Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-10-14

Iubhc L.Drary OF tne CITY OF GENEVA. This lab
was iDtrusted TO his able son. the Rev. John N, Or
J who visited the above city for this parpose, az
devoted more than year collecting valuable hi
torical data for his father. But the venerable do
tor died when on the eve of undertaking the wor
which was to crown his literary career. The Re,
John Mc'Crie accepted as sacred inheritance fror
his father and fruit of his laborious investigation
the now easy and distinguished task of rehabits
ting the Reformer in public opinion, when prema
ture death disappointed the expectations Of hi
friends and relatives
The rehabilitation of Calvin, however, was de
layed only to become the more sure by being en-
trusted to his enemies, and taking place in the yery
city where the scenes reprOachfuly ascribed to hin
were enacted. A Unitarian clergyman of consider
able talent and learning, the Rev. A. ReiIliet stim
ulated by the example of Dr. M'Crie, rausacked
the Archives of Geneva, investigated carefully all
the manuscripts and correspondence of the times
preserved in the public libraries of Europe which
bore ou this case; aud although avowng bitter
| hostility to Calvinsm yet; as an impartial histo.
rian, he published in l844 the detailed result OF
bis Investigations, which is complete verdict Of
acquittal OF the mschievous and ungrounded charges
brought agsinst Calvin in reference to Servetus'
death. This interesting volume has since been
| translated and published in English, by the Rev.
w. b. Tweedie We had not been able TO pro-
cure it when we attempted recently to reestabIsh
in condesed form the true historical fasts of this
case; but are glad to now that we have advanced
nothing that is not supported by overwhelming e7-
idence in the book Of Mr.. Relier and that the
Unitarian clergyman has gone as far, and even be-
yond "a, in acqnting Calvin Of blame for the part
he took in the fate of the unfortunate Servetus.
The conclusion to which Mr. Reilliet, arrives
upon evidence which can never be contested may
be summed up as follows: Serretua, although op-
posed to the Trinity, was anything but modern
Unitarian. While the latter deny the divinity of
Christ, be denied his humanity and considered him
the absolute God; thus he was one degree further
removed from Uaitarianism than the Orthodox,
otherwise. thorough Pantbeist who asserted,
even before his Judges, that The bench on which
he sat was Cod
When Servetas cime to Geneva. he had Just es-
capped from the prison at Vienna, where the Ro-
m3h Bishops had him setenced to be burned bv
slow fire. lie concealed himself in tavern undcr
an assumed name Bdi, learning that the minis
tiers had lost all their iuauenee rpon government
which hated their rigid morals, that CALVIN at the
time was thwarted by them in ever, thirg, ana
that Geneva had become untenabe Tor him, LIE
emerged from secrecy, in the hope Of placing Kim
self at the head of political party, and driving
both Reiormers and the r formation from Geneva
and substituting his own rllc aad tenets. The
trial OF Servetus was equally that Of Calvin; in
deed, the fate Of ihe later was IL times the more
imminent Of the two, the President of the court
and influential members of the courcil being ayow-
ed and personal enemies The struggle vas forced
upon him. the acquittal Of one was to be the sen,
tence OF the other. The awe Of the Protestant
governments might have saved Calvin from death.
but not from imprisonment, or perpetual exile, if
Servetus had succeeded.
The court was partial to Seryetus, and would
fain have saved him if his triumphant over5earapee
had not ruined his cause; yet they would not psss
sentence upon him, but left the case to the decis
ion Of the four Protestant governments, of Berne
BasIe Zarich and SchaFlusen These all urged
that the sentence of the Romish Bishop be carried
out against Seryetus and left no other ALTERNATIVE
to the weak government of Geneva. In the mean
time the King OF France claimed energetically the
execution O the hereto who had escaped from his
kingdom under sentence. SerVeus entreated as
favor to be executed at Geneva and not by the
sow-fre of the Romish Bishops.
A most important point established By Renet
is that the condemnation of Servetus was purely
political He was sentenced by the magistrates of
Geneva, not as a hereto, bat as rebel who had
attempted to subvert the constitution of Geneva
The purely theological quarrel disappeared before
this motive Tor condemni0g him. The judicial SEN
tenee, il the list of charges brought against Ser
vetus, does not mention at all either the attacks
against Calvin, or these against the ministers of
Geneva. Sarvetus well understood that f be could
free himself from the suspicion of being man of
bad repate and dangerous to the public tranquil
ty, his doctrine by itself would not form sufficient
motive for condemning him; Or at least, would not
draw down a very severe castigation"
When the sentence irrevocably passed, Calvin
and his colleagues used all their ef1rts to have the
punishment mtigated by at least substituting the
sword for the fire. but "the little council rejected
the request of Calvin. 1t is to him. notwithstand-
ing, that men have always imputed the guilt Of
that funeral pile, which lie wished had never been
reared :"
We conclude in the words of the Rev. Mr.. Twee-
die: 1T is salts factory to find Calvin thus freed
from the charges so often brought against him
ServetuS was condemned from political rather than
religious considerations. Cayan was set aside
He was not consulted. Nay, contrary to his wish
es, the reformed governments were asked to coun-
sci Geneva in the affair. Being thus constituted
jury, their verdict was unanimous; and Geneva
would have outraged the whole Of reformed Swift
zerland had it ventured to pronounce Servetus in
nocent. OF even found him guilty of only a veDal
offence, after both the churches and the States had
virtually condemned him. 1t is, therefore, histor-
icaly untrue that Calvin was the cause of this un-
happy mans death Had the other churches not
condemned him, Servetus would have been dismiss
ed and acquitted"
Discovery OF MS. SERMON BY LUTHER
Twelve autograph sermons of Luther have recently
been discovered at Raksan 10 Hungary. The Hun