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    None of them , it is true , mentioned a single word of a capital punishment , neither what manner of coercion ought to be chosen ;

    but it is not doubtful , * as the capital -punishments of heretics was not abolished amongst them : nay , had even more than once been

    practised at Zurich against Baptists , that ihe . wishes and intentions of many of them tended so far ; and so they contented themselves to use the word coercion , whose explanation they intrusted to their brethren at Geneva .

    They of Zurich were the severest and most explicit ; they condemned Servetus as an impious blasphemer . * They ofSchaphausen did virtually agree with them . f

    They of Basil answered with more circumspection , and advised to use all lenient means to save him ; but , if he remained incorrigible , then the senate of Geneva miorht

    do their duty , so that the church of Christ might not be endangered . X The letter of those of Bern was less gratifying to Calvin , as appears front a letter to Farel . || Calvin disapproved particularly

    the latter words : We pray God , jthat he may give you the spirit of prudence , of wisdom and fortitude , so that you may remove this pest from your , as well as other churches ; and , on the other side , conclude nothing that might

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    be deemed improper in a Christian magistrate . " It is thus far from true , that all the Helvetic divines , explicitly , did condemn Servetus to death ; and more so , that the senate of Geneva was exhorted by them ,

    unanimously , to inflict upon him a capital punishment . An attentive perusal of Jo / Mailer ' s Rphe * incrides * an eminently pious minister at Bern at that period , will evince that I have not misrepre - sented the sentiments of the

    Helvetic churches . He calls Servetus a blasphemer qf the holy Trinity . Ci They did not , however , openly

    consent to his dealh , which punishment , { viricomburiurn ,. ) though he did deserve it , gave to many a handle to disapprove it , while others defended it as well done .

    Others thought , that such an example ought not to have been established in the church , while more occasion would be given to the Pttpists to persecute the faith - ful with fire : while the ancients

    were of opinion , that heretics ought to be overcome by the word of the Lordy not by pu ?? i ? hment $ "§ You will deem it worthy , Sir , of your impartial consideration , that Servetus was kept profoundly ignorant of all the subsequent transactions , since tip had been condemned in secret . He then again offered two petitions , one

    # Calvhi ' s Lett . ti . 161 . p . a 07 . first cd . p . iao . Refut . Err . Scnreti , p . 7 * 4-3 d ed . p , 6 * 4 , 5 . It was ^ titttvt aist Sept . ; that of the magistrate of that canton , the ad . t 6 Sept . Calvin ' s Lett . 158 . p ,, 2196 . f Id . ib . p . 300 . || Epl . Ep . 161 . 1 . c . p . 304 . ^ § Non tamen in ncceni ej as , apertey omnes con « enserunt quod illius stipplicium licet illo dignissimus csset , multis dedit occasionem dissentiendi , cum aliis hoc rcctt faetum esse defendercnt ; alii putarent , non admittenduni fuisse ejusmodi rxemplum in ecclesram , ne occasio daretur amplior Papistis crga fidelis igne sxviendi , et veteres etiamhereticos Verbo Domini non ' supplicio vin ' cendbs es ^ e duxissent . Ji , Rallcr . Ephem 1548—1565 , p . xoi . Musseum Helvet . part v . p . 79 .

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    Sketch of the Life of Servetus . — -Letter ( J . 3 SS

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1810, page 383, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2407/page/7/