Schaff - History of the Christian Church Vol. 8 - Media Sabda Org

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fury rather than anger. But as to the rest, I pass by what concerns myself.
Think rather of crying for mercy to God whom you have blasphemed.”
This address had no more effect than the exhortation of Farel, and Calvin
left the room in obedience, as he says, to St. Paul’s order (Tit. 3:10, 11), to
withdraw from a self-condemned heretic. Servetus appeared as mild and
humble as he had been bold and arrogant, but did not change his
conviction.
At eleven o’clock on the 27th of October, Servetus was led from the prison
to the gates of the City Hall, to hear the sentence read from the balcony by
the Lord Syndic Darlod. When he heard the last words, he fell on his knees
and exclaimed: “The sword! in mercy! and not fire! Or I may lose my soul
in despair.” He protested that if he had sinned, it was through ignorance.
Farel raised him up and said: “Confess thy crime, and God will have mercy
on your soul.” Servetus replied:, I am not guilty; I have not merited
death.” Then he smote his breast, invoked God for pardon, confessed
Christ as his Saviour, and besought God to pardon his accusers. f1195
On the short journey to the place of execution, Farel again attempted to
obtain a confession, but Servetus was silent. He showed the courage and
consistency of a martyr in these last awful moments.
Champel is a little bill south of Geneva with a fine view on one of the
loveliest paradises of nature. f1196 There was prepared a funeral pile hidden
in part by the autumnal leaves of the oak trees. The Lord Lieutenant and
the herald on horseback, both arrayed in the insignia of their office, arrive
with the doomed man and the old pastor, followed by a small procession of
spectators. Farel invites Servetus to solicit the prayers of the people and to
unite his prayers with theirs. Servetus obeys in silence. The executioner
fastens him by iron chains to the stake amidst the fagots, puts a crown of
leaves covered with sulphur on his head, and binds his book by his side.
The sight of the flaming torch extorts from him a piercing shriek of
“misericordias” in his native tongue. The spectators fall back with a
shudder. The flames soon reach him and consume his mortal frame in the
forty-fourth year of his fitful life. In the last moment he is heard to pray, in
smoke and agony, with a loud voice: “Jesus Christ, thou Son of the eternal
God, have mercy upon me!” f1197
This was at once a confession of his faith and of his error. He could not be
induced, says Farel, to confess that Christ was the eternal Son of God.