PROTESTANT THEORY OF PERSECUTION 18 3
to the persecution. It was anonymous, and naturally dwelt on the principles of toleration. Although this book did not denounce all intolerance, and although it was extremely moderate, Calvin and his friends were filled with horror. "What remains of Chris- tianity," exclaimed Beza, "if we silently admit what this man has expectorated in his preface? . . . Since the beginning of Christianity no such blasphemy was ever heard." 1 Beza undertook to defend Calvin in an elabor- ate \vork,2 in \vhich it was easy for him to cite the authority of all the leading reformers in favour of the practice of putting heretics to death, and in which he reproduced all the arguments of those who had written on the subject before him. l\1:ore systematic than Calvin, he first of all excludes those who are not Christians-the J e\vs, Turks, and heathen-whom his inquiry does not touch; "among Christians," he proceeds to say, cc some are schismatics, who sin against the peace of the Church, or disbelievers, who reject her doctrine. Among these, some err in all sim- plicity; and if their error is not very grave, and if they do not seduce others, they need not be punished." S " But obstinate heretics are far worse than parricides, and de- serve death, even if they repent." 4 "It is the duty of the State to punish them, for the whole ecclesiastical order is uphe1d by the political." 5 In early ages this po\ver was
1 Baum, i. 206, .. Telles gens," says Calvin, .. seroient contents qu'il n'y eust ne loy, ne bride au monde, Voilà pourquoy ils ont basti ce beau libvre De non combU1endis Haereticis, où ils ont falsifié les noms tant des villes que des per- sonnes, non pour aultre cause sinon pource que Ie dit livre est farcy de blasphèmes insupportables" (Bonnet. ii. 18), 2 De Haereticis a civili llIagistra/u punielldis, 1554, 8 ,. Absit autem a nobis, ut in eos, qui vel simplicitate peccant, sine aliorum pernicie et insigni blasphemia, vel in explicando quopiam Scripturae loco dissident a recepta opinione. magistratum armemus" (Tractatus Theologici. i. 95). 4 This was sometimes the practice in Catholic countries, where heresy was equivalent to treason. Duke \Villiam of Bavaria ordered obstinate Anabaptists to be burnt; those who recanted to be beheaded, II vVelcher revocir. den soU man köpfen; welcher nicht revocir, den soli man brennen" (Jörg, p, 717)' ð II Ex quibus omnibus una conjunctio efficitur, istos qui bus haeretici videntur non esse puniendi, opinionem in Ecclesiam Dei conari longe omnium pestilenti'5si- mam invehere et ex diametro repugnantem doctrinae primum a Deo Patre proditae, deinde a Christo instauratae, ab universa denique Ecclesia orthodoxa perpetuo consensu usurpatae, ut mihi quidem magis absurde facere videantur quam si sacrilegas aut parricidas puniendos negarent, quum sint is tis omnibus haeretici infinitis partilms deteriores" (Tract. Theol. i. 143)'
