Calvin's involvement in Servetus' death.

I didn't know this so I thought I would share the following:

Servetus wrote a book claiming the doctrine of the trinity was an invention of the devil and its worshipers deceived by the devil; then he and Calvin had a lengthy written discourse in which Calvin said “I neither hate you nor despise you; nor do I wish to persecute you; but I would be as hard as iron when I behold you insulting sound doctrine with so great audacity.” (Downton, An Examination of the Nature of Authority, Chap 3).

As far as Calvins involvement it consisted in identifying Servetus and submitting evidence that Servetus was in fact a heretic. First Calvin was not even present at the trial. Second, Calvin was a visiting pastor, not a citizen of Switzerland and couldn’t even vote. Third, the Spanish already tried Servetus and gave him the death sentence which he escaped. Fourth, Calvin had no power to condemn him or save him. Fifth, Calvin pleaded for the city council to be more lenient in the death penalty (his plea was ignored). Sixth, Calvin visited the man in prison to pray for him and plead with love that he would recant (he didn’t). Seventh, death for heresy was in accordance to the spirit of age. At the time people were put to death for trying to cause the church to splinter by teaching and refusing to recant of Christ-denying heresies.

I'll be making my next post soon on "Misconceptions about Calvinism". I'm trying to make it as personal as possible. From when I first learned about the Doctrine, to my present understanding of it today; and the adversity that came from considering myself a Calvinist in a church that wasn't.