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

356 HISTORY OF THE POPES.
violently opposed a good number of the regulations, the
majority accepted these decrees. Then followed the reform
decree, in twenty chapters. It contained useful regulations
as to the nomination to bishoprics, and the appointment of
Cardinals, the holding of provincial and diocesan synods, the
visitation of dioceses, the exercise of the office of preaching,
legal procedure against bishops, the extension of the dispensing
power of the bishops, the instruction of the people on the
sacraments and the Mass, public penances and the office of
penitentiary, the visitation of exempted churches, the juridical
import of titles of honour, the qualities and duties of
cathedral officials, the accumulation of several benefices,
the constitution of regular parochial deaneries, the keeping
intact of beneficiary goods, the benefices of cathedral and
collegiate churches, the administration of dioceses during a
vacancy in the see, the abolition of the union of several bene-
fices in one person, if the obligations connected therewith
entailed the duty of residence, the prohibition of expectancies,
provisions, reservations, and other similar privileges in the
case of vacant benefices, on the manner of appointment to
vacant parishes, and ecclesiastical procedure at law. A
special decree was added to this which gave the following
explanation of the much discussed right of proposition :
" As the council desires that its decrees may leave no room
for doubt in the future, it explains the words contained in the
decree published in the first Session under Pius IV., namely
that the Council shall, proponentihus legatis, deal with such
subjects as shall seem suitable to end religious controversies,
to set a bridle on evil tongues, and to reform the abuses of
corrupt customs, by declaring that it has not had the intention,
by the words in question, of changing the usual manner of
dealing with affairs in General Councils, nor of investing
thereby anyone with a new right, or of withdrawing any
which may already exist. "^
^ See Pallavicini, 23, 10-12; Knopfler in the Freiburger
Kirchenlex., XI^., 2109. Luna too was in the end satisfied
with the aforesaid declaration (see the report of the legates of
November 8, 1563, in Susta, IV., 367). Pius IV, was very