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

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VIEWS OF THE CARDINALS. 207<br />

in <strong>the</strong> memorandum at <strong>the</strong> Pope's zeal for reform was, <strong>the</strong>re-<br />

fore, already forgotten !<br />

<strong>The</strong> nuncios could at any rate conclude <strong>from</strong> <strong>the</strong>se signi-<br />

ficant declarations <strong>of</strong> Ferdinand, that if <strong>the</strong> Pope should<br />

finall}' decide in favour <strong>of</strong> Trent, he would not oppose him.<br />

If Delfino, however, thought that <strong>the</strong> Emperor, in spite <strong>of</strong> his<br />

strong opposition to <strong>the</strong> continuation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Council, would<br />

leave <strong>the</strong> Pope a free hand in this respect, he was taking a<br />

much too optimistic view.<br />

In Rome, this view was not shared. On <strong>the</strong> arrival <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Emperor's answer, Congregations were held on October 27th<br />

and 28th, in which, an unusual occurrence, almost all <strong>the</strong><br />

Cardinals took part. At <strong>the</strong>se deliberations a great divergence<br />

<strong>of</strong> views became apparent. Several very highly respected<br />

Cardinals, especially Carpi, as well as Cesi, Puteo and Saraceni,<br />

spoke very decidedly in favour <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> continuation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Council <strong>of</strong> Trent, and against <strong>the</strong> convocation <strong>of</strong> a new Council.<br />

<strong>The</strong>y were able to put forward weighty reasons for <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

opinion ; in <strong>the</strong> event <strong>of</strong> a new Council being summoned, it<br />

was to be feared that <strong>the</strong> whole <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> work accomplished at<br />

Trent would be lost, while should <strong>the</strong> decisions <strong>of</strong> Trent be<br />

called in question, <strong>the</strong> same might be done with regard to<br />

<strong>the</strong> decrees <strong>of</strong> previous Councils, and <strong>the</strong> consequences would<br />

be incalculable.^ With regard to <strong>the</strong> German Protestants,<br />

Cordova, <strong>the</strong> confessor <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> wife <strong>of</strong> Maximilian II. "is certain<br />

in <strong>the</strong> part about ecclesiastical reform (<strong>from</strong> about exinde ventum<br />

to evenit Caraffis). <strong>The</strong> preceding part cannot be definitely<br />

shown to have come <strong>from</strong> him, nor can his influence be admitted<br />

in <strong>the</strong> part that refers to <strong>the</strong> new convocation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Council."<br />

^ <strong>The</strong> Portuguese ambassador also pointed out this danger<br />

in a letter <strong>of</strong> August 22, 1560 ; see Corpo dipl. Portug., IX., 33.<br />

On November 23, 1560, Hosius wrote to Commendone <strong>from</strong><br />

Vienna : *Si salva nihilominus remanerent concilii Tridentini<br />

sub Paulo et Julio tertiis habita decreta, non multum, quin etiam<br />

nihil referre putarem, indiceretur concilium an continuaretur,<br />

sed si quid latet insidiarum in verbo indictionis, etiam atque<br />

etiam diligenter considerandum censerem ac omni cura providendum,<br />

ne sic indicatur concilium, ut omnis conc'liorum authoritas<br />

glevata vidiatur (Graziani Library, Citt^ di Castello),

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