ing the latter word for word. The presidents looked at one another in silence; it was an observation they were not prepared to meet. At length Crescentio said that the whole affair should be laid before the fathers, and the result communicated to them. A congregation was summoned; the fathers were persuaded that the cause of God and the church was in danger, and the legate manoeuvred so well that it was unanimously agreed to preserve the original form of the safe-conduct, without any alteration.* The general congregation for the reception of the Protestant ambassadors met at Crescentio's house, Jan. 24. The legate addressed the assembly in a short discourse; he said, that the business on which they had met was more important than any that had occurred to the church for many ages, and that on such an occasion they needed special assistance from God. Prayers followed. Then the secretary read a protestation in the name of the council, purporting that the reception of the Protestant ambassadors was entirely an act of condescension and grace, and that it was not to be considered as a precedent, nor any consequence derived therefrom, prejudicial to the authority and rights of general councils. The Wirtemburg ambassadors being introduced, they presented their confession of faith, and briefly stated their master's demands. This was in the morning. In the evening the congregation was again assembled, and the Saxon ambassadors were admitted. Badehorne spoke with great freedom and courage, little regarding the presumed dignity of his audience. He renewed the demand for a safe-conduct similar to that granted at Basle, and justified the demand by referring to the unrepealed decision of the Council of Constance, “that faith is not to be kept with heretics." He strongly urged the propriety of absolving the bishops from their oath of allegiance to the Pope, that they might be entirely unshackled and uninfluenced in considering the important question of reform, the necessity for which became every day more apparent. The free spirit and bold manner of the ambassadors produced a powerful impression in their favour. They have spoken," said the 66 *Sleidan, p. 390. Sarpi, l. iv. s. 38. Vargas, pp. 474-476. Le Plat, iv. p. 217. Bishop of Orenza, "much at length in full congregation, and said such things respecting reform as we ourselves dare not say. It is true there were some bad passages in their discourse; but there were so many good ones that it was right to take care that the people should not hear them. We have great hopes of doing something for the service of God, if they would give us liberty!"* There was the evil-the secret cause of all the mischief that was practised at Trent; the most part spoke and voted according to orders; if any acted otherwise, they were insulted and silenced. It need scarcely be added that the speeches of the ambassadors were delivered in vain, and that the fathers resolved to leave the safe-conduct unaltered and risk the consequences.† The resolution to suspend the publication of the decrees till the Protestants had been heard prevented the accomplishment of a project which the legate had secretly formed in the true spirit of Romish policy. During the progress of the negotiations with the Protestant ambassadors, the subject of the sacrament of orders had been discussed by the divines. A decree was framed, comprising three chapters and eight canons, and conveying the sentiments of the council on "the necessity and institution of the sacrament of orders," the "visible and external priesthood of the church,” and “the ecclesiastical hierarchy, and the difference between priests and bishops." In the last chapter, which taught the divine right of episcopacy, and enumerated the exclusive privileges belonging to that order, the crafty legate had caused to be inserted a direct acknowledgment of the absolute and unqualified supremacy of the Pope in all things pertaining to the church, expressed in such strong and unequivocal terms that if the decree had passed in that state, all hopes of amendment and reform would have been completely quashed, and the chains of spiritual tyranny more firmly riveted than ever.‡ By consenting to the decree, the prelates would have * Vargas, p. 472. + Pallav. 1. xii. c. 15. Sarpi, l. iv. s. 39, 40. Le Plat, iv. pp. 418-533. Le Plat has reprinted the confessions presented by the ambassadors: they may also be seen in the "Corpus et Syntagma Confessionum Fidei," Geneva, 1654. ↑ Vargas, pp. 345-369. Le Plat, iv. pp. 397–405. yielded to the pontiff the little remnant of power that was left, and confessed themselves his slaves. Yet, strange to say, none of them saw their danger, and the decree was about to receive the final approval of a general congregation, when Vargas discovered the objectionable passages and immediately gave the alarm. By his means, the Spanish bishops were awakened to a sense of their peril, and placed themselves in the attitude of determined opposition. Probably the concession of the divine right of their order had so gratified and soothed them, that the jealous suspicions with which they were accustomed to watch the proceedings of the legate were lulled to rest. But they were soon convinced that this concession was entirely nullified by the grasping pretensions with which it was associated. Crescentio had, indeed, acknowledged the divine right of episcopacy; but at the same time he had taught that the Pope was absolute lord and master of the bishops in everything pertaining to their office, so that, in fact, they were only to be considered as the servants and delegates of the holy see ! And he had denied to the laity, of whatever rank, all right of interference in the appointment or election of the clergy, resting the same ultimately in the Pope. Had the decree passed, a perfect ecclesiastical despotism would have been established, without remedy or appeal. A long and angry contest ensued. The legate was infuriated by the opposition he encountered. His colleagues disapproved of his measures; the whole strength of the imperial party was vigorously directed against him; while on every side he met the resistance of the incensed prelates. Yet he recklessly maintained his ground, and endeavoured to obtain by threats what his wily policy had failed to accomplish. The Bishop of Orenza presumed to say, that he doubted the truth of the assertions contained in the obnoxious paragraphs. "He who doubts in a matter of faith," said Crescentio, "is a heretic, therefore you are one."* Taunting insults and fierce me Vargas, p. 434. "Le Légat a été échauffé plus qu'aucun autre. Il veut emporter les affaires par ses bravades et par ses menaces." "Le Légat a fait et il fait encore le diable." "Le Légat dit des injures; il fait des menaces à tous ceux qui s'opposent à lui. Je ne sçai comment Dieu permet de pareils excès. Peutêtre qu'il veut nous couvrir encore de honte et de confusion."-Ibid. pp. 433, 436, 492. naces awaited all who dared oppose him; deep-laid intrigues were employed to procure favourable suffrages; and there was some reason to fear that he would succeed, monstrous as were the claims which he sought to establish. The postponement of the decree was a most opportune event for the Catholic church, as it saved her from the shame of a publicly acknowledged thraldom. But the Protestant will discern in this affair the natural fruits of pure and undisguised popery. The fifteenth session was held January 25th. In the decree passed on that occasion, the postponement of the doctrinal articles was announced, and a hope expressed that the Protestants, for whose sake the delay had been granted, would at length repair to Trent, not obstinately to oppose the Catholic faith, but to learn the truth and acquiesce in the decrees and discipline of holy mother church. The new safe-conduct was published in the form previously settled, without any regard to the remonstrances and demands of the ambassadors; and it was particularly observable that in guaranteeing perfect liberty, notwithstanding any statutes, decrees, laws, canons, or decisions of councils, and especially of the Council of Constance, the infamous enactment of that assembly respecting the preservation of faith with heretics was declared to be superseded "for that time," an expression not obscurely intimating that the church of Rome still tenaciously clings to the sentiment contained in that abominable decree. An official copy of the safe-conduct was forwarded to the Protestant ambassadors: their own opinions on it had been already expressed; all they could do was to transmit it to Germany, and wait for further directions.† It seems that the fathers occupied the interval of leisure they now enjoyed, partly in hearing sermons and attending the devotional solemnities of the church, and partly in intrigue. What sort of discourses were usually delivered before the prelates we have not the means of ascertaining; but it will be confessed that there was little to promote conciliation and charity in the sermon preached by Ambrose Pelargo. His subject was the parable of the tares. The tares he understood to signify the heretics; and he taught, in open contradiction to "Pro hac vice." † Pallav. 1. xii. c. 15. Sarpi, l. iv. s. 41. Р his text, that they should be rooted up, if it could be done without injury to the wheat. When complaints were made, and the preacher was interrogated respecting his assertions, he boldly vindicated himself. It was his decided opinion, he said, that heretics ought to be exterminated, by fire, by sword, by the halter, or in any other way in which their destruction might be safely accomplished; but he had taken care to employ only general terms, not mentioning the Protestants by name, and he had said nothing in contravention of the safe-conduct recently granted by the council. This impudent excuse was accepted, and the fellow went free.* Doubtless, the monk's sermon expressed the feelings of a large proportion of the fathers at Trent. But it augured ill for reconciliation or union that such an outrage should be committed with impunity. And small hopes of reform could be indulged when an office in the gift of the Pope was put up for sale by public auction, in the city of Rome; and that, too, while a general council was sitting, avowedly for the purpose of retrieving the lost honour of the church, by the removal of its manifold corruptions and abuses !+ Six Protestant divines arrived at Trent in the month of March; four from Wirtemburg, (Brentius was one of them,) and two from Strasburg; notwithstanding the acknowledged deficiency of the safe-conduct, they had ventured to the council to explain and defend their confession of faith, should the fathers give them opportunity. They had brought with them printed copies of their confession, which were eagerly sought after by the bishops and divines, much to the annoyance of the legate, who had contrived that very few should see it in manuscript, though it had been publicly presented to the council.‡ Various ineffectual endeavours were made by the imperial ambassadors to procure a hearing for the Protestant divines; but some excuse for delay was always at hand. They would have consented to any method of discussion which the legate *Sleidan, p. 392. Vargas, p. 531. Manners and morals were at a low ebb at Trent. The imperial ambassador confesses having indulged too freely with the bottle; and the Spanish bishops had taken the precaution to secure good cooks: unfortunately, they had forgotten to provide themselves with a physician, and they suffered for their neglect.-Ibid. pp. 509, 547. Sleidan, p. 394. |
