in Church and in Christendom for their own impious purposes.
Theologians, professors, and priests are the satraps of the
Emperor. They ask the Emperor to protect them, so that they may
sleep as long as possible, and they create war so that they may have
everything under their thumb."

If Peter lashed the Church with whips, he lashed her priests with
scorpions. He accused them of various vices. They were immoral;
they were superstitious; they were vain, ignorant and empty-headed;
and, instead of feeding the Church of God, they had almost starved
her to death. He loathed these "honourable men, who sit in great
houses, these purple men, with their beautiful mantles, their high
caps, their fat stomachs." He accused them of fawning on the rich
and despising the poor. "As for love of pleasure," he said,
"immorality, laziness, greediness, uncharitableness and cruelty--as
for these things, the priests do not hold them as sins when
committed by princes, nobles and rich commoners. They do not tell
them plainly, "You will go to hell if you live on the fat of the
poor, and live a bestial life," although they know that the rich are
condemned to eternal death by such behaviour. Oh, no! They prefer
to give them a grand funeral. A crowd of priests, clergy, and other
folk make a long procession. The bells are rung. There are masses,
singings, candles and offerings. The virtues of the dead man are
proclaimed from the pulpit. They enter his soul in the books of
their cloisters and churches to be continually prayed for, and if
what they say be true, that soul cannot possibly perish, for he has
been so kind to the Church, and must, indeed, be well cared for."

He accused them, further, of laziness and gluttony. "They pretend to
follow Christ," he said, "and have plenty to eat every day. They