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

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632<br />

punishment as will best secure <strong>the</strong> honor due to <strong>the</strong> divine Majesty and<br />

<strong>the</strong> peace and unity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Church</strong>.”<br />

This <strong>the</strong>ory, which differs little from <strong>the</strong> papal <strong>the</strong>ory <strong>of</strong> intolerance, except<br />

in regard to <strong>the</strong> definition <strong>of</strong> heresy and <strong>the</strong> mode and degree <strong>of</strong><br />

punishment, was accepted for a long time in <strong>the</strong> Reformed <strong>Church</strong>es with<br />

few dissenting voices; but, fortunately, <strong>the</strong>re was no occasion for ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />

capital punishment <strong>of</strong> heresy in <strong>the</strong> <strong>Church</strong> <strong>of</strong> Geneva after <strong>the</strong> burning <strong>of</strong><br />

Servetus.<br />

The evil which Calvin and Beza did was buried with <strong>the</strong>ir bones; <strong>the</strong><br />

greater good which <strong>the</strong>y did will live on forever. Dr. Willis, though a<br />

decided apologist <strong>of</strong> Servetus, makes <strong>the</strong> admission: “Calvin must<br />

never<strong>the</strong>less be thought <strong>of</strong> as <strong>the</strong> real herald <strong>of</strong> modern freedom. Holding<br />

ignorance to be incompatible with <strong>the</strong> existence <strong>of</strong> a people at once<br />

religious and free, Calvin had <strong>the</strong> schoolhouse built beside <strong>the</strong> <strong>Church</strong>, and<br />

brought education within <strong>the</strong> reach <strong>of</strong> all. Nor did he overlook <strong>the</strong> higher<br />

culture.” f1221

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