XVI. SECT. III. PART II. had that happy revolution in the state of religion CENT taken place, when a set of men, fond of extremes, and consequently disposed to look upon as erroneous whatever had hitherto been taught and professed in the church of Rome, began to undermine the doctrine of Christ's Divinity, and the other truths that are connected with it, and proposed reducing the whole of religion to practical piety and virtue. The efforts of these men were opposed with united zeal and vigilance by the Romish, Reformed, and Lutheran churches; and their designs were so far disconcerted, as to prevent their forming themselves and their followers into a regular and permanent sect. So early as the year 1524, the divinity of Christ was openly denied by Lewis Hetzer, one of the wandering and fanatical Anabaptists, who, about three years afterwards, was put to death at Constance [z]. There were not wanting among the first Anabaptists, several persons who entertained the opinions of Hetzer; though it would be manifestly unI i4 fair accounts we have of the Socinians, and their principal doctors, from Hornbeck (1), Calovius (2), Cloppenburg (3), Sandius (4), Lubieniecius (5), and Lauterbach (6), are far from being proper to satisfy the curiosity of those, who desire something more than a vague and superficial knowledge of this matter. The history of Socinianism, that was published at Paris by Lami in the year 1723, is a wretched compilation from the most common-place writers on that subject; it is also full of errors, and is loaded with a variety of matters that have no sort of relation to the history of Socinus, or to the doctrine he taught. The very learned and laborious La Croze promised in his Dissertations Historiques, tom. i. p. 142. a complete History of Socinianism, from its origin to the present times, but did not fulfil this interesting engagement. [] Sandii Bibliotheca Anti-Trinitar. Jo. Bapt. Ottius, Annal. Anabaptist. p. 50.-Breitingeri Museum Helveticum, tom. v. p. 391. tom. vi. p. 100. 479. (1) In his Socinianism. Confutat. vol. i.—(2) In his Opera Anti-Sociniani.- -(3) In his Dissertat. de origine et progressu Socinianismi, tom. ii. opp. (4) In his Bibliotheca Anti-Trinitariorum.- -(5) In his Historia Reformationis Polonica.—(6) In his Ariano Socinismus, published in German at Francfort in the year 1725. PART II. CENT. fair to lay these opinions to the charge of the whole XVI. community. But it was not only from that quarter SECT. III. that erroneous opinions were propagated in relation to the points already mentioned; others seemed to have been seized with the contagion, and it manifested itself from day to day in several countries. John Campanus, a native of Juliers, disseminated at Wittemberg and other places, various tenets of an heretical aspect; and taught, among other things, that the Son was inferior to the Father, and that the Holy Ghost was not the title of a divine person, but a denomination used to denote the nature of the Father and of the Son; and thus did this innovator revive, in a great measure, the errors of the ancient Arians [a]. A doctrine of a similar kind was propagated in the year 1530, in Switzerland, Augsburgh, and among the Grisons, by a person, whose name was Claudius, who, by his opposition to the doctrine of Christ's divinity, excited no small commotions in these countries [b]. But none of these new teachers were so far encouraged by the number of their followers, or the indulgence of their adversaries, as to be in a condition to form a regular sect. Michael IV. The attempts of Michael Servede [c], or Servetus, a Spanish physician, were much more [a] See the Dissertation de Joh. Compano, Anti-Trinitario, in the Amanitates Literaria of the very learned Schelhornius, tom. xi. p. 1–92. [6] See Schelhornii Dissert. Epistol. de Mino Celso Senensi Claudio item Allobrage, homine Fanatico et SS. Trinitatis hoste, Ulma 1748, in 4to.-Jac. Breitingeri Museum Helvetic. tom. vii. p. 667,-Jo. Hallerus, Epistol. in Jo. Conrad. Fueslin. Centuria Epistolar. Viror. Eruditor. p. 140. [c] By taking away the last syllable of this name (I mean the Spanish termination de) there remains Serve, which, by placing differently the letters that compose it, makes Reves. Servetus assumed this latter name in the title-pages of all his books. He also called himself sometimes Michael Villanovanus, or Villanovanus alone, after the place of his nativity, omitting the name of his family. XVI. more alarming to those who had the cause of true CENT. religion at heart, than the feeble and impotent SECT. III, efforts of the innovators now mentioned. This PART II. man who has made such a noise in the world, was born at Villa Neuva, in the kingdom of Arragon, distinguished himself by the superiority of his genius, and had made a considerable progress in various branches of science. In the years 1531, and 1532, he published, in Latin, his Seven books concerning the errors that are contained in the doctrine of the Trinity, and his Two Dialogues on the same subject, in which he attacked, in the most audacious manner, the sentiments adopted by far the greatest part of the Christian church, in relation to the Divine Nature, and a Trinity of persons in the Godhead. Some years after this he travelled into France, and, after a variety of adventures, settled at Vienne in Dauphine, where he applied himself, with success, to the practice of physic. It was here, that, letting loose the reins of his warm and irregular imagination, he invented that strange system of theology, which was printed, in a clandestine manner, in the year 1553, under the title of Christianity restored. The man seemed to be seized with a passion for reforming (in his way), and many things concurred to favour his designs, such as the fire of his genius, the extent of his learning, the power of his eloquence, the strength of his resolution, the obstinacy of his temper, and an external appearance, at least, of piety, that rendered all the rest doubly engaging. Add to all this, the protection and friendship of many persons of weight, in France, Germany, and Italy, which Servetus had obtained by his talents and abilities both natural and acquired; and it will appear, that few innovators have set out with a better prospect of success. of success. But, notwithstanding these signal advantages, all his views were totally disappointed by the vigilance and severity of Calvin, SECT. III. PART II. CENT. Calvin, who, when Servetus had escaped from XVI. his prison at Vienne, and was passing through 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 ingenuous 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 circumstance 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. Mosheimeo, 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 Account of the State of Learning, both at home and abroad. SECT. III. trine of Servetus. V. The religious system that Servetus had CENT. struck out, of a wild and irregular fancy, was, in-XVI. deed, singular in the highest degree. The great- PART II. est part of it was a necessary consequence of his peculiar notions concerning the universe, the na- The docture of God, and the nature of things, which were 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 was afterwards augmented by him, and translated into French in his Bibliotheque Angloise, tom. ii. part I. article vii. p. 76.There is also an account of Servetus given by Mackenzie, in the first volume of his Lives and characters of the most eminent Writers of the Scots nation, which was published at Edinburgh, in the year 1708. To these we may add An Impartial History of Servetus, &c. written by an anonymous author, and published at London in 1724. 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. |