Interests for in that Assembly the Annates were taken away the Concordat betwixt Leo X. and Francis I. infringed and the Monks subjected to the Jurisdiction of the Bishops in so much that he gave France almost over for lost The Pope names Legates to preside in the Council and sends them away The time appointed by the Pope for the opening of the Council drawing nigh he deputed Legates to preside in it to wit Hercules de Gonzaga Cardinal of Mantua and Giacomo Puteo Cardinal of Nizza the first because of his interest and extraction and the second because of his ability in the Canon Law being Dean of the Rota At length the Pope received Letters from the Court of France dated the third of March 1561. wherein the King gave an absolute consent to the Council Spain did the like and so the difficulties were by little and little removed but at the same time the Portuguese were said to be coming to the Council with a design to get the Superiority of a Council over the Pope to de defined and that they took instructions about that point The Spaniards as to that were more dreaded than the Portuguese but the French most of all because they have been of a long time possest with that opinion Easter now drew nigh and therefore the Pope pressed the Legates and Italian Bishops to hasten their departure for Trent Cardinal Puteo falling very sick Cardinal Girolamo Seripando a famous Divine was named in his place He had orders to pass by Mantua and to take his Collegue with him but they arrived not at Trent till Easter Tuesday where they found nine Bishops already come About the same time the Duke of Savoy made peace with his Subjects inhabiting the Valleys The War had been unsuccesfull to him he was most commonly worsted and one day lost an Army of seven thousand Men the Waldenses having lost but fourteen of theirs The Agreement was made the fifth of June 1561. and they had certain places allotted them for the free Exercise of their Religion This displeased the Pope exceedingly who had contributed considerable Summs of Money for carrying on the War but Necessity has no Law A Convocation of the Clergy was resolved upon in France and to prevent any Suspicion that the Pope might thereby conceive they assured him that they would treat of nothing but of means to pay off the King's Debts and about matters in general which they might have to propose in Council This did not remove the Pope's Anxiety and therefore he sent the Cardinal of Ferrara to that Assembly to have an Eye over it that nothing might be acted there contrary to his Authority The Protestant party encreased considerably and all France was distinguished by these two Names Papists and Huguenots I shall observe by the bye that this word Huguenot the original of which seems obscure to Authours comes from the Suisse-word Eidgnossen which signifies Associates or Allies Those of Geneva who before the Bishop was expelled from thence resisted his Enterprises for oppressing their Liberties were called Eidgnossen because they were associated with the Cantons of Berne and Fribourg and since the Bishop having been banished and Religion changed they still retained the name of Eidgnossen Allies The Cardinal of Ferrara came therefore into France to oppose the Torrent which threatned an inundation in that Kingdom through the Authority of several great men who were engaged in the party of the Huguenots About the same time there was a train discovered laid by the Clergy of France not onely against the Protestant Religion but against the State also One Artus Desire was apprehended at Orleans with instructions from those of the Clergy who were of the faction of the House of Guise With these instructions he was going into Spain to procure assistance against the Hereticks who could not be sufficiently quelled by a Woman and a Child as the Commission of that Envoy imported This did the Protestants some kindness for it procured an Edict in their favour prohibiting any to molest them or to search their Houses under pretext of discovering their Assemblies the Prisons were opened their Prisoners set at liberty and their banished recalled This Artus was condemned to make the Amende honorable and to perpetual Imprisonment in the Chartreux The Edict of July against the Protestants But that Edict had not the happy effects which might have been expected because of the opposition that the Enemies of the Protestants made against it For in July following another Edict past in Parliament the King being present prohibiting the Exercise of any other Religion except that of the Church of Rome granting nevertheless pardon for what was past and ordering that for the future such as should be accused for Religion should onely be sentenced to banishment At the same time another Edict past for holding a Conference at Poissy betwixt the learned of the one and the other Religion A conference appointed at Poissy betwixt the Roman Catholicks and the Protestants to see if the differences between them could by any fair means be accommodated Several Catholicks opposed it as being a Compliance below the Church to enter the lists with Hereticks but the Cardinal of Lorrain who hoped to make his parts conspicuous on that occasion carried it The Pope was somewhat satisfied with the Edict of July and had been more if the Punishment of the Hereticks had not been mitigated to Banishment but he was extremely offended at the Conference of Poissy and the Edict which appointed it He wrote to the Bishops of France that they had no power to make Edicts in matters which concerned Religion in General that if they adventured upon any thing beyond the reach of their power he would rescind all that they did and proceed against them with all rigour The Bishops did not much value these threats onely assured the Pope that he had no reason to be startled at that Assembly France was an inexhaustible Spring of Troubles for the Pope from thence they flowed daily upon him and it was no small vexation that he received from the Estates at Pontoise wherein upon a debate that arose about Precedence betwixt the Princes and the Cardinals it was judged in favour of the Princes against the Cardinals The Cardinals of Chatillon and Armagnac yielded but those of Tournon Lorrain and Guise withdrew murmuring against their Collegues This vexed the Pope indeed but he was touched to the quick by a letter which he received from the Queen Regent dated the fourth of August wherein she bewailed the sad condition of France and the numerousness of the Protestant Party proposing to him some Remedies which she thought necessary in the present juncture that is several Reformations which according to her Judgment ought to be made in Religion as the taking of Images out of Churches the abolition of the use of Spittle and Exorcisms in Baptism the allowing the Cup to the People the restoring of the Vulgar
When the parts that made up this mighty Body the Empire came to separate and to be formed into several distinct States Kingdoms the Bishop of Rome puts himself into the Emperors place and by pretending a spiritual power still retains those several States and Kingdoms in a spiritual jurisdiction to him that were only at first obliged by the temporal power of the Emperours By this means he continues to assemble the Bishops of those several States and to term such Assembly a general Council Let any discerning person judge whether these Assemblies thus formed by accident as is most apparent can be vested with the priviledge of infallibility There never were any Councils that could truly and properly be called General Councils But after all it is a great abuse of words to give the name of Oecumenical or General Council to a Convention of two or three hundred Bishops out of five or six Nations Euseb de vita Constant l. 4. c. 8. When the Roman Emperours became Christian their Dominions did include the greatest part of Christendom but not the whole There was in Persia a very great number of Churches and those considerable ones in whose favour Constantine wrote to Sapor King of Persia Theod. l. 5. c. 33. Theodoret gives an account of the indiscreet zeal of one Audas a Persian Bishop who in the Reign of Isdigerdes burnt a Temple of the Persian God which was Fire and by that ill managed zeal was the cause of a Persecution of thirty years continuance by which an infinite number of Christians perished there by all manner of torments Th. 〈…〉 The same Theodoret tells us that in the time of Constantine the Gospel was preached in India with success by Aeâ—… and Frumentius and among the Iberians by a captive woman It is certain that these distant Churches sent not their Bishops to the Councils that were held in Countrys subject to the Roman Emperours A Council that might deserve the name of General ought at least to be composed of the Guides of the Church of all the Learned and of all those that have attentively studied the mysteries of Religion There is no place in the world could hold such an Assembly nor were it possible to deliberate in it But alas instead of the prodigious number of Guides and Pastors of the Catholick Church a very few and those almost all of the same Nation are it seems enough to make a General Council For it is certain that the Provinces near the place where the Council is celebrated do supply it with more Bishops and Divines than all the more remote Kingdoms put together and yet this scrap of a Council must pass for the Universal Church must be supposed to be acted by her Spirit and endued with her infallibility Than which there was never certainly a more vain imagination Certain it is that there hath as yet been nothing that can be truely stiled a General Council The ancient Councils had the name of General for that they were in time generally owned by the Church The second General Council consisted of but 150 Bishops and those only of the Provinces neighbouring to Constantinople The latter Councils are composed of yet sewer Nations there are only a few Italians Spaniards French and some Germans but neither the North the South the East nor the greatest part of the West are concerned in them I would very fain learn why the Gallican Church should not be infallible should she form an Assembly of a thousand Divines as she easily may and yet becomes infallible when joyned to Germans Spaniards and Italians It is a mystery beyond comprehension It were fit to produce good proofs for the establishment of this infallibility of Councils or at least to shew they are in possession of it by a Series of examples without interruption As for such proofs they ought to be out of the Holy Scripture But I shall not stand to examine or contest the proofs for that were to enter into Theological disputes whereas we intend here no more than Historical Reflections and such we cannot omit as we conceive will overthrow the infallibility of Councils That many General Councils so called have actually erred Those that maintain the infallibility of these Assemblies that they are pleased to stile General Councils would do well to make out this Assertion of theirs from History They will produce it may be five or six Councils whose Canons are owned by the Christian World But what if we on the other side produce twice as many whose Canons are rejected by the greatest part of Christendom It were much to be wished that we had certain undoubted Characters for distinguishing of true from false Councils For we see that such of them as have established errors are the same in externals with those that have confirmed the truth What difference is there between the most holy Council of Nice which condemned Arianism and the Council of Tyre and Jerusalem which but ten years after in the year 335. condemned St. Athanasius and the Doctrine of the Church It was the good Emperour Constantine that assembled both these Councils and that the latter was General appears by Eusebius Euseb l. 4. de vita Constant who assures us that it was convened from all parts of the Empire from Africk Asia Europe and Egypt it fate first in Tyre and was after removed by Constantine to Jerusalem for the more solemn dedication of the Temple he had there built to the honour of our Saviour In this Council Arianism so prevailed that St. Athanasius was condemned and banished by Constantine to Treves What can be said of the Council of Antioch held concerning St. Athanasius in the year 340 or 341 The holy Bishop was deposed in it Socrates Hist l. 2. c. 7. George made Bishop of Alexandria in his room the Christian Faith was corrupted by it and a Creed conceived in different terms from the Nicene Creed The word Consubstantial was left out and other words were used instead of it which the Arians pretended to be of the same signification Why was not this a General Council Was it not as well as the preceding convened from all parts of the Roman Empire Bellarmine confesses it was a General Council Tom. 2. l. 1. c. 6. de Conciliis and it is clear that it was so esteemed for that the 25 Canons made by it have been received and are still reckoned among the Canons of the Universal Church Distinct 16. Can. 11. Gratian not only took it for a Lawful Council but even thought it had been celebrated by the Orthodox What shall we say of the Council of Sardica Socrat. l. 2. lib. in the year 341 the fourth General upon the Cause of Arius Sozomen l. 3. c. 10. There were present 376 Bishops some say that threescore and sixteen of them were Arians Baronius Annal Tom. 2. ann num 67. 347. and retired from the rest to hold a
Pope that all the Mischief sprung from the Court of Rome and that therefore before any violent course could be used against the Lutherans it was necessary to attempt the Reformation of the Ecclesiasticks they demanded that the Annates which had been formerly appointed for carrying on the War against the Turks might be no more sent to Rome but that they should remain in the Empire in the hands of a Receiver to be named for which he should be accountable In a word they solicited the Pope speedily to call a free Council in Germany where all as well Seculars as Church-men might have free liberty to speak their opinions This discourse did not at all please the Nuncio and therefore he addressed himself in a manner not very satisfactory to the Diet for his answer tended onely to let them know that Germany ought to suffer with patience and expect the Reformation from the holy See and withall told them that he took it ill that in demanding a Council the Diet had added these words with the Consent of his Imperial Majesty The secular Princes who felt the oppression stopt not there they met by themselves and formed that famous writing which they called centum gravamina the hundred Grievances the Nuncio had notice of it but he departed before it was drawn up fair and therefore they themselves sent it to the Pope These hundred Grievances related chiefly to the oppression that the Seculars suffered from the Church-men the Usurpation of their Estates by the Clergy the means practised by the Church-men and Court of Rome to pillage the People the Annates Reservations abuse of Commendums the selling of the Sacraments and Burying the Exemptions of the Clergy and the manner of transferring Causes from Civil to Ecclesiastick Courts And because the Emperour Charles the V. was then in Spain the Diet that was held in his absence did both act and speak with greater Liberty so the Recess that is to year 1523 say the Decree of the Diet past sixth of March 1523. and immediately thereafter all the Memoires of it were printed to wit the Pope's Brief the Nuncio's instructions the Diets answer and the hundred Grievances Those that were engaged in the Interests of the Court of Rome were not well pleased to find in the Brief the frank and ingenuous Confession of Adrian that the original of the Mischief proceeded from the Corruption of his Court and the looseness of the Discipline and Manners of the Church This Diet did certainly much forward the Affairs of the Lutherans but Adrian lived not long after the Return of his Nuncio for he died the 13th of September 1523. without being much lamented by the Court of Rome who stood in awe of his Probity and the sincere Intentions which he still retained in his Heart of reforming the Abuses of that Court. CLEM. VII Adrian dies without any thing done Julius of Medicis is chosen in his place by the name of Clement VII On the nineteenth of November Julius of Medicis Cosin to Leo X. was chosen Pope who took the name of Clement VII he was certainly a man of less vertue than Adrian but of more wit greater politick cunning and address and more skill in the true interests of the Court of Rome He took a course quite opposite to that of Adrian and was not of opinion to acknowledge so frankly the disorders which he intended not to meddle with Nevertheless seeing he observed in the centum gravamina He sends another Legate into Germany to the Diet at Nuremberg that most of the Articles referred to the German Clergy he thought fit in some things to satisfie the Germans He therefore sent Laurence Campeggio Cardinal of St. Anastase to the Diet at Nuremberg which was held in the year 1524. year 1524 he gave him his instructions to act and speak in that Diet as if he had been wholly ignorant of what had past the year before under Adrian for the Cardinal spoke not a word of the hundred Grievances but onely offered a Reformation of the inferiour Clergy The Diet made answer that they were in the same mind as they had been the year before and that they had given in writing what they demanded and what they thought necessary for composing the troubles of Religion The Cardinal answered that neither the Pope nor he had ever heard of any Writings being presented to the College of Cardinals that indeed some Copies of the centum gravamina had been seen at Rome but that it was not believed that that Writing had been framed by the Princes of the Empire but was rather looked upon as the work of some private person a great enemy to the Court of Rome He added that the Pope was ready to satisfie the Germans touching the Reformation and that he himself had a full power to set about it The Diet built no great hopes upon these fair promises however they deputed some Princes to confer with the Cardinal but these conferences produced nothing at all for the Princes persisted in demanding the Reformation of the Court of Rome and the Cardinal refused it nor would he engage any farther than in reforming the Clergy of Germany In that he was as good as his word for he made a kind of Reformation which reached onely the puny Clergy but it was rejected by the Diet who perceived that it made onely for raising the power and greatness of the Prelates by lessening their inferiours The 18. of April the Diet pass'd their Edict the Emperour being absent as he was the year before Amongst other things it was concluded in that Recess that a free Council should by the Pope and consent of the Emperour with all expedition be convened in Germany that the States of the Empire should assemble at Spire to examine Luther's Books and to advise about the measures that ought to be taken concerning matters of Religion till that Council were called and in the mean time that the Magistrates should take care that the Gospel should be preached according to the Doctrine of Authours approved by the Church and that no Pamphlets or Books injurious to the Court of Rome should be published The Legate assembles the Catholick Princes at Ratisbonne and obtains a Decree against Luther The Legate being altogether dissatisfied with these resolutions prevailed with the Catholick Princes to assemble at Ratisbonne where in presence of Ferdinand the Emperour's Brother he got a Decree past against the Lutherans which commanded that the Edict of Wormes should in all points be put in execution against Luther He did more for he perswaded those Princes to admit of that gentle Reformation of the Clergy whereof he had proposed the Scheme and in a word got these Catholick Princes to enter into a League defensive for the preservation of their Estates and Religion The rest of the Princes and States of Germany without whom this Assembly at Ratisbonne was held complained loudly against it but the Cardinal Legate did not much
his Nuncio's in all places that they should exhort the Princes to have their Arms in readiness to constrain the Rebels to return into the bosome of the Church for it was not so much his thought to hold a Council for deciding of Controversies as to take from Princes all pretext of dealing with Protestants in the way of Lenity and Mildness The opinions of the Princes were extremely divided as to that particular The King of Spain approved both the Council and the choice of the place but the French refused the City of Trent and proposed Treves Constance Wormes or Haguenau The Emperour was of the same mind affirming that the Lutherans did abominate the Council which was begun that it would be impossible ever to induce them to come or to submit to the Council if a new one were not called He added that he could not undertake for the Empire before he had assembled a General Diet and that for his hereditary Dominions it would be hard for him to make them come to the Council if the Cup and Marriage of Priests were not again allowed them These proposals did not please the Pope he declared that he would never suffer the matters which had been already decided at Trent to be examined over again if it should cost him his life that as to the Restitution of the Chalice and the Marriage of Priests which were onely of positive right he should refer himself to the Council but that he would act nothing of himself alone though he had Authority to doe so The Assembly at Fontainebleau where it is resolved that a National Council shall be called in France and Severities in the mean time cease The Protestants multiplied in France and the dissentions encreased also The King was therefore obliged to call a numerous Assembly of the chief of the Kingdom to meet at Fontainebleau the twentieth of August in the same year 1560. Jean de Mouluc Bishop of Valence who was no Enemy to the Protestants and who wished for some Reformation in the Church gave his Judgment there for a national Council and for the forbearance of Persecution affirming that People were amazed at the Constancy of those that suffered which made them inform themselves about their Religion he was seconded by a great many more and Admiral Coligny himself presented to the King Petitions that had been delivered to him in Normandy which begg'd that a stop might be put to all Severities untill the Cause should be tried He added that having enquired whence these Petitions came they had made him answer that fifty thousand were ready to set their hands to them The Duke and Cardinal of Guise opposed these opinions and rejecting a national Council voted for the continuance of Severities The conclusion of the Assembly was an Edict ordaining the States to meet at Meaux the tenth of December ensuing and that if a General Council were not called the Bishops of France should assemble the thirteenth of January following that they might take their measures for holding of a national Council and that in the mean time Severities should cease That Assembly of Fontainebleau gave the Pope fresh Jealousies and he was the more afraid of the National Council because he found that the Protestants likewise demanded it He sent therefore orders to the Cardinal of Tournon his Legate in France to endeavour what lay in his power to prevent the Assembly of the Bishops and pressed the affair of calling the General Council He proposed it once again to the Ambassadours and represented to them the disorders that would be occasioned by a National Synod but he could not forbear discovering the true reason of the hatred which he bore to these National Synods in which he had not the absolute power They pretend said he to subject the Pope and Court of Rome to a Council but I am ready to lay down my life rather than to suffer it Pro fide religione volumus mori He would have the Ministers of Princes to give their opinions concerning that affair The Emperour's Ambassadour according to his Master's intention was of the mind that the matter should not be hastened too much that a Diet might be assembled to consult about it but the other Ambassadours consented to a speedy Convocation of the Council according to the intentions of the Pope In the mean time the Politicians looked upon all this eagerness of the Pope to be a kind of Comedy For they thought it a clear case that if he could not avoid a Council he would at least endeavour to put it off untill he had enriched his Family and his Nephews and that afterwards he would be willing to give others good Examples of frugality and moderation and bear more easily with the Reformations that might be made in the Council About the beginning of November Letters came to Rome from the Emperour's Court still pressing that the Council might not be called at Trent and that that Convocation might not pass for a Continuation of the former Council because the Place and that Continuation would be stumbling blocks to the Lutherans and would raise difficulties never to be surmounted France continued likewise in the same mind and the Union of those two great Powers in the same Sentiments put the Pope into a great deal of perplexity and made him thereupon hold several Congregations At length he resolved to pass over all these difficulties he minuted the Bull of Convocation The Pope formes the Bull of Convocation of the Council and still chuses the City of Trent and devised a form that might give content to all as well those who were onely for removing the Suspension of the Council as the rest who desired a Council to be called anew He gave this title to his Bull The Indiction of the Council of Trent which seemed to insinuate that it was to be a new Council but in the body of the Bull he said that he removed the Suspension and made use of the word Continue This middle way contented no body and displeased both parties However the Pope did all he could to perswade Princes to be satisfied and sent orders to his Ministers in France to endeavour to remove all Scruples about the word Continue because that should not hinder but that the affairs which had been decided under Paul and Julius III. might be reviewed if the Council thought it expedient year 1561 The opening of that Assembly was appointed to be on Easterday in the year 1561. And the Pope dispatcht the Bull into all places with Nuncio's to invite not onely Catholick Princes to the Council but all Protestant Princes also He sent the Abbot Martinengo to the Queen of England but she forbid him to enter her Dominions though the Kings that were in alliance with her had used all their interests to perswade her to receive him He had likewise designed to have sent a Nuncio into Muscovy to invite the Czar who is of the Greek Church to come to
all the Divines within their Jurisdiction the Bishop of Constance sent thither James le Fevre his great Vicar who was after Bishop of Vienna This man did what lay in his Power to break up the Assembly and to obstruct all Debates about matters of Religion Zuinglius persisted and in fine the Assembly being dissolved the Senate made an order that the Doctrine of the reformed Religion should be preached with full liberty This so sudden and violent growth of the Distemper made all People wish for a general Council as the onely remedy for restoring peace and tranquillity to the Church The Princes desired it in hopes by that means to provide against the Usurpations of the Priests and Bishops who daily invaded the Estates of Seculars the People longed for it for the reformation of the manners of the Clergy which were horribly corrupted the See of Rome seemed to desire it to support its tottering Authority but Luther and his Adherents protested from the beginning that they would not submit to it unless it were free and the Controversies decided onely by the word of God The Pope dreaded this remedy worse than the Disease he apprehended an Assembly where his Authority might be struck at and those Abuses reformed from which the Court of Rome reaped so much profit besides all this he was at a stand about the choice of the place he would with all his heart have held the Council either at Rome or in any other Town of the Ecclesiastick state where he might have been absolute Master but he foresaw that this design must meet with great opposition however his death which happened about the latter end of the year 1521 put an end to all his perplexities ADRIAN VI. After the death of Leo X. Adaian VI. is chosen in his place On the Ninth of January 1522 Adrian born in Utrecht was chosen in his place this Election was somewhat rare because Adrian at that time was absent from Rome and himself not so much as known there he was then in Biscaye and at Victoria received the News of his promotion but arrived in Rome about the end of August the same year Adrian was reckoned an honest and well meaning man P. Adrian desires to reform the Church that did not approve the disorders year 1522 of the Court of Rome he looked upon the Doctrine of Luther as foolish and stupid not thinking it capable to make any great progress but that those who had embraced that party had onely done it to be revenged of the Clergy for the oppression they suffered from them and for the aversion they had to the manners of the Church-men so that purposing by all means to pacifie these troubles he took a resolution of reforming the Court of Rome As for the Doctrine he was onely of opinion to give some Explanations concerning the Efficacy of Indulgences declaring that that Efficacy depends upon the works of those that receive the Indulgences so that they who neglect or perform amiss the works imposed upon them receive no benefit from the Indulgences but in proportion to their works Cardinal Cajetan a man consummated in School Divinity was at the bottom of the same Judgment with Adrian but he told him however that that Doctrine was not to be divulged because it would extinguish the Zeal that People had for Indulgences and lessen the Authority of the Pope for said he if once the People be perswaded that the Efficacy of Indulgences depends upon their own good works they will look upon themselves as the cause of the benefit they reap from them and set light by the Pope and the present that he makes them and farther they will easily be induced to believe that their good works alone are sufficient to procure them a full remission if they be allowed to think that the Efficacy of Indulgences depends upon their good works These reasons did preponderate with Adrian insomuch that he joyned in opinion with the Cardinal who thought fit that the rigour of the ancient penitential Canons should be revived that thereby the Necessity of Indulgences might appear because when Sinners should see themselves obnoxious to twenty or thirty years Penance according to the Canons they would then easily acknowledge the absolute Necessity of Indulgences to ease them from such severe pains but the Congregation appointed by the Pope to enquire into that affair could not digest that resolution and Laurence Pucci Cardinal of Santiquatro powerfully withstood it But he could not succeed in the design of that Reformation Adrian in the mean while did not wholly lay aside the design of reformation he sent for John Peter Caraffa Archbishop of Chieti and Marcel Cazel Bishop of Cajeta that he might have the assistance of their Councils because both were held in great reputation for probity and knowledge in the Discipline of the Church He was minded to have abolished the use of Dispensations and to have cut off every thing that looked like Simony but when he came to cast about for the means of effecting this he found himself in great Perplexity At length Francis Soderin Cardinal of Volterre put a stop to all these specious designs of reformation He told the Pope that that was the way to puff up the Lutheran party that it would be a great blow to the Authority of the Church by a reformation to confess her possibility of erring that Hereticks would from thence draw great advantages and that the holy See would by that means lose all its credit in the minds of the People he concluded that Croisades were the onely expedient to root out growing Heresies which he confirmed by the Instance of that great success obtained by Innocent III. in the ruine of the Albigenses by the way of force Adrian yeilded to his reasons seeing he could doe no more but sigh in secret for the Disorders which he could not remedy publickly In the mean while he sent Francis Cherigat Bishop of Fabriano to the Diet at Nuremberg he wrote to the Princes Adrian sends a Letter into Germany confessing that the Church and Court of Rome are corrupted and particularly to the Duke of Saxony exhorting them to extirpate the Lutherans by Fire and Sword He confessed to them that there were great abused in the Court of Rome and that the original of all the Mischief came from thence promising to remedy it and in the first Place to reform the holy See in imitation of our Lord Jesus Christ who in reforming of Jerusalem began at the Temple out of which he drove the Merchants and Money-changers but he excused himself that that was not the business of one day at the same time he complained of the disorders of the Regular and Secular Priests of Germany of which the one forsook their Monasteries to live again in the World and the others married to the great Scandal of the Church The Diet made answer in a kind of ambiguous manner but which did insinuate to the
been able to stir up so many people all would again return into the Bosome of the Church from which they had fallen off Next year was employed in negotiating an accommodation betwixt the Catholick and Protestant parties wherein the Elector of Mentz and the Palatine endeavoured all that lay in their power But the Emperour finding that such tentatives for healing of Religion would never succeed persisted in his thoughts of calling a Council He wanted a pretext for using of Force and hoped to find one in a Council because the Protestants would be obliged to submit to it and if they year 1533 refused he would have law on his side to force them He therefore sent to Rome to represent to the Pope and College of Cardinals the necessity of calling a Council without any delay The Emperour presses a Council and not obtaining it makes his first Edict in favour of Protestants This demand was seconded by the Ambassador of the King of France and though the Pope was resolved not to grant yet durst he not flatly refuse it He therefore consented to it but under conditions that rendred the thing impossible for he purposed the holding of a Council at Bologna Piacenza or in some other Town of the Ecclesiastick State well foreseeing that the Germans would never agree to that He also declared that none but Bishops and Abbots should have a decisive Vote which was not the free Council that the Germans so urgently desired The Emperour perceiving that nothing was to be expected on that side at length resolved to restore Peace to Germany which he did by the Edict of Nuremberg dated July 23 1532. whereby he gave full liberty to all States Princes Towns and private Persons to enjoy and live in the Religion that they had chosen without molesting of others and without being molested by any till the sitting of the next Council which the Pope should be solicited to call within six months and open within a year This was the first Edict of toleration that the Protestants obtained in Germany which extremely netled the Court of Rome Things however were husht up and after all they found that the Emperour was not so much to be blamed For the Protestants obstinately refused to make head against Solyman who with a formidable Army was coming to powr in upon Austria unless that indulgence were granted them So that the fear of the Turks whom Charles had to doe with was the sole cause of his moderation A second interview betwixt the Pope and the Emperour the Pope refuses a Council but after grants it on conditions which the Protestants refuse to accept So soon as that War was ended and the Turks driven out of Austria the Emperour renewed his design of concluding the affairs of Religion in Germany He made a journey into Italy and had a second interview with the Pope at Bologna In this interview they had a fresh conference about the necessity of holding a Council the Pope persisted to oppose it and if at any time he seemed to condescend yet stood he firm that the Council should be held upon the conditions he had proposed Charles who had no other interest in the affair than that of his Authority which he desired to settle by obliging the Germans to live under the same Laws was not very much troubled upon what conditions a Council were held provided the Lutherans accepted them They therefore agreed betwixt themselves to send Ambassadors to the Elector of Saxony to incline him to accept of the conditions proposed by the Pope The Elector desires leave to communicate the affairs to the Assembly of Protestants which was to be held at Smalcalde the 23 of June the same year And indeed he did so but the Assembly rejected the Pope's propositions and persisted in demanding a free Council to be held in Germany where every one might have freedom to speak their minds and wherein judgment should be pronounced according to the word of Go without any respect had to the Authority of the Pope Traditions or Canons Their Answer was long and argumentative of which Copies were sent to the Pope and the Emperour and afterwards Printed with the Pope's propositions The Pope dissatisfied with the Emperour enters into a league with the King of France This interveiw of the Pope and Emperour did not all contribute to the cementing of their friendship for they began to entertain Jealousies one of another the Pope could not relish those reiterated instances that the Emperour made to him for calling a Council to which he had an incurable aversion But above all that which most increased their misunderstanding was the Judgment given by the Emperour upon the debate which the Pope had with the Duke of Ferrara concerning the Towns of Rheggio and Modena Both parties agreed to refer that affair to the determination of the Emperour that as Umpire he might give Sentence therein The Emperour pronounced against the Pope and confirmed the Duke of Ferrara in the possession of those two Towns So that the Pope being ill satisfied with the Emperour took a resolution of entring into a strict alliance with the King of France and at the same time to raise the Grandure of his Family he Married Catharine of Medicis his Neice to Henry second Son to that King and for the accomplishment and confirmation of the Treaty the Pope gave the King of France an interveiw at Marseilles Amongst other things that past at that interveiw the Pope required of the King that he would use his interest with the Protestants of Germany and especially with the Landgrave of Hesse to take them off from demanding a Council or that they should demand it on conditions more easie for the Court of Rome The King attempted it but could not succeed however the Landgrave of Hesse yielded in some things and consented that the Council might not be held in Germany provided the place of its meeting were out of Italy and in a Town where the Council might be free The King himself proposed to the Pope the Town of Geneva an dundertook to get the Protestants to accept of it This proposal seemed strange to the Pope who perceived that the King of France was no fit Agent to transact matters according to the intentions of the Court of Rome and therefore they thanked him for the pains he had taken and desired him to proceed no farther so that a stop was put to that Negotiation in the beginning of the year 1534. year 1534 Henry King of England shakes off the Pope's authority without any innovation in Religion The same year the Court of Rome had the trouble to see one of the most considerable Members of the Roman Church fall off from it whilst they endeavoured to recover Germany they lose England Henry VIII had Married Catharine Infanta of Spain Aunt by the Mother to the Emperour Charles V. This Princess by a former Marriage had been Wife to Prince Arthur elder Brother
more dallying It was not enough that he had made himself Head of the Church of England but he also rased and burnt the Bones of St. Thomas of Canterbury who was killed in the year 1171. and died a Martyr for the Authority of the Pope He cut off the head of Fisher Bishop of Rochester without respect to the dignity of the Cardinalship with which the Pope had honoured him during his imprisonment as a reward for his vigorous maintaining the interests of the Court of Rome against the attempts of Henry In a word the Pope looking on him as a sinner hardened in impenitence thundered a terrible Bull against him which had been framed in the year 1535. By that Bull he deprived him of his dominions and his adherents of all their Estates He absolved the English and all other his Subjects from their obedience to him prohibited all strangers to have any commerce with that Kingdom and charged all Christian people to rise in arms against him and his dominions bestowing them as a prey upon him that first could conquer them This Bull though more terrible than any that the Predecessours of Paul had ever thundered yet wrought no effect and hindered not but that the Emperour the King of France and other Catholick Princes made Leagues and Alliances with Henry King of England year 1539 An amicable Conference is appointed betwixt the Catholicks and Protestants of Germany Next year which was the year 1539. the affairs of Religion threatned new trouble in Germany because the Catholick Princes had made a League amongst themselves at Nuremberg as the Protestants had made another at Smalcalde which obliged the Emperour and States of the Empire to hold a Diet at Frankfort In this assembly after long debates it was resolved that an amicable conference should be appointed betwixt the Doctours of both parties to try if it were possible to find a mean to satisfie both Nuremberg was pitcht upon for the place of the conference and the opening of it appointed to be the first of August So soon as the news of this was brought to Rome The Pope was startled at it as being done without his Authority and as being a prejudicating of the Council which he had promised not to expect from it the decision of controversies So that he immediately dispatched the Bishop of Monte Pulciano to the Emperour in Spain to perswade him to annull the Decrees of the Diet of Frankfort and to put a stop to that conference But the Emperour thought it not fit to doe any thing nor to declare himself against the conference of Nuremberg he foresaw a storm coming from France and had the Turk likewise to deal with and therefore he resolved at any rate to satisfie the Protestants Nevertheless that conference was not held because the Emperour had other affairs that more nearly concerned him The Emperess died and Ghent with part of the low Countreys revolted so that being taken up with other matters he had no time to mind this But being obliged to goe into Flanders to settle these troubles his brother Ferdinand went thither to wait on him where both together agreed to grant that conference Cardinal Farnese a young man of twenty years of age seconded by the Counsels of Marcello Cervino who was afterward Pope with great vigour opposed it and endeavoured to ward that blow by promising a Council which should speedily be convened he solicited the Emperour to make use of his arms rather than of conferences which could not succeed and which struck at the Pope's Authority The Emperour and Ferdinand continued firm in their resolutions and the Diet was called at Haguenaw where all the Princes were invited to year 1541 appear in person Many Lutheran Ministers and Catholick Doctours came but the Diet was spent in idle Janglings about Preliminaries and seeing heats began to arise the Conference was put off till October the 28th to be held in the City of Wormes A Conference at Wormes which has as little success as the rest where the Pope's Nuncio's if they pleased might be present The Emperour confirmed that Decree condescended to the time and place and sent thither as his Commissioner Granvelle who carried with him his Son that was afterwards Bishop of Arras and Cardinal Thomas Campeggio Bishop of Feltre came thither in quality of the Peope's Nuncio but this Conference lasted but three days Eckius spoke for the Catholicks and Melancthon for the Protestants the subject of their Dispute being about Original Sin But whilst the Pope seemed to give way to the Conference by the presence of his Nuncio who was there at the same time by his Nuncio resident at the Emperour's Court he endeavoured to break it up This Nuncio represented to the Emperour that it could not but engender a Schism make all Germany Lutheran and ruine both the authority of the Pope and Emperour These Reasons or rather some private interests obliged the Emperour to break up the Conference He recalled Granvelle and adjourned the Diet to Ratisbonne The opening of this Diet was in the month of March next year after The Emperour was there in person and for a famous Dispute that happened named the Disputants himself for the Catholicks John Eckius Julius Fluggius and John Groper for the Protestants Melancthon Bucer and John Pistorius the Electour for the Protestants and Granvelle for the Emperour were Moderatours of the Conference Cardinal Contarini who had the reputation of a learned and wise man was there as the Pope's Legate Upon some points they came to an agreement as upon Justification the merit of Works Free-will Original Sin the Scripture c. but in many others nothing could be agreed upon as the Power of the Church the Sacrament of Penance Single Life the Eucharist and the Hierarchy not to name many considerable points that were not medled with The result of the Conference was communicated to the Diet which the Legate pleaded ought to be sent to the Pope for his judgment and approbation and promised a General Council to prevent the holding of a National Synod This Legate did set about the making of some Reformation in the Clergy but that essay was fruitless as all the former had been At length the Emperour made the Edict of the Diet date July the 28th whereby he referred the decision of the Affair either to a General or National Council of Germany or else to another Diet of the Empire In the interim he charged the Protestants to make no Innovation to keep to the Points that had been agreed upon and that none should presume either by perswasion or violence to draw off any from the Roman Catholick Religion But in the mean time by particular and private Grants he allowed all a free exercise of Religion so true it is that the most zealous Princes in appearance have no other Religion but Interest However they were pretty well satisfied at Rome that these Conferences had no effect but Cardinal Contarini was
Naples did not obtain what he desired With ten Bishops at Trent the Congregation began to handle Preliminaries Till the end of April there were no more than three or four Bishops arrived at Trent but at length the third of May they made up the Number of Ten with whom a Congregation was held for regulating the Preliminaries wherein in there was a great deal of discourse but nothing concluded proposals were made about the Ornaments which the Legates were to have about empty places that were to be left for the Pope and the Emperour and the rights of precedence amongst the German Bishops who were Princes but nothing was concluded on save onely that they must expect till the Council were assembled in a fuller body There was indeed a great deal of discourse about the time of opening the Council and there was one reason that pleaded for a delay to wit the small number of Bishops but there were others that urged the hastening of it and the Chief was that thereby a stop might be put to the Enterprises of Princes and especially to those of the Emperour who upon all occasions offered at the deciding of matters of Religion which perhaps he might be more cautious in doing if once the Council were opened After all there considerations it was concluded that they should expect advice from Cardinal Farnese who was Legate with the Emperour The Prelates at Trent are weary of staying but they are stopt and money ordered to be given to the poor Bishops About the end of May there were got together at Trent twenty Bishops five Generals of Orders and an Auditour of the Rota the first comers were already very weary of delay and were therefore called in Raillery The hot-headed Gentlemen but their Zeal quickly cooled They began in good earnest to think of withdrawing and the most part without Ceremony plainly begg'd leave to return home others desired liberty to goe to Venice and other neighbouring Towns to buy Clothes and change the Air under pretence of some indisposition but the Legates suffered none to depart Most of these Prelates were poor Italian Bishops sent by the Pope who declared themselves unable to subsist there at their own charges It is true the Pope had remitted all tenths to those Bishops that should goe to the Council but that not much encrease the Revenues of those poor Bishops and therefore the Legates were fain to give them Money to encourage them to stay Others there were who made use of the Emperour's conduct for a Colour of withdrawing saying that they could not endure to see the Council so disparaged and slighted by his endeavouring to judge of matter of Religion the decision whereof belonged properly to it but notwithstanding all their impatience the Prelates were necessitated to bear with these delays and to wait five Months June July August September and October before the Council could be opened The Emperour who plaid his game with the Protestants and did not intend to exasperate them stopt all and held matters in suspence Sometimes he flattered the Lutherans with the hopes of preventing the sitting of the Council provided they consented to what he desired of them and sometimes again he threatned them with the Council that would arm all Christendom against them Don Diego de Mendoza his Ambassadour returned to his Embassie at Venice entreating the Legates not to open the Council without his presence The true cause of all this Conduct was that the Emperour intended not that the Council should proceed against the Lutherans before the had made his Peace with the Turk that so he might not have too many Enemies at the same time to encounter These delays put the Pope out of all Patience he many times repented the calling of the Council and if he could have done it with honour would certainly have revoked all that had been done thus not daring to break up and dissolve the Council it was said that he intended to remove it to a place where his Power and Authority was greater At length he resolved to sent the Bishop of Caserta to the Emperour to make an end of that affair and to bring him to consent to one of these three things either to the Opening or to the Suspension or to the Translation of the Council The Emperour consents to the opening of the Council conditionally and the Pope is angry The Emperour rejected the Suspension and Translation but persisted in starting difficulties as to the Opening because he was willing to expect the issue of the approaching Diet which was called at Ratisbonne in the Month of January however he consented to the opening of the Council in the Month of October provided that nothing concerning the Lutherans were brought under debate and nothing but the matter of Reformation taken into Consideration This last fetch of the Emperours in regard of the Lutherans put the Pope out of Patience however without any shew of discontent at that answer he resolved to act by himself and the last of October wrote to his Legates that without farther delay they should open the Council on the thirteenth of December This was very gratefull News to the Prelates assembled at Trent but the Legates were troubled to see that the French Bishops who were but three in number were recalled by their King for that did insinuate as if France designed not to approve of that Council nor to have any hand in it These small heart-burnings however hindred not but that the least things that concerned the Glory and Authority of the Pope were carefully looked after advice was therefore given that in opening of the Council the Bull that appointed it should be read to the end that all that was done in the Council might appear to depend on the Authority of the holy See with prospect of establishing thereby the Pope's Superiority over the Council and so the Bull was sent according as the Legates had desired session 1 At length the thirteenth of December came on which the Pope had ordered the opening of the Council and for the greater Solemnity the Pope appointed a Jubile at Rome and that all should after three days fasting confess and receive the Sacrament The twenty five Prelates that were at Trent made a solemn Procession in their Pontificals The Church was hung with Tapestry the Cardinal di Monte first Legate said the Mass of the Holy Ghost The Sermon of the Bishop of Bitonto is disliked by many and Cornelius de Muis Bishop of Bitonto made a Sermon after which the Legates made a long Discourse about the necessity of holding a Council and what their procedure ought to be therein The Discourse of the Legates was pretty well liked but the Bishop's Sermon was found to be stuft with a pedantick and idle strain of Eloquence He largely proved the necessity of holding a Council laid before them the Disorders of the Church made a long Encomium on the Pope and another somewhat shorter on the
Pope and Council were the Authors This Mystery was soon discovered for the Pope published a Jubile at Rome the fifteenth of July for the good Success of the Arms of the Church and Emperour which were joyned for reducing Hereticks to their obedience by force In the mean time the Emperour continued to proceed upon the account of a War of State for he Outlawed the Landgrave and Electour of Saxony and published a Proclamation thereupon dated the two and twentieth of July wherein he accused them of having conspired against him of having made War against other Princes of the Empire of seizing on Bishopricks of having robbed several People of their Estates and having cloaked all these attempts under the fair pretext of Peace Liberty and Religion so that he proscribed them as seditious Traytors and disturbers of the publick Peace forfeited all their Dignities and absolved their Subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance though in all this charge there was not the least word that accused them of Heresie or defection from the Church By these two opposite Declarations which were made by the Emperour and the Pope they were mutually vexed and crossed one another in the private designs which each of them had All men easily saw into the meaning of this for it was evident that the Pope had onely undertaken the War for the ruine of the Protestants but on the contrary that the Emperour was not much concerned for the interests of the Church if he could but advance the greatness of his Family The Italians were not satisfied with the Pope's Conduct for thereby they saw that he afforded the Emperour means of making himself absolute Master of Germany which could not come to pass without exposing the Princes of Italy to the same dint of oppression The Pope had a great mind to draw another advantage from that War and that was of finding a pretext to dissolve the Council The Protestant Army who had a design to hinder the joyning of the Emperour and Pope's Forces was advanced near the County of Tirol which is not far from Trent This was enough to alarm the Prelates who were already weary of their long stay and of the small matters they had done Besides Trent lay in the passage of the Troops which marched from Italy into Germany to the assistance of the Emperour so that during the whole Month of August that City was continually pestered with Souldiers which interrupted the proceedings of the Council Thus all circumstances seemed favourable for the breaking up of that Assembly or at least for translating it into some Town in Italy which was passionately desired by the Court of Rome who therefore snatcht at all occasions to do it But the Emperour was of another mind the Council was usefull to his designs of having a pretext to oppress those that would not submit to it and so would have it continue where it was He therefore sent to Trent promised the Prelates to see to their safety and because the Cardinal di Santa Croce one of the Legates enclined mightily to have the Council separated he made his Ambassadour threaten him that if he stirred the least in the affair of dissolving or translating the Council he would cause him to be thrown into the River of Adige at least so much hath been said and written by the Historians of that time The Emperour had great success in this War the Armies had lain a pretty long space near one another and the Protestants had had many fair occasions of gaining considerable advantages upon the Imperialists but they could make no use of them because they were commanded by two Generals of equal Authority to wit the Electour of Saxony and the Landgrave of Hesse This Parity in authority and command is always fatal to Armies because Jealousie never fails to raise division and misunderstanding betwixt the two Generals However the advantages were much alike on both sides untill the end of October at which time the Emperour caused the Army of the Bohemians and of his Allies under the Command of his Brother Ferdinand and Duke Maurice of Saxony to march into the Territories of the Landgrave and Electour who were the two heads of the Protestants This obliged them to draw off and to march to the defence of their own Countries and so the Emperour without fighting remained Master of the upper Germany and all the States in those Quarters whether Princes or Towns submitted to his Laws He got of them a great supply of Artillery for his Army and vast sums of money but in requital allowed all liberty of Conscience and the free exercise of their Religion And now the Pope began to discover the true intentions of Charles the Emperour who gave him no share in what he got destroyed not the Protestants but left them in full liberty as to Religion and the forces of the Church served for no other end but to render him absolute Master of Germany Nay he had even promised to Duke Maurice the Electorate of Saxony though he was no less Lutheran than his Cosin This conduct opened the Pope's eyes and made him see his true interests He therefore in the first place recalled Alexander Farnese one of his Nephews whom he had sent as Legate with his Army and some time after about the middle of December he commanded Octavian Farnese Duke of Parma Son in Law to the Emperour his other Nephew and General of his Forces to draw them back into Italy The Emperour complained of this but he excused himself in that the time of six Months for which he had promised his Troops was expired and that he was no longer able to support so great a charge The Protestants who had suffered bad usage revenged themselves on the Pope by publishing a Manifesto against him stuft with all sorts of reproaches wherein they called him Antichrist and the instrument of the Devil they accused him of having sent People into Germany to poison the Wells and standing Waters and to set fire into several places in Saxony and gave all People warning to beware of such Poisoners and Incendiaries Though these accusations were not believed but lookt upon as Calumnies dictated by a Spirit of Revenge the Pope however got nothing by that Conjunction with the Emperour but trouble confusion and shame besides the loss of his Troops which returned in very bad equipage During these troubles the Fathers of the Council of Trent were still a-doeing but proceeded very slowly The Pope and the Emperour for reasons quite different were glad that affairs were protracted The Emperour because he desired that the Council might not decide the controversies of the Lutherans before he had made an end of the War that he was engaged in The Pope because he hoped that by managing affairs slowly in the Council he might at length tire out both People and Prelates and cause a final dissolution of the Assembly And so the Session which was to have been held the nine and twentieth
the Council was not obliged to hear him since the Letter gave not the Council the Title which belonged to them yet they would without prejudice give him Audience Vargas spoke smartly to perswade them to return to Trent But the Cardinal Legate answered proudly that he was President of the sacred Council Legate of Paul III. the Vicar of Jesus Christ that he declared the Council to have been lawfully transferred and that no threatnings could hinder him from continuing it On the contrary he threatned the Emperour that if he endeavoured to obstruct it he should incur the Penalties imposed by the Canons Upon that Answer Velasco read the Protestation wherewith he was charged which in the end came to this The Emperour protests at Rome and at Bologna against the Pope and his Council of Bologna that the Translation of the Council was null and unlawfull with all that had followed or might follow thereupon declaring that the Answer which the Pope and they had given was fraudulent and illusory and that the Emperour should not be obliged to answer for the Mischiefs that might arise from that matter Mendoza likewise on the other side having kneeled down in a full Consistory made the same Protestation to the Pope and having turned towards the Cardinals and protested also against them he withdrew leaving the Paper which he had read behind him This blow did a little amaze the Pope but he quickly came to himself again the Roman Policy was not at a stand in this Juncture they saw that matters would not long subsist in the Biass that was taken And therefore with a Sovereign and matchless Piece of Policy the Pope resolved to bring that affair about another way he well perceived that by that Act of Protestation he himself was brought in as a Party and that was an evident prejudice to the Character of a supreme Judge who can be judged by no man which he claims as his Right He therfore pretended to have understood that that Protestation was not made against him but against the Council and in a Consistory held the first of February 1548 he made answer to Mendoza that in quality of Judge he was very willing to take Cognisance of that Controversie which the Emperour had with the Council of Bologna that he removed the Cause to his own Judgment and that he had named four Cardinals Paris Burgos Pool Crescencio to make a Report to him about it but that was accompanied with long Complaints against that violent way of procedure which was never used but by those who had shaken off the Yoke of Obedience The Imperialists set light by that distinction they would not run into the noose and Mendoza declared that he had Orders to make the Protestation in the form wherein it had been made year 1548 In effect the Pope did all he could to make himself Judge of that affair that so he might not be looked upon as a Party He wrote to the Bishops at Trent that he was ready to hear them he discharged those of Bologna from entring upon any Synodal action untill the Process should be decided The Bishops at Trent answered cunningly to the Pope's Remonstrances insisted with him to remit the Council to Trent and accepted not of the Offer which the Pope made of judging in that matter The Bishops at Bologna were acquainted with the Letter that came from Trent they examined the Articles of it and made answer to them And then as if the Process had been sufficiently stated they pressed the Pope to give Judgment But he durst not because no body appeared to plead the cause of those of Trent and besides that he had no mind to clash any more with the Emperour out of whose hands he would willingly have got Piacenza He therefore bestirred himself with all imaginable care to obtain that place to be again restored to his Family but the Emperour refused to give it back This put the Pope into a Passion and made him threaten to excommunicate those that held it But Charles was not much concerned at these Menaces he briskly answered the Pope that his Conduct did infinitely displease him and that he should take notice that he could no longer suffer the Calumnies which the Court of Rome spread abroad of him as if he intended to make a Schism in the Church because he demanded the re-establishment of the Council at Trent that as to the City of Piacenza it was a Town of the Dutchy of Milan which the Popes had unjustly invaded within a few years that if the Church had any Right to it he should make it out and that he would doe him Justice The Pope essayed to cut out work for the Emperour by means of the Venetians and French but he found them in no disposition to it for he being now upwards of fourscore Years of Age it could not be expected that a League with him could either be succesfull or of long Continuance and besides his own interest being deeply concerned he was not willing to furnish the necessary expence for the War nor to part from such sums of money as he needs must lay out to make any considerable Levies amongst the Venetians The Emperour makes the Interim and a Decree of Reformation at the Diet of Ausbourg These misunderstandings and clashings having put the Emperour out of all hopes of bringing back the Council to Trent he took pretty odd measures at the Diet of Ausbourg He resolved to regulate the Affairs of Religion himself and for that end he named three Divines Julius Phlug Michael Helding Titular Bishop of Sidon and Johannes Agricola of Islebe by whose means he framed a certain Formulary of Faith about all matters of Religion to which he would oblige all the People of Germany to submit untill the Council should define them and therefore that famous Piece was called the Interim It contained thirty five Chapters wherein they endeavoured to qualifie those Doctrines of the Church of Rome which most offended the Protestants as for instance the Marriage of Priests was thereby allowed the Communion in both kinds granted the Sacrifice of the Mass was not called Propitiatory Liberty was allowed to cut off such Ceremonies as tended to superstition the Pope was onely acknowledged head of the Church for Union sake and for preventing of Schism and the power of Bishops was declared of Divine right When this Work came to Rome it met with many Opponents most part were of opinion that it ought to be opposed by the most violent means and strongest Antidotes not onely because it was an unparallel'd undertaking for a secular Prince to meddle in settling the Affairs of Religion but also because the Catholick Religion was notoriously wounded by that Interim But the Pope saw farther than all the rest he smelt out what happened that the Emperour had fallen upon the way of making both Parties against him and therefore he dissembled the dissatisfaction which he conceived at that attempt ordered
ever done it but that of Basil the least action whereof they scrupled to imitate they added that the coming of the Lutherans to the Council would onely serve to seduce people because they would not forbear their Dogmatical Cant that on the whole if they refused to submit that safe conduct would be dishonourable to the Council from which they required a compliance which ought never to be granted to Hereticks To remove all these difficulties they thought of giving a safe Conduct in general terms wherein the Protestants should not be named but onely designed under the Title of Church-men and Seculars of the German Nation that so if at any other time necessity did require they might say that by these terms none were meant but Catholicks Whilst they were consulting at Rome about the safe Conduct at Trent points of Doctrine were under examination and that inquiry was not so calm and peaceable as the other about the Anathema's and Canons against Protestants for it was impossible to keep the Jacobins and Cordeliers from going together by tho ears about the matter of Transubstantiation The Jacobins pretended that the body of our Saviour is made present in the Eucharist by way of Production because the Body of Jesus Christ without coming down from Heaven where it is in its natural being is rendered present in the Bread by a reproduction of the same substance according to which Doctrine the substance according to which Doctrine the substance of the Bread is changed into the substance of our Lord's Body The Cordeliers on the other hand defended that Transubstantiation which is called Adductive they alledged that our Lord's Body is brought down from Heaven not by a successive but momentany change and that the substance of Bread is not changed into the substance of the Body of Jesus Christ but that the Flesh and Bloud of Jesus Christ succeeds into the place of the substance of the Bread being conveyed thither from another place Each Party maintained their opinions with wonderfull heat branding one anothers with absurdities and contradictions The Electour of Cologne who had had the patience to hear these wretched janglings said very pleasantly that both Parties were in the right when they refuted and charged one another with absurdities but that they seemed all of them to be out of the way when they asserted their opinions because they spoke nothing that was Sense or Intelligible at length seeing there was no declaring for one Party without offending the other they satisfied them both by couching the Decree in very general terms In the same Congregation they discoursed of many abuses that concerned the Eucharist which ought to be reformed such as are the failings in reverence and respect to the holy Sacrament It was complained of that they did not kneel before it that they let it mould in the Pixes that it was administred with little reverence and that they took money from Communicants This last abuse was committed particularly at Rome where the Communicants carried in one hand a hollow Taper and a piece of money in the Taper which was the Priests see It was resolved that Canons should be made against that abuse and many more of the like nature The original of the Jurisdiction of the Tribunals of the Church with their progress At the same time other Congregations were held consisting onely of Doctors of the Canon Law for handling the matter of Discipline the Head that was examined was that of the Jurisdiction of Bishops The end the Bishops proposed to themselves was not the rectifying of the abuses of that Jurisdiction by restraining it to the just and lawfull bounds whereby it was limited in the Apostles time and in the primitive Ages of the Church on the contrary they would have enlarged it by exempting it from the power and attempts of the Court of Rome That Jurisdiction in the first Ages was onely grounded on the sixth Chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians wherein St. Paul exhorts believers not to bring their Causes before Infidels but to chuse out amongst themselves fit persons to compose their differences but because the Tribunal which St. Paul establishes in that place was merely a tribunal of Charity which had no coercive power so the Sentences that past there were onely Verdicts of Arbitration which men stood by if they thought fit by the six and fiftieth Chapter of the second Book of the Constitutions attributed to St. Clement it appears that the Bishop and Priests met every Munday for determining the affairs of their Flock And it rarely happened that any one appealed from these Decisions because of the great respect that men in those days had for the Church But after the times of persecution were over the Bishops supported by the Emperours who were become Christians erected Real Tribunals the Decrees and Sentences whereof were put in execution by the Authority of the Magistrate It is said that Constantine ordained that the Sentences of Bishops should be without appeal and be put in execution by the Secular Judges and that if one of the Parties should desire that a Process commenced before a Secular Judge might be referred to the Tribunal of the Bishop the reference should be granted in spight of all opposition either from the Judge or the adverse Party In the year three hundred sixty five the Emperour Valens enlarged that Jurisdiction and Possidius reports that St. Austin was taken up in those trials of Civil matters many times even till night which troubled him much because it took him off from the true functions of his Ministery That Law of Constantine in favour of this Tribunal of Bishops was revoked or at least limited by the Emperours Arcadius and Honorius for they ordained that Bishops should decide in no Causes but those of Religion and in Civil matters when both Parties consented to it In the year four hundred and fifty two the Emperour Valentinian confirmed that Law which restrained the power of Bishops Justinian restored to them part of what they had been deprived of allowing them besides the Causes of Conscience power to take cognizance of the Crimes of the Clergy and to perform several other acts of Jurisdiction over Laics And thus by the indiscreet favour of Emperours the power of the Church which is all Spiritual became a Carnal Dominion In the following Ages the Jurisdiction and Authority of the Bishops got ground apace and especially in the Western Church because the chief of the Clergy were the ablest Statesmen they were commonly of Princes Councils and managed and Civil matters That was the reason that in a short time they grew to be sole Judges of all Causes Civil and Criminal of the Clergy and that they extended their Jurisdiction over Laicks under various pretexts for instance they took upon them to Judge of the Validity of last Will and Testaments to make Inventories and apply Seals under pretext that Widows and Orphans are recommended to the care of the Church
Pope's Agents started another because they were no less apprehensive of the Emperour and Imperialists than they were of the Protestants and they waited onely for a favourable occasion of breaking up the Council which soon happened The German Bishops were already gone upon the Rumour of a War Maurice Duke of Saxony takes up Arms for the Liberty of Germany and of Religion and there was but a small number of Prelates at Trent and those too onely Spanish and Italian At length the design of the Electour of Saxony broke out and Charles the V. that mighty Politician was out-shot in his own bow The Electour with an Army of the Confederates on the seventeenth of April laid siege of Ausburg In the last Diet of Germany Commissions had been given to Maurice Duke of Saxony to reduce the City of Magdeburg declared rebel to the Empire because it had refused to accept of the Interim upon that pretext he had received an Army and that Army was at his Devotion this War was soon over because the City of Magdeburg made their peace but the Duke of Saxony nevertheless continued to make secret Levies whilst he gave it out that he would submit to the Council sent his Ambassadours thither as we have seen promised to wait on the Emperour and set out on his Journey in order thereunto and all this to lull the Emperour asleep But whilst he thus played his game with the Emperour Albert Marquess of Brandenburg went secretly into France and made a Treaty with Henry the II. of France Maurice in the mean while about the beginning of the Spring brought into the Field the men whom he had raised during the Winter and then published a Manifesto addressed to all the States of the Empire wherein he remonstrated that he had been amused with vain hopes of a Reformation that notwithstanding severest rigours were used against the Protestants particularly in banishing the Ministers of the Gospel Secondly he complained of the detention of his Father-in-Law the Landgrave of Hesse who was kept Prisoner by the Emperour and in that particular accused the Emperour of breach of promise to him but he chiefly represented to the States of the Empire the Emperour's design which was evident that he intended to render himself absolute Master of Germany and thereupon laid open all the Encroachments that had been made tending to that end The Confederate Princes therefore besieged the City of Ausburg and took it in three days the news of this being brought to Trent and that the Army advanced to Inspruck the Italians embarked upon the River of Adige and came by water to Verona so great was the Consternation at Trent that the Presidents wrote immediately to Rome for a Bull to empower them to suspend the Council The Pope who had treated with the King of France and regarded the Emperour no more made no scruple of sending to the Nuncio's the Bull which they desired but withall ordered them to keep it secret The Nuncio's having received the Bull advised with the Prelates and Ambassadours what was fittest to be done in the present Juncture session 19 28. April 1552. The Council is suspended because of the War in Germany The Emperour's Ministers according to their Master's intentions were for staying but the Bishops who were smitten with fear were not of that opinion but concluded that the Council must be adjourned so that the Nuncio's Presidents finding it unsafe to stay till the first of May the day appointed for the Session did anticipate it by two days it was therefore held the twenty eighth of April where there was but a small appearance most part being gone before few Ceremonies were used and those in a hurry the Decree of Suspension for two Years because of the troubles of Germany and for longer time if the troubles were not by that time over was publickly read whereby it was likewise ordained that so soon as the troubles ceased without any necessity of a new Convocation the Prelates should reassemble at Trent and that all that had been hitherto decided should be religiously observed The Spaniards opposed this Suspension and protested against the Act that past thereupon but for all their Protestation they marched off with the rest Rome is jealous of the smallest matter that may seem to entrench upon the Papal Authority and therefore the Pope was very ill satisfied with the Presidents that in the Conclusion of the Decree the observation of the things that had been already decided in the Council was strictly enjoyned without expecting the Confirmation of the holy See At that time the Court of Rome judged it a matter of highest importance to doe any thing that might give ground to imagine that the Council and its Decrees had any Power and Force but what they derived from the Authority of the Pope The Emperour now at last received great blows all of a sudden He saw in a moment all the great hopes defeated which he had conceived of raising the Grandure of his Family upon the Ruines of the Protestants and the Depression of the Authority of the Pope by means of a Council The Pope turned his back upon him all the Protestants of Germany revolted from him and shook off the Yoke of that absolute Dominion that he endeavoured to lay upon them his design was to have rendered the Empire hereditary to his Family and to retain for his Posterity those great Dignities and Territories which he had united in his own Person It is true that he could not hinder his Brother Ferdinand from succeeding to him in the Empire seeing he was already King of the Romans Nevertheless some Historians do say that he had desired of Ferdinand a resignation of the Dignity of King of the Romans in favour of his Son Philip but that Ferdinand after he had well thought on 't would not make that resignation At least Charles used his endeavours that his Son Philip should succeed to Ferdinand These great designs and hopes vanished all at once Maurice pressed him to grant liberty of Religion in Germany Ferdinand who had prospects of interest contrary to those of his Brother being Kind to the Protestants had endeavoured to encline the Emperour to peace but all his attempts were successless And therefore Maurice having in vain essayed all ways of accommodation by the mediation of Ferdinand at last betook himself to the way of Arms the Confederates having taken Ausbourg and the Fort of Eremberg drew near Inspruck where the Emperour was which put the whole Imperial Court into such a terrour that the Emperour fled by night and retired into Carinthia in mighty disorder Before he left Inspruck he set at liberty Frederick of Saxony after he had been several Years Prisoner And that Prince followed the Emperour a long time in hopes of being again restored by him to his Electourship Maurice arrived the same night at Inspruck and did no injury to the House of Frederick nor to the Towns-people but he plundered
are somewhat rough and unpleasant Those of that Nation who had been chosen Popes made choice of Latin names that at least by their names they might not sound harsh in the year 1555 ears of the Romans Afterward they made a mystery of that change and the Cardinals who are chosen to fill the holy See would thereby signifie that they have renounced all their former Characters that they may become new men Cardinal Santa Croce would not change his name that he might give all to understand that he had been the same man in the Cardinalship as he intended to be in the Papacy He had gained the reputation of a grave and severe man and of a high and steady Soul but he lived not long enough to give a proof of what he could doe So soon as he was exalted to the Pontifical Chair he laid a design of calling the Council again for setling the affairs of Religion and that the Council might be happy in its proceedings he thought it his own duty to begin with a thorough Reformation of the Clergy and Court of Rome which had been often proposed by his Predecessours but never heartily meant by most of them All his designs perished with him for he died of an Apoplexie the last day of the same Month of April So that he filled the Chair but two and twenty days PAUL IV. Paul IV. chosen He was of the House of the Caraffa's The twenty third of May following the Cardinals chose Giovanni Pietro Caraffa who took the name of Paul IV. They made him take an Oath that he should convene the Council within two years and that he should not for the first two years of his Pontificate create more than four Cardinals because the sacred College was very numerous and full The Character of his temper hitherto made him a man of a severity that was somewhat morose and rough He had been a Theatin Monk year 1555 and when advanced to the Purple had still retained the austerity of his Profession so that that Election allarmed all those who dreaded a Reformation As he was a man who had always affected a great austerity of life and was besides haughty to the highest degree so it was feared that if once he set upon a design of Reforming the Court of Rome he would bring it about what ever came on 't but they were soon rid of all these fears for he presently laid aside that affected severity of life He still retained a morose humour This Pope was proud and insolent to the highest degree which being joyned to an insupportable haughtiness he became the most proud and insolent man living Never was there Pope of Rome that carried it with greater Pomp and Grandure The Steward of his house having asked him how he intended to be served for the future like a great Prince answered he He would be crowned with greater Pomp than any of his Predecessours and affected never to appear abroad but in great State and Splendour The English Ambassadours who came to render homage to the holy See arrived just upon the day of his Exaltation which he took as a good presage The Ambassadours falling down at his feet begg'd pardon for the whole Kingdom The Pope took them up granted them what they desired and without being solicited erected Ireland into a Kingdom in favour of the King and Queen This was a very surprizing Act and no body understood the mystery of it nor could any imagine what he drove at in giving the name of Kingdom to an Island which the Kings of England peaceably possest under that Title But that was a fetch of Roman Policy Henry VIII after his separation from the Church of Rome had erected Ireland into a Kingdom and had left it to Edward under that Title Now the Pope pretending to have the onely right of disposing of Crowns and erecting States into Kingdoms had a design to oblige Queen Mary to quit the Title of Queen of Ireland but perceiving very well that that would prove too hard a task he thought it better without saying any thing and as being ignorant of what Henry had done to erect that Countrey into a Kingdom that so Mary might enjoy the Title of it as holding it of the Pope and not deriving it from her Father Moreover with an imperious Air and full of Authority he told the Ambassadours that the Revenues and Church Lands must forthwith be restored to the Clergy and the Tribute of St. Peter be setled again as formerly Queen Mary endeavoured to give the Pope satisfaction as to that but she could not prevail because most of the great men of the Nation were in actual and hereditary possession of the Revenues of the Church and could not be brought to part from them So that all that she could doe was to restore what she her self possessed and what had been annexed to the Crown The Diet at Ausbourg makes an Edict of Liberty which offends the Pope Whilst matters went in this manner at Rome and in England the Diet at Ausbourg which began in February last was still continued The Germans devised several means for putting an end to the controversies about Religion but seeing they were not likely to take effect they were forced to settle a Peace by making all the Princes within their own Territories supreme in matters of Religion The Protestants moved that it might be permitted to Bishops and Abbots to change their Religion without losing their Dignities and Revenues but that did not pass The Catholicks on the other hand urged that those States which had accepted the Interim some seven years before should not have the liberty of returning again to the Confession of Ausbourg but at length they yielded and so all the States enjoyed full liberty of Conscience nay and the Lutherans were maintained in the possession of the Church-Revenues which they had already allotted for the entertainment of their Ministers and Schools Pope Paul the most haughty and passionate man living fell into a furious rage against this Edict of Liberty He publickly threatned the Emperour and Ferdinand King of the Romans that he would make them repent the injury they had done to the holy See He exhorted them to recall those Edicts wherein if they failed he threatned to proceed against them with as severe Censures as he intended to use against the Lutherans he said that all the misfortunes that had befallen Charles proceeded from the wrath of God against him because of his indifference and that he had not vigorously bestirred himself in reducing Germany to the obedience of the holy See which he might have done In this manner and with such kind of Discourse he entertained the Emperour's Ambassadour and the Cardinal of Ausbourg He observed the same Character with all other Ambassadours telling them often that he was above all Princes that he expected not that any of them should treat with him as his equal that he could alter and take away Kingdoms
created Pope was become the proudest and most insupportable man living The Resignation of Charles did not put an end to the War of Naples The Duke of Guise was forced to march into Italy to the assistance of the Pope he had a design to have stopt at Lombardy to make a Diversion but the Pope would have him on any terms to march forward into the Kingdom of Naples where he did nothing at all And now the Pope to make good his promise created ten Cardinals but they were neither French men nor devoted to the French interest as he had promised which a little disgusted that Nation On the other side the Court of Rome had no great reason to be much satisfied with the Succours of France for notwithstanding their assistance the Duke of Alva took the Town of Signey and threatned the same to Pagliano The Pope being alarmed at this great Success opened his grievances in a consistory of Cardinals to whom amongst other things he told that he resolutely expected Martyrdom but the Cardinals could not well conceive how he could die a Martyr in a War which he had kindled by his treachery and ambition At the same time the French were defeated at St. Quentin in Picardy by the Forces of the K. of Spain which forced the K. of France to recall his Forces out of Italy and the Pope was constrained to make peace with the Duke of Alva but though he had been worsted yet would he needs make his peace as if he had been victorious The Pope being overcome makes peace like a Conquerour He would neither suffer the Colonna's to be mentioned in the Treaty nor himself to be accused of having violated the Law of Nations by imprisoning the Ministers of the Emperour and King of Spain but on the contrary the Duke of Alva must come to Rome in person to beg on his Knees absolution for himself and in name of the King his Master Never was there any thing more haughty and indeed the Inundation of the Tyber which at that time overflowed all the City of Rome and ruined the Fortifications of the Castle of St. Angelo was lookt upon as an effect of that prodigious pride which provoked Divine Vengeance One thing is reported of this Pope which very well shews his humour in order to this war he had raised Troops amongst the Grisons and they being Protestants according to the usual Insolence of Soldiers made havock in all Churches where they past even to the pulling down of Images The Cardinals of the Inquisition complained of this but the Pope answered year 1558 were repealed and the Roman Religion wholly banished the Kingdom About the same time another thing happened which overwhelmed the Pope in trouble and that was that in the Diet of Ausbourg the Acts of the last Years Conference which ended without any Success having been examined the Emperour confirmed the Liberty of Religion according to the Pacification at Passau and the Recesses of the Diets which had been held afterward The Pope could not hinder nor oppose it by his Legates for he had excluded himself from all Negotiation with Germany by the affront and injury he had done to Ferdinand And to mortifie him for good and all peace was concluded at Cambray the third of April betwixt the Kings of France and Spain So that he found himself left alone forsaken of all men hated of those two Princes betwixt whom he had kindled a War instead of quenching it as it was the Duty of the Common Father of the Church In that Treaty the two Kings obliged themselves mutually to endeavour the Reformation of the Church and the Calling of a Council for rooting out of Heresies Philip and Henry were both great Persecutours of Protestants especially Philip of Spain who thought it not enough to use Fire and Sword in a most cruel manner within his own Dominions but sent Ambassadours to all Neighbouring Princes to solicite them to take the same violent Courses against Protestants Perhaps there was more of resentment and revenge than Zeal for Religion in this Conduct for he had a mortal hatred to the Protestants of Germany because they had been the Cause that he was not named King of the Romans in the Diet of Ausbourg in the Year 1551. for the reformed States favoured Ferdinand and Maximilian his Son who opposed the Election of Philip. From the time of the first Edict of Charles the fifth there had been above fifty thousand men put to death by most cruel Torments in the low Countreys but this being not sufficient to Philip he made a League with France for the total Subversion of the Reformation The Cardinal of Lorrain in France and Granvel Bishop of Arras were the great sticklers for that Enterprise For putting of this design in execution Philip had a great mind to have brought the Inquisition into the low Countreys but his Father Charles the V. having heretofore succeeded so ill in that design that he was forced to leave it off he feared that that Enterprise might cost him more trouble than it had done his Father To cut off some of the Difficulties that might happen he resolved to begin with the multiplication of Bishopricks in hopes that these Bishops might contribute much to the accomplishment of his design There were but two Bishopricks in all the low Countreys Utrecht and Cambray all the rest of the Clergy were under the Jurisdiction of German and French Bishops and these two Bishops were also Suffragans to Strangers Philip drew his Territories from under a foreign spiritual Jurisdiction and erected into Bishopricks Namur Antwerp Balise-duc Ghent Bruges Ipres St. Omer Harlem Midleburg Leuvarden Groninguen Ruremonde and Deventer and established three Archbishopricks Cambray Malines and Utrecht The People perceived very well what that tended to and therefore they grew more obstinate and became inclinable to embrace the Reformation refusing to pay any Taxes till the Spanish Soldiers were removed Henry II. on his part did all that lay in his power to ruine the Protestants in his Kingdom He resolved to be present at the famous Mercurial which was held the fifteenth of June this was the name that was given to the Assemblies which met on Wednesdays for examining and correcting the manners of the Judges of Parliament Matters of Religion were to be treated of there and the King would hear the Judges argue that affair that he himself might know who were infected with new opinions After that Assembly he caused Lewis le Fevre and Anne du Bourg both Judges to be apprehended because they had been of opinion that some favour should be shew'd in punishing People who were onely guilty said they in discovering the Corruptions of the Court of Rome The first national Synod of the Protestants in France The Protestants notwithstanding the rigour of Persecutions went on with their business and framed a Discipline in the Church they met at St. Germain and held their first national Synod there
Duke knowing that they had not been prompted to that by a Spirit of Rebellion resolved to try fair means with them But at Rome the proposal was rejected with indignation they counsel'd him to use force which he followed and for eighteen Months waged War against these Wretches In the beginning of the same year a great Conspiracy was hatcht in France The Conspiracy of Amboise they who were engaged in the Plot were put upon it as much through interest of State as of Religion The House of Guise were absolute Masters both of the King's person and mind and this being a grievance to many they formed a Party and entered into a Confederacy for putting a stop to the fury of the Persecution and at the same time for rescuing the person of Francis the Second out of the hands of the Princes of Guise But the Plot was discovered the Court went from Blois to Amboise where there is a Citadel part of the Conspirators were taken and put to Death and so that Conspiracy of which one Renaudé was the chief was quickly dispersed and brought to naught The Protestants in the mean while encreased amidst all these Persecutions and that made the King's Council look out for other means of composing the troubles than what had been employed hitherto it was concluded that a Council of the whole Nation must be called but Cardinal d' Armagnac who was wholly for the interest of the Court of Rome and was as good as any Inquisitor against the Protestants withstood that resolution Monluc Bishop of Valence was of opinion for calling a national Synod and that prevailed This resolution was signified to the Pope but he approved not of it On the contrary he complained publickly at Rome against the King's proceedings who by a Declaration of the eighteenth of March had pardoned all who upon account of Religion had taken up Arms against him The Pope said it was the cause of God and that no Prince has power to pardon such Crimes that besides national Councils were good for nothing but to breed Schisms that there was need of a General Council and that he intended to convene it without delay The Pope solicites the King of France to take Geneva He sent into France the Bishop of Viterbo to represent the same things and that he might employ the King and take him off from thinking of that national Synod he essayed to perswade him to bend his forces against the City of Geneva He also solicited the Duke of Savoy and the King of Spain to the same Enterprise the King of Spain being a Neighbour to Geneva by the Franche Comte The Savoyard would have been very willing provided he could have kept Geneva for himself nor perhaps would the King of Spain have been against that but he knew very well that the King of France would never allow it to be in any other Prince's Possession and therefore he chose rather to suffer the new Religion to reign there than to see it in the hands of the French who were already too near Neighbours to the County of Burgundy which then belonged to the King of Spain so that that matter went no farther The King of Spain who thought it not proper to unite with the King of France for the Ruine of Geneva as he had been solicited by the Pope thought himself obliged at least to comply with the Pope's inclinations in disswading the French from holding a national Council For that effect he sent into France Antiono de Toledo Prior of Leon with instructions to offer France forces and assistance for the destruction of the Hereticks and it is certain that he could not doe more than what he did to satisfie the Pope by the Ruine of the Protestants The Court of France did not much listen to these Proposals they would indeed have been willing to have had Geneva but they feared the Switsers and the stirs that the Huguenots might raise in France during that War As to the matter of the Council they were stedfast in their design of calling a national one in France giving the Pope in the mean time assurance that nothing should be attempted in it contrary to his Authority But he could not trust too much to that he was very apprehensive of the French Prelates who were accused to be infected with Heresie and were at least prepossest with some Tenets which they call the Privileges of the Gallican Church and with Maximes that sute not with that Supremacy which is challenged by the Court of Rome The apprehension of this made the Pope absolutely resolve to call the General Council The Pope resolves to call a General Council But he was at a stand as to the place he would have been very willing to have held it at Bologna but he did not expect that the Prelates would come thither Milan was offered him but he would not accept of it unless the Citadel were put into his hands during the sitting of the Council The King of Spain for all he was so good a Catholick could not be brought to condescend to that for as to the point of worldly affairs and interests the Pope and other Princes are trusted much alike At length he concluded upon the City of Trent where it had been already assembled There happened two considerable matters which confirmed him in his resolution of hastening the Convocation of the Council the one was the Revolt of Scotland which banished Mary the Queen regent and fell off from the Church of Rome the other was the Jealousie that they had of Maximilian King of Bohemia Son to the Emperour Ferdinand Maximilian King of Bohemia and the Romans is suspected of Lutheranism who was always thought too favourable to the Protestants Paul IV. had accused him as an Abbetter of Heresie and one day he made an answer to the Pope's Ambassadours that much encreased the suspicion that they had of him The Pope's Nephew Maroo Altemps exhorting Maximilian in behalf of Pius IV. to continue a good Catholick promising him on the one hand that if he did the Pope would corroborate the pretentions he had to the Empire and on the other hand threatning that if he persisted to give Causes of Suspicion he would never confirm him King of the Romans but would deprive him of all his Territories Maximilian made answer to the promises that were made him of favour and assistance that he was very much obliged to his Holiness but that the Salvation of his Soul was much dearer to him than all worldly Enjoyments Now at Rome this kind of style was lookt upon as an infallible sign of Lutheranism and as the badge of those who were Enemies to the holy See All these reasons made the Pope on the third of June call together the Ambassadours of Princes and told them more plainly than hitherto he had done his design of re-establishing the Council at Trent ordering them to acquaint their Masters with the same He himself wrote to
the Council The Death of Francis II. the Queen Regent Assembles the States at Orleans The same year on the fifth of December Francis II. King of France died and his Brother Charles IX being but ten years old succeeded him The death of this Prince put the Protestants in heart and made them hope for a change in affairs because the King of Navarre first Prince of the bloud was to have a great share in the Government during the King's Minority Now this King was a declared Protestant and was influenc'd by the Councils of Admiral Coligny a great Protectour of the Protestants The Queen Mother and her Council thought sit to assemble the States at Orleans and to open the Assembly the thirteenth of December where opinions were strongly argued pro and con concerning Liberty of Conscience At length it was concluded that the King should publish an Edict for cessation of Rigours and Criminal Prosecutions upon account of Religion The Edict past and at the same time the King gave orders to the Prelates to prepare themselves to goe to Trent to the Council The Count of Rochfort who spoke for the Gentry presented a Petition in name of the Gentlemen for obtaining permission for the publick Exercise of the reformed Religion but no answer was given to that Petition it was referred to the States which were to meet in May following In the same Estates at Orleans it was ordained that Canonical Elections should be restored that Bishops should be chosen by the Chapters with consent of the People and Nobility that the Annates which were sent to Rome should be abolished that Bishops and Curates should reside that all Abbots and Monks should be subject to the Jurisdiction of Bishops and that no man might give any Lands or Estates to Monasteries The Pope and King of Spain used their utmost endeavours to hinder the effect of the resolution which was taken in the Estates at Orleans concerning the Suspension of Rigours against Protestants they even attempted to bring over the King of Navarre by vain and imaginary hopes not onely of restoring Navarre which the Spaniards kept from him but also of making him King of England which as they said Queen Elizabeth had forfeited by the Crime of Heresie These vain hopes and the natural weakness of that poor Prince made him halt between the two opinions even till his death for though he was in arms against the Protestants when he was killed at the Siege of Rouen yet it is certain his Conscience was not fully satisfied as to the Religion of the Church of Rome The Protestants of Germany met at Namburg to consult what measures they were to take to provide against the inconveniencies that threatned them from the Council They essayed first to compose their own differences that they might not be upbraided with Divisions among themselves and therefore they proposed the fixing of a common Confession of Faith to which all might agree because there was even some difference in the several Editions of the Confession of Ausburg but they could not find means to adjust this As concerning the Council they resolved to petition the Emperour that he would procure one which might be free where the Pope should not preside and wherein the Protestant-Divines might have a Vote They had no hopes of obtaining such a Council but they made the demand that they might have a Pretext not to goe to that which the Pope called at Trent About the same time two Nuncio's arrived in Austria with the Bull of Convocation The Pope sends Nuncio's to the Protestant States to invite them to the Council but they are ill received The Emperour advised them to goe to the Protestants whilst they were assembled at Namburg and sent three Ambassadours with them The Protestants gave a submissive hearing to what the Emperour's Ministers had to propose to them and made them answer that they were much obliged to his Imperial Majesty but that they could not submit to a Council which was not free and wherein Controversies would not be decided purely by the word of God which was the thing they expected As for the Nuncio's they received and heard them civilly but they sent them back the Pope's Briefs sealed up as they had presented them and having considered what answer they should make they thought it best to tell them in plain terms that they acknowledged not the Pope's Jurisdiction that they were not obliged to declare to him their thoughts concerning a Council and that they had acquainted the Emperour with their intentions as to that The Nuncio's met with no better reception at Nuremberg Franckfort Ausburg and in all the other Protestant Towns but the King of Denmark was more rude with them still for he commanded them not to enter within his Dominions and sent them word that neither his Father nor he having ever had any business with the Pope he would receive no Ambassadours from him That answer extremely vexed the Nuncio Commendone who had stopt at Lubeck expecting the King's Passports to come into Denmark And it was no small mortification to the Pope that after he had stoopt so low as to send Nuncio's to those whom he lookt upon as Hereticks he should be slighted by them in that manner but it was still some comfort that his friends made it their business to give it out in all places that that great condescension was an effect of his Singular Piety and Zeal The Switzers received a Nuncio from Rome also and in their Assembly at Bade one of the Burgomasters of Zurich which was a Protestant-Town kissed the Brief when he received it The news of this was very gratefull to the Pope but that was all he got by it for the reformed Cantons refused to come to the Council and the Catholicks promised they would So that every where almost the Nuncio's met with opposition for the Emperour himself made a kind of an ambiguous answer and insisted that that Assembly might pass for a new Council Spain on the other hand stumbled at the title of Indiction and would onely have it to be a removal of the Suspension demanding that it might be expresly declared that that Assembly was a Continuation of the Council of Trent But on the contrary France openly demanded an amendment in the Bull as to the point of Continuation urging that it should no where be called the Continuation of the Council of Trent It was likewise taken ill that the King of France was not expresly named in the Bull seeing the Dignity of so great a Monarch did not admit that he should be cast in with others and onely designed in general terms The Pope had done so because he would not name him before the King of Spain and durst not name him after He made the best excuse he could and gave no great heed to those Remonstrances because he was extremely offended at the proceedings of the Estates at Orleans who had acted so contrary to his Authority and
Tongue in Divine Service and the abrogating of the Festival of Corpus Christi which had onely been instituted for Pomp. This Letter was written with great freedom and John de Monluc Bishop of Valence was thought to have had a hand in it The Pope perceived that it was now high time to make use of Remedies and that it was necessary to hasten the Council There was none now but the Emperour who opposed it but in the very nick of time the Pope received his consent in terms of great submission to that Assembly which was very Joyfull News The Italian Bishops had no great mind to goe to the Council but the Pope forced them to it that they might Counterbalance the Spaniards and French who as he said came onely to subject the Pope to a Council an attempt which the Italians who have the honour to have the Head of the Church in their Countrey ought vigorously to oppose The tenth of August was the day appointed for opening the Conference at Poissy fourteen Protestant Ministers who were secured by ample Pasports appeared there of whom the chief were Peter Martyr and Theodore Beza They presented to the King a Petition containing four Heads First that the Controversies might be handled by the word of God Secondly that the Bishops might not be the Judges Thirdly that the King and his Council would preside and Fourthly that all that past might be committed to writing 〈…〉 granted them that the King should 〈…〉 and the Queen appointed one of the 〈◊〉 Secretaries of State of Officiate as Clerk In opening the Assembly the Chancellour made a long Speech wherein he touched at several things which did not please the zealous favourers of the Court of Rome because he concluded that they might very well be without the Aid of the Pope and of a General Council in determining differences in Religion and that many times Provincial Synods had rectified the mistakes of General Councils As an Instance of this he named the Provincial Synod held in France by St. Hilary which rejected Arianism that had been established by the General Council of Rimini He farther added that the Protestants were Christians having the same Baptism the same God and the same Jesus Christ as Catholicks had and that therefore People must shake off that prejudice and aversion that they entertained against them This Speech whereof a Copy was sent to the Pope so highly displeased him that he threatned to summon the Chancellour to appear before the Tribunal of the Inquisition as a Heretick The Cardinals of Tournon and Lorrain demanded a Copy of it but it was refused them This whole Conference was spent in Harangues on both sides in discourses and private conferences to try if any Points could be couched in general terms which both Parties might sign and particularly much time was taken up in minuting changing and correcting a Decision concerning the Eucharist that might give content to all but they could not succeed in it One day the Cardinal of Lorrain thought to have gravelled Theodore Beza concerning that Point of the Eucharist he asked him briskly if his Collegues and he would refuse to Subscribe to the confession of Ausburg as to that particular This put Beza to some stand but presently recollecting himself he demanded of the Cardinal in whose name do you ask that question will you and your Collegues Subscribe to that confession in all Points The Cardinal was now put to it as well as he and having nothing to reply Beza thought it not fit neither to give a more particular answer And so all the Pains that was taken to adjust matters was fruitless and the conference had no success A Spanish Jesuite of the Retinue of the Cardinal of Ferrara signalised himself in that conference by his boldness He rose up in the midst of the Assembly and without any warrant to speak fell foul on the Protestants and censured the Queen very sharply in that she medled with matters which did not at all concern her She took that insolent rebuke very ill but then was the time of suffering The Pope was much pleased to hear that the conference had produced no effect The Parliament was informed that the Cardinal of Ferrara who came into France whilst the conference was on foot had amongst his other Instructions one Point which concerned the revocation of the Articles of Reformation decreed in the Estates of Orleans the year before and especially of that which prohibited the carrying of Money to Rome under pretext of Annates or of obtaining of Dispensations and Benefices They therefore speedily confirmed the Articles of the Estates at Orleans and when the Legate according to custome presented his Commission to be confirmed in Parliament because without that confirmation he could not discharge the Office of Legate it was even refused him Nor was that rub the onely trouble he met with several Libels were published against him wherein they raked up the horrid Impurities of Alexander VI. Father to Lucretia Borgia the Cardinal's Mother and the enormous filthiness of this Lucretia who lay with her Father and was as they said Daughter and Concubine to that Pope The Legate perceived the times were not fit to carry things by Authority and therefore he made it his business to win the minds of the People and went so far in that complaisance that he even conversed frequently with Huguenots ate with them and went to hear their Sermons but that way did not take as he expected The Conference of Poissy did good to no Party It made the Queen be ill thought of by all the Princes of her Religion so that she was fain to make her Apology to the King of Spain who was a mortal Enemy to those ways of tampering and was on all occasions for her employing Fire and Sword as he had done But above all she had much adoe to Justifie her self to the Pope and yet when she made her Apology to him she had so much confidence as to desire favours of him for she endeavoured to procure the Legation of Avignon for the Cardinal of Bourbon That proposal was rejected with much indignation and some great design was suspected to be hid under it which perhaps was true enough The French Bishops continued at Poissy after the breaking up of the conference and though they had promised not to meddle with any thing but civil matters yet they discoursed of restoring the Communion under both kinds The Cardinal of Lorrain was even of that opinion and he brought over with him the Legate Cardinal of Ferrara They resolved to demand it of the Pope and the Legate wrote to him about it The Pope seemed at first to condescend but having called together the Cardinals they withstood it tooth and nail insomuch that they called the French who had made that demand Hereticks and Schismaticks He therefore referred the matter to the Council The Cardinal of Ferrara who was a man of a very prudent Conduct and extreme civil
Emperour and his Son Maximilian now all these Princes desired that the Cup might be rendered to the People February the ninth the Legates held the first Congregation about the Doctrine of Marriage The Divines of the first Chamber examined the first two Articles and Father Salmeron a Jesuit spoke with much Pomp and for all that said but very ordinary things Having concluded that Marriage is a true Sacrament he past to the second Article that relates to Clandestine Marriages and alledged in favour of them the Authority of the Council of Florence which declares that the Validity of Marriages depends solely upon the Consent of the Parties who contract and this Oratour concluded that the opinion of those who assert that Fathers and Mothers may annull them ought to be condemned as an Heresie but allowed the Church the Power of rescinding such Marriages because she is the Mistress of the Sacraments and that it is expedient to annull them to prevent the disorders which those unfortunate Marriages cause in Families Next day Maillard Dean of the Faculty of Paris made a long discourse and concluded with Salmeron that Marriage is a true Sacrament but as to Clandestine Marriages he was not of Salmeron's opinion For he maintained that the Church had not that Power over the Sacraments as to make a Sacrament that was lawfull at one time to become unlawfull at another He alledged for proof the Consecration of the Eucharist saying that the Church could not make a Consecrated Wafer cease to be a Real Sacrament after that it had been some time kept since it was so at first He went through all the Sacraments proving that the Church hath not power to invalidate a Sacrament lawfully administred He shew'd that in all times private Marriages had been valid and that no man ever thought of annulling them His opinion took extremely well but especially the Pope's Party took great pleasure to hear the French Doctour speaking of the Pope call him the Directour and Moderatour of the Roman that is to say the Universal Church They drew great advantage from that Confession and said that it ought to be observed against the Cavils which the Prelates of the same Nation made upon occasion of the Canon about the Authority of the Pope wherein they would not suffer it to be said that he hath Power to rule the Church Universal The French said that there was a great difference betwixt these expressions rule the Universal Church absolutely and rule the Roman that is to say the Universal Church because the term Universal is onely employed to explain that of Roman and that so it ought to extend no farther It cannot be denied but that the distinction is very nice and fine spun and that the difference betwixt those two expressions is not very sensible it had been as well perhaps if Maillard had frankly confest that it dropt from him before he was aware In the Congregation of the Eleventh of February the French presented a Letter from their King wherein he acquainted the Council with the Victory that he had obtained over the Enemies of the Catholick Religion and at the same time demanded Reformation After the Letters were read the Ambassadour Du Ferrier made a Speech The King of France his Letter to the Council followed by a Speech of du Ferrier and having represented the Calamities of the Kingdom of France and the necessity of doing somewhat to remedy them he said that the proper remedy depended on the Council and that the Council in endeavouring that ought to turn their Eyes towards the Holy Scripture that Christians now-a-days were like the Samaritanes of the Town of Sichar who would believe because they saw and not barely upon the report of a Woman that every body at present studied the Scriptures That they should not think it strange if in their Proposition they had omitted the most necessary Points that they had begun with the smallest but that they had more important matters to propose that if they intended to set about the Work of Reformation they must do it in good earnest and that the Fathers who were assembled ought to consider what was the Success of those slight and weak Reformations of the Council of Constance and that which came after which he was not willing to name for fear of offending their ears He meant the Council of Basil whereof the name is odious to all the Favourers of the Court of Rome He laid before them also that the Councils of Florence Lateran and the first of Trent had done nothing for the Church and in that they did nothing they had done a great deal of hurt and given occasion to a Schism of so many People as are separated from it They gave the French Ambassadour a civil answer though in his Speech he had given several nips which touch'd the Pope's Party to the quick He said that he presented the Articles of Reformation principally to the Council These words offended them extremely because they did insinuate that the Ambassadour made far less reckoning of the Pope than he did of the Council Besides they found that by that expression he designed to have a lash at the Clause proponentibus Legatis as intending to intimate that in Quality of Ambassadour he pretended to propose his Articles to the Council himself and not by the Lagates and this perswaded them that France entertained terrible intentions against the Authority of the Pope and they were the more allarmed because Du Ferrier had said that the French had still far more important Proposals to make and that they ought to make greater advances in the work of Reformation than the Councils of Constance and Basil had done The day following the Cardinal of Lorrain parted for Inspruck taking with him nine Prelates and four Divides but he got a promise from the Legates that during his absence they should not treat of the Marriage of Priests In the mean time they continued the Congregations about the matter of Doctrine The first Chamber of Divines which we have already mentioned having heard Salmeron and Maillard unanimously condemned as Heretical the opinion that denies Marriage to be a Sacrament and in like manner declared Clandestine Marriages to be true Sacraments and lawfull Marriages But there was some diversity of opinion about the Sentiments of Salmeron and Maillard in relation to the Power of the Church in annulling secret Marriages some were of Salmeron's opinion and others with Maillard thought that the Power of the Church did not reach so far as to make a Marriage become unlawfull which was lawfull a very little before Amongst those who maintained that the Church had Power to annull Clandestine Marriages some disputed another Point to wit whether it be convenient and profitable to make use of that Power in the present time But most part thought it best that all secret Marriages should be invalidated and some went farther still and were for declaring null and void all Marriages
Doctrines the Adversaries would croud in apace at it and that would give occasion to new Demands And so he resolved to give an absolute refusal to the Propositions of the French and that he might make it the stronger he thought fit once again to make an essay of dividing the Emperour from the French For that effect he ordered Cardinal Morone Legate Elect for the Council of Trent not to stay there but to goe to the Emperour's Court and at the same time because the Cardinal of Lorrain had dropt some words that did insinuate as if the Emperour should have some design to come to Bologna and to be Crowned there by the Pope he resolved to sound the Cardinal as to that Point and to endeavour to engage him in that Negotiation The Bishop of Vintimiglia under pretext of visiting one of his Nephews that lay sick at Padua went to meet the Cardinal of Lorrain in that Town as he was upon his Journey to Venice The Cardinal confirmed what he had said of the Emperour but when ho found that they had a design to engage him to be concerned in the business of bringing the Emperour to Bologna there to receive the Crown from the hands of the Pope he wavered and said that when he came back to Trent he would endeavour to prie into the Intentions of his Imperial Majesty but that he did not believe that the Princes of the Empire would approve that design and that the Emperour would doe nothing that might displease them Having said so he turned the discourse and told the Bishop of Vintimiglia that his design was to press the Reformation when the new Legates were come saying that he doubted not but that they came fully informed of the intentions of the Pope and that then it would clearly appear whether his Holiness in good earnest desired that Reformation that upon the whole if they intended that matters should goe better there were fifty Bishops in the Council who were to be turned out because they were sworn to oppose all good resolutions After these Conferences the Bishop of Vintimiglia perceived that the Cardinal of Lorrain had onely pretended that the Emperour had a design to be Crowned by the Pope that he might discover the thoughts of the Court of Rome in relation to that matter The Pope obliges the Tribunal of the Inquisition to proceed against several French Bishops accused of Heresie About the same time news came to Trent of the peace of Orleans which the King of France had granted the Huguenots and it was insinuated to the Pope that that peace had been procured by the French Bishops who were Hereticks at the Heart The Pope resolved to find them out and be revenged upon them and therefore in a Congregation of Cardinals held the last of March he spoke of the disorders of France saying that they ought to be imputed to the Cardinal of Chatillon who had quitted the name of Bishop of Beauvais and taken the Title of Count to the Archbishop of Aix and to the Bishop of Valence and that he commanded the Cardinals commissionated for the Inquisition to proceed against them He published also a Bull dated the seventh of April and in pursuance of that Ordinance the Tribunal of the Inquisition cited before them as suspected of Heresie Odet de Coligny Cardinal of Chatillon St. Romain Archbishop of Aix John de Monluc Bishop of Valence John Anthony Caracciol Bishop of Troye John Barbancon Bishop of Pamiers and Charles Guillard Bishop of Chartres All things were at a stand at Trent in expectation of Cardinal Morone who arrived on Saturday in Easter week He was received in great state under a Canopy Cardinal Morone appointed chief Legate to preside in the Council comes to Trent and went to the Emperour at Inspruck all the Council went out to meet him and he walked betwixt the Imperial and French Ambassadours Next day after the Count de Luna the King of Spain's Ambassadour arrived also and made his entry in great Pomp walking in the same manner betwixt the Imperial and French Anbassadours April the thirteenth Cardinal Morone was received in a Congregation wherein he made a Speech and within a few days after parted to goe and wait on the Emperour at Inspruck His business was to divide the Emperour from the French to take him off of his design of coming to Trent to perswade him to come to Bologna and suffer the Council to be transported thither to oblige him to maintain the Authority of the Pope to condescend to the Clause proponentibus legatis and not to press that the Reformation of the Court of Rome should be handled in the Council At the same time the Legates who were at Trent to ease themselves of some that were troublesome gave them leave to be gone after they had tired them out with long delays or vexed them with harsh usage So many departed and amongst others the French being assured that nothing could be obtained in the Council because of the Italians thought of returning home The French Ambassadours not onely consented but forced them to it by cutting the French Divines short of the Pensions that the King allotted them but John de Cartougne and John de Verdun two Benedictins stayed till the last and so did the Cordelier Hugonis because he was maintained by the Pope's Party who ordered him his entertainment in the Convent of the Cordeliers at Trent and gave him fifty Crowns of Gold a quarter to discover the designs of the French The Council is very ill satisfied with the Peace of Orleans that the King of France made with the Huguenots The twentieth of April the Cardinal of Lorrain came back to Trent from Venice and shortly after he received the Articles of the peace of Orleans that was concluded with the Protestants By that peace it was allowed to Gentlemen who had high Jurisdiction and the privilege which the French call fief de Haubert to have the free exercise of the reformed Religion in their Houses that the Huguenots should have a place for Worship in every Baily-wick in the Suburbs of a City and in all places where it had been exercised before the seventh of March. The Protestants were not altogether satisfied with that peace because they had not obtained all that they demanded but they were far less satisfied at Trent for the Bishops blamed that Edict of Pacification as a condescension enough to ruine the Catholick Religion The King of France wrote to the Cardinal and his Ambassadours ordering them to represent to the Council that his onely intent in making that peace was that he might with more ease reclaim all his Subjects to their obedience to the Church that that his design might prosper he demanded a Reformation and that he resolved to send Birague as a new Ambassadour more earnestly to solicite it To this the Ambassadours added the deplorable state to which France was reduced by the Civil Wars and justified the making
278 Edict of July against them p. 298 Protestations of Amiot Bishop of Auxerre and Ambassadour of France made in Council in Name of his Master p. 198 Of the Spanish Ambassadour at Rome made to the Pope against the Precedence of the King of France p. 514 Of the French against the Decree of the Reformation of Princes p. 561 R. RAtisbonne a Diet held there where sentence past against Luther p. 18 Reformation advances in Germany p. 80 The Spanish Bishops vigorously bestir themselves for a Reformation but without Success p. 159 Reformation in Religion had probably advanced in Spain had it not been for the care of Philip II. p. 281 The Execution of the Edict of Reformation in Germany causes great Troubles p. 180 Twelve Articles tending to Reformation proposed by the Legates p. 323 Nine Chapters of Reformation p. 361 The Germans and Spaniards unite to set forward the work of Reformation p. 403 The Presidents make a Collection of the Demands of the French and Germans for a Reformation and send it to the Pope p. 411 13 Articles of Reformation presented to the Council by Zavel a Spanish Doctour against those of his own Nation p. 429 Reasons shewing it impossible that the Demands which all made for a Reformation should have any Success p. 454 18 Articles of Reformation past in the twenty third Session p. 539 The Decree of Reformation of Monks is reviewed p. 577 Regulations made in several Points which are not liked at Rome p. 177 Residence of Bishops proposed as a Point of Reformation p. 113 A Dispute of the Divines upon that Subject p. 137 In the third Convocation the Council enters upon the Point of Residence p. 324 It is debated with extraordinary heat whether it be of Divine Right ibid. The Legates will not form the Decree of Residence according to the Plurality of Votes and the Spaniards make a great bustle about it p. 327 The Controversie about Residence is revived p. 374 It is proposed again p. 433 The Decree of Residence is framed wherein it is not decided whether it be of Divine Right or not p. 454 The last Debates about the Decrees of Residence and the Institution of Bishops and the last Point is wholly laid aside p. 534 S. SAcraments in general Baptism and Extreme vnction in particular are chosen for Points to be examined in the seventh Session p. 144 A Dispute about the difference of the Sacraments of the Old and New Testament p. 149 Sacrifice of the Mass p. 366 Proofs to confirm it from Scripture are overthrown by Ataide a Portuguese Divine p. 371 c. Great Debates about the Question whether Jesus Christ offered himself when he instituted the Eucharist p. 369 Salmeron the Jesuit speaks with great ostentation p. 474 Safe-conduct granted the Protestants but in such terms as did not satisfie them p. 218 A New Safe-conduct ampler than the former is granted them p. 239 The Duke of Savoy gives Peace to Piedmont p. 296 Saxony v. Elector Frederick The Ambassadours of the Electour come to the Council and speak higher than the rest p. 233 They have Audience of the Council p. 238 The Scriptures chosen for the first matter to be examined in the Council of Trent p. 81 Four Opinions about the Canonical Books p. 83 Sebastiano Pighino Auditour of the Rota makes a considerable Overture for contenting the Bishops without diminishing the Authority of the Holy See p. 94 Seripando Cardinal dies at Trent in the last Convocation of the Council p. 492 Sessions of the Council The First 69. Second 75. Third 80. Fourth 89 Fifth 104. Sixth 141. Seventh 163. Eighth 166. Ninth 168. Tenth 170. Eleventh 192. Twelth 196. Thirteenth 214. Fourteenth 229. Fifteenth 239. Sixteenth 245. Seventeenth 311. Eighteenth 320. Nineteenth 337. Twentieth 341. One and Twentieth 361. Two and Twentieth 391. Twenty third 539. Twenty fourth 569. Twenty fifth and last p. 582 Simoneta Cardinal an able man in the Canon Law p. 305 His way to break up Congregations when matters went contrary to his Intentions p. 353 Original Sin is handled in Council p. 95 Nine Articles concerning that Point imputed to Protestants are censured p. 98 The Prelates understand not the Point and know not how to make Decrees about it p. 101 Soto v. Dominico à Soto Spaniards ignorant in matter of Antiquity p. 356 Spire the Place of the Diet wherein Attempts were used to divide the Protestants p. 29 Sultacan a Patriarch of the East comes to Rome to render Homage to the Pope p. 251 Suspicions entertained by the Court of Rome against the French p. 304 The Switzers receive a Nuncio from the Pope to invite them to the Council p. 294 Synod The first National Synod held by the Protestants in France p. 278 T. THeodore Beza v. Beza The Thomists are divided about the Point of Grace p. 128 Traditions no Point of Faith according to the Opinion of Anthony Marinier p. 83 Trent named by Pope Paul III. for holding of a Council p. 52 He sends Legates thither p. 57 They arrive and stay there a long while alone p. 59 Trivulcio Bishop of Thoulon sent Nuncio into France p. 186 Troubles that put a stop to all thoughts of holding a Council p. 20 They are over and Negotiations concerning matters of Religion begin again ibid. V. VErgerio the Pope's Nuncio has several Conferences with Luther and can neither prevail with him by reasons nor by promises p. 43 Being drawn over by the Lutherans at length declares himself and turns Minister amongst the Grisons p. 84 He writes against the Decrees of the Council p. 541 A famous Victory obtained by the Emperour over the Protestants p. 169 W. WAR for Religion in Suisserland wherein Zuinglius is killed p. 35 War declared by the Pope and Emperour against the Protestants the Emperour gets great advantages and deceives the Pope p. 107 The Duke of Wirtemberg sends Ambassadours to the Council who cannot have Audience p. 228 Works that precede Grace examined and Catarino's opinion concerning them p. 118 Wormes a City upon the Rhine chosen for the Place of a Conference betwixt twelve Doctours of the Roman Church and as many Protestants p. 273 Z. ZAvel a Spanish Doctour presents 13 Articles of Reformation to the Council against those of his own Nation p. 429 Zuinglius stands up against the Collectours of Zurich in Suisserland p. 7 His Reformation gains ground in Suisserland Berne and Basil embrace it p. 28 He is killed in the War for Religion in Suisserland p. 35 Seven Propositions of the Zuinglians concerning Predestination condemned p. 130 Zurich receives the Reformation of Zuinglius p. 10 FINIS
might be excepted from the general rule The Court of Rome was consulted upon the matter and the answer from thence was that they should not meddle with that controversie so that the Legates declared that they were not assembled to pronounce upon differences that Catholicks had amongst themselves but onely to condemn Hereticks The Council therefore not to offend either of the Parties but to satisfie the Cordeliers without condemning the Jacobins added a clause to the end of the Decree that it was not their intention in all that had been said to doe any prejudice to the opinion of the immaculate Conception but that the mind of the Council was that the Constitution of Sixtus IV. should be observed session 5 Things being thus prepared and the Legates having thereupon acquainted the Court of Rome all that had been done was approved of the Session was held the seventeenth of June and after the Ceremonies were over the Decrees were publickly read by the Bishop that had officiated There were two Decrees one concerning Doctrine and the other about Reformation the first contained the five Canons against the errours of the Lutherans and other Protestants about original Sin which have been mentioned before In the second Decree there were two articles the first related to the Lectures of Divinity which were to be re-established in Cathedral and Collegiate Churches It ordained that in such Churches able men should be chosen for making Lectures of Divinity upon the Scripture that the same should be done in Monasteries that the Abbots should take the care of that and in case of their neglect that the Bishop might compell them to it but still by a Power delegated from the holy See And in fine that the Readers in Divinity before they began to make their Lectures should be approved by the Bishop excepting those of Cloysters whom the Council did not oblige to demand that approbation The second Article of the Decree of Reformation did regulate the matter of Preaching and Preachers It ordained that the Bishops should preach themselves and that if they could not they should fill their places with men fit to instruct and edifie that the Curates should be obliged to make Sermons or Prones at least every Sunday and all holy Days that the Preachers who should preach in Parishes under the Jurisdiction of Bishops should have licence from them before they take possession of the Pulpits that the Preachers in Cloysters should at least take the Bishops Blessing that if these Preachers should prove to be Hereticks or scandalous they might be suspended by the Ordinaries that if they had a Privilege from the Pope that exempted them from the Jurisdiction of the Bishops yet they might still be suspended and punished by them as Delegates of the holy See and that the Collectours should neither preach themselves nor cause others to preach up the sale of Indulgences This being done the next Session was appointed to be held the nine and twentieth of July and before the breaking up of the present Peter Danes Ambassadour of Francis I. King of France was received into the Council he delivered his Master's Letters Peter Danes Ambassadour of France comes to the Council and there makes a long Speech and backt them with an eloquent Speech wherein he did with much pomp enumerate the great obligations that the holy See had to the Crown of France he told them what Charlemaigne had done in favour of the Popes how Adrian the first had granted him the Power of creating the Pope and how the goodness of Lewis le Debonaire had made him remit and for himself and his Successours renounce that right he enlarged much in demonstrating the Zeal that the Kings of France have always had for the maintenance of the Purity of Doctrine in the Church and the Propagation of the Christian Faith At length he concluded with his Master Francis the First whom he commended for his Care and Prudence in hindering the growth of Heresie within his Dominions telling them that by the Rigour of his Edicts he had provided so well that no Assembly of Protestants had as yet met within his Territories Hercules Severolla Proctour of the Council answered him in a sew words he thanked the most Christian King for having sent to the Council told the Ambassadour that his arrival was very gratefull to them assured him that they had always had a great veneration for the Gallicane Church and promised that the Council would on all occasions be ready to doe her all good offices for the future Whilst the Council of Trent are darting Anathema's against the Protestants the Pope and Emperour prepare another sort of arms against them The treaty which the year before was begun by Cardinal Farnese was completed by the Cardinal of Trent within a few days after the last Session War is declared betwixt the Pope the Emperour and the Protestants the Emperour gets great advantages and the Pope is deceived by the Emperour In this treaty the Emperour obliged himself to reduce the Lutherans to the obedience of the holy See because they refused to submit to the Council The Pope on his part promised to furnish the Emperour with twelve thousand Foot and five hundred Horse and two hundred thousand Crowns for the Charges of the War besides he permitted the Emperour to sell of Lands belonging to Monasteries as much as might amount to fifteen hundred thousand Livers and to have for one year the half of the Revenues of the Church of Spain on condition that he should have a share in the advantages of the Conquests that should be made and that nothing should be granted the Protestants especially in matters of Religion without the Pope's consent there was also a secret Article whereby the Pope obliged himself to excommunicate the King of France if he took up arms against Charles during this War To strengthen this League the Pope solicited several other Princes to enter into it and amongst others the Catholick Cantons of Suisserland but they would not espouse the Party This treaty was kept secret betwixt them and the Emperour desired it should be so that he might the more easily pretend that it was no War for Religion He published therefore in his manifesto's that he had taken up arms to reduce Rebels who by violence had invaded the Estates of the Church making Abbey and Bishops lands hereditary to themselves and who made alliances with Strangers contrary to his own and the interests of the Empire The design of this Politick fetch was to retain those Lutherans on his side who were not engaged in League with the Confederates and indeed several of them furnished the Emperour with Troops amongst whom were Maurice of Saxony and Albert of Brandebourg On the other side the Landgrave of Hesse the Electour of Saxony and the rest of the Protestants published a Manifesto wherein they laid open the Mystery of that League and shew'd it to be a War for Religion of which the