it. He succeeded: by pretexts, excuses, and artifices, he deferred the dreaded meeting, and kept all Europe at bay till his death, which took place, Sept. 25, 1534.

Paul III. who succeeded Clement, professed great zeal for the reformation of abuses, and would have it believed that he was extremely desirous of a council. Scarcely ever did the cardinals meet in consistory but the pope harangued them on the necessity of reform, which, he said, must begin with themselves. But his own conduct gave little hope that any efficient measures would be adopted. Only two months after his elevation to the pontificate, he gave cardinals' hats to two lads, one aged 14, the other aged 16, the sons of his own illegitimate children!

The bull for the convocation of the council was issued in June, 1536, and Mantua was the appointed place of meeting. Nuncios were despatched to the European courts with the intelligence. But the Protestant princes refused to submit to any council unless it were free, and held in Germany; the duke of Mantua declined receiving the assembly in his city; and in consequence the council was prorogued till November 1, and, afterwards till May 1, 1538, on which day the prelates were summoned to meet at Vicenza. The summons was issued in vain; for the emperor and the king of France were at war, and travelling was unsafe. The council was therefore prorogued till the following Easter, and afterwards during the good pleasure of the pope, who, it may be supposed, was heartily glad of an opportunity to postpone to an indefinite period a meeting which the pontiffs seemed to hold in utmost dread.

C

It was probably with a wish to prevent the council entirely that Paul appointed a commission, consisting of four cardinals and five bishops, to examine all abuses, and ascertain where reform was most needed. Their report, which proved a most important document, by some means got abroad, and was immediately printed and widely circulated in Germany, where it greatly aided the Reformation. It presented a deplorable view of the corruptions and vices of the papal court. The commissioners complained, for instance, of the pride and ignorance of the bishops, and proposed that none should receive orders but learned and pious men ; and that, therefore, care should be taken to have proper masters to instruct the youth. They condemned translations from one benefice to another, grants of reservation, non-residence, and pluralities. They proposed that some convents should be abolished; that the liberty of the press should be restrained and limited; that no ecclesiastic should enjoy a benefice out of his own country; that no cardinal should have a bishopric; and that the effects and personal estates of ecclesiastics should be given to the poor. They concluded with complaining of the prodigious number of indigent and ragged priests that frequented St. Peter's church; and declared that it was a great scandal to see the prostitutes lodged so magnificently at Rome, and riding through the streets on fine mules, while the cardinals and other ecclesiastics accompanied them in a most courteous and familiar manner.*

During the next three years, the Roman Catholics and Protestants were busily employed in support

* Mosheim, Cent. 16. Sect. 1.

ing their respective interests. Attempts were made from time to time to reconcile the contending parties, especially at the diets of Haguenau and Ratisbon, (A. D. 1540, 1541;) but the breach was too wide to be healed. The Roman Catholics, with the emperor at their head, saw no remedy but a council. The Protestants only desired to be let alone, and uniformly refused to submit to the decrees of an assembly convened by the pope, managed by his agents, and held in his dominions. But the wishes of the more powerful party prevailed at the diet of Spire, held early in 1542, it was agreed that the council should be holden in the city of Trent. A bull was issued, summoning the prelates of Christendom to meet in that place on the 1st of November. The continuance of the war prevented their meeting, and the council was suspended during the pleasure of the Roman pontiff.

In the autumn of the year 1544, peace was concluded between the emperor and the king of France. They engaged, among other things, to co-operate in the defence of the Roman Catholic religion, to further, by all the means in their power, the reformation of manners in the church, and to procure the convocation of a general council, which might now be safely convened. The pope did not wait for their interference, but issued a bull in November announcing the place of meeting, the city of Trent, and fixing the time, March 15, 1545.

CHAPTER II.

Selection of the City of Trent very gratifying to the Papal Party-Different Views and Feelings entertained respecting the Council-The first Session-Abstract of the Sermon preached by the Bishop of Bitonto on that occasion-Plans adopted by the Pope to ensure the Management of the Council-Second Session-Various Discussions on the Method of Procedure-Third Session.

TRENT is a city of the Tyrol, on the confines of Germany and Italy, 67 miles from Venice and about 250 from Rome. It is situated in a fertile and pleasant plain, on the banks of the river Adige, and is almost surrounded by the Alps. The selection of this city was regarded by the Romish party with entire satisfaction; for, though not within the papal territories, it was so near that the Italian bishops, by whose efforts the pope expected to preserve his authority and prevent reform, could reach it without much expense or trouble; and the distance from Rome was not so great as to hinder that communication between his holiness and the legates by which he proposed to ensure the management of all the proceedings of the council.

The cause of Protestantism had already triumphed extensively in Europe, and was daily advancing. Among its adherents were numbered the kings of Great Britain, Sweden, and Denmark, a large proportion of the princes and estates of Germany, and many of the most eminent men of the age, both for learning and piety. The progress of religious inquiry, and the course it had taken, were no less

remarkable. Those who had begun with the exposure of corruptions and abuses, ended not till they had explored all the abominations of the papacy, in doctrine, discipline, and worship, and renounced their allegiance to the see of Rome. The whole system was declared to be anti-christian and unscriptural, alike hostile to the welfare of society, the interests of true religion, and the glory of the only Saviour. It may be easily imagined that those who entertained such views could indulge very feeble hopes from the holding of a council. They saw that fatal errors and childish superstitions had been gradually interwoven with the whole economy of life, and that to root them out, would be like plucking out the right eye, and cutting off the right hand. It was hardly to be expected that the sweeping changes which they advocated would be sanctioned by a general council, or that the priesthood would tamely consent to lose the hope of their gains.

On the other hand, the sovereigns and states of Europe looked forward to the council with sanguine expectations. They resolved to exert all their influence to procure a thorough reformation of abuses. Were this effected, they conceived that the Protestants would cheerfully return to the bosom of the church. Their own interest was also concerned in the favourable issue of the assembly; for ecclesiastical immunities and exactions had shorn them of much of their power, and diffused general discontent and distress among their subjects.

The bishops had similar expectations. Their influence and authority had suffered greatly from the encroachments of the monastic orders, and the frequency of appeals to Rome, which the popes took care to encourage. In the council they in