article of 
 " predeftination. This man then, having 
 " become Calvin's valet, accufed Serverus, 
 C J who was thereupon fummoned coming out 
 
 " of 
 
126 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 Procurator Fifcal. The 17th, La 
 Fontaine and Colladon produced 
 two letters from Oecolampadius, 
 and two paffages from Melanch- 
 ton, to prove that Servetus had 
 been condemned in Germany ; 
 they recurred likewife, to the 
 paffage concerning Judea, which 
 was found in his Ptolemy. [We 
 have fpoken of this article in the 
 
 note 
 
 <c of the church, who having owned his 
 " name, was put in prifon with Calvin's 
 " valet, who was immediately releafed upon 
 
 (103) Bi. '* bail." Mr. de la Roche (105) believes, 
 Aitgl. t. thr.t Nicolas de la Fontaine was a poor 
 «• P- "3-ftudent, and a kind of iervant to Calvin. 
 
 Mr. 1'Abbe d'Artigny calls him a ftudent in 
 Divinity, who was entirely devoted to Cal- 
 vin. Let us decide this queftion, and let us 
 confidently fay, that all this which has been 
 faid about the cook and the valet, is pure 
 calumny. One unanfwerable proof of this, I 
 find in a requeft presented by la Fontaine to 
 the Judges of Geneva, furnifhed me by Mr. 
 
 (104) ib. de la Roche (io f ). " There is humbly laid 
 p.- 117, « before you, noble and mighty Lords, by 
 ll8 ' " Nicolas de la Fontaine, having dated him- 
 
 <c felf prifoner in a criminal caufe, againft 
 " Michael Servetus, for the great fcandal 
 w and difturbance which the faid Se-rvetus 
 
 " has 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 127 
 
 note (F).] They alledged like- 
 wife, his notes upon the 7th, 
 8th, and 53d chapters of Ifaiah, 
 his Cbriftianifmi Rejlitutio^ and a 
 Latin letter he had written to Abel 
 Pepin, Mmifter at Geneva. He 
 compeared a-new the 21ft of 
 Auguft, and there was (hewn 
 him a letter from his bookfeller, 
 Balthazar Arnoullet, written from 
 
 Vienne 
 
 " has caufed for the fpace of twenty four 
 ** years, or thereby, through Chriftendom, 
 " by the blafphemies which he has uttered, 
 " and written againfl God \ by the herefies 
 " wherewith he has infected the world ; by 
 46 the wicked calumnies and falie defama- 
 *' tions, which he has publifhed againft the 
 " eminent fervants of God, efpecially againfl: 
 " Mr. Calvin ; whofe honour the faid preacher 
 " is bound to maintain, as his paftor, if he 
 * c is to be looked upon as a chriftian •, and 
 " likewife, oq account of the fcandal and 
 '.' difhonour which might happen to the 
 M church of Geneva, fince the faid Servetns 
 *' condemned the doctrine preached there, in 
 " a particular manner, &c." La Fontaine 
 gives himfelf here the title of preacher ; 
 had he been Calvin's fimple valet, durft 
 he have done fo ? or would the magis- 
 trates have fufFered themfelves to be fo 
 
 grofsJy 
 
128 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 yienne the 14th of July, 1553, r 
 to James Bertet, living at Chaf- 
 tillon ; by which he begged of 
 him, " to deftroy fecretly, the 
 " copies of Chriftianifmi Rejii- 
 " tutio which he had fent him," 
 becaufe that Gueroult had de- 
 ceived him by concealing the 
 errors which were in this book. 
 The fame day Calvin difputed 
 with Servetus upon the true fenfe 
 of the words Per/on and Hypo- 
 Jlafis. After Calvin and the other 
 Minifters were retired, the Judges 
 ordered, that the books which 
 Servetus required, if to be found 
 at Geneva, or Lyons, ihould be 
 bought at his expence ; and that 
 he ihould keep by him fome of 
 
 thefe 
 
 grofsly impofed upon ? it is true that Calvin 
 fpeaks of him as of a man who lived in 
 his houfe, he calls him Nicolaus meus \ it is 
 Dreline vet T P r °bable that he lodged with Calvin, as 
 defence others had done, and among the reft, the 
 de Calv. Lawyer Baudouin, to whom he dedicated his 
 250. & W orks (105). 
 
 (S) Wherein 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 129 
 
 thefe Calvin had produced ; and 
 the Judges granted him ink and 
 paper, according to his defire. 
 The 2 2d, Servetus prefented a 
 requeft to the Syndieks and 
 Council of Geneva, wherein he 
 required nothing- but what was 
 juft (S), but which he did not 
 
 obtain. 
 
 (S) Wherein he required nothing but what 
 wasjuj}.] Mr. la Roche furnifhes us with the 
 requeft itfelf, expreiTed in the terms following 
 (106): (*o6) 
 
 V J Bibl. 
 
 5 6 To the very honourable Lords, my Lords, I3 r ',37, 
 " the Syndics, and Council of Geneva, 
 
 " Humbly fhews, 
 
 4< Michael Servetus accufed, laying it 
 <c down as a certain fact, that this is a new 
 ** invention. The Apoftles, the Difciples, 
 " and the antient church, had no notion of 
 making a criminal procefs for any doctrine 
 of the Scripture, or any queftions arifing 
 from it ; which is evident in the firft place, 
 from the 1 8th and 19th chapters of the 
 Acts of the Apoftles, where fuch accufers 
 were difmifTed and fentback to the churches, 
 when there was no other crime but quef- 
 tions about religion. In like manner in the 
 " time of the Emperor Conftantine the 
 " Great, when there were the grofs herefies 
 " of the Arians, and criminal accufations, 
 K ■* both 
 
130 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 obtain. The 23d of Auguft the 
 
 Procurator General prefented 
 
 thirty new articles, upon which 
 
 he required that Servetus fhould 
 
 be interrogated, the moft part 
 
 of thefe regarded his perfon, his 
 
 manners, and his conduct, and 
 
 which to fay the truth, had no 
 
 connexion with the affair in 
 
 (t)ibid. hand, (t) On the 28 th there 
 138, 140. 1 1 « -i «i 
 
 appeared thirty eight new articles, 
 
 upon which the Procurator Ge- 
 neral 
 
 *• both againft Athanafius and Arius ; the 
 " faid Emperor by his council, and the 
 ** council of all the Churches, decreed, That 
 " according to the ancient Doctrine, fuch 
 " accufations could not take place not even 
 <c in the cafe of fuch a heretick as Arius was ; 
 . " but that all their difputes mould be decided 
 ** by the Churches , and there it was where 
 " they mould either be convinced or con- 
 " demned ; and if they could not be gained 
 " by repentance, they mould be banimed. 
 «' Which punifhment has been always ob- 
 " ferved in the ancient Church againft here- 
 * c ticks, as is proved by a thoufand other 
 " hiftories and authorities of the Doctors. 
 " Wherefore, my Lords, agreeable to the 
 " Doctrine of the Apoftles and Difciples, 
 " who never allowed of any fuch accufations, 
 
 " and 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 131 
 
 neral required that the prifoner 
 mould be interrogated, and that 
 he fhould anfwer in the affirma- 
 tive or negative. The articles 
 were preceded by a preamble 
 tending to fhew* that Servetus 
 deferved death. The Procurator 
 General remonflrated to the 
 Judges, " That Servetus had 
 " prevaricated in his anfwers ; 
 " that they were full of lies ; 
 " that he made a mock of God 
 
 " and 
 
 " and according to the Doctrine of the 
 <c ancient Church, wherein fuch accufations 
 " were never admitted ; the faid fupplicant 
 " prays, that he may be difmifTed from the 
 " criminal accufation. 
 
 " Secondly, my Lords, he begs you will 
 <c confider that he has committed no offence, 
 " neither in your territories, nor any where 
 " elfej that he has neither been feditious 
 " nor turbulent -, for the queftions relating 
 * c to him are difficult, and ought to be put 
 " into the hands of learned men. And that 
 46 all the time he has been in Germany, he 
 " never fpoke of thefe queftions, but to 
 *' Oecolampadius, Bucer, and Capito •, and 
 " that in Prance he never mentioned them 
 " to any perfon. And befides, he has always 
 f reproved, and itill reproves the Anabap- 
 K 2 " tifts 
 
ij2 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 " and his Word, in alledging, 
 tl corrupting, and giving a falfe 
 u turn to paffages of Scripture, 
 " to cover his blafphemies, and 
 " efcape punifhment." He adds, 
 that Servetus had chofen his exam- 
 ples very ill, when he cited the 
 Apoftles in his requefl: ; and what 
 he had faid about the Emperor Con- 
 ftantine, was falfe ; the laws of 
 the Emperor's which condemned 
 hereticks to death, were cited 
 
 againft 
 
 " tids {editions againft Magistrates, and who 
 " want to make all things common. He 
 * c therefore concludes, that he ought not to 
 <e be detained under any criminal accufation, 
 " for having propofed fome queftions from the 
 " ancient Doctors of the Church, but without 
 " any fecition. 
 
 " Thirdly, my Lords, becaufe he is a 
 *' ftranger, and does not know the cuftoms 
 " of this country, nor in what manner he 
 " is to proceed in judgment, he humbly 
 *' begs of you to grant him an advocate, 
 " who may fpeak for him. In doing fo, 
 " you (hall do well, and our Lord mail 
 " profper your Republick. Given in your 
 " city of Geneva, the 22d of Auguft, 1553. 
 * c Michael Servetus, of Villeneuve 
 ** in his own caufe." 
 
 Without 
 
LIFE OF SER VET US. 133 
 
 againft him : it was faid he was 
 of the principles of the Anabap- 
 tifts, who deprived the civil m^ 
 giftrate of the fvvord. The Pro- 
 curator General at laft concluded, 
 that lince the prisoner knew the 
 art of lying fo well, they ought 
 not to give him an advocate as 
 he had deiired ; which was for- 
 bid by the lav/, and had never 
 been granted to fuch a deceiver as 
 he. The articles upon which he 
 
 had 
 
 Without examining the reafons, and the 
 facrs againft the penal laws, Servetus had 
 reafon to complain of his impriionment in 
 Geneva : he was not a iubjec~t of the Repub- 
 lick, he had not been detected in doing 
 any thipg contrary to the law, and conie- 
 quently the magistrates of Geneva had no 
 jurifdidtion over him •, what he had done 
 elfewhere, did not belong unto them, and 
 they could not retain a ftranger, without in- 
 juftice, who was palling through their city, 
 and who continued in it peaceably. Befidea, 
 what was more juft and equitable than to grant 
 an advocate to fuch a prifoner to defend his 
 caufe ? Mr. de la Chapelie (17) looks upon( IC ;)Bi, 
 this requeft of Servetus we are here fpeaking R.aiibn. 
 of, as a proof that Calvin's defign was to r# r * P* 
 have him punifhed, if he did not recant -, and iV ? * * 
 K 3 finds 
 
tU LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 had been examined that day, were 
 of the fame nature as the thirty, 
 upon which he had been already 
 interrogated, and had no concern 
 with the accufation of herefy. 
 Servetus declared the fame day, 
 that he perfifxed in his belief, 
 except they could fhew him the 
 falfehood of his doctrine. Auguft 
 31 the Syndics and the Council 
 of Geneva received a letter from 
 the Vice Bailiff of Vienne, and 
 
 the 
 
 finds likewife in it a proof that the penal 
 laws were in force at Geneva. We fhall 
 fpeak of this laft article elfewhere-, let us 
 content ourfelves here with that which con- 
 cerns Calvin. " We fee," fays this learned 
 Journalift, " that his (Servetus's) defign was 
 " to decry all penal laws made againft here- 
 " ticks, except thofe which condemned them 
 " to banifhment, a reprefentation fo juft, and 
 " fo natural, could not be a trifling incident; 
 " and we don't doubt but they felt all the 
 " importance of it at Geneva. It is very 
 " probable that the matter was well weighed, 
 *' and that they had taken time to confider 
 *f what was for or againft it. Thus the Lieu- 
 " tenant of the city did not anfwer this part 
 " of the requeft, till the 28th of Auguft, 
 " and that was the day when the Procurator 
 
 " General 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 135 
 
 the King's Procurator of the fame 
 city, dated the 26th, by which 
 they gave them thanks for ac- 
 quainting them that Servetus had 
 been arretted and imprifoned at 
 Geneva ; they intreated them to 
 remit back the prifoner, that the 
 fentence ' pronounced againfl him 
 might be executed. Their letter 
 was accompanied with a copy of 
 this fentence. This letter was 
 brought by the Viguier or Cap- 
 tain 
 
 " General remonftrated to the Judges, that 
 " Servetus had made an ill choice of his 
 " examples, &c. We can't doubt but the 
 <c advice of Calvin was taken on this head ; 
 " they certainly confulted him upon every 
 M thing elfe, and how improbable is it that 
 " they would not have recourfe to his judg- 
 " ment, in fo ferious and delicate a queftion ? 
 " But if this divine had declared himlelf for 
 " toleration, we may believe that his opinion 
 * c would have had a g r eat influence upon the 
 " Procurator, or at ieaft upon the Judges. 
 " Since the voice of the court therefore, was 
 " unanimously for perfecution, let us ftick to 
 u it as a truth, that Calvin made the ballance 
 
 lt incline to the mod rigorous fide.-^ Let 
 
 " us not therefore, be lurprifed at the bitter 
 
 " reproaches the prifoner threw upon him, 
 
 K 4 " iii 
 
36 * LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 tain of the King's palace at Vi* 
 
 enne ; the fame day Servetus 
 
 having compeared a-new, the 
 
 Captain was brought in, and they 
 
 asked the prifoner if he knew 
 
 him, he anfwered yes, and that 
 
 he had been two days under his 
 
 guard, 8cc. Then he was asked, 
 
 if he would rather flay at Geneva, 
 
 in the hands of the gentlemen 
 
 of the Council, or return to Vi- 
 
 enne with the jaylor, who was 
 
 come 
 
 " in a new requeft of the 15th of September. 
 " I have preferred you another requeft," 
 fays he, " which was according to God. 
 " And in order to fruftrate it, Calvin has 
 " cited Jnfiinian before you ; it is cer- 
 " tainly wrong, in him, to. cite againft me 
 *' that which he himfelf does not believe; 
 " does not fuftain ; he does not believe what 
 " Jufiinian fays, de facrofanclis ecclcjiis et de 
 tc cpifccpis et chriciSj and other things con- 
 " cerning religion, and knows very well that 
 *' the Church was then corrupted •, this is a 
 " great fhame to him." Whatever was in 
 this, it appears to me unqueftionable, that 
 the representations of Servetus in the firft 
 inftance were juft, and his demands perfectly 
 well founded ; but we mail fee afterwards, 
 
 that 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. i 37 
 
 come to demand him. Servetus 
 
 threw himfelf upon the ground, 
 
 pouring forth a flood of tears, 
 
 and faid, that he wifhed rather 
 
 to be judged by the Magiftrates 
 
 of Geneva, (T) and that thefe 
 
 gentlemen might do with him 
 
 whatever 
 
 that the voice of equity and reafon was 
 flifled by unhappy prejudices. 
 
 (T) TVifted rather to be judged by the ma- 
 giftrates of Geneva.] All this correlpondencc 
 between the Magiftrates of Geneva and the 
 Judges of Vienne, furnifhes a new proof of 
 the power of prejudices, that the belt men 
 were prepofTeffed with ; as to the manner of 
 a&ing with hereticks. For what reafon did 
 they advife Vienne that they kept Servetus, 
 if they had no defign of giving him up ? 
 Had the Judges of Vienne made any requifi- 
 tion ? Was there not a great deal of cruelty 
 in propofing to the prifoner to chufe whether 
 he would flay at Geneva, or be delivered up 
 to the juftice of Vienne ? What kind of 
 queftion was this to afk a man, if he chufed 
 to go and be burnt at a flow fire ? Was 
 not this enough to throw him under the 
 neceflity of fubmitting himfelf to a juris- 
 diction which, as I have already obferved, had 
 no right over him ; this was probably the 
 view they propofed in order to legitimate 
 their proceeding, which in its foundation was 
 altogether unjuft. 
 
 (U) To 
 
i 3 3 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 whatever they pleafed. The 
 jaylor went away from Geneva, 
 having obtained an atteftation, 
 bearing, that Servetus had de- 
 clared that his efcape from Vienne 
 was without the jaylor's confent. 
 
 ho!^; ( u ) The lft of September Servetus 
 genercuily refufed to name the 
 creditors he had in France, that 
 he might not enrich his enemies 
 and expofe his friends. The fame 
 day the Judges appointed Calvin 
 to extracl: proportions word for 
 word from the book of Servetus. 
 (U) They ordered at the fame 
 
 time 
 
 (U) To extraU proportions word far word 
 
 from the book of Servetus.] Mr. de la Cha- 
 
 . g v., pelle has observed (108) on account of this 
 
 p. 134/ order, that in the manner the hiftorians of 
 
 135. Servetus relate the proceedings againft him, 
 
 one would fay, that Calvin was every thing 
 
 at the fame time •, accufer, party, witnefs, 
 
 and judge. Mr. la Roche fays, more than 
 
 once, " that he is forry to find Calvin fo 
 
 <c often in his way i'' the reflection Mr. de 
 
 la Chapdle makes on it is this, " Calvin 
 
 " never appeared openly upon the ftage, 
 
 " but when it became him, that is to lay, 
 
 *' with all the prudence and gravity fuitable 
 
 " to 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. t 39 
 
 time that Servetus fhould anfwer 
 them in Latin. Servetus com- 
 peared 
 
 " to his character. He never came to the 
 ** court but when he was commanded, and 
 " there he did nothing but by the order of 
 ct his matter. Upon every emergent it 
 " feems they had recourfe to divines, to 
 " confult with them, to confer with pri- 
 " foners, to direct interrogations, to make 
 «* extracts, examine anfwers, and many 
 " other things of this kind. At that time 
 " there was no divine who was not obliged 
 " to appear as often as his fuperiors required 
 " him ; if Calvin appeared fo frequently 
 " upon the ftage, let it be afcribed to his 
 " merit, to his reputation, and even to his 
 *' credit if they pleafe ; why not, I have 
 * c nothing to fay againft it, and I believe in 
 " the ftation this pallor of Geneva was in, 
 " they were afraid of tranfgreffing, if they 
 " did any thing without him : but why 
 " reprefent him, as an impertinent hypo- 
 " crite, who intruded himfelf by his office 
 " in this affair ; or as an implacable enemy, 
 " who earneftly folicited Servetus's death." 
 We fhall fee what Calvin fays himfelf upon 
 this fubjecl: ; as I have his works in Latin 
 only, I mall borrow the following paflfage from 
 the French of Mr. de la Chapelle : " In truth" 
 fays he, (109) " I will not deny but that he (io9)De- 
 " was made prifoner upon my application. — claration- 
 " But after he was convicted of his herefies, p ' 11 '^* 
 " every one knows, that I did not in the leaft 9 * 
 ^ c infill that he mould be punifhed with 
 
 " death. 
 
I4Q LIFE OF SERVETU& 
 
 peared again the 15 th of Septem- 
 ber ; there were delivered to him 
 
 thirty 
 
 *' death. And as to the , truth of what I 
 " fay, not only all good men will bear me 
 " witnefs, but I defy all malicious men to 
 tc fay it is not fo : the proceeding has fhewn 
 " with what intention I did it. For when I 
 " and my brethren were called, I mean all 
 " the Minifters of the Gofpel, it was not 
 *' owing to us, that he had not full liberty 
 " given him, of conferring and treating of 
 " the articles wherein he had erred, in an 
 *' amicable manner with us. Eight days 
 " after, I was again called by the magiftrates. 
 " After we had difputed a long time upon 
 ** what he had often complained of, that it 
 " was neither decent, nor proper to treat of 
 cc the affairs of the chriftian religion before a 
 " temporal Judge, and even in prifon, I 
 <c anfwered him that it was true. — And at 
 *' laft, when he defired that it mould be 
 ** referred to the judgment of other churches, 
 * c I willingly accepted of this condition : for 
 " which reafon our magiftrates wanting to 
 " abridge a multitude of words, commanded, 
 *' me to extract certain proportions from Ser- 
 " vetus's book, which mould contain the 
 " chief diiputes, and thefe to be delivered to 
 " him in writing By the fame decree there 
 •* was allowed him freedom and permifTion to 
 " retract what he knew he had erroneoufly 
 " wrote, to argue againft me, if he found 
 ** he was falfly accufed •, and to prove by the 
 « Word of God, what was unjuftly con- 
 
 " demned 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 141 
 
 thirty eight propositions, which 
 
 Calvin had extracted from his 
 
 book ; 
 
 xt demned by me. — I did immediately accord- 
 " ing to my orders — Servetus had as much 
 " time to anfwer, as he pleafed to take ; I 
 " was obliged to make my replies to his 
 
 " anfwers in two days. He prefented a 
 
 " requeft to fee thefe replies of mine, that 
 *' he might oppofe them ; which was granted 
 " him." It is evident that Calvin appeared 
 in this canfe no otherways than as a divine : 
 mean while we muft obferve with Mr. de la 
 Chapelle, that Calvin could not delate Ser- 
 vetus before the Magiftrates with any other 
 than a determined defign to have him cor- 
 porally punifhed, if he did not change his 
 opinion during the trial ; (no) the proof of ( f . 10 ) 
 which is evident : Calvin could not be igno- ? ' . * 
 rant, as we fhall fee afterwards, that the p . \ * 7s * 
 laws which punifhed hereticks with death, &c. 
 were in force in Geneva. Befides, the action 
 raifed againft Servetus in de la Fontaine's 
 name, was a criminal caufe, which clearly 
 fhews, that thefe who raifed it, knew very 
 well that if he was convicted, he would be 
 punifhed with death : add to this, that Ser- 
 vetus in his requeft, Auguft the 2 2d, objected 
 againft the penal laws, which makes it evident 
 he was convinced that they wanted his life : in 
 fine, Calvin was very ill pleafed with him, who 
 wanted to refer the affair to the Council 
 of two hundred, who had power to fufpend, 
 or abolifh the penal law. We fhall fpeak of 
 this proportion, below, 
 
 (W) De- 
 
142 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 book ; he anfwered them in 
 writing ; Calvin replied ; his reply 
 was delivered to Servetus, who 
 made marginal notes upon it. 
 (W) Upon the 15th of September, 
 
 he 
 
 (W) Delivered to Servetus, who made mar- 
 ginal notes upon it. ] All thefe pieces are to 
 be found amongft Calvin's works, and Cal- 
 vin's extracts of them are exact. We fee in 
 Servetus's anfwers, a great deal of pride and 
 haughtinefs, and in the fhort notes he puts 
 to Calvin's reply, he treats him in the rudeft 
 manner. This is the proper place to make 
 known the fentiments of Servetus, as much 
 as it is poffible ; I fay as much as it is poffible, 
 becaufe after having read his work, I confefs, 
 there . are innumerable things in it which 
 I don't underftand. Servetus's head was full 
 of fcholaftick notions, and it appears, that 
 he had read the Fathers, and ancient Philofo- 
 phers, and that jumbling them all together, 
 he had worked out the mod extraordinary 
 fyftem perhaps, that ever was, and which 
 he himfelf perhaps did not underftand. Be 
 that as it will, I fhall endeavour to put it in 
 the power of curious people to judge by 
 themfelves of the opinions of this famous 
 heretick. 
 
 I. I fhall obferve firft of all, that Servetus ap- 
 pears to me to have been deeply tinctured with 
 enthufiafm, and to have had a great deal of pride 
 and prefumption •, judge of his enthufiafm by 
 the following prayer, to be found at the end 
 4 of 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 he prefented another requeft, 
 wherein he fet forth the mifery 
 
 he 
 
 143 
 
 of his introduction, (m) O Chrifte JenV n O. 
 " fili Uei, qui de caslo nobis datus, Deitatem R e fl-\ t u* t £ 
 " patefactam in te ipfo vifibilem manifeftus, p. 4, 
 " te ipfum aperi fervo tuo uc manifefta,tio 
 V tanta vere patefiat. Spiritum tuum bonum 
 " & verbum efficax petenti nunc tribue, 
 " mentem meam & calamum dirige, ut Di- 
 " vinitacis tuas gloriam poffim enarrare, ac 
 *' veram de te fidem exprimere. Caufa hsc 
 " tua eft, et tuam a Patri et Spiritus tui 
 " gloriam explicans quas divino quodam irri- 
 <c pulfu tradandum fefe mihi obtulit cum 
 M efTem de tua veritate folicitus. Tradtare 
 U aliquando ca?pi et nunc, iterum traclare 
 •* cogor, ut ex rei ipfius certitudine, et ex> 
 " fignis temporum manifeftis, fum nunc piis 
 " omnibus oftenlurus. Lucernam. non efle 
 " abfcondendam tu nos docuifti : Ut vse mihi 
 " fit, nifi evangelizem." I find a new proof 
 of his enthufiafm and pride at the fame time, 
 in the application he makes of what we read 
 in Dan. 12. and Revel. 12. of the combat 
 and victory of Michael over the Dragon ; 
 " eogita, lector," fays he, (112) " quid apud (112) ib. 
 " Danielem et Johannem fignificet ille Mi- 39S« 39 6 * 
 " chaelis futurus adventus, et pugna poll 
 " annos defolationis 1260. Obferva bene— - 
 " ut a Conftantini et Sylveftri tempore, jam 
 " annos 1260 regnaverit, papa verum An- 
 " tichriftus." It is in the fame view that 
 one of his interlocutors of his dialogues is 
 Michael, and that he has put at the head of 
 
 his 
 
144 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 he iuffered in prifon, and defired 
 
 that his caufe fhould be referred 
 
 to 
 
 his book in Hebrew, taken from Daniel ; and 
 in Greek, taken from the Apocalypie, thefe 
 words, " At this time Michael the great 
 " Captain did arife, and there was a battle 
 " in Heaven." 
 
 II. It is known that Servetus wanted above 
 all things, to oppofe the Doctrine of the 
 Trinity ; he impugns it in plain terms in 
 his firft book, but it muft be owned, that 
 he attacks rather the language of the fchool- 
 men than the article itfelf,, fuch as is taught 
 in the Scripture ; I make an exception how- 
 ever, of the explication he has given of 
 i John v. 7. and Matt, xxviii. iq. that which 
 he fays at firft, upon thefe two paifages, may 
 give a general view of his fyftem •, which 
 appears to me to be effentially the fame with 
 Sabellianifm. The words are, " ad quorum 
 *' faciiem explicationem eft advertendum 
 " quod una et eadem Deitas quse eft in patre, 
 " communicata eft Filio immediate et cor- 
 " poraliter, deinde eo mediatore, per mini- 
 " fterium angelici fpiritus, communicata eft 
 " fpiritualiter Apoftolis in die Pentecoftes. 
 " Chrifto foli a natura eft Deitas infita cor- 
 " poraliter et fpiritualiter. Deinde ab eo 
 " datur aliis fanctus et fubftantialis halitus. 
 " Utrumque communicationis modum, cor- 
 " poralem et fpiritualem feorfum poftea expo- 
 " nemus, fubftantiam ipfam Spiritus Sancli 
 " oftendentes quod fit eadem Deitas cum 
 « Patre et Fillo.'! With refpe.cl: to the 
 
 paftage 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS, 145 
 
 to the council of two hundred. 
 It is believed that this requeft 
 
 was 
 
 paffage of St. John, fee how Servetus ex- 
 plains it. The queftion is here, of what 
 pafTed at the baptifrn of Jefus Clirift. They 
 heard a voice the " Word," which teftifled 
 from heaven, the " Father," who pronounced 
 it, confirmed the teftimony, and that Jefus 
 Chrift was his well-beloved Son, and the 
 Holy Spirit defcended in a 'vifible form 5 
 44 And thefe Three are One," becaufe they 
 give a joint teftimony to the fame thing, and 
 to the unity of the fame Divinity. " Ma- 
 44 nifefta ibi vox et auditus fermo de cado 
 n teftatur hunc Jefum effe Filium Dei, Pater 
 " proferens ibi manifeftatur de c^elo tefti- 
 44 ficans, hunc efife filium fuum, et Spiritus 
 44 in eum de c^lo veniens ibi manifefte vifus 
 
 " teftatur et hasc omnia unum funt, quia 
 
 44 conformiter de eadem re teflantur ejufdem 
 44 Deitatis imitate." (114) He explains him- ( If ^ j^ 
 > felf upon the inftitutionof baptifrn, Matt.xxviii. p. 23. 
 ftill in a more lingular manner, " Quanquam 
 44 baptifmus," fays he, (115) " ex apofto» (n$) ib, 
 44 lorum docl.rina rite conferatur in nomine p- 2 4* 
 44 Chrifli, cum Chriftus in fe contineat Patrem 
 " et Spiritum Sanctum, unctus unguentem 
 44 et unctionem, tamen latins voluit Chriftus 
 44 omnia exprimere, Patri hominem deferre, 
 w et Spiritum Sanctum baptifmo adjungere, 
 44 cum ibi Spiritus Sancti munus unice pate- 
 *' fiat. Primo ergo ait, baptizate in nomine 
 46 Patris, quia ipfe omnis doni eft primus, 
 <c verus et originalis fons : Jacobi i. in no- 
 44 mine Filii, quia per ipfum habemus recon- 
 
 L " ciliationem, 
 
146 life of servetus. 
 
 was fuggefted to him by Cal- 
 vin's 
 
 £c ciliationem, et donum hoc, nee ejl aliud 
 <c nomen fub c<elo in quo oporteat nos falvos 
 " fieri y Acts iv. in nomine Spiritus Sanffi, 
 " quia Spiritus Sandti donum in baptifmo 
 
 " datur. Tres funt manifeftarionis modi, 
 
 " feu perfonse, non metaphyfica ilia rerum 
 " incorporearum in Deo diftin&ione, fed facra- 
 " menri exhibitione per Dei olxovopiav." 
 
 III. Let us fee what he thought about the 
 perfon of Jefus Chrift. He appears to have 
 had very odd notions on this fubject-, in 
 genera] we may fay that he pretended, that 
 the only Son of God had not properly not 
 exifted, before that Jefus was born of the 
 Virgin Mary •, according to him, the Word, 
 which was no other thing but the Wifdom of 
 God, was not the Son of God, but in this 
 Word there was found, the reprefentation, 
 the image of Jefus Chrift, which was after- 
 wards to exift. I don't know if I make my- 
 felf underftood. I fhall give Servetus's own 
 words : " Verbum erat Aoyo?, idtalis ratio 
 " jam hominem referens ; id jam occulte 
 " referebat, in quo futurum erat — Jam olim 
 " in Verbo apud Deum erat futuri hominis 
 fn6)ib. « Jefu Chrifti exemplar, perfona et effigies" 
 ^ 9 Z * (116) The doctrine of Servetus upon the ar- 
 ticle of the Son of Godj is fo perplexed, that it 
 is difficult to conceive what he means to fay. 
 " The Word was from all eternity in the 
 " Father ; he came from the Father when he 
 '* fpoke it ;' this was the fubftance of the 
 " Father, the EfTence of the Body and the 
 *' c Soul of Jefus Chrift, was the Divinity of 
 
 " the 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 147 
 
 vin's enemies, who contributed 
 
 as 
 
 " the Word and of the Spirit ; the Word 
 " was a fubftantial Light ; in the Word 
 " was the fubftantial Seed of the generation 
 " of the Man Chrift Jefus " and I can't tell 
 what more. Thefe are fome of the paflages 
 which contain Servetus's doctrine, which, 
 with others that I mall cite, will prove, if I 
 am not miftaken, that his book is the fruit 
 of the darkeft and mod difordered brain that 
 ever was. " Fuit vero," fays he, (i'/)^ 1 /) 06 
 " fulgor divinus, hominem ab seterno ' J nnn - 
 " referens et cum mundo proferens. Cum'chriftian. 
 " Johanne vero dicimus Aoyov in principio Reftitu. 
 " mundi fuiffe, idealis rationis prolationem, P« 4 8 « 
 " apparentem externum Sermonem, Loqua- 
 " tionem, juxta proprium fignificatum verbi 
 " fcyu quod eft, dico, loquor. Reliqui item 
 " omnes Scripture loci Sermonem hunc ex- 
 " ponunt, quia dixit Deus, loquutus eft 
 " Deus, non inani voce, fed Sermone vifi- 
 " bili. Eo magis quin Deus per hunc Ser- 
 " monem, per Verbum hoc, voluit mundo 
 " manifeftari, et externe apparere. Anti- 
 " quior quoque Apoftolorum traditio Verbum 
 " hoc intelligit effe in Deo difpofuionem, 
 " difpenfationem externam lucidam et vifi- 
 " bilem. — Verbum manifeftationis Dei difpo- 
 " fitione divina fuit in ipfomet Deo, efTentia 
 " vifibilis, oraculum in nube ut verbum quia 
 " audiat et videat, magno Dei artificio, erat 
 " fubftantiale Verbum, oraculum in igne, 
 " numen quoddam vifibile, perfonatus Deus. 
 *' Dicebatur Elohim, Deus humana facie 
 " vifns, fons luminis, fons vita?, Chriftus apud 
 L 2 " Deum, 
 
i}* LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 as much, and even more than he, 
 
 to 
 
 •' Denm, ab oraculo illo, verbo illo et Chrifti 
 M perfona, perionato Deo, quafi ab ore 
 Chrifti prodibat Spiritus omnia vivificans, et 
 in ipfum Adam halitum vitas infpirans. 
 Ad imaginem ipfius Chrifti lecundam cor- 
 pus et animam factus eft Adam. — Verbum 
 in Deo proferente, eft ab eterno ipfemet 
 Deus loquens et in nobis caligine apparens : 
 poll prolationem, eft ipfa Chrifti caro, in 
 qua videtur Deus, fublata caliginis umbra. 
 Ipfemet homo Jefus Chriftus eft Verbum 
 Dei, vox Dei fubftantialiter ex ore Dei pro- 
 latus. Quemadmodum fi te loquente vox 
 tua, feu ore tuo emiffa nubes, muliere 
 poftea obumbrans, fieret geniturae ros in 
 uterum decidens et earn gravidam faciens: 
 " ita Chriftus prolatione Dei in Maria fub- 
 " ftantialiter genius." And a little further, 
 (ii8)ib. ( 1 1 8) " Siquidem. vere loquendo Verbum 
 p. 50. te erat ipf am et Dei efientia aut ipfa Dei effen- 
 " tire exhibirio. Non erat in Deo alia fub- 
 " ftantia aut hypoftafis, quam Verbum illud 
 " in lucida nube in qua Deus tunc fubfifterc 
 " videbatur. Et in ea ipfa relucebat facies 
 " et perfona Chrifti. " He had faid before, „ 
 fii9) ib. (119) " In perfona inteliigitur Verbum caro 
 P' 5° " factum, quia vultus ille perfona ilia Elohim 
 " omnia creans, caro extitit. et hasc ipfa 
 ■J Chrifti facies, eft ilia facies Dei multis 
 4,4 olim vifa. In fubftantia eft Verbum caro 
 " factum, quia lucida ilia oraculi nubes quae 
 " erat gloria Domini, ut ros geniturae Chrifti, 
 ** fa<5ta eft caro ifta fubftantialiter, eademque 
 " eft hujus carnis, quae verbi illius eflentia." 
 
 Read 
 
 44 
 44 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 149 
 
 to Servetus's deftruction ; who 
 
 believing 
 
 Read likwife what follows, (120) " Totam (i?o) ib. 
 
 " asternitatem Deo elfe dicimus inftar proe-P*S D - 
 
 *' fentis momenti. — Reje&o igitur velamine 
 
 " temporis medii, confidera horam hanc, in 
 
 " qua corpus Chrifti generatur et concipicur, 
 
 " efle aeternaliter ante mundi exordium Deo 
 
 " vere prefentem. Quod ubi concefTeris, 
 
 * c concedes etiam Deum ab seterno protulnle 
 
 " fubftantiale Verbum, et proferendo Filiuril 
 
 " nunc in Maria genuiffe in fubftantia fua. 
 
 " Primogenitus igitur eft homo Chriftus et 
 
 " ab ^terno genitus, cum prolatio ilia ab 
 
 " jeterro facia, fit ipiamet carnis Chrifti 
 
 " generatio Eflentia corporis et animse 
 
 44 Chrifti," fays he once more, (121) "eft( I2r )'k- 
 
 *' Verbi et Spiritus Deitas. Chriftus ab initio p " ' ? ' 7> 7 * 
 
 *' eft cum ratione corporis quam ratione 
 
 " animas. Caro Chrifti habet initium effendi 
 
 " a paterna Verbi prolatione. Et Chriftus 
 
 " in Spiritu Dei preceffit omnia tempora. 
 
 *' Ille idem qui erat Spiritus Elohim eft nunc 
 
 " Spiritus Chrifti. Ita in Deo non fuit 
 
 " inter res illas generatio in vifibilis Filii, 
 " fed Verbi prolatione rft tafia generatio poft 
 " apparemis carnis, qui eft filius Dei bene- 
 " didbi." Add to this, (122) " Non folum (122) ib. 
 " erat in Verbo idea hominis Chrifti, fed l U1 - P» 
 "fubftantiale femen generations ejus — Non 122, 
 " diceretur homo ille eflfe vere Filius Dei, ft 
 " eum fimpliciter in Maria crealTet, non fer- 
 " vata generandi ratione de fubftantia Patris. 
 " Subftantia fuit feminis in Verbo fubftantia 
 " Dei nobis exhibita. Et Deus per Verbum 
 " quodam modo coiporatus et bumanatus, 
 L 3 " olim 
 
150 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 believing himfelf well fupported, 
 
 obferved 
 
 cc olim in ngura nunc in veritate." If you 
 want a rnore particular explication of the 
 
 (123) ib. hypoftafis of the Word, there it is: (123) 
 p. 1:9, " £rat oraculum quoddam in ignea nube 
 120. « fubfifiens et fplendens, quod et gloria Do- 
 
 " mini dicebatuY, et ejus majeftas in nube 
 " — Sicut ipfe Chriflus eft nunc oraculum, 
 " ut olim in templo, in tabernaculo et antea, 
 " perfona Chrifti erat oraculum illud, unde 
 " Adam, Abraham, Moles, et alii aceipie- 
 " bant refponfa. — Ex lege colligitur V'erbi 
 " hypoftafis in nube ilia, quas fuit femen 
 " geniturre Chrifti, fubftantia ipla Ve~bi fuit, 
 " fubftantia archetype hubis, quas fuit fub- 
 " ftanrialis ros, terream maffam irrigans 
 " ut inde germinaret Chriflus — Subftantia 
 " eadem erat nubis, ignis et lucis. Non in- 
 *' quam create et caliginofe elementaris 
 " nubis, fed increatpe, et fuperelementaris 
 " intus lucentis erat Deus in igne, et Deus 
 " ipfe ignis." The Word however was not 
 God only, as you understand it here; fee what 
 
 (124) ib. is more diftinct : (124) " Imo ille qui dixit, 
 p, iOj. cc Paciamus bommem erat Ghriftus, eratElohim, 
 
 •" perfona ilia Verbi quse erat perfona Dei. — 
 " Ipfe vera eft fades, imago, effigies, et 
 " figura Dei, habens in fe realiter formas 
 " corporeas — Non eft fine fignificatione quod 
 f* in yeteri teftamento to ties in Deo legas 
 " manus, oculos, faciem et pedes, corpora- 
 " hbus oculis viibs, et quod nihil horum 
 w in novo teftamento reperiatur, fed ejus 
 " oppoGtum, nempe Deus fpiritus eft. Ratio 
 ** eft in promptu, quia tunc Chrifti apud 
 
 *' Deum 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 151 
 
 obferved no meafures with Calvin 
 
 or ' 
 
 " Deum perfona figurabatur. Non erat tunc 
 *' realis diftinclio Patris a Filio, fed ipfi Deo 
 " tribuebantur form^E corporese,- qua: nunc 
 
 " funt in Filio. Verbum illud, (125) per- O25) lb. 
 
 " ibna ilia, feu vukus ille Elohim, plus erat p * ll6, 
 
 " quam imago, erat ipfamet facies Dei, ipfe- 
 
 " met Deus. Erat effigies qusedam feu forma 
 
 " ipfum effe Dei contincns." This is not all ; 
 
 " De fubftantia Dei eft caro ipia Chrifti ; in 
 
 " ea videtur Deus ; ipfa caro Chrifti habet 
 
 " eflfe Dei, et eft corporalis Deitas (1.26); caro ( I26 ) ® l - 
 
 " Chrifti fubftantiam Verbi habens corpora- a , °?' 2 * 
 
 * ibid. p. 
 
 " liter lubftantialem ipfum, vitalem Spiritum 24g> 2 ro, 
 " divinum, et lucis Dei for mam fubftantialem, 271, 272. 
 " eft vero casleftis de c^lo, de fubftantia Dei, 
 " ilia caro Verbi, caro Dei exiftenriam habens 
 
 •' asternam. Nifi caro ipfa Chrifti efiet 
 
 *' cseleftis, de fubftantia Dei et corporalis 
 " Deitas, non elfet ex Deo genita, et ita 
 " non eiTet Filius Dei. — Qui non concedunt 
 " carnem Lhrifti efle confubftantialem Deo, 
 " inaniter fe Chrifti Divinitatem defenders 
 " nugantur." 
 
 IV. Would you know how the creation was 
 performed according to Servetus? Comprehend, 
 if you can, what I am now to extract. (127) (127) ib. 
 " Sicut in Deo fuit prius femen generationis, de Trin. 
 " quam eftet faclus realis Filius Dei, ira in AV / p * 
 
 «!"•• • -u u j- r . 146, 149, 
 
 " ahis generationibus nunc ordmem iervari lt . Q , 
 " voluit Creator : vere fuir in Deo fubftan- 
 " tiale femen Chrifti, et in eo rerum omnium 
 " feminales rationes et exemplares formae. — 
 " In Deo erat prima Chrifti relucentia, fola 
 ■" princeps omnium, deinde reliqua, per 
 L 4 " ipfam, 
 
152 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 or his Judges ; if he had had the 
 
 leaft 
 
 *' ipfam, in ipfa, et ex ipfa, fecundario modo 
 " fuit ordinibus dependentia. Sapientiam 
 " hanc dicimus principem ac mundi prcefi- 
 " dem quam in creatione manifeftavit Deus. 
 " Verbum vifibile angelis et hominibus 
 " exhibere ac per illam fui exhibicionem 
 " omnia creans. Per Deitatem qua eft nunc 
 in re quavis, poteft Deus nunc novum 
 mundum creare, et per illam hypoftatice 
 apparere, quanto magis per Deitatem 
 Chrifti ? Si de fe ipfo Deus accepit figuram 
 " et fubftantiam omnium creaturarum, quanto 
 " magia accepit figuram et fubftantiam 
 Chrifti ? Sine fui mutatione fe poteft hie 
 nobis Deus vifibilem exhibere et palpabilem 
 in quavis forma. Cum ille in fe ipfo for- 
 mas omnes, et corpora omnia effentialiter 
 " contineat, illam tamen Chrifti formam ab 
 *' aeterno cogitans, primam conftituit vitas 
 " fcaturiginem quam in creatione et incar- 
 
 " natione patefecit Cogitatio ilia Dei erat 
 
 " hujus filii generatio ; non erat tunc realis 
 " Filius a Patre diftinctus, fed erat naturalis 
 " fcientia Dei, vitam jam agens." 
 
 We muft fee what he fays a little lower; 
 
 (128) ib. (128) " Sequitur Denm in principio vere ex 
 
 p. 154* « nihilo et fine prsefuppofita materia, creaife 
 
 " duplex carlum, unicam terram et lucem ; 
 
 " reliqua omnia creata poftea dicuntur, quia 
 
 " funt vere de non efte, ad effe produfta. 
 
 Non tamen funt creata prima ilia creatione 
 
 ex nihilo, et fine prag-exiftente materia. 
 
 " Vere eft tunc aqua creata, ex aqua vero 
 
 i c fuflt cadi, ex aqua per evaporationem eft 
 
 !* aer, 
 
 a 
 
 it 
 
 cc 
 tc 
 a 
 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. i $2 
 
 leaft modefty or difcretion, I 
 
 doubt 
 
 " aer, ex aerea tandem cocta materia et luce 
 " eft ipfe ignis, qui et aere fovetur. Imo 
 " flamma ipfa eft aer accenfus. Luminaria 
 " die quarto non creavit Deus fed fecit ex 
 " cadi concreta materia. — Sequitur Thaletem 
 " ilium Milefium — non male dixiffe ex aqua 
 " efle omnia — -jam conftat efle prius factam 
 " terram quam caelum — duplex eft caelum 
 " creatum et tertium increatum." On this 
 occafion you will be taught what this third 
 heaven is, which is increated : " Tertium 
 *' vero ultra haec omnia eft caelum Dignitatis, 
 " lux inacceiTa quam Pater inhabitat, quod 
 
 " dicitur caelum caelorum. Hoc caelum 
 
 u inhabitat Chriftus, et ab eo fplendorem 
 " accipiunt angeli longe inferiores qui hoc 
 " tantum vident, quod eis per Chriftum 
 " datur, hoc luminofum et igneum caelum 
 " eft Verbi fulgor, rerum exemplar univer- 
 *' fale, Deitas ipfa per Chriftum factum ac- 
 
 " cefiibilis. Tertium caelum non habet 
 
 " peculiarem locum fed intra nos eft et inftar 
 
 *' ignis omnia penetrat." (129) Let us give^c^ib. 
 
 the conclufion. (130) *' Ultimo ex praemifljs p. 1 ?8. 
 
 " comprobatur vetus ilia fententia, omnia ^3°) P* 
 
 " eflfe unum quia omnia funt unum in Deo, l ' 
 
 " in quo uno coniiftunt. Unicum eft pnn- 
 
 " cipium, unica verbi lux, lux uniformis, 
 
 " et caput omnium, Jefus Chriftus Dominus 
 
 " nofter principium creaturarum Dei.'* 
 
 V. Are you defirous to know what the 
 Holy Spirit is ? Conceive, if you can, the de-, . . 
 finitions Servetus gives of him : (131) " EratTrin. 1. 
 * Spiritus in archetypo fpirationis conftitutiov. p. 163,, 
 
 " certa 
 
i 5 4 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 doubt not but he might have 
 
 brought 
 
 *' certa fempiterne in Deo conftans, et inde 
 ** velutexiens. Prod b.u cum Sermont Spiritus, 
 " Deus loquendo fpirabat, Sermonis et Spi- 
 " ritus erac eadem fubftantia led modus 
 
 " diverfus- Imo feclufo, creato, halitu, 
 
 " fubftantia Spiritus Sandti, realiter differt a 
 " fubftantia Filii — Alius tamen et alius Divi- 
 " nitatis modus — Spiritus Sanctus ante huma- 
 " nationem Verbi, in fe erat vere modus 
 " Deitatis fubftantialis, Spiritus homini non 
 <c ita hypoftatice unitus. Nunc fubftantialem 
 " habet adju actionem perpetuam humani 
 Spiritus Chrifti— Modus divinus et fubftan- 
 tialis, eft Spiritus Sanctus, modus seternus 
 in Deo, et ejus plenitudo in Chrifto. Mo- 
 dus asternus in Deo erat, in mente pra> 
 (132^ ib. tc f ormat i quasdam." (132) 
 186. If y ou don't underftand this, examine what 
 
 follows: (133) " Lit omnia fummatim con- 
 " cludamus ; Spiritus San&us in paucis 
 " diffinitur, Spiritus San&us eft fubftantialis 
 " modus divinus, fpiritui angeli et hominis 
 <c accomodus. Quanquam Spiritus Sanctus 
 " fubftantialiter unum faciat, cum ea quas 
 " eft in Chrifto Spiritus creatura fanctificata, 
 " nihilominus in fe pira Deitas intelligitur. 
 " Secundum diipenfationis modum eft ex 
 " Deitate Deitas, ficut in ramulis et ftoribus 
 " eft Deltas, ex Deitate feminis et ■ radicis, 
 " Jicut in palmitibus eft Deitas ex Deitate vitis, 
 " [uccejjione quadam dijlributionis divine. Vere 
 " ergo eft Spiritus Sanctus modus fubftan- 
 £ tialis a Patre et Filio diftin&us, procedens 
 
 " fenfibilisj 
 
 (( 
 C( 
 
 C( 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. i 55 
 
 brought himfelf off> but flatter- 
 ing 
 
 " fenfibilis, fubfiftens, aliud hie aliud ibi 
 " loquens et agens." 
 
 VI. What I have marked in Ttalick in 
 the laft lection, naturally leads me to examine 
 if Scrvetus has adopted the fyftem of the 
 (to zsocv) wbcle, i. e. Spinofa's fyftem ; he was 
 accufed of it, and his anfwers gave a great 
 deal of reafon to fix it upon him : We may 
 alfo fee more clearly that he believed that God 
 is the Univerfe, and that the Univerfe is 
 God i by joining fome paffages of his book, 
 he fays •, (13^) " Non eft Deus inftar puncti (134) ib. 
 " fed eft fubftantise pelagus infinitum, omnia 1,1V, P- 
 " effentians, omnia effe faciens, et omnium 5' l2 ^* 
 " effentias fuftinens. — Unam folam rem effe 
 " dicimus, et habere infinitcrum millium 
 " effentias, et infinitorum millium naturas. 
 " Non folum innumerabilis eft Deus, ratione 
 *' re rum quibus communicatur, fed ratione 
 " modorum ipfius Deitatis, modi divini funt 
 " in rebus ineffabiles, in ipfo Deo ab seterno 
 <s pnsformati. — -Rerum omnium effentia eft 
 M ipfe Deus. Deus ipfe eft comprehenfio ec 
 tc continentia rerum omnium — Omnia funt 
 " in ipfo ; ipfe dat effe rebus, et fingulis 
 " formis ipfum effe formale ; in effentia fua 
 " rerum omnium ideas continens, eft veluti 
 " pars formalis omnium :" add what follows, 
 (135) " Deus ubique eft rerum omnium (155) ib. 
 " effentia plenus. Rerum omnium effentiam epift.6.p. 
 U in fe continet, ut fola fua effentia fine alia 5 88 ' ^9* 
 " creatura fe hie nobis exhibere pofllt, ut 
 c< ignem, ut aurum, ut lapidem, ut eledrum, 
 <M ut virgam, ut florem, ut aliud quodvis. 
 
 « —Deus 
 
l 5 6 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 ing himfelf with a triumph over 
 
 Calvin 
 
 " - — Deus in ligno eft, lignum in lapide, lapis 
 " in fe habens effe lapidis •, concedam igitur 
 " hunc efle vere lapidem, quoad eifentiam 
 " formse, quamquam defit materia lapidis ; 
 " concedam quoque ignem ilium effe verum 
 *' ignem et efle id ipium quod Deus. — Loco 
 st item moveatur ignis ille, aut aura divini 
 *' Spirirus, aut lapis aut flos, an movetur 
 " tunc Deus ? Deus ubique Temper exiftens 
 " immobilis, nee loco movetur, nee ob 
 " oftenfam illam formam alteratur, fed funt 
 " illi modi difpenfationis, feu exhibitions 
 " divine, qua fe nobis ut vult vere Deus 
 " exhibet, et in rebus agit." 
 (i?6)ib. He lays belie; s, (13 ) " Que vere funt, 
 epift. 7. p. cc j n Deo funt, et bona funt facta, quamquam 
 593* cc a&ibus malis funt quasdam poftea depra- 
 ** vata, ut diabolus ipie et animus pravus, 
 " qui etiam Deo infunt cum infitis acciden- 
 
 " tibus et a Deo ita fuftinentur In Deo 
 
 " omnia confiftunt, accidentia Deo infunt, 
 *' atque ita Deo accidunt, quicquid in rerum 
 " natura accidit Deo femper accidit, feu 
 " Deo incidit, non prseter fpem fed Deo 
 ** fufcipiente." Not only the devil is in 
 God, fo as depraved fpirits, but hell is no 
 other thing but God himfelf. As God is the 
 principle and end of all things, they return 
 at laft to him, but to have a very different 
 fate ; the devils and the wicked fhall return 
 to their principle, and in going into eternal 
 fire, they mail go to God himfelf. " Ignis 
 " ille ab sterno paratus eft ipfemet Deus qui 
 < 6 eft ignis; non eft enim creatura aliqua Deo 
 
 " coaeterna. 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. i 57 
 
 Calvin by the credit of the party 
 
 which 
 
 " cojeterna. In igne eft oftenfus Mofi Deus, 
 " et ignis a Deo paflim exivit in ultionem, 
 " indicans fe efTe ignem ulcifcentem et in 
 " judicio confumentem. Potentiffimum ju- 
 " dicem decet in fe ipfo habere quo malos 
 *' puniat nee ulterius egere. Ipfe eft princi- 
 " pium et finis omnium, et ficut omnia ab 
 " ipfo prodierunt ita omnia remanentia ad 
 " ipfum ridibunt, forte ramen inequali. Si 
 " hoc bene intellexiffet Origines, non dixifTet 
 " dasmones falvandos, eo quod effent ad fuum 
 *' principium redituri, redibunt quidem, et 
 " euntes in ignem ad ipfumet Deum ibunt." 
 
 (■^) ,. , , . terVi 
 
 That which he teaches about regeneration, ' ' e ' 
 
 • 45* 
 is founded upon the fame principles, and his 
 
 fyftem 'That all is God, and That God is att y 
 
 prevails everywhere-, fays he, (138) " Ut0.3 8 ) De 
 
 " vero cseleftem hanc novi hominis fubftan- ^ £ e - 1 
 
 " tialem divinam generationem penitus alle- k e „ n# 
 
 " quaris, lector chriitiane, repetenda tibi Chrifti. 
 
 " funt quse faspius diximus, Creatoris fub- *■ iv - P- 
 
 " ftantiam efTe creaturas, in unum plafma^9» 55°* 
 
 " varie unitam tarn in animo quam in corpore, 
 
 •' quorum omnium fpecimen eft Chriftus. 
 
 *' Diximus vitalem Chrifti Spiritum efTe ha- 
 
 " litum quendam, qui elementorum veram 
 
 " fubftannam continet, fed incorruptibilem 
 
 " et novam. Sicut Verbum Dei eft hypofta- 
 
 " tice homo, ita Spiritus Dei eft hypofta- 
 
 " tice fpiritus hominis, et ita fe totum nobis 
 
 * c communicat. In gratiam noftri eft Spiritus 
 
 u Chrifti Deo adgkuinatus, ut ita fe nobis 
 
 " communicet, et Deo nobis adglutinet, Spi* 
 
 4 *' ritus 
 
15S LIFE OF SER VET US. 
 
 which oppofed this reformer ; 
 
 he 
 
 <e ritus ipfe Chrifti humanus Deo in "uhum 
 " adglutinatus, per relurrectionis gloriam et 
 * e potentiam eft innova-tus, ficut et cam ipfa. 
 " Anima ejus hinc dicitur innovata ob novam 
 " Deitatem, et novam incorruptibilem vitalis 
 " Spiritus fubftantiam. Ab eo item animal 
 " noftras fide reftitutse fubftantialiter inno- 
 " vantur, cum Chriftum totum, cudine nan- 
 " cifcuntur." And a little further on ; 
 
 (139) ib. " Hanc incorruptibilitatem (139) ita animal 
 P- S5 Z ' " noftras fubftantialiter conjungit Chriftus, ut 
 
 " aliam dicas effe regentis animam quam 
 " ante: propter fubftantiam innovatam et 
 " novam Deitatem conjunctam. Sicut ergo 
 " vere eft in nobis intiger Spiritus ejus. Sicut 
 " animas noftrse fanguine ipfo Chrifti vero 
 " reficitur, ita et vitali ipfo Spiritu in fan- 
 " guine fito. Vere et realiter funt in nobis 
 " cadeftia, incorruptibilia qualia Chriftus in 
 " ctIo nunc fubftantialiter habet, fuperiora 
 " elementa, per qus ipfi animae noftras fub- 
 " ftantialiter jungitur corpus ipfum Chrifti in 
 " interno homine." 
 
 That which is very remarkable is, that 
 Servetus neverthelefs maintained that God is 
 incorporeal, invifiblej but from the manner 
 in which he exprefles himfelf, we can't but 
 conclude however, that God is material, and 
 he feems at the fame time to fuppofe that God 
 is the Soul of the world, that he is diffufed 
 every where, and who modifies himfelf without 
 
 (140) de diviiion, according to the bodies with which 
 
 ..- nn " " he is united. His words are, (140) " Si in 
 111. p. 120, , _ r , > v. 1- / 
 
 121. " rebus corporeis elt Deus, et res corporeas 
 
 " in 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 159 
 
 he was the vi£tim of his pride 
 
 and 
 
 in fe refert, non ob id fequitur ipfum 
 efle corporeum. Nam Deus ipic effentia 
 fua eft mens omniformis. Ut in anima 
 tua funt rerum corporearum ec divifibilium 
 fornix, ita in Deo. In eo efifen rial iter, 
 in te accidencaliter. Incorporeus in fe Deus 
 et impercepcibilis, ratione mirabile nobis 
 prolata per Verbum fe exhibuit percepti- 
 bilem et in Verbo erat Spiritus. Hoc non 
 arguit in Deo corpus, fed ineffabilem ec 
 omniformem mentis rationem. Ipfius in* 
 tellectus eft hsc mira potentia ut in eo 
 reluceat corporis ratio. Abfque divifione 
 vel mutatione, fitas efle in Deo formas 
 vifibiles, fequens liber aperte docebit. Di- 
 vifibilis non eft Deus, nee divifibilis eft 
 Verbi fubftantia, cum divifibile fit corrupti- 
 bile. Incorporeum vero, inftar imaginarii 
 pun£ti, ficut nee animarum, fubftantia ipfa 
 fpiritus Dei, a qua Angeli et animas emana- 
 runt; non erat inftar puncti, fed inftar 
 fubftantia flatus elementaris ; et e!ementaris 
 hujus erat archetypa in mente divina," 
 VII. When Servetus talks of the nature 
 of the foul, he is equally unintelligible ; and 
 we cannot but believe that he conceived it 
 material. We (hall give the pafTage here, 
 although it is pretty long, becaufe we find 
 in it what regards the circulation of the blood. 
 This place is not at all exact in Mr. la Roche, 
 nor in F. Niceron, who has copied him. The 
 pafiage is, (141) " Dicitur in nobis ex trium(i4i) lb. 
 " fuperiorum elementorum fubftantia efte J - v -P- 
 < s fpiritus triplexi, naturalis, vitalis, et ani- l6 9> l 79' 
 
 < 4 malis — 
 
160 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 and prejudice ; this is the only 
 
 way 
 
 malis — Vere non funt tres fed duo fpiritus 
 diftincti. Vitalis eft fpiritus, qui per anaf- 
 tomofes ab arteriis communicatur venis, in 
 quibus dicitur naturalis. Primus ergo eft 
 fanguis, cujus fedes eft in hepate et corporis 
 venis. Secundus eft fpiritus vitalis, cujus 
 fedes eft in corde et corporis arteriis. Ter- 
 tius eft fpiritus animalis, quafi lucis radius, 
 cujus fedes eft in cerebro et corporis nervis. 
 Per infpirationem in os et nares eft vere 
 inducta anima, infpiratio autem ad cor 
 tendit, cor eft primum vivens, fons caloris, 
 in medio corpore. Ab hepate fumit liquo- 
 rem vitas, quafi materiam et eum vice 
 verfa vivificat — Ex hepatis fanguine eft 
 animas materia, per elaborationem mira- 
 bilem — hinc dicitur anima efle in fanguine, 
 et anima ipfa efle fanguis five fanguineus 
 fpiritus — Ad quam rem eft prius intelli- 
 genda fubftantialis generatio ipfius vitalis 
 fpiritus, qui ex aere infpirato et fubtiliffimo 
 fanguine componitur et nutritur, vitalis 
 fpiritus in finiftro cordis ventriculo fuam 
 originem habet, juvantibus maxime pul- 
 monibus ad ipfius generationem. Eft fpi- 
 ritus tenuis caloris vi elaboratus, flavo 
 colore, ignea potentia, ut fit quafi ex 
 puriori fanguine lucidus vapor, fubftan- 
 tiam m fe continens aquse, aeris et ignis; 
 generatur ex facta in pulmonibus mixtione 
 infpirati aeris cum elaborato fubtili fanguine, 
 quern dexter ventriculus cordis finiftro com- 
 municat. Fit autem communicatio hasc* 
 non per parietem cordis mediam, ut vulgo 
 
 ? creditur, 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 161 
 
 way of explaining his conftant 
 
 condud: 
 
 * c creditur, fed magno artificio, a d^-xtro 
 *' cordis ventriculo, longo per pulmones 
 " du&a, agitator fanguisfubtilis. Apulmonibus 
 " prasparatur, flavus efficitur et a vena arteriofa 
 " in arteriam venofam transfunditur : deinde 
 " in ipfa arteria venofa, infpirato aere mifce- 
 " tur, et expiratione a fuligine repurgatur. 
 <c Atque ita tandem a finiftro cordis ventri- 
 " culo, totum mixtum per diaftolem attra- 
 " hitur, apta fupellex ut fiat fpiritus vitalis. 
 " Quod ita per pulmones fiat communicatio 
 " et prasparatio docet conpunctio varia, et 
 " communicatio venas arteriofe cum arteria 
 " venofa in pulmonibus. Confirmat hoc 
 * c magnitudo infignis venas arteriofa?, quse 
 ** nee talis nee tanta facia effet, nee tantam a 
 " corde ipfo vim puriifimi fanguinis in pul- 
 " mones emitteret, ob folum eorum emolu- 
 " mentum, nee cor pulmonibus hac ratione 
 ** ferviret : cum praefertim antea in embryone 
 " folerent pulmones ipfi aliunde nutrirj, ob 
 " membranulas illas, feu valvulas cordis, 
 ct ufque ad horum nativitatis nondum apertas, 
 u ut docet Galenus. Ergo ad alium ufum 
 " effunditur fanguis a corde in pulmones 
 *' hora ipfa nativitatis, et tarn copiofus— - ille 
 " itaque fpiritus vitalis a finiftro cordis ven- 
 " triculo in arterias totius corporis deinde 
 " transfunditur, ita ut quis tenuior eft, fupe- 
 " riora petat, ubi magis adhuc elaboratur 
 " prascipue in plexu retiformi, fub ball 
 " cerebri fito, in quo ex vitali fieri incipit 
 " animalis, ad propriam rationalis animse 
 " fedem accedens, iterum fortius mentis 
 " ignea vi tenuatur, elaboratur et perficitur 
 M in 
 
m LIFE OF SERVETUS, 
 
 condudt at Geneva, in all refoecls 
 
 fo 
 
 cc in tenuiffimis vafis, feu c^pillaribus arteriis, 
 ** qus in plexibus choroidibus fitas funt 4 et 
 " ipfiffimam mentem continent. — In vafis illis 
 " eft mens, anima et igneus fpiritus, jugi 
 " fiabellatione indigens, alioqui inftar externi 
 e; ignis conclufus fufFocaretur — Animali ill i 
 " et igneo fpiritui in illis choroidis va^ulis 
 M con ten to, cemmunicatur infpiratus aer, 
 " parte exigua, per ofla dicta ethmoide, 
 ■• tendens ad priores duos cerebri ventriculos, 
 " in fincipitis dextra, et finiftra conftitutos. 
 44 ubique capillares ilke choroidis arterise 
 *' aerem, ilium dilatatas hauriunt ad venti- 
 " landam animam— ille deinceps infpiratus in 
 " cerebrum aer a duobus ventriculis anteri- 
 *' oribus fertur ad medium, five ad meatum 
 '* quendam communem, concurfu fub pfal- 
 *' loide facto, ubi lucidior et purior eft 
 te mentis pars, quae divinitus innata fibi 
 * ; idearum femina exerens, ex femel jam ap- 
 *' prehenfis imaginibus, poteft res novas 
 " fimilitudine quadam cogitare, five compo- 
 " nere, imaginata commifcere, ex aliis alia 
 " inferre, inter ea difcernere, et puram ipfam 
 " veriuatem cclligere, luftrante Deo. — Parte 
 " alia majore infpiratus aer per tracheam 
 " arteriam venofam tranfeat, in qua flavo et 
 " fubtili fanguini mifcetur, ac magis elabo- 
 66 ratur. Deinde totum mixtum a finiftro 
 " cordis ventriculo diaftole attrahitur — Hoc 
 " totum veluti materia eft ipfius artimae ultra 
 " totum hoc mixtum duo in anima fuperfunt, 
 " quod vivens fpiratione creatum, aut in fua 
 " materia productum eft Spiritus ipfe feu 
 
 " Divinitas 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 163 
 
 fo different from his behaviour at 
 
 Vienne 
 
 " Divinitas ipfa fpirando infita, omnia unum 
 " et anima una. Id medium quod principa- 
 " liter anima dicitur, habitus eft Spiritus, 
 " utrinque cum Spiritu eftentialiter junctus. 
 " Subftantia eft setherea, illi archetype fu- 
 < c perelementari, et huic quoque • inferiori 
 " fimilis : naturalis anima una vitalis et ani- 
 H malis. Ecce totam anims rationem ec 
 V quare anima omnis carnis, in fanguine ut 
 " et anima ipfa fanguis fit— Nam afflante 
 " Deo, infpirata per os, nares et cor, et 
 " cerebrum, ipfius Adae et natorum ejus ilia 
 " cseleflis Spiritus aura, five idealis icimilia 
 *' et fpirituali illi fanguine^ materia intus 
 " elTentialiter juncla, facia eft in ejus vifce- 
 " ribus anima, hoc modo tarn diffimiles fub- 
 " ftantias polfe coire, poft Chaldsos docu- 
 
 " erunt academici Duo funt in femine 
 
 " quae funt de effentia animal Patris. Ea 
 " funt formalis, feu formatrix facukas eft 
 " lux ipfa et idea. Ex femine manifefte 
 " eliciuntur animantium aliorum animse, ac 
 " etiam humane, accidente ipfi homini 
 " divinse. mentis habitu, in ea idea, quam 
 " feminis exigit ratio, ad quam anima foe- 
 " matur." I willingly refer it to the adepts 
 to guefs if the foul is any thing more than 
 the blood. I ought to add, that Servetus 
 pretends to explain in the fame tafte, all the 
 operations of the foul, but it is impofiible 
 to follow him in all the particular turns he 
 £akes. Perhaps this note will be thought 
 exceffively long ; my excufe is, that I believed 
 it would be well taken to make the abfurdity 
 M 2 and 
 
%64 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 and extravagance of the moil part of Ser- 
 vetus's notions more particularly known. 
 
 VIII. We fhall draw up under this laft 
 head, ibme opinions of this man become fo 
 famous, upon other detached points, that 
 perhaps are but little known. Is any one 
 fond to know in a few words, how he 
 formed his notions of the Trinity ? For he 
 owned it ; we fhall fee that his fyftem as 
 to this, is founded on Sabellianifm, as was 
 obferved in the beginning •, *' Unde," fays he, 
 (142) (142) " totam nunc collige Trinitatis ratio- 
 nal, n. «« nem. Pater eft Deus, Hlius eft Deus, 
 ?• 2 7+- ct Spiritus Sanclus eft Deus. Pater non eft 
 " Filius, nee Filius eft Spiritus Sanctus, 
 " nee Spiritus Sanctus eft Pater juxta Per- 
 " fonas proprietatem. In Filio a nobis 
 cc videtur Pater, et in Spiritu Sancto intus 
 ;c a nobis videtur Filius. Realiter Filius 
 " difFert a Patre, et a Filio Spiritus Sanctus, 
 " non effentialiter, quia eft eadem Deitatis 
 " efientia. Pater eft totius difpenfationis, 
 " et Deitatis origo, fimpliciter Deus, fine 
 tc creaturas admixtione, vel participatione 
 *' aliqua, in fe confideratus incomprehen- 
 ** libilis. Filius Deitatem habet Patris cum 
 *' corporal! participatione creaturas. Spiritus 
 " Sanctus Deitatem habet Patris et Filii, 
 ** creaturas quoque participationem a Filio 
 " accipiens, per quam procedit." Original 
 fin confifts in this, that by the fall of Adam, 
 the Devil has acquired the power of per- 
 verting the body and the foul, and throwing 
 the motions of this laft into diforder, by 
 (143) De irrigating us; efpecially when his lefibns 
 p £g j ' ' begin to get the afcendant over us about 
 362. twenty years of age. (143) " Omne itaque 
 
 " mali 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 165 
 
 " mali genus a Terpen te et Adam due jr. origin 
 " nem : et incipit in nobis quando fcientiam 
 " boni et mali habere incipimus, fiimulante 
 " nos doctore ferpente, idque a puero. Adam 
 *' eft caufa efficiens noftras perditionis, quia 
 «« ob ejus delictum facia eft Terpen ti poteftas, 
 " ut corporis et animi corruptionem caufet, 
 " et inordinatus reddat omnes partes animae 
 " noftrse, quando nos fuam fcientiam docere 
 " incipit— tempore quo prsvalere incipit ilia 
 ** Satana; mala fcientia, prasvalere etiam 
 " incipit in homine luxurise ftimulus, an- 
 <c gelus Satana, circa annum vicefimum." 
 We are not fufceptible of true falutary in- 
 struction, until thirty years of age ; and 
 then it is, we ought to be baptized, after 
 the example of Jefus Chrift ; and then it is, 
 we are regenerated. " Triginta annorum 
 *' Chriftus baptifmum accepit, exemplum 
 " nobis dans, ac nos ita docens, ante earn 
 *.* setatem non efle quern fatis aptum ad 
 ff myfteria regni caslorum. — Sicut primus 
 " Adam tricelimo anno naicitur, ira cum 
 " fecundo nos tricefimo anno renalcemur." 
 (144) He rails in the moft outrageous man- (14O &• 
 ner againft the baptifm of infants, which !■ "• P* 
 we may judge of by his conclufion of this 4 
 fubjecl:. (145) " P:edcbaptitmum efle dico(i4 5 )ib. 
 ** deteftandam abominationem, Spiritus Sandti 1 - iv - p« 
 " extindtionem, ecclefia^ Dei defolationem*^ 7 
 " totius profeffionis chriftians confufionem, 
 " innovationis per Chriftum factse aboliti- 
 *' onem, ac totius ejus regni conculcati- 
 " onem." Calvin does not appear to have 
 underftood clearly, what he faid concerning 
 the foul's becoming mortal by fin, for he 
 does not feem to fpeak of any thing elfe 
 M 3 ' but 
 
166 LIFE OF SERVETUS, 
 
 but a fpi ritual mortality. " Animas efTen- 
 
 " tiam corruptibilibus carnis dementis in 
 
 ('46) ib. " aurum alligatum, (14^) ita per Adam, 
 
 p. 151. " Satana occidit, ut fit quodam modo anima 
 
 " reddita mortalis non quod in nihilum 
 
 u anima redeat, ficut nee caro, fed moritur 
 " quando cum dolore vitalibns actionibus 
 " privatur, et in inferno languius detinetur, 
 " quafi non amplius victura, contra vero 
 " per Chriftum funt animce reddits im- 
 " mortales, ficut caro immortalis." I mall 
 not rehearfe all the invectives of Servetus 
 againft thofe who admit the doctrine of the 
 Trinity ; they fo far furpafs what we can 
 conceive, that neither the. rudenefs of that 
 age, nor the periuafion of its reprefenting 
 God in a wrong light, can make any apo- 
 logy for language lb odious, and fo out- 
 rageous againft a doctrine held in veneration 
 by almoft all the chriftian church. Neither 
 is he more referved when he talks of the 
 Pope, and the church of Rome ; and fup- 
 pofmg there had been np herefy in his whole 
 book, what he fays upon this fubject was 
 fufficient to have condemned him to the 
 flames, by the Roman catholicks in the time 
 when he lived. According to Servetus, the 
 Pope is Antichrift, the Bead to whom the 
 Dragon has given his power, Rome is Ba- 
 bylon, the antient feat of Satan, where the 
 Beaft continues in the fame idolatrous prac- 
 tices as before ; the practices of the Maho- 
 metans are preferable to thofe of Rome : 
 in a word, the whole fecond book of the 
 treatife de Kegensratione^ contain the moft ' 
 violent invectives againft the Roman church, 
 znd againft its worfhip ; and on this occafion, 
 
 againft 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS, 167 
 
 sgainft the Trinity, which he looked upon 
 as a contrivance of the Popes. I might 
 produce very extenfive parages to juftify 
 what I have faid ; I (hall confine myielf 
 only to fome few, whereby a judgment may 
 be formed of the reft. (147) " Ipfemet eft (, 7 ) a,; 
 *' draco ille magnus Terpens antiquus, quiJ.i. p. 
 " eft diabolus et Satanas, fedu£tor orbis, 394> 397* 
 " qui poieftatem fuam Babylonia Bcftise J^' J°J* 
 
 " id eft pap?e dedit Qui papifticos ritns 
 
 " vere intelligit non effe fecundum Chriftum, 
 " vere intelligit paparn efte Antichriftum, 
 " qui Chrifti regnum occupans, Chrifto con- 
 " traria ftatuat, et Chrifto contraria faciat — 
 " Babylonem efTe Romam non eft quod du- 
 " bitetur-Hsc Satanss antiqua iedes dicTta 
 
 *' nunc fedes Apoftolica- Adde quod in 
 
 ** urbe ipfa fuit infignis pontificatus ad ido- 
 " lolatriam. Pontifex ipie Satanas parentalis, 
 " jufta funebria, placandos manes 5 inferias 
 " exfequias, et alia pro mortuis fuffragia, 
 il ab iEneae fecujo Romas docuerat •, quos 
 " omnes ritus ab ipfomet Satana inftrucla 
 " Beftia ad unguem nunc fervat— ficut ubi 
 " colebatur Hecate TgnstyxXoe, ita nunc a 
 ** tritheitis colitur trict-ps Cerberus tres in uno 
 " ranarum Spiritus — ■ — In hoc Papiftis Ma- 
 " humetani praeferendi, quod idola abhorrent, 
 " et idololatriam papifticam maxime detef- 
 " tantur. Quanquam Deus nee in manu- 
 " faclis templis habitet nee manibus huma- 
 46 nis colatur, fed folo Spiritu ■, iacerdotes 
 " tamen Papiftici, varia templa variorum 
 *' fan&orum cultibus dedicant, et cadavera , 
 " multa fuper altaria recondunt ftatuas, idola, 
 t; et fimulacra aurea, argentea, serea, ferrea, 
 " lignea, lapides, variis picturis pulchre ador- 
 M 4 f hata a 
 
l'6* LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 " nata, iilis fabre faciunt, cadaverum reli- 
 " qulas, intra idola reponunt, fuper humeros 
 " portant, hunc orantes pro pefti, ilium 
 " pro tonitruis, et pro aliis morbis alios. 
 " ad hunc pro bobus, ad ilium pro ovibus, 
 " ad alios pro equis et afmis peregrinationes 
 * £ inftituunt, et vcta vovent. imo tot funt 
 
 " divo quod oppida et pagi Unumquod- 
 
 " que artificum genus, fabrorum, futorum, 
 " tonSorum, et reliquorum fuos habet pecu- 
 " liares divos, quibus fefta colit et bacha- 
 " nalia convivia." 
 
 After all this, what muft we think of 
 Servems, who lived at Vienne, profefling 
 a religion of which he draws fuch a Shock- 
 ing picture ; who was a partaker in its wor- 
 ship, and who protefted in the examination 
 he underwent, that he Submitted himfelf to 
 thedecifion of the church? The lead, certainly, 
 that we can fay of him is, that he was a 
 great hypocrite, and at the fame time, he 
 muft have had a ftrong dofe of enthufiafm, 
 or an unbounded ambition to make himfelf a 
 man of confequence, by the Singularity of 
 his opinions, in having written and caufed 
 to be printed fuch a book as the Refit tutio 
 Chrifiianifmi : although he did . not put his 
 name to it, could he without the greateft 
 folly, flatter himfelf he would remain un- 
 known ? And notwithstanding the remarkable 
 difference between this book and his firft 
 works upon the fame Subject, there was 
 always conformity enough to detect them : 
 befides, he could not remain unknown, when 
 he made the letters which he wrote to Cal- 
 vin, be printed ; thefe alone were fufficient 
 to diScover him : there is no great appear- 
 ance 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. tfi 
 
 Vienne [X]. The 2 2d of Sep- 
 tember 
 
 ance that Calvin miftook the author from 
 this particular, and much lefs that he would 
 be at pains to conceal it. I mail finifh this 
 long note by obferving, that if we examine 
 the whole fyftem of Servetus, we fhall be 
 forced to own, that it is the mod abfurd and 
 o'ofcure, that ever entered into the mind of 
 man ; and I dare fay, if his work was com- 
 mon, it would perhaps be the moft defpi- 
 cable book that ever was, and we would give 
 ourfelves no trouble about it. Some books 
 have no other merit but their fcarcity ; it is 
 fuppofed they contain great myfteries, and 
 there is infinite pains taken to find them out, 
 but we are altogether furprifed fometimes, to 
 find nothing in them but the moft abfurd 
 imaginations. 
 
 (X) In all refpefis fo different from his 
 behaviour at Vienne. ~\ It is not eafy to con- 
 ceive, how a man who had fo much addrefs 
 as to extricate himfelf out of the danger he 
 was in at Vienne, mould become fo obitinate 
 and inflexible all at once, that he fhould 
 rather chufe to be burnt, than make the lead 
 aft of fubmimon. The truth is, that Ser- 
 vetus flattered himfelf, and that protected 
 as he was, he did not believe he run the 
 lead rifk of his life. Let us canvafs this 
 part of his hiftory, and we fhall find circum- 
 ftances in it, which fay a great deal for 
 abfolving Calvin. There was in Geneva at 
 that time, a difpute about jurifdiclion be- 
 tween the Magiftrates and the Con fi (lory ; 
 the rigid difcipline introduced by Calvin, 
 
 difpleafed 
 
i;o LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 tember, he prefented another 
 petition, requeuing that Calvin 
 fhould be punifhed as a calum- 
 niator, which was accompanied 
 
 with 
 
 difpleafed a great many people, they wanted 
 
 to moderate its feverity, by eftabliming an 
 
 appeal to the magiftracy. This was the fame 
 
 thing as an attack upon Calvin himfelf, who 
 
 not being difpofed to yield, would have been 
 
 undone without recovery, if they had fuc- 
 
 ceeded. A paiTage from Beza will put thefe 
 
 (148) Pre- conjectures in their proper light. (i.;8) " At 
 
 facetothe" this time when they were taken up in 
 
 Comment c c O pp f ir! g t j ie herefies of Servetus, there 
 
 ap BibL " was a dangerous confpiracy fecretly hatch- 
 
 Raif. t. 2. " ing in the city, which tended to the de- 
 
 p. 10S, " ftrudYion of the Church, in taking from 
 
 109. via. tc -j. t ^ e exerc jf e f diicipline ; for fome of 
 
 def. of " trie grandees, who held, or who had ufurped 
 
 Calvin. p." the moft part of the power of the govern- 
 
 329, 332. cc rnent of affairs, were not fond of the word 
 
 *' of God being preached with boldnefs and 
 
 " efficacy. To thefe reforted certain de- 
 
 " bauched and incorrigible perfons, who, for 
 
 " very good reafons, were forbid the Sacra- 
 
 " ment by the Confiftory — Not being able, 
 
 " and indeed not daring to abolim the Con- 
 
 " fiftory — they endeavoured to effectuate, 
 
 " that when the Confiftory mould deprive 
 
 ec any perlbn of the Sacrament, the Council 
 
 44 might have power to abfolve them, and 
 
 " give them permifilon to receive it. -But 
 
 " while the Confiftory and the Miniftry 
 " oppofed this miichief by ftrong remon- 
 
 " ftrances-* 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. i 7 i 
 
 with feveral articles he demanded 
 
 Calvin to be interrogated upon. 
 
 (w) The ioth of O&oher Ser-MMtt. 
 
 vetus returned to the charge by z. P . i 4S , 
 
 152. 
 a 
 
 " (trances, one Amied Perrin, (149) at that(H9J^« 
 
 *' time firil Syndic, in order to make a be- 4 mP£ j ee 
 
 " ginning of this practice — gave letters tOGarriand 
 
 " one Garnement, a favourite of his, for Amed 
 
 " receiving the Sacrament, who had been Garcrokf 
 
 " interdicted. They believed that neither 
 
 " Calvin nor the reft durft refufe it, when 
 
 *' thefe letters were prefented in full afTem- 
 
 " bly ; or in cafe they did refufe, this would 
 
 <c raife a fedition, in which the Minifters 
 
 " would be the chief fufferers ; Calvin, 
 
 " although he was not advertifed of this 
 
 M confpiracy till two days before the fiid 
 
 * c Sunday of September, which was the next 
 
 " Sacrament day, refolved at all hazards to 
 
 " do his duty. — It coft the Council a long 
 
 " time to break the neck of this under- 
 
 " taking, which lafted about a year." 
 
 By this we fee that there was a divifion 
 at Geneva, when the affair of Servetus hap- 
 pened, and that the difputes were at the 
 higheft in the month of September, 1553, 
 when the Spanifh phyfician demanded that his 
 caufe fhould be brought before the Council 
 of two hundred. This hint was probably 
 fuggefted to him by the Syndic •, what gives 
 occafion to think fo, is, that this very Ma- 
 giftrate propofed afterwards, the remitting of 
 the caufe of Servetus to the two hundred, as 
 Calvin tells him, who was exceffively piqued 
 
 againft 
 
172 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 a new requeil, wherein we may 
 fee, that this miferable man was 
 in the moft deplorable condition ; 
 notwithstanding the orders which 
 
 had 
 
 againft the Syndic, to whom he gave the 
 (150) Ep. nickname of comical Casfar. (150) " Casfar 
 ad Farel. « comicus, fimulato per triduum morbo, in 
 oa. 26, ti cur j am tandem afcendit, ut fceleratum 
 " iftum poena eximeret. Neque enim eru- 
 " buit petere, ut cognitio ad ducentos ve- 
 " niret." The reafon why they wanted to 
 bring this caufe before this laft tribunal, 
 was, becaufe the fovereignty refides in the 
 Council of two hundred, and confequently 
 the right of making new laws, or repealing 
 the old, belongs only to them -, fo that they 
 could fufpend the execution of the penal laws 
 which were then in force at Geneva, as we 
 fhall fee in the fequel. The carrying the 
 caufe of Servetus before the Council of two 
 hundred, was making Calvin run a very great 
 rifque ; and by this we fee, that Servetus 
 had fome reafon to flatter himfelf. *' Thefe 
 " who favoured him," fays Mr. la Roche, 
 (15OB1. (151) "no doubt had made him hope 
 Angl. t. u t j iat h e could fave his life -, and it was 
 z. p. 162. (t t k aJ .^ w j 1 j c j 1 k e p C him from obferving any 
 " meafures." I even believe, that if this had 
 not happened, he would have defended him- 
 felf by fpeaking or writing much better. 
 And certainly it was for the fame reafon that 
 he requeued not to be delivered over to the 
 Judges of Vienne, which evidently proves 
 that our Spaniard reckoned too much upon 
 
 the. 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. ifg 
 
 had been given. As the procefs 
 of this phyiician was an affair of 
 the utmoft importance, the ma- 
 giftrates of Geneva thought pro- 
 per 
 
 the protection of Calvin's enemies, and that 
 a little more good conduct and referve, would 
 have faved him, which is teftified by Beza 
 and by Calvin himielf. The firft of thefe 
 fays, (152) " Fuit autem horum omnium (i^VIt. 
 " (certaminum) ifte exitus, ut tandem per- CaIv,an * 
 44 ditus ille (cui eciam factioforum unus turn lil^oin- 
 44 prastoris affeffor in aurem infufurafle quid-ningof 
 44 dam credebatur, quo malum perdita ho- Calvin's 
 44 minis animurn obfirmaret, a vana ilia fua " 
 
 44 confidentia proditus infelix vivus cre~ Amft.'ed. 
 
 " maretur." Let us hear Calvin; (153) (^ODe- 
 " In my opinion he was in no danger of cIar -P-5S- 
 44 being punifhed with any feverity, if he 
 44 had Ihewn himfelf in the leaft tractable, 
 44 or given the leaft hope of returning to 
 44 the right way. But fo far was he from 
 44 taking the fmalleft moderate ftep, that 
 44 being more and more filled with often ta- 
 44 tion, and blown up with pride, he rejected 
 44 with difdain, the belt advices which were 
 44 offered him, and might have been of very 
 44 great ufe to him. — It is enough for me, 
 44 that it is known, that I never profecuted 
 44 him with fo much cruelty, but that it 
 44 was always in his option to have pur- 
 44 chafed his life, in giving the fmalleft 
 44 token of modefty ; which he certainly 
 44 would have done, if he had not loft his 
 * 4 fenfes. It muft not be faid neither, that 
 
 " he 
 
(C 
 
 174 LIFE OF SERVE TVS. 
 
 per to confult the ProteftanC 
 Swifs Cantons. They fent them 
 the Chrifiianifmi ReJiitutio y with 
 Calvin's papers, and the pri- 
 
 foner's 
 
 " he was fteady in maintaining his opinions, 
 " it was no fuch thing which governed him. 
 •' For at Vienne he made no fcruple of 
 " recanting, as often as they pleafed, if he 
 " could but get free. But I don't know what 
 notion to form of that obfiinacy he always 
 mewed here, except that a furious rage 
 *■' had taken pofleffion of him, to run him 
 ct headlong into that judgment, to which 
 " God had given him up. For, eight days 
 " after, when I ?was called again by the Ma- 
 " giftrates, and when, if he had pleafed, 
 " he had the liberty of talking with us, 
 " the mifchief might have been repaired. 
 " But he excufed himfelf on account of his 
 " grief, and vexation ; fo that he v;ould not 
 
 " enter into converfation with us. From 
 
 44 whence it may be probably conjectured, 
 " that he had formed to himfelf fome vain 
 " expectation I don't know where, which 
 s ' has ruined and deftroyed him." 
 
 Mr. la Roche feems to believe, that the 
 capital fnare Servetus's falfe friends made him 
 fall inro, was to engage him to throw out 
 a great deal of injurious language againft 
 Calvin. Although that would have been 
 very imprudent, there is no probability that 
 even this would have made a great impreffion 
 either upon the Judges or Calvin himfelf. 
 " This Billingfgate ftyle," as Mr. de la Cha- 
 
 pelle 
 
LIFEOFSERVETUS. 175 
 
 foner's anfwers ; and they re- 
 quired at the fame time, the 
 opinion of their Divines upon 
 this affair. All the anfwers agreed 
 
 in 
 
 pelle very juftly obferves, " was then, and 
 " for a long time afterwards, very much in 
 " fafihion amongft men of learning." In- 
 vectives and injuries were common, which 
 went for nothing in debates j it was the efta- 
 blifhed, or Chancery ftyle. Servetus's great 
 misfortune was, that his pretended friends 
 perfuaded him, that his life was in no danger ; 
 in confidence of which, he defied juftice and 
 his Judges. We find proofs of this, in the 
 manner he defended himfelf againft his ac- 
 cufers. We have feen in note (F), that upon 
 the fubject of the paffage about the fertility 
 of Judasa, he did not condefcend to alledge 
 the proofs of his innocence with regard to this 
 article, which he had to (hew ; on the con- 
 trary, he chufed rather to place to his own 
 account, the injurious reflections upon Mofes, 
 faying, " that there was nothing in it but 
 " what was good." When he was reproached 
 with indecent expreflions he had ufed in 
 fpeaking of the Trinity, which could not 
 but be looked upon as blafphemous amongft 
 Chriftians, he afked neither pardon nor 
 excufe. What he had wrote he obftinately 
 defended. I ought upon this occafion to 
 correct a fmall miftake of Mr. de la Cha- 
 pelle, who fays, (154) that the queftion (154)81*. 
 was upon the thirty feven articles extracted Rai< - r - *• 
 from his books, about the letter which heP^" 5 ' 
 a had 
 
176 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 in exhorting the magiftrates to 
 
 reftrain 
 
 had wrote to Mr. Abel Poupin or Pepin, 
 full of the mod fhocking expreffions againft 
 the Faith maintained at Geneva, and where 
 he called the Trinity a Cerberus with three 
 heads ; the Journalift adds, that he made this 
 anfwer. " I confefs I have wrote fo, and 
 " when you fhall teach me otherwife, I will 
 " not only embrace it, but I will kifs the 
 ** ground whereon you walk." Mr. de la 
 Chapelle is miftaken ; the thirty feventh article 
 extracted from his books regards the invec- 
 tives he had thrown out againft the Baptifm 
 of Infants, and the anfwer of Servetus refers 
 to that, and not to the injurious expreffions 
 againft the Trinity. I don't find that he had 
 repeated them, or that he had directly de- 
 fended them ; on the contrary, it appears 
 that he had eluded this article, contenting 
 himfelf with offering no excufe •, which fuf- 
 ficiently mews his obftinacy, and the little 
 refpedt he had for his Judges. We have 
 befides, a much ftronger proof of this, in 
 the article concerning his fyftem, that God 
 is the whole -, fo far from foftening what he 
 advanced, as we have feen in the remark (w), 
 he feems to infult the whole univerfe. I 
 don't think we can have any difficulty in 
 believing Calvin, comparing his relation with 
 (155) De- the propofitions of Servetus. (155) " In the 
 clar. p. " whole procefs," fays Calvin, " his impiety 
 89,90. *i h as {3 een muc h better difcovered. — For as 
 " to what he faid, that all creatures are of 
 " the real Subftance of the Deity, and like- 
 " wife that all things are full of an infinite 
 
 " God. 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 177 
 
 reftrain Servetus, and to hinder 
 
 his 
 
 " God. Such language he is not afhamed 
 " to utter, and even commit to writing. 
 " I being excefiively vexed at fuch a mon- 
 " ftrous abfurdity, replied againftit; How, 
 " wretched man ! if any one mould ftrike 
 " this floor with his foot, and fhould fay, 
 " that he trampled upon God, would not 
 " you be (hocked in fubjecting the Majefty of 
 " God to fuch an affront ? But he faid, I 
 " make no queflion, but that this form and 
 *' this table and every thing which can be 
 " fliewn, is the Subflance of God. Again, 
 " when it was objected to him, that then, 
 " according to his own account, the Devil 
 *'- would be fubftantially God. Smiling, he 
 " anfwered boldly, Do you doubt of it? 
 " For my part I flick to this as a general 
 " maxim, that all things are a part and 
 " portion of God, and that all nature is 
 " his fubftantial Spirit." Except one is 
 violently prejudiced, he muft confefs that 
 a man in the circumftances in which Ser- 
 vetus was, and behaved in this manner, 
 muft have fecret hopes that it would do 
 him no harm. And thus it follows from 
 all that we have faid, that Calvin's ene- 
 mies contributed more to the misfortunate 
 end of Servetus, than this reformer ; and that 
 a little of that fubmimon he practifed at 
 Vienne, would have faved him ; but as 
 they had rendered Servetus headftrong and 
 infolent, Calvin was laid under the nece£ 
 fity either of ruining himfelf, or of op- 
 N pofing 
 
i 7 3 LIFE OF SERVETITS. 
 
 his errors from fpreading. (Y) 
 
 The 
 
 pofing every thing which could be favourable 
 to Servetus. 
 
 ( Y) To rejlrain Servetus^ and hinder his errors 
 from fpreading.'] There are none of thefe 
 anfwers, which point out that kind of punifh- 
 ment the criminal deferved, but we may 
 clearly fee that the Swifs Magiftrates did not 
 think that Servetus ought to efcape ; the 
 reader fhall be judge of this. The Magif- 
 trates of Zurich anfwered the 2d of October, 
 that they had confulted their Minifters, and 
 they exhorted the Council of Geneva to 
 oppofe the herefies of Servetus. " In confi- 
 (156) Bi. " dence," fay they (156) " that you won't 
 Angl.t.2. « fuffer the wicked intention of your faid 
 Mr! la' " prifoner to go further, which is entirely 
 Roche " contrary to the Chriftian religion, which 
 afTures « gives great fcandal and infult." The Mi- 
 us ' this nifters of Zurich exprefs themfelves more 
 has n g ever ftrongly in their letter of the fame date (157). 
 been " Multa ergo fide et diligentia contra hunc 
 printed. « p U5 e ff e judicamus, prsfertim cum eccle- 
 ter ift°~ " ^ 1£e non ^ ras a P u d exteros male audiant, quafi 
 Calvin." " heretics fint et hasreticis foveant. Obtulit 
 p. m. 73. " vero in preienti Sandta Dei providentia oc- 
 " cafionem repurgandi vos, fimul ac nos a 
 *' pravi mali hujus fufpicione : fi videlicet 
 " vigilantes fueritis, diligenterque caveritis 
 " ne veneni hujus contagio, per hunc ferpat 
 " latius. Id quod facluros A. V. nil dubi- 
 " tamus." The Magiftrates of Schaffhoufe 
 anfwered by a letter of the 6th of October, 
 that they had remitted the examination of this 
 affair to their Minifters, and that they had 
 
 fent 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 179 
 
 The 26th of October, and not 
 
 the 28 th, as Mr. la Roche has it, 
 
 after 
 
 fent thefe gentlemens letter to the Council of 
 Geneva. Thefe laft, after faying that they 
 detefted the errors of Servetus, conclude 
 with thefe words (158), " Neque dubitamus ( r 5 s ) ib - 
 " quam vos, pro inflgni prudentia veftra, P* m ' "4* 
 iC ipfms conatus repreffuri fitis, ne blaiphe- 
 " mias ipfius tanquam cancer latius depaf- 
 ¥ cantur Chrifti membra. Nam longis rati- 
 " onibus avertere ipfius deliramenta ; quid 
 " aliud. effet quam cum inlaniente infaniri ?" 
 Thefe gentlemen hoped that thofe of Geneva 
 would reprefs the errors of Servetus, and 
 they judged it would be in vain to refute 
 them by long reafonings ; is not this language 
 very plain ? The Magiflrates of Bafil men- 
 tion in their letter of the 1.2th of October, 
 their having referred the examination of this 
 affair to their Divines ; thefe laft in their 
 letter of the 1 8th of October (159), cxprefs (159) ib. 
 in the beginning, the horror they have atP- m - 72 - 
 the he re fie s of Servetus, and end by faying, j> ^ e 
 " Poftremo, quod Servetum attinet hortamur, fays, that 
 " ut quod facere vos apparet, omne ftudium ^is letter 
 " in ipfo fanando albi beatis, modo qurs ls i t !^ e f 
 " excitavit offendicula, et ipfa fanari queant oft. in 
 " Verum fi infanabilis in concepta femet per- my edit. 
 <c verfitate perftet, fie pro officio veftro, n is t,ie 
 " poteftateque a Domino concefifa coerceatur, l c * 
 " ne dare incommodum queateccleftr Chrifti, 
 iC neve fiant noviifima primis deteriora." They 
 mean that in cafe Servetus perfifts in his 
 obftinacy and is incurable, then the Council 
 of Geneva, according to their duty and exer- 
 N 2 cifing 
 
i8o LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 after Mr. d'Artigny ; the fentence 
 againfl: Servetus was pronounced, 
 
 h ? 
 
 cifihg the power vvhich God had put into their 
 hands, fhould reftrain this heretick in fuch 
 a manner, that he fhould not hurt the Church 
 of Jefus Chrift any more. Here is no ambi- 
 guity. The Magiftrates of Bern wrote like- 
 wife, that they had confulted their Divines, 
 and entreated the Magiftrates of Geneva to 
 put a flop to the further progrefs of thefe 
 (160) Bi. errors. " We beg of you," fay they, (160) 
 Angl. ub. " not doubting but you are thereto alfo in- 
 & P V " c ^ nec ^ tnat y° u wl 'l ta ^ e P ro per meafures, 
 Mr.'la tnat f e & s anc ^ herefies as thefe are, or fuch 
 
 Roche " like, be not fown in the Church of Jefus 
 affuresus," Chrift, our only Saviour; preferving it 
 th a " a l g ,s " thereby from trouble and adverfity, ad- 
 has never " vancing and iflcreafing its glory." The 
 been Minifters of Bern expreffed themfelves in 
 panted, thefe terms. " Oramus Deum, ut det vobis 
 " fpiritum prudentia?, confilii et fortitudinis, 
 <c ut et peftem hanc ab ecclefiis cum veftra, 
 " turn aliis, avertatis, et fimul nihil remit- 
 " tatis, quod Magiftratui Chriftiano inconve- 
 fi6r) " niens fit (161)." This letter is dated in 
 Inter ep. j-^g vear 1553. In weighing without preju- 
 av ' p * dice all the anfwers of thefe churches, we 
 muft agree to the truth of what Beza fays, 
 that Servetus had been condemned with the 
 confent of all the Churches in Switzerland, 
 " ex omnium etiam Helveticarum ecclefiarum 
 " fententia." Mr. la Roche feems to make 
 this doubtful •, and Mr. d'Alwoerden pretends 
 that Calvin had the art to let none of the 
 letters be printed but that of Zurich, becaufe 
 
 it 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 181 
 
 by which he was condemned to 
 be burnt alive. (Z) After the 
 fentence was pronounced upon 
 this unfortunate Spaniard, he 
 appeared fometimes quite con- 
 founded and motionlefs, fome- 
 times fetching deep fighs, and 
 then crying after the Spaniili 
 
 manner, 
 
 it anfwered his view much better, which was 
 to maintain, that Servetus was juftly put to 
 death. But, upon reading the anfwers of thefe 
 Swifs gentlemen, we mall own that Mr. de 
 Ja Chapelle had reafon to fay, that (162) ( 62) 
 *' All the churches of Switzerland agreed to Blbl . 
 " punifh Servetus capitally, fince they all t 2 * 
 " concurred in teftifying their utmoft ab- i 73 . 
 ** horrence of his herefies •, and requiring, 
 " that this outrage mould not be left un- 
 " punimed." We fhall fee afterwards, that 
 the practice of the Swifs fufficiently explains 
 what they understand by retraining herefies. 
 
 (Z) Sentence againji Servetus was pronounced, 
 by which he was condemned to be burnt alive. ,] 
 Mr. la Roche has given us this fentence and 
 the trial preceding. As thefe two pieces throw 
 a great deal of light upon this affair, we fhall 
 iniert them, to fpare the reader the trouble 
 of having recourfe to another book. There 
 we fee for what crimes Servetus was con- 
 demned, and in what form judgment was 
 decreed againlt him. 
 
 N 3 "PRO= 
 
182 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 manner, Mifericorde I Mifericorde I 
 ipufc? ! p.' ( x ) Two hours before his death, 
 m - 5 2 3- he defired to fpeak with Calvin : 
 this divine accompanied with 
 two magiftrates, went to prifon ; 
 Calvin faid to him, that it never 
 entered into his mind to revenge 
 any perfonal injuries done him ; 
 
 that 
 "PROCESS 
 
 " Made and formed before our mod 
 <c refpeclful Lords, the Syndics Judges 
 *' of criminal caufes of this city, at the 
 *' purfuit and inftance of the Lord Lieu- 
 " tenant of the faid city, and the faid 
 e{ caufes indited againft 
 
 u Michael Servetus, of Villa- 
 " neuve in the kingdom of 
 '•* Arragon in Spain, 
 
 " Who about three and twenty, or four 
 " and twenty years ago, has in the firft place 
 tc attempted to have, and caufed to be printed 
 *Hage- " in Agnon * in Germany, a book againft 
 " the Holy and undivided Trinity •, con- 
 tc taining many grofs blafphemies againft it, 
 " highly icandalous to the churches of the 
 " faid Germans, which he without conftraint, 
 * £ confeffed, that he catifed the faid book to 
 " be printed, notwitlittanding all the remon- 
 ftrances and reproofs given him for thefe 
 falfe opinions, by the learned Evangelical 
 Dodors amongft the faid Germans. 
 
 " Item, 
 
 nau. 
 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 183 
 
 that more than flxteen years ago, 
 he had endeavoured to reclaim 
 him from his errors ; and that 
 in this view he had written to 
 him with a great deal of ten- 
 dernefs ; that he had not ceafed 
 to give him proofs of his affec- 
 tion until he faw that he fell 
 
 a 
 
 " Item. Which book has been rejected 
 * c by the Doctors of the faid German 
 ?' churches, as full of herefies, and the faid 
 " Servetus declared fugitive by the faid Ger- 
 I s mans on account of the faid book. 
 
 " Item. Notwithftanding of which, the 
 •" faid Servetus has perfevered in his errone- 
 " ous falfehoods, infecting here as many as 
 f« he could, 
 
 " Item. Not content with this, but the 
 " better to fpread and pour out his faid 
 *' venom and herefy, he has caufed lately 
 " to be printed, another book privately, in 
 " Vienne in Dauphine, full of the faid here- 
 " fies ; horrible and execrable blafphemies 
 * c againft: the Holy Trinity, againft the Son 
 " of God, againft the baptifm of little chil- 
 " dren, and a great many other holy and 
 " fundamental articles of the Chriftian reli- 
 " gion. 
 
 " Item, He has voluntarily confefled, 
 " that in this book he has called thole who 
 " believe the Trinity, Trinitarians and 
 ti Atheifts, 
 
 N 4 «* Item, 
 
i8 4 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 a railing againft him, becaufe 
 he had reprimanded him with 
 fome freedom. He exhorted Ser- 
 vetus to ask pardon of God, 
 for his having endeavoured to 
 deftroy the three hypoftafes of 
 his effence, and had called it a 
 Cerberus with three heads, if 
 
 there 
 
 " Item. He calls the Trinity itfelf a 
 " C s, and a th — h— d monfter. 
 
 " Item. Againft the real foundation of 
 " the Chriftian religion, deteftably blafphem- 
 " ing againft the Son of God ; he has faid 
 " that Jefus Chrift is not the Son of God 
 " from all eternity, but only from his incar- 
 " nation. 
 
 " Item. And againft that which the Scrip- 
 " ture fays, that Jefus Chrift is the Son of 
 6£ David according to the Flefh, he misfor- 
 * c tunately denies it, faying, that he was 
 " created of the Subftance of the Father, 
 " having received three elements from him, 
 '* and one only from the Virgin •, in which 
 *' he wickedly pretends to abolifh the true 
 " and entire humanity of our Lord Jefus 
 *' Chrift, the fovereign confolation of poor 
 44 mankind. 
 
 " Item. A.nd that the baptifm of little 
 ** children is nothing but an invention of the 
 * e Devil and witchcraft. 
 
 ** Item. And a great many other points 
 f 8 and articles, and execrable blafphemies, 
 
 2 g Of 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 185 
 
 there was a real diftin&ion be- 
 tween the Father, the Son, and 
 Holy Spirit, &c. Thefe exhor- 
 tations were ufelefs : Calvin re- 
 tired, (z) Chateillon has given (z) ibid, 
 out, that Calvin was in a win- p ' 5U 
 dow when Servetus was led to 
 punifliment, and that he fmiled 
 
 when 
 
 of which the faid book is full ; highly 
 fcancialous againft the honour and majefty of 
 God, the Son of God, and the Holy 
 Spirit ; which is a cruel and horrible 
 murther, perdition and ruin to a great 
 many poor fouls, being betrayed by this 
 treacherous and deteftable doctrine : A 
 thing dreadful to rehearfe. 
 " Item. And that Servetus, full of ma- 
 lice, intitled his faid book fo drawn up 
 againft God and the holy Evangelical Doc- 
 trines, Chriftianifmi Rejlitutio •, that is to 
 fay, The Reft oration of Chriftianity, fo much 
 the better to feduce and deceive poor igno- 
 rant people •, and the more eafily to infect 
 the readers of his faid book with his mif- 
 chievous and wicked venom, under the 
 cover of found doctrine. 
 " Item. And befides the aforefaid book, 
 attacking our faith by letters, applying 
 himfelf diligently to infect others with his 
 poifon ; he has voluntarily confeffed and 
 owned that he had written letters to one 
 of the Minifters of this city, in which 
 
 " amongft 
 
186 LIFE OF SERVETUS, 
 
 when he faw him pafs by ; but 
 thefe are of the kind of odious 
 reproaches, which ought not to 
 be credited but upon very good 
 proofs, and not upon the tefti- 
 mony of a declared enemy. Mr. 
 la Roche looks upon this fact as 
 (aa$Bibi.a wretched calumny, (aa) M Per- 
 p. 188. " naps, 
 
 ¥ amongft a great many other horrible and 
 " enormous blafphemies, againft our holy 
 " Evangelical religion, he laid, that our 
 " gofpel was without faith, and without God, 
 
 * c and that for one God we had a C s 
 
 *' with th — e h— ds. 
 
 " Item. And befides, he has voluntarily 
 ec confelTed, that at the aforefaid place of 
 " Vienne, upon account of his wicked and 
 <e abominable book and opinions, he was 
 " imprifoned, which pnfon he perfidioufly 
 * e broke and efcaped. 
 
 " Item. And Servetus has not only fet 
 " his doctrine in oppofition to the true Chrif- 
 * { tian Religion, but an impudent inventor 
 " of herefies againft the Papifts and others ; 
 " fo that he was burnt in effigy at Vienne, 
 " and five bales of his faid books. 
 
 ** Item. And notwithftanding all this, 
 " being here in prifon, and detained in this 
 " city, he has not left off from perfifting 
 * e malicioufly in his faid wicked and deteft- 
 " able errors ; endeavouring to defend them 
 " with reproaches and calumnies againft true 
 
 2 ChriftianSj 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 1S7 
 
 " haps," fays Mr. d'Artigny, 
 " he wanted to bring off Cal- 
 " vinas to this particular; (bb)(bb)Nov # 
 " for every where elfe he draws JJ e ™ ,2# 
 " a picture of him which does 
 " by no means flatter him." But 
 from what other motive but that 
 of truth, would Mr. la Roche 
 
 have 
 
 " Chriftians, and faithful maintainers of the 
 " true, fpotlefs Chriftian Religion ; calling 
 cc them Trinitarians, Atheifts, and forcerers ; 
 " notwithftanding the remonftrances made 
 " him for a long time in Germany, as is 
 M already faid, contemning the reprimands, 
 " imprisonments, and corrections that he 
 " has undergone both here and elfewhere, 
 " as is more fully, and at greater length, 
 " contained in his procefs." 
 
 SENTENCE. 
 
 " We the Syndics, Judges of criminal 
 * c caufes in this city, having feen the procefs 
 " drawn up and formed before us, at the 
 *' inftance of our Lieutenant of the faid 
 " caufes prefent, againft Michael Servetus, of 
 " Villeneuve in the kingdom of Arragon in 
 " Spain, By which, and your voluntary 
 " confefllons in our hands, a great many 
 " times repeated, and the books produced 
 " before us ; it is evident and plain to ns, 
 " that you Servetus have for a long time 
 5 ^ publifhed 
 
3S8 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 have fpared Calvin on this article, 
 more than upon others. Farel 
 accompanied Servetus to his exe- 
 cution, and he had a great deal 
 of trouble to make him fay, that 
 he wifhed the people would pray 
 to God for him. Thus it was, 
 that the unfortunate Servetus ex- 
 pired 
 
 a doctrine falfe and altogether heretical; 
 and the fame [not to mention all other 
 remonftrances and corrections,] with a 
 malicious and perverfe obftinacy, conti- 
 nually fown and divulged, even to the 
 printing of books openly, againft God the 
 Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and 
 in one word, againft the true foundations 
 of the Chriftian Religion-, endeavouring 
 thereby to raife fchifm in the Church of 
 God, whereby many fouls may be ruined 
 and loft; a thing horrible and frightful, 
 fcandalous and infectious, having no ihame 
 or horror •, to fet up yourfelf altogether 
 againft the Divine Majefty and the Holy 
 Trinity, thus labouring with all your 
 might, and with obftinacy employing your- 
 felf to infect the world with your here- 
 fies, and naufeous heretical poifon ; the 
 act and the crime of herefy being grievous 
 and deteftable, and dcferving a fevere cor- 
 poral punifhment. For thele, and other 
 juft caufes moving us thereto, defiring to 
 purge the Church of God from fuch an 
 
 " infection. 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 1S9 
 
 pired in the midft of the flames, 
 the 27th of October, 1553* 
 without fpeaking, or giving any 
 fign of repentance. Chateillon 
 in his dialogues inter. V aticanum 
 et Calvinum^ relates feveral cir- 
 cumftances about the death of 
 Servetus, which appear to Mr. 
 
 la Roche 
 
 " infection, and cut off from it fuch a cor- 
 " rupted member •, having taken deliberate 
 " confultation with our fellow-citizens, and 
 " having invoked the name of God, that we 
 " might give a righteous judgment: Sitting 
 " upon the tribunal of our anceflors, having 
 " God and his holy Scriptures before our 
 " eyes : In the Name of the Father, of the 
 " Son, and of the Holy Spirit, by this our 
 " definitive and written fentence •, we con- 
 *' demn you Michael Servetus, to be bound, 
 " and to be led to the place of Champel, and 
 " there to be fattened to a (lake, and there 
 " to be burnt alive •, together with your book 
 " you have written with your own hand, or 
 " printed ; ay, and until your body be re- 
 " duced to afhes j and thus fhall you end 
 tc your days by giving warning to others, 
 " who may commit the like in time coming. 
 " And we charge you our Lieutenant, to fee 
 " the prefent fentence put in execution." 
 
 There is one Angularity in this fentence 
 which deferves to be noticed, which is, that 
 the Judges of Geneva count it a crime in Ser- 
 vetus 
 
i 5 o LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 la Roche either fabulous or un- 
 certain. They have no other 
 tendency but to make Calvin 
 odious, as if it had been this 
 reformer who had directed the 
 execution ; but fuch is the cha- 
 racteriftick of paffion, that it 
 betrays itfelf by thefe very arm? 
 
 it 
 
 vetns for having attacked, or fet up himfelf 
 as a bold introducer of herefies againft the 
 Popifh religion ; if this was a crime, don't 
 thefe gentlemen condemn themfelves ? What 
 no doubt hindered them to perceive this, was 
 that they fuppofed that a heretick had not 
 the fame privileges as an orthodox perfon, and 
 therefore, Servetus was not authorifed to do 
 what Calvin, and they themfelves did every 
 day. This fentence gives occafion to make 
 another obfervation, which is, that the an- 
 cient penal laws againft herecicks, were ex- 
 tant, and in force at Geneva ; this is that 
 which proves the nature of thefe crimes upon 
 which the criminal was condemned. The 
 queftion here, was only about errors and 
 herefies : but how could they rank them with 
 crimes, and capital crimes too, if it was not 
 in confequence of laws which h?.d declared 
 them to be fo ? This is confirmed by the 
 quality of the Judges who gave themfelves 
 the title of Judges of criminal caufes •, that 
 of Servetus was of this nature, and it could 
 only be fo in confequence of thefe laws. Mr. 
 
 d'Alwo- 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. iq S 
 
 it ufes for its own gratification. 
 The execution of Servetus, has 
 furnifhed materials for many de- 
 clamations againft Calvin : they 
 have painted his conduct in the 
 blackeft colours : I am very far 
 from approving his, and the Ma- 
 giftrates of Geneva's (intolerance) 
 
 want 
 
 d'Alwoerden has obferved the fame thing. 
 " Ex legibus civitatis condemnatum eflfe Ser- 
 " vetum, Jo. Urigandus nofter fcribit. Nee 
 •i id prorfus male. Nam, quod ex tota car- 
 <c ceris ejus hiftoria conftat, nondum erat turn 
 ** temporis lex Genevse de haereticis puniendis 
 *' et comburendis abrogata : alioquin ne actio 
 " quidem in Servetum inflitui potuiffet ;** 
 which explains the harfh manner with which 
 this phyfician was ufed, as Mr. de la Chapelle 
 has very well obferved (163). " They (163) ib. 
 " began," fays he, " by depriving him of p. 164, 
 " every means whereby he might procure to l6 S* 
 " himlelf the fmalleft comfort inprifon ; they 
 * c laid hold of ninety feven pieces of gold, a 
 " chain of twenty crowns, and fix gold rings, 
 " which he was fo effectually robbed of, 
 " that he never heard any more of them ; 
 " afterwards they put him into a damp dun- 
 " geon, where he was eaten up with vermin 5 
 " this refembles the Spanifh inquifition not a 
 " little. It is true, that the prifoner obtained 
 *' confronting of parties, the life of papers 
 " in his procefs, ink, pen, paper, books, 
 
 " and 
 
192 LIFE OF SERVE.TUS. 
 
 want of toleration, and at the 
 fame time, I fhall not difTemble ; 
 there are a great many things to 
 be faid, not to juftify non-tole- 
 ration. But, to difcharge Calvin 
 from the blame thrown upon him, 
 L It is evident that the reformer 
 had kept the principles he had 
 
 imbibed 
 
 <s and the liberty of giving what explanations 
 " he thought neceflary, by word of mouth, 
 " or writing ; which is not allowed at the 
 " tribunals of the holy catholick office. But 
 " the orders of the Magiftrates, if there were 
 " any fuch orders, to put him in a cleaner 
 " place, were never executed ; he was not 
 " fuffered to have an advocate to dire£l him, 
 " or to plead his caufe, which perfectly well 
 " agrees with the ecclefiaftical proceedings of 
 " the epifcopal courts in cafes of herefy. 
 " On the whole, we fee fome fmall altera- 
 " tions which the light of the reformation 
 
 " began to make.— It was however at 
 
 " bottom, the fame fpirit which reigned, 
 " and the fame fanguinary law which was 
 4C followed ; this was carried on to the end ; 
 " for when the queftion was to fix the nature 
 " of the punifhment, they determined that 
 " which antient cuftom had ellabliflied. In 
 <c vain did fome perfons more moderate, pro- 
 " pofe baniihment, or, at leaft, a death lefs 
 " cruel than the flames ; Calvin was amongft 
 " thefe laft, but in vain ; I fay, did they 
 
 '* make 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 193 
 
 imbibed in the Church of Rome, 
 concerning the punifhment of 
 hereticks ; (AA) and that he was 
 
 perfuaded 
 
 make any fuch overtures, the majority of 
 votes amongft the Judges, ftuck to the 
 antient cuftom, and Servetus, declared a 
 heretick, was to be burnt alive; that 
 ' which certainly could not have been deter- 
 4 mined in this manner, but in confcquence 
 4 of the laws and cuftoms of the city. It 
 4 is purely, therefore, to thefe laws and 
 4 thofe cuftoms, and not to Calvin's rage, 
 4 that we are to afcribe the feverities Ser- 
 4 vetus underwent in prifon, and the inhu- 
 4 maniry of the punifhment to which he was 
 1 condemned." 
 
 (AA) Imbibed in the church of Rome, con- 
 cerning the punifhment of hereticks.'] We fhall 
 not lufpect Calvin of having acted out of 
 perfonal hatred, if we maturely reflect upon 
 what we have faid in rem. M. obierv. ii. and 
 in rem. X. particularly the citation (153). 
 This Divine acted from his zeaf for ortho- 
 doxy, and thought in good earned, that the 
 Magistrate had a right, and was under obli- 
 gation to punifh hereticks with death. To 
 pretend that he embraced this opinion, and 
 that he undertook to defend it after the death 
 of Servetus, to cover what was odious in this 
 action, is to fuppofe a thing of which there 
 is no manner of proof; while there is all the 
 reafon in the world to believe, that his opinion 
 about the punifhment of hereticks was always 
 the fame, fince it does not appear, that in 
 O labouring 
 
i 9 4 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 perfuaded in good earneft, that 
 they were to be extirpated by the 
 
 fword. 
 
 labouring to reform Geneva, he ever thought 
 in the leaft of aboliihing the penal laws 
 againft hereticks, that which he ought na- 
 turally to have done, if he had entertained 
 the principles of toleration : but on this 
 article he had kept to the prejudices of his 
 infancy, and education and prudential reafons 
 had given them a new weight. Calvin was 
 born a Roman Catholick, and he had kept 
 by the principles of perfecution of that 
 church from whence he came. Herefy was 
 looked upon as a crime deferving the fevereft 
 punifhment. " An heretick was then," as 
 (i64)ib. Mr. de la Chapelle very well fays, (164) 
 p. 153, " a monfter of horror, a child of the 
 J 54« " Devil, an emiffary of hell, an enemy of 
 " God and man j this is the notion the 
 " common people amongft the papifts have 
 " of him to this day. In this way parents 
 *■ talk to their children, matters to their 
 " fcholars, and priefts to their pariihioners. 
 " Judge then, how they would talk of an here- 
 " tick, when hereticks were almoft as rare in 
 <c Europe, as the Phasnix in Egypt. Did they 
 " ftudy the canon law ? Did they ftudy the 
 " civil law or divinity ? This laft was ftill 
 " worfe ; hereticks * were excommunicated 
 " perfons, poifoners of mankind, publick 
 " pefts, guilty of high treafon, human and 
 «* divine, in the mod capital inftanee: in 
 " univerfities, in Parliaments, at the courts 
 " of Princes, as well as of the Popes ; thefe 
 
 " defini- 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 195 
 
 fword. II. This opinion, To far 
 from beino- peculiar to Calvin, 
 
 was - 
 
 " definitions were geometrical maxims, and 
 " thefe principles felf-evident. The refor- 
 " mation which happened, did not fhake an 
 *' opinion fo univerfally eftablifhed ; it was 
 " not thought to be an innovation of the 
 " Roman See ; but that it was always an 
 " eflential part of chriftian zeal. We find 
 " it in the mod celebrated, and molt valu- 
 " able laws of the Emperors •, and we fee 
 " that the Fathers of the church almoft all 
 " agreed, to reprefent herefy as the mod 
 •' deteftable of all crimes ; there were not 
 ** wanting paffages of Scripture where they 
 " imagined the fame notions were to be 
 " found, and it is eafy to obferve, that the 
 " firft ceconomical councils, which were 
 " highly refpedled by all the world, unmer- 
 " cifully let fly their moft furious anathemas 
 " againft every thing they called herefy ; 
 " a prejudice fupported by fuch fpecious 
 *' reafons, naturally paffed for an article of 
 " the Chriftian faith amongft the learned, 
 " and amongft the people, who had fhaken 
 " off the Roman yoke ; and how many 
 " proteftants do we find at this day, who are 
 " fond of the fame opinion ? At the begin- 
 " ning, policy contributed as much to it as 
 " zeal. They would have ruined themfelves 
 4t in the opinion of the people, and in the 
 " courts of Kings, if they had fhewn the 
 " leaft favour to herefy, or to any one who 
 /»' owned himfelf an heretickj the reformers 
 O 2 " and 
 
196 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 was the reigning opinion of the 
 moft celebrated and the moll mode- 
 rate 
 
 " and the reformed fkw the necefiity they 
 ct were under, of vindicating themfelves from 
 " this crime, and to fpeak of it with the fame 
 " deteftation as others : Hence their confef- 
 " fions of faith in order to prove their 
 " orthodoxy ; hence their tragical exclama- 
 " tions againft the rigorous treatment they 
 " met with ; hence thefe rigid precautions, 
 " to preferve amongft them the purity of 
 * c the faith 1 Hence in fine the contradiction 
 " into which they fell, of perfecuting he- 
 " reticks in the fame manner they themfelves 
 " were perfecuted." 
 
 It is really one of the moft glaring con- 
 tradictions, to complain of being perfecuted 
 on account of religion, and pretend to have 
 a right to perfecute others. To fay that it 
 is the privilege of orthodoxy to fupprefs 
 herefy, and to burn hereticks, is to make 
 the world a theatre of murther. Every 
 mortal pretends to be orthodox, and if it is 
 agreed on both fides, that hereticks ought 
 to be burnt, every where the ftrongeft who 
 pretend to be orthodox, will kindle the' 
 pile to deflroy thofe who think otherways than 
 they ; and thus, according to the country, 
 the eftablifhed religion will eradicate every 
 thing which won't acknowledge it: this 
 would appear fo plain, that it requires but a 
 ftnall (hare of good fenfe to be convinced 
 of it ; but as there are people at this day 
 who doirt perceive it, need we be furprifed 
 
 that 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 197 
 
 rate Divines : it was the opinion 
 of all the Proteftant churches, 
 and every where hereticks were 
 ufed with fe verity (BB). III. This 
 
 which 
 
 that Calvin, educated with fuch ftrong pre- 
 judices on this fubject, did not apprehend it, 
 and that he in good earned, fell headlong 
 into perfecution. Calvin and others may be 
 reproached with this contradiction, and 
 advantage may be taken from it, to juftify 
 the perfecuting of proteftants •, but I can't 
 conceive why lbme writers of the church of 
 Rome are fo much enraged againft Calvin on 
 this account, fince they ought to fee that it 
 is only following their own principles, or, is 
 it only by chance, that what was at Vienne in 
 Dauphinee, and in the perfons of Cardinal 
 Tournon, and the Inquifitor, Matthew Ory, 
 and others, the effect and proof of a mod 
 commendable zeal for maintaining the truth, 
 was at Geneva the effect and the proof of a 
 falfe zeal ? Becaufe it was Calvin who de- 
 fended the truth, let us fpeak out j both par- 
 ties acted from the fame motives, and were 
 equally in an error with regard to the means 
 of extirpating hereticks. I mail not here 
 difcufs what relates to the fubject of tolera- 
 tion, becaufe this article is almoft already 
 beyond its proper length. 
 
 (BB) And every where hereticks were ufed 
 
 with feverityJ] I have in the beginning of this 
 
 article related the words which Calvin in his 
 
 letter to Sulzer afcribes to Bucer ; to call his 
 
 O 3 teftimony 
 
198 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 which above all things, proves 
 
 that 
 
 teftimony in queftion on this fubject, would 
 
 be to tax him with a falfehood without any 
 
 proof-, and would likewife be of very little 
 
 fervice to the queftion in hand, fince there 
 
 were plenty of other Divines who thought 
 
 in the fame way as Calvin did ; fee what 
 
 Bulinger wrote to Calvin fix weeks before 
 
 (i£,) Servetus's death (165). " Obtulit quidem 
 
 Inter ep. " Dominus materiam per occafionem accom- 
 
 Calv, <c modatiffimam amplifilmo fenatui Genevenfi. 
 
 is Sep ia " ^ e ' et ecc l e ^ iam expurgandi a labe feu 
 
 " fceditate hasrefios, dum Servetum ilium 
 
 " Hifpanum in manus ejus dedit. Si ergo 
 
 " huic rependerit ampliifimus fenatus, quod 
 " blafphemo nebuloni debetur, totus orbis 
 " cemeret Genevenfis blafphemos odifTe hasre- 
 " ticos, qui vero funt pertinaces hasretici, 
 " gladio juftitia^ perfequi et gloriam Majef- 
 " tatis divina vindicare." The fame Divine 
 three years after the punifhing of Servetus, 
 writing to the Divines in Poland, approves 
 the treatment this blafphemer had met with, 
 in terms very exprefs, in thefe words, where 
 he declares the opinion of all the Divines in 
 (■66) Ep. Switzerland (166). " Quorquot in hifce 
 ?t 1 CC 1' r tc ecclefiis Chriftum et veram reli<?ionem an- 
 
 ilel. is. er • 
 
 velacieos" rmnciamus, blafphemum hominem et incu- 
 fcript. " rabilem, qui omnem inftitutionem rifit et 
 cent. i. p.« fugillavit, non inique capitis fupplicio 
 37'>i7 2 -ct affedlum effe exiftimamus." Peter Martyr 
 (16 ) p. was likewife of opinion, that it was the 
 Mart. loc. duty of Magistrates and Princes fo punifh 
 com. ci. hereticks (157). « Nam is authoritate ac 
 
 A. C. I , \ / ' 
 
 51. J frC poteftate fua, ita debet fervire Domino, 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 199 
 
 that we muft afcribe the raisfor-* 
 
 tunate 
 
 " nt puniat eos qui adverfantur. Quod nifi 
 " faciat, videtur aifentiri blafphemis et hsere- 
 *' ticis ; rex enim cum iftos videt, et patitur, 
 " perinde facit, ac fi illis adjungerer, et 
 " eorum flagitiis faveret." Melanchton him- 
 felf the moft moderate and mildeft of all the 
 reformers, approves what had been done at 
 Geneva. " Affirmo etiam," fays he, " veftros 
 w Magiftratus juite feciffe, quod hominem 
 " blafphemum re ordine judicata interfece- 
 " runt." (168) I cannot conceive how this (168) 
 approbation can be efteemed ambiguous, for Intere P- 
 it is a certainty, that the affair of Servetus . ? Jj • 
 was not the only cale where Melanchton o&. 12. 
 declared his defire to caufe hereticks to be 
 punifhed. Mr. de la Chapelle cites another 
 inftance little known, (169) taken from the j^ 6 .?^' 
 hiftory of David George. (170) The hifto- "j'J' 2 ' 
 rian talks of a certain perfon who tranflated 172. 
 David George's book " about wonderful (70) 
 " things," into Latin. The tranflator, who S 11 *' D# 
 had been formerly a difciple of Melanchton, i68.&feq. 
 flattered himfelf that he would gain him - 9 heapudeun. 
 went to Wittenberg with this view, and in 
 converfation with Melanchton, he appeared 
 to deny the exiftence of the Devil j Me- 
 lanchton, fhocked at this extravagance, 
 threatened to delate the man to the Ma- 
 gistrates, to have him put in prifon ; and 
 this misfortunate fellow haying every thing to 
 fear from a man who had the higheft credit 
 in the city, went off privately as quickly as 
 he could. " In hoc dum eflet opere, tanta 
 ? c fuit admiratione obftupefactus, ut ingentem 
 O 4 " fperfl 
 
200 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 tunate end of Servetus, not fo 
 
 much 
 
 fpem ceperit, fe Philippum Melanchtonem, 
 olim fuum prasceptorem, facillime in Da- 
 vidica fe£te focietatem pertra&urum, et per 
 eum deinde totam Germaniam. Hac fpe 
 fretus inftituit iter ad Wittembergam, 
 comitanti Miniflro fideli et fecum ferente 
 librum mirabilium excufum, fimul cum 
 triginta capkibus verfis — cum autem Wit- 
 temburgam ingreffus, Melanchtonem poft 
 leclionem auditam, falutaffet, ccepit ex 
 illo quserere, an nihil audivifTet de magna 
 — luce— patefacta ; refpondit Melanchton 
 fe non fine magno cordis dolore, intellex- 
 iffe in toto illo terras tractu praster idola- 
 latriam et tyrannidem papanam, omne 
 genus portemofarum fectarum vagari, 
 inter quas aliqua doceant diabolum nil 
 aliud effe nifi inane nomen •, interpres ait, 
 fe libenter fateri, diabolum effe fpiritum ad 
 malum impellentem efncacem in incredulis; 
 et Melanchron inde certo concludebat, 
 fpiritum, fi fimpliciter per fe agat, oportere 
 etiam fubfiftere -, cumque interpres quasdam 
 abfurda adderet poftea, dixit tandem Me- 
 lanchton, ejus doc"trinam effe fanaticam, et 
 fi conftaret eum Wittemburgam veniffe, ut 
 ibi fuas furias feminaret, fe effe&urum apud 
 Magiftratum, ut ftatim in vincula conjice- 
 retur — abfoluto colloquio, interpres recta 
 ad diverforium contendit, atque cauponi 
 folvit, dimiffo prius famulo cum libro mira- 
 bilium." 
 
 Socfrius himfelf is ace u fed for having be- 
 lieved that thofe who differed from his way 
 
 of 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 201 
 
 much to him, as to prejudices, 
 
 and 
 
 of thinking, might be reftrained by force. 
 
 There is the fa£t taken from his life by 
 
 Przipcovius, as I find it related in one of 
 
 our Journals (171). " Francis David caufing(i70Bi. 
 
 4 fome diforder in Tranfilvania, where a Brlt * t - 
 
 ' party was formed againft the adoration of ^" ^' 
 
 ■ Jefus Chrift ; Socinus was ordered from 
 
 4 Bafil in 1578, in order to difmifs the ring- 
 
 ' leader of an error fo fhameful and fo per- 
 
 4 nicious. When Socinus arrived, he took 
 
 6 an apartment in the fame houfe where 
 
 4 David lodged •, but that which facilitated 
 
 4 their converfation, did not reclaim the 
 
 4 heretick, who was very active to get the 
 
 4 afcendant. The Prince of Tranfilvania 
 
 4 caufed him to be put in prifon, where he 
 
 4 died foon after ; fo that all the world 
 
 s looked upon his death as a martyrdom. 
 
 4 Obitus ejus martyrio fimilis, Jlatim omnium 
 
 4 in fe oculos convert erit" Socinus's hifto- 
 
 rian does not incline we mould believe, that 
 
 the head of the party had any hand in his 
 
 death; but it is very well obferved, after 
 
 all, " that the Prince was a Socinian, and 
 
 " Blandrata likewife, who managed this 
 
 " affair. They had caufed their great Doctor 
 
 " to come from the heart of Switzerland, 
 
 " and without his confent, or in fpite of 
 
 " him, could they have got quit of a rival, 
 
 " who took it into his head to pufh Soci- 
 
 " anifm as far as in confequence of thefe 
 
 ct principles, it could go. This was too 
 
 " much ; they thought they were obliged to 
 
 44 pique themfelves upon their orthodoxy with 
 
 regard 
 
202 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 and the eftablifhed laws ; and 
 
 for 
 
 <e regard to this oppofition by Francis David j 
 tc and as in thefe times force was every 
 *' where employed for fupprefiing of herefy ; 
 * c the Socinians themfelves, when they were 
 <c matters, were by no means of opinion 
 " that there fhould be a liberty of dogma- 
 " tizing : If they did not deliver the here- 
 " tick openly to the fecular arm, this arm 
 " made its weight be very fenfibly felt when 
 *' the Prince favoured them." 
 
 Servetus himfelf teftifies in his requeft of 
 the 2 2d of Auguft, that he believed, that 
 hereticks deferved banifhment, which fhews 
 that it was then a general opinion, that here- 
 ticks ought to be punifhed one way or 
 another. It was likewife the opinion of 
 almoft all the protectant churches, as appears 
 by their confeflions of faith ; whereof Mr* de 
 la Chapelle has given an abridgment upon this 
 (72) article, (172) to which I refer, that I may 
 5 ll ?l' not be too tedious ; and thefe who have the 
 loc! cic.'p. Syntagma Confejfwnum Fidei, may fatisfy them- 
 167, 16s. felves, that there is nothing advanced upon 
 that fubject but what is true. And the uni- 
 verfal practice in this matter won't fuffer us 
 to doubt of it. Would we know what has been 
 done in Switzerland ? In the year 1526 
 they caufed an Anabaptilt at Zurich to be 
 drowned; in the year 1558 they burned the 
 body of David George at Bafil. There is 
 a very curious pafTage upon this event, by 
 John Crifpin, in his date of the church 
 073)ap- un d e r the year 1558; (173) « The firft of 
 eun. p. u May> the Minifters, Reftor, Profeflbrs, 
 h9 ' ' °* " anc\ 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS, 203 
 
 for this reafon, fince his time 
 
 we 
 
 <{ and Schoolmafters of Bafil, having una- 
 •' nimoufly condemned the points of David 
 " George's doctrine, the Senate after full 
 <c information of the whole, proceeded the 
 " 13th of May, to finifh David George's 
 " procefs, viz. That all his writings, as full 
 " of impiety and deadly poifon, likewife his 
 " body or his bones, and whatever elfe 
 " remains of his burying place, fhall be 
 " burnt, with his effigy, which was found 
 " in his houfe, repreienting him to the life ; 
 <c and that in general, all the effects of fuch 
 " a wicked man, wherever they are found, 
 " fhall be confiscated, and adjudged to the 
 " regality. This fentence was proclaimed 
 " according to the cuftom of the place, and 
 " the whole form of the laws and ordinance 
 " of the city, was obferved in the execution 
 " of it." This law and thefe ordinances as 
 to an affair of this kind, were no doubt, 
 the antient ftatutes and penal laws againft 
 herefy. The fame year they caufed Valentine 
 Gentilis to make an u amende honourable," 
 at Geneva, exactly according to the form 
 obferved in the church of Rome, and the 
 fentence bears, that the Judges pronounced 
 it according to ancient cuftom; (174) the(i74)Cal. 
 fame Valentine Gentilis having been arretted opufc. p. 
 upon the territories of the canton of Bern, m * 57 * 
 in 1566; was condemned at Bern becaufe of 
 his opinions, to lofe his head (175). In ('75) 
 England they were not lefs zealous, and all ? ay q 
 by virtue of the ancient law j let us confine t iiis'(jean 
 
 ourfelves Vaient.) 
 
204 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 we find feveral examples of he- 
 
 reticks 
 
 ourfelves to one fact, furnifhed by Mr. Burnet 
 
 Hi 7 ft 6, of ^ 6) - ■ . 
 
 Ref t 2 " At t ^ lls time tnere were many Anabap* 
 
 p. no. ' " tifts in feveral parts of England diffe- 
 
 an. 1549. «« minating their errors, and making profe- 
 " lites-, fo a commiffion was ordered for the 
 *f Archbifhop of Canterbury, the Bilhops of 
 
 " Ely, &c. and fome others, three of 
 
 * s them being a quorum, to examine and 
 ' " fearch after all anabaptifts, hereticks, or 
 " contemners of the Common Prayer -, they 
 " were to endeavour to reclaim them, to en- 
 " join them penance, and give them abfolu- 
 " tion, or, if they were obftinate, to excom- 
 M municate and imprifon them, and to deliver 
 " them over to the fecular power, to be fur- 
 
 " ther proceeded againft. One of thefe 
 
 <c who thus abjured, was commanded to 
 " carry a faggot next Sunday at St. Paul's, 
 " where there mould be a fermon fetting 
 " forth his herefy. But there was another of 
 " thefe, extream obftinate, Joan Bocher, 
 <l commonly called Joan of Kent ; fhe de- 
 " nied that Chrift was truly incarnate of the 
 " Virgin, whofe flefh being finful, he could 
 " take none of it ; but the Word by the 
 " confent of the inward Man in the Virgin, 
 * s took flefh. of her. Thefe were her words. 
 " They took much pains about her, and had 
 " many conferences with her ; but me was fo 
 " extravao-andv conceited of her own notions, 
 " that fhe rejected all they faid with fcorn ; 
 " whereupon fhe was adjudged an obftinate 
 " heretick, and fo left to the fecular power. 
 
 " The 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 205 
 
 reticks being punifhed in dif- 
 ferent 
 
 *< The fentence againft her will be found in 
 " the collection, No. 35. This being re- 
 " turned to the Council, the good King was 
 " moved to fign a warrant for burning her ; 
 " but could not be prevailed on to do it : He 
 " thought it a piece of cruelty, too like that 
 " which they condemned in Papifls, to burn 
 4i any for their confciences ; and in a long 
 " difcourfe he had with Sir John Check, he 
 " feemed much confirmed in that opinion: 
 " Cranmer was employed to perfuade him to 
 
 " fign the warrant the reafons of the 
 
 " Archbifhop did rather filence, than fatisfy 
 " the young King, who ftill thought it a 
 " hard thing (as in truth it was,) to proceed 
 *' fo feverely in fuch cafes ; fo he fet his 
 " hand to the warrant with tears in his eyes, 
 " faying to Cranmer, That if he did wrong, 
 " fince it was in fubmiflion to his authority, 
 " he mould anfwer for it to God. This 
 " flruck the Archbifhop with much horror, 
 " fo that he was very unwilling to have the 
 
 " fentence executed. But me continued 
 
 " by jeers and other infolencies, to carry 
 " herfelf fo contemptuoufly, that at lad the 
 " fentence was executed upon her the 2d of 
 " May. Bifhop Scorry preached at her burn- 
 *' ing; me carried herfelf then, as me had 
 " done in the former part of her procefs, 
 " very indecently, and in the end was burnt. 
 " This acYion was much cenfured, as being 
 " contrary to the clemency of the Gofpel, 
 " and was made ufe of by the papifls, who 
 " faid, it was plain> that the reformers were 
 5 " only 
 
206 LIFE OF SERVETUS, 
 
 ferent countries (CC). Let per- 
 
 fecution 
 
 " only againft burning, when they were 
 " in fear of it themfelves. The woman's 
 " carriage made her be looked on as a 
 " frantick perfon, fitter for bedlam than a 
 " flake." People had generally believed, that 
 all the flatutes for burning hereticks had 
 been repealed ; but now, when the thing was 
 better confidered, it was found, that the 
 bin : ng of ncrericks was dene by the common 
 law ; lb that the ftatutes rnade about it, were 
 only for making the conviction more eafy, 
 and the repealing of the ftatutes did not take 
 away that which was grounded on a writ at 
 common iaw. 
 
 I fhall enlarge no further, as it appears to 
 me, we can by no means call in queftion the 
 truth of what I have advanced. That this 
 prejudice was general, and that thofe who 
 complained of feverity when they fuffered, 
 made no fcruple of exercifing it upon others. 
 Muft we go fo far back as to the Gxteenth 
 century, to find examples of the fame ab- 
 furdity ? So true it is, that men with the 
 greateft fincerity in the world, are in contra- 
 diction with themfelves. 
 
 (CC) Several examples of hereticks being 
 puni/hed in different countries.'] More than 
 fixty years after Calvin's death, we find the 
 fame judgment taking place at Geneva. In 
 1632, Nicolas Antony was condemned to be 
 ftrangled and afterwards burnt, " becaufe, 
 *' forgetting all fear of God, he had com- 
 " mitted the crime of apoftacy, and of high 
 *' treafon againft God f in the mod capital 
 4 " inftancej 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 207 
 
 fecution be blamed, and the 
 execution of Servetus difapproved, 
 I fubfcribe to the whole ; but let 
 us not make it a crime in Calvin, 
 for having been under the fame 
 prejudices as all others in the age 
 he lived in were. Before I con- 
 clude, I ought not to omit fay- 
 ing, 
 
 ** inftance •, having oppofed the Holy Trinity, 
 " denied our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, 
 ** blafphemed his holy Name, renounced 
 " his baptifm, to embrace Judaifm and cir- 
 " cumcifion; had perjured himielf, for which 
 ** crimes, &c." But, that we may not think 
 that the clergy were the caufe of this execu- 
 tion, we ought to know that thefe of Ge- 
 neva endeavoured to engage the Magiftracy 
 to fufpend the execution of the fentence. 
 {177) Here is then an execution at Geneva (177) Ar- 
 on account of religion, a long time after tic ! e Ant > 
 Calvin ; and appears an evident proof, that (Nicolas.) 
 the fame laws and the fame principles, had 
 the afcendant even then •, there is another 
 example of the fame kind, more recent but 
 lefs known. It is indeed a cafe of witch- 
 craft, but we know that a crime of this 
 nature was punifhed by virtue of the fame 
 laws as that of herefy ; from whence it will 
 always follow, that at Geneva every thing 
 which attacked religion, was very roughly 
 handled. We ftiall fee what this matter was, 
 by a letter from Mr. Chouet, Syndic at 
 
 Geneva, 
 
208 LIFE OF SERVETUS. 
 
 ing, that there is a work afcribed 
 to Serve tus, called Thefaurus Ani- 
 mat) feu Thefaurus Animce Chrif 
 tiance^ alias Defderius Peregrinus y 
 printed in Spanifh, in Latin, in 
 Flemifh, and other languages ; 
 Mr. d'Alwoerden contends, that 
 it does not come from Servetus 
 
 (cc). The 
 
 Geneva, to the late Mr. la Clerc, dated the 
 25th of March, 1690, which was commu- 
 nicated to me. " Lately as I was turning 
 over our regiflers, there fell into my hands, 
 the trial of one called Michelle Chauderon, 
 who was hanged in 1652, for the crime of 
 witchcraft ; which put me in mind, that 
 in one of your letters, Sir, fome time 
 ago, you mentioned this crhne, and defired 
 (if I rightly remember,) I would examine 
 it more particularly. I remember likewife, 
 that I had begun a fmall collection about 
 
 this affair. But other occupations have 
 
 prevented my continuing this work. . Hav- 
 ing ftopt there, I can't however but ac- 
 quaint you with what I have collected by 
 the reading of this trial I have mentioned. 
 It appears to me, that this woman was a 
 very good fort of woman, extremely pious, 
 as much as thefe kind of people without 
 learning can be •, all her crime was, fhe 
 was very credulous, and very timorous ; 
 when they put her in prifon, fhe did not 
 believe flic was* a witch, but upon certain 
 
 " accu- 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 209 
 
 (cc). The author of the notes ( CC ) Hiiu 
 added to the new edition of the Servetus * 
 Hiftory of Geneva, by Spon, 
 printed in 1730, pretends that 
 the fentiments of Servetus were 
 not fo deteftable as it was be- 
 lieved, 
 
 " accufations the moft ridiculous in the 
 " world, fhe was vifited by the Doctors and 
 " Surgeons, who declared, they found a 
 " mark upon her lip which was not natural : 
 " they were not however all of the fame 
 u mind ; and befides, they talked of it in a 
 " very doubtful manner : whereupon it was 
 " pofitively affirmed, that me was a witch, 
 " and that me had the Devil's mark. They 
 " put her to the queftion : Ihe poor credulous 
 " and timorous creature ! was in great per- 
 " plexity ; fhe was perfuaded from her in- 
 " fancy, that this mark is only to be found 
 * c upon witches ; and that her Judges, who 
 *' affirmed fhe had it, could not lye, being 
 " infallible: Ihe begun to believe, that what 
 " they told her might be very true ; and 
 " recollecting all the occafions that had 
 •' frightened her, fhe confefTed, That one 
 " day, going to the country alone, fhe faw a 
 " fhadow which terrified her much," (I don'c 
 doubt but this was her own fhadow,) 
 " which kifTed her mouth, and that this was 
 " the Devil, to whom fhe gave herfelf up. 
 " This confeflion making a noife in the city, 
 " two of the lower dregs of the people, her 
 ** neighbours, had each a fick child, and 
 P " accufed 
 
210 LIFE OF SERVE T U S. 
 
 lieved, if they are judged by his 
 anfwers ; but Mr. d'Artigny has 
 (dd) ub. very well obferved, (dd). that we 
 ^V- P ou g nt to judge of his fentiments 
 rather by his writings, than by 
 his perfonal anfwers ; and the 
 
 extracts 
 
 S£ acctifed her as the caufe thereof: She 
 " owned that fometimes flie had given them 
 " apples ; and upon this (he was condemned* 
 " as I have already faid : This is the laft 
 " execution of this nature in our city, and I 
 " hope there mail never be any fuch like 
 " again." Judges who were capable of 
 condemning a poor creature upon fuch 
 proofs, would certainly have had no mercy* 
 upon fuch a heretick as Servetus. How many 
 vexations have the Prefbyterians fuffered in 
 England, under the reigns of James I. 
 Charles I. and Charles II ? I find, under the 
 reign of the firft, Neal, Bifhop of Winchefter, 
 cauled to be hanged, one Wightman, a 
 dogmatizer of that time; and that King, 
 Bilhop of London, condemned ope Legat to 
 be burnt for herefy -, who was executed in 
 g?8) Bi. Smithfield (178). Let us conclude, by an 
 
 Brit. t. A. , n-i, ' „ ^ J 
 
 o> * exampk itiJl more recent: Peter Gunter ot 
 PruiTia, a farrier to trade, was beheaded at 
 Lubeck, in the month of October, in the 
 year 1687, by the content of two univer- 
 fities, becaufe he would not own the Divi- 
 nity of Jelus thrift. That of Kiel, was, that a. 
 blalphemer ought to be punifhed with death •, 
 but that it was neceflliiy, firft to examine if 
 2 Guntac 
 
LIFE OF SERVETUS. 211 
 
 extra&s which we have given of 
 his book will enable us to decide 
 the queftion. The author of the 
 notes affures us, that this phyfi- 
 cian denied that he had compared 
 the Trinity to Cerberus : If it is 
 
 fo, 
 
 Gunter was guilty of this crime. The uni- 
 verfity of Wittemberg decided, that he was 
 attainted and convicted of blafphemy (179). ( I 79) ?* 
 In recollecting all that we have (aid, and all H'-V 
 the facts that we have alledged, it appears TheoL 
 to me, that every unprejudiced perfon will Brom cL 
 agree, that there is no reafon to impute it as u Fa f c -5>- 
 a crime in Calvin, becaufe he thought, as all Ji^ 
 the world thought in his time, and as a great 
 many people have thought fince. There is 
 nothing with which he can be reproached* 
 except it could be proved, that he acted from 
 criminal motives ; and even in that cafe, it 
 would be a queftion to know whether he did 
 not take the advantage of the rigour of thefe 
 laws, which he believed were juft. To con- (180) Dc~ 
 elude; I (hall add two authorities furnifhed fin- de 
 me by Mr. Drelincourt (180). Meifnerus, a^. v, P- 
 Lutheran Divine, in a Book intituled, Pbilo- (igi)Scr- 
 fophia Sobria, part. 1. queft. 4. fays, That vetus did 
 none amongft them could fo much as contend not rair< p 
 that Servetus did not deferve death; not only l^ 1 ^ 1 ' 
 for herefy, but likewife for railing a fedition, which the 
 (181) or for a notorious blafphemy; iuch as good 
 that of Servetus calling the Trinity a Cerberus iV! . eirnerus 
 with three heads. Nicolas Hemmingius, a above all 
 D, li Divine, and Profefibr at Copenhagen, things. 
 
 in 
 
212 LIFE OF SERVETUS, 
 
 fo, he denied the moft evident 
 facts ; v lince this is found not only 
 in his letter to Abel Pepin, but 
 likewife in a great many places of 
 his book, which I have read with 
 my own eyes. 
 
 in his book, intituled, Syntagm. Infl. Chr. 
 cap. i. prop. 38. " We condemn," fays he, 
 " this impious and wicked, lewd fellow, 
 " Michael Servetus, who outrageoufly tramp- 
 <c ling upon the holy Fathers, had the impu- 
 « 6 dence to bring back the condemned here- 
 " fies of Arius, and other fanaticks, who 
 " having been juftly accufed by John Calvin, 
 " they of Geneva inflicted the punilhment 
 *' upon him he deferved.'* 
 
 FINIS. 
 
DATE DUE 
 
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 GAYLORD 
 
 
 
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