The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-03-18
The Presbyterian Lie brary.

t00 OAtVbn-oersSLuS nuEuoL WuiCu ~
Thoroughly characteristic Of the Cslvinisti'
systsm. That 10, it 10 tissoe Of inconsis:
euoy In principle and error in fact.
The question vas simply the guilt ol
Calvin in the burning Of Servetus with the
responsibility Of Presbyterianisua for hia
guilt, and the management Of the question
was beautiful exeDpliacatioO of artfui
lodging. The defense could be reduced 20
about eight propositions:
Les, CaiviS had been o Catholic priest,
and bis completely in the burning OF Servetus
was due to what WAS left Of The priest in
him. a
| Answer. Calvin bad never been Cath
Ollie priest, and il lie very strange if the
Prss6ytsrSas does not know that fact.
| Sad, Calvin is censnred for doing the
very thing that had jass bean done by
| somebody "under the auspices of Cardinal
Tournon, who condemned this same Serve
tus to be burned 10 death "a q hereto"
Answer. IL by this is meant that the
Cardinal condemned him to be burned to
death, then the assertion is jast ~ wild n
that about the priesthood Of Calvin. Auy
cleric who should condemn . man TO death
would become guilty of an irregularity and
would be suspended ipso Eaeto. Very queer
if the PresbyteriaH does NOS know this also.
81. 1.-THE truth is that Servetus was con
demned by . civil court for civil { ffsnse
He was o blaspbemer. There is no
difference, we believe, in the opinion that
it {blaspheuy) is an offense of which the |
laws must take cognizance."
Answer. How singular that the Presby- |
terrain fuds this out just now. For, 10!
these sundry years, it has been periodically
raging against the Church for her agency
in ascertaning he existence of just such Of
lenses as blssphemy aud beresy, which
were punishable by the State. The Church
herself never punished them otherwise
than by spiritual sentences. Temporal
were always the affair of the
civil power, and now the Presbyterian finds
out that blasphemy, at least, sis an offeDse
of which the laws must take cognizance."
4.h. 1.-THE mode ofpunishment (burnipg)
was common throughout Europe"
Answer. Not the fact.
5th. Servetus was fairly tried; under
the Romish Church, "the civil authority lie
only the blind instruntent of the ecclesiasti-
cal court"
Answer. Totally wrong again. To waive
discussion of the trial of Servetus, which,
reversing the customary order, was a farce
preceding tragedy, history shows the stu
pidity Of the charge against the Church.
In every age the State has proved an ag-
greesive, tyrannical ally to her. Her only
enemy has always been the
secular power, and, while according to reli,
Rion certain public veneration and con-
princes and monarchs have |
always, as a rule, so far from being servile |
of the Church, shown them
selvee ambitious invaders of her sacred |
domain.
9Th. Calvin desired that the death penalty
should not be inflicted through fire, though |
he, in accordance with the universal opiu-
ion, thought that death in some form was
q jHst sentence for the offence of SerVetus. |
Answer. Totally wrong in fact and infer- |
eaee. Calvin sat at his window overlook |
ing the scene Of execution, and enjoyed |
the drama to lite last act. If he had desired |
any mitigation it would most certainly |
have been conceded Calvin was tho State |
as we'll as the Church, at Geneva. Every
department Of each was under his absolute |
dictation. His was the informing spirit of
demoniac bigOtry and cruelty in both, and |
the whole persecution of Servetus was but |
o manifestation of his egotistical iutoler- |
aDce of one who dared to differ with him,
HE malignant hatred of rebellious nature
that would not criDge before him.
The attempt to excuse Cslvin's assent to
the sentence on the ground Of sincere and
honest participation by him in the errors
Of the day, is perfectly inexcusable in the
Presbyterian. This particular error was in
direct conflict with bis fret principle of
dissent from ROme-the principle of pri-
vate Interpretation of the Scriptures. If
was RomAnist error to punish people for
false views of the Bible, certainly that
error wac specially ahjured in declaring