Je m’appelle Sebastian Castellio. Je suis the père de l’église Unitarienne Universalist. My name is Sebastian Castellio. I am the father of Unitarian Universalism. What? You did not know that the founder of the Unitarian Universalist church was a man born in France in 1515? My life is a tragic tale. My works were suppressed and burned and I was hounded to death. My writings for the most part have never been translated from French and Latin into English. I have come into your century today so that my life and early beliefs in freedom, reason and tolerance may not be forgotten.

Dr. Earl Morse Wilbur, the expert on the history of the Unitarian Universalist movement, said in his book that "Sebastian Castellio is entitled to be considered even more than Servetus, as the real founder of liberal Christianity."

I have heard some Unitarian Universalists in your day say that the father of your movement was Servetus a man who was burned for heresy in 1553 by Calvin. Servetus was a questioner. He was a questioner of the dogma of his day. Being a questioner of dogma is one of the characteristics of modern Unitarian Universalism. However, Servetus questioned only the trinity. Thus he may represent the father of Unitarianism (which originally meant doubter of the trinity) but he hardly represents the spirit of 20th century Unitarian Universalism. I feel that I do.

The death of Servetus was a pivotal point in our history however. When he was killed in 1553, I immediately began writing against Calvin and promoting tolerance, freedom and reason. These three characteristics represent Unitarian Universalism today much better than Servetus' objections to the trinity.

But, let me start at the beginning. My relationship with Calvin, the forefather of the Reformed and Presbyterian church, actually went back to 1536. This was when I read the Institutes written by Calvin. These converted me from a life of spiritual indifference to one of religious conviction. I was a young idealistic 25 year old and I sought out Calvin who was at this time in exile in Strassbourg. I told him that I wanted to dedicate myself to the gospel. I moved in with Calvin. Within 8 days I moved out. I will say nothing more about that experience.

Some authors of the 20th century believe that Calvin was a friend of mine who helped me become the head of the college in Geneva. Nonsense, I became the dean in June of 1541, six months before the triumphant return of Calvin. The college was vital for Calvin's plans so he wanted someone more noted than Castellio to run the school. He had my contract amended to say that I would be dean only until he could find someone better.

This was the period when I made a name for myself as an educator. From 1542-1562 I wrote the Sacred Dialogues. These were a series of books designed to teach Latin. They were used as the official German textbooks until the end of the eighteenth century. They were also used everywhere from England to Hungary. My books took biblical stories and put them into dialogues to teach Latin. They were in such demand because previous textbooks were from those pagans Terence and Plato who "formed the ear but deformed the soul."

It was also in these books that I began to form my ideas on tolerance. In book 2, in the story of David, I spoke of being "against the use of force in matters of conscience". In the story of Goliath I said that "spiritual wars must be fought only with spiritual arms". In the story of Elias I wrote that "charity is the only criterion of true piety".

In 1542 my real difficulties began. On September 11, I completed my translation of the New Testament. Calvin demanded to correct it before it could be published. I thought to myself, "Who made him the final authority on scripture?" I offered to discuss my translation with him. He refused. He demanded to correct it or it would never be published. I could not stand for any tampering with what I believed to be the truth. It was not published at this time.

In 1543 famine broke out. I needed money to support my family. I had been a lay preacher at a local church and asked to be ordained. The council approved, but Calvin vetoed the appointment because of our differences. Calvin took the bible literally. I believed that many parts were symbolic; for instance, I felt that the Song of Songs was a love poem that really should not be in the bible. Calvin and I also differed about other doctrines. I told Calvin "Stop acting like a pope". He suspended me from preaching.

I then left for Basle, Switzerland. There I lived in desperate poverty. I had to make my living from pulling wood out of the river. During this time I helplessly watched as my wife and 3 of my children died.

I had not however given up on my translations of the bible. My Latin translation appeared in 1551 and a French translation followed in 1554. I dedicated the 1551 bible to Edward VI, the young Protestant king of England. This preface has been called the first manifesto in favor of toleration. I knew that the people of England were tired of Henry VIII's bloodshed and I hoped that with the new king there would be tolerance and peace. In my preface I wrote "Why is our age still in darkness? Instead of working toward the golden age, we dispute, spilling the blood of the weakest. What is more absurd, we do it in Christ's name who said to turn the other cheek, return good for evil and leave the weeds in the wheat field until the harvest."

In my era most people took the bible literally. I believed that the spirit not the letter was inspired. Whenever I translated bible passages I found that the sense was often obscure, especially when speaking of spiritual matters. This use of reason formed the basis for my beliefs of toleration and freedom.

On October 27, 1553 Michael Servetus was burned for heresy in Geneva. All Europe was shocked. In defense, Calvin wrote a book called Against the Errors of Servetus in which he tried to show that it was all right to kill heretics. A month later a book called Concerning Heretics appeared under a pseudonym. This was a collection of the works of various authors all opposed to killing heretics. Authors included Erasmus, Augustine, Luther, and even some early writings of Calvin himself. Calvin had suspicions of who the author was. He was right. I, Castellio, was the author.

The book began with the parable that I read earlier this morning. Let me repeat part of it. I dedicated it to Duke Christoph. I asked him "What would happen if you went on a trip telling your people to meet you in white robes on your return, but when you came back they were fighting and killing each other over the manner of your return... Would you O prince commend such citizens? Suppose however that some did your duty and followed your command to prepare the white robes but the others oppressed them on that account and put them to death. Would you not rigorously destroy such scoundrels? But what if these homicides claimed to have done all this in your name and in accord with your command even though you had previously expressly forbidden it? Would you not consider that such outrageous conduct deserved to be punished without mercy? Now I beg you most illustrious Prince, to be kind enough to hear why I say these things."

I went on to explain that the white robes represented loving one another and living just lives. All other details and dogmas were unnecessary for salvation. Let me repeat this: All dogmas other than loving one another and living just lives are unnecessary for salvation. This in one sentence is what 20th century Unitarian Universalism means. I believed that dogmas like the trinity, predestination, free will, specific ideas or beliefs about God, belief in angels and the state of the soul after death were not central. Perhaps you are beginning to see how I have earned the right to be called the father of your movement.

In 1554, I wrote Contra Libellum Calvini a point by point refutation of Calvin's Against the Errors of the Trinity. However, Calvin put pressure on the town of Basle and the censors would not allow my book to be published. It was published after my death in Holland during another battle for religious toleration. The book, if I may say, was a masterpiece of witty repartee and cold logic to point out the contradictions in Calvin's thought. In this book appears my most famous statement, "To kill a man is not to defend a doctrine: it is to kill a man." If Calvin had killed Servetus for saying what he believed to be true, then Calvin killed him for telling the truth. He should have been taught not killed, if he was wrong. I believe that on judgment day God will judge morals, not dogmas.

I saw that because of the censors it was futile to continue such writings. I turned to mysticism and translated the Theologica Germania and Imitation of Christ. I became professor of Greek at the University of Basle in 1553 as a result of the translation of my bible. I reluctantly turned from religious debates to teaching.

However, I was not left in peace. Calvin was upset because I had criticized his doctrine of predestination. He laid a trap. I was invited to a discussion. As I began to speak, someone cried "blasphemy". I stopped cold realizing my danger. Several days later a complaint was lodged with authorities that I had denied the inspiration of a passage of St. Paul and predestination. I feared I would meet the same fate as Servetus. When I explained that I did not understand how God could predestine people to hell before they sinned, authorities were somewhat appeased, but more importantly a letter arrived that week from Melanchthon, the head of the Lutheran church at this time. The letter to me said, "I have always greatly esteemed you because of the way in which you write. This letter of mine is to convey evidence of my general agreement and proof of my earnest sympathy. I trust we shall be united in eternal friendship". In the face of this letter from such an important man I was released.

Calvin issued a new tract calling me a "blasphemer, imprudent wretch full of ignorance and bestiality, a fool, dirty dog and a thief". The tract ended with "May God destroy you Satan." I begged Calvin to leave me in peace and pleaded that we might have brotherly love for one another.

I was upset at the religious unrest in my native France at this time and wrote Advice to a Desolate France in 1562. In it I demanded that both Catholics and Protestants stop forcing consciences or else God would punish them with perpetual war. I wrote this 10 years before the St. Bartholomew massacre at the outbreak of 100 years of religious war. I wrote, "The fruits of forcing consciences are: if they die rather than recant, you are murders, if they recant, they lie and their soul perishes." I ended by saying, "Blessed are the peacemakers and those who incite war are children of the devil and murders." If only they had listened to me . It would have saved a century of bloodshed.

In 1563 I was accused of spreading heresy for translating works by Ochino another of the forefathers of Unitarian Universalism. Before the trial ended my health failed and I died December 29, 1563.

My influence did not end then. My works were used by those who fought for religious liberty in the Grissons. Faustus Socinus who later founded Socinianism in Poland (the first organized Unitarian movement) was impressed by me and published 4 of my dialogues in 1610. The Remonstrant Church of Holland took these as the first articles of their official charter.

I also had written a book called the Art of Doubting in praise of reason. In it I called reason the daughter of God who cannot be abolished by God himself. Reason was why Jesus said it was right to get sheep from a well or cure on the Sabbath. We have a duty to doubt since this is a light against arrogance. If we do not doubt continuously, then we have no place for others and their beliefs.

Reason, freedom and tolerance are three tenets of Unitarian Universalism today. I preached these in an age of irrationality, dogma and intolerance. I believe that I have earned the title the father of Unitarian Universalism.