Note 599 — Chapter I

Servede was born in 1511, in the small town of Tudela, which then belonged to Aragon. He came from an ancient family of jurists, and was at first destined to the profession of law. His family came originally from the township of Villanova, which probably accounts for the fact that Servede sometimes assumed that name. He was in correspondence with Oecolampadius (Heusgen) in 1530; and from the former’s letters to and about Servede, it is evident that the young Spaniard was then fully persuaded about his anti-Trinitarian opinions. No publisher in Basel would print his book, and he travelled to Strassburg. When his first theological book became known, its sale was generally interdicted by the secular authorities. His great book, which contains his whole theological thinking, was published in 1553 without name of place or author. Its full title is: Christianismi Restitutio, Totius ecclesiæ apostolicæ ad sua limina vocatio, in integrum restituta cognitione Dei, fidei Christi, justificationis nostræ, regenerationis baptisimi et cœnæ domini manducationis, Restituto denique nobis regno cœlesti, Babylonis impiæ captivitate soluta, et Antichristo cum suis penitus destructo. He entered into correspondence with Calvin, offered to come to Geneva to explain his position; but the Reformer plainly indicated that he had no time to bestow upon him. The account of his trial, condemnation, and burning at Geneva is to be found in the Corpus Reformatorum, xxxvi. 720 ff. The sentence is found on p. 825: “Icy est este parle du proces de Michiel Servet prisonnier et veu le sommairre dycelluy, le raport de ceux esquelz lon a consulte et considere les grands erreurs et blaffemes—est este arreste Il soit condampne a estre mene en Champel et la estre brusle tout vyfz et soit exequente a demain et ses livres brusles.” This trial and execution is the one black blot on the character of Calvin. He was by no means omnipotent in Geneva at the time; but he thoroughly approved of what was done, and had expressed the opinion that if Servede came to Geneva, he would not leave it alive. “Nam si venerit modo valeat mea auctoritas, virum exire nunquam patiar” (Corpus Ref. xi. 283).