5777. About Babylon
I heard them saying that it is their intention to collect and gather to themselves all of the world's wealth. This is done through the multiplication of monasteries and through their wiles؛namely their claim] that they have control of the [laity's] souls, and through promises that they will be admitted into heaven, so that after they have raked in all their wealth, they are necessarily going to be recognized as the masters and they will be their slaves, and that otherwise they [the laity] absolutely cannot acquire a home for themselves, in a word, so that the whole world may be subject to them. From this the nature of the love of self is clear. It is plainly evident from the fact that although their storerooms are filled with wealth from top to bottom, and although they have annual revenues of up to many thousands of gold (coin), they still gather more, and even from the poor, without compassion toward orphans, widows.
5777. BABYLON.
I heard some saying that it is their intention to collect and gather to themselves all the riches of the world. This takes place through the multiplication of monasteries, and through the cunning in gaining ascendancy over men's souls, and by promises that they should be admitted into heaven; in order that, in this way, after they have scraped together all wealth, they would necessarily be acknowledged as masters, and that others must be their slaves; also that they were absolutely unable to acquire a home for themselves in any other way: in a word, to subject the whole globe to themselves. Hence is manifest what the love of self is. This is plainly manifest from the fact, that, although they have their cellars filled up with riches from top to bottom, and although they have annual revenues, even to many thousands of gold [pieces], yet they continually seek for more, and even from the poor - without compassion for orphans or widows.
5777. De Babylonia
Audivi dicentes quod intentio eorum sit, ut colligant et congregent ad se omnes divitias mundi, quod fit per multiplicationem monasteriorum, et illorum astutias, quod possideant animas eorum, et sponsiones quod intromittendi in coelum, ut sic postquam corraserint omnes opes, necessario agnoscendi pro dominis, et quod erunt servi eorum, et quod aliter non possint domum sibi acquirere absolute, verbo ut totum orbem sibi subjiciant, inde patet qualis amor sui: quod manifeste patet ex eo, quod tametsi cellaria sua divitiis oppleta habent a summo ad imum, et tametsi annuos proventus usque ad plura millia auri, usque continue conquirant plura; et quoque ex pauperibus - absque miseratione erga pupillos, viduas.