22.06.2013 Views

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

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

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

360 HISTORY OF THE POPES.<br />

mission, which, with tiie Cardinals, comprised sixteen persons,<br />

a quite sufficient number.^<br />

<strong>The</strong> complaint that was most <strong>of</strong>fensive to <strong>the</strong> ApostoUc See<br />

was Philip's hint that o<strong>the</strong>r points <strong>of</strong> view which were not<br />

objective, as well as private ends, might influence <strong>the</strong> decision.^<br />

Once more <strong>the</strong> reply to this is indeed severe, but at <strong>the</strong> same<br />

time very restrained. <strong>The</strong> Pope is willing, we read, to put<br />

an indulgent interpretation on this assertion, and to ascribe it<br />

to <strong>the</strong> king's zeal, but with all love he would have him reflect<br />

that <strong>the</strong> zeal <strong>of</strong> a son must never go to <strong>the</strong> length <strong>of</strong> hurting<br />

his fa<strong>the</strong>r. If Philip had seen fit to threaten " suitable<br />

remedies " on account <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se " inapplicable considerations<br />

and private ends " he now received <strong>the</strong> reply : let <strong>the</strong> coun-<br />

sellor who has led <strong>the</strong> king into a stream that is so full <strong>of</strong> shoals<br />

remember " that God had provided His Church with sound<br />

remedies with which to deal with bad ones."^<br />

<strong>The</strong> Pope gave no definite answer to <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r two demands<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> king, namely, that <strong>the</strong> final decision should be com-<br />

municated to Madrid before it was pubhshed, and that <strong>the</strong><br />

Pope should first take into consideration <strong>the</strong> new opinions<br />

sent by <strong>the</strong> Spanish <strong>the</strong>ologians ;<br />

with regard to <strong>the</strong> latter it<br />

is courteously, but quite clearly pointed out that it is not <strong>the</strong><br />

king's business to trj^ and teach <strong>the</strong> Roman See with unsought<br />

<strong>the</strong>ological opinions, or to anticipate <strong>the</strong> final sentence. Let<br />

Philip remember, <strong>the</strong> reply runs, what happened in <strong>the</strong> Old<br />

Testament to King Ozias^ when he tried to <strong>of</strong>fer incense,<br />

<strong>the</strong>reby taking upon himself a function which belonged to <strong>the</strong><br />

priest alone.<br />

<strong>The</strong> last part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> document brings out <strong>the</strong> extreme care<br />

with which Carranza's case had been dealt with in Rome.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Pope had been present in person during <strong>the</strong> whole <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

1 Ibid. 386 seq.<br />

^ See supra p. 356.<br />

* " che contra caltivi rimedii Die ha provisto nella sua chiesa<br />

di rimedii buoni " (This was certainly a threat <strong>of</strong> excommunica-<br />

tion). Corresp. dipL, III., 387.<br />

* Paral., xxvi., 16 seqq.<br />

^ Corresp. dipl.. III., 387.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!