Michael Servetus

Michael Servetus (c.1506-1553), denounced by many of his contemporaries as an arch-heretic and celebrated by others as a martyr for the cause of religious freedom, escaped from imprisonment by the Inquisition, but was convicted of blasphemy by the Swiss Protestants and executed by being burned at the stake. The sequence of events leading to Servetus's death began with his publication of a theological work he had long been composing in secret, The Restoration of Christianity. This work contained, among other things, a critique of Trinitarian orthodoxy and advocacy of adult baptism.This book, the first volume of a projected series, contains translations of books 1 and 2 of Restoration, focusing on his critique of the Trinity and his interpretation of key passages from the Bible. Included, for purposes of comparison, are a portion of his early theological treatise On the Errors of the Trinity (1531), a sample of the marginal notes and chapter headings that he provided for the second edition of Santes Pagnini's translation of the Bible (1542), and an early draft of the opening pages of Restoration. An introductory essay orients the reader to this complex work with discussions of what is known (and not known) of Servetus's life; the structure of Errors and Restoration; Servetus's approach to the study of the Bible; his interest in Islam; his theology, and its relationship to several well-known Christian heresies; the identity of the people whose ideas he wished to correct; and what his ideas may offer to today's readers. In addition, more than 200 annotations guide the reader through difficult passages and provide additional background information.

The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own: digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars.The Age of Enlightenment profoundly enriched religious and philosophical understanding and continues to influence present-day thinking. Works collected here include masterpieces by David Hume, Immanuel Kant, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, as well as religious sermons and moral debates on the issues of the day, such as the slave trade. The Age of Reason saw conflict between Protestantism and Catholicism transformed into one between faith and logic -- a debate that continues in the twenty-first century.++++The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification: ++++British LibraryT138230Drop-head title. A partial reprint of the first part of Michael Servetus's 'Christianisimi restitutio'. No more was printed and most existing sheets seized on the orders of the Bishop of London on 27 May 1723. Samuel Palmer and Isaac Dalton shared the London, 1723]. pp.252; 4