The ancient fervour of Christian charity not only moved princes and private individuals to give away worldly goods to churches, but also moved the clergy to devote those goods to pious uses. Now that this fervour has grown cold, it is no wonder that the clergy are no longer generous, but are diligent only in acquiring goods and in retaining what they have acquired. And so it has become necessary to pass laws controlling excessive acquisitions, and pious men feel a strong desire to see the use made of ecclesiastical property return to the ancient model, or at least to a tolerable compromise with it.

The defects that can be seen today did not affect all the clergy together nor all at once. From a state of absolute or divine perfection, the clergy descended step by step to that imperfection now obvious to all, which they themselves admit and which some of them consider beyond all remedy. Yet if it pleases our Lord God to give as much grace to the faithful now as He gave to our ancestors, we ought not to despair of seeing the same marvels in our age as in theirs. It was by steps that the situation became so serious, and it is by steps that it is necessary for it to improve, in order to return to the primitive perfection of the Holy Church. […]