should be apprized of the difficulties which attend the forming an accurate judgment of those who have been long calumniated. As characters take their cast, in a great measure from the age and circumstances in which they live, it is presumed that a bare glance at the state of the christian world, down to the period when our martyr suffered, will assist the reader in forming an impartial judgment of him and of his persecutors. It is also presumed, that the investigation of these matters is of considerable impor. tance, irrespective of the particular case of Ser

vetus.

was.

The reader is intreated to divest himself as much as possible of prejudice, and all party consideration, to place himself, in imagination, in the situation of the persecuted man, and then say what he should think of being treated as he One of the greatest of all God's commandments is, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. If we fully obey this command, we shall be as tender of the reputation of others as we are of our own, and as reluctant to take away their lives or liberty, as we are to destroy ourselves or our own liberty. Without regarding who were the actors, let the merits of the case, on both sides, be fully and impartially examined.

SECTION I.

Of Persecutors and Persecution.

In former times, persecution, the offspring of superstition and bigotry, prevailed like an epidemical disease, in the christian world. All parties were either infected with its spirit, or became its victims. By it the wisest and best of

men were cut off,

the rights and liberties of christians destroyed, and the kingdom of antichrist established and supported. It long continued the scandal and the curse of the nominal church. The times are happily changed, a more liberal spirit prevails among christians of different parties, by wise and tolerant laws the demon of persecution is chained; still the monster is not destroyed; though under such powerful restraints, he shows by the fierceness of his temper, and his censorious language, what he would be at could he regain his liberty.

Every one who values his liberty as a man, and regards his rights and privileges as a christian, should inculcate an abhorrence of bigotry and persecution. He should, with a fearless tone, lift up his voice against the bigot and the persecutor, saying Who art thou, O man, the

child of ignorance and frailty, that thou shouldest arrogate to thyself the right of setting in judg ment upon thy fellows, and of censuring and condemning them merely for their opinions? Is it not enough that thou hast the liberty of judging and acting for thyself, without molestation; canst thou not be contented unless allowed to judge for thy brethren also?'

"Who gave thee dominion over the faith of others? Who made thee a judge and ruler in matters which relate solely to God and conscience? Have not thy neighbours the same sources of information, the same right of judging for themselves as thou hast? Art thou alone possessed of reason and understanding? Was wisdom born, or will it die, with thee? Show the proofs of thy mental superiority, the credentials of thy infallibility, the evidences of thy authority, before thou assumest the prerogative of judging and censuring others for their religious faith and practice.'

He who cannot hear his own opinions opposed, and his assertions contradicted, without being angry, who censures and condemns those who differ from him, shows himself a bigot. He who attempts to injure another in his reputation, person, of property, who would deprive him of

3

any privilege, or advantage, merely on account of his opinions, is a persecutor. He who hates another, or treats him with unkindness, because he differs from him in religious matters, manifests a persecuting spirit.

For the followers of the meek and lowly Jesus, who, with his dying breath, prayed for his persecutors and murderers, to turn persecutors, is a flat contradiction to the character they assume, a scandal to their holy profession, and a forfeiture of their relation to him as disciples. A persecuting christian is a solecism. We might as well talk of an honest thief, a virtuous debauchee, or a liberal covetous man, as of a real christian who is a persecutor and a murderer. Nothing can be more evident than that all persecutors fall below the christian standard, as erected by Jesus and his apostles.

It is much to be lamented that the spirit of persecution has so long and so generally prevailed among the professors of the gospel.Their uncharitableness, and criminal treatment of each other, has greatly scandalized christianity, destroyed the peace of the church and promoted infidelity. It is not by drawing a veil over these things, by disguising matters and palliating the crimes of professed christians, we do honor to divine revelation and promote its

cause. The scriptures give a detail of the crimes, as well as the virtues, of the most celebrated characters. Not by dissimulation, and the suppression of facts; but by a fair statement of things as they are, and an impartial regard to truth, the cause of truth and righteousness is promoted. The detestable spirit of bigotry and persecution, which influenced protestants, as well as papists, in former times, and the horrid cruelties they committed in the awful name of the God of love, should be generally made known, as a warning to christians in the present day. An acquaintance with these things will lead us more fully to discover the improvement which has been made in liberality of sentiment since the era of the reformation, teach us more highly to appreciate the advantages we enjoy in the present more enlightened and liberal age, and show the impropriety of imputing to modern catholics the crimes of their forefathers, seeing protestants also were once persecutors. By proclaiming our detestation of bigotry and persecution, among whatever party of christians they are found, or by whatever great names sanctioned, we shall show our impartiality, free ourselves from a stain which has long defiled the church, help to remove a stumbling block out