" He accused the pope of
extravagance and luxury: "Was Peter clothed in robes of silk, covered
with gold and precious stones? Was he carried in a litter surrounded by
soldiers and vassals?" And he uttered a word which to this day is a
historical truth: "In all thy splendour thou art the successor of
Constantine rather than the successor of Peter."
Dissatisfaction with the life of the clergy and the tyranny of Rome was
the more external reason which, although it vexed even those who were
indifferent to religion, did not question the sacred tradition; the
other reason was more a matter of principle; it was rooted in the desire
for a religious revival and openly attacked perverted truths. The
dreaded, hated, and cruelly persecuted heretics were fearless men,
sturdily fighting for their convictions. The fundamental ideal of these
reformers was the suppression of the outward pomp of the Church and the
return to the simplicity of the gospels. Their fates varied. The gentle
St.
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