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

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COMMENDONE AT COLOGNE. 23I<br />

On April 19th Commendone was once more in Cologne,<br />

where he received <strong>the</strong> visit <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Bishop <strong>of</strong> Osnabriick,<br />

Johann von Hoya. This prelate, whom in o<strong>the</strong>r respects<br />

Commendone highly praises, also dwelt upon <strong>the</strong> disturbed<br />

state <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> country, and <strong>the</strong> dangers which thieatened <strong>the</strong><br />

bishops who should travel to <strong>the</strong> Council. He proposed that<br />

<strong>the</strong> archbishops should be commissioned by <strong>the</strong> Pope to hold<br />

provincial synods, and <strong>the</strong>se should appoint several bishops<br />

to go to <strong>the</strong> Council, <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r bishops remaining behind for<br />

<strong>the</strong> protection <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir own and <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r dioceses. Commendone,<br />

however, protested against <strong>the</strong> dangerous and<br />

tedious plan <strong>of</strong> holding provincial synods.<br />

<strong>The</strong> answer <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> municipal council <strong>of</strong> Cologne, and <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

university <strong>of</strong> that city to <strong>the</strong> invitation to <strong>the</strong> Council was<br />

satisfactory. Commendone, however, did not conceal <strong>from</strong><br />

himself <strong>the</strong> fact that even in Cologne grave dangers threatened<br />

<strong>the</strong> Church. He set great hopes on <strong>the</strong> Jesuits for averting<br />

<strong>the</strong>se dangers, but <strong>the</strong> latter had to contend with great diffi-<br />

culties in <strong>the</strong> Rhenish capital, owing to <strong>the</strong> jealousy <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

clergy, and especially <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> mendicant orders. <strong>The</strong> nuncio was<br />

much grieved by <strong>the</strong> incredible apathy <strong>of</strong> so many Catholics.<br />

" It looks," he wrote, " as if our people were those who believe<br />

in faith alone without works, so little do <strong>the</strong>y appear to<br />

trouble aboat <strong>the</strong> redress <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> present evil conditions. On<br />

<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r hand, those who stand outside <strong>the</strong> truth and can<br />

<strong>the</strong>refore find no real unity, do endeavoui to support cne<br />

ano<strong>the</strong>r and to give an appearance <strong>of</strong> being united."^<br />

Commendone found conditions much worse than in <strong>the</strong><br />

archdiocese <strong>of</strong> Cologne, when he entered <strong>the</strong> Duchy <strong>of</strong> Cleves,<br />

<strong>the</strong> capital <strong>of</strong> which he reached on April 26th. <strong>The</strong> apostasy<br />

<strong>from</strong> Rome had <strong>the</strong>re made great progress, and <strong>the</strong>re were<br />

many heretics in Cleves. <strong>The</strong> city <strong>of</strong> Wesel was almost<br />

entirely Protestant, at Diisseldorf a declared Protestant was<br />

teaching five hundred pupils, and <strong>the</strong> court preacher gave<br />

<strong>the</strong> people communion under both kinds. Commendone lost<br />

^Letters to Borromeo <strong>of</strong> April 21 and 25, 1561, in Ehses,<br />

VIII., 194 seqq.

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