It being requifite that fome body fhould profecute Servetus, in order to bring him to his Trial; one Nicolas de la Fontaine, born at St. Gervais in that Part of the Ifle of France called the Vexin François, set up for his Accufer, and profecuted him in his own Name; but it appears that he was all along directed by Calvin. I can hardly believe that he was Calvin's Cook, as it is affirmed in the Book which I have quoted. I rather think he was a poor Scholar; and a kind of a Servant to him. Servetus fays pofitively, in one of his Petitions to the Magiftrates of Geneva, as: we fhall fee hereafter, that Calvin was his Master.

To give you, Sir, an Account of Servetus's Trial, Jo fhall mention the most remarkable Things that hap pened every time he appeared before his Judges: This feems to me the moft me hodical Way, and I think it will be the most acceptable to you.

7

The Prifoner was brought to the Bar the first time on the 14th of August. La Fontaine demanded that he fhould anfwer xxx 111 Interrogatories. Moft of those Interrogatories concern his Opinions; and therefore I need not dwell upon them. Befides, you will find in; my laft Letter an Account of the Propofitions, for which he was committed to the Flames. Servetus confeffed that he had published in Germany a Book entitled, De Trinitatis Exroribus. He alfo confeffed, that he

was

An Calvini, Coquus potuerit de Serveti Erroribus circa Trinitatem, & Fatum, & ejus generis obfcurif fimas quæftiones (in quibus tot jam feculis fudavic Ecclefia) judicare, & primus lapidem jacere, aut ut fal fus teftis eodem fupplicio affici, iis judicandum relinquo, qui norunt hominis ignorantiam. Item an Paftori ficuerit ex culina fua accufatorem rei capitis depromere, judicent ii qui Apoftolorum mores ingeniumque norunt. Coquus ille non eft accufator, fed muta perfona, & accufatoris larva, ut ea deceptus Magiftra tus pateretur verum accusatorem Calvinum totam Ser, veti caufam agere; id quod ei non licuiffet, fi fecun dum urbis Legem fuiffet ipfemet in vinculis. Contra Libellum Calvini, &c. Numb. 131.

was the Author of the Chriftianifmi Reftitutio. He ac knowledged that he had writ fome Annotations on the Bible, mentioned in my foregoing Letter, and upon Ptolemy's Geography.

The xxxvIIth Interrogatory was expreffed in these Words: "Likewife, that in the Perfon of Mr. Cal"vin, Minifter of the Word of God in this Church "of Geneva, he has defamed in a printed Book the "Doctrine that is preached, uttering all the inju66 rious Words that can be invented. "Servetus's Anfwer was, "That Mr. Calvin did abuse him be. "fore in feveral printed Books, and that he an"fwered him (in the fame manner), and fhewed, that "he was in the Wrong in fome Things; and that "when the faid Calvin writ to him, that he was of Opinion, he writ the fame in his turn " and that the faid Calvin was mistaken in several "Points " I am a mere Hiftorian: I confine myfelf to Matters of Fact; and therefore, Sir, I fhall make no Observations upon this curious Paffage, nor upon feveral others,

;

When Servetus had answered the xxxvIII Inter rogatories, La Fontaine (his Accufer) produced against him a Manuscript and a printed Book. The Priloner confeffed that he was the Author of both, and that he had publifhed the printed Book; but he faid the Manuscript had not been printed, and that he had only

* Item qu'en la perfonne de Monfieur Calvin, miniftre de la parole de Dieu en cette Eglife de Geneve, il a difamé par livre imprimé la doctrine qui fe prefche, prononcant toutes les injures & blafphemes qu'il eft poffible d' inventer.

+ Refpond que Monfieur Calvin l'a par devant injurié par beaucoup de livres imprimés, & qu' il lui a refpondu, & monftrant que Calvin erroit en quelques paffages; & que ledit Calvin quant il efcripvoit qu'il eftoit d' opinion, il lui refcripvoit le femblable, & que ledit Calvin erroit en beaucoup de pafLages.

only fent it to Calvin about Six Years before, (as I have obferved in my firft Letter) to have his Judgment about it. La Fontaine produced again a printed Copy of Ptolemy with Notes, and a Latin Bible with feveral Annotations. Servetus confeft that he was the Au thor of the Notes upon Ptolemy; and that he had writ fome of thofe Annotations upon the Bible. After wards la Fontaine made himfelf a Prifoner, the better to convince the Judges, that he was able to prove his Accufation. Servetus declared that he had delivered to the Jaylor the 97 Gold Pieces, the Gold Chain, and the Rings abovementioned.

The next Day (August 15.) Servetus was brought again to the Bar, and answered again the fame XXXVIII Interrogatories. Upon the rvth he said, That Mr. Calvin did fo violently perfecute him, that he nar rowly escaped being burnt alive by his Means. Servetus's Anfwer to the xxxvIIth Head of Accufation, was,

That Calvin abufed him firft, at feveral times, "and afterwards in printed Books; and that what "he had writ to him in his own Vindication, was 46 not with an Intent to abufe him, but to fhew him "his Miftakes and Errors, as he engages to do in a full Congregation by folid Arguments and by fe. veral Paffages out of the Holy Scripture.

66

"

Servetus having anfwered all the Articles; the Judges came to this Refolution, That because he ap peared to be very Guilty, la Fontaine fhould be releafed upon Promise of going on with his Profecution. I must cbferve, that Servetus confefs'd fome of those Articles, and denied the reft, as he did the Day before.

The

Sur le 37. Refpond que Calvin par devant le premier l'a injurié, & plufieurs fois, & par livres confe quemment imprimés; & que ce qu'il luy a efcript maintenant pour fa defence, n' a point efté à intention de l'injurier, mais pour luy monftrer fes erreurs & faultes, comme il fe offre de luy monftrer par saines raifons & authoritez de la Ste Efcriture,

The next Day (August 16.) the Prisoner was brought again to the Bar. La Fontaine came in with another Man, named Germain Colladon, and upon the 111d Article produced a third time a Copy of Ptolemy, and the Notes inferred at the End of his Defcription of Palestine, of which I fhall fpeak hereafter. Some Paifages were also produced out of Servotus's Works to convict him of the Herefies charged upon him but they went no farther than the XIth Article, and the Court adjourned to the next Day. In the mean time la Fontaine prefented a Petition to the Judges. I fhall fet down the Beginning of it.

**Magnificent, Mighty, and moft Dreadful Lords,' Nicolas de la Fontaine, humbly fheweth, That ha ving made himself a Prifoner in a criminal Caufe "against Michael Servetus, for the great Scandals ❝ and Troubles occafioned in Christendom by the "faid Servetus during the Space of 24 Years, or "thereabouts, for the Blafphemies uttered and pub lifhed by him againft God, [this is a very abfurd Expreffion; for Servetus was no Atheist; t] for the "Herefies wherewith he has infected the World, for 66 the

* Par devant Vous, Magnifiques, Puiffans & très Redoutables Seigneurs, propofe Nicolas de la Fontaine, s'eftant conftitué prifonnier en caufe criminelle, contre Michel Servet pour les grands fcandales & troubles, que ledit Servet a deja fait par l' efpace de 24 ans ou envi ron en la Chreftienté, pour les blafphemes qu' il a prononcé & efcript contre Dieu, pour les herefies dont il a infecté le monde, pour les mefchantes calomnies & faulfes diffamations qu'il a publié contre les grands Serviteurs de Dieu, & notamment contre Monfieur Calvin, duquel ledit Propofant eft tenu de maintenir l'honneur comme de fon Pafteur, s'il veule eftre tenu pour Chrefti en, & auffi à caufe du blafme & defhonneur, qui pourroit avenir à l'Eglife de Geneve, pource que ledit Server condamne par efpecial la doctrine qu'on y prefche, &c.

+ St. Gregory Nazianzen calls Sabellius an Atheist, becaufe he did not believe the Trinity.

Mr. Thirlby

makes

"the wicked Calumnies and Defamations he has published against the Servants of God, especially "against Mr. Calvin, whofe Honour the faid Pe

titioner is bound to maintain, as of one who is "his Paftor, if he is willing to be accounted a Chri"ftian, and alfo by Reafon of the Dishonour that "might accrue from it to the Church of Geneva, "forafmuch as the faid Servetus does particular"ly condemn the Doctrine that is preached in "it." &c.

In the remaining Part of that Petition, the Accufer befeeches the Judges to compel Servetus to make a formal Answer to each Article produced against him, without any Shift; and that after he has been convicted of publishing and teaching the Herefies contained in the Interrogatories, if they judge him to be guilty, and to deferve to be profecured by their Attorney, they would be pleafed to make a Declaration of it, and to clear him from all Charges,' according to Cuftom.

The Tranfactions of the next Day are too long to be inferted here; and therefore I fhall only set down the following Letter produced against Servetus on that Day. That Phyfician writ it to Abel Poupin *, a Minifter of Geneva, above Six Years before he was apprehended in that City. This Letter, is very Curious, and plainly discovers the Character of Servetus. I hope, Sir, it will be the more acceptable to you, because it was never published.

LICET

makes a judicious Obfervation upon it, as I fhall fhew hereafter. I must obferve that Servetus was fo ridicu lous and extravagant, as to call the Trinitarians Atheifts. Such is the Effect of a blind and violent Zeal in Men of all Perfuafions: They are apt to run into Ex

tremes.

He had been a Cordelier.