The politics of conversion

The Germans, divided among themselves, find no center of unity anywhere. The cities quarrel with the princes, and the princes themselves are not joined by any bond of concord. The Swiss maintain their ancient hatred of the dukes of Austria. The possession of the duchy of Luxembourg is in dispute with the King of Bohemia; they refused to do homage to him, they refused, unless the king should come to them. Observe the habits of men and look at the actions of our princes, behold the huge and yawning maw of avarice, see how much inertia and how much greed there are. Maximus says in his letter to the peoples of the East that all parts of the world which have sincerely accepted Christ and all places where Catholics profess true faith, look at the power of the Roman popes as at the sun, and from that light receive the truth of the Catholic and Apostolic faith.