aroundworldortra00peebiala-1

66 AROUND THE WORLD.
that it is lawful to punish Heretics^ as this Wretch was justly
executed in the City of Q-eneva. Printed at Geneva, 1554."
In a letter dated February, 1546, Calvin says, " If Servetus
come to Geneva, I wiU exercise my authority in such a manner
as not to allow him to depart alive." In another, of
Sept. 30, 1561, he writes, " Do not fail to rid the countr)'-
of such zealous scoundrels, who stir up the people to
revolt against us. Such monsters should be exterminated,
as I have exterminated Michael Servetus, the Spaniard."
This is the real genius of evangelical Christianity in Melbourne.
THE SPIRIT OF THE CHURCH.
Read the history of Queen Elizabeth.
Study the horrible
secrets of that English Inquisition known as the High Commission
Court and the Star Chamber. Through it heretics
and scholarly free-thinkers were brought to the block. In
after years John Bunyan was imprisoned, George Fox
hunted and vilified, and Ann Lee banished. Persecutions,
fetters, dungeons, fires, swords, and inhuman butcheries, have
And, what is more,
ever been the attendants of Christianity.
these red-handed Christians have justified their murderous
proceedings by quoting the commands of Scripture, " If
thy brother, thy son, or the wife of thy bosom . . . say, Let
us go and serve other gods, . . . thou shalt .surely kill him ;
. . .• thou shalt stone him with stones that he die " (Deut.
xiii. 6, 10).
" If any man or woman be a wizard or witch, that is, consult
' familiar spirits,' they shall surely be put to death "
(Exod. xxii. 18 ; Lev. xx. 27).
" If any child or children, above sixteen years old, and of
sufficient understanding, shall curse or smite their natural
father or mother, he or they shall be put to death " (Exod.
xxi. 15, 17 ; Lev. XX.). Also, "A stubborn and rebellious
son, above sixteen years of age, which will not obey the
voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, . . . such
son shaU be put to death " (Deut. xxi. 18, 21).