The history of the popes, from the close of the middle ages : drawn ...

124 HISTORY OF THE POPES.
defections from Rome, the authority of ecclesiastical power
must be strengthened by the support of the secular princes.
To this cause is to be attributed his moderation and his con-
ciliatory attitude towards them.^
Ferdinand I., whose succession to the Imperial dignity
Paul IV. had always obstinately refused to acknowledge, was
the first to experience this conciliatory attitude.^ It was very
soon seen that Pius IV. intended, as soon as possible, to put
an end to this unhappy dispute, which was so hurtful to the
Catholic cause in Germany. On December 30th, 1559, the
Pope declared to the Cardinals that he did not consider it
of any use to contest Ferdinand's election, for, although non-
Catholics had taken part in it, the Catholics had done so as
well. He referred emphatically to Ferdinand's zeal for the
cause of religion, and to his services as the defender of Christendom
in the war against the Turks. AU the Cardinals, with one
exception, agreed to concede the Imperial title to the King of
Hungary and Bohemia, under the condition, however, that
Ferdinand should make apologies for having taken possession
of the Hungarian bishoprics, for the Treaty of Passau, and for
other decisions made by the Diet. Ferdinand, highly delighted
at this change of policy in Rome, declared himself ready to
do so, and at once assured the Pope, through his ambassador,
Thurm, that he would do his utmost to bring about the return
of his son, Maximilian, to the Church. As the question, based
on principle, as to whether Papal recognition was necessary
for the lawful accession of the Emperor to the throne, was not
touched upon, the reconcihation with Rome was assured by
this concession to Ferdinand.^
^ See MocENiGO, 61-2; Girol. Soranzo, 75. Pius IV. em-
phasized the great defection from Rome, and the necessity for
the reform of ecclesiastical conditions, in the brief by which he
notified his election (to Philip II., Venice, Portugal, Florence)
on December 29 and 30, 1559 ; see Min. brev., Arm., 44, t 10,
n. 419, 420, 413, 418, Papal Secret Archives.
2 Cf. Vol. XIV. of this work, p. 351 seq.
^ Cf. SicKEL, Konzil, 22 seq., 76 seq. ; Reimann in the Abhand-
lungen der Schlesischen Gesellschaft fiir Kultur, 1871, 37 seq. ;
ScHMiD, Kaiser- und Konigswahl, 35 seq.