deration. That Difcourfe tranflated into Latin, may be feen in the firft Book of Oecolampadius's and Zuinglius's Epiftles, p. 83. Oecolampadius writ alfo Two

Letters to Servetus about his Book, wherein he confuted him in a very civil manner, and intreated him to renounce his Errors. He blames Servetus for expreffing a greater Efteem for Tertullian, than for all the other Fathers of the Church.

The next Year, (1532) Servetus published another Book against the Trinity at Haguenau. I refer you, Sir, to the fame Part of my Memoirs, where you will find the Title of that Book, and a fhort Account of it.

Servetus having published thofe Two Books, refolved to return into France, because he was poor, and did not understand the German Language. He himself alledged thofe Two Reasons for it at his Tryal. He returned to Bafil, and from thence went to Lyons, where he lived about Two or Three Years. Whilft he was there, Melanchthon writ a Letter to Joachim Camerarius, wherein he told him what he thought of Servetus, and his Books. He fays, That Servetus appears to him a fubtil and cunning Man; but that he wants Gravity; that his Thoughts are confused; that he has not fufficiently meditated upon the Things he treats of; and that his Notion of Juftification is very extravagant. Melanchthon adds, That he has been always afraid, that Difputes about the Trinity would break out fome Time or other. The Paffage is very curious; and therefore I fhall fet down Melanchthon's own Words.

De Serveto rogas quid fentiam: (Says † that ex66 cellent Man). Ego vero video fatis acutum ac "vafrum

The Ift and 2d of the First Book.

t Melanchthon Epiftola. Lib. IV. Ep. 149. Edit Lond. That Letter is dated in the Year 1533.

66 rent.

"vafrum effe in difputando, fed planè gravitatem "ei non tribuo. Et haber, ut mihi videtur, con"fufas imaginationes, nec fatis explicatas earum rerum, quas agitat, cogitationes. De Juftificatione "manifeftè delirat ". The following Words are very remarkable: " Пsel Tus Telds, fcis me fem26 per veritum effe, fore ut hæc aliquando erumpe Bone Deus! quales tragoedias excitabit hæc quæftio ad pofteros, sivaósaois : nóg, εἰ ἔσιν ὑπόςασις τὸ πνεῦμα. Ego me referro ad "illas Scripturæ voces, quæ jubent invocare Chri"ftum quod eft ei honorem Divinitatis tribu"ere, & plenum confolationis eft. Tas de idéas σετ πυς άσεων και διαφορὰς ἀκριβῶς ζητῶν ἐ πάνω σε συμφέρει.

46

66

You fee, Sir, that Melanchthon proved a true Propher. How many Difputes about the Trinity has the World feen fince the Year 1533. in which this Letter was written! That Great Divine forefaw, that feveral People not contented with Luther's and Calvin's Reformation, would boldly attack the Doctrine of the Trinity. The Thing happen'd, as he foretold it. Some are of Opinion, that the Reformation would have made a further Progress, had it not been for the Antitrinitarians.

In the next Letter to Camerarius, Melanchthon fays, Servetum multùm lego; and adds, That Servetus did Tertullian a great deal of Wrong, in maintaining that this Father did not believe the Logos to be an Hypoftafis. This Second Letter is dated in the fame Year as the First.

Servetus having been Two or Three Years at Lyons, as I have already faid, went to Paris, where he ftudied Phyfick under Sylvius, Fernel, and fome other Profeffors. He took his Degree of Mafter of Arts, and was admitted Doctor of Phyfick in that University, and practifed the fame afterwards. He was for fome Time Corrector of the Prefs at Lyons.

Beza

Beza (a) informs us, That Calvin knew Servetus at Paris, and oppofed his Doctrine. The fame Author adds, That Servetus having agreed to engage in a Dispute with Calvin, upon a certain Day and a certain Hour, durft not appear at that Conference. I find in the Bibliotheca (b) Antitrinitariorum, that he published at Paris in the Year 1537. a Book entitled Ratio Syruporum.

Whilft Servetus was at Paris, his Book de Trinitatis Erroribus was difperfed (c) in Italy, and very much approved by many Italians, who defign'd to forfake the Church of Rome. Melanchthon being informed of it, writ a (d) Letter to the Senate of Venice in the Year 1539. importing, That a Book of Servetus, who had revived the Error of Paulus Samofatenus, was handed about in their Country. He befeeches them to use their utmoft Endeavours, that the impious Error of that Man may be avoided, rejected, and abhorred. It is not improbable, that Lelius Socinus, Fauftus's Uncle, and feveral other Italians, took their Antitrinitarian Notions from Servetus's Book.

That Phyfician having finished his Studies at Paris, left that City to go and practise Phyfick in fome other Place; which he did Two or Three Years in a Town about Twelve Leagues diftant from Lyons, and then at Vienne in Dauphine, for the Space of Ten or Twelve Years. I find very few Particulars relating to him during that Time. Patin (e) fays, That Dr. Delavau, a Phyfician of Poitiers, had by him Fifty Letters written to his Father by Servetus from Dauphine. He adds, that Scaliger fays he had

feen them.

Servetus

(a) Hiftory of the Reformed Churches of France, Vol. I. pag. 14. Antwerp 1580.

(6) Printed in Holland in 1684. pag. 13.

(c) See Boxkern. Histor. Univerf. pag. 70. ad Ann. 1552, Lugd. Batav. 165 2.

(d) Melanchth. Epift. Lib. I. Ep. 111.

(e) Patiniana, pag. 74, 75. Amft. 1703.

Servetus was at Lyons in the Year 1542. before he fettled at Vienne. He corrected in that City (Lyons) the Proofs of a Latin Bible, and added a Preface to it under the Name of Villanovanus. That Bible is very fcarce. I muft obferve, That he went in France by the Name of Villeneuve from Villanueva, the Town where he was born. That Bible (a) was Printed by Hugh de la Porte, with this Title, Biblia Sacra ex Sanctis Pagnini Tranflatione, fed & ad Hebraice lingue amuffim ità rec gnita & Scholiis illuftrata, ut plane nova Editio videri poffit. Servetus added to it fome Marginal Notes, of which I fhall have Occafion to fpeak hereafter. Calvin (b) calls them impertinent and impious Notes, and fays, That Servetus gor Five Hundred Livres from the Bookfeller for his Pains.

That Reformer kept a long Correspondence with Servetus by way of Letters. Hè (c) informs us, that he endeavour'd for the Space of Sixteen Years to reclaim that Phyfician from his Errors. Servetus writ feveral Letters to Calvin at Geneva, from Lyons and Dauphine, and confulted him about feveral Points. Calvin (d) fays, That Servetus fent him the Three following Queftions from Lyons, and defired him to answer them.

1. An homo Fefus crucifixus fit Filius Dei; & que fit hujus filiationis ratio?

II. An Regnum Chrifti fit in hominibus ; quando quis ingrediatur, & quando regeneretur?

Vol. IV.

E

III. An

(4) Critical Hiftory of the Old Teftament, pag. 530. Rotterdam 1685.

(b) Fidelis Expofitio Errorum Michaelis Serveti, &c. among Calvin's Theological Tracts, p. 836, Geneva 1575. (c) Ibid. pag. 817.

(d) ibid. pag. 827, 828.

1

III. An Baptifmus Chrifti debeat in fide fieri, ficut Coena; & quorfum hæc inftituta fint foedere

novo?

Calvin anfwered thofe Queries; but Servetus; far from being fatisfied with his Explications, writ to him a Second Letter, containing a Confutation of his Answer. Calvin being very much difpleafed with that Letter, made a fharp Reply to it, as he himself * owns. Whereupon Servetus, who was no less fiery than his Antagonist, grew very angry with him. Calvin fays this Difpute occafioned the Hatred, which Servetus conceiv'd for him; and complains ** that that Heretick did not ceafe from that Time to make Imprecations against him.

Servetus fent a Manuscript to Calvin, to have his Judgment about it, fix Years before he was apprehended at Geneva. That Piece was never printed: It was produced against him at his Tryal, as I fhall fhew hereafter. Thus it appears that a long Correfpondence between Calvin and Servetus occafioned at laft a mutual Hatred and Animofity, which proved very fatal to the latter. Calvin was fo incensed against Servetus, that he could not forbear to revile him in his Commentaries upon the Bible. He calls him a profligate Fellow, (un mefchant Garnement) full of Pride, and a Dog, upon t the rft Verse of the firft Chapter of St. John's Gofpel. He writ those words before Servetus came to Geneva; for the Epi. ftle Dedicatory is dated January 1, 1553.

Varillas affirms, That there is at Paris an original Letter of Calvin to Farel, written in 1546. which was never printed, and that these Words are to be found in it Servetus has lately writ to me, and

* Ibid. pag. 827.

** Ibid. pag. 835.

I make use of the Edition of the Year 1563.

fent

Hiftoire de l'Herefie ad ann. 1553. pag. 350, 3519 of the Paris Edition in 4to.