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

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346 HISTORY OF THE POPES.<br />

but that <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> person who kept silent. It is, however,<br />

quite out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> question for us to let <strong>the</strong> whole decree lapse,<br />

or even to postpone it to ano<strong>the</strong>r time, without causing <strong>the</strong><br />

greatest scandal, throwing everything into confusion. Almost<br />

<strong>the</strong> whole <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> bishops are convinced that if <strong>the</strong> reform<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> whole ecclesiastical body is to be taken in hand, those<br />

obstacles must be removed by which <strong>the</strong> bishops are com-<br />

pletely paralysed in <strong>the</strong> government <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir churches by <strong>the</strong><br />

civil authorities. Should those obstacles not be removed,<br />

<strong>the</strong> reform will be not only defective, but useless, and all <strong>the</strong><br />

trouble which your majesty and we ourselves have taken<br />

will have been wasted. <strong>The</strong> whole <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> contents <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

decree correspond, not only with canon law, but also with<br />

laws which have been made by pious Emperors. Not all<br />

<strong>the</strong> oppressions suffered by <strong>the</strong> clergy, nor all <strong>the</strong> encroachments<br />

on <strong>the</strong> liberty <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Church are mentioned in it, many<br />

such things having been omitted on account <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> circum-<br />

stances <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> times, especially such things as might disturb<br />

<strong>the</strong> peace <strong>of</strong> Germany, or seem to hamper <strong>the</strong> defence against<br />

<strong>the</strong> hereditary enemy <strong>of</strong> Christendom. As <strong>the</strong> opponents<br />

<strong>of</strong> our true religion are most violently bent on <strong>the</strong> expulsion<br />

and destruction <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> bishops and o<strong>the</strong>r clergy, it is only<br />

right that <strong>the</strong> Council and <strong>the</strong> Catholic princes should support<br />

<strong>the</strong>m in <strong>the</strong>ir ecclesiastical ministry, and uphold <strong>the</strong>ir dignity,<br />

especially as we may hope, in virtue <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> regulations already<br />

issued, or about to be issued, to have as bishops men who are<br />

learned, prudent, eminently pious and worthy <strong>of</strong> respect ;<br />

people cannot be brought back <strong>from</strong> vice to virtue, <strong>from</strong><br />

false doctrines to true piety, by bishops who possess no real<br />

authority.^<br />

At <strong>the</strong> same time as Morone was making <strong>the</strong>se courageous<br />

remonstrances, <strong>the</strong> French government was preparing, by<br />

threats <strong>of</strong> extreme measures, to make <strong>the</strong> reform <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

princes impossible. On August 28th <strong>the</strong> French envoys<br />

were instructed to retire, as a protest, to Venice, and to<br />

1 See SiCKEL, Konzil, 588 seq. ; Steinherz, III., 425, where<br />

<strong>the</strong>re are details <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> steps taken by Delfino with <strong>the</strong> Emperor,<br />

by <strong>the</strong> command <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> legates.

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