Page:The Net of Faith.pdf/381

87* of the law of God and the apostolic state. He could not have offended the divine law and the apostolic state so profoundly had he not at the same time been sitting in the place of the apostles, carrying out their office.

Furthermore, he could not have offended the law of God by giving up simplicity, poverty, humility and work, had he not been bound to keep these qualities till death by the law of God. To abandon the law of God, to do things reprehensible to it that is insulting it! We find it clearly written in the Gospel that the apostolic man is bound to poverty, humility, and work, in imitation of the example of Christ and his apostles to whom he said: "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." They accepted the words of Christ and kept them till their death, not owning any business, estate or temporal fief. They kept his commandment. Sylvester was duty bound to keep it, too. And he is guilty of transgression because he did not abide by his obligation.

The High Priest has offended the law of Christ and the apostolic office for the second time when he brought distasteful additions into the apostolic state; he thinks to increase the dignity of the apostolic office by accepting imperial domains and worldly honors superior to the Emperor. He is burdened with a monstrous Matt. 4:19.