Having thus gained his hearers, as he thought, the cardinal-bishop began the contest. ‘The loss of the soul,’ said he, ‘being the greatest ill possible to a man, our duty is, to the utmost of our power, to take care. Amidst the waves of our life we are in need of some means of escape from striking on the rocks and losing the vessel. This is what the Catholic Church has provided for fifteen hundred years; while these crafty men only began their innovations against the perpetual authority of the Church five-and-twenty years ago.’ Then follows a fine rhetorical burst which lacks nothing but truth and solidity. ‘Here is the point,’ said he; ‘here is the parting of the ways, the one road leading unto life, the other unto everlasting death. Every man arrives by his own road before the judgment-seat of the supreme Judge, Catholic and Protestant alike, there to have his cause investigated.’ The Catholics get off wonderfully, but when the turn of the Evangelicals comes it is quite otherwise with them. Sadoleto takes good care not to let the simple faithful ones appear, and brings before the tribunal only ‘one of the promoters of these divisions.’ He does not name either Luther or Calvin, but it is evident that it is one of them that he brings on the scene, probably the latter. Having leave to speak, the reformer begins thus: ‘O sovereign God! when I considered how all but universally corrupt are the morals of ecclesiastics, I was justly moved to anger against them; and when I thought also how much time I had spent in the study of theology and of human science, and that nevertheless I had not attained in the Church the rank which my labors deserved, while other men, my inferiors, were raised to honors and to benefices, I induced the greater part of the people to despise the decrees of the Church. I asserted that the bishops of Rome had falsely usurped the title of vicars of Christ; and having by this reputation of learning and wisdom obtained renown among the nations, I caused many seditions and divisions in the Church.’ [Sidenote: CONCLUSION OF THE LETTER.] Sadoleto having made the reformer speak in this fashion, again addresses the men of Geneva, and says to them, ‘How will it turn out, then, brethren, whom I wish to be united with me?’ The result of this double appearance is inevitable, and the promoter of all this evil, ‘taking his stand upon his works, holding in contempt the general assemblies of bishops, dismembering the one spouse of Christ, and tearing to pieces the Lord’s robe, can only weep for ever over his misery, gnashing his teeth even at himself.’ Consequently, the cardinal-bishop exhorts his brethren of Geneva, after having removed all the mists of error, to abide in union with our holy mother Church.[791]