consigning him and his books to the devouring flames, they erected a monument of lasting infamy to themselves, and fixed a foul stain on the cause they attempted to promote by such vile means.

Had the life of Servetus been spared he might have corrected some mistakes, for it is not pretended that his writings were free from mistakes, he might have explained his views in a more intelligible and unexceptionable manner. It seems he was anxious, several years before his death, to recover some of his writings out of the hands of Calvin that he might correct them; but though that reformer could consent to send the Doctor's letters to the papists, that they might be enabled to convict him of heresy, he would not return them to the author that he might amend their contents.

Had not the life of Servetus been violently taken away, it seems he would have published many other things. Lubienjecius says 'He was about to publish many discourses,_ with these titles, if I am not mistaken, viz. Of the right understanding of the scriptures: Of the source of Apostacy from the Apostolical Doctrine: Of the power of Truth: Of the trus knowledge of God: Of the error of the Trinity: Of the true

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Holy Spirit: Of the exaltation of the man Jesus: Of the nature and ministry of Angels: Of Zeal and Knowledge: Of the Efficacy of Faith: Of the Power of Charity: Of the Body, Soul, and Spirit: Of the Born and Regenerated: Of Vocation and Election: Of Prescience and Predestination: Of human Works and Ceremonies: Of the Baptism of Water and of the Spirit: Of the Lord's Supper: Of Sin and Satisfaction: Of Justification: Of the Fear and Love of God: Of the true Church: Of the Head and Members of it: Of the sleep of the Saints: Of the Resurrection of the dead, and of the Change of the Living : Of the Day of Judgment: Of the Blessedness of the Elect, &c."

Thus, it appears, Servetus had proposed continuing his exertions, to propagate what he believed to be the truth of God, to counteract the influence of error and superstition, and promote the knowledge, virtue, and happiness of mankind; but he was arrested in the midst of his labors, by the malignancy of bigotry and uncharitableness, he was cut off from the earth, and the friends of truth and liberty have to weep over his ashes.

SECTION I.

His books against the trinity and other reputed orthodox notions.

Servetus' first work was entitled De Trinitatis Erroribus. It was divided into seven books, consisting of 119 leaves in 8vo. In this work, we are told, he undertook to show, in the first place, that the words Jesus, and Christ, and Son of God, denote only a man; and endeavored to prove it by several passages of scripture. He explained many other passages agreeable to his system, and answered the objections of the orthodox. Hence it appears that he believed Christ to be literally one of the human race. It is not however to be inferred that he supposed him to be only a common man, it fully appears that he believed him to be the anointed of God, and, in his office and character, far superior to all others.

It is said that in the latter part of this work Servetus expressed himself very obscurely it is not surprising that this should be the case, considering the disadvantages under which he labored, and that he was but a youth at the

time when he wrote it. The strongest and best culvated mind, in its efforts to disentangle truth from the false conceptions, and multifarious errors, which have long been entwined about it, is often much embarrassed. The first essays of the brightest intellect will, in some points, appear obnubilated. obnubilated. After all, had we the entire works of this great man before us, it is possible those passages which have been thought obscure, when compared with the context and general strain of his reasoning might be rendered more lucid. At any rate it ill becomes those who contend for the mysterious doctrine of the trinity, and that we must believe what we do not understand, to reproach any writer because he is sometimes obscure; for with them obscurity is sblimity, nor can any thing be more obscure than their own system.

Servetus is said to have asserted that Christ was præformed in the divine mind; he was a certain mode of being himself there, which mode God disposed of in himself, that he might make himself known to us; i. e. by describing the effigies of Jesus Christ in himself.' It is not easy to say precisely what sense he meant to convey in this passage, and we have not an opportunity of comparing it with the

context. It would however be unreasonable to suppose he intended to contradict what he had so unequivocally expressed respecting the proper humanity of Christ. It is possible his meaning might be, that in those passages of scripture which are supposed to imply the preexistence and deity of Christ, nothing more is meant than that his existence was present to the divine mind, which comprehends all things that now are or ever shall be; that his mode of being, as to his peculiar character and work, was determined in that mind: and that in the manifestations of himself, under the former dispensations, by promises, prophecy, and symbolical appearances under the law, God described the effigies of what should be realized in Christ, or through the dispensation of the gospel. is said he called this the face of God, and the word that was made flesh. By which it is likely he meant no more than that what God hath revealed by Christ is the brightest display of his glory ever afforded to men, and that the realizing his gracious designs and promises, in the revelation afforded by him, is what is intended by the word being made flesh. It is not easy to suppose, after what he has said about Christ as being properly a man, he could intend to

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