The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-23

again into Catholic hands. Doubtless he was as
vet ignorant Of the fact that Calvin was tho fox
vho had started the hounds upon hts trail. He
appears at Geneva, stops at the tavern called tue
{" Rose" and speaks for a barge 10 transport him
across the lake but the lake is I'm commOtion,
and bis departure Is delayed.
- Calvin's hungry eye is upon him, and he feels
malicious delight that the victim is IN his power.
zone Of the Sidnics,' writes Calvin, "at my in
stigation (Dpe auctore), ordered him 10 be led 10
prison" They tud an accuser by the name of
Ia Foutaine and Calvin selects FOR the accaser's
counsel one Coilddon, "a iery, Olool-th man,
who often discharged the double Office OF iurst
and hauCman's valet. An accusation, containing
thirty nine articles, is prepared against huns
aud IL Is proof Of the maliguiiy ~ tho proSccu-
lion that one Of the Chartcs Is founded on an
CN raCt from his edition OF "PtO,emy,' IN which
the Holy Land Is called sterile and unsis1tly.
An atbeistical speech said one OF the judge.
"l have done nothing bnt translate H." said
Seryttus; "it is Ptolgmy who is tue atheist "l
was very glad" says Calvin, 40 slOp the mouth
Of this UisOrtaut, and asked him Why h8 had
Endorsed tho labor Of another; aud go much
WAS this vile dog COniOuudCd by such pressing
r,a.on, that ho could only suarl, and say there
was no ham iu this"
The hereto appears from time to time before
his in. rgs Calvin COnfrOuts him, aud BrlwunAs
him, and mounts the pulp.t to ind iine the pas.
siuus against him. Personal hate and revenge
are manifest through the whole trial. They try
10 find something against his private life, but iu
vain.
'why have you decamed so violently against
Cayin| THIS question reveals the oainU, Of
the trial.
"Ca.yiu's language replies Seryetus, "has
been grtuly more violent than mine
The JUDGES hesitate, and fear % bring his blood
upOu their heads. They request Calvin 30 fur
ush formal retutatIOn OF his errors. Calvin
employed nearly fifteen days in this work. In
q e meanwhile, Spryetus lay 10 his prison upon
straw, dtyUured by yurmiu. lie addressed the
tOI owing letter 90 his judges, appealing TO their
justice and humanity
"MY VERY HoNoRED SEIGNoRs livery hum
bly, euirCat you to be pleased 20 apridgc these
long delays, or libCrate me from this prOseeu-
tiun. You perceive that Calvin is az tue end OF
his devices. Not knowing what to say, he, for
MS own praiihCaion, seeks 10 keep me ia prison
that may rot here. l am deYOured alive by
vermin My garments are corn, aud 1 have no
change of dOubllt, and no shirt but a very mean
one. | have presented to you another suppuCa-
tiUu, which was drawn up according 10 God and,
10 Cefyat IL, Calvin has alleged Jus iniau. Ger
tinly he is unfortunate In citing against me what
he does not himself believe. This is a great
shame for him, aud still greater because now
have elapsed five weeks that he has kept me here
strongly imprisoned, and never has brought for
ward a single passage against me.
my lords, had also demanded Of you law
yer or advocate, as you had allowed tD my OppO-
nent, who did not need one so much as do, since
/ am stranger, aud ignorant OF the customs Of
the country. Nevertheless, you have allowed one
TO linn and not 10 me, and have liberated him
from prison before the cause had been nves-
HuleO request my case 10 De transferred 10 the
Council Of the Two Hundred, together with my
suppications; and, If l can appeal there do
appeal, protesting for all expenses, damages, aud
interests and for the parma tlii0His law of reta.ia-
ton (Which at the time was the legal right Of the
prisoner in the Geneyan Courts of Justice, against
the first acCusCr as against his master Calvin VINO
has made his cause his own.
"DOne in your prisons at Geneva, this 10Th day
Of SEPTEMBER, 1908.
"MICHAFL SERvETUs,
"ln his own cause"
No answer was returned.
Septyu Der % he makes another appeal from
his prison, precrring heavy charges against Cal
win a. false aCcusIr, and as having degraded
the Office Of a minister of Christ by turning in
former, and furnishing private letters 10 procure
his death.
No answer was returned.
October 10 another piteous appeal comes from
his prison -
MAGNIFICENT SEIGNIORs For the last three
weeks have been desiring aud sntreltiug you
TO give me hearing, and have never been able
to obtain one. l beg you, for the love of Jesus
Christ, do not refuse me what you would not
refuse TO Turk, who asked you for justice.
| have some very important and necessary things
10 say 10 you.
"As to what you had ordered, that something
| should be done to keep me clean, no attention
| has been paid to it, and | am in worse cOndi-
| ton than ever. And besides, the cold torments
| me greatly, which brings upon me
| other miseries which | should be ashamed TO
| describe 70 you. It is extreme cruelty that the
| common deCencics arc denied me. For the love
of Cod my lords, give orders for this, or else from
| pity OF sense Of duty.
Done in your prisons Of Geneva Qrt4bs."
1868. ..neH
N3JDer2l the tribunal assembled. The de-
| libeTations lasted three days. At length nearly
| all decided for capital punishment. WHAT Kind
| Of death was the next question to be deter
mined, and death by fire obtained the majority
| There was one man, Ami Perrin, who felt some
| throDS CT compassion, who tegned sick
ness, and absented himself from the Council.
! But he ChOked down his compassion, and
| finally came and gave his vote for blood Gavin
! thus scphed at this fiji OF humanity 30 ar
| tragic COMEDIAN he writes to Earul "afler
! having tegued TO be sick for three days ctme
| % the Council, in order TO save this wretch
| and blushed not 10 demand Chat the case should
| be called before the Council of the Two
! Hundred; but the sentence was rendered without
| controversy"
On the morning of the Goth of October they
came to the pr son to announce the sentence OF
the judges. Seryetus lost his fJrtitude, went and
sued for mercy. Calvin had the heart 70 insult
! his tears and agonies compared him to a beast,
/ and stigmaiized his cries as "rOarug" and "howl-
/ ing" But CastaliQn found words OF Decomposition -
| "And did not Christ from the tree Of the cross
oxeaim, NY God, my God, why hast thou for
| saken me Z"
The tragedy hastens on. At the Place dc Cham
/ pei, an open space without the city, they led
! forth the victim. A stake was fixed deeply in
| the ground, TO which they bound him with an
| iron chain. He pleaded for a more merciful
death. "The sword the sword in mercy, aud
| not fire %
He spoke to deaf ears. Green flgots were
| placed around him, his head WAS covered with
a crown Of straw spnnkled with sulphur, and the
heretical book was suspended az the stake.
The fire ignited slowly; the death agOnie, were
prolonged the bead Of the sufferer swan amid
clouds Of sulphur aud smoke, through which his
lips could be seen moving in prayer. Once,
when the hames rose up 70 deyOur his face he
uttered cry OF anguish, which sent the silence
OF death among the spectators, and turned them
pale. Some OF them, moved With comp Is sion,
ran to put an end 10 bis suGerings and sti1e
him under blazing figOJs. One more prayer
"Jesus Eternal Son, have mercy on me el"-aud
be passed our Of the hands Of cruel men 10 the
Judgment Seat, towards which his blood, now
three hundred years, has cried from the ground
Calvin tried in vain 10 wash the gOuts OF bloc
from bis mantle. lie issued a book, which made
its appearance in 1854, under the title, "a Faith
ful Exposition the Errors Of Michael SeYetus
and a Brief Refutaton of the Same, wherein it Ii
taught that HCretics are to be COerned by the
Right OF the Sword" Himself 4 hergtc. liable "a
the same punishment from the ROmin Inquisi-
ton, and with the same Justice, he sends OUT this
shameless pamphlet to the world, tO justify
what In every view of the case, was the most de.
Iiberate and diaOOlical murder on record, for the
qualification Of private hate and personal revenge
There was man who, in the noon of the nine,
| teenth century, could write this sentence 1--WE
! do not see if there must have been such a trial
| how, IN the circumstances, 1t cOuld have been