Chapter XII.—Ignorantia Neminem Excusat

“For all the deceitful conceptions against the monarchy are sown in your mind by him to your hurt.  First, that you may not hear the discourses of piety, and so drive away ignorance, which is the occasion of evils, he ensnares you by a pretence of knowledge, giving in the first instance, and using throughout this presumption, which is to think and to be unhappily advised, that if any one do not hear the word of piety, he is not subject to judgments.  Wherefore also some, being thus deceived, are not willing to hear, that they may be ignorant, not knowing that ignorance is of itself a sufficient deadly drug.  For if any one should take a deadly drug in ignorance, does he not die?  So naturally sins destroy the sinner, though he commit them in ignorance of what is right.