[21] The following is the address of this letter, taken from the
original in the archives of the old Archbishopric of Vienne, and
first published by the Abbé d'Artigny,--_A Sire Jéhan Frellon,
marchand libraire demeurant à Lyon, en la rue Mercière, enseigne
de l'Escu de Coulongne_. The mysterious personage who is pointed
at in this letter, is no other than Michael Servetus--seven years
before the trial which was to attach so fatal a celebrity to his
name. Settled as a physician at Vienne, in Dauphiny, he kept up
a correspondence with Calvin, under the cover of John Frellon,
and he had just sent the Reformer an extract of the work which
was in preparation under the title of _Christianismi restitutio_,
expressing at the same time the desire of coming to Geneva. Then it
was, that Calvin wrote to Farel the letter which has been so often
cited, where this passage occurs, "Servet has lately written to me,
and has added to his letter a large volume of his own delirious
fancies.... _If it may be agreeable to me, he undertakes that he
would come hither. But I will not interpose my assurance of his
safety, for if he shall come, provided that my authority is of any
avail, I shall not suffer him to depart alive._"*--Letter of the
13th February 1546. We know how that terrible threat was realized
seven years afterwards.
*Servetus nuper ad me scripsit, ac literis adjunxit longum volumen
suorum deliriorum... _Si mihi placeat, huc se venturum recipit.
Sed nolo fidem meam interponere, nam si venerit, modo valeat mea
authoritas, vivum exire non patiar._
Rupture of the Relations between Calvin and Servetus.
_This 13th of February 1546._
SEIGNEUR JEHAN,--By cause that your last letter was brought to me
at my going away, I had not leisure to reply to what was inclosed
therein. Since my return, at the first leisure that I have had, I
have been quite willing to satisfy your desire; not that I have had
great hope of late of being profitable to a certain person, judging
from the disposition in which I see him to be; but in order to try
once more if there shall be any means of bringing him back, which
will be, when God shall have wrought in him so effectually, that he
has become entirely another man. Since he has written to me in so
proud a spirit, I would fain have beaten down his pride a little,
speaking more harshly to him than is my wont; but I could scarcely
do otherwise. For I do assure you that there is no lesson which is
more necessary for him than to learn humility, which must come to
him from the Spirit of God, not otherwise. But we must observe a
measure here also. If God grants that favour to him and to us, that
the present answer turns to his profit, I shall have whereof to
rejoice. If he persists in the same style as he has now done, you
will lose time in asking me to bestow labour upon him, for I have
other affairs which press upon me more closely; and I would make a
matter of conscience of it, not to busy myself further, having no
doubt that it was a temptation of Satan to distract and withdraw me
from other more useful reading. And therefore I beg you to content
yourself with what I have done in the matter, unless you see some
better order to be taken therein.
Wherefore, after my commendation to you, I beseech our good Lord to
have you in his keeping.
Your servant and hearty friend,
CHARLES D'ESPEVILLE.
[Printed--_Nouveaux Mémoires de l' Abbé d' Artigny_, tom. ii. p. 70.]