Page:The Net of Faith.pdf/351

72* had held by faith. Formerly they preached about the poverty of Christ and his disciples and other faithful priests after them; now they reject poverty having accepted domains and imperial honors and even precedence over imperial authority. (In their former estate) they accepted poverty as (a part of faith) commanded by Christ and his example. It shows that the priest must have been stunned in dream and have a blackening of his heart to be able to make this quick and easy change: after poverty, to plunge into such luxury and such an exalted position in the world. In the beginning he hid in caves, among rocks and in forests for Christ's name, and behold, now the Emperor guides him around Rome, seating him on a white mare – or was it a white horse? No matter! It always was a 'bird of ill omen'. – paying him homage ostentatiously before the whole world. That is the way it was recorded by those who wrote down what they saw for future generations: multitudes in Rome ran to behold In the Czech original an anacoluthon; here adjusted.

A reference to the first horse or the Apocalypse (war), Rev. 6:2 ("And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and its rider had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer."). –