stigationes sperare potius
debemus" (Servetus, _Restitutio Christianismi_, 656; Henry, iii. 235).]

[Footnote 294: "Nam si venerit, modo valeat mea authoritas, vivum exire
nunquam patiar" (Calvin to Farel, in Henry, iii. Append. 65; Audin, _Vie
de Calvin_, ii. 314; Dyer, 544).]

[Footnote 295: "Spero capitale saltem fore judicium; poenae vero
atrocitatem remitti cupio" (Calvin to Farel, Henry, iii. 189). Dr. Henry
makes no attempt to clear Calvin of the imputation of having caused the
death of Servetus. Nevertheless he proposed, some years later, that the
three-hundredth anniversary of the execution should be celebrated in the
Church of Geneva by a demonstration. "It ought to declare itself in a
body, in a manner worthy of our principles, admitting that in past times
the authorities of Geneva were mistaken, loudly proclaiming toleration,
which is truly the crown of our Church, and paying due honour to Calvin,
because he had no hand in the business (parcequ'il n'a pas trempe dans
cette affaire), of which he has unjustly borne the whole burden." The
impudence of this declaration is surpassed by the editor of the French
periodical from which we extract it. He appends to the words in our
parenthesis the following note: "We underline in order to call attention
to this opinion of Dr. Henry, who is so thoroughly acquainted with the
whole question" (_Bulletin de la Societe de l'Histoire du Protestantisme
Francais_, ii. 114).]

[Footnote 296: "Qui scripserunt de non plectendis haereticis, semper
mihi visi sunt non parum errare" (Farel to Blaarer, Henry, iii. 202).
During the trial he wrote to Calvin: "If you desire to diminish the
horrible punishment, you will act as a friend towards your most
dangerous enemy. If I were to seduce anybody from the true faith, I
should consider myself worthy of death; I cannot judge differently of
another than of myself" (Schmidt, _Farel und Viret_, p. 33).

Before sentence was pronounced Bullinger wrote to Beza: "Quid vero
amplissimus Senatus Genevensis ageret cum blasphemo illo nebulone
Serveto. Si sapit et officium suum facit, caedit, ut totus orbis videat
Genevam Christi gloriam cupere servatam" (Baum, i. 204). With reference
to Socinus he wrote: "Sentio ego spirituali gladio abscindendos esse
homines haereticos" (Henry, iii. 225).

Peter Martyr Vermili also gave in his adhesion to Calvin's policy: "De
Serveto Hispano, quid aliud dicam non habeo, nisi eum fuisse genuinum
Diaboli filium, c