A brief account of Calvin's burning of Servetus for an heretic : formerly published in four of the papers called, The old Whig, or, Consistent Protestant / by George Benson.

  • Benson, George, 1923-2007
Date:
1743
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A brief account of Calvin's burning of Servetus for an heretic : formerly published in four of the papers called, The old Whig, or, Consistent Protestant / by George Benson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    «e Violence of his and their common Enemies* the Votaries of the Church of Rome\—-but, if he sc pleafed to go elfe where, they would leave him “ intirely at his Liberty; and would rejoice in his Welfare, as a Fellow-Creature and Bro- sc ther Chriftian, tho5 he differed in fome of his 66 Sentiments from them/5 Inftead of writing for Perfecution, and to prove that the Magistrates ought to put Heretics to Death, (as Calvin has done) I fhould have been much pleafed to find a Speech, like that above, among the Works of that Great Man. The Execution of Servetus made a great Noife, not only among the moderate Proteftants, but even among the Roman Catholics. The former ex¬ claimed againft Calvin, as being the Author of Ser- vetus's Death ; and indeed every Body imputed to him what the Magiftrates of Geneva had done in that Affairhis Influence was fo great in that City, and his Enmity to Servetus fo very flagrant 1 The Clamor, raifed againft him on that Occafion, forced him to write in Defence of Perfecution.— However, all were not of his Mind; and it is greatly to the Honor of the Proteftants, that there were many, even at that Day, who fo loudly condemned Perfecution, and attacked even one of Calvin's great Character, for acting fo contrary to the Rules of right Reafcn and of Christianity. This was a moft cruel Aft, and directly repugnant tq the gentle, the humble, the charitable Spirit of Chrift ;—but perfectly agreeable to the Temper of fome Men, whom 1 will not name, nor defcribe any further than to fay, That they are for hunt¬ ing down all who dare to differ in Opinion from them.55 The bigoted Papifts would, no doubt, plead that Inftance of Servetus, as a Defence of their burning the Proteftants ; and what Reflections the more moderate Roman Catholics made upon it, may
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