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

334 HISTORY OF THE POPES.
mine the monarchical character of the organization of the
Church, in the sense of the Council of Basle. The Spanish
bishops, indeed, acknowledged the Council of Florence,
but remamed firm on the point that the institution and
jurisdiction of the episcopate was of divine right, and must
therefore be declared to be so. On account of the extent
of their dioceses, and the richness of their benefices, they
hoped everything from the strengthening of the episcopal
power, and would have liked to become popes in their own
dioceses ; they also endeavoured to weaken the authority
of the Cardinals in every possible way. The Italians, and
with them a few Spanish and French bishops, as well as the
very small number of bishops of other nations who were
present, declared themselves, almost without exception,
on the side of the power and dignity of the Holy See.'^
In all these controversies, which were conducted with the
greatest violence, secular interests also played a part ; the
Imperial envoys, however, in accordance with the agreement
reached by Morone, worked for the elimination of theoretical
questions, as to which there was no possibility of agreement.
The view of Pius IV. was that it was preferable to come to no
decision with regard to the question of jurisdiction, and
that of the universal primacy, than to adopt a half decision,
which would give occasion for disputes later on.^ The
legates had already written to Rome in April that there was
no other way than to avoid the contested points altogether,
and in the doctrinal chapter and canons to speak only of the
power of order, without mentioning jurisdiction. Lainez
had already proposed this solution on a former occasion,^ and
an agreement on those lines was actually reached at the
beginning of July. A satisfactory form of the decree on
residence was also arrived at on July 7th, which, in all essen-
tials, was in accordance with that which had formerly been
^ See the classic letter of the legates, already used by Pallavicini
on the different national groups at Trent, of June 14, 1563, in
SusTA, IV., 64 seq.
2 See Pallavicini, 21, 11, i.
^ See Grisar, Primat, 779 seq.