. '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
Kurfuerst 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 Kurfuerst. "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 Kurfuerst, "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!"

"Truly," continued the