to comply with his desire, and He had not been long there, told him the Senate had forbid when the lord of that place perthem to circumcise any body that ceived he never mentioned Jesus was not born a Jew. Anthoine, Christ in his prayers and sermons; longing to receive the seal of the that he took his text only out of Jewish covenant, went quickly to the Old Testament, and 'applied Padua, in hopes that the Jews of to some other persons all the pasthat place would be more favour- sages of the Old Testament, which able to him; but they gave him the Christians understand of Jesus the same answer. The Jews of Christ. This raised great suspicions that city, and those of Venice, told against him. When he came to him, that he might be saved, with- hear of it, he was very much perout making an outward profession plexed; and being naturally of a of Judaism, provided he remained melancholy temper, he fell into a faithful to God in his heart. This fit of madness, in the month of made him resolve to return to February, 1632, which was looked Geneva, where he had more ac- upon as a manifest judgment of quaintances than any where else. God, because it happened the very M. Diodati, minister and professor next day after he had expounded of that city, took him into his the second Psalm, without applyhouse, to be tutor to his children. ing it to our Saviour. He grew so He pretended to go on with his distracted, that he moved upon his theological studies, and was for hands and feet in his chamber, some time teacher of the first class. publicly exclaimed against the Afterwards he disputed for the Christian religion, and particularly chair of philosophy, but without in the presence of some ministers any success. All that time he of Geneva, who went to see him. lived outwardly like a true Chris. He horribly inveighed against the tian; for he confessed at his trial, person of Christ, calling him an that he had constantly received idol, &c. and saying that the New the communion; but, in private Testament was a mere fable. he lived and performed his devo- He called for a chaffing-dish full tions, like a Jew. At last, being of burning coals, and told the poor, and weary of the condition divines, who were in his chamber, he was in, and wanting a settle. that he would put his hand into ment, he desired a testimonial of the fire, to maintain his doctrine, the church of Geneva, which was bidding them do the like for their granted him, and went to the Synod Christ. His madness increased to of Burgundy, held at Gex, in such a degree, that he ran away order to be admitted into the in the night from those under ministry. He was admitted ac. cording to custom, promising to follow the doctrine of the Old and New Testament, the discipline and confession of faith, of the reformed churches of France, &c. and was appointed minister of the church of Divonne, in the country of Gex. whose custody he was, as far as the gates of Geneva, where he was found the next morning, half naked and lying in the dirt; and having pulled off his shoes in the name of the true God of Israel, he worshipped him, barefooted, prostrated on the ground, and blaspheming against. Christ. I The magistrates of Geneva or- to submit it to your censure. dered him to be carried into an have heard, with an unspeakable hospital, where the physicians grief, what has happened to that took care of him, and he was poor wretch, who is amongst you; visited by some divines. His mind and I beseech you to forgive my was composed by degrees, and freedom in writing to you about then he left off speaking injuriously it. I do not do it altogether with of Christ and the Christian religion, out the request of others. Besides, but stoutly maintained Judaism. one must not expect a call to preBeing thus recovered from his serve an unfortunate man, who madness, he was committed to runs himself into destruction; jail, where he remained a consi- since God and nature, and our derable time before the magistrates ancient acquaintance and friend. took cognisance of that affair; ship, may be a sufficient motive being only visited by several di- for me to do it. To which I add, vines, who used their utmost en- that having been instrumental in deavours to make him sensible of bringing him to salvation, I think the falsity of his doctrine, and the I have great reason to desire that enormity of his conduct, and to he may not undo himself, and to bring him over to the Christian endeavour with your leave to prereligion; but he persisted in his vent it. I thank God, since he opinions. M. Ferry, a minister has thought fit to make him a new of Metz, who, as I have said be- example of human frailty, that he fore, had converted Anthoine to has brought, him amongst you, the Protestant religion, hearing that you might prevent his doing of the sad condition, and the great mischief, and endeavour to redanger he was in, writ a letter claim him. I think, gentlemen, about him, the 30th of March, to that mildness and patience will be the ministers and professors of the the most proper means to succeed church and academy of Geneva. in it. I make no doubt that his It contains several particulars reillness proceeds from a black and lating to the history of that un- deep melancholy, to which I alhappy man; and therefore, I think ways perceived he was very much it necessary to insert it in this inclined; especially after he had place, and I hope no curious reader seduced a young man, whom he will blame me for it. The letter brought hither from Sedan, in runs thus:hopes to get something by teaching him philosophy, and then he pri vately carried him farther, though I had earnestly desired him to send him back, and exhorted the young man to return to Sedan, which was M. Du Moulin's de sire, to whom he had been recom mended. From that time he could not bear the light, in any 40 * Gentlemen and most honour. red Brethren, "beg your pardon for the fault I am going to commit, if you take it to be such; and, indeed, I do not pretend to represent any thing to you, but in order A large account of that eminent divine may be seen in the Historical room of a gentleman's house, and Critical Dictionary, lately published in English. where I had placed him, being always uneasy, restless and silent. Nay, he had much ado to express in which the physicians acknow himself, and it was a hard matter ledge SELOTI, which is neither a to make him speak, though I ear- crime nor a divine punishment, nestly desired him to be more but a great misfortune. Certainly, free, and sent for him, and made that which he lies under is very him dine with me now and then, deplorable; but, gentlemem, I and took all possible care of him, think I may say that, though naWhich we ascribed to the ill suc- ture is the instrument of God's cess he had in a Synod of the Isle providence, yet all accidents ought of France, whither he had been not to be looked upon as punishsent with a testimonial and recom- ments, or signs of a wicked life, mendation of the church and aca. nor the madness of that poor demy of Sedan, notwithstanding wretch, as a formal chastisement which, he did not appear sufficient for his error; there being so many ly qualified for the ministry. After reasons to believe that it proceeds he had enticed away that young from the disorder of the brain, man, he writ several letters to me, and from melancholy. His mad wherein he expressed a great grief ness seems to be only an exorbifor it; and in all of them he used tant fit of melancholy, which many words, which shewed his being allayed by remedies, he apmind was very much dejected, pears now in his former state: being above all things sensible of and, though he errs only in the the reproofs he had received for single point, for which he is proit. So that I thought myself secuted, there is no reason to inobliged to write to him now and fer from it, that he speaks in cold then, to clear his mind of those blood, and with a sound mind. needless scruples, and of such an For it is the property of that sort unreasonable and dangerous vex- of melancholy, to have but one ation, and to exhort him to apply object, leaving the mind free in himself to study with chearfulness, all other things, as you know bet and a resolution to do better for ter than I. There are some who the time to come. It is, therefore, speak upon any subject, with great highly probable that his melan. learning and sedateness, and have choly has been heightened by those but one grain of madness, which cloudy thoughts, and likewise by they discover only by intervals, to the poverty and want of many those who hit upon it. I am the things, into which he fell soon more willing to compare that unafter, and whereof he complained fortunate man to them, because, to me in his letters, so far as to men- in that very thing wherein he pretion the temptations, under which tends to be wise, he appears most his mind was almost ready to sink. ridiculous; for he says what he To this, I may add, the nature of would be ashamed of out of his fit, his studies bent upon the Old though he were no Christian; Testament, on which he writ to since he denies, as I hear, what me, that he was drawing up a con- the very Heathens and Jews accordance. However, though those knowlege. And, therefore, it is things were not the true cause of not a heresy, but a blasphemy, his illness, you know, gentlemen, which proceeds from a mind rather. that there is a sort of melancholy, distempered than perverted. His usual frights and horrors are, in God will give you comfort after · your labour and patience. To none may that end, I wish have access to him, but such as are familiarly acquainted with him, or for whom he has a parti cular respect and veneration, and by whom he may be gently used; lest his mind be exasperated by too many visitants, or by an unseasonable, though just, severity. my opinion, a certain sign of it; and there is no reason to ascribe them to a divine judgment, and to infer from thence that he is a reprobate. After all, gentlemen, it is certain he imposes upon you, when he tells you, that he believed, eight or ten years ago, what he believes now: for, since that time, he has not only given all manner of proofs of his Chris "Gentlemen,-Give me leave tianity, but also brought over to to tell you, that it seems highly the Reformed religion his eldest necessary, for the edification of brother, who lives honestly among the Church, that this affair should us; and he has endeavoured to be managed with great pru work the same effect upon his fa- dence. If you make an example ther, to whom he has writ many of him, it will doubtless prove ex‐ letters, several of which I bave tremely prejudicial. I entreat you opened, wherein he expressed a to consider the great scandal it great zeal, and a wonderful love will occasion, far and near, and for Jesus Christ and the Christian what might be said against the truths that are taught in our office and profession of a man conchurches. And in order to bring verted from Popery, who has over his relations to our religion, learned to judaize among us, in the he writ to them, that he was ready most famous academies, convers➡ pastors to die for it, if God required it ing every day with several of him. Nay, when he was ad. Besides, Judaism being no danmitted into the ministry, he ac- gerous sect, it does not seem ne◄ quainted me with it, in a letter cessary to prevent the ill consefrom Geneva, dated the twenty- quences of it by a public puni-h ninth of November, being used to ment; nay, perhaps every body call me, as he did then, his dear would not approve of it. There ghostly father, whom God had are some extraordinary crimes, for been pleased to make use of, in which, when the guilty person is, order to bring him to the know- to be punished, it is not done in ledge of the true religion. And public; and the proceedings are he desired me to acquaint his rela- suppressed, to clear the present. tions with it, being fully resolved, age from such an infamy, and to for the future, to lead a better life leave no marks of it to posterity. and to perform his duty to the ut. However, there is no need of be most of his power. And therefore, ing too hasty in a thing, that may gentlemen and most honoured bre- be done as well in time, and when thren, I think he ought not to be a delay cannot be prejudicial, but Servetus had a believed in what he says, during rather useful. such a disorder of his mind; and long time allowed him for his I hope, that, if you allow him amendment, though he had dogsome time to recover from his matised above twenty years in cold. phrenzy, as I understand you do, blood; and in several places, both he will no longer blaspheme, and by word of mouth and in written and printed books, about things "I am troubled for you (says much more subtle and dangerous; he, in that letter,) about your and yet, gentlemen, you know the Anti-Trinitarian. The writings various discourses that were occa- of our predecessors, de puniendis sioned by his execution. I do not hæreticis, have not been very edi say this because I find fault with fying, and prove very prejudicial it; on the contrary, I think such to us, in the countries where the pernicious errors could not be bet- magistrates are our enemies. It ter suppressed than by committing is true, the enormity of that man, the author to the flames. But his blasphemies, his profession of this man cannot be compared to Christianity, and his ministry, agServetus. I pray God to give him gravate his crime. May God a better end. And I beseech you, Almighty direct your magistrates gentlemen and most honoured bre- in the matter! If every body had thren, not to grow weary in this the same thoughts of monks as I work of your great charity, where have, none of them should ever in he will direct you to use such be admitted into the holy ministry. remedies as are necessary to re. I pray God to remove, by the efclaim that unfortunate man, and ficacy of his word, the scandal to preserve the church from such occasioned by that profligate man, an infamy. This is the design of and to keep you under his protecthis letter, which I humbly be. tion." seech you not to be offended with; otherwise I should be sorry to have writ it, excepting the wishes I have just now made, and my further prayers to God, that he would plentifully bless you and your ho- As to what concerns your ly labours, increase your church, Jewish monk and revolted minisand ever keep you under his pro- ter, the most judicious persons in tection. I beg of you the conti- this town wish he may be confined nuance of your benevolence, be- to a perpetual imprisonment, and ing, with great sincerity, gen- not be allowed to see any body, tlemen, your most humble, most but such as are qualified to reobedient, and most affectionate claim him. They are very much servant, "FERRY. "Metz, March 30, 1632.". The second letter of M. Mestrezat is only dated March 30, 1632, but it was likewise written from Paris. The following pas sage is to be found in it :.. afraid of the consequences of a public execution, lest it should be inferred from it, by our adversaries in these parts, that words spoken against the Pope (the pretended Vicar of Jesus Christ) or against the host of the mass, are likewise blasphemies against Christ, and ought to be punished in the same manner; for they talk in the same strain, and all supreme ma. gistrates are judges of consequenees in their jurisdiction." |