and detestable errors, attempting to maintain them, with
calumnious abuse of all true Christians, faithful followers of
the immaculate Christian religion, calling them Tritheists,
Atheists, and Sorcerers, in spite of the remonstrances made to
him in Germany, as said, and in contempt of the reprehensions
and corrections he has received, and the imprisonment he has
undergone as well here as elsewhere.
Now, we the Syndics and Judges in criminal cases within this
city, having reviewed the process carried on before us, at
the instance of our Lieutenant having charge of such cases,
against thee, Michael Servetus of Villanova, in the Kingdom
of Aragon, in Spain, whereby guided, and by thy voluntary
confessions made before us, many times repeated, as well as
by thy books produced before us, we decree and determine that
thou, Michael Servetus, hast, for a long time, promulgated
false and heretical doctrine, and, rejecting all remonstrance
and correction, hast, maliciously, perversely, and obstinately,
continued disseminating and divulging, even by the printing
of books, blasphemies against God the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Ghost, in a word, against the whole foundations of
the Christian religion, thereby seeking to create schism and
trouble in the Church of God, many souls, members of which
may have been ruined and lost--horrible and dreadful thing,
scandalous and contaminating in thee, thou, having no shame nor
horror in setting thyself up in all against the Divine Majesty
and the Holy Trinity, and having further taken pains to infect,
and given thyself up obstinately to continue infecting the
world with thy heresies and stinking heretical poison (_tes
heresies et puante poyson hereticale_)--case and crime of
heresy grievous and detestable, deserving of severe corporal
punishment.
These and other just causes moving us, desiring to purge the
Church of God of such infection, and to cut off from it so
rotten a member, we, sitting as a Judicial Tribunal in the seat
of our ancestors, with the entire assent of the General Council
of the State, and our fellow-citizens, calling on the name
of God to deliver true judgment, having the Holy Scriptures
before us, and saying: In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost, we now pronounce our final sentence and condemn thee,
Michael Servetus, to be bound and taken to Champel, and there
being fastened to a stake, to be burned alive, along with thy
books, printed as well as written by thy hand, until thy body
be reduced to ashes. So shall thy days end, and thou be made
an example to others who would do as thou hast done. And we
command you, our Lieutenant, to see this our sentence carried
forthwith into execution.
The staff, according to custom, was then broken over the prisoner, and
there was silence for a moment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account