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

272 HISTORY OF THE POPES.
It then happened that, at the first article, the Archbishop of
Granada, Pedro Guerrero, who was the principal spokesman of
the Spaniards, asked for a decision of the question which was so
variously interpreted by theologians, whether the duty of
residence had its origin in divine or in human law. Whoever
voted on this question with the Archbishop of Granada, in
favour of the divine law, at the same time pronounced in favour
of the opinion that in the episcopal consecration there was
immediately conferred by God a certain though still indeter-
minate power of government, while the Pope, in conferring a
bishopric, did no more than designate the person to whom
this power of government was applied. This, however, was
contested by many, and on account of the deeply-rooted
differences of opinion, the discussions proved to be as long as
they were stormy. ^ In the discussions most of the Spaniards,
filled with zeal for the defence and consolidation of the epis-
copal dignity, spoke in favour of the divine right ;
they hoped
from this to be able to gain a strengthening of episcopal
jurisdiction as against the central power of the Pope and a
limitation of Roman dispensations. Beyond this practical
object the matter had also a very wide importance on the
ground of principle. It was not only a question of words,
as some later believed who had only considered the matter
superficially. 2 What was being discussed was rather a matter
of profound theology, upon the answer to which the most
important consequences depended. The controversy affected
the innermost constitution of the Church, and involved in
itself the old antithesis between the Papal and episcopal
systems. Cardinal Simonetta saw very clearly the weapon
^ Hitherto the General Congregation had been held at the
residence of Cardinal Gonzaga, the Palazzo Thun ; the much
greater number of those taking part, as well as the increasing
heat of the season, were the reasons why, after April 13, the
church of S. Maria Maggiore was chosen for the place of meeting.
GiuiLANi, 96. Cf. also Ehses, VIII., 440 n. 2, and 513 n. 2.
From April 25 to May 26, 1562, the Congregations were held in the
Cathedral.
8 Cf. Grisar, Frage des papstl. Primates, 454 seq., 784.