Page:The Net of Faith.pdf/383

88* pride, enjoying it when people kneel and fall before him as if he were God, and he is busy with the administration of his domains and with physical pleasures.

And with all this he imagines himself a worthy successor of the apostles when, in truth, he desecrated his priesthood and corrupted his office by these revolting privileges. The more he holds to things contrary to apostolic teaching, the more he defiles his office in which he calls himself vicar. He has the office but does very little officiating: he seldom celebrates mass, he never preaches, and he never works; that is, the only work which he instituted for himself is the blessing of those he loves and the excommunication of those he does not love. And so he lies in luxuries and gorges himself like a hog wallowing in a sty. It is true that Sylvester himself did not live such a debauched life, but it is he who introduced all this paganism by accepting pagan ways of ruling and worldly emperor-like honors; all that evil he planted in the throne which they call the See of Saint Peter (no one has ever seen Peter sitting on so proud a seat!).

He was grafted by the Emperor onto the tree of pagan rule in order to enjoy the most exalted priesthood, and In defending the papal viewpoint, Cappello writes: "Princeps sine territorio non datur.", p.489.