"For my part," said the minister, "I do not see how any fair-minded man can have any faith in the infallibility of the pope or think that he is the lawful successor of Peter when he considers the history of the popes, especially when he considers their morals and decisions. I never could understand how men could believe this doctrine when one infallible pope reverses the decision of a predecessor who was also infallible." "You spoke of their morals. What did you mean by that?" Wilson asked. "I meant that when we consider the immoral acts of some of these men who claimed to be the vicar of Christ, that is, His personal representative on earth, any man whose mind was not stultified by prejudice and superstition would rebel against the doctrine of the pope's being the vicar of Christ." "Just what immorality do you refer to?" McBryan asked. "Constantine (also known as St. Paul I) was one of the popes. Stephen IV was elected to supplant him. Stephen put out the eyes of Constantine. This pope also amputated the tongue of the Bishop Theodorus. Formosus, who had been excommunicated as a conspirator for the murder of Pope John, was elected pope in 891. Stephen VII had the dead body of Formosus taken from the grave, clothed in papal habiliments, propped up in a chair and tried before a council. The corpse was found guilty, three fingers were cut off and the body cast into the Tiber. In----" McBryan jumped to his feet, his face livid with anger. "Them's lies," he shouted, "damnable Protestant lies." "Sit down, McBryan, and keep still until the Reverend is through and then you can have your say. One speaker at a time, you know, and Reverend Benton has the floor." Wilson rapped on the table and spoke with the authoritative voice of a judge. "Very well, go on," said McBryan as he took his seat. The minister, unperturbed, continued: "In less than two months after Leo V became pope he was cast into prison by Christopher, one of his chaplains. This Christopher usurped his place and was afterwards expelled from Rome by Sergius III, who became pope. This pope lived in criminal intercourse with the celebrated Theodora. The love of Theodora was shared by John X. Through her influence John X was made archbishop and later pope. "John XII was only nineteen years of age when he became pope. His reign was characterized by the most shocking immoralities. He was given to drunkenness and gambling; he put out the eyes of one ecclesiastic and maimed another. He was charged with incest and many adulteries. He was at last deposed, and Leo VII was elected in his stead. Subsequently John XII got the upper hand and maimed and mutilated his antagonists. His life was finally brought to an end by a man whose wife he had seduced. Boniface VII imprisoned Benedict VII and starved him to death.