XVI. SECT.III. his CEN T. CALVIN, who, when SERVETUS had escaped from prison at Vienne, and was passing through PART II. Switzerland, in order to seek refuge in Italy, caused him to be apprehended at Geneva, in the year 1553, and had an accusation of blasphemy brought against him before the council [d]. The issue of this accusation was fatal to SERVETUS, who adhering resolutely to the opinions he had embraced, was, by a public sentence of the court, declared an obstinate heretic, and, in consequence thereof, condemned to the flames. For it is observable, that, at this time, the ancient laws that had been enacted against heretics by the emperor FREDERIC II. and had been so frequently renewed after his reign, were still in vigour at Geneva. It must, however, be acknowledged, that this learned and ingenious sufferer was worthy of a better fate; though it is certain, on the other hand, that his faults were neither few nor trivial; since it is well known, that his excessive arrogance was accompanied with a malignant and contentious spirit, an invincible obstinacy of temper, and a considerable portion of fanaticism [e]. V. The [d] This accusation was brought against Servetus by a person, who lived in Calvin's family as a servant; and this cir cumstance displeased many. [e] Dr Mosheim refers the reader here, in a note, to an ample and curious history of Servetus, composed by him in the German language, of which the first edition was published at Helmstadt, in 4to, in the year 1748, and the second, with considerable additions, at the same place, the year following. Those who are not acquainted with the German language, will find a full account of this singular man, and of his extraordinary history, in a Latin dissertation, composed under the inspection of Dr Mosheim, and published at Helmstadt under the following title: Historia Michaelis Serveti, quam, Præside Jo. Laur. Mosheimes, Abbate, &c. placido Doctorum examini publice exponit HENRICUS AB ALLWAERDEN. There is an accurate history of this unhappy man in the first volume of the work, entitled, Memoirs of Literature, containing a Weekly decount of the State of Learning, both at home and abroad. ( XVI. V. The religious system that SERVETUS had C EN T. struck out, of a wild and irregular fancy, was, in- SECT. III. deed, singular in the highest degree. The great- PART II. est part of it was a necessary consequence of his 'The docpeculiar notions concerning the universe, the na-trine of Ser ture of God, and the nature of things, which were vertus. equally strange and chimerical. Thus it is dif ficult to unfold, in a few words, the doctrine of this unhappy man; nor, indeed, would any detail render it intelligible in all its branches. He took it into his head that the true and genuine doctrine of CHRIST had been entirely lost, even before the council of Nice; and he was, moreover, of opinion, that it had never been delivered with a sufficient degree of precision and perspicuity in any period of the church. To these extravagant assertions he added another still more so, even that he himself had received a commission from above to reveal anew this divine doctrine, and to explain it to mankind. His notions with respect to the Supreme Being, and a Trinity of persons in the Godhead, were obscure and chimerical beyond all measure, and amounted in general to the follow ing abroad. This was composed by Monsieur de la Roche, and It is impossible to justify the conduct of Calvin in the case of Servetus, whose death will be an indelible reproach upon the character of that great and eminent Reformer. The only thing that can be alleged, not to efface, but to diminish his crime, is, that it was no easy matter for him to divest himself at once of that persecuting spirit, which had been so long nourished and strengthened by the popish religion in which he was educated. It was a remaining portion of the spirit of popery in the breast of Calvin that kindled his unchristian zeal against the wretched Servetus. SECT. III. 66 66 66 CENT.ing propositions: That the Deity, before the creaXVI. "tion of the world, had produced within himself PART II. "two personal representations, or manners of existence [ƒ], which were to be the medium of inter"course between him and mortals, and by whom consequently, he was to reveal his will, and to "display his mercy and beneficence to the chil"dren of men; that these two representatives were "the Word and the Holy Ghost; that the former "was united to the man CHRIST, who was born of "the Virgin MARY by an omnipotent act of the "divine will; and that, on this account, CHRIST might be properly called God; that the Holy Spirit directed the course, and animated the "whole system of nature; and more especially produced in the minds of men wise councils, "virtuous propensities, and divine feelings; and, finally, that these two Representations were to "cease after the destruction of this terrestrial globe, and to be absorbed into the substance of "the Deity, from whence they had been formed." This is, at least, a general sketch of the doctrine of SERVETUS, who, however, did not always explain his system in the same manner, nor take any pains to avoid inconsistencies and contradictions; and who frequently expressed himself in such ambiguous terms, that it is extremely dif ficult to learn from them his true sentiments. His system of morality agreed in many circumstances with that of the Anabaptists; whom he also imitated in censuring, with the utmost severity, the custom of Infant-Baptism. Other An 66 66 VI. The pompous plans of Reformation, that ti-Irinita- had been formed by SERVETUS, were not only disconcerted, but even fell into oblivion, after the rians. death [f] These representations, or manners of existence, Servetus also called economies, dispensations, dispositions, &c. for he often changed his terms in unfolding his visionary system. XVI. death of their author. He was, indeed, according CENT to vulgar report, supposed to have left behind SECT IH. him a considerable number of disciples; and we PART II. find in the writings of the doctors of this century, many complaints and apprehensions that seem to confirm this supposition, and would persuade us, that SERVETUS had really founded a sect; yet, when this matter is attentively examined, there will appear just reason to doubt, whether this man left behind him any one person that might properly be called his true disciple. For those who were denominated Servetians by the theological writers of this century, not only differed from SERVETUS in many points of doctrine, but also varied widely from him in his doctrine of the Trinity, which was the peculiar and distinguishing point of his theological system. VALENTINE GENTILIS, a Neapolitan, who suffered death at Bern, in the year 1566, adopted the Arian hypothesis, and not that of SERVETUS, as many writers have imagined; for his only error consisted in this, that he considered the Son, and the Holy Ghost, as subordinate to the Father [g]. Nearly allied to this, was the doctrine of MATTHEW GRIBALDI, a lawyer, whom a timely death, in the year 1566, saved from the severity of an ecclesiastical tribunal, that was ready to pronounce sentence against him on account of his errors; for he supposed the divine nature divided into three eternal spirits, which were distinguished from each other, not only by number, but also by subordination [b]. It is not so easy to determine the par ticular [g] See Bayle's Dictionary, at the article Gentilis.-Spon. Hist. de Geneve, livr. iii. tom. ii. p. 80.-Sandii Biblioth. AntiTrinit. p. 26.-Lamy, Histoire du Socinianisme, part II. ch. vi. p. 251. Fuesl. Reformations Beytrage, tom. v. p. 381. [b] Sandii Biblioth. Anti-Trinit. p. 17.-Lamy, loc. cit., part II. ch. vii. p. 257.-Spon, loc. cit. tom. ii. P. 85. not.Halerus, in Museo Tigurino, tom. ii. p. 114. XVI. CENT.ticular charge that was brought against ALCIAT, 2 SECT. III. native of Piedmont, and SYLVESTER TELLIUS, who PART II. were banished from the city and territory of Ge Erroneous neva, in the year 1559; nor do we know, with any degree of certainty, the errors that were embraced by PARUTA, LEONARDI, and others [i], who were ranked among the followers of SERVETUS. It is, however, more than probable, that none of the persons now mentioned were the disciples of SERVETUS, or adopted the hypothesis of that visionary innovator. The same thing may be affirmed with respect to GONESIUS, who is said to have embraced the doctrine of that unhappy man, and to have introduced it into Poland [k]; for, though he maintained some opinions that really resembled it in some of its points; yet his manner of explaining the mystery of the Trinity was totally different from that of Servetus. VII. It is evident that none of the persons, now accounts of mentioned, professed that form or system of theo the origin of Socinianism. logical [i] For an account of these, and other persons of the same class, see Sandius, Lamy, and also Lubieniecius, his Historia Reformat. Polonice, lib. ii. cap. v. p. 96.-There is a particular and ample account of Alciat given by Bayle, in the first volume of his Dictionary; see also Spon, loc. cit. tom. ii. p. 85, 86. [] This is confirmed upon the authority of Wissowatius and Lubieniecius; but the very words of the latter will be sufficient to shew us upon what grounds. These words (Hist. Refur mat. Polon. cap. vi. p. 11.) are as follows: "Is serveti sententiam de præ-eminentia patris in patriam attulit, eamque non dissimulavit," i. e. Gonesius introduced into Poland the opihion embraced by Servetus in relation to the pre-eminence of the Father, and was by no means studious to conceal it. Who now does not see, that, if it was the pre-eminence of the Father that Gonesius maintained, he must have differed considerably from Servetus, whose doctrine removed all real distinction in the divine nature? The reader will do well to consult Sandius (loc. cit. p. 40.) concerning the sentiments of Gonesius; since it is from this writer, that Lamy has borrowed the greatest part of what he has advanced in his Histoire de Socinianisme, tom. ii. chap. x. p. 278. |