Rise and Establishment of Protestantism at Geneva - James Aitken Wylie

This seemed the death-warrant of Calvin's
power. We can trace the influence of this turn of
affairs upon Servetus. The Council had ordered
Calvin to extract from his works, and to present
without note or comment, those propositions in
them which he deemed false. In obedience to the
order, the Reformer drew up thirty-eight
articles,[14] which were given to the prisoner to be
answered by him. But Servetus' reply bore the
character of a bitter attack upon the Reformer,
rather than that of a defense of himself. "Wretch,"
said he, apostrophising Calvin, "do you think to
stun the ears of the judges by your barking? You
have a confused intellect, so that you cannot
understand the truth. Perverted by Simon Magus,
you are ignorant of the first principles of things--
you make men only blocks and stones, by
establishing the slavery of the will."[15] To write
thus within the walls of a prison, was to be very
sure of victory!
Nay, Servetus, looking upon Calvin as already
fallen, no longer has recourse to subterfuges; he no
longer seeks to show that his doctrines are
349