The Facts about Calvin and Servetus:
1. Michael Servetus taught many unorthodox heresies: astrology,pantheism, Neo-Platonism, Semi-Pelagianism, rejected the Trinity,rejected the Deity of Christ.
2. Servetus was convicted by the Inquisition in France for his heresies, but he escaped before sentencing.
3. Calvin warned him not to come to Geneva because he was would not be welcomed by the Church or the government.
4. Servetus ignored the warnings of Geneva and arrived basically as an attempted revolution of the State.
5. The Geneva City Council believed that blatant heresy was punishable by death.
6. Servetus was arrested and given a fair trial that lasted two months. Servetus claimed that Calvin was a heretic and should be banished from Geneva and his property given to Servetus.
7. Many on the City Council were Libertines who did not like Calvin, but he was called as a witness.
8. The City Council, including the Libertines, found Servetus guilty and sentenced him to be burned at the stake.
9. Calvin strongly encouraged the City Council to use a more painless execution by decapitation, but they refused Calvin’s pleas.
10. On October 27, 1553, Servetus was burnt at Champel with the approval of all Reformers and Catholics.
11. John Calvin did not convict Servetus or execute him.
12. Servetus would have been convicted even if Calvin had not been called as a witness.
13. Servetus was the only heretic executed for blasphemy in Geneva under Reformed auspices.
14. Compared to the Roman Catholic Inquisition, the City Council of Geneva practiced enormous restraint and fairness.
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In Geneva, Switzerland, John Calvin was a pastor, teacher, and statesman. He organized a school system for children, a hospital for the indigent, a charity system for the poor, built the University of Geneva, and designed a public sewage system when the City Council was unable. He taught the reformers of the English and Scottish Reformation. As a pastor his goal was to see the citizens of his city live godly lives. He viewed the Church and State equal but seperate (seperate in some areas and related in others). Calvin’s Geneva gave rise to Capitalism, Free Enterprise, a democratic republic governmental system, and a Protestant work ethic.
Go here and discover why it is important for us to never stop teaching people the truth about church history and Calvinism.
Jason Robertson is the pastor of Murrieta Valley Church in Murrieta, California which he planted in 2001. He is theologically Christian, Evangelical, Baptist, and Reformed. He is married with three children. He loves riding motorcycles, fine cigars, and college football. He has a Masters of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and teaches Church Planting at California Baptist University.
Here is a quote from the innocent Calvin, in a letter to Marquis Peat, the high chamberlain to the King of Navarre:
“Honour, glory and riches shall be the reward of your pains; but above all, do not fail to rid the country of those scoundrels, who stir up the people to revolt against us. Such monsters should be exterminated, AS I HAVE EXTERMINATED MICHAEL SERVETUS (my emphasis) the Spaniard.” 1561- 9 years after the execution
Three quick thoughts concerning your quote:
#1 – Please give us a reference for your quote so that the whole context can be studied.
#3 – Your usage of “innocent” before Calvin’s name is strange. Are you trying to be humorous or smart alec or what?
#2 – The quote that you have pulled out of its context does not, in and of itself, shed any light on the Servetus Controversy. As noted in my post, Calvin was called before the City Council and did his due diligence. Servetus was guilty and was legally executed by the government. Calvin warned Servetus that if he came to Geneva this would happen and it did.
Historical facts bear out that John Calvin was not a murderous zealot as the opponents of Calvinism would want you to believe. It is the age old “attack the messenger if you hate the message” strategy. But truth prevails. John Calvin was an honorable statesman who was called upon to participate in a terrible but legal matter. Would that none of us ever have to be called upon to stand as a witness against someone in a capital punishment case.
Yes, RH, do tell where this infamous quote came from- I Googled your quote and came up with several sites who hate Calvinists and list a few references but don’t attach those references to the so-called quotes and facts. And a blog troll. Here’s what I found:
http://online.worldmag.com/2009/07/03/video-what-calvin-teaches-us-about-writing/ – A blog commentor- is it you?
http://morechristlike.com/john-calvin-martin-luther/ – a strange heretic
Several websites apparently plagiarized this little gem from one another, here is one example:
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Doctrines/heresies_of_calvinism.htm
Thanks for the excellent point by point article. I have noticed those who despise Calvin will go to almost any extremes to through out straw man arguments instead of dealing with what the man exactly wrote and said. I have had the same debate with some in the past who cannot get beyond their prejudice against Calvin or Calvinism.
Good Post. I would add…
1.) Treason (another crime of Servetus) is still punishable by death.
2.) Even if Calvin was responsible for the death of Servetus, that has no bearing on the objective truth of Reformed Theology.
3.) Those who throw out these charges against Calvin would do well to actually study the issue as opposed to bearing false witness.