hat by the same reason that they accuse these princes we may
accuse God: for he doth propounde his lawe / which is moste
perfyte to be obserued of all men. Shuld men saye? we are weake
/ our nature is corrupte and infected / neither can we do these
thinges as thou dost commaunde them / And why dost thou then
enforce this lawe vpon vs? If we do contrarie to that which thou
doest commaunde / verely we synne / and yf we go not about to do
it we synne / we shall synne also yf we go aboute to do that
which thou commaundest / for we want of perfection / neyther do
we obey as we sholde do: wherfore do what we will / we shall not
auoyde synne: vnto this the Lorde wolde aunswer. The thinges
that I do propounde to be obserued of you are iuste and perfect
/ no man can accuse them of wickednes / But in that ye are weake
and do fall / and faile in fulfilling of my lawe / the faulte
muste not be layed vnto me / for it is of your own malice and
corruption / and not through my faulte / for the which I maye not
withdrawe my holy commaundements / Yet thus I haue prouided helpe
for you / Beleue in my only dearly beloued sonne / and loke
what so euer ye wante / wherin soeuer ye do fayle / and not
fulfyll my commaundementes / it shall not be imputed / nor laid
to your chardge vnto euerlasyinge deathe: yea your endeuoyrs and
your doinges / although they be not fully perfect and absolute /
yet will I accepte them well / they shall please me / and I will
allowe them. Euen so shall the good prince and Magistrate saye:
The thinges which are conteyned in Goddes worde / suche thinges
as are comlye and do edifie / do I require of you / yf your
mynde and conscience do go agaynst them / ye can not impute it
vnto me / I haue laboured and done my parte that ye sholde not
be ignoraunt / and miserablie perish in ignoraunce. I haue caused
you to be sufficiently instructed / and nowe will I procede
exhorting / admonishinge / and demaundinge of you obedience in
these thinges: do you reade the holye scriptures / heare the
teachers and pastours / and pray the Lorde to open the eyes of
your harte and mynde. Thus in aunswering to this obiection I shew
what a goode prince in this case may and must do. That thinge
also is not to be passed ouer of which Augustyne maketh mencion
/ that he hymselfe was somtyme of this opinion / that nothing
sholde be violentlye done agaynst heretiques / but that they
shold only be taughte / But his mynde altered after that he was