ARTICLE LI. AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT of the Life and Trial of MICHAEL SERVETUS. In feveral Letters to ****. By the Author of thefe Me moirs, Letter VI *. SIR, N Order to give you as complete an Account, as IN I can, of every thing relating to Servetus, I muft take Notice of fome other Letters, befides thofe mentioned in my laft. I begin with a Letter † of Calvin to Sulcerus, a Divine of Switzerland, written the 9th of September. Calvin tells him, That he has doubt lefs *The Fifth Letter may be feen above, Art. XLVI. Calvin. Epift. p. 114. Genev. 175: lefs heard of Servetus; that he is the fame Perfon, of whom Bucer, tho' otherwife a moderate Man, faid in the Pulpit, that he deferved to have his Entrails plucked out, and to be torn in Pieces. "Is eft de quo fidelis Chrifti Minifter, & fanctæ memoriæ แ D. Bucerus, cum alioqui manfueto effet ingenio, pro fuggeftu pronunciavit, dignum effe qui avulfis "vifceribus difcerperetur ". Calvin adds, that Ser vetus was apprehended and imprisoned by his means. "Tandem huc malis aufpiciis appulfum, unus ex Syndicis, me autore, in carcerem duci juffit. Neque enim diffimulo quin officii mei duxerim, ho"minem plufquam obftinatum & indomitum, quoad in me erat, compefcere, ne longius manaret con"tagio". Afterwards Calvin reprefents to Sulcerus, that the Prifoner is guilty of the most pernicious Errors, that can be thought of; and that far from expreffing any Repentance, he maintains them with an intolerable Pride and Obftinacy. The Defign of this Letter does plainly appear from the fol lowing Words. “Sed quia tibi curæ fore fpero, ut hominis impietas quibus meretur elogiis pinga. 66 tur, plura non addam. Tantum unius rei te admonitum volo, Quæftorem urbis, qui tibi has lit"teras reddet, in hac caufa recto effe animo, ut "faltem exitum quem optamus, non fugiat. Utinam veteres tui difcipuli eodem modo animati "forent ". 46 66 The 23d of Auguft, Calvin writ a Letter to the Minifters of the Church of Francfort, whereby he informed them, that Servetus had printed at Vienne a Book full of Errors and Blafphemies; that many Copies had been fent to Francfort the laft Eafter-Fair; that the Printer's Factor, being a pious Man, had not been willing to expofe them to Sale; and that the Ubi fupra, pag. 115. the Bearer of that Letter would tell them in what Warehouse they were to be found. Laftly, he defires those Divines to burn † all thofe Books. He acquaints them, that the Author is a clofe Prifoner and adds, that he hopes Servetus will be quickly. punifhed. "Auctor ipfe tenetur in carcere a Ma giftratu noftro, & propediem, ut fpero, daturus eftpœnas". Bullinger, another Divine of Switzerland, writ a Letter ** to Calvin, dated September 14. which contains a remarkable Paffage. The Lord (fays he') has given the Magiftrates of Geneva a fair Opportunity of clearing themselves and the Church from Herefy by delivering Servetus into their Hands. Therefore if they treat that Rafcal as he deferves, all the World will fee that the Genevois hate Blafphemers; that they profecute, with the Sword of, Juftice thofe Hereticks, who are truly obftinate; and that they maintain and vindicate the Glory of God. "Obtulit quidem Dominus materiam per occafionem accommodatiffimam Ampliffimo Senatui Ge"nevenfi fe & Ecclefiam expurgandi a labe feu fœditate hærefeos, dum Servetum illum Hifpanum "in manus ejus dedit Si ergo huic rependeret "Ampliffimus Senatus, quod blafphemo nebuloni de "betur, totus Orbis cernerer Genevenfes blafphe"mos odiffe; hæreticos, qui vere funt pertinaces hæ"retici, gladio juftitiæ profequi; & gloriam Maje66 ftatis divinæ vindicare. I find the following Words in a Letter Calvin to Bullinger, dated October 25. of " "Tis not "known All the Copies of the Chriftianifmi Reftitutio, except Some few, were burnt at Vienne, and at Francfort; which is the Reason why that Book is fo Scarce. ** Ubi fupra, pag. 127. 4 Ibid. Be known yet what will be the Fate of that Man (Servetus). However, as far as I can guess, the Judges will condemn him To-morrow, and he "will be executed the next Day ". Quid de homine futurum fcit, nondum fcitur. Quantum tamen conjecturis affequor, cras feretur in Curia judicium, perendie vero ad fupplicium ducetur. It appears to me, that the 23d of October the Judges were refolved to condemn Servetus to be burnt alive. I infer it from a Paffage relating to that Day, which I fhall infert in the Margin *. ་་ Accordingly on the 26th of the fame Month, that unfortunate Heretick was actually condemned to undergo that Punishment. Beza did not fcruple to say, That he was condemned ex omnium etiam Helveti carum Ecclefiarum fententia t."! On the fame Day (October 26.) Calvin acquaint ed Farel, how Servetus's Cafe ftood. That Letter being very Curious, I fhall tranfcribe the greatest Part of it." The 4t Meffenger (fays he) that was fent Après avoir entendu les refponces avant mises, & l'arreft aujourdhuy faict, enfemble l'advis des "Sieurs Miniftres des Eglifes, l'on a remis ledit Inquys Michel Servet à ouir la bonne volonté de Meffi “eurs, & a dire droict de jour à jour " See my laft Letter. ++ Rediit ab Helvetiis nuncius. Uno confenfu pronunciant omnes, Servetum impios errores, quibus olim turbavit Satan Ecclefiam, nunc renovaffe, & monftrum effe non ferendum. Cordati Bafilienfes. Tigurini omnium vehementiffimi. Nam & impietatum atrocitas graviter ab illis exprimitur, & hor tantur Senatum noftrum ad feveritatem. Subfcribunt Schaphufiani. . 66 "fent to the Swifs, is come back. They all unani mously declare, that Servetus has revived the impious Errors, with which Satan did formerly "difturb the Church, and that he is an intole "ble Monster. Thofe of Bafil are right. Thofe "of Zurich are the most violent, (Tigurini omnium vehementiffimi); for they exprefs the Hei"nousness of his Impiety in very emphatical Words; "and exhort our Magiftrates to use him feverely. "Those of Schafhaufen fubfcribe to their Judgment "The Letter of the Divines of Berne, which is also to the Purpose, is attended with that of their Se 66 4 66 66 nate, whereby our Magiftrates have been very "much animated. Cæfar, a comical Man, who "pretended to be fick for Three Days, came to "Court at laft, to acquit that profligate Fellow; "for he was not afhamed to propofe, that the "Caufe fhould be removed to the Council of Two "Hundred. Nevertheless he has been condemn"ed without any Difpute. He will be executed to morrow. We have endeavoured to commute "that fort of Death; but it was in vain. I will "tell you when I fee you, why the Judges have not 66 granted our Request ". Tis obfervable, that this Letter was written to Farel at Noufchatel the 26th' of October; and that he arrived at Geneva the next Day, and confequently before he could receive it. I believe he came to Geneva of his own Motion, to be prefent at Servetus's Execution: He had a mind to Schaphufiani. Bernenfium literis etiam appofitis accedunt & Senatus literæ, quibus non parum ftimulati funt noftri. Cæfar comicus fimulato per triduum morbo, in Curiam tandem afcendit, ut fceleratum iftum pœna eximeret. Neque enim erubuit petere ut cognitio ad Ducentos veniret: fine controverfia tamen damnatus eft. Cras ad fupplicium ducetur. Genus mortis conati fumus mutare, fed fruftra. Cur nihil profecerimus, coram narrandum differo. Ubi fupre, pag. 115. |