The Dialogue

Of many other sins which the said wretched ministers commit.

" THESE wretches, oh! dearest daughter, of whom I have spoken to thee, take no thought for themselves, for if they did they would not come to such a pass, neither they nor others.

" But they would be like those who live in virtue, and who would prefer to die rather than sin and defile the face of their soul, and diminish the dignity in which I have placed them ; they rather increase the dignity and beauty of their souls, not that the priestly dignity in itself can increase through virtue, or diminish through sin, as I have said, but virtue is an ornament and a dignity with which such men adorn their souls over and above its natural beauty which it had from the beginning ; when I created it to My image and likeness such as these would know the truth of My good ness and their own beauty and dignity, because pride and self-love would not have darkened them or deprived them of the light of reason, and they would love Me, and the

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salvation of souls. But these poor wretches, being entirely deprived of the light, and heedlessly going from vice to vice, so that at last they fall into the ditch, have made of the temple of their soul and of the holy church which should be a garden — a stable full of animals.

" How abominable it is to Me, oh ! dearest daughter, that their houses, which ought to be the homes of My servants, and of the poor, and where they should keep the breviary for their spouse, and the books of Holy Scripture for their children, and should take delight in teaching their neighbour and in living a holy life, should have become the homes of impurity and wicked persons. Their spouse is no breviary (they treat the breviary as an adulteress) but a miser able she-devil who lives with them in impurity. Their holy scriptures are a regiment of children, and with these children whom they have obtained in such foul misery they shamelessly take pleasure. The festivals and solemnities on which they should render praise and glory to My name, with divine office, offering Me the incense of devout and humble prayers, they pass at play, and in taking solace with their she-devils, and they go off with companies of seculars, hunting beasts and birds as if themselves were seculars and fine court gentlemen. Oh ! wretched man to what hast thou come ? Thou shouldst hunt and snare souls to the glory and praise of My name in the garden of the holy church, instead of wandering round the woods ; but because thou hast become an animal, thy soul being filled with the animals of many mortal sins, hast thou made thyself a hunter and a snarer of animals ; because the garden of thy soul has grown wild and full of thorns, thou takest delight in wandering through desert places hunting wild beasts. Look on thy sins and be ashamed, oh ! man, for thou hast matter for shame on every side, but thou art without shame, having lost My true and holy fear. Shame less as a harlot, thou art proud of keeping great station in the world, and having a fine household, and a regiment of many children, and if thou hast none thou seekest to have them, so that they may inherit thy property ; but thou art a robber and a thief, because thou knowest well that thou

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hast nothing to leave them, for thine heirs are the poor of the holy church.

" Oh ! incarnate devil, deprived of light, thou seekest that which thou oughtest not to seek, thou praisest and vauntest thyself of that which should cause thee the greatest confusion and shame before Me who see the interior of thy heart, and before creatures. But the horns of thy pride do not let thee see thy shame. I have placed him, dearest daughter, on the bridge of My doctrine and My truth to administer to you pilgrims the sacraments of the holy Church, and he remains in the river of misery under the Bridge, and administers My sacraments standing in the river of the delights and miseries of the world, and he does not see that the tide of death is gaining on him, and that he travels in company with his masters the devils whom he has served and allowed to direct his journey through the river without any restraint. And if he do not correct himself he will reach eternal damnation, and such punishment and reproba tion that thy tongue would not be able to narrate it, and indeed far more than a secular. For the same fault is more severely punished in him than in a secular, and with graver reprobation do his enemies rise up before him on the bridge of death to accuse him, as I said to thee."