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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	father_n	scripture_n	tradition_n	1,582	5	9.3519	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11516	The historie of the Councel of Trent Conteining eight bookes. In which (besides the ordinarie actes of the Councell) are declared many notable occurrences, which happened in Christendome, during the space of fourtie yeeres and more. And, particularly, the practises of the Court of Rome, to hinder the reformation of their errors, and to maintaine their greatnesse. Written in Italian by Pietro Soaue Polano, and faithfully translated into English by Nathanael Brent.; Historia del Concilio tridentino. English	Sarpi, Paolo, 1552-1623.; Brent, Nathaniel, Sir, 1573?-1652.	1629 (1629)	STC 21762; ESTC S116697	1,096,909	905

Euangelists fore seeing they would speake many iniurious things against God and that but for the respect they bare to the King they would haue risen and disturbed the Whereat Cardinall Tornon disdaineth assembly Therefore hee prayed his Maiestie not to beleeue what they had said because the Prelates would disprooue it so that hee should see the difference betweene the trueth and a lye and demanded a dayes time to answere requiring that all should bee remooued from thence that they might not heare those blasphemies Wherewith the Queene thinking her selfe to bee touched answered that nothing was done but by the aduice of the Princes of the Kings Counsell and Parliament of Paris not to change or innouate any thing in Religion but to compose the differences and to reduce those that wandered into the right way which the Bishops were bound in wisedome to procure by all good meanes The assembly being dissolued the Bishops and Diuines consulted amongst themselues what to doe Some of them would haue had a Confession of Faith written vnto which if the Protestants would not subscribe they should bee condemned for heretiques without any further disputation Which opinion seeming too hard after much discourse they resolued to answere two of the points proposed by Beza that is of the Church and of the Eucharist The Congregation being assembled againe the sixteenth of the moneth the The Card. of Loraine speaketh for the Catholiques Cardinall of Loraine in the presence of the King Queene and Princes made a long Oration and sayd That the King was a member not head of the Church that it belonged to his care to defend it and that for matter of doctrine hee was subiect to the Ecclesiasticall Ministers that the Church did not containe the elect onely any yet could not erre that when any particular Church is in an errour recourse must be had to the Church of Rome Decrees of the generall Councels consent of the ancient Fathers and aboue all to the Scripture expounded in the sense of the Church that the heretiques failing in this haue runne into inextricable errours as the modernes for example in the point of the Eucharist in which by an incurable itch of curious questions they haue vsed that which was instituted by Christ for a bond of vnion to make an irreconciliable rent in the Church And then he handled this matter and concluded that if the Protestants will not change their opinion herein there is no meanes of composition When he had made an end all the Bishops stood vp and said they would liue and die in that Faith they prayed the King to perseuere in it adding that if the Protestants will subscribe to this article they will not refuse to dispute the rest but if not they ought not to haue any more audience but to be chased out of the whole kingome Beza asked leaue to answere presently To whom Beza was willing to answer and was not suffered but it seeming not fit to equalize a priuate Minister to so great a Prince Cardinall the assembly was dissolued The Prelats were willing the Colloquie should haue beene thus ended but the Bishop of Valence told them it was dishonourable Therefore the foure and twentieth day it was assembled againe in presence of the Queene and the Princes Beza spake of the Church But speaketh another day and of the conditions and authority thereof of Councels shewing they may erre and the dignity of the Scripture Claudeus Espenseus answered that hee had alwayes desired a Colloquie in matter of Religion and abhorred the punishments which the poore vnfortunate people endured but he much marueiled by what authority and by whom the Protestants were called into the Ecclesiasticall ministery who had layd hands on them to make them And is answered by Claudius Espenseus ordinary Ministers and if they pretended an extraordinary vocation where were the miracles to demonstrate it Then hee treated of Traditions Hee shewed that there beeing a controuersie of the sense of the Scriptures recourse must be had to the Fathers and that many things are beleeued by Tradition onely as the Consubstantialitie of the Sonne the baptizing of infants and the virginity of the mother of Christ after his birth Hee added that no generall Councell was euer corrected by another in point of doctrine Diuers replies and disputations passed on both sides betweene the Diuines who were present And there being a great contention the Card of Loraine making a silence proposed the matter of the Eucharist and sayd that the Bishops were resolute not to proceede any further if that Article were not agreed on and then demaunded of the Ministers if they were prepared to subscribe the Augustan Confession in that Article Beza asked whether hee proposed that in the name of all and whether himselfe and the other Prelates would subscribe to the other points of that Confession and receiuing no answere either of the one or the other hee demanded that that which was proposed to bee subscribed vnto should bee put in writing that they might consult of it and so the Colloquie was put off till the next day In which Beza who began to speake did much prouoke the Bishops For hauing iustified his vocation to the Ministerie he discoursed of the vocation Beza speaketh againe and prouoketh the Bishops and ordination of Bishops shewing what Simonie was committed and demanding how it could be accounted lawfull The passing to the Article of the Eucharist and the point of the Augustan Confession proposed vnto him hee said it ought to bee first subscribed by those who did propose it The parties not being able to agree a Spanish Iesuite one of the traine of the Cardinall The saw●ines of a Spanish Iesuite of Ferrara who was at the Colloquie hauing reproched the Protestants did reprehend the Queene for meddling in matters which belonged not to her but to the Pope Cardinals and Bishops This arrogancie troubled the Queenes Patience but for the Popes sake and the Legates shee dissembled Finally not being able to conclude any thing by this manner of parlie it was A new course is taken ordered that two Bishops and three Diuines of the most moderate should conferre with fiue of the Protestants Ministers to see if they could finde out a way to make an agreement They assayed to frame an Article of the Eucharist Which doth as little good as the former in generall termes taken out of the Fathers which might giue satisfaction to both parties which because they could not doe they concluded the Colloquie This did minister much matter of discourse Some sayd it was a bad example to treate of errours once condemned and that they ought no so much as to heare those who denie the foundations of Religion which hath continued so long and beene so much confirmed especially in the presence of ignorant people and that although nothing was resolued against the true Religion it hath made the heretiques bolde and grieued the

edition should bee preferred before all and allowed yet so as that it should bee corrected by the originall and all men forbid to make any other only that should be amended and the others extinguished and so all inconueniences caused by new interpretations which haue iudiciously been noted and reprehended in the Congregations would cease Andrew de Vega a Franciscan Friar going as a Mediator betweene these two opinions approoued that of Saint Hierom that the qualities of an interpreter are not any Propheticall or other speciall diuine spirit which giueth them infallibilitie and the opinion of the same Saint and of Saint Austin to correct the translations by the texts of the originall tongue But added that it was not contrary to this to say withall that the Latin Church holdeth the vulgar edition for authenticall because it is thus to bee vnderstood that concerning faith and manners there is no errour in it though in some small matter or expression of wordes there may be a mistaking it being impossible that all the words of one language should bee transplanted into another but that there will bee some restriction or inlargement of significations or metaphore or other figure That the vulgar edition hath beene examined heeretofore by the whole Church during the space of 1000. yeeres and knowne that there is no errour in it in matter of faith or manners and in this account it hath beene held and vsed by the ancient Councels and so ought still to bee held and approoued and declared as authenticall that is that it may bee read without danger not hindering those that are more diligent to haue recourse vnto the Hebrew and Greeke originals but forbidding so great a number of whole translations which beget confusion About the Article of the sense of the holy Scripture the doctrine of Cardinall Caietan gaue occasion to speake diuersly who taught and practised the same himselfe that new conceits when they agree to the text and Discourses about the exposition of the Scripture are not aliene from other places of the Scripture and doctrine of faith are not to be reiected though the streame of the Doctors runne another way in regard the Maiestie of God hath not tied the sense of the Scripture to the old Doctors otherwise there would remaine no more power to those that liue now nor to posteritie then to transcribe the same things againe which some of the Diuines and Fathers approoued and some opposed To the first it seemed a spirituall tyrannie to forbid the faithfull to make vse of their proper ingenie according to the grace which God hath giuen them and that this was iust a prohibition to exercise the talent giuen vs by God That men ought to bee inticed with all allurements to the reading of the holy writ from which when that pleasure which nouitie bringeth shall bee remooued all men will euer abhorre it and such strictnesse will make men apply themselues to other studies and abandon this and by consequence all studie and care of pietie That this varietie of spirituall gifts belongeth to the perfection of the Church and is found amongst the Fathers in whose writings there is great diuersitie and oftentimes contrarietie yet ioyned with assured charitie Why should not that libertie bee graunted to this age which others haue inioyed with spirituall fruit The Schoole-men though in the doctrine of Theologie they haue no disputes about the meaning of the Scripture yet they haue as many differences in points of religion and no lesse dangerous That it is better to imitate antiquitie which hath not restrained the exposition of the Scripture but left it free Those of the contrarie opinion sayd that popular licence being worse then tyrannie it was then fit to curbe the vnbrideled wits otherwayes they could not hope to see an end of the present contentions That anciently it was allowed to write vpon the holy Bookes because there was neede in regard there were but few expositions And the men of those times were of an holy life and setled minde from whom no confusions could bee feared as now And therefore the Schoole-men seeing there was no more neede of other expositions in the Church and that the Scripture was not onely sufficiently but aboundantly declared they tooke another course to treate of holy mysteries and seeing that men were inclined to disputings they thought good to busie them rather in examining of the reasons sayings of Aristotle to keepe the holy Scripture in reuerence from which much is derogated when it is handled after a common fashion and is the subiect of the Studies and exercises of curious men And this opinion went on so farre that Richard of Mans a Franciscan Friar sayd that the doctrines of faith were now so cleered that wee ought no more to learne them out of Scripture which it is true was read heretofore in the Church for instruction of the people whereas now it is read in the Church onely to pray and ought to serue euery one for this end onely and not to studie And this should be the reuerence and worship due from euery one to the word of God But at the least the studying of it should bee prohibited to euery one that is not first confirmed in schoole Diuinitie neither doe the Lutherans gaine vpon any but those that studie the Scripture Which opinion wanted not adherents Betweene these opinions there went two others in the middle One that it was not good to restraine the vnderstanding of the Scripture to the Fathers onely in regard their expositions are allegoricall for the most part and seldome literall and those that follow the letter fit themselues to their owne time so that the exposition agreeth not to our age That Cardinall The opinion of Cusanus that the exposition of the Scripture must be fitte● to the time Cusanus a man excellently learned and honest said iudicially that the vnderstanding of the Scripture must bee fitted to the time and expounded according to the current Rites and that it is not to bee maruciled at if the Church in one time expoundeth in one fashion at another in another And this was the meaning of the Lateran Councell when it decreed that the Scripture should bee expounded according to the Doctors of the Church or as long vse hath approoued that new expositions should not bee forbidden but when they varie from the common sense But Dominicus Soto a Dominican Friar distinguished the matter of faith and manners from the others saying it was meete in that onely to keepe euery wit within limits but in others it was not inconuenient to let euery one so that pietie and charitie bee preserued to abound in his owne sence That the Fathers desired not to bee followed of necessitie but onely in things necessary to beleeue and to doe Neither did the Popes when in their Decretals they expounded some passage of the Scripture in one sense meane to canonize that so that it should not bee lawfull to vnderstand it

without the Sacrament of order nor order without a true Bishop neither can hee receiue order who is not baptized Behold millions of nullities of Sacraments by the malice of one Minister in one Acte onely And hee that thinketh that God supplyeth by his omnipotency and prouideth against these dayly occurrences by extraordinary remedies will sooner make one beleeue that God by his prouidence hath prouided that such accidents should not happen Therefore the Bishop said to euery inconuenience God hath made prouision heerein by ordaining that to bee a Sacrament which is administred according to the rite instituted by himselfe though the Minister haue another inward intention And hee added that this doeth not crosse the common doctrine of the Diuines or the determination of the Florentine Councell which requireth intention because the inward intention is not to bee vnderstood but that which is manifested by the externall worke though inwardly it bee contrary And so all inconueniences are remooued which otherwise are innumerable Hee brought many reasons for proofe and at last the example written by Sozomene That the children of Alexandria being at play by the Sea side did imitate in iest the actions vsed in the Church and Athanasius created Bishop of the play did baptize other children not baptized before whereof Alexander of famous memorie Bishop of Alexandria being Athanasius being a child did baptize other children aduertized he was troubled at it and called the children and asked what their Bishop had done and said vnto them and vnderstanding that all the Ecclesiasticall rite was obserued by the Counsell of other Priests did approoue the baptisme which could not bee maintained if such an intention as others spake of were required but might well bee in that manner that himselfe did expresse it The Diuines did not approoue this doctrine yet were troubled and The opinion of the Bishop of M 〈…〉 was not receiued But a yeere after he published a little Booke to shew that the Synod was of his minde knew not how to resolue the reason But they still defended that the true intention of the Minister was necessary either actuall or virtuall and that without it the Sacrament was not of force notwithstanding any externall demonstration I must not refraine to shew also though it bee an anticipation of the fit time that howsoeuer the Synode did after determine absolutely that the intention of the Minister is necessary yet this Prelate remained firme and in a little Booke that hee wrote of this Subiect a yeere after did say that the Synode of Trent was of his opinion and that the determination ought to bee vnderstood in his sence There was no difficultie in condemning the last Article by reason of that which hath beene said by others The matter of Baptisme in the third Article gaue them greater trouble what that Baptisme is which is giuen by the heretikes All grounded themselues vpon the Schoole-doctrine receiued by the Florentine Councel that a Sacrament requireth matter forme and intention and that water is the matter the expression of the Act in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost the forme and to doe what the Church doeth the intention Whereupon they established an vndoubted conclusion that those heretikes haue true baptisme and agree with vs in these three things which they sayd was receiued by an Apostolicall tradition established long before by Pope Stephanus the first in the beginning of the third age and approoued by all the Church following But those that vnderstand antiquitie doe know that this was not the opinion of Stephanus in whose time matter forme and intention were not heard of For that Pope did thinke absolutely that those who were conuerted from any heresie whatsoeuer ought not to bee rebaptized though in those times the heretikes except some few Montanists were Gnostiques who vsed extrauagant baptismes by reason of the exorbitant opinions which they held of the diuinitie and person of CHRIST And it is certaine that those Baptismes had not the forme which is vsed now and yet the Church of Rome did the receiue to repentance euery sort of heretikes indifferently without rebaptizing them The Bishops of Africa and Cappadocia were directly opposite saying that all 〈…〉 were to be rebaptized In the Councel of Nice a middle course was 〈…〉 is that the Cathari should not bee rebaptized but the Paulianists and 〈…〉 ists should The Councell of Constantinople did name many heretikes which were to bee rebaptized and others to bee receiued to baptisme with them in whom it would bee hard to shew that the same forme was vsed But which is of more importance Saint Bernard doeth witnesse that the Nouations Eucratiques Saccofors were not rebaptized in Rome whom notwithstanding hee did rebaptize neither did that Saint thinke this diuersitie to bee absurd onely hee said it would bee good to assemble many Bishops to resloue vpon an vniforme proceeding But giuing no more heede to these things then to fables they held the current doctrine that an heretike doth truely baptize if he vseth the words and hath the intention of the Church The fourth Article that Baptisme was Repentance in regard of the force of the speech was held by many not to bee false alleadging the Euangelist who saith that Iohn preached the Baptisme of Repentance and that Paul in the sixt to the Hebrewes calleth Baptisme by the name of Repentance And so many Fathers haue sayd the same that the Article could not bee condemned except it did say that Baptisme was the Sacrament of Penance But because it seemed in this sence to bee the same with the sixteenth Article many thought fit to leaue it The 9. and 10. belonging to the Baptisme of Iohn many were of opinion that they ought to bee omitted For not speaking of those of the old law it was lesse fit to speake of that which was in the middle in regard their scope was to handle the Sacraments of the new law But others said that the heretikes minde was not to exalt the Baptisme of Iohn and to make it equall Whether the Baptisme of Iohn Christ be equall with that of CHRIST but to abase that of CHRIST and to make it equall with Iohns baptisme inferring that as this did not giue grace but was a pure signification so was ours also which is a most formall heresie In the eleuenth of the Rites some would haue the substantials distinguished from others and said that those onely cannot be omitted without sinne Others would exclude the case of necessitie onely and that otherwise it was not lawfull to omit any whatsoeuer for in regard the Church gouerned by the holy Ghost hath ordained them they are necessary by the precept though not by the substance of the Sacrament They alleadged many Chapters of the Popes and Councels all which would prooue vaine if euery one might change as he listeth That part which speaketh of immersion though it bee a more expresse figure of the death

no T 〈…〉 tion but an hypostaticall vnion of the humanitie and of the substances of the Bread and Wine so that it may bee truely sayd this Bread is the Body of CHRIST and this wine is the Blood of CHRIST 4. That the Eucharist is onely for remission of sinnes 5. That CHRIST ought not to bee worshipped in the Eucharist nor honoured in feasts not carried in procession nor to the sicke and that the worshippers are truely Idolaters 6. That the Eucharist ought not to bee saued but spent and distributed immediatly and that he that doth not so doth abuse this Sacrament and that it is not lawfull for any to giue the Communion to himselfe 7. That in the particles which remaine after the Communion the Body of our LORD doth not remaine but onely while it is receiued and neither before nor after 8. That it is de iure diuino to giue both kinds to the people and children and that they sinne who force them to vse one onely 9. That so much is not contained vnder one as vnder both neither doth hee receiue so much who communicateth with one as hee that doeth communicate with both 10. That onely faith is a sufficient preparation to receiue the Eucharist neither is confession necessary but free especially to the learned neither are men bound to Communicate at Easter After these Articles a precept was added in this forme That the Diuines Who are prescribed an order how they shall proceed ought to confirme their opinions with the holy Scripture Traditions of the Apostles sacred and approoued Councels and by the constitutions and authorities of the holy Fathers that they ought to vse breuitie and auoyd superfluolis and vnprofitable questions and peruerse contentions That this shall bee the order of speaking amongst them first those that are sent by the Pope are to speake then those that are sent by the Emperour and in the third place the Secular Diuiries according to the order of their promotions and lastly the Regulars according to the precedencie of their orders And the Legate and Presidents by the Apostolique authority granted them gaue faculty and authority to the Diuines who are to speake to haue and reade all prohibited bookes that they may finde out the trueth and confute and impugne false opinions This order did not please the Italian Which doth displease the Italian Diuines Diuines who sayd it was a nouitie and a condemning of Schoole diuinitie which in all difficulties vseth reason and because it was not lawfull to treate as Saint Thomas Saint Bonauenture and other famous men did The other doctrine which is called positiue and consisteth in collecting the sayings of the Scriptures and Fathers was onely a faculty of the memory and a painet in writing and was old but knowen to be vnsufficient and vnprofitable by those Doctors who for these three hundred and fifty yeeres that de●●d the Church and that this was to yeeld the victory to the Lutheranes For when the point shall stand vpon variety of reading and memorie they will euer ouercome in regard they know many congues and reade 〈◊〉 Authours where unto he that will bee a good Diuine can not apply 〈◊〉 who must exercise his wit and make himselfe able to weigh things and not to number them They complayned that this was to shame themselues before the Dutch Diuines who beeing accustomed to contend with the Lutheranes are exercised in this kinde of Learning which is not vsed in Italy who if they were to speake according to true Theologie it would appeare they knew nothing But the Presidents being willing to please them haue done this shame to the Italians Though many complained hereof yet it preuailed but little because generally the Fathers desired to heare men speake with intelligible tearmes not abstrustly in the matter of iustification and others already handled And it is certaine that this order did 〈…〉 the expedition In diuers Congregations all the voyces were comfortable For the first Article that it should becondemned for hereticall as formerly it had beene Opinions are deliuered concerning the articles In the second there were three opinions Some said it was to bee omitted for that no heretique doeth denie the Sacramentall Communion Others held it onely for suspected and some would haue deliuered it in clearer tearmes The common opinion was that the third was hereticall but that it was not fit to condemne or speake of it because it was an opinion inuented by Robertus Tutciensis more then foure hundred years since and neuer followed by any therefore to speake of it would contrary to the precept of the wise man mooue the euill which beeing quiet hurted not They added that the Councell was assembled against the moderne heresies and therefore that they were not to take paines in the old Concerning the fourth Article there were diuers opinions Some said that the word onely beeing taken away the opinion was Catholique to say that the Eucharist is for the remission of sinnes and that word was not put by any of the heretiques and therefore they thought this Article might to omitted Some sayd it was hereticall though the word onely were remooued because the Sacrament of the Eucharist as not instituted for the remission of sinnes In the fift all agreed and many amplifications were vsed to perswade the worship and many new wayes proposed to enlarge it as the deuotion of euery one had found out Likewise they allagreed in the sixt except in the last part that is that it is not lawfull to giue the Communion to himselfe Some said that it being vnderstood of the Laiques it was Catholique and therefore it must bee expressed that it is to bee condemned onely in regard of the Priest Others sayd that neither in regard of these it was to bee condemned for hereticall because in the sixt Councell the hundred and one chapter it was not condemned Others would that for the Laiques also the case of necessity should be excluded In the seuenth all powred themselues out into 〈…〉 ctiues against the moderne Protestants as inuentors of a wicked opinion neuer heard of before in the Church Vpon the eight all made long discourses though all to the same purpose Their principall reasons to condemne it were because our Sauiour in the foure and twentieth of Saint Luke did blesse the bread onely to the two Disciples and because in the Lords Prayer wee aske our dayly bread and because in the Actes of the Apostles in the second and twentieth Chapters Bread onely is spoken of and Saint Paul in the ship in the seuen and twentieth blessed nothing but the Bread Authorities of the ancient Doctors and some examples of the Fathers were brought but they grounded themselues principally vpon the Councell of Constance and the custome of the Church as also vpon diuers figures of the Olde Testament and drew many prophecies also to this sence And concerning the children all agreed that perhaps it might formerly bee done by some particular

otherwise though with reason And S. Paul ment so when hee said that prophecying that is interpretation of the Scripture should bee vsed according to the analogie of faith that is with reference to the Articles thereof And if this distinction were not made they must needes fall into notable inconueniences by reason of the contrarieties which are found in the diuers expositions of the ancient Fathers which doe oppugne one another The difficulties were not so great but that the vulgar edition was approued The vulgar edition is approoued almost by a generall consent the discourse hauing made deepe impression in their mindes that Grammarians would take vpon them to teach Bishops and Diuines Some few thought it fit in regard of the reasons brought by the Diuines to leaue the point for that time but seeing the resolution was otherwise they desired them to consider that hauing approued it they should command it to be printed and corrected and in that case that it was necessary to frame a copie by which to make the impression Whereupon sixe were deputed by common consent and commanded to be diligent in making that correction that it might bee published before the end of the Councell reseruing power to themselues to augment the number if amongst those that were to come any were fit for the worke But in giuing voyces vpon the fourth Article after Cardinall Pacceco had said that the Scripture was expounded by so many and so excellent men in goodnesse and learning that there was no hope to adde any good thing more and that all the new heresies sprang from the new expositions of the Scripture and therefore that it was necessary to bridle the saucinesse of moderne wits and to make them content to be gouerned by the ancients and by the Church and that if any had some singular spirit he should be enforced to conceale it and not to confound the world by publishing it almost all runne into the same opinion The Congregation of the 29. was all spent in the fift Article For the Diuines hauing spoken irresolutely and with reference to the Synod to which it belongeth to make Statutes the Fathers were doubtfull also To leaue out the Anathema wholly was to make no decree of faith and in the very beginning to breake the order set downe to handle the two heads together To condemne euery one for an heretike who would not accept the vulgar Edition in some particular place perhaps of none importance or should publish some inuention of his owne vpon the Scripture through vanitie of minde seemed too rigorous After long discussion they found a temper which was to frame the first Decree and comprehend in it that onely which concerneth the Catalogue of the holy Bookes and the Traditions and to conclude that with an anathema Then in the second which belongeth to reformation to comprehend the translation and sense of the Scripture as if the Decree were a remedie against the abuse of so many interpretations and impertinent expositions It remayned to speake of the other abuses of which euery one had collected The abuses are spoken of a great number and many wayes to redresse them as humane weaknesse and superstition vseth holy things not onely beyond but also contrary to that for which they are appointed Of inchantments to find treasures and to bring lasciuious deseignes to passe or to obtaine things vnlawfull much was said and many remedies proposed to roote them out Amongst inchantments some put carying the Gospel about one names of God to preuent infirmities or to be healed of them or to bee kept from euils and mischiefes or to bee prosperous likewise to reade them for the same ends and to write them with obseruation of times In this catalogue were numbred Masses said in some Countries vpon red hot Iron vpon boyling waters or vpon cold or other matters for vulgar purgations to recite the Gospel ouer Armes that they may haue more force against the enemies In this ranke were put the coniurations of dogges to make them not bite of serpents to make them not offend of harmefull beasts in the field of tempests and other causes of the barrennesse of the land requiring that all these obseruations might bee condemned forbid and punished as abuses But in diuers particulars there were contradictions and disputes For some defended as things deuout and religious or at the least permitted and not damnable which others did condemne for wicked and superstitious The like happened speaking of the Word of God by casting of lots or diuinations or extracting schedules with verses of the Scripture or obseruing those they met when they opened the booke To vse sacred words in scandalous libels and other detractions was generally condemned and much was sayd of the meanes how to remooue the Pasquins of Rome wherein the Cardinall of Monte shewed great passion in desiring a remedie because he was often made a subiect of the saucinesse of the Courtiers tongues by reason of his naturall liberty and pleasantnesse of wit All agreed that the Word of God could neuer bee reuerenced enough and that to vse it to mens commendations though Princes and Prelates is not seemely and generally that all vaine vse of it is a sinne But yet the Councell ought not to busie it selfe in this in regard they were not assembled to prouide against all faults neither was it to beforbid absolutely to draw the words of the Scripture to humane matters because S. Antoninus in his storie condemned not the Sicilian Ambassadors who asking pardon of Martin the fourth deliuered their Ambassage in no other termes but saying three times Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi miserere nobis Nor the Popes answere who likewise said thrise Aue Rex Iudeorum Et dabant illi alapas Therefore that it was the malice of the Lutherans to reprehend the Bishop of Bitonto who in his sermon made in the publike Session said that to him that refused the Councel it might bee replied Pap 〈…〉 lux venit in mundum dilexerunt homines magis tenebras quam lucem So many Congregations were spent heerein and the number so increased and the weakenesse of the remedies proposed did so much appeare that the common opinion inclined to make no particular mention of any of them nor to descend to the proper remedies or particular punishments but onely to forbid them vnder generall heads and leaue the penalties to the discretion of the Bishops Of the abuses of the Prints there was not much to be spoken for all agreed that the Printers should bee brideled and prohibited to Print any sacred thing before it was allowed but for this the Decree of the last Lateran Councel was sufficient But about readings and preachings there were terrible controuersies A great contention betweene the Regulars and Prelats about readings and preachings The Regulars beeing already in possession of them as well by the Popes priuiledges as by the practise of 300 yeeres laboured to preserue them