of men un-refined gave no Entertainments with Balls and Comedies This is the Picture Pallavicini gives us of the Conduct and Maxims of the Council and of the Court of Rome And has he not given it an admirable Description Has Father Paul done any thing like it Has he ever said any thing more injurious to it Or is it possible for the greatest Enemies of the Church of Rome to give a more hideous Portraiture of the Morals by which they govern themselves at Rome Let it be no more said that Father Paul under the name of a History of the Council of Trent hath made a Satyr against the Court of Rome For a hundred such Enemies as Father Paul can never prove so injurious to it as the Illustrious Historian has who undertook its defence But let it suffice to have spoken thus much of Father Paul's Work a word or two now of our own In reading Father Paul's History one may remark two things The first that it is filled with things absolutely necessary to be known of all men but more particularly of the Protestants The second thing is that it is full of Theological Disputes and Reflections which makes it indeed most useful for Divines but less fit for others There is scarce any but a Profess'd Divine who could have the patience to read a Folio Volume of seven or eight hundred Pages of which two Thirds are most subtil and intricate School Disputes Which having already been tedious to the Bishops who were of the Audience it is not to be thought strange that they are now tiresom to the Readers So that altho this Work be exquisite in its kind yet it must needs be owned that it is useful but to a few The Original is in a Language that not many in this Country understand The Translation that we have of it is not new enough to satisfie such as can suffer nothing in our Language that has an air of Antiquity Both the Translation and the Original are full of Graces that can never decay And yet it is not to be denied but this Work hath lost some of its Beauties by changing Language For these Reasons it falls out that this excellent Book is not so much read as it ought to be It has been therefore conceived that the rendring this Work more Popular would be of great use to the World And that is the Design of the present Undertaking there being nothing of importance forgotten here yet Brevity is observed And as for the Theological Disputes you have here all that is Essential in them for the knowledge of the Nature and State of the Controversies that were managed in the Council of Trent You have the Principal Arguments made use of by the several Parties for maintaining their Opinions But the tedious Discourses of the Divines and Prelates which Father Paul reports at length and with great exactness are here omitted This History will at least serve for these two ends the one to occasion that abundance of People will inform themselves in the Conduct of this Council who had never done it if they had no other means but that of Father Paul's Voluminious Work The other to refresh the memory of those that have read that Work and let them review in little what there they saw more at large In some places there is a diversity as to Order between this History and that of Father Paul his being written in form of a Journal which is the most proper indeed for exactness but is not always so pleasing to the Reader Great Affairs very rarely happen without interruption several things intervene and one and the same day may produce divers great Events So that in observing the Order of Days one is obliged to take the Reader from a subject of which he would fain see the Issue and that makes him uneasie In this History therefore the Connexion of things is observed which in that of Father Paul are divided And tho I have here observed the Order and Number of Books yet there are many things in Father Paul's History at the end of the Books which are at the beginning here Nay there are some in a quite different Book as the circumstances of the great Quarrel between the French and Spaniards for Precedence They are dispersed in the three last Books of Father Paul but are here brought all together in the beginning of the eighth Book This hint was necessary because such as may have the Curiosity to read any Transaction at length or to compare the two Histories not finding their matter just where they looked for it might question the fidelity of the Present Historian But I begin to perceive that the length of this Discourse is a little contrary to the Design of this Work For it being composed in favour of those who have little leisure or inclination for long Reading it is to be feared they will complain we have been somewhat too tedious in the Introduction THE HISTORY OF THE Council of TRENT BOOK I. LEO. X. IN the beginning of the fifteenth Century the See of Rome being then universally acknowledged as Supreme in all the Western Provinces the state of the Church was peaceable and quiet enough There was indeed in the Valleys of Piedmont a remnant of people supposed to be descended from the Waldenses and Albigenses that retained the Opinions and Worship of their Ancestours and could neither be totally destroyed nor yet reduced to obedience and subjection but these Mountaneers being a dull and ignorant sort of people were incapable of forming any considerable party or of propagating their Sentiments amongst others and the rather because that all their Neighbours were possest with a bad opinion of them and had them generally in abhorrence and detestation year 1513 There were also in Bohemia some of the same Waldenses who went by the name of Picards and some of the followers of John Huss called Calixtins and Subutraquists because they did communicate in both kinds But these last cannot be said to have been enemies seeing in all things else they were conformable to the Church of Rome and though all these Separatists could have united and joined together in judgment and interest yet were they unable to make any great party or to cause any considerable revolutions Contests betwixt Pope Julius II. and Lewis XII of France It is true that in the beginning of the same Century the Church of Rome had been threatned with a Schism through the conduct oâ— Pope Julius II. a man of a turbulent haughty spirit and a lover of War for in the contests he had with Lewis XII of France he had proceeded even to the excommunication of that Prince Lewis on the other side made a party against Julius and the Cardinals whom he had gained to his Faction were assembled at Pisa in order to the holding of a Council and electing of another Pope but the Death of Julius happening opportunely at that time put a period to those differences
Leo X. of the House of Medicis was chosen in his place the eleventh of March 1513 who quickly re-united the separated Cardinals and reconciled the King of France to the holy See Leo X. had many good qualities for a Prince but few of those that are requisite for a good Pope he was liberal generous gentile civil courteous and a lover of men of learning but he was not over Devout nor much addicted to the affairs of Religion He was magnificent and very expensive insomuch that for a supply to this profusion he was soon forced to betake himself to the means often practised by the Court of Rome for raising of Money Leo X. sends Indulgences into Germany I mean the emission and publication of Indulgences Laurence Pucci Cardinal of Santiquatro advised him to this expedient The original of the tribute of Indulgences and it was a kind of Tribute that took its rise in the Church after the eleventh Century and owes its original to the Croisades which were made at that time for the expedition and conquest of the Holy Land Urban II. granted Indulgences to all that would list themselves under the Cross and engage in that expedition In subsequent Croisades the same Indulgences were granted to those who not being able to goe in person did send a Souldier to the Holy War at length those who desired the benefit of the Indulgences but would neither goe nor send to the War purchased their exemption by money In process of time whensoever the Court of Rome stood in need of money they published a distribution of Indulgences in favour of all that would contribute to their necessities Then were Rates set on Sins and he that had a mind to compound knew what he was to pay for the Crime he desired a Pardon for Leo X. caused therefore a Sale of these Pardons to be published in all the Provinces subject to the Church of Rome and gave to his Sister Magdalene married to Francesco Cibo Natural Son to Pope Innocent VIII the profits that did accrue from the distribution of these Indulgences in the Province of Saxony and a great part of Germany Magdalene for raising of this Tribute made use of one Arembold who from a Genoese year 1520 of the Lutherans from the Church of Rome for on the one hand the Universities of Louvain and Cologne burnt the writings of Luther Luther burns the Pope's Bull and the Book of Decretals and on the other Luther assembled the University of Wittemberg and obtained a sentence whereby not onely the Pope's Bull but all the Decretals were condemned to the flames which was accordingly executed At the same time for his own Justification he published a Manifesto wherein he accuses the Pope as a Tyrant for having usurped a Supremacy over Kings and Princes and corrupted the Doctrine of the Church the Pope was thought to have raised this storm by his Precipitance and by an unseasonable and ill weighed Zeal nor indeed could the more moderate approve the Bull of Leo they thought it violent and were amazed that with so little formality he had ventured to decide matters of so great importance And as every one had a lash at that Bull so the Grammarians were pleased to play upon a Period in it consisting of four hundred words inserted betwixt these two inhibentes omnibus and these other nè praefatos errors asserere praesumant The Emperour Charles the Fifth after the Death of his Grandfather Maximilian being in the Year 1520 chosen Emperour next year after held a Diet at Wormes concerning the Affairs of Religion Luther cited to Wormes before the Emperour Charles the Fifth Luther was cited thither came under safe conduct of the Emperour and appeared before him on the 17th of April there he was exhorted to burn his Books and to recant but he answered with the same resolution that brought him thither for his friends had done all they could to divert him from that Journey and had no other answer from him but that if year 1521 all the Devils in Hell had conspired against him yet would he not be hindered from going thither from appearing and maintaining his opinions all that can terrifie a man or daunt a heart was employed against Luther in that Diet but without any success He would neither recant nor condemn his Doctrine for no more could be obtained from him but an acknowledgment that his manner of writing was too eager and violent which he promised to mend for the future they were about to secure his Person notwithstanding the Emperour 's safe conduct according to the procedure of the Council of Constance in relation to John Huss but the Electour Palatine withstood it and Charles the Fifth himself being unwilling either to stain his reputation or violate his promise by such a Treachery sent him home resolving to prosecute him by fair means and to give him his hands full on 't in an open Trial. Accordingly he was the same year and in the same Assembly accused and sentenced by an Edict past the 8th of May whereby Luther's writings were condemned to be burnt The Edict of Wormes against Luther his Person to be seized within twenty days and committed to prison with strict prohibition to all Princes and States to harbour or relieve him but for all this the Electour of Saxony secured him in a Castle where he continued Nine months no man knowing where he was And now did every one reckon it an honour to appear in publick against him the University of Paris condemned his Doctrine Henry the Eighth of England Henry VIII King of England writes against him who had followed his Studies in order to have been Archbishop of Canterbury before the Death of his Elder brother wrote likewise against him for the seven Sacraments and the Authority of the Pope Leo X. was gratefull to that Prince and in recompence gave him the Title of Defender of the Faith which the Kings of England bear to this day Luther answered all these writings not sparing Henry the Eighth whom without any respect to his dignity he answered with much sharpness and severity All Europe was presently full of these writings and the heat of the controversie and quality of those who engaged in the quarrel excited the Curiosity of many every one was willing to know and pry into the matter under debate and that was the reason why many espoused the Party of those who condemned Corruptions and demanded the Reformation of the Church Zurich receives the reformation of Zuinglius At the same time Zuinglius made great Progresses at Zurich The Bishop of Constance having sent thither the Pope's Bull and the Edict of the Emperour exhorted the Senate to banish Zuinglius and to continue in Submission and Obedience to the Church of Rome but Zuinglius wrote back to the Bishop concerning that matter and to all the Cantons of Suisserland The Senate at length appointed an Assembly of
value that his intention being onely to serve his Master according to his humour by staving off the Council and making a Reformation by the sole authority of the Pope without the interposition of any other And indeed as affairs stood Pope Clement was convinced that the calling of a Council was the most pernicious counsel that could be given him The Emperour is dissatisfied with the Diet of Nuremberg and writes thereupon sharply States of Germany The Emperour who was in Spain was as ill satisfied with the Edict of Nuremberg as the Legate was because the thought they had encroached upon his authority in treating of affairs of that importance in this absence He thereupon wrote to the Princes of the Empire pretty sharply letting them to know that he did not take it well that they had infringed the Edict of Wormes by which al Luther's Books were prohibited seeing by the Decree of Nuremberg none but defamatory Libels violent and reproachfull Writings were forbidden He blamed them for having been too high and peremptory in their way of demanding a Council that it was the Pope's concern and his own and that they ought to have applied themselves to him that he might have obtained it of the Pope However as to the main he confessed that he agreed with them in opinion concerning the necessity of a Council which he promised to take care of and have it convened in such time and place as that himself might be present After all he charged them to assemble to more at Spire and commanded them to obey the Edict of Wormes The Germans could not tell what to make of this imperious style who were not wont to be so treated by the Emperours Charles his Predecessours but the Emperour knew what he did he thought thereby to draw the Pope to his side against the King of France with whom he was then in War year 1525 The supervenient Troubles stifle all thoughts of a Council All things seemed now to look as if a Council should be held maugre the intentions of the Court of Rome but the following year 1525. produced such troubles and dismal revolutions that there was a necessity of breaking off all Negotiations in Germany the Bores revolted from their obedience to the Princes and Magistrates and being animated by a furious spirit of Anabaptism which began that year to appear they broke out into strange and astonishing disorders in the Countreys bordering on the Rhine The Battel of Pavia was fought in Italy and King Francis the first there taken Prisoner which success so raised the heart of Charles that he thought nothing impossible for him to atchieve This made the States of Germany begin to be jealous of their Liberty and to enter into a League against the Emperour when at the same time the Pope grew likewise apprehensive of that Prince's power in Italy year 1526 The Troubles being over the Negotiations about matters of Religion were again renewed The year following the Negotiations about the affairs of Religion were again set on foot and about the end of June the States of the Empire met and held a Diet at Spire where were read the Emperour's Letters which pressed the execution of the Edict of Wormes Hereupon there arose great Debates some being for and others against it and nothing less than a fatal rupture seemed to be threatned but Ferdinand Brother to the Emperour thought it no seasonable Juncture to carry it too stifly in that affair and therefore he condescended to the making of an ambiguous Decree whereby it was enacted that the several Princes should in their own States govern matters of Religion so as that they might be able to give the Emperour a good account of the same to whom Embassadours were to be sent to entreat him that within the space of a year he would endeavour the calling of a Council in Germany either General for all Christendom or National for the German Nation alone year 1526 The Pope clashes with the Emperour and absolves Francis of his oaths that he had taken in Prison The same year the Pope began to clash with the Emperour The King of France being delivered out of Prison the Pope treated an Alliance with him dispensed with all the Oaths he had taken during his captivity and made a League against Charles into which he drew the Princes of Italy and called it the Holy League This Treaty was kept secret for some time but the Pope being no longer able to endure the conduct and actions of the Emperour which tended evidently to the diminution of the Papal authority broke forth and wrote two Briefs to him the one dated January 23. and the other the day after the first was sharp full of invectives and complaints against the conduct of the Emperour but particularly he expostulated with him for his invasions of the Rights of the Holy See in that he undertook every where to make Edicts and Orders concerning matters of Religion the cognisance whereof belonged onely to the Pope The second was much milder and took no more notice of the former than if it had never been The design of this Intrigue was to terrifie Charles by the threats of the first Brief and to soften him by the promises of the second but that trick would not take Charles who yielded to him neither in haughtiness nor cunning answered him in the same manner by two Letters of which the latter was delivered just next day after the former and were each of them suited to the different style of the Pope's Briefs In the first he found fault with the Pope's conduct as not becoming the character of a true Pastor and having justified his actions by a long Narrative of all he had done from the beginning of the troubles he protested that if what he wrote did not satisfie him he would appeal to a holy general Council His answer to the second Brief was in a softer style and both his Letters were seconded with an Address to the College of Cardinals wherein Charles spared not the Pope exhorting them to call a Council if the Pope should seem refractary and promising them his assistance therein but withall declared that if they granted not what he desired he would by his Imperial authority provide for the affairs of the Church according as he should think convenient These Letters wounded the Pope to the Heart and brought him to an open Declaration resolving to employ all his force both Spiritual and Temporal against the Emperour He therefore caused his Forces to march towards Lombardy to joyn the Venetians and the other Confederates The Emperour provides work enough for the Pope within Rome by means of the Colonna's who enter the City in Arms and plunder the Vatican who were in league for preserving the liberty of Italy Whilst these Negotiations were on foot the Emperour fomented Divisions in Rome and openly favoured a powerfull Faction formed against the Pope by the House of Colonna Cardinal Pompeio
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
accused of having favoured the Lutherans and had much adoe to justifie himself and to get off A fourth interview betwixt the Pope and the Emperour After the conclusion of the Diet the Emperour went to Italy and had an interview with the Pope in the City of Luca where the matter they chiefly treated of was the holding of a Council The Pope had heretofore called one at Vicenza but he was forced to suspend the Convocation first till Easter in the year 1539. and afterwards by a Bull of the 13th of June the same year the suspension was prolonged untill it should please the Pope to take it off In the Conference of Luca the Pope and the Emperour remained stedfast in their resolution of holding the Council at Vicenza but the Venetians to whom this City belonged recalled the consent they had given They were afraid of offending the Turk with whom they had just concluded a Peace because in that Council Overtures were to be proposed of making War against the Infidels This is the reason that was alledged but the true reason perhaps was that they were not very willing the City should be in a manner abandoned to so many Strangers as must needs flock thither upon account of the Council The Pope declares that he will call the Council at Trend but it is retarded by the War betwixt the Emperour and the King of France The year 1541. being thus spent next year after a Diet of the Empire was held The Pope sent thither John Morone Bishop of Modena and declared that since he could not agree neither with the Duke of Mantua nor the Venetians about holding of a Council either at Mantua or Vicenza he was resolved it should be held at Trent The Protestants would not accept that proposition however the Pope published his Bull dated January 22. and appointed the opening of the Council to be the first of November following About the same time the War broke out between the Emperour and the King of France This last declared War the same year and published reproachfull Manifesto's against the Emperour which War prevented the effect of the Bull of Convocation In the mean time the Pope sent his Legates to Trent and the Emperour his Ambassadours but after they had continued there seven months they were fain to separate because no Prelates came except some of the Kingdom of Naples and of the Ecclesiastick state whom the Pope and the Emperour had sent with their Ambassadours Francis the first King of France foreseeing that it would be imputed to him as a great crime to have obstructed the holding of a Council by so unseasonable a declaration of War to excuse himself with the Pope made Edicts against the Protestants of his Kingdom which he caused to be rigorously put in execution The Pope in the mean time as common Father both to the Emperour and the King of France endeavoured to make them friends but could not succeed in it He had another interview with the Emperour betwixt Parma and Piacenza A fifth interview of the Emperour and Pope but no talk then of a Council or the affairs of Religion The interest of the Emperour obliged him to draw the Pope to his side against the King of France which he attempted to doe and even to procure money of him for the charges of the War On the other hand the Pope had an eye upon the Dutchy of Milan which he desired might return to his Family year 1543 and would have had the Emperour give the investiture of it to Octavio Farnese his Nephew who had married Margaret natural Daughter to Charles the fifth They broke off without concluding any thing being jealous one of another and parted seemingly very well satisfied because both well understood the art of disguising their thoughts The Emperour having no assurances of the Pope addressed himself to Henry King of England and made a League with him against France That incensed the Pope extremely who complained publickly that a Prince who ought to be Protectour of the Church should make alliance with an Excommunicate King He added moreover that since the beginning of the Troubles Charles had carried it with an extreme tenderness towards the Protestants and to render that conduct of the Emperour the more odious he compared it with that of the King of France who had made so many severe Edicts and rigorous Laws against the Innovatours for maintaining the Religion and Papal authority This War and these mutual misunderstandings put a stop to all thoughts of a Council for that year 1543. The year following there was a Diet held at Spire A Diet at Spire where the Emperour gives a new Edict of liberty till the next Council wherein the Emperour represented the pains he had taken for obtaining a Council telling them that it had been called but that the Arms of France hindred its sitting Endeavours were there used to compose the affairs of Religion and the result was that the Emperour who had need of the Protestants made and Edict of Pacification to last till the sitting of the Council That Edict allowed the Lutherans not onely year 1544 the liberty of their Religion but also the peaceable possession of the Benefices which they enjoyed in the Church and ordered Memoirs to be made and presented to the next Diet wherein a form of Reformation should be stated that so all men might know what they were to take for matters of Faith untill the meeting of the next Council The Pope was touched to the quick at the proceedings of this Diet which were very favourable to the Protestants and thereupon wrote smart Letters to the Emperour telling him that he plainly wronged his Conscience and endangered his Salvation by adventuring to judge of matters of Faith and to call Assemblies that might be taken for National Synods by no other authority but his own That these Assemblies were invasions upon the authority of the Holy See since that consisting onely of Lay-men they notwithstanding decided matters of Religion without the power or concurrence of the Pope He besought him to annull all that had been done and in case of refusal threatned to force him to it by other and more severe courses THE HISTORY OF THE Council of TRENT BOOK II. PAUL III. THE War between the Emperour and King of France had hitherto hindered the opening of the Council but that War which lasted not much above a Year The Peace between the Emperour and K. of France revives the proposals of a Council being ended by the Peace that was concluded at Crespy December 24. 1544. both Princes obliged themselves to use their best endeavours for the preservation of the ancient Religion and Union of the Church and for the Reformation of the Court of Rome And that they might the better succeed in these three great Designs they concluded it necessary to press the convocation of a Council The Pope willing to have all the Honour of it alone so soon as
he understood the Intentions of the Emperour and King of France without expecting the demand that these Princes designed to make to him issued forth immediately the Bull of Convocation for a Council to be held in the City of Trent and appointed the 15. of March to be the first day of its Meeting The Emperour was not pleased that this Publication was made without asking his Advice however he put the best Face he could upon it as purposing to appear the principal Actor in this whole Affair and sent to all the Courts in Europe to invite the Princes to send their Prelates to Trent He Assembled the Divines of Louvain appointing them to reduce the Matters in Controversie into certain Heads to be presented to the Council They thereupon made two and thirty bare Conclusions without any Reasons or Arguments to back them and Charles the Fifth who loved to be Supreme as well in Matters of Religion as in the Affairs of State afterwards confirmed them by an Edict The King of France would needs doe the same and Assembled the Divines of Paris at Melun to consult about the Matters that were to be demanded in the Council but they could not agree for some were for demanding the restitution of the Pragmatick Sanction and the Decrees of the Councils of Constance and Basil Others were against it because that would be to declare themselves against the King and overthrow the Agreement that he had made with Leo X. So nothing being fixt upon there they stood to the twenty five Points of Doctrine which the Sorbonne had published two Years before The Pope appoints Legates to preside in the Council and sends them to Trent The Pope did what lay in his Power to content the Emperour who had conceived a great displeasure that after he had laboured so much and had had so great a hand in calling of this Council yet the Bull should be published without asking his consent but for all that went on still to hasten the accomplishment of what he had alone begun He named three Legates to preside in the Council The Cardinal of Monte called otherwise Cardinal of Praeneste Marcello Corvino Cardinal of Santacroce and Reynold Pool and English Man of the Bloud-Royal of England The first was Cardinal Bishop the Second Cardinal Priest and the Third Cardinal Deacon The last was chosen more for Pomp than Necessity because of the Grandure of his Family and that it might appear that though the Kingdom of England had made defection from the Church yet those who continued in their Obedience were still honoured and esteemed The Pope dispatched the Legates with the Bull of Legation without the Plenepotentiary Bull because he would have time to consider in what Form he should give it but some time after their Arrival at Trent they received their Plenepotentiary Bull. At the same time the Pope made a Second Bull of that Nature whereby he gave them power to adjourn the Council to any other place if they thought fit because he was not certain whether Trent might agree with them or not but this second Bull was not then sent but kept secret The Legates did not approve of the Plenepotentiary Bull because it ordered them to proceed in all things according to the resolutions of the Council whereas on the contrary their intention was that in all things the Council should comply with them That Place of the Bull must therefore be mended and there was trouble enough about it before they could agree upon the Form of the Legates Commission there having been no precedents for such kind of Legations In all former Councils that had been held for four or five hundred Years the Popes always presided in Person except in the Council of Basil which in the beginning had the Legates of Pope Eugenius for Presidents but the Name of that Council was so odious to the Court of Rome that they lookt upon it as a crime to imitate anything that had been done there The Presidents arrive at Trent and remain there a long while alone The Legates arrived at Trent the thirteenth of March two days before the Council was to be opened The Poe had given but very short warning for there was no more than three Months betwixt the last Bull of Convocation and the opening of the Council and the remote Prelates as the Germans Spanish and French could not be present in so short a time However the Pope knew what he did for it concerned him to have none there in the beginning but Italians and such as he could dispose of at his pleasure because in the Preliminaries the manner of proceeding during the whole sitting of the Council was to be regulated and thereupon depended the Authority which the Pope was to keep in his own Hands of being Absolute and Supreme in all the deliberations of that Assembly The Legates in the mean time could not open the Council on the day prefixt because they found no Body at Trent and when Don Diego de Mendoza the Emperour's Ambassadour came who arrived ten days after he found none there but the Legates and three Bishops In the beginning the Legates communicated to Don Diego and that small Number of Bishops the Letters which they received from Rome as if they intended to Act nothing without their Participation but it was not long so The Legates perceived that the Ambassadour and the Bishops getting thereby Footing began to meddle too much They therefore wrote to Rome that there should be always two Letters sent them one which might be Communicated to all and another private for themselves alone they likewise demanded a Cipher for the safe communication of Affairs of Weight and Moment and thus did they prepare themselves to receive the inspirations of the Holy-Ghost The Month of March was now spent without any appearance at Trent and the Legates were ashamed to open a Council with no more than three Bishops Orders were thereupon to be expected from Rome and whilst they stayed for them the Ambassadours of Ferdinand King of the Romans arrived and were admitted into the Congregation Now began Disputes about precedence to arise for Don Diego de Mendoza the Emperour's Ambassadour challenged his place immediately after the Legates before Cardinal Madoncio otherwise called Cardinal of Trent who was present and before all the Cardinals that might afterwards appear An expedient was found out to place them so that none should be above another but that decided not the Controversie to Rome it must go and thither the Legates sent it year 1545 At the same time a Diet was held at Wormes wherein the Emperour caused Intimation to be made to the Protestants of the holding of a Council The Emperour gives intimation to the Protestants of the Convocation of a Council and upon their refusing to submit to it concludes a League with the Pope against them but they protested against that Assembly and even refused to give the Emperour any assistance against
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
After that the Electours and Ambassadours withdrew year 1552 session 15 Next day being the five and twentieth of January 25 January 1552. A New Safe-conduct ampler than the former is granted to the Protestants the Session was held wherein the Decree of delay and intermission of all Synodal proceedings in favour of the Protestants untill the nineteenth of March ensuing was read The Safe-conduct was also read and put into more ample form than the former The Protestant Princes and all the rest of the same Party were expresly named in it and all security given them for coming to Trent staying there and returning back they had power allowed them to punish those of their Retinues as should commit any insolency at Trent or on the rode And if any should happen to doe them injury the Council promised them all the Justice that they themselves should require In fine in case they should be obliged to withdraw from the Council they should have twenty days allowed them to betake themselves to places of Safety At the same time the Court of Rome sent new instructions to the Presidents to hasten as much as they could the conclusion of the Council And therefore during the intermission which had been granted to the Protestants the Legate and Nuncio's caused matters to be prepared for the following Sessions thinking that in two or three Sessions more they might be able to dispatch what remained to be done The Pope was well informed of what had past at Trent betwixt the Emperour's Ministers and the Protestant Ambassadours and how that they had in some measure given mutual promises to endeavour the diminution of the Papal Authority he knew likewise that the Spanish Prelates had much such another design so that beginning now to apprehend the Council and Germans he resolved to trust the Emperour no longer but to strike in with the King of France and negotiated his treaty with Tournon the French Minister The Protestants after the Session made a great bustle because nothing had been altered in the Safe-conduct but the Emperour's Ambassadours told them that upon the main all that they demanded was in it that all they stood upon was onely the form which was not worth the minding though these reasons did not satisfie them yet they accepted the Safe-conduct but onely that they might send it to their Masters In the mean time the Presidents that they might hasten on the dissolution of the Council as it had been ordered at Rome held a General Congregation to frame Articles upon the Subject of Marriage and in the following Congregations they proceeded so far as to frame Canons The Protestants hereupon made a great noise saying that they were made fools of since contrary to the word that was given them new Decisions were daily made that when they had demanded a forbearance it was not barely a forbearance of Sessions which were but Ceremonies but of all Synodal proceedings The Emperour's Ministers seconded them and endeavoured to obtain an intermission of all action which the Presidents refused But the Emperour sent an Agent to Trent to prevail with the Council to supersede giving him Orders to goe to Rome if he could obtain nothing at Trent and to advance even to a Protestation against all that should be done that Protestation wherewith the Council was threatned put a stop to the Congregations and a resolution was taken of forbearing all Synodal proceedings till such time as the Council should think otherways The Pope was fain to consent to this whether he would or not and that incensed him the more against the Emperour He wrote to Trent that that forbearance should not be extended beyond a few days and that afterward they should fall again to action without any fear of danger To employ the Council who in this time of intermission had nothing to doe they held Stations during the Lent at Trent as at Rome they did in the beginning of March The Ministers of Saxony received Letters from their Master who to amuse the Emperour wrote to them that they should make fresh instances to the Council for obtaining what they had demanded giving them to understand that within a few days he was to goe wait on the Emperour to advise with him about the best means for carrying on their common designs However this did not prevent a rumour that was quickly spread abroad of a League between the King of France and the Protestant Princes of Germany against the Emperour And upon this Rumour the Electours of Cologne and Mentz parted from Trent and past through Inspruck where they had long and secret Conferences with the Emperour The Ambassadours of Saxony not thinking themselves safe enough at Trent parted from thence likewise about the beginning of March and returned home by different ways Nevertheless the Protestant Divines under the Protection of their Safe-conducts came to Trent four from Wirtemberg and two from Stratsbourg And now the nineteenth of March the day prefixed for holding the Session drawing near the Presidents instead of a Session called a General Congregation that day wherein it was concluded that they should not too hastily give an answer to the instances which the Ambassadours of Wirtemberg sued for and therefore they prorogued the Session to the first of May. At the same time the Ambassadour of Portugal arrived and made and received the usual Complements in that Congregation The Protestants pressed daily for an answer and that the Council would fall to their proceedings again because their Divines were come but the Presidents waved all their instances so that in a few days the countenance of affairs was much altered but a little while before they would not defer any thing in favour of the Protestants and now they refused to proceed to business though the Protestants earnestly urged it The truth is they would have very willingly continued the Synodal proceedings but they durst not because they had no mind to hear the Protestants nor to give them any answer as had been promised and therefore they daily found out some new reason for delay At length they had a very plausible pretext which was the sickness of the Legate Marcello Crescentio who on the five and twentieth of March was taken ill by a strange Accident He had been busie all day till night in dispatching Letters for Rome and rising from his seat to take a little breath he thought he saw a prodigious great black Dog with flaming Eyes and long hanging Ears coming streight towards him which afterwards disappeared under the Table This put him into a great fright but being come to himself again a little he called his Servants who were in the Antichamber and bid them beat out that black Dog but the Dog not being found the fright cast him into a fit of sickness of which he never recovered his sickness served for a good pretext for the delays that were made in answering the Protestants And besides no sooner was one difficulty removed but the
under both kinds the third that Priests might be allowed to Mary and the fourth that they might pay no more Annats and that a national Synod might be called in Poland for adjusting the Differences about Religion He broke forth into a rage when the Proposals were made to him and all these things concurring together made him resolve to call a Council at Rome He ordered the Ambassadours to acquaint their Masters that he intended to celebrate a Council in the Church of Lateran and declared the same in a Congregation of Cardinals On his Coronation-day being the six and twentieth of May a great many Cardinals with the Ambassadours of Princes being with him at Table he said that he had acquainted Princes with his design merely out of form and civility that he would make them sensible what the Holy See can doe when it is possest by a resolute and couragious Pope that he well foresaw that his Proposal would displease them because of the Place that he had pitcht upon but that though they should not send one Prelate to his Council he would not be much concerned and that he well knew how far his Authority reached Whilst matters went thus at Rome news came that by the mediation of Cardinal Pool the Emperour and the King of France had made a Truce for five Years Peace is made betwixt the Emperour and the King of France the Pope breaks it off this News vexed the Pope to the heart because it broke all his measures and suited not at all with the design he had of engaging the King of France in the War of Naples and of making use of the Arms of that Prince for seizing that Kingdom however he pretended to be glad at it But he could not forgive Cardinal Pool to whom he owed so great obligations for having reduced England to the obedience of the Holy See for he sought a pretext to break with him he deprived him of his Legateship and put into the Inquisition his Friend Thomas de S. Felix Bishop Della Cava Immediately he dispatcht two Legates one into France and another into Germany under pretext of essaying to convert the Truce into a Peace But instead of endeavouring to make peace Caraffa his Legate in France perswaded the King to break the Truce and offered him absolution from his Oath The Princes of the house of Guise solicited him to that action but the rest of the Court looked upon that perfidiousness with abhorrence There was onely one thing that stuck with Henry II. and that was that the Pope being extremely old he could not hold out long that after him another would come who might take other measures and that so he would be left alone in the mire into which the Pope had plung'd him The Cardinal of Lorrain a man for expedients found out one presently he told the King that he must get the Pope to create so many Cardinals of the French faction that the King might always be sure of having in the holy See a man at his Devotion This was a cross ill laid trap however Henry was caught in it and did whatsoever they would have him doe But these Negotiations could not be kept so secret but that the Emperour began to suspect that the work that was preparing for him was of the Pope's cutting out for the Legate that was sent to him made but very small Journeys and when he came to Maestricht he had orders from Caraffa to come into France to stop there and not to goe to the Emperour though he was but two days Journey from him The Pope breaks with the Emperour and undertakes a War which prov'd fatal to him The Pope seeing his Train pretty well laid sought for no more but a fair pretext to break with the Emperour which he presently found in that Ascanio Colonna and Marco Antonio his Son were protected at Naples The Pope had excommunicated both deprived them of all their Lands and Estates and given their Forfeitures to his Nephew Montorio with the Title of Duke of Pagliano The Colonna's fled to Naples from whence they made frequent inrodes upon the Ecclesiastick State and especially upon the Lands that had been taken from them The Pope was mad with the Emperour because his Enemy had found refuge within the Territories of that Prince and spoke of Charles and Ferdinand in very outragious terms in presence of their Ambassadours and Friends In fine he resolved to make open War he secured all suspected Persons and shut up several Cardinals and Gentlemen in the Castle of St. Angelo Nay and year 1556 contrary to the Law of Nations he cast into Prison Garcillasso di Vega King Philip's Ambassadour and Postmaster of the Empire he gave protection to those that were banished out of Naples and broke open the Emperour's packets When the Duke of Alva who was then Viceroy of Naples expostulated with him for these injuries threatning that if he persisted in so doeing his Master would right himself by the Law of Arms the Pope made answer that he was a free Prince that as he was not to give account of his Actions to any so as Pope he might call all men to an account of theirs and that nothing could move him to fail in what he was obliged to doe for the maintenance of the Church At length the Duke of Alva finding that fair means could not prevail with him and that great preparations were making in the Pope's Territories thought it his part to take the start and declare War first which he did the fourth of September 1556. He seized almost that whole Countrey which is called Campania di Roma keeping it in name of the succeeding Pope and put Rome it self into a fright The Pope fell to fortifying the City and forced all even the Monks to labour at the Works There was a weak place at the end of the Street called Flaminia where stood a stately Church of our Lady that hindered the fortifications The Pope was about to demolish it but the Duke of Alva sent to entreat him not to doe it promising not to take advantage of that place In the mean time the Duke thinking it enough to have put Rome in a fright drew off and did not lay siege to the place This was the Year wherein Charles made a Resignation of all his Dignities and retreated to a solitary Life having first made over his hereditary Dominions to his Son The resignation of Charles the V. and the Empire to his Brother People hereupon made reflexions much to the disadvantage of the Pope for they compared his haughtiness with the humility of that great Prince who being born in the height of honour and having lived in so great Glory had freely renounced all the Pomps and Vanities of the World whereas on the other hand Paul having been first a Bishop and having afterwards betaken himself to a Monastery of Theatins came out again to be a Cardinal and at the age of 80 Years
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
the Pope and the Cardinal of Lorrain loaded him with Complements for his Holiness desiring him that he would beseech his Holiness not to take it ill that the King and they by Orders from him did demand things which they judged necessary for the wellfare of France and at the same time and by the same hand offered the Pope his Mediation for taking up the differences about the Institution of Bishops and Residence These Memoires of the French Ambassadours were given to the Legates without the hearty condescension of the Prelates of that Nation For there were some Articles amongst them that tended to the Diminution both of the Authority and Revenues of the Bishops which went against the Hair But they consented that they might be presented to the Council in hopes that the Spanish Bishops who are Great Lords and jealous of their Grandure would have opposed them When they saw that the Memoires were sent to Rome they perceived that it would fall to the Pope's share to cut and carve in them as he had done in all the rest and they were afraid that he might compound with the King of France to their Cost in sacrificing to him the interest of the Bishops to make him spare the Court of Rome as it had been done betwixt Francis the First and Leo X. when they made the Concordat And therefore they began to make secret Cabals to get the Articles that concerned them struck out of the Memoires But Lansac perceiving it called them together and rebuked them severely for daring to oppose the Will of the King There were now two Bishops in Deputation at Rome the Bishops of Vintimiglia and Viterbo The first was employed to make fresh Remonstrances about the Subject of the Institution of Bishops and their Residence that the Pope might put the Decree into another form than that which he had formerly sent He arrived the first of January having made his Journey in seven days He gave the Pope an account of all that past in the Council and of the different dispositions of the Members of it The Pope immediately held a Congregation of Cardinals about the Point of the Institution of Bishops which was most urgent And it was there resolved that the Decision should be sent to the Legates in this form That Bishops hold the chief rank in the Church dependant on the Bishop of Rome by whom they are admitted and received in partem solicitudinis It was upon the main the same with the former but the form a little softer and the Pope for a recompence of the qualification which he had suffered to be made in the Canon of the Institution of Bishops would have the Canon that related to his own Authority to run in these terms That the Pope hath Authority to feed and to govern the Church Universal in place of Jesus Christ who hath imparted to him as his Vicar General all his Authority And ordered his Legates that in the Chapter of Doctrine they should enlarge more upon the matter and make use of the Terms of the Council of Florence which saith that the Holy See that is to say the Pope has the Primacy over all the Church that he is the Successour of St. Peter who was Prince of the Apostles that he is the true Vicar of Jesus Christ the Head of all the Churches the Father and Master of all Christians to whom the Lord hath given full power to govern the Church Universal He enjoyned the Legates not to deviate from that form which had been authorised by a General Council At the same time that he might prevent the designs of the French who would have had a Pope elected by the Council in case the present Pope had died he published a Bull wherein he declared that having intention to goe to Bologna in case he should die in his Journey he ordained that his Successour should not be chosen but at Rome The Bishop of Viterbo who was charged with the Memoires of the French arrived a little time after the instructions of the Bishop of Vintimiglia had been dispatched The Pope very impatiently heard the Memoires read but the Bishop of Viterbo pacified him a little by giving him hopes that if he condescended to some of these Articles a part might be cut off and the rest moderated but particularly he gave him ease when he assured him that the greatest part of the French Bishops disliked those Reformations and that they were ready to oppose them The Pope held a Congregation upon that Subject and it was therein resolved that the Articles should be committed to Doctours of the Canon Law to make their observations upon them At the same time the Pope sent Orders to the Cardinal of Ferrara his Legate in France to represent to the King that some of these Propositions tended to the Diminution of the Royal Authority because they deprived the King of the Collation of Benefices and amongst others of Abbeys that the disposal of Benefices was a very commodious Privilege to him for rewarding his faithfull Servants that to raise the Authority of Bishops was not the way to strengthen the Authority of the King and that the more powerfull Bishops were the more troublesome they were to Princes He sent his Legate likewise Orders to give the King the forty thousand Crowns remaining unpay'd of the hundred thousand which he had obliged himself to furnish him but with all that he should not part from them but upon the Condition that he had till them required I mean the abolition of the Pragmatick Sanction in all the Parliaments He prayed also the King to consider that by diminishing the Revenues of the Holy See he would be deprived of means to procure Respect and Obedience that the Tithes of Tithes were by the Law due to the chief Priest and that they had been wisely converted into Annats and concluded with an exhortation to the King that he would sent new Instructions to his Ambassadours He sent likewise to Trent the Censures and Observations which the Canonists and Divines had made upon the Memoires of the French year 1563 The Minute of the Decree concerning the Pope's Authoritycomes from Rome and meets with much contradiction especially from the French The Courier who brought to Trent the Answer to the Remonstrances which the Bishop of Vintimiglia had been charged with arrived on the fourteenth of January and next day was the time appointed for perfixing the day of the Session A Congregation General was held and it was therein resolved that that deliberation should be put off till the fourth of February because they could not as yet certainly tell when matters might be in a readiness The Legates distributed Copies of the Minute of the Decree which was sent from Rome touching the Institution of Bishops and declared that they would begin the Congregations again for consulting about it These Minutes had the approbation of the Patriarchs and oldest Archbishops who gave their opinions first But when it
he would never suffer neither as Emperour nor Archduke that the Council should offer to make such a Reformation to the prejudice of the Jurisdiction of Princes But the Conduct of the French upon that occasion was much more vigorous In the Congregation of the two and twentieth of November they had the patience to hear a long Harangue wherein one of the Prelates strove to prove that the disorders of the Church proceeded from Princes and that Care must be taken to reform them Du Ferrier protests against that Decree and makes a Speech that cuts the Prelates to the quick that since the Acts concerning that were ready there was no more to be done but to produce them The President Du Ferrier started up and made his Protestation by word of mouth in a long and witty discourse delivered briskly in words that cut to the heart He laughed at all the petty Reformations which the Council had made for the Clergy made a Comparison betwixt the Canons of the Council and the Ancient Canons of the Discipline of the Primitive Church wherein it was not permitted to Bishops to be absent from their Flocks three months of the year as the present Council allowed wherein Beneficiaries had not the liberty which the Council granted to dispose of the Revenues of their Benefices to the prejudice of the Poor to whom properly they belong And so went over all the Abuses authorised by the Council of Trent comparing them with the Severity of the Ancient Discipline He alledged that the Reformation of Princes which was proposed tended directly to the Ruine of the Liberties of the Gallican Church but that the King knew very well how to maintain them that he would make use of his Right in laying hold on the goods of the Church when his occasions did require it that it was an intolerable Attempt to excommunicate Kings even without a hearing as that Decree ordained that they should concern themselves with spiritual matters and not with the Affairs of Princes with which they had nothing to doe that the Kings of France had made Ordinances in Ecclesiastick matters and that the Church of France had been governed according to its Laws above four hundred years before the Compilation of the Decretals that Kings held their Power onely of God and that it belongs not to Churchmen to reform them that if they had a mind to reform Princes they should first think of reforming themselves and become like St. Ambrose St. Austin and St. Chrysostome and that that would be the way to make Princes imitate the Examples of the Theodosius's of Honorius Arcadius and the Valentinians This Harangue put the Council out of all patience and even the French Prelates themselves there arose a murmuring and confused Noise amongst them which was like to have broken out into some scandalous Transport had not the Legates to prevent it dismissed the Assembly The Bishops spoke all the Evil they could devise against his Speech to make it pass for Heretical and Nicolas Pelue Archbishop of Sens and Jerome de la Souchieres Abbot of Clervaux had big words with Du Ferrier about it They reported every where that that Protestation was made without Orders from the King that Du Ferrier was a Creature of the King of Navarre that he was suspected of Heresie and that he ought to be put into the Inquisition Others had scraped together some Notes of that Harangue but because Du Ferrier found them false he published it himself and sent a copy of it to the Cardinal of Lorrain with a Letter wherein he told him that he could not abandon the Royal Authority which for the space of four hundred years had been attempted upon by the Court of Rome that as a Frenchman and a Member of Parliament he was obliged to assert the Rights of his King and the opinions of his Faculty And that it was not just that the Council made up of the slaves of the Court of Rome should be Judge in its own Cause So soon as Du Ferrier's Speech appeared in publick the Council caused it to be refuted by a nameless Authour Du Ferrier made his defence and instead of recanting he confirmed all that he had said or written These Writings encreased the Provocation and the Bishops revenged themselves by reviling not so much the Ambassadours as the Court of France They accused the Queen Mother of openly favouring the Hereticks They affirmed that she was governed by the Chatillons who were declared Hereticks by the Chancellour de l'Hopital and the Bishop of Valence who were suspected of Heresie After that Protestation the Ambassadours of France The French Ambassadours goe to Venice having staid a Fourtnight longer at Trent retired to Venice according to the Orders they had from Court. Before they went away they declared to the few French Prelates that remained that it was the King's Intention they should oppose the fifth and sixth Articles of Reformation which were proposed because these Articles drew the Causes and Persons of Bishops out of the Kingdom whereas according to the Liberties of the Gallican Church the Members of the Clergy ought to be judged primâ instantiâ upon the place and by their immediate Superiours When the news of the French Ambassadour's Protestation came to Rome it caused great heart-burnings in the Pope's Court. No man was so much afflicted as the Cardinal of Lorrain because it was an unlucky accident that brought great Prejudice to the Negotiation that he was a managing with the Pope for the Grandeur of himself and Family He pacified the Pope the best he could blaming the Ambassadours and promising to write to the King that he might procure reparation of that Scandal He did indeed write and in such terms as well discovered that he had sacrificed the Interests of his King and the opinions of his Countrey to the design of pleasing the Pope whom he would engage in his private concerns The Pope wrote also to Trent that they should still goe on and that if the French Ambassadours had a mind to be gone they should not hinder them but withall give them no occasion of withdrawing that after all they should prepare to hold the Session immediately upon the return of the Cardinal of Lorrain and put an end to the Council that now he had got the better of the Germans and French and that none but the Spaniards remained to be overcome The truth is the Count de Luna not onely crossed the Pope's design of shortning the Council but also made it his business to obtain an Alteration of the Clause proponentibus legatis He continually charged a fresh and never left off soliciting Cardinal Morone even amidst the troubles that were occasioned by the Protestation of the French till at length the Cardinal was fain to promise that they should endeavour to give him satisfaction in the ensuing Session what this satisfaction was we shall see hereafter The Legates being pressed by the Bishops who were not baulked
Augustins who had formerly discharged that Office p. 4 Ascanio ella DCorna Nephew to Pope Julius III. sent into France to hinder the King from protecting the Duke of Parma and to break off the design of a National Council p. 195 Assembly of the Catholick Princes of Ratisbonne were a Decree pass'd against Luther Vid. Diet. Of the Protestants at Smalcalde p. 37 At Fountain-bleau where it is resolved that a National Council shall be called in France and severities in the mean time cease p. 288 Of the States of France at Orleans p. 291 At St. Germains which makes the Edict of January in favour of the Protestants Vid. Diet. p. 312 Ataide a Portuguese Divine overthrows all the Arguments drawn by the others from the Scripture to prove the Sacrifice of the Mass and departs p. 371 c. Ausbourg the place of a Diet where the Protestants present their Confessions and depart without any accommodation though attempted p. 32 Another Diet of Ausbourg where the Protestants promise to submit to the Council p. 171 A third Diet at Ausbourg for composing the Troubles about Religion p. 257 In the Diet an Edict of Liberty is made which highly offends the Pope p. 261 B. BAptism what was concluded about the necessity of it p. 152 Baptista Castello Promooter of the Council refutes Gropper about the subject of Immediate Appeals to the Pope p. 211 Basil and Berne embrace the Religion of Zuinglius p. 28 Battel of Dreux p. 458 Benefices The abuse of the plurality of Benefices and the various sources from whence it proceeds p. 156 Berne and Basil embrace the Religion of Zuinglius p. 28 Beza assists at the Conference of Poissy p. 300 Birague the French Ambassadour arrives at Trent and was received in congregation p. 254 Bishops not allowed by the Pope to appear in Council by Proxy p. 64 Money ordered to be given to the poor Bishops p. 66 The Sermon of the Bishop of Bitonto is disliked by many p. 69 The Bishop of Guadix basely used for having spoken with some liberty in favour of the Bishops p. 447 Bologna the place of the first Interview betwixt the Emperour and the Pope p. 31 Books Canonical Vix Scripture Bucer and Pistorius chosen with Melancthon to speak for the Protestants p. 50 Bull published by Leo X. for Indulgences p. 6 Ball of Excommunication against Henry VIII King of England p. 47 C. CAjetan the Cardinal has two Conferences with Luther but without effect p. 6 Caraffa Cardinal Nephew Legate in France under Paul IV. p. 267 The Cardinal Legate of Santa-Croce forms Decrees so ambiguously that all Parties find their Opinions in them p. 133 The Cardinal of Lorrain arrives in Italy and is received at Trent p. 437 He makes a Speech in Congregation and after him du Ferrier the French Ambassadour who offends the Council p. 442 Holds private Congregations at his House which alarms the Legates and Court of Rome p. 444 He essays to compose Controversie about the Divine Right of Episcopacy but is slighted and therefore vexed p. 451 Has great Conferences with the Emperour at Inspruck and fol. p. 484 The Pope will not name him for a President in the Council upon the death of the Cardinal of Mantua p. 489 A clashing betwixt the Cardinal and the Archbishop of Otranto p. 527 The Cardinal goes to Rome and enters into a strict Alliance with the Pope p. 557 A low and mean Action of that Prelate in the conclusion of the Council p. 584. Look other Cardinals under their proper names Castello Vid. Baptista Castello Catarino Vid. Ambrosio Catarino Celibat of Priests Vid. Priests Censure of the Decrees by the Malecontents p. 141 Charles V. cites Luther to appear before him at Wormes p. 8 Is dissatisfied with the Diet of Nuremberg and thereupon writes sharply to the States of Germany p. 19 Clashes with Clement VII p. 21 Provides work enough for the Pope within Rome by means of the Colonna's who enter the City in a hostile manner and plunder the Vatican p. 22 Has an Interview with and is crowned by the Pope at Bologna p. 31 The Pope is dissatisfied with him and the Protestant Princes despise his rigorous Edicts p. 34 Charles presses a Council and not obtaining it makes his first Edict in favour of Protestants p. 36 Obtains at length a Bull for convocation of a Council p. 44 Has an Interview with the Pope and King of France p. 47 Grants in the Diet of Spire a new Edict of liberty till the next Council p. 54 Gives intimation to the Protestants of the convocation of a Council and upon their refusing to submit to it concludes a League with the Pope against them p. 61 Consents to the opening of the Council conditionally and the Pope is angry p. 68 Gets great advantages in the War against the Protestants and deceives the Pope p. 107 Obtains a great Victory over the Protestants p. 169 Condemns the Elector of Saxony to death ibid. His treachery towards the Landgrave of Hesse ibid. He protests at Rome and Bologna against the Pope and his Council of Bologna p. 174 Makes the Interim and a Decree of Reformation in the Diet of Ausbourg p. 176 Having sent to Rome Louis D'avila to complement Poe Julius III. upon his Exaltation with orders to press the reestablishment of the Council of Trent he obtains it p. 185 He dare's not at first propose the Bull of Convocation to the Protestants because it was too high and lofty p. 189 He resigns his Dignities and betakes himself to a solitary life p. 270 Charles of Bourbon with the Imperial Army takes Rome is killed in the attempt and the Pope made prisoner p. 24 Church of Rome in what state it was about the beginning of the sixteenth century p. 1 Clement VII succeeds to Adrian p. 16 Sends a Legate into Germany to the Diet at Nuremberg ibid. Clashes with the Emperour and absolves Francis I. from the Oaths he had taken in prison p. 21 Is made prisoner in Rome p. 24 Makes Peace with the Emperour p. 28 Refuses him a Council unless upon conditions that the Protestants would not accept p. 36 Being dissatisfied with him enters into a League with the King of France p. 38 He dies and Paul III. succeeds to him p. 41 The Colonna's at the solicitation of the Emperour enter Rome by force and plunder the Vatican p. 22 Commendums and their original p. 157 Communion of Children and in both kinds p. 342 The Conception of Blessed Virgin occasions a Dispute betwixt the Jacobins and Cordeliers p. 102 The Conclave divided into three Factions after the death of Paul III. p. 183 Conference amicable appointed betwixt the Catholicks and Protestants of Germany p. 48 Another at Wormes which has as little success as the rest p. 50 Another at Ratisbonne without effect p. 8 A Conference appointed at Poissy in France betwixt the Roman Catholicks and Protestants p. 298 Confirmation and who ought to administer it p. 152
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
the Court of Rome who are our determined Adversaries in the Controversie It is against the Pope that the Protestants contend they dispute his quality of Vicar of Jesus Christ of supreme Head of the Church of infallible Judge of Controversies By the dictates of common sense there is nothing so unjust as to establish him for Judge of a Cause against whom the Suit is directly brought But that the Council of Trent was a Council of the Popes not of the Church is most apparent For it was convened by him he presided in it it consisted only of persons who had taken an oath of fidelity to him and were for the greater part his Pensioners And indeed he was so much Master of the Assembly that it acted nothing but as inspired or commanded by him But it will be replied that the Pope being the natural Head of the Church and having the sole right of convening Councils and presiding in them he was not bound to lay aside his Character in favour of the Protestants who unjustly attaqued him Were a King whose Sovereign Power should by some persons be disputed obliged to divest himself of his Royal Dignity submit it to the fantastick humours of men The misfortune is that we are always pester'd with similies that have no manner of similitude A lawful Prince whose rights are clear and indisputable I confess were not obliged to renounce his Royal State But a King whose rights were doubtful false and contested by a Prince of the Royal blond and by the greatest part of his Subjects were obliged for the interests of peace to be content to sit down as a private person and suffer a Judgment of the validity of his Title Is the Pope a Sovereign whose rights are unquestionable Is it acknowledged genenerally that he hath the sole right of convening Councils and presiding in them without whose Authority no Act passed therein should be valid So far from it that the greatest part of the Christian world denies it It is not believed by the Eastern Church nor by the Churches of the North and South or of the Greeks Ethiopians Cophties or Russians that their Councils are unlawful because the Pope doth neither convene them nor preside in them The Protestants may be also reckoned for something not for their number only but chiefly for their reasons For they bring a cloud of Witnesses to demonstrate that the right of convening Councils belongs to the Emperours and that the Bishops of Rome have not always presided in them The first Council of Nice was called by Constantine the Great and Alexander the then Bishop of Constantinople did preside in it The second General Council was called by Theodosius at Constantinople at which neither the Pope nor any of his Legates were present and therefore cannot be said to have presided therein There is nothing farther from truth Râ—pi l. I. ch â—5 34. than what the Cardinal du Perron is pleased to affirm that the first Council of Constantinople besought the Pope to confirm its Decrees On the contrary the Church of Rome opposed her self in all that she was able to what the Council had done She disapproved the Election of Flavius whom the Council had established in the See of Antioch in the place of Meletius who died at Constantinople while the Council sate She favoured Paulinus who had been elected Bishop by a party in the Church of Antioch in separation from the rest She could never relish the Canon of this Council that ordains That the Bishop of Constantinople should have the Prerogatives of honour next to the Bishop of Rome because Constantinople was new Rome And even in the time of Gregory I. L. Ind. 15. Ep. 131. which was in the beginning of the seventh Century the Church of Rome was not as yet reconciled with this Council For Gregory affirms that this Council was not acknowledged in the West Yet after all the opposition of the Roman Church it passes still for a lawful and General Council To this I might add the third General Council assembled at Ephesus the fourth at Calcedon the fifth and sixth at Constantinople all convened by the Emperours and not by the Popes I might add to all these many other proofs of equal weight but being fallen but by accident upon this Dispute I have no intention to enlarge farther upon the proofs Yet I cannot but take notice that Pope Vigilius being at Constantinople in the year 553. when the fifth General Council was there held he would not assist in it nor did preside therein either in Person or by his Legates and yet the Council is received both for lawful and General There is then already just cause to doubt that the Pope hath such a right of convening Councils and presiding in them as to render them unlawful if called or managed by others But this is not all for a considerable part of the Roman Church it self hold this opinion to be most false That the Pope hath the sole right of convening General Councils and presiding in them All the Gallican Church and generally all that own the Councils of Constance and Basil that is to say at least France and Germany are of this Judgment The Council of Constance could not be convened by a lawful Pope for it assembled it self at the solicitation of the Christian Princes and by the authority of the College of Cardinals for the deposing of three Popes who were then sitting the one at Rome being Gregory XII another at Bologna being John XXIII the third at Avignon being Benedict XIII Not one of these Popes could preside in this Council being all thither cited and there condemned as false Popes The Cardinal of Cambray did preside in the third Session Cardinal Vrsini in the fifth John Bishop of Ostia Cardinal and Vice-Chancellour of the Roman Church presided in the seventh and in all the rest till the Election of Martin V. John XXIII being deposed and retired the Council declared in the third Session That by the departure of the Pope the Council was not dissolved but did still continue in its full authority In the Council of Basil Pope Eugenius IV. could not possibly preside for he was there condemned and deposed and Amadeus Duke of Savoy elected in his stead In the seventeenth Session the same Council declares that during the absence of the Presidents the first Prelate shall have the right of presiding without waiting for the Popes Commission This one would imagine doth not seem to import that a Council must be only under the direction of a Pope or of those that are Commissioned by him I am not Ignorant that the Decrees of the Councils both of Basil and of Constance are had in extreme horror by the Court of Rome But I know also that that doth not hinder but that the Gallican Church and divers others do receive and approve them And that suffices to shew that the rights of the Pope were not so clear and uncontested but
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
which the Briefs and Bulls of the Pope were read wherein besides a Command to hold and open the Council there were several Regulations about the forms that ought to be observed in it and one particularly relating to Precedence which did appoint that the Patriarchs having taken their place after the Cardinals the Archbishops should sit next and after them the Bishops but for avoiding of all Debates which have been occasioned upon account of the Dignities and Privileges of Sees the Prelates should be placed according to their Seniority in promotion without any respect to Dignities enjoying Primacy Bartholomeo di Martiri Archbishop of Braganza in Portugal vigorously opposed this Order and could not endure to think that a Pettie Archbishop of Rosano who has not one Suffragan or of Nissia a little Isle in the Archipelago or of Antivari in Sclavonia who have not so much as one Christian under their Jurisdiction and never reside in their Sees should take place of Archbishops of Churches having Primacy considerable in Dignity and Privileges for no other reason but that of Seniority in Promotion However he must bear with that and be satisfied with a Declaration in writing importing that it was not the intention of the Pope nor Council to derogate from any man's rights but that after the Council was over all men might enjoy their several Privileges In the same Congregation the Spaniards urged that the Council might be reckoned a Continuation of the former and so declared in the first Act of the Session The Bishop of Zante in compliance with the Interests of the Emperour and King of France who desired the contrary opposed it but though the Legates of Mantua and Warmia seconded the opinion of the Bishop of Zante yet the matter past according as it had been resolved at Rome and ordered in the Bull. When the Congregation was ended the Legates drew up and framed the Decree of Commencement into which these words were cunningly inserted proponentibus Legatis whereby it was ordained that no proposal should be made but by the Legates This was a great fetch of Roman Court-policy to exclude the French and Spanish Bishops who as the Pope well foresaw had Proposals to make which tended to the diminution of his Authority and the enlarging of Episcopal Dignity They were apprehensive likewise of Princes who by their Ambassadours might make Overtures disadvantageous to the Holy See and contrary to its Interests and therefore it was thought fit that they who had any thing to propose should apply themselves to the Legates without whose consent nothing could be examined in the Council By this means the Court of Rome was secure from the attempts of those that had no great kindness for it session 17 Session 17. the first of the third Convocation The Session was held January the eighteenth wherein the Decree was read and the question put Fathers are ye pleased that from this day forward all suspension being taken off the General Council of Trent be Celebrated for handling in order the matters which the Legates shall think fit to propose to the Council The Answer was placet But four Spanish Prelates the Archbishop of Granada the Bishops of Orense Leon and Almeria objected against the clause proponentibus legatis and desired an Instrument of their Protestation but they went on for all that and the Legates having written to the Pope about it he would by no means have that clause omitted This business made a great deal of noise in the Sequel but at present the Spaniards bore the brunt alone The next Session was assigned to be the twenty sixth of February At the same time they held an Assembly in France at St. Germain en Laye The Assembly of St. Germain which makes the Edict of January in favour of the Protestants It began the seventeenth of January and the Affairs of the Protestants who encreased mightily were taken into consideration The Queen of Navarre the Prince of Conde and Admiral Coligny with many other great Men and Persons of Quality made powerfull instances in favour of the Protestants that they might have liberty to exercise their Religion which they already did without permission To this Assembly was called a select number of Presidents and able Judges from all the Parliaments in France and the Chancellour made a Judicious and Pithy Speech at the opening of it for the mitigation of Rigour To those who stood stiff for the severity of the Penal Edicts he applied that saying of Cicero that Cato behav'd himself among the Dregs of Romulus as if he had been in the Imaginary Commonwealth of Plato concluding thence that it was necessary to accommodate themselves to the times This Opinion prevailed notwithstanding all the opposition of the Persecutors and the Edict of January past which allowed Liberty to Protestants to assemble out of Towns and to live in the exercise of their Religion under the Kings Permission provided they taught nothing contrary to the Council of Nice and the Old and New-Testament The Parliament of Paris strongly opposed the Confirmation of this Edict but the King commanded it to be done declaring however that the Edict was but granted in provision untill the holding of the General Council The Protestants by this Edict took Courage to shew themselves and it is reported that at that time there were two thousand one hundred and fifty Congregations which they called Churches in France The Council begins with Books to be prohibited and the Indices Expurgatorii the Original of these Indices Expurgatorii They began now to fall to business at Trent and the Legates held a Congregation the seven and twentieth of January wherein three Proposals were made the first concerning the Examination of Books that had been written since the breaking out of Heresie which were to be suppressed Secondly whether it was necessary to cite all those who were concerned in such Books to appear before the Council and thirdly whether it was necessary to invite the Hereticks to Council and grant them a Safe-conduct The first point which related to the discharging of Heretical Books to be read deserved to be well weighed because the matter was new It is true that in the ancient Church they who read the Books of Authours who were Enemies of the truth were censured The Enemies of St. Jerome objected it to him as a Crime that he read and perused the Books of Pagan Writers and he blames himself for it saying that he was one day lasht before the Tribunal of Jesus Christ for his Curiosity in having read too much of the Works of Cicero However they made no Catalogue of the Books of Hereticks or Pagans that they might forbid the reading of them The Emperours indeed did sometimes prohibit the Books of Hereticks Constantine prohibited the Arian Arcadius the Eunomian and Manichean Theodosius the Nestorian and Martian the Eutychian Books but the Bishops medled not with them or at least did not take that Authority upon
January but onely with the Character of a Bishop but in the twenty fourth of February he presented his Commission and made a long discourse in praise of his Master at that meeting the Fathers of the Council were strictly enjoyned Secrecy About the same time Lewis de Saint Gelais Lord of Lansac was sent from France Ambassadour extraordinary to Rome The Pope was highly offended that the liberty of preaching had been granted to the Protestants by the Edict of January and Lansac's chief instructions were to excuse that action He cast the blame upon the misfortune of the times and the impossibility of resisting so great a Torrent because most of the great men were engaged in that Party The Pope was not satisfied with these excuses saying that he prayed God to pardon those who were the cause of so many evils The Designs of the Queen of France for Reformation However designs of afar different nature were hatching in France which would have netled the Pope much more if he had known them The Queen mother sent for the Bishops of Valence and Seez the Doctours Bouthilier Dispense Picherel and Maillard famous Divines to St. Germain that they might consult together about the Reformation of the abuses committed in the use of Images They were all almost of opinion to prohibit the making of any Images of the Trinity the rendering any worship to other Images and the carrying of any in procession but the Cross But Nicholas Maillard Dean of the Sorbonne did so oppose it that in this nothing was concluded no more than in the Conference at Poissy These Conferences were procured by the King of Navarre who favoured the Reformation but durst not advance towards it but slowly The Princes of the House of Guise the Duke and Cardinal of Lorrain entertained far contrary designs to those of the King of Navarre but by an action they did at this time they easily made it appear that what they would have had taken for Zeal in Religion was a piece of carnal Wisedom that struck at the Ruine of a Party which obstructed their way to the Crown They had a Conference at Saverne with the Duke of Wirtemberg a Protestant Prince and his Ministers In this Conference they endeavoured to engage the Lutherans in a League against the Protestants of France under Pretext that the Huguenots of France were Zuinglians and different from them in their opinion about the Eucharist These so Catholick Princes were very willing to enter into Alliance with Hereticks that did them no prejudice for the Ruine of other Hereticks who stood too much in their way as they thought but this Conduct created Jealousies in the minds both of the Pope and King of France because the King did not like that his Subjects should entertain secret Conferences with Strangers and the Pope understood not the meaning of such a Union with Hereticks and it was this interview perhaps that gave occasion to the Rumour that was spread abroad afterwards that the Cardinal of Lorrain was very favourable to the Confession of Ausburg Nay it was reported of him that after the Council of Trent he should have said that he had been once of the opinion of that Confession but that after the Decisions of the Council he had submitted session 18 February 26 the Session was held wherein there happened some Contests about Precedence betwixt the Portuguese and Hungarian Ambassadours The Ambassadour of Hungary as being a Bishop sate on the left side of the Church on the Legates right hand in the rank of the Prelates and he of Portugal as being a Secular sate on the right side where the Ambassadours and Oratours of Princes were placed So that in that respect they could have no Debate but the Quarel broke out when the Instructions of their Princes were to be read To compose this difference without prejudicing the Rights of the Parties the Council ordered that these Instructions should be read according to the order of time wherein they had been presented and so Portugal went first Then the Pope's Brief whereby the matter of the Index was referred to the Council was read for seeing Pope Paul had medled in that affair the Council thinking that the Holy See had taken the Cognisance thereof to it self would not undertake the Examination of it without the Pope's permission Last of all the Decree was read by Antonio Helio Patriarch of Jerusalem who had officiated This Decree imported that the matter of the Index was referred to a Committee named by the Council that the Council invited all who had made Separation from the Roman Church to peace and reconciliation promising in Congregation to grant them a Safe-conduct in the same form as had been formerly granted and the next Session was appointed to be the 14th of March The Legates had written to Rome to know in what form they should invite those who had shaken off the Yoke of the Church to repentance and of what extent the Safe-conduct should be The Pope judged it not convenient to grant an oblivion nor to invite Hereticks because it was his opinion it would be to no purpose and for the Safe-conduct he thought it might be granted in General terms according to the form of that which was given to the Germans in the year 1552. but he would not condescend that the same Safe-conduct should be granted to those who lived under the Inquisition Nevertheless he would not have that exception mentioned lest it might be thought that the Pope had not a Supreme Power over the Tribunal of the Inquisition and that he could not exempt any from the Rigours of the same In the beginning of March the Council held several Congregations about that point and at length the Legates brought matters so about that the resolutions of the Council agreed exactly with the Sentiments of the Pope So they adjusted the form of the Decree which was divided into three Articles In the first the Council granted the Germans a Safe-conduct in the same form as it had been granted them before In the second this Safe-conduct was extended to all places where they preached and publickly taught Doctrines contrary to the Doctrine of the Church In the third it contained this Qualification that though the Safe-conduct seemed not to extend to all Nations yet none who would return into the bosome of the Church should be excluded from the benefit of the Oblivion and that a Safe-conduct was also intended for that third sort But as to these last the Council did not perform the promise The German Ambassadours were still for pressing a Reformation and now the Emperour's Ministers desired that they would write to the Protestants to invite them to the Council As to this last point the Legates answered that that was the way to expose the Councils Letters to the danger of being used by the Protestants as the Nuncio's of his Holiness had been already served that is with insolence and indignity As to the matter of
of the Holy See so that their Charge is but in Commission and if they be called Ordinaries it is onely because their Commission is perpetual and that they may have Successours that the Council derived no Authority from the Bishops but onely from the Pope and that a Council cannot be reckoned General without the Authority of the Holy See That fifty Prelates who decided important matters in the first Convocation of the Council under Paul III. could not without the Pope be called a General Council nor in that Quality make Decisions which should oblige the Conscience that when the Pope was present at a Council he alone made the Decrees and the Council interposed in no more but their Approbation wherefore on such occasions it is onely said sacro approbante Concilio He farther said that in matters of great importance the Pope needed not the Approbation of the Council which appeared by the Deposition of Frederick II. in the General Council of Lions where Innocent IV. refused the Approbation of the Council lest it might have been thought necessary and thought it enough to say sacro presente Concilio In a word that General broached the Maximes of Italian Theology in savour of the Pope beyond all imagination This extravagant zealous discourse produced very different effects for it ravished the Faction of the Court of Rome but disgusted and offended most of the rest to the highest Degree And particularly the Bishop of Paris protested that in the first Congregation when it should come to his turn to speak he would openly and boldly speak against that Doctrine He said in all places that it was invented by Thomas de Vio Cajetan that he might merit a Cardinals Cap for the good Service that ever since he was born it had been censured by the Sorbonne that the Government of the Church was degenerated into Tyranny and that the Spouse of Jesus Christ was become a slave and in a manner prostituted to the lust of one man That he could no longer endure these Invasions of Episcopal Authority which was encroached upon by every new Order of Monks that start up in the World that it had received a great blow by the planting of those two Seminaries of Clugny and the Cistertians that since the Mendicant Orders appeared in the World the Authority of Bishops was almost wholly suppressed and that in fine to ruine the Church totally that new Society of Jesus which was neither Secular nor Regular was more Pragmatical than all the rest in attempting against Episcopal Authority These discourses which the Bishop of Paris had in all Companies with extraordinary eagerness and zeal rouzed up the drouzy and blew the coals in those who were already all in a flame insomuch that there was a murmuring and universal discontent over the whole Council against the Harangue of the General of the Jesuits and therefore the Legate perceiving that it had wrought an effect quite contrary to what they expected discharged him from publishing it as he had intended But notwithstanding he dispersed several Copies of it partly to get himself Reputation and partly to soften some hasty words that he had let slip in speaking In the mean time the Legates gave not over their tamperings to make a Party against the Spaniards and their Canvassing was so open and apparent that Lansac Ambassadour of France a man of wit and who was free enough in this discourse could not forbear to play upon them One day at a great entertainment there was a discourse started about the form of Ancient Councils wherein Princes by themselves or by their Ambassadours and the Presidents of the Council gave their suffrages whereas neither one nor other gave their Votes in that of Trent It is true for Ambassadours said Lansac they have no Vote here but for our Presidents the Legates they give vota auricularia and whisper their opinions softly in the ear About this time the Legates met with some satisfaction but of short continuance for a certain Spanish Doctor named Zanel betraying his Party presented them with thirteen Articles of Reformation relating to the Spaniards which he was of opinion ought to be set on foot to stop the mouths of those who appeared to be such Zealous Reformers These Articles struck at some Abuses whereof the Reformation would have been very severe to the Spaniards and mortified them extremely But this Counterbatterie could not doe all the execution they desired because these Articles of Reformation depended upon a great many others which related to the Court of Rome and the Legates were not of the mind to Sacrifice their own interest and that of their Master to a little revenge on their Enemies After all they had enough to do to defend themselves they were not in a condition of assaulting others for the Spaniards French and Germans gave them continually the allarm The Bishop of the five Churches received Letters from the Emperour for the Legates to procure of them that nothing but Reformation should be handled which was a fresh Persecution But they stood this brunt and had no regard to the demand They were somewhat indeed pleased that the Ambassadour of Poland of whom they had no apprehension and who was come to pay them homage from afar was arrived at the Council The five and twentieth of October a Congregation was held to receive that Ambassadour whose name was Valentine Herbut Bishop of Premissa But that was not enough to charm away the fear that the coming of the Cardinal of Lorrain put them in he drew nearer and nearer dayly and so did the Jealousies and Apprehensions of the Court of Rome and of their Party at Trent The Cardinal pleased himself in his Journey to give it out that he was going to employ a good many Engines for lessening the Grandure and Revenues of the Court of Rome They therefore sought out means to break his measures and spoil his designs Some Proposed that the surest way to put a stop to the French was to take them on their weak side and to demand the Reformation of their own abuses For they who are most eager in Reforming of others are unwilling to be Reformed themselves The Pope who on his Part thought on all the ways that might prevent the attempts that were levelled against his Authority gave the Legates Order to curb the boldness of the Prelates in a far other manner than they had hitherto done Nay and there were some who advised the Pope to remove to Bologna that so he might be near and keep the Council in awe But the Legates found out a much better Expedient to get out of harms way and that was to transfer suspend or break up the Council the difficulty consisted in the execution of this design and because that was a remedy which they could not make use of they cast about for another They at first thought it most convenient to give time to the tumult to settle which the Tempest of General Lainez discourse had
the Chief of Bishops And so from that time forward the Greatness of the Pope was the onely hinge upon which moved that Controversie about Residence A Minute of a Decree is made at Rome concerning the Authority of the Pope and Bishops which was rejected by the Bishops in Council The Pope was so much afflicted for the death of his Nephew Frederico Borromeo that he fell dangerously sick considering his great age And yet the troubles he received from the Council vexed him more than the death of his Kinsman He held frequent Congregations of Cardinals for determining those two Controversies which made so much noise about the Institution of Episcopacy and Residence As to that of Institution he gave his answer at last that it was an erroneous opinion that Episcopacy as to the Power of Jurisdiction was of Divine Right and instituted by Jesus Christ unless it were in this Sense that Jesus Christ does all that the Pope doth and concluded that these words of Divine Right ought to be wholly left out or that the Decree must be made in this form That Jesus Christ hath instituted Bishops to be made by the Pope with such Authority as he should think fit to give them for the good of the Church it being still in his Power to enlarge or restrain it As to the Point of Residence he gave Orders that it should not be declared of Divine Right because he would retain to himself the Power of dispensing with it so that whatsoever they did they should have a care that nothing were enacted contrary to his Authority As to the Prorogation of the Session he wrote in General Terms that it should not be put off above a Fortnight nor yet held unless all matters were in a readiness The Legates thought that the Decree about the Institution of Episcopacy and of the Pope's Power over Bishops in the form that it was sent from Rome would never be admitted in the Council and therefore they found themselves obliged to write a second time and send the Bishop of Vintimiglia to the Pope Because the matter of Cup was referred to the Pope the Duke of Bavaria having no more to demand of the Council as to that Point sent a solemn Embassy to Rome for obtaining of it This Embassy went by Trent and the Ambassadours had Conferences with the Legates and Cardinal of Lorrain That allarmed the Spaniards who always opposed the Restitution of the Cup. At the same time the news of the Battel of Dreux came to Trent which was fought the seventeenth of December The Catholicks gave out that they had obtained the Victory though they lost in it almost double the number that the Protestants had lost for they lost five thousand men and the Protestants but three But they alledged that they continued Masters of the Field The two Generals were taken Prisoners the Prince of Conde on the side of the Protestants and the Constable on the Catholicks side This was a fatal Year for the terrible Divisions that rent France in pieces no less that fourteen Armies at one time on foot which on both sides committed fearfull disorders Admiral Coligny after that Battel notwithstanding the taking of the Prince of Conde kept his Army together and made even some progress Nevertheless there was a Thanksgiving at Trent for the Victory as if it had been real when indeed it was but imaginary They were perswaded at Rome that the Huguenots were totally routed and that so there was no more need of a Council wherefore some were of opinion that it should either be dissolved or suspended But the Pope had better news than the rest and saw very well that it was not yet time to dissolve the Council He thought he did enough if he could retain the Power and Authority that he had got over it The Emperour's design of coming to Inspruck in the Neighbourhood of Trent filled him with new Jealousies He made no doubt but that he had secret intelligences with Spain and France and he could not see into the Bottome of it So much he knew in General that these intelligences tended to the lessening of his Authority and the Reformation of the Abuses of his Court. And therefore to prevent Reformations from those hands through which the Court of Rome had not mind to pass he published a Brief dated the twenty seventh of December whereby he reformed some Corruptions of the Rota and made also some other slight Reformations of his Court This in the main came to nothing at all but however it was usefull to his Legates and Pensioners at Trent for they made answer to those who demanded the Reformation of the Court of Rome that seeing the Pope made it his business to reform himself the Council might very well spare themselves the trouble The year one thousand five hundred sixty and two was concluded with a Congregation held the thirtieth of December wherein it was resolved to put off the Session for a Fortnight 1563. The French present their Memoires containing 34 Demands They are sent to Rome and the Pope is allarmed at them To begin the New Year one thousand five hundred and sixty three the French presented four and thirty Articles concerning the Reformation which they desired Most part of them regarded the Reformation of the Clergy and the abuses in Ordination and in preferring undeserving men both as to manners and learning Some of them also related to the Court of Rome and tended to the diminution of its Revenues The fourteenth of these Articles demanded a prohibition of the Plurality of Benefices the sixteenth that the Sacraments might be administred gratis In the seventeeth they demanded Divine Service in the Vulgar Tongue that is to say that the chief Prayers should be said in French as well as in Latin The eighteenth proposed the Communion in both kinds and required the revival of the Decree of Gelasus The twenty sixth demanded the Restitution of the Jurisdiction of Bishops in all their Dioceses over all that lived within them not excepting Monasteries unless the Chiefs of Orders and the Monasteries where the Generals of Orders did reside The nine and twentieth desired Reformation of the abuse which the People made of Images the abuse of Pilgrimages Fraternities Relicks and Indulgences The thirtieth demanded restitution of the custome of publick Pennance as it had been in the primitive Church The Legates and Pope's Party disliked these demands and the manner wherein they were presented for that was with the usual Threat that if they had not satisfaction in admitting their Proposals they would provide for themselves by a National Council The Legates sent these Articles to the Pope being very sure that he could not read them but with extraordinary trouble especially seeing one of the Propositions demanded the abolition of Annates and of all the other means which are used at Rome for hooking in Money from the Provinces They commissioned the Bishop of Viterbo to carry these Memoires to
two Brothers the Duke and Grand Prior. He dealt earnestly with him also to employ his credit with the French Prelates that they would desist from pressing that the Institution of Bishops and their Residence should be declared of Divine Right But the Cardinal would not hear of it he continued stedfast in his design of staying at the Council and as he said of having matters concluded according to truth and reason Upon his return to Trent he bragg'd much how he had resisted the solicitations of the Cardinal of Ferrara but that was the last act of constancy and vigour that came from him for after that time he made so visible and considerable a compliance that he became the chief instrument which the Court of Rome employed for shaking and baffling the vigour of others However he seemed still to retain a little stedfastness in a Conference that he had with Cardinal Morone after his return from Hostia Cardinal Morone to sooth and flatter him told him that he wished he were at the helm of affairs and that he had the same Authority as the Legates had that farther more the Pope desired a Reformation and would set about it that none of the Articles which had been proposed by the several Nations were desired to be left out but those which related to the Court of Rome because the Pope would have the honour of Reforming himself The Cardinal was not catcht in that trap but made answer that saving the respect which was due to the Holy See what concerned the Reformation of the Cardinals and of the Court of Rome might be very well proposed in the Council But he continued not long in that style for the Cardinal received Letters from the Queen informing him that his presence would be far more necessary in France than at Trent she told him that there was no more good to be expected from the Council for France that all that could have been obtained from it would onely have been in order to reunite the French Protestants to the Church but that that was a thing not to be hoped for now since the peace with the Huguenots held good and that therefore the Pope was to be contented She wrote also to the Pope that she would order the French Prelates to concur in any thing that might tend to the speedy Conclusion of the Council and not to dispute his Authority any more From that time forward the Cardinal thought of nothing but of returning to France he was troubled to understand that the peace with the Protestants was like to hold for he mortally hated the Huguenots and feared the growth of the Party not so much out of Zeal for Religion as because he knew that that Party could not be Established but upon the ruines of his Family by reason of the irreconcilable hatred that was betwixt the Princes of the House of Guise and the Great men that were engaged in the interests of the Protestants He considered with himself that to support him against a Party which was like to gather new strength by a Peace he stood in need of the favour of the Pope and therefore he bent all his thoughts for the future to incline him to espouse his Interests by appearing to be wholly at his devotion A new Ambassadour from France comes About the same time the President de Birague the new French Ambassadour arrived and was received in the Congregation of the second of June But because in his Credentials he was not called Ambassadour all the Ambassadours of Princes who commonly come after those of France did not appear that they might not be obliged to take their places after him Birague presented to the Council a Letter from the King wherein he gave once more reasons for the Peace which he had concluded with the Huguenots still protesting that it was done in prospect of reclaiming to the Church those that were gone astray by a surer way than that of Arms that farther he expected that they would aid and assist him in that design by the Reformation which he had demanded and still did demand from the Council Birague's Harangue contained onely the same things somewhat more amplified and seeing the Legates knew what Birague was to say before they had heard him in the Council they were prepared to make an answer to his Speech by complements of condoleing that the King had been in a manner forced to make Peace with the Huguenots They farther added that they disapproved not what he had done exhorting him nevertheless that so soon as his Kingdom were in Peace he would endeavour all he could to cure the wound that Heresie had made in his Territories This answer was communicated to the Cardinal of Lorrain before it was given but he opposed it objecting that the Council ought not to approve the Peace which the King had made with the Huguenots seeing it was so prejudicial to the Church and that therefore they ought to take time to answer This advice was taken and the Legates made answer to Birague that the matters which he had proposed were so weighty that the Council desired time to give an answer to them but the French Ambassadours were extremely vexed with the Cardinal for this action They were about to have written to the Court concerning it but because Lansac was speedily to return they gave it him in Commission to make a report thereof to the King In the mean time the Congregations continued for Examining matters touching the Sacrament of Orders and the Prelates did not stick so closely to the point but that many times they purposely flew out into digressions In one of these Congregations the Bishop of Nimes discoursed freely enough against Annats and against several abuses of the Court of Rome amongst the rest against the Ordination of Priests who were admitted without examination or capacity In another Congregation the Bishop of Cadix a Spaniard shew'd the needlesness of Titulary Bishops whom he called figmenta humana an invention of the Court of Rome and what disorders these Bishops without Bishopricks caused in the exercise of the Discipline of the Church But seeing all the abuses introduced by Papal Authority found instantly Protectors among the Italians the Bishop of Sarzana a Tuscan rose up and defended the Cause of those Titular Bishops Another Spaniard Bishop of Lugo in Gallicia spoke against Dispensations and affirmed that it was not necessary to set Bounds to the Court of Rome as to that matter and to declare the invalidity of those Dispensations or rather that it is impossible to give Dispensations about most things that are so freely dispensed with About this time Angelo Massarelo Bishop of Tilesio in Abruzzo Clark of the Council being grievously tormented with the Stone resolved to be cut of it and desisted from officiating in Person as Clark and this removed one of the difficulties that have been mentioned which was that the Ambassadours of France and Spain having made great instances that he should
set about forming the Decrees and Canons concerning the Matter of Marriage against the next Session In the Congregation of the two and twentieth of July the Legates produced the Canons concerning the matter of Marriage much in the same form as they stand in at present There was no Difficulty about Marriage and the single life of Priests The Emperour King of France and Duke of Bavaria had indeed desired that Priests might be allowed to marry but when the Bishop of the five Churches the Emperour's Ambassadour and the Archbishop of Prague moved the Council to make some more reflexion upon that Point they were scarcely heard Nevertheless the Pope had but very lately before given fresh Promises to the Duke of Bavaria to give him satisfaction as to that matter because the People of his Countrey had made an Insurrection that they might obtain from their Prince the Restitution of the Cup and Permission for married men to Preach The greatest Debates were about Clandestine Marriages The French Ambassadours demanded that they should be declared null An hundred and thirty fix Votes were for it fifty six opposed it and ten would not declare for either side At length the Prelates agreed to Reform the Canon in the manner as now it goes that is that Clandestine Marriages are true Marriages and real Sacraments whilst the Church does not annull them that the Church hath always detested them and for the future declares that all who are Married or Betrothed without the presence of two or three Witnesses at least are incapable of contracting and that by Consequence the Marriage shall be null In the same Congregation the Canons and Anathema's were read the fifth of which Canons pronounces Anathema against those who maintain the Divorces which are permitted by the Code of Justinian to be lawfull that is to say such as are made upon the account of Heresie and refusal of Cohabitation The Cardinal of Lorrain got this Canon added to give a blow to the Calvinists who teach that the refusal of Cohabitation is a lawfull reason for a man to divorce from his Wife The seventh Canon condemns those who assert that Adultery dissolves Marriage At first it was proposed without Anathema out of some respect that still remained for the opinion of St. Ambrose and the Greek Fathers but notwithstanding that Consideration it was thought fit to add the Anathema In the following Congregations there was much Discourse about the Obstacles of contracting Marriage which spring from the Prohibition of marrying within certain remote Degrees not onely of natural but spiritual kindred such as Gossipships or the Relations betwixt Godfathers and Godmothers It was represented that in some places twenty Godfathers and as many Godmothers were sometimes invited and that it many times happens that such not knowing one another for Godfathers and Godmothers marry together without Dispensation and run into the Guilt of Sin Others said upon occasion of the Prohibition of Marriage within remote Degrees that People have not always by them Books of Genealogy so that having forgot their distant Kindred they marry within the Degrees and engage themselves into bonds which by the Laws of the Church are unlawfull They therefore demanded that all these Prohibitions might be abolished or at least that Bishops might have Power to dispense with them that so People might not be put to the trouble of writing or sending to the Court of Rome about matters of so small importance The Council had no great regard to these Remonstrances onely prohibited the multiplying of Godfathers and Godmothers But the Sticklers for the Court of Rome would not yield an Inch in Relation to Prohibited Degrees lest such Condescension might be looked upon by the Lutherans as a gaining of the Cause and might diminish the Revenues of the Pope And indeed it may be said that they made the Yoke of Dispensations heavier for it was ordained that no more Dispensations should be granted in Prohibited Degrees how remote soever they might be unless very pressing reasons required the contrary The Legates propose the Decree of the Reformation of Princes The Ambassadours oppose it This being done the Legates were obliged to propose the Articles of Reformation They offered thirty eight of them which related both to the Abuses committed by Princes in invading the Rights of the Church and the several Abuses that were crept into the Clergy The Cardinal of Lorrain who made it all his business to please the Pope and hasten the Conclusion of the Council advised the Legates to cut off the most part of these Articles and especially those that might meet with greatest Difficulty This Overture surprised the Cardinal of Warmia he could not conceive what was become of that great Zeal which the Cardinal of Lorrain in the beginning pretended for Reformation The Cardinal who perceived his Surprise told him that he ought not to look upon his Condescension as strange that he still retained the same Zeal and the same Intentions but that he had learnt by Experience that nothing was to be expected from the Council concerning Reformation These Articles were communicated to the Ambassadours of Princes and all of them made their several additions and observations according to the interests of the Masters Most of the Ambassadours observations tended to the curbing of the Pope's Authority and putting a stop to the Attempts upon the Ordinaries others drove at the lessening the Authority of Bishops and opposing the Encroachment of the Clergy upon the Civil Jurisdiction The observations of the French Ambassadours were the highest of all for they demanded that the number of Cardinals should not exceed twenty four that the Nephews of the Pope in being or of a Cardinal should not be promoted to a Hat that Cardinals should not possess Bishopricks that all Pretexts of holding several Benefices should be taken away that Criminal Causes of Bishops should not be judged out of the Kingdom that Bishops should have Power to absolve in all Cases that Preventions Resignations in favour Mandates or Mandamus's Reversions and all other unlawfull ways of obtaining Benefices should be abolished that Churchmen should meddle no more in Secular Affairs and that nothing should be done to the prejudice of the Laws of France and Liberties of the Gallican Church But all the Ambassadours agreed to demand a forbearance of handling the Articles of the Reformation of Princes untill another Session The Legates having gathered together all these observations assembled themselves with the two Cardinals Madruccio and Lorrain to consult what they should doe about them The Cardinal of Lorrain was still of opinion that all such Articles as might occasion Debate should be left out and particularly such as were like to be opposed by the Ambassadours The Legates sent to Rome the Articles which they had proposed to the Council with the Observations of the Ambassadours and whilst they waited for an answer on the Eleventh of August they began the Congregations for finishing and completing the Canons
from the Church of Rome and Catholicks themselves took Liberty to speak The whole Discourse both of Catholicks and Protestants was about the Debates and Factions in managing of Affairs especially the matter of Reformation And according to the French way of raillery it was presently in every body's mouth that the Council of Trent had far more Authority than that of the Apostles for whereas the Apostles said It seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and to us the Fathers of Trent said barely It hath seemed good to us quite excluding the Holy Ghost Germany slighted the Council to the highest Degree for the Prelates of that Nation had not been present in this last Convocation which notwithstanding was the most Solemn of all Very few Bishops were there for the Kingdoms if Hungary and Poland none at all from England Swedeland Danemark and the low Countries The French Prelates came onley at the latter end and reckoning them all together with the Spaniards they did not exceed the number of forty Bishops all the rest were Italians of a few more than two hundred Prelates which made up the Council there were above an hundred and fifty from Italy And therefore it had the Name of the Council of the Pope and Italians The Pope confirms the Council by a Bull. The Court of Rome was very glad that the Council was ended they mattered not much what Decrees it had made provided it could make no more The Pope died not then of his sickness and had double Cause of rejoicing at the same time both that he had recovered his health and was also discharged of the burthen of the Council He was so overjoyed that without boggling he declared that he would confirm it and even add some new Reformations That Declaration allarmed the Court of Rome though the Reformations of the Council went not very far however no body was willing to part from any of their Rents and Profits and that nevertheless they must have done had the Decrees of the Council been religiously observed Most of the Cardinals were of opinion that the Pope should moderate the Articles which might incommode the Court of Rome before he confirmed them and alledged that that would serve for two ends First it would as we have said ease them of several incommodious Regulations and then it would confirm the Pope in his Superiority over the Council by reforming it But in fine after that a great many Congregations of Cardinals had been held upon that Subject the opinion of confirming it without any alteration prevailed Some perswaded the Pope to it by Arguments of Piety Honour and Sincerity to his word But the deciding Cast was put in by Hugo Boncompagno Bishop of Vieste in Apulia He alledged that the Confirmation of the Council was so far from diminishing the Authority of the Pope and the Grandure of the Court of Rome that it would much advance it provided a Barriere were set to put a stop to the Rashness of Doctours and hinder them from interpreting the Council according to their several Fancies and Interests It was his advice then that the Judges themselves should be prohibited from medling with the Interpretation of the Sense of the Council and that it should be ordained that in all doubtfull matters recourse should be had to the Holy See and its Interpretations submitted to And thus he made it appear that by so doeing the Court of Rome would always have the absolute Disposal of every thing that pinched them because in confirming the Council the Holy See reserved to it self the Power of interpreting it He said that there was no Law so plain and express nor so rigorous which might not be turned to a commodious and a favourable Sense by means of Exceptions and Qualifications If there be any thing then in the Council that pinches the Holy See and Court of Rome it will be a very easie matter to avoid it by expounding it as one pleases But the Council cannot be made use of said he to the Prejudice of the Court of Rome because all the force of its Execution will depend on the Holy See to which recourse must be had for Interpretation This Overture was worth a Cardinals Cap to the Bishop and it appeared so convenient and good that all agreed to it Thus the matter was resolved upon and the Pope on the six and twentieth of December gave the Bull of Confirmation wherein he forbids under pain of Excommunication the publishing of any Commentaries or Observations upon the Council ordaining in all doubtfull Cases Recourse to be had to the Holy See Within some Months after the Pope made a Promotion of Nineteen Cardinals to reward those who had faithfully served him in the Council and neither Marco Antonio Colonna Archbishop of Taranto nor the Bishop of Vieste were forgotten FINIS ERRATA In the Historical Reflexions Page 20. line 5. reade if according p. 37. l. 26. for of r. from p. 60. l. 20. r. exalting p. 102. l. 6. r. sufficiently p. 113. l. 9. for prompted r. permitted In the History Page 1. l. 1. for fifteenth r. sixteenth p. 60. l. 28. for Madoncio r. Madruccio p. 148. l. 3. r. actu p. 193. l. 3. for had bred r. and bred p. 200. l. 16. betwixt the words sort and made add who p. 245. in the Marginal Note for 19. Session r. 16. p. 251. l. 7. for Dominions r. Dominion p. 275. l. 23. dele it p. 457. l. 8. for Revenue r. Reverence p. 575. l. 3. for means r. mean A TABLE of the most remarkable matters contained in this History A. ADRIAN succeeds to Leo. Page 11 Desires to reform the Church ibid. But cannot succeed in that design of Reformation Page 13 Sends a Letter into Germany confessing that the Church and Court of Rome are corrupted Page 14 He dies Page 16 Altemps Cardinal Nephew of Pope Pius IV. a zealous Protectour of the rights and pretensions of the See of Rome Page 305 Ambassadours Danes Ambassadour of France comes to the Council Page 106 The Emperour's Ambassadour present to the Council five demands in Writing Page 318. The French Ambassadours are received in Council make Speeches and receive no Answer Page 339 They receive new Instructions from France Page 398 Protest against the Decree of the Reformation of Princes and have Orders to withdraw Page 556 They goe to Venice Page 564 Ambrosio Catarino maintains the Opinion of St. Austin and of the Protestants about Works that precede Grace Page 118 And about the certainty that one may have of being in the state of Grace Page 123 His strange Opinion about Predestination Page 132 What his judgment is of the Priests intention in administring Sacraments Page 151 Amiot Bishop of Auxerre protests in Council in name of his Master Henry II. of France Page 198 Arembold of a Genoese Merchant being made a Bishop 〈◊〉 chosen for the distribution of Indulgences in Germany p. 3 He gives that charge to the Jacobins which offends the
Conspiracy of Amboise p. 283 A Council denied to the Emperour unless upon conditions which the Protestants would not accept p. 36 But afterwards granted upon conditions that are rejected by the Protestants p. 37 Called but in vain at Mantua and Vicenza p. 42 46 And then at Trent p. 52 Where with ten Bishops that were arrived the Congregation began to handle Preliminaries p. 65 The form of the Council of Trent and what had been that of ancient Councils p. 71 A Debate concerning the Title of the Council p. 74 About the Order p. 77 About the Seal to be used for Letters p. 78 To amuse the Council the Creed is published p. 79 But three moderate Divines at the Council p. 116 The Council is puzzled in forming Decrees and essays by their ambiguity to give all content p. 133 It is transported to Bologna under pretext of bad Air at Trent p. 166 And divided part of the Prelates removing to Bologna and part staying at Trent p. 167 c. It is opened again at Trent for the second Convocation p. 192 And suspended because of the War of Germany p. 245 The Pope has enough of Councils neither does the Emperour care for them p. 249 The Council opened again at Trent under Pope Pius IV. p. 311 It begins with the Books to be prohibited and the Indices Expurgatorii p. 313 It is publickly said that the Council is not the Council of the Vniversal Church but of the Pope p. 357 The Bishops complain that the Council is taken up about trifles p. 386 Some Bishops apparently ill satisfied with the Infallibility of the Council p. 393 A Letter from the Emperour to the Pope and Council about the Disorders of the Council p. 490 The Council ill satisfied with the Peace of Orleans that the King of France had made with the Huguenots p. 499 The Legates seek out means of concluding the Council speedily and the Count de Luna opposes it p. 441 New troubles are started p. 551 The Council precipitates to its end the Spaniards oppose it p. 572 Confirmation of the Council demanded of the Pope but all are not of that mind p. 575 The Council is confirmed by a Bull of Pius IV. p. 588 Croisades their Original p. 3 The Cup demanded by the French p. 304 And by the Germans about which the Divines give their Opinions p. 347 Both join in that point p. 355 The restoring of it to the Germans is moved p. 380 It is referred to the Pope p. 385 Cruelties practised in several Kingdoms against Protestants p. 256 D. DAnes Ambassadour of France comes to the Council and makes a long Harangue p. 106 Decrees made with a great deal of difficulty and affected Ambiguity to give all content p. 133 The Decrees concerning Penance opposed by the Divines p. 221 The Decree about the Reformation of Princes cause great Trouble v. Legates An abstract of that Decree p. 560 Degradations their Original and Progress p. 212 Diet of Nuremberg where the hundred Grievances were presented p. 17 Diet of Ratisbonne where a Decree past against Luther p. 18 Diet of Spire where Attempts were made to divide the Protestants p. 29 Diet of Ausburg where the Protestants present their Confessions and depart without accommodation though attempted p. 32 Another Diet as Spire where the Emperour gives a new Edict of Liberty till the next Council p. 54 Another at Ausburg where the Protestants promise to submit to the Council p. 171 There the Emperour makes the Interim and a Decree of Reformation p. 176 A Third Diet at Ausburg for composing the troubles of Religion p. 257 Where an Edict of Liberty is made which offends the Pope p. 261 A Diet at Naumburg in Saxony p. 293 Daily Distributions p. 332 Dominico à Soto and Luigi di Catanea both Jacobins and Thomists differ about the Point of Grace p. 128 E. EDict of Wormes against Luther p. 9. Edict of January in favour of the Protestants made at St. Germains en Laye p. 312 Edward King of England dies and Mary his Sister succeeds to him who restores the Catholick Religion p. 252 The Electorate of Saxony transferred to the Branch of Maurice p. 171 The Electour of Brandenburg sends his Ambassadours to the Council p. 215 Elizabeth Queen of England succeeds Mary her Sister and re-establishes the Reformation p. 274 Emperour v. Charles V. England during the Reign of Henry VIII shakes off the Pope's Authority without any innovation in Religion p. 39 The Catholick Religion is maintained there by Queen Mary 〈◊〉 the death of Edward her Brother to whom she succeeded p. 252 Episcopacy and Vehement Contests about the Point p. 413 c. 422 c. 435 c. 448. and elsewhere The Eucharist serves for matter to be treated in the tenth Session p. 170 Exemptions granted by the Pope in prejudice of Ordinaries p. 138 ExtremeVnction and Penance handled in the fourteenth Session p. 218 F. FArnese v. Paul III. and Octavio Farnese Du Ferrier Ambassadour of France learned in Antiquity p. 356 He speaks in Congregation after the Cardinal of Lorrain and his Speech nettles the Council p. 442 Another Speech of his after the reading of the French King's Letters in Council which acquainted the Fathers with his Victory over the Protestants p. 476 He protests against the Decree of the Reformation of Princes and makes a Speech which pricks the Prelates to the quick p. 561 Francis I. absolved by Pope Clement VII from the Oaths which he had taken in Prison p. 21 He dies p. 167 Francis II. dies and Katherine of Medicis his Mother assembles the States at Orleans p. 291 The French present their Memoires containing thirty four Demands p. 460 Frederick Electour of Saxony is made Prisoner wounded and condemned to death by the Emperour Charles V. p. 169 Can neither be moved by Prayers nor threats p. 171 Frederick Nauseus Bishop of Vienna sent to the Council with Paolo Gregoriani Bishop of Zagabria in Sclavonia by the King of the Romans p. 198 Free will handled in the VI. Session p. 125 G. GIacomo Cocco Archbishop of Corsou is of the mind that no opinion which could be interpreted in a sound sense should be condemned p. 133 Grace serves for matter to the Council in the VI. Session p. 113 Catarino's opinion about works that precede Grace p. 118 A Dispute about the Preparations to Grace and the Merit of Congruity p. 119 A Debate about the certainty that one may have of being in the State of Grace p. 123 The Thomists are divided about the matter of Grace â—il â—a p. 128 The hundred Grievances proposed to the Pope at the Diet of Nuremberg p. 17 The Grisons recall Thomas Planta Bishop of Coire p. 220 Gropper a Divine and Lawyer votes for the abolition of Episcopal Jurisdiction and Ecclesiastick Tribunals p. 210 He is refuted by Baptista Castello Promooter of the Council about the Subject of immediate appeal to the Pope p. 211 H. HEnry VIII King of
Pope and yet give some satisfaction to those who so urgently demanded Reformation The Legates are willing to satisfie the Bishops by passing the Decree of the Reformation of Princes but that causes great noise The chief Design of the Legates was to please the Bishops because without them there was no concluding of the Council The principal Aim of the Bishops was to enlarge their Power and for accomplishing of that design they demanded three things First that they should have the absolute Collation of all Benefices that had Cure of Souls that so the Curats might depend on them Secondly that the Council would abolish all the Exemptions of Chapters of privileged Churches and of Monks or Regulars who by certain Privileges obtained from the Court of Rome had found a way to decline the Power of their Bishops And thirdly that all those hinderances might be removed which Princes and Secular Magistrates bring to Ecclesiastick Jurisdiction calling that an invasion of Princes when they strive what they can to hinder the Clergy from challenging and taking to themselves the Trials of civil Causes and temporal Jurisdiction The Legates were very well disposed to satisfie the Bishops as to the third Point of their Demand because none but Princes must pay for that whose interest they did not at all consider And therefore in the Articles which they proposed they failed not to insert every thing that could contribute to the retrieving of the Jurisdiction of Bishops to the same State that the Invasions of the Clergy had formerly brought it to And upon these three heads chiefly the Articles of Reformation run for the satisfaction of the Bishops But as to the second Point which concerns the Exemptions of the Regulars or Monks the Legates had no mind to comply too much with the Bishops because that could not be done without Diminution of the Authority and Profits of the Court of Rome of which all the Monks hold immediately And if the Bishops made instances on their side for obtaining that Demand the Generals of Orders who were present in the Council on the other hand vehemently opposed it The Legates had appointed a particular Congregation for the Reformation of Monks and in that Congregation divers good Regulations were made to which the Generals of Orders had submitted because that Monks are pretty well satisfied that the Rules to which they are oblig'd should be severe and hard that being the thing that appears outwardly to the World and which gains them a great Reputation of Sanctity and Austerity But after all since they are the Masters of the Monasteries within doors and of the manner how these Rules are observed the Severity of Orders incommodes them no more than they please themselves But for the matter of Exemptions they would by no means have that medled with They liked it much better to depend on a Master that lived at a distance who could not watch over their Conduct than on a Bishop who would always have his Eyes upon them Nevertheless the reason that they alledged for their refusal was the remisness and relaxation that Bishops allowed themselves in their Conduct and Conversation and franckly said that when Prelates were Masters of Monasteries Bishops lived under a far more severe Discipline than they did at present and that times were changed The Ambassadours also favoured the Monks for the interest sake of Princes who desire not that Bishops should have too much power because they many times abuse it Martin Royas Pontal Rouge Ambassadour from the Great Master and Knights of Malta was received in Congregation the seventh of September Seeing every one minded their Interests his chief demand was that the Council would Ordain that the Possessions and Commendaries which had been taken from them should be restored The Legates acquainted the Pope with the demand of the Ambassadours of Malta and the Pope answered that it was the business of the Council who ought not to neglect it In that and the following Congregations the Articles of Reformation were again treated of which had been so many times altered and corrected by the Legates and they afforded no important Debates The third Article regarded the Authority of Metropolitans or Archbishops Those of that Character and such of them as were present were for having the Ancient Canons reestablished according to which Bishops were subject to visitation correction and to the Government of Metropolitans as Curates are subject to the Bishops Particularly Giovanni Trevisano Patriarch of Venice was mightily for the restitution of those privileges but the Archbishops were not strong enough to gain their Cause The Bishops who were far the Sedition of the Bishops they were forced to propose in Congregation the Decree of the Reformation of Princes which was sometime before laid aside and referred to another Session Abstract of the Decree of the Reformation of Princes It will not be amiss to give an Abstract of it that it may appear what the temper of the Bishops was and how far the Clergy would have carried on their Usurpations upon the Temporal Right of Princes and Magistrates That Decree contained a Preface thirteen Chapters and a Conclusion The Preface mentioned that the Council had a design to prevent the enterprises of Seculars upon the Immunities of the Church and that for that end it revived the Decrees and Holy Canons which were to be observed under pain of Anathema It ordained then that the persons of Churchmen should not be Judged by a Secular Court upon any pretext whatsoever though they should even consent to it that Secular Judges should not offer to meddle with Matrimonial Causes Causes of Heresie Tithes Rights of Patronage Benefices nor with other Causes wherein any thing of the Spirituality is concerned whether they be Civil or Criminal that Secular Princes cannot Establish Judges in Ecclesiastick affairs that Secular Magistrates must not prohibit an Ecclesiastick Judge to proceed against any by Excommunication that neither Emperour Kings nor Princes can make any Edicts or Ordinances concerning the Affairs Goods and Possessions of Churchmen that Churchmen should be maintained in their Temporal Right of high middle and low Jurisdiction that Ecclesasticks should not be obliged to pay any Taxes Imposts Tenths or Subsidies that Princes and Magistrates should not have Power to quarter their Officers Soldiers or Horses in the Houses of Churchmen There were a great many more Articles of the same force and that tended to the same end So the Clergy shook off the lawfull Yoke of Obedience which they owed to their Sovereigns and erected to themselves within their States a temporal Jurisdiction over Christians parallel to that of Kings and wholly independent of their Authority The Conclusion contained an earnest Exhortation to the Observation of these Decrees under the pain of Anathema This was the Piece against which the Ambassadours of France had orders to protest if they intended to pass it which they failed not to doe The Emperour wrote also to Cardinal Morone that