But our Complaints are not like to cease, while Princes shall think it honourable and pious to oppress their Subjects, that they may supply the Court of Rome: And, on the other side, the Nipotismo shall make no scruple of taking any thing from the Church and State, and alledge for their excuse, That they take nothing but what is the superfluous part of the Churches Revenue.
What do so many Abbies, Pensions, and other Revenues, which Princes bestow upon Church-men, serve for; but to weaken so much their own States, and strengthen another Princes? to make that which is Sacred, Profane? turn Crosses into Swords, and Humility into Pride and Majesty? And when they have bestowed thus their Gifts and Presents upon those that do not need them, they are not only forsaken in their greatest distress by Church-men; but are set upon by them, and brought to their ruin, that the Church may have the Soveraignty over their People, in the Place of the lawful Princes.
All the disorders and scandals of the Church, State, and Church-men, take their rise from their Riches. When the Church was poor, Church-men were holy, having nothing to employ their minds about, but the Rules of a Good Life: but since once Riches came amongst them, farewell Holiness of Life; they have not the leisure; they are too much taken up with telling their Money, buying and selling Estates and Princedoms; they forget those spiritual Riches of the Soul, and mind only those that relate to the Pleasures of the Body.
Riches came in by little and little upon the Church, and by the same degrees Sanctity and Holiness of Life went out. They that read the History of the Church, cannot chuse but have discerned all along the truth of what I say.
And yet every one knowing this, and being so forward to complain and murmur against the Popes avarice, and their Nephews prodigality; no body thinks of blaming those that by continual Gifts do every day supply and furnish them with these Instruments of Wickedness.
Christ has declared definitively, and pronounced with his own mouth, in the sixth Chapter of Saint Matthew, That it is impossible to serve God and Mammon. Now Mammon being interpreted Riches by most, nay by all, the conclusion is, That it is impossible to serve God and Riches.
The Popes, on the other side, do by their continual practice prove to the World, in enriching their Families, that they are firmly perswaded, that one may at the same time serve God, and the Mammon or Riches of this World; or else certainly they would give over tormenting themselves, to make their Kindred great.
Riches are that Primum Movens which set the Sphere of the Nipotismo a going; and we may say, That in this Heaven of theirs, they are no less devout than poor simple Women are, to purchase that which is promised them by the Church of Rome: For as the one falls down before a Crucifix, and adores the Altar, to gain Indulgences; so do the Pope’s Nephews prostrate themselves before their Treasures, and believe that they obtain the pardon of all their faults, in worshipping the Coffers in which they have buried the Churches Riches.
Now if Christ has said, That there is no serving God and Riches, How can the Popes give their Nephews leave to serve Riches and God? Have the Popes the Power of giving our Saviour the Lie? For what is it else? For either they believe not Christ’s Words to be true, or else they are resolved to contradict them in their Practice; both which are abominable to any rational or serious Christian: though I believe that in Italy there are thousands who, frighted by the Inquisition, would rather answer, That Christ was mistaken in his Doctrine, than say, That the Pope does amiss in his Practice.
About four years ago I was in Bagni del Vallé, a Town so called; where, amongst others, was a Father of the Order of Saint Augustine, by name Father Paolo Segani, who called himself a Preacher; though for my part I believe he was so far from being a good Divine, that he was scarce Master of the Rules of Grammar in the Latin Tongue.