lesse rate. Cicero wisht it granted. Nothing in all this will bee like the establishing of a law to sinne: here are no lawes made, here onely the execution of law is crav'd might be suspended: between which and our question is a broad difference. And what if human law givers have confest they could not frame their lawes to that perfection which they desir'd, we heare of no such confession from Moses concerning the lawes of God, but rather all praise and high testimony of perfection given them. And although mans nature cannot beare exactest lawes, yet still within the confines of good it may and must, so long as lesse good is far anough from altogether evil. As for what they instance of usury, let them first prove usury to be wholly unlawfull, as the law allowes it; which learned Men as numerous on the other side will deny them. Or if it be altogether unlawfull, why is it tolerated more then divorce? he who said divorse not, said also, lend hoping for nothing againe, Luk. 6. 35. But then they put in, that trade could not stand. And so to serve the commodity of insatiable trading, usury shall be permitted, but divorce, the onely meanes oft times to right the innocent, & outrageously wrong'd, shall be utterly forbid. This is egregious doctrine, and for which one day charity will much thanke them. Beza not finding how to salve this perplexity, and Cameron since him, would secure us; although the latter confesses that to permit a wicked thing by law, is a wickednesse which God abhorrs; yet to limit sin, and prescribe it a certaine measure, is good. First this evasion will not helpe heere; for this law bounded no man; he might put away whatever found not favour in his eyes. And how could it forbid to divorce, whom it could not forbidd to dislike, or command to love. If these be the limits of law to restraine sinne, who so lame a sinner but may hoppe over them more easily then over those Romulean circumscriptions, not as Remus did with hard succes, but with all indemnity. Such a limiting as this were not worth the mischeif that accompanies it. This law therefore not bounding the supposed sinne, by permitting enlarges it, gives it enfranchisement. And never greater confusion, then when law and sin move their land markes, mixe their territories, and correspond, have intercourse and traffic together. When law contracts a kindred and hospitality with transgression, becomes the godfather of sinne and names it Lawfull; when sin revels and gossips within the arcenal of law, plaies, and dandles the artillery of justice that should be bent against her, this is a faire limitation indeede. Besides it is an absurdity to say that law can measure sin, or moderate sin; sin is not in a predicament to be measur'd
