in any respect. And so it is that if we compare our present life of faith to that of the early Church it is like putting darkness against light. For this reason have we recalled to our mind those in whom faith was established infallibly through the apostles; let us see now if there are still some Christians willing to return to the ways of the first Church, and to follow its faith without mental reservations, in patience and with sincerity of heart.
CHAPTER 13
REFUTATION OF THE CLAIMS OF THE COUNCIL OF BASEL
AND OF THE ARGUMENTS OF JUAN PALOMAR
Now all these words with which I praised the early Church of Christ stink (to the nostrils) of the Church of Rome as ugly heresies. This is the why and the wherefore of the vituperations of the Master Auditor at Basel[302] when the Czechs had proved the use of the chalice of God by the original Holy Church, showing that this Church truly maintained the practice of the divine chalice.[303] And yet this Master Auditor of the Papal Court found fault with this argument, calling it brittle, weak, and harmful, and in many other ways bringing up sly objections and difficult obloquies.
He even said – among many other things – that the early Christian Church was stupid and in a sad condition, while admitting that in holy matters and in its zeal of faith it was wonderful. For “the polished and dignified church of ritual, beauty, and splendor came after the plain apostolic church of divine honesty in the same way as rams’ skins dyed red came after badgers’ skins for tent covering.”[304] Not only divine honesty and sacramental customs but even faith of old times were explained in such a manner
