table Samaritans: (only they punished the guilty, but Calvin, the innocent.') Servetus perished in the flames, but he shall rise again to immortality and glory.

CHAPTER IV.

PERSECUTION INDEFENSIBLE.

Sect. 1. Whether it be right for the civil magistrates, or any power on earth, to put men to death for their opinions. Sect. 2. On the same principle as the persecutors of Servetus attempted to defend their conduct, if admitted, every species of persecution might be defended.Sect. 3. The reformers guilty of manifest inconsistency. Sect. 4. Persecution is irrational. Sect. 5. Persecution is altogether antichristian. Sect. 6. For christians to persecute each other is highly injurious to the church, and baneful to christianity. Sect. 7. Wise and moderate men, in all ages, have disapproved of persecution. Sect. 8. Persecutors are the real heretics and schismatics.

INSTEAD of relenting at the recollection of the part he had acted against Servetus, Calvin, undertook to defend the cruel proceedings of the

magistrates of Geneva against him, and to prove that heretics ought to be put to death. After the execution of Servetus he published a book entitled A faithful account of the errors of Michael Servetus, with a brief confutation of them, in which is shown that heretics are to be restrained by the sword.' It is said Sebastian Castellio, or Lælius Socinus, confuted this book. Beza answered, and justified the practice of putting heretics to death. His piece was entitled, Of punishing heretics by the civil magistrates.' Each of these reformers (says Lubienjecius) taking a dart out of the quiver of the church of Rome, and her adherents, to thrust it with a greater fury into the sides of heretics of their own making.'

The persecutors of Servetus (says Mr. Robinson) were attacked from all parts; by the polite and mild remonstrances of the inimitable Dudith, by the rough and uncourtly reproaches of the honest Casteilio, and by many others: but what stung the sanguinary Beza most was what he called a fairago, which some, mistaking it for other treatises on the same subject, attribute to Castellio, others, to Lælius Socinus, but which probably was, like the famous Smectymnus, the joint work of several wise and well informed persons. Beza was offended because

the authors said he had published a book to justify the murder of heretics, whereas he had only written one to prove they ought to be put to death.'

Christians, in the present day, may be sur prised to hear that the reformers wrote in defence of persecution, that they ascribed to the civil magistrates the power of putting heretics to death, and justified the murdering men for their opinions; but it was impossible for them on any other principle to vindicate their own conduct. They had delivered the man they deemed a heretic into the hands of the civil power, they had prosecuted him for heresy as a capital crime, they had instigated the magistrates to condemn him to death, and he had been burnt alive among them. The eyes of the world were upon them; many thoughtful and humane persons disapproved of their rash and cruel proceedings; the burning a man alive for his opinions was likely to prove a foul stain on their character, and the reformation they had' effected; they set a high value on their reputation, were anxious to obtain the good opinions of men, wished to be thought to act consistently in all things. What was to be done? They could not bring themselves to acknowledge

they had acted wrong, they repented not of their murderous conduct; consequently, they could not disavow the persecution of those they thought real heretics, the fact was too notorious, the part they had acted too open, for them to deny that they had caused a man to be put to death for his opinions. Still they were desirous of justifying themselves: and only one possible way remained for them to do this, i. e. by proving that it was lawful for the civil magistrates to destroy heretics by fire and sword. This course they pursued. Not that Calvin was over obsequious to the civil magistrates, there were times when he could resist their authority; but in this instance it was convenient for him to magnify their power.

SECTION I

Whether it be right for the civil magistrates, or any power on earth, to put men to death for their opinions.

Unless it can be proved lawful to burn men for their opinions the persecutors of Servetus cannot be defended. In order to prove that heretics ought to be punished by the civil