John McNeil, PhD: History and Character of Calvinism: 11: Reorganization...

1551-1555. POLITICAL LIBERTINISM/ANTI-NOMINIANISM. GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY, SEMI-PELAGIANISM AND SELF-SALVATION. ANTI-TRINITARIAN SERVETUS. In the early 1550s, a growing political party of Perrinists and other Libertines opposed Calvin and the Churchmen, more narrowly, but also were gaining influence in the civic-government. Political partisans hunting for the theologians. Calvin cannot be disconnected from the multi-layered Magistracy which controlled the Church. Nonetheless, one Council, the General Council (among the others), held elections. Influence at the level could threaten Churchly authority. Calvin and the Churchmen were exposed by the Libertines. While Knox and Luther were capable of delights and takedowns in combat, Calvin was different--he was invincible but he was also sensitive and apprehensive. In time, however, the Perrinists and Libertines lost. PREDESTINATION, SEMI-PELAGIANISM AND SELF-SALVATION In Oct 1551, Bolsec, an ex-Carmelite. tackled Calvin on predestination--a forlorn effort as a Semi-Pelagian. The Geneva Magistracy sought scholarly, theological opinions from Basel, Zurich and Bern. Bolsec was banished. SERVETUS Servetus (1511-1553) and his long-standing, well-known, and condemned Anti-Trinitarianism was raised. He was condemned to death in Vienna, but had escaped. In its stead in Vienna, Servetus was burned in effigy. Servetus was well-known to Calvin for at least seven previous years; Servetus knew Calvin’s writings and was vitriolic, having almost a fatal attraction to trying to bring Calvin down—a sign of Calvin’s notoriety. Oddly, Servetus, condemned widely, inadvisedly, dangerously and foolishly came to Geneva, was spotted at divine worship, singled out, and arrested. What else might he have expected? Courting danger? He was indicted in Geneva, tried with due process including voluminous writings, and was burned according to the prevailing, pre-existing and standing law against heresy. He was burned at the stake on 27 Oct 1553. (We interject that Dr. Cranmer is now in the Tower in London on charges of treason, later to be puffed up with heresy charges.) Calvin, an expert witness for the prosecution and armed with copious evidence, supported the heresy charges. In a contrary motion, however, he argued for death by the sword, but failed. Yet, he fully supported the capital punishment. More widely, outside of Geneva, the capital punishment of Servetus was congratulated and applauded. Politically, by 1555, Calvin’s position was strengthened and the Libertine/Antinominan political partisans were weakened or driven off. Peace and concord ensued. One said, “The devil departed with the fugitives.” Now, Geneva might be threatened from without, but not by strife from within. John Knox, an exile from England, arrived just as the political-theological Libertines were getting the bums’ rush. He commented most highly on the doctrinal purity in the churches, but also the cordiality and godly manners of the people--he had never seen such before.