gentlemen, I protest before God and before you all, that I had no
will to dogmatise, or to substitute aught of mine that might be found
adverse to the Church or the Christian Religion.’
The prisoner being shown a third epistle numbered xvii., on the Baptism
of Infants, in which he says, ‘_Parvuli carnis non sunt capaces doni
Spiritus_--Infants as mere carnal beings are incapable of receiving the
gift of the Spirit,’--was desired to say in what sense he meant these
words to be taken. He answered that he had formerly been of opinion
that infants were incompetent in the matter, as stated; but that he had
long given up such an opinion and now desired to range himself with the
teaching of the Church. Shown a fourth epistle, numbered xviii., its
heading or argument being, ‘Of the Trinity, and the Generation of the
Son of God, according to Servetus,’ he acknowledged it as having been
written by him in the course of his discussion with Calvin, when he was
assuming the part of Servetus; but as he had said of the former letter,
No. xvii., so he says of this, that he does not now believe what is
there set down, everything in the letter having only been propounded
to learn what Calvin might have to advance in opposition to the views
set forth. A fifth letter, the burden of which is, ‘Of the glorified
flesh of Christ absorbed in the Glory of the Deity more fully than it
was at the Transfiguration,’ being handed to him, he said that when he
addressed his correspondent on this subject, he felt at greater liberty
than usual to say all he thought of it individually, and was now ready
to answer any question put to him bearing upon it. None, however, were
asked.
But the letters to Calvin were not yet done with. A whole bundle of
them, fourteen in number, was exhibited, and the prisoner informed
that the judges found much matter there for which very particular
answers would be required. Having looked at the letters, the prisoner
said he saw that they were all addressed to Calvin long ago, and with
a view to learn from him what he thought of the questions raised, as
already said. But he added that he was by no means now disposed to
abide by all he had written of old, save and except in respect of
such views as might be approved by the Church and his Judges. He was
therefore ready to answer to each particular head on which he might be
interrogated. This the Judges proposed to do at their next meeting,
and meantime having ordered a schedule of the principal points upon
which there appeared to be error against the faith to be drawn up from
the writings, all the documents being duly labelled and signed, the
session was suspended until the morrow.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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