ans neither any where
affirm, nor does it appear from any considerations. Nay, it is certain,
that he, with the college of pastors, dissuaded from that kind of
punishment."

It has been often asserted, that Calvin possessed so much influence with
the magistrates of Geneva, that he might have obtained the release of
Servetus, had he not been desirous of his destruction. This however, is
not true. So far from it, that Calvin was himself once banished from
Geneva, by these very magistrates, and often opposed their arbitrary
measures in vain. So little desirous was Calvin of procuring the death
of Servetus, that he warned him of his danger and suffered him to
remain several weeks at Geneva, before he was arrested. But his
language, which was then accounted blasphemous, was the cause of his
imprisonment. When in prison, Calvin visited him, and used every
argument to persuade him to retract his horrible blasphemies, without
reference to his peculiar sentiments. This was the extent of Calvin's
agency in this unhappy affair.

It cannot, however, be denied, that in this instance, Calvin acted
contrary to the benignant spirit of the gospel. It is better to drop a
tear over the inconsistency of human nature, and to bewail those
infirmities which cannot be justified. He declares he acted
conscientiously, and publicly justified the act. Cranmer acted the same
part towards the poor Anabaptists in the reign of Edward VI. This
doctrine they had learned at Rome, and it is certain, that, with a very
few exceptions, it was at this time the opinion of all parties. The
author of the Memoirs of Literature says, "If the religion of
protestants depended on the doctrine and conduct of the reformers, he
should take care how he published his account of Servetus; but as the
protestant religion is entirely founded on Holy Scripture, so the
defaults of the reformers ought not to have any ill influence on the
reformation. The doctrine of non-toleration, which obtained to the
sixteenth century, among some protestants, was that pernicious error
which they had imbibed in the Church of Rome; and I believe, I can say,
without doing any injury to that church, that she is, in a great
measure, answerable for the execution of Servetus. If the Roman
catholics had never put any person to death for the sake of religion, I
dare say that Servetus had never been condemned to die in any protestant
city. Let us remember, that Calvin, and all the magistrates of Gene