"Did you not attend the preliminary meetings as to the result of the inquiry?"
"What advantage would it have been to me?" replied Erastus bitterly. "In Your Gracious Highness' Church Council there are three kinds of Counsellors. The Jurists read the documents and report their contents. The learned Doctors do not read yet nevertheless report on them, the Theologians read them and report totally differently to what is written in them. When I saw that I remained away."
"Your old song," growled the Kurfürst fretfully. "But now I must read you a report instead of your doing so to me. First of all then," he said turning over the leaves of the report above mentioned, "these gentlemen enjoin on me, that whosoever acquits those blasphemers, is as much an abomination in the sight of God, as the blasphemers themselves." Erastus shrugged his shoulders contemptuously. "The first part refers to the blasphemies, invectives, and repudiation of the Christian dogmas by these clergymen, as well as their endeavours to unite themselves with the Turks. All the points in Sylvanus' libel are clearly marked out, and it is thus evident, that the Inspector intended to taint the world with his blasphemies. Do you differ from this opinion?"
"No," answered Erastus, "Sylvanus' letter deserves punishment. But I cannot possibly look upon Neuser's ridiculous composition as a serious production, more especially as it is endorsed: potest omitti. I believe that the foolish man wrote it in a drunken mood, and though he read it again when more sober, he was too lazy to burn the document and wrote instead: 'need not be forwarded.' Sylvanus has been however severely punished by his long imprisonment and regrets his aberration sincerely. Most certainly those two cannot go unpunished, but the only question is what punishment those gentlemen consider fitting?"
"That is just the point," said the Kurfürst sorrowfully. "These theologians continually refer to the divine law as it is written in the Books of Moses. There it is commanded, to stone such blasphemers, to pierce them with the sword, to burn them. The words of the Vth Book of Moses Chapter 13 are clear. 'If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom or thy friend which is as thine own soul entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: But thou shalt surely kill him, thine hand shall be the first upon him to put him to death and afterwards the hand of all the people, and thou shalt stone him with stones that he die because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God.'" The Kurfürst put down the report and looked earnestly at Erastus.
"Do those gentlemen really wish to introduce stoning into the Palatinate?" asked Erastus mockingly.
"No," answered the Kurfürst. "Further on it is stated, 'It is certain that as to this qualitas, circumstantia, or fact, namely as regards stoning, the christian authorities are not bound thereto, but that they may make use of the sword, or hanging or some other means of destroying life. If however the sin is not visited upon the head of him who has sinned, God will pour out his wrath upon the entire people, who have not rooted out the transgressor. But to increase and call forth God's wrath which has already been kindled as shown by the plague, would be the most horrible cruelty towards the entire christian community.'"
"To calmly sit in the lofty rooms of the chancellory, and to offer up an atoning sacrifice to the angel of the plague on the green-cloth of the table, is much easier," said Erastus bitterly, "than to oppose him on the sick-bed and to fumigate his haunts. I think however that Your Highness can be at rest. Our God is not so revengeful as are those pious learned men of God."
"True, true," sighed the Kurfürst, "but these gentlemen point out that further on God has commanded in Moses V. Chapter 13 thus that the inhabitants of a city fallen from God shall be smitten with the sword even to the small children, and those that prophesy falsely shall be rooted out whether they turn from their ways or not."
"Fine, fine," said Erastus angrily. "Then indeed was Pius IV. right when he slew four thousand Waldensees in Calabria and destroyed their villages, trees and vineyards. The Duke of Guise was justified at Vassy in shooting women and children. The Jesuit Possevin was right when he led two thousand arquebusiers against the Protestants in Piedmont. Verily it is so written! Fie, upon the fools!"