Sebastian Castellio
 (aka Basil Montfort, Martin Bellie, John Theophilus)
(1515-1563)

Before God and from the bottom of my heart, I call you to the spirit of love.
By the bowels of Christ, I ask and implore you to leave me in peace, to stop
persecuting me. Let me have the liberty of my faith as you have of yours...
However we differ in opinion, why cannot we love one another?

I am (he cried out beneath the bludgeons) a poor little man, more than simple,
humble and peaceable, with no desire for glory, only affirming what in my heart
I believe; why cannot I live and say my honest word and have your love?

Biographical Sketch
Professor of Greek at the university of Basle, precursor of liberal protestantism,
Castellio took a stand for peace and tolerance between Catholics and Protestants
when their opposition resulted in the most horrible attrocities being committed on both sides.
He was the only voice with the courage to contradict and accuse Calvin for his
intolerance after Calvin tried, conivicted and burned alive Dr. Michel Servet.
Servet was an honest man whose only wrong was to have differed
in opinion with the reformed orthodox Church.


Primary Sources:
Sacred Dialogues (1543)
Traite des heretiques (1554) Concerning Heretics: Whether they are to be persecuted
and how they are to be treated. Roland Bainton, ed. NY 1935
French and Latin Bible (1555)
Trans of Theologia Deutsch (1558)
Plea for Toleration (De haereticus a civili magistratu non puniendis...) 1554
Advice to a Desolate France: As to Whether Consciences Should be Forced (1562)
Marius F. Valkhoff, ed. W.Virginia 1975
Contra libellum Calvini: Against Calvin's Book (1612) (*See Below)
Castellio's response to Calvin's burning Michel Servetus for heresy
(As Valkhoff puts it in the intro to Castellio's Advice, "Servet was an honest man,
whose only wrong was to have differed in opinion with the Reformed Orthodox Church," (see p.x of Advice)
De haereticis a civili magistratu non puniendis, pro Martini Bellii farragine,
adversus Theodori Bezae libellus, Authore Basilio Montfortio (Castellio's refutation of
Theodore de Beze's book below

See also:
Jean Calvin's: Declaration pour maintenir la vraie foi (Declaration to maintain the true Faith)
Theodore de Beze's: De haereticis a civili magistratu puniendis libellus, adversus Martini Belli
farraginem et novorum Academicorum sectam (Book proving that heretics
should be punished by the magistrate, against Martin Bellius' nonsense talk
against the sect of the new Academics (or his Latin refutation of Castellio's, Traite des heretiques)