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Chapter 132

“I am like a man about to depart from this world who entrusts his greatest possessions to his dearest friends. When I was about to depart from this world, I accordingly entrusted the thing dearest to me, my own body, to priests whom I chose to be above all the angels and above all other men. I gave to them these five good gifts: first, my faith; second, the two keys to hell and heaven; third, the ability to make an angel out of an enemy; fourth, the ability to consecrate my body, which none of the angels can do; fifth, the gift of handling my most pure body with their own hands. Now, however, they treat me just as the Jews did who denied that I had raised Lazarus and performed other miracles, who instead spread the rumor that I wanted to be made king, that I had prohibited paying the tribute tax, and that I would rebuild the temple in three days.

In similar fashion, priests do not speak of my miracles or teach my doctrine but teach rather the love of the world. They preach their own pleasure and think nothing of what I did for them. Second, they have lost the key with which they were to open heaven for the wretched. They love, however, the key that opens hell and keep it wrapped away in fine clean linen. Third, they make a wicked man out of a righteous one, a devil out of the simple-hearted, a wounded man out of a healthy one - anyone who turns to them with three wounds receives a fourth from them. If someone comes to them with four wounds, then he leaves them with five. Once a sinner has seen the immoral example of priests, he grows confident in sinning and begins to boast of the sin that he earlier considered shameful. This is why their condemnation will be greater than that of others, because they go astray in their conduct and hurt others by their example.
Fourth, they sell me, though they should be sanctifying me with their lips. They are worse than Judas. At least Judas recognized his sin and experienced remorse, however unprofitably. These, however, call themselves just and make a show of it. Judas returned the price for his services to the buyers. These, instead, keep it for their own use. Judas sold me prior to the world's redemption. These sell me after I have already redeemed the world. They feel no compassion about the blood I lost, which cries out for vengeance more than the blood of Abel. Judas sold me for money alone. These, however, sell me for any kind of merchandise, since they do not approach me unless they hope to gain something for themselves. Fifth, they treat me like the Jews. What did the Jews do? They put me on the wood of the cross, but these put me in an oil-press and press down hard upon it.
You might ask: How does this happen, given that my divine nature is impassible as well as my human nature? I will tell you. My divine and human natures are impassible, nor can sorrow or adversity affect God. However, the intention of these priests to remain in sin is so adverse and bitter to me that it is as if I were placed in an oil-press, if that were possible. These priests have two sins, namely, lust and greed, and they press me between the two.
They may, perhaps, do penance for these sins, but, then, after having carried out their priestly office, they have the firm intention to sin again, and so it is as though they press down hard upon me in an oil-press. Of course, they provide for women of ill repute and put them in a safe place so they can fulfill their lust and cast me out. They fawn on them and delight in them, but have no desire to see me who am the cause of their existence.
See, my friends, what sort of priests they are! See, my angels, the ones whom you serve! If I lay before you as I lie on the altar before them, none of you would dare to touch me. You would be afraid to do so. These men, however, betray me like thieves and traitors. Like whores they touch me. They are filthier than tar, yet they do not feel ashamed to approach me, who am the God and Lord of glory. Accordingly, as it was said to Israel, 'seven plagues shall come upon you.' Those seven plagues shall surely come upon the priests!”

Christ compares himself to Moses leading Israel through the Red Sea where the waters stood like walls to right and left, and about how Israel, that is, bad priests, neglect Christ and select the golden calf, that is, the world, and about how Christ honored priests by means of seven orders, from which they have turned away in seven ways.

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