SESSION I.

OPENING OF THE COUNCIL UNDER PAUL III.

On the 13th of December, 1545, the third Sunday in Advent, the 12th year of the pontificate of Paul III, and the feast St. Lucia, the Council of Trent was opened, and held its first session.

We cannot do better than present the letter written that very day by the legates, when the business was over.

At this third hour of the night it is our intention, that 'the servants of Sigr. Don Diego should despatch a courier 'to Rome; and because the hour is late, and the greater 'part of the day has been spent in ceremonies, we will only 'inform your most Reverend Lordship, that to-day, in the ' name of God, and to the honour and glory of our Lord *, the council was opened, as will be particularly and fully ' related in to-morrow's despatch. Trent.'

The promise of this letter is amply fulfilled by the next on the day following. The legates inform their usual correspondent, that yesterday saw the commencement of the council, to the praise and glory of God, to the exaltation and increase of the Christian faith and religion, and to the perpetual honour of their Lord, (N. Sigre.) with solemn processions and the customary ceremonies. Agreeably to the general opinion, they proceed, his Blessedness may with great reason rejoice, and prefer this day, as felicitous above all others, for opening the way to the regular means of maintaining the authority of the apostolic see and the universal church, at the same time providing for the salvation of souls, and for satisfying the expectation and desire of the Christian world, in a greater degree than any of his predecessors had done. After the prayers and cere

-al nome di Dio, et honore e gloria di Nro Sigre. The pope is uniformly designated by this latter appellation. Did the legates consider that they were writing privately?

monies of the day, was read by the legates, (in the cathedral, for there was the assembly,) the bull of the revocation of the suspension of the council, as well as that of the mandate, in their persons: and then, after deliberation, it was declared, that the council began on that day. According to the wish of some prelates, the day after Epiphany was fixed upon for the first session *. And as time was hastening on, and accidents might occur, the legates wished for more particular instructions—more especially with reference to a note left by them at their departure from Rome -whether to begin with heresies, and whether generally or particularly; when reformation is started, whether doctrine should be united with it, or which should have the priority; and in case of its being proposed to begin with the court of Rome, what should they do? since it is to be understood that all the world is clamouring after this blessed reformation -how the council should be announced to the sovereigns-what should be its form or seal-whether they should dissemble their knowledge of the colloquy and diet-with other points. But they add, in a postscript, their wish to be directed as to any proposal to proceed by nations, or any question respecting the power of the council, or that of the pope, or of the pope with reference to the council. They desire likewise to know the nature and extent of their own presidency. They request, that the use of the breve of habilitation of German prelates may be in their hands, lest the Lutherans should take advantage of it by means of proxies, and that they may avail themselves of it in favour of the well-disposed. There are some other points of minor importance.

It may be observed, that the whole of this account accords with the formal one in the summary of Massarelli. He writes that the revocation of the suspension was read

* This will account for the way of numbering the sessions in the editions published in Paris and in Antwerp, in 1546, where the IId session, as now numbered, is called the Ist.

+questa benedetta reformatione.

to the assertion that

by the Bishop of Feltro, which is probably no contradiction both the bulls were read in the person of the presidents *. At all events it is an unimportant one. To the question of the presidents, whether it pleased the assembled bishops to decree and declare, that the council should begin, and was begun, it was unanimously answered, Placet; and to the question of the first future session being celebrated on the day after Epiphany, the same consent was given. The names of the members present are added; and they appear to agree with those in Le Plat's edition of the canons and decrees of the council, namely, the three Presidents, four archbishops, twenty-two bishops, two ambassadors, five generals of orders, with many secular and regular doctors.

SESSION II.

PREPARATIONS-SESSION.

Mode of living, &c., in the Council.

MASSARELLI writes, that on Friday, the 18th of December, was held the first General Congregation after the opening of the council. The first president, Cardinal del Monte, delivered an exhortation to the fathers, that they should prepare themselves, both internally and externally, for the due celebration of so important a work as the council. Then were read seventeen articles, in which the presidents propose both such things as are necessary, and such as should be discussed, for the proper conduct of the council.

Most of these articles are indeed obvious. The first recommends, that, as to life and manners, they should study to render God propitious by prayers, fastings, alms, and other pious works. Another provides for the security of the place in coming, remaining, and returning. Another

-in persona di noi Presidenti.

suggests that it should be declared, what persons are to be admitted to give a consultative or deliberative voice, or both. Another directs, that the subjects to be treated of in the congregations and sessions should be previously examined, and a determination made, how, and by whom they should be examined *. One near the end impresses the reverence which is due to their most holy Father and Lord, Paul, chief pontiff. The rest might be anticipated.

In a letter of the 19th† nothing of particular importance occurs, except the answer which is reported by the writers to have been made to the proxies of the Cardinal of Augsburg, where they observe, that it would be a bad example in the beginning of the council to allow them a decisive voice, but that they might be permitted to excuse, consult, and accept what was done in the council: and they suggest a letter from Rome approving their determination.

On Tuesday, the 29th of December, was held a general congregation, in which were passed two decrees,-the first respecting abbots and generals of orders, and their decisive voice in sessions; the other for the election of three prelates to examine the titles and promotions of bishops, and of their order, &c.

The letter of the presidents, dated the last day of December, refers to this congregation; and the question of a decisive voice in the sessions they suspect to be moved by the bishops, in order to prevent the privilege from descending below their own order, and particularly to exclude the generals and abbots. The legates, however, mean to evade any determination of the point; and on the occasion strongly supported the authority of his holiness in the persons of

*This was the origin of the controlling power so earnestly contended for by the legates, and against by a considerable party in the council, in consequence of which no subject could be introduced to discussion but such as they approved, the proposal lying with them. We shall see a deal of

this.

+ It is most perversely marked 29 in both MSS-a date confuted by the very remainder of the date, and by the beginning of the letter.

+ Massarelli.

individuals eminent for their theological learning, and so highly favoured by him as to be invited and deputed to the council by him. Their suggestions were assented to; and it was ordained, that decrees should be composed in the first session, relating to their own duty to God and the reformation of themselves and families, and of the members of the council.

6

The faithful servants of the pontiff write on the 5th of January 1546, that his authority, to which they are most devoted, cannot be supported in the council, without supplying the necessities of the indigent members, as well as of the officials. After a few paragraphs, they give their views of indulgences in a manner not devoid of simplicity and curiosity. To the granting of indulgences,' they say, 'we have always paid the greatest attention, both before and after the opening of the council. All have been pro'nounced by the authority of our Lord, as will be done in future, when the breve shall come which confers the faculty. We beseech his holiness to treat as ratified the indulgences hitherto granted by us, in the masses performed in our chapels, of three years and five quaran'tenes, and of ten on Christmas day; and certainly his Beatitude should not, in our opinion, be backward in this, since it satisfies the people and maintains his own authority and reputation'*. The legates immediately after recognize a general congregation on the preceding day, in which it was decreed among other things noticed before, that what they call the second session, but since and still called the third, should be celebrated on the first Thursday after the purification t. They propose to begin with matters

Tutte sono state pronunciate per autorita di Nro Sigre, come anco si fara per l'avenire, venendo il breve, che ci ne dia facolta. Supplichiamo ben, che S. S. si degni haver rate le indulgenze concesse, &c. . . . . e certamente sua Beatitudine non deve al giuditio nostro essere scarsa in questo, perche se ne satisfa al popolo, e si mantiene l'autorita, e riputatione sua.

† This in the year 1546, the dominical letter being D, was the 4th of February. The reader will observe, that the sessions are here again reckoned as if the opening were none. They are reckoned in the present way,