For some time he had a great deal to do in the way of controversy, and wrote innumerable tracts in defence of sound doctrine. He contended with Castalio, who trans lated the Bible into Latin—with the Sorbonne, who had drawn up some articles of faith, to impose on the weak and timid—with Albert Pighius, a profound sophist, who had attacked the reformed church—with the Nicodc mites, who secretly embraced the Protestant faith, but through fear still adhered externally to the church of Rome—with a monk at Rouen, who was reviving the heresy of Carpocrates, the Gnostic and Antinomian with the Catholics, against the doctrine of the council of Trent—with those who believed in judicial astrology— with Lxlius Socinus, author of the sect that derives its name from him--with °slander and others, who impru dently revived the dispute respecting the Lord's Supper and with the Anabaptists and libertines, who had re vived the worst errors of antiquity. In this last case, the work which he published offended the queen of Na varre, to whom he, on that account, wrote a remon strance, distinguished by a happy mixture of boldness and address ; and he was so fortunate as to succeed in appeasing her, and in accomplishing, at least, the par tial dtscomfiture of the sects which he had attacked.
lie had also a keen controversy with Jerome Bolzec, a Carmelite friar, who impugned his peculiar doctrine of absolute predestination, mid openly taught the sentitnents on that subject which were afterwards maintained by A rminius. They disputed the point in thurch ; but Cal vin displayed such a superiority in argument and erudi tion, that, in the judgment of all present, he obtained the victory ; and, according to custom, his a)ita•;onist, who, besides his dillerence with Calvin, was of a trou blesome temper, was first cast into prison, and then banished from the city. His chief contentions, however, were with the profane and profligate part of the inhabi tants of Geneva. The strictness and impartiality of that discipline which was exercised by means of the new con sistory, subjected him to much odium, and false accusa tion. But he persevered in his purposes, and triumphed over all opposition. lie had the happiness to see the Genevcse church increase rapidly, and the faction of the seditious gradually subdued : And these things, together with his habitual piety, supported him under the severe trial which he met with about this period in the loss of his wife, a woman of uncommon virtue and merit.
It is said that Calvin did not confine his views on doc trine and discipline to the church of Geneva ; that he formed the splendid design, and entertained the sanguine hope, of making these a model for every other protes tant church in Christendom ; and that he proposed to send forth from the little republic-, those succours and minis ters that were necessary for accomplishing that import ant object. For that purpose, and also with the view of forwarding the general cause of the reformation, he established an academy in Geneva, which the senate founded at his desire, and in which he himself, with other divines of learning and ability, taught the sciences with much reputation and success. And so great was the fame which this seminary acquired, that it was repaired to by a crowd of students from England, Scotland, France, Italy, and Germany ; and none who were anxi ous to make proficiency either in sacred or profane literature, thought themselves right till they had attended it a considerable time.
in 1553, Michael Servetus, a Spanish physician, who had settled at Vienne in France, and acquired a great professional character, published a work, entitled, Resti tutio Christianismi, &c. which contained doctrines so un scriptural, that it was reprobated even by the Papists, who actually condemned him to he burnt for heresy. Be sides this work, he had written one, De Trinitatis Erro ribus ; and another, In Ptolemeum Commentaritts ; he had also published an edition of the Bible, and addressed a letter to Paupin, a Genevese minister ; and in all of these productions, he had departed very widely from the most generally received doctrines of Christianity. Hav ing escaped from Vienne, and happening to come to Ge neva in his retreat to Naples, Calvin, who was well ac quainted with his principles and his character, and to whom his daring impiety and presumptuous insolence had become intolerable, at length procured his appre hension and imprisonment. lie was brought to trial. After various delays, he was sentenced to be burnt alive, for having " set himself in array against the Divine Majesty and the Holy Trinity ;" and the dread ful sentence was executed that same day on which it was pronounced. Every candid judge and enlightened friend of toleration will acknowledge that the conduct of Calvin in this affair cannot be vindicated or justified. It was altogether unworthy of such a man, and must be regarded as a blot in his otherwise great and good repu tation. But while this is freely conceded, a similar con cession cannot be made to the enemies of Calvin, with respect to that outrageous clamour which they have raised and propagated against him for his treatment of Servetus ;—a clamour which seems to have arisen, not so much from a calm consideration of Calvin's real de merit, as from an unreasonable prejudice against the man, transferred from the system of doctrine which he maintained, or from a strong feeling of hatred to intole rance, unchastened by a knowledge of the circumstances of the case in question, and of the history of the times in which the obnoxious transaction took place. Calvin,
doubtless, went far wrong in sanctioning the punishment of Servetus ; but his error was the error of his age, and of his country ; and, in proof of this, a thousand facts might be adduced. Heresy in religion was universally regarded as equally criminal with transgressions of civil law, and punished with the same severity. The princi ples of toleration were as yet but imperfectly understood. Even those who formally recognised them, had not im bibed their genuine spirit. And the persecuting temper of Popery was insensibly retained, after men had discov ered its corruptions, and emancipated themselves in a great measure from its yoke. This was the case in every place wher,e the reformation existed, and with every sect of Christians that was possessed of power. When, there fore, Calvin is reprobated for procuring the death of a heretic, he suffers in common with all his brethren ; and the condemnation passed upon him, is not because he acted worse thah others, but because he did not surpass them in tolerance, as he did in every thing else. It should be recollected, too, that the punishment of heretics was not only permitted, but positively required, by the consti tution of Geneva. And that to have allowed Servetus to escape, would have been an abandonment of that purity and zeal, by which the subjects of that constitution con sidered it to be distinguished, and which they had often displayed in prosecuting with eagerness the abettors of false doctrines. It appears, too, that the proceedings against Servetus received the approbation of almost all the most eminent ecclesiastics who then flourished. The reformed Swiss cantons were unanimous in exhorting the council of Geneva to punish the wicked man, and to put it out of his power to increase heresy. Farel, Viret, Bucer, Reza, (Ecolampadius, and even the gentle Mclancthon, approved of the measure. And why are not they sub jected to the same censure as Calvin ? The only person who was bold enough to oppose it was Castalio, whose well known grudge at Calvin, and a tendency to error in other points, sufficiently account for this departure from the prevailing sentiment. It may be farther remarked, that Servetus was a heretic of a peculiar cast. He did not merely maintain Socinian doctrine, but held principles and language, with respect to the nature of the Supreme Being, which amounted to blasphemy, and were not far, if they were at all, removed from Atheism. This is hint ed at in the terms of his sentence, and distinctly asserted by sonic writers, who were very unfriendly to Calvin. Such conduct on the part of Sel vetus, as it greatly ex ceeded the ordinary bounds of heresy, would be deemed at that time more than enough to justify the opinion of one who said, that " he deserved something worse than death." It should be noticed, also, that Calvin himself had been accused of error with respect to the Trinity ; :led that, had he connived at Scrvctus, or dealt very gen tly with him, the suspicions formerly entertained of his own orthodoxy, might have been revived and confirmed. And the personal feeling which, in this view, he must naturally have experienced, would be strengthened, by recollecting that the doctrine of Servetus, respecting the divinity of Christ, was almost universally accounted he resy, both by Papists and Protestants ; and consequently, that, considering the existing laws and notions in regard to it, and the favourable opportunity which he had of checking it, any coldness, or reluctance on his part, would have been construed into a perfect indifference to Christianity at large. It is not true, however, that Cal vin shewed any undue eagerness to procure the destruc tion of Servetus. Much has been alleged to this purpose by his enemies ; but it has no foundation in fact. He acted in this case, as he uniformly did, from no party view, or paltry resentments, but from a strong sense of duty, and an ardent love to truth. What he did in it, indeed, he did with his characteristic steadiness and zeal. It is evident, however, that his chief anxiety was, not to punish Servetus, but to make him retract his error. He tried most earnestly and patiently to prevent the catas trophe which followed ; but this design was frustrated by the obstinacy, the violence, and the impious language of Servetus himself. Even after this unhappy man was condemned, Calvin felt for him ; and though he could not get the execution of the law suspended, endeavoured, but in vain, to procure a remission of the more harsh and painful parts of the sentence. These observations are made, not to exculpate Calvin, or to justify the use of fire and faggot in defence of the gospel, but merely to do justice to the memory of this great reformer, and to moderate the hostility and lessen the confidence of his enemies.