they would use him with humanity, and "indeavor to protect him from the violence "of his and their common enemies, the vo"taries of the Church of Rome, whofe tender "mercies are the most exquifite cruelty.-But, "if he pleafed to go elsewhere, they would "leave him intirely at his liberty; and would "rejoice in his welfare, as a fellow-creature "and Brother-chriftian, though he differed " in fome of his fentiments from them." Instead of writing for perfecution, and to prove that magiftrates ought to put Heretics to death, (as Calvin has done) I should have been much pleased to find a speech, like that above, among the works of that renowned man. The execution of Servetus made a great noife, not only among the moderate-Proteftants, but even among the Papifts. The former exclaimed against Calvin, as being the author of Servetus's death; and indeed every body imputed to him what the magistrates of Geneva had done, in that affair; — his influence was fo great in that city, and his enmity to Servetus fo very flagrant! The clamor, raised against him on that occafion, forced him to write in defence of Perfecution.However, all were not of his mind. And it is greatly to the honor of the Proteftants, that there were many, even at that day, who fo loudly condemned perfecution, and attacked even one of Calvin's great character, for act ing ing fo contrary to the rules of right reason and of Christianity. This was a moft cruel act, and directly repugnant to the gentle, the humble, the charitable and benign fpirit of Chrift; -but perfectly agreeable to the temper of fome men, whom I will not name, nor defcribe, any further than to fay, "That they are for hunting down, with great "fierceneffe, all who dare to differ in opi"nion from them." The bigoted Papifts would, no doubt, plead that inftance of Servetus, as a defence of their burning the Proteftants; and what reflections the more moderate Roman catholics made upon it, may be feen in Father Paul's Hiftory of the Council of Trent, page 387. with whose words I fhall conclude. "One Hundred Seventy-fix perfons of "quality were burned that year for religion, [that is, in England, under the Popish Queen Mary,] befides many of the common people. Many were alfo, at the fame time, "burned in France, for religion; not without the indignation of honeft men; who "knew that the diligence, ufed against those ་ poor people, was not for piety, or religion, but to fatisfy the covetoufneffe of Di ana Valentina, the King's Miftreffe, to "whom he had given all the confifcation of "goods, made in the kingdom, for the cause "of Herefy. "It. "It was wondered alfo, that those of the new New Reformation fhould meddle "with blood, for the caufe of religion. "For Michael Servetus, of Terragona, made a Divine of a phyfician, renewing the "old opinion of Paulus Samofatenus, and "Marcellus Anciranus, [that the Word of "God was not a Thing fubfifting, and there"fore that Chrift was a pure man,] was put to death for it, in Geneva, by counfel of "the minifters of Zuric, Berne, and Schaff baufen. And John Calvin, who was "blamed for it, by many; wrote a book, defending that the magiftrate may punish He"retics with loffe of life. Which doctrine, being drawn to divers fenfes, as it is under"ftood more strictly, or more largely, or as "the name of Heretic is taken diverfly, may "fometimes do hurt to him, whom another "time it has helped." I am, SIR, Your affectionate, bumble Servant, CHARISTES. TRACT. |