is its strongest proof, they differ in the important respect just stated.

And here I must remark, but without the least intention to charge Dr. Semler with heresy, deism, or intentional undermining of Christianity, of which he has been hastily accused, that this internal proof does not appear competent to methat it amounts to no more than probable evidence. To what

I have said to this effect on another occasion, I add the following:-The truths, which are taught in scripture, are either such as are known by reason, or such as are not-for instance, the doctrines of the divinity of Christ, and of the atonement. The first, such as are known by reason, will be adopted by the cautious inquirer for truth, as soon as he sees them philosophically made out. But he is not therefore to consider the book, which contains them, as inspired, any more than the books of the ancient sages, who may have taught the same truths. The latter, the truths not known by reason, cannot be received as inspired, nor even as true, till the divinity of the book, which contains them, is proved by other means. That they are noble doctrines, interesting and profitable to the heart-as the doctrine of redemption by Christ-is no proof of their inspiration. Because there are fictions which are also noble, and which guide the heart through error to virtue. And what if a doctrine be naturally repulsive, as those of the divinity of Christ and the trinity, will it then afford this conviction of the inspiration of scripture?

Perhaps there are some opponents of Dr. Semler, whose reverence for the orthodox divines, whom he quotes, and who on this point agree with him, will lead them into perplexity. I am not his opponent on the contrary I coincide with him in many respects, as has appeared. But I have as little reverence or consideration, as he, for any theological book of doctrines, except the symbolical-and acknowledge even a less allegiance to them. I have therefore availed myself as freely, as he, of the liberty of expressing my opinion of this proof of inspiration.

I would recommend to Dr. Semler, when he resumes the inquiry, to omit those abundant quotations from the old theo

logians, and even from the fathers, who, not understanding Hebrew, are incompetent witnesses in the case. I would have Dr. Semler's inquiries confined more strictly to the point. This; I doubt not, is the wish of my reader. The day of these ancient divines, of Calovius, Deutschman, and Quenstaedt, has gone by. When they are cited, their authority is of no value, nor does the reader know whether they are rightly quoted, or whether they may not speak another language in their original connexion. To search out the references, and read the books-a tedious and unprofitable reading-is a thing for which few have taste or time. Does Dr. Semler detect errors in them, the reader will wish now, since their whole system is obsolete, that the Doctor were less occupied in combating the shades of other times, and correcting those, who cannot avail themselves of his correction-and more ready to take for granted the things, which in this age are really known, and to address himself directly to his contemporaries.

LIFE OF MICHAEL SERVETUS.

[If there be any merit in the following account, the public are indebted to the author of the manuscript* mentioned in the last number of the Repository (p. 309)—a gentleman of whose learning we have already spoken; and of whom we may add"minima pars est laudis doctrina." This manuscript contains not only a life of Servetus, but also a life of Calvin, and a sketch of the church history of Geneva. The present writer hopes to obtain the permission of its author to deposit it in the library of Harvard College; as there are circumstances which may prevent its publication at present. With this manuscript constantly before him, he has drawn up the following account, using at the same time some of the most important original authorities.

Those on which the author of the manuscript principally relied are, as stated by him, the following. Their mention will show the extent of his investigations.

Th. Beza; vita Johannis Calvini.

Judge Van der Kemp.

Andr. Rivet; Lib. pro pace Ecclesiæ: adversus Grotium.
Drelincourt; Apologia Calvini.

Jo. Aug. Werdenhagen, (who defended Servetus;) in Synopsi Lib. Jo. Bodini de Repub. Amst. Janson, 1650.

M. de la Roche; in his Bibliotheque Angloise, or in his Memoirs of Literature, 8 vols. 8vo. London 1722. The account of Servetus is contained in the second volume of the first mentioned work, and in the third and fourth volumes of the second. [This is a most important authority. La Roche had access to the original papers in the trial of Servetus, which are preserved in the archives of Geneva. The principal of these he has published with scrupulous accuracy. The present writer has likewise made use of the Memoirs of Literature.]

Jac. G. Chauffepie; Dict. Hist. et Crit. Tom. iv. pp. 219— 245, comp. with Bayle, Dict. Hist. et Crit.

Mosheim; who made use of all the documents and facts of preceding writers, besides several manuscript documents, in his History of Servetus, published 1727. This history, though it passes under the name of Mosheim, was written, published, and defended by his noble disciple, Henr. Ab. Alwoerden; under the sanction of the authority of his master.

Armand de la Chapelle, who in answer to the preceding work, defended Calvin in the Bibliotheque Raisonné, part ii. & iii. in which apology he has been thought, by many of Calvin's admirers, to overshoot his mark, by various deviations from the truth.

A more elaborate performance was then published under the name of Mosheim, at Helmstad in 1747; in which use was made of a number of MSS. from the archives of the Senate of Geneva, which were partly subjoined to this edition. A sup plement was published at Helmstad in 1750, in answer to some objections.

L'Abbé d'Artigny, Nouvelles Memoires d'Histoire, de Critique, et de Litterature, Tom. ii.

Fr. Turretin, Institutio Theologiæ, Elench. part ii. Loc. xvii. Quæst. 24, p. 373.

Venema; Historiæ Ecclesiastica Institutio, Veteris et Novi Testamenti-7 vols. 4to.

Leydæ 1783, Tom. vii. pp.

461, 463. With his usual acuteness and impartiality, Venema Has weighed, as in a golden balance, all that has been brought forward upon this subject.

Frederick Samuel Bock, Historia Antitrinitarianorum Regiomonti et Lipsiæ, vol. iii. part ii. pp. 323-395.

To the above authorities the following may be added, which have been consulted by the present writer.

Calvin's own account of his connexion with Servetus, and his agency in his death-in his Fidelis expositio errorum Michaelis Serveti, et brevis eorumdem Refutatio: ubi docetur jure gladii coercendos esse hæreticos. The edition which I have used is that in the collection of his Theological Tracts, published with his other works at Amsterdam 1667.

A Reply to the preceding work, entitled-Contra libellum Calvini in quo ostendere conatur hareticos jure gladii coercendos esse. This was originally published in 1554, and reprinted in Holland in 18mo in 1662, without the printer's name or that of the place where printed. This work is attributed to Castalio, under whose name I shall quote it. The copy which I use is of the last edition, and is among the books presented to the Library of Harvard College by Hollis, who has written a Latin note in a blank leaf, of which the following is a translation. "Concerning this very rare book and its true author, see Mosheim's History of Servetus p. 135, and Reimannus incatalogo bibl. theologic. p. 1043. There are many things in this book concerning Servetus and Calvin, which are not to be found elsewhere." Castalio, it should be recollected, was contemporary with Calvin, and lived near the scene of the trial and execution of Servetus.

Bibliotheca Antitrinitarianorum, &c. Op. Post. Christoph. Chr. Sandii.

An impartial history of Michael Servetus, burnt alive at Geneva for heresie. London, printed for Aaron Ward, at the King's Arms, in Little Britain, 1724. This is principally quoted from La Roche, but contains the famous passage of Servetus, concerning the circulation of the blood, and some other things not in the account of La Roche.

A brief account of Calvin's causing Servetus to be burnt
Vol. IV. No. 1.

5

as an heretic.

With a defence of the account. By George Benson D. D. published in a collection of his tracts; London 1748. Dr. Benson's account likewise is principally taken from La Roche.

An Apology for Dr. Michael Servetus, &c. By Richard Wright. Wisbech, 1806, 8vo. Mr. Wright's views of his subject are very correct; but his Apology would have been much more valuable, if he had quoted his authorities particularly; if he had been more accurate in his translations; if he had not given some things, for which there is no good authority; and if he had been much less diffuse in his reflections and remarks.

I have also (as had the author of the MS.) consulted Sennebier; in his Histoire Litteraire de Geneve (à Geneve, 1786, 3 Tomes. 8vo.) Sennebier is one of the modern apologists of Calvin; but is very inaccurate, and discovers so much ignorance, as to quote (vol. i. p. 216) a passage, as a fragment of a letter of Calvin, which is really to be found in Calvin's work above mentioned.

Mr. Robinson also has treated of this subject in his Ecclesiastical Researches; but this work I have not seen.]

MICHAEL SERVETUS was born, as it is generally related, at Villanueva in Arragon,* about the year 1509. His father was a notary. He was educated in the Roman Catholic religion; and after having been instructed by the Dominicans in the liberal arts, he was sent to the university at Toulouse, where he studied the civil law for two or three years. It was about this period that he became acquainted with the scriptures.

Early in life, probably in 1525 or 1526, he made a journey into Italy, in the train of Quintanus, a Dominican confessor of Charles V. In Italy likewise, in the year 1528, he was present at the emperor's coronation at Bononcæ; and was shocked and disgusted with the pomp of the Roman Pontiff, and still more with the sort of adoration which he saw that he received.†

* Mr. Wright says, "It appears from his own confession, in his examînation at Vienne, that he was born at Tudela in Navarre. p. 89.

Chris. Restitut. p. 462, and his Pref. to Ptolem. tabulæ, MS. [The authorities, to which we subjoin "MS," are to be understood as given in Jude Van der Kemp's manuscript.]