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

QUESTIONS OF DOGMA. 205
as to the validity of Calvinist baptisms. ^ The Congregation
of the Council decided in favour of their vahdity, on the ground
that, in spite of their errors as to the effects of baptism and
the true Church of Christ, the preachers steadily maintained
their intention of administering true Christian baptism, and
of doing what the Christian Church had always done in
conferring it.- This decision was confirmed by Pius V.^
In the same way other decisions of the Pope which touched
more or less directly on questions of dogma were based for
the most part on the Tridentine decrees. Thus, in conformity
with what had been done at the Council, he forbade too
heated discussions of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother
of God.^ With regard to the question of the chalice for the
laity, which the Council had referred to the decision of the
Apostolic See, he showed himself openly opposed to the
attitude adopted by his predecessor, and when the Bishop
of Passau addressed a question to him on the matter, he told
him in the clearest terms that he was, under no circumstances,
to allow the chalice in his diocese.^ Some of his decrees on
1 Cj. the letters of the Jesuit, Joan. Maldonatus of June 28,
1567, and October 5, 1568, to Cardinal Hosius, in Cyprianus,
442 seq., 469 seqq. ; J. M. Prat, Maldonat et 1' universite de
Paris au XVIe siecle, Paris, 1856, 202 seq. ; Maldonati Disputationum
et controversiarum, torn. I., Lyons, 1614, 62 seqq.
* P. Fagnanus in / Decretalium, I., Cologne 1704, 133.
Benedict XIV, De synodo dioec. i. 7, c. 6, n. 9 (Opera, XL,
Bassani, 1767, 128). Bellarmine, De sacram. in genere, I., i,
c. 27 (Opera, III., Venice, 1721, 50).
^ Sanctissimus auditis votis dixit, non esse rebaptizandos.
Decree of the Inquisition of March 5, 1606 in Annul, eccles., II.,
140, MiRBT, Quellen", (191 1) 311 seq.
* Decrees of August 7 and November 30, 1570, Bull. Rom.,
VII., 845 seq., 872 seq. *Avviso of September 23, 1570, Urb.
1041, p. 347b, Vatican Library.
^ Brief of May 26, 1568, in Goubau, 83 seq. It states, in reply
to the bishop's observations :
" in eadem sententia mansimus, in
qua etiam tum, cum a praedecessore nostro ea licentia efflagitata
atque expressa fuit, fueramus." Cf. Wiedemann, Reformation,
I., 315 seqq. Already on February 2, 1566, Polanco had \\Tittcn