ments of the world; but as including every benign temper, generous disposition, and an active course of unassuming virtue and goodness: especially the moral effects produced by christianity include the exercise of gentleness and kind treatment towards all men, unabating liberality of sentiment and conduct, and brotherly love towards all who believe and obey the gospel, however much they may differ from us in opinion. If this definition be just, Calvinism has sadly failed of producing the moral effects which characterize the religion of Jesus; for, it is to be feared, there are but few Calvinists who would, without scruple, receive and treat, in all respects, as their christian brethren, those christians who reject, though from the sincerest regard to truth, the peculiarities of their system. The moral effects of the gospel certainly do not include austerity of manners, that self-righteous disposition which produces a contempt of others, a censorious condemning spirit, illiberality of sentiment, and uncandid and unkind treatment. of those who differ from us: yet these things have frequently been associated with the boasted moral effects of Calvinism. Unitarians have no need to fear the agitation of the question, whether they or their opponents be most conspicuous for the exercise of candor and benevo lence, and the general spirit of christianity? But there seems something invidious in this mode of arguing, therefore I desist from it; yet it is the mode of deciding on the truth or falsehood of religious systems which some Calvinists are fond of adopting. Could we bring ourselves to adopt the uncandid spirit and mode of reasoning adopted by our opponents, we might contend that the tendency of Calvinism is morally bad, that it leads to persecution, cruelty and murder, and prove it from the conduct of Calvin and his associates; but we are willing to impute their persecuting temper and conduct, not to their particular system, nor to vicious principles generated by their peculiar doctrines, but to the ignorance and barbarous temper of the age in which they lived; and we only wish that Calvinists would exercise a small degree of the same candor when prying into the defects of Unitarians If it be still contended that the truth of religious systems is to be determined by the temper and conduct of those who adopt them, we must insist that Calvinism ought to be judged of by the spirit and conduct of Calvin, from whom it derived its name. We find the moral tendency of christianity fully exemplified in the temper and conduct of Jesus and his apostles, the Our oppo founders of that divine system. nents contend that the truth or falsehood of opposite systems, under the christian name, is to be determined by their influence on those who profess them, by the moral effects they produce. Is it unfair then to say, using the argumentum ad hominem, that Calvinism is to be judged of by the spirit and conduct of John Calvin, and that its tendency is to produce bigotry, persecution and murder: that consequently it is false? I write thus barely to show the fallacy of Mr. Fuller's mode of deciding on particular religious systems. The following pages will furnish a sufficient specimen of the temper and conduct of the reformer of Geneva. To avoid the trouble of frequent reference, I will give the reader an account, in the outset, of the sources from which I have drawn my information respecting Servetus, and the authorities on which the facts I have narrated, in the historic part of this work, are founded. The history of Servetus in the Memoirs of literature, written by M. DE LA ROCHE, and afterwards augmented by him, and translated into French, in his Bibliotheque Angloise. tom. ii. part i. article vii. Historia Reformationis Polonica Authore STANISLAO LUBIENJECIO. An impartial History of Michael Servetus. ROBINSON's Ecclesiastical Researches. The Life of Servetus, by JACQUES GEORGE de CHAUFFPIE. THE LIFE OF SERVETUS TO THE TIME OF IIIS ARREST Sect. 1. The minority of Servetus. Conjectures respecting the formation of his character.. Sect. 2. He publishes a book concerning the errors about a tri- Sect. 3. He publishes a second book concerning the trinity 103 Sect. 4. He leaves Germany and goes to Paris.......... •106 Sect. 5. An account of him during his stay at Paris • • • • • 110 Sect. 1. Calvin raises a persecution against Servetus••• 128 Sect. 2. He is arrested at Vienne; makes his e cape, is burn Sect. 5. The petitions of Servetus to the Judges•••• ...203 Sect. 6. The correspondence between Calvin, the magistrates of Geneva, and the other reformed ministers and |