It is no longer possible to undertake an unconditional defence of the opinions by which Calvin was governed in this matter, nor of the action which resulted. Un- biassed minds are compelled to see that the reformer not only failed in this respect to rise above the errors of his time, but that in his management of the case he was guilty of evasions and exaggerations which form a real blot on his record; but there is no reason to doubt that his course was dictated by his sense of the duty he owed to God, to the Church in general, and to the Church of (ieneva in particular; and this forms the only explana- tion which will justify his action in any degree to can- did minds. His failure to save his antagonist from the cruel death by fire was doubtless owing to his difficult position at this very time. The ruling party in Geneva was opposed to Calvin, and had neutralized his meas- ures in some instances insomuch that he declared his intention of leaving that city unless such action should cease; the Council of the Two Hundred was strongly hostile to him ; and in the smaller council, before which Servetus was tried, measures were passed of which Cal- vin did not approve (e. g. the resolution to consult with the authorities of other cities), and direct efforts were made to save the accused from his impending doom. He could not suggest before the council that a different form of capital punishment from that prescribed by law should be intiicted, lest his own sincerity should be im- pugned by his opponents; and it is not difficult to dis- cover reasons which may have neutralized whatever private efforts he employed. There is, at all events, no sufficient reason for doubting his own explicit state- ments on the matter.
Soiares. — The ITorZ-^ of Servetus and Calvin's Refu- tation; Calvini Ep. et Resp.; Slosheim, Ve7S. ein. vollsf. u. unp)art. Ketzeryesch. (Helmst. 1748); id. Xeue Nuchr. V. d. berii/imt. span. Arzte M. Serveto (ibid. 1750); Trechsel, J/. SeiTet u. seine Vorgdnger (Heidelb. 1839); Henry, Lehen J. Calcines, iii, 95 sq., and Beilagen, p. 49 sq. On the teachings of Servetus, see Heberle, M. Serrefs Trinitatslehre v. Christoloc/ie, in the Tiib. Zeitschr.f. Theol. 1840, No. 2; Baur, c'hristl. Lehre r. d. Dreieinit/keit u. Menschwerdung Gottes, iii, 54 sq. ; Dor- ner, Person Chfisti. ii, 649 sq. ; Meier, Lehre v. d. Tri- nitdt in ihrer histor. Entw. ii, 5 sq. On the (Genevan trial of Servetus, see Killiet, Relation du Proces contre M. Servet, etc, (Genev. 1844). See also Galiff'e, No- tices Geneal. sur les Families Genev. and Nouvelles Pages d'Hlitoii-e Exacte; Stiihelin, J. Calvin, Lehen u. avsgeu'dhlte Schriften (Elberfeld, 1860-63,2 vols.).— Herzog, Real-Eneyklop. s. v.
Servia (Turkish, Sirb Vilayeti'), a state of Europe, boimded north by Slavonia and Hungarv proper, east by Roumania and Bulgaria, south by Roumelia. and west by Bosnia. Until 1878, Servia was a dependency of Turkey, but in that year the treaty of Berlin estab- lished its entire independence. The Servian nationality extends far beyond the boundaries of the principality of Servia. Servians constitute nearly the entire po]nila- tion of Montenegro, Bosnia, and Herzegovina ; they con- stitute ninety-tive per cent, of the popidation in the former kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia, ninety per cent, in Dalmatia, and eighty per cent, in the former military frontier. Including all these districts, the Ser- vians occupy a territory of about 69.000 square miles, with a compact population numbering more than 6,000,000 persons. The majority of all the Servians belong to the Orthodox Eastern (or Greek) Church. The following article refers to the principality of Servia exclusively. See also Austria; Hungary; Monte- NEOKo; Turkey.
I. A rea. Population, etc. — Servia contained before the treaty of Berlin 16,817 square miles. Its population in 1873 was 1.338,50,5, all Serbs of Slavic origin, except- ing about 140,000 Wallachs, 25,000 Gypsies',^ and 15.000 Turks, Bulgarians, .Jews, Germans, and Hungarians. By the treaty of Berlin in 1878 a territory formerly be- longing to Turkev was annexed to Servia, and the area
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of the principality raised to 18,G87 square miles, with a population of 1,720,000 inhabitants. Tlic country is mountainous and densely wooded. From the interior nu- merous chains proceed northward, forming massive bar- riers both on the eastern and western frontiers, and slo])- ing pretty steeply towards the swampy plains along the Save and the Danube. The principal rivers are the Morava and Timok, affluents of the Danube, and the Kolubara, an affluent of the Save, whicli itself falls into the Danube at Belgrade. The principal towns are Bel- grade (tlie capital), Kraguyevatz, Semendria, Uzliitza, and Shabatz, and in the new districts Nish and Vranya. The climate is temperate and salubrious, but somewhat cold in tlie higher regions. The soil in the valleys is fertile, and cereals are raised in abundance. The moiui- tains are believed to be rich in valuable minerals, but mining is almost unknown, and manufacturing industry is in the most backward condition. There is no nobil- ity, and the peasants are free householders.
II. Church Histnri/. — Tlie original inhabitants of Ser- via were principally Thracians. Conquered, shortly be- fore Ciirist, by the Romans, it formed part of Illyricum, under the name of Moesia Superior. Overrun by the Huns, Ostrogoths, Longobards, etc., it came under Byzan- tine rule about the middle of the Gth century, but was wrested therefrom early in the 7th century by the Avars. These latter were driven out by the Serbs, then living north of the Carpathians, who themselves spread over the country in great numbers. About the middle of the 9th century they were converted to Christianity by missionaries sent by the emperor Basil. For about 200 years they were almost constantly at war with the neighboring Bulgarians, but in 1043 Stephen Bogislas broke their power. His sou Michael (1050-80) took the title of king, and was recognised as such by pope Gregory YH. A struggle of nearly a hundred years re- sulted in the maintaining of their independence, and in 1165 Stephen Nemanja founded a dynasty which lasted for two centuries. During this period the kingdom attained the acme of its power and prosperity, embrac- ing, under Stephen Dushan (133G-5G), the whole of Macedonia, Albania, Thessaly, Northern Greece, and Bulgaria. At the request of king Stephen H, son of Stephen Nemanja, the bishops of Servia were in 1221 authorized by the patriarch of Constantinople to elect their metropolitan on condition that he be confirmed bj' the patriarch. The brother of the king, St. Sabbas, be- came the first archbishop of Uzhitza and all Servia. Stephen Dushan, in 1351, convoked the synod at Seres, which raised the metropolitan of Servia to the dignity of a patriarch, and declared him independent of the pa- triarch of Constantinople. The jurisdiction of the Ser- vian patriarch extended not only over Servia and Bul- garia, but also over a large portion of IVIacedonia. He liad his residence near Ipek, at the termination of the Streta Gora Mountains in Albania. In consequence of this measure, the patriarcli of Constantinople pronounced the anathema against the Servian patriarch, but this was revoked in 1370.