Historia Reformationis Polonica Authore STA- An impartial History of Michael Servetus.- ROBINSON's Ecclesiastical Researches. The Life of Servetus, by JACQUES GEORGE de CHAUFFPIE. CHAPTER I. THE LIFE OF SERVETUS TO THE TIME OF HIS ARREST AT VIENNE IN DAUPHINE..... Sect. 1. The minority of Servetus. Conjectures respecting the formation of his character... Sect. 2. He publishes a book concerning the errors about a tri- Sect. 3. He publishes a second book concerning the trinity 103 Sect. 4. He leaves Germany and goes to Paris........ .106 Sect. 5. An account of him during his stay at Paris. . . . . 110 Sect. 1. Calvin raises a persecution against Servetus•• Sect. 2. He is arrested at Vienne, makes his escape, is burnt Sect. 3. Trial of Servetus at Geneva... Sect. 4. Articles extracted from Servetus' Books, with a view Sect. 5. The petitions of Servetus to the Judges........... 205 Sect. 6. The correspondence between Calvin, the magistrates of Geneva, and the other reformed ministers and Sect. 2. On the same principle as the persecutors of Servetus defended their conduct, if admitted, every species of persecution might be defended........... 274 Sect. 3. The reformers guilty of manifest inconsistency · · 276 Sect. 5. Persecution altogether antichristian.. Sect. 6. For christians to persecute each other is highly inju- rious to the church, and baneful to christianity 282 Sect. 7. Wise and moderate men in all ages have disapproved Sect. 8. Persecutors are the real heretics and schismatics 285 Sect. 3. What the Dr. wrote on the circulation of the blood312 A SUMMARY VIEW OF THE OPINIONS OF SERVETUS. 329 Sect. 1. On the trinity and the person of Christ........330 Sect. 2. On Baptism, original sin the distinction between law Sect. 3. On the ground of antiquity Sect. 4. By the example of Calvin and his associates•••• 352 Sect. 5. By the effects produced by his writings & sufferings353 Sect. 6. By the countenance his leading sentiments have re- AN APOLOGY, &c. CHAPTER I. PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. Sect. 1. On Persecutors and Persecution. Sect. 2. That some of the wisest and best of men have been charged with heretical pravity. Sect. 3. The difficulty of obtaining a full and impartial account of Doctor Servetus. Sect. 4. A glance at the state of the christian world down to the period of Servetus' sufferings. 1 THAT the reader may be prepared to attend with impartiality to the case of Servetus, it is thought necessary to present him with some previous remarks. It is a question of great and awful import, have one party of christians a right to deprive others of liberty and life, merely because they deem their opinions erroneous and heretical? On the answer which this question receives, the condemnation or justification of the Doctor's persecut entirely depends. If it be answered in the negative, nothing can justify their conduct. This question will be fully discussed in the course of this work; in the mean time, it is thought best to submit to consideration a few general observations on persecutors and persecution. To traduce the character of virtuous and good men, is a great injury to them, and to society. What can be more valuable among men than a good name? it is like precious ointment: and there is nothing a wise man would not do to preserve it, short of acting wrong; highly as he may va lue his reputation, it would be foolish and wicked to preserve it at the expense of a good consciTo violate the reputation of another is an injury to society, as it weakens the tie which unites him to them, diminishes their sense of his worth, and has a tendency to destroy his usefulness. To fix the brand of heresy upon a wise and good man, is, in the view of multitudes, to blast his reputation: hence it is judged proper to explain this circumstance, that mankind may be disabused on a point which has materially affected the reputation of many great men. Perhaps, the majority of mankind still judge of those with whom they have not been previously acquainted, merely by common report and popular clamor: this seems to make it necessary they ence. |