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

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A DECISION ARRIVED AT. 211<br />

and that <strong>the</strong> necessary preparations would be undertaken<br />

with <strong>the</strong> consent <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Cardinals. Fasts and intercessory-<br />

prayers must be ordered for <strong>the</strong> whole <strong>of</strong> Christendom, while<br />

a special procession and a High Mass at S. Maria sopra<br />

Minerva would take place in Rome. Cardinals Saraceni, Puteo<br />

and Cicada, toge<strong>the</strong>r with several o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>ologians would be<br />

entrusted with <strong>the</strong> drafting <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> bull <strong>of</strong> convocation, and<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir draft would be laid before <strong>the</strong> Cardinals in consistory. ^<br />

<strong>The</strong> decision so suddenly arrived at, after such long dis-<br />

cussion, was soon known in Rome, and caused great<br />

astonishment.<br />

<strong>The</strong> following occurrences clearly showed that <strong>the</strong>y v/ere<br />

faced with an accomplished fact. <strong>The</strong> indulgence which<br />

usually preceded <strong>the</strong> conciliar bull, was pubhshed on Novem-<br />

ber 19th, and in this <strong>the</strong> Pope announced his resolve to<br />

summon and continue <strong>the</strong> General Council, in accordance<br />

with <strong>the</strong> advice, and with <strong>the</strong> consent <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Cardinals, in<br />

<strong>the</strong> same city <strong>of</strong> Trent, where his predecessors had already<br />

held <strong>the</strong> Council. Fasts, prayers and alms would be ordered<br />

to implore <strong>the</strong> Divine blessing, and to <strong>the</strong> faithful who added<br />

to <strong>the</strong>se good works a contrite confession and a worthy com-<br />

munion, a plenary indulgence would be granted as in <strong>the</strong><br />

year <strong>of</strong> Jubilee.^<br />

^ <strong>The</strong>re are two reports <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> consistory <strong>of</strong> November 15:<br />

(i) Acta consist. Cancell. printed in Raynaldus, 1560, n. 67, and<br />

Laemmer, Zur Kirchengeschichte, 73 seq. ; (2) Acta consist.<br />

Cancell. in Ehses, Berufung des Konzils, 21, where <strong>the</strong>re are<br />

particulars on <strong>the</strong> relation between <strong>the</strong> two accounts. See <strong>the</strong><br />

text <strong>of</strong> both in Ehses, VIII., 100. Cf. also <strong>the</strong> letter <strong>of</strong> Card. O.<br />

Truchsess <strong>of</strong> November 16, in his Correspondence, 222 seq., and<br />

<strong>the</strong> report <strong>of</strong> Vargas in Voss, 127. Ehses (p. 23 seq.) completely<br />

rejects <strong>the</strong> attempt (Voss, 129) to attribute <strong>the</strong> decisive influence<br />

upon <strong>the</strong> deliberations in <strong>the</strong> Curia upon <strong>the</strong> question <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Council to Duke Cosimo I. <strong>The</strong> matter, however, would bear<br />

fur<strong>the</strong>r investigation according to <strong>the</strong> documents in <strong>the</strong> State<br />

Archives, Florence.<br />

2 Concerning <strong>the</strong> bull <strong>of</strong> November 1 5, in which <strong>the</strong> two contrary<br />

expressions indicere and continuare are simply placed one after

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