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

SPREAD OF BAIANISM. 371
prelates of Lower Germany to the Council, and who arrived
in Flanders in May, 1561, was successful in adjusting the matter
in a peaceful manner.^
Commendonc, however, had to report many disturbing
things as to the state of affairs at Louvain. The party of
Baius and Hessels, so he wrote on June 9th, 1561, is very
strong; a great number of the graduates, and about half the
professors, favour the innovators ; since three of the repre-
sentatives of the old regime have recently been promoted to
the episcopate, none but Baians remain in the faculty, and they
have everything in their own hands. It is not possible,
however, to take severe measures against this new movement,
since that might drive Baius and Hessels into apostasy, a
thing which would have the gravest consequences on account
of the great esteem in which they are held on account of their
learning and their irreproachable lives. The assembly of
the Council causes special difficulty as Baius and Hessels wish
to be sent to it as the representatives of the university, and
there is a disposition at I-ouvain to grant their request. If
however, so Commendone thought, these two men were allowed
freely to express their views at the Council, there would be
disturbances in Germany, while if they were not, a pretext
would be afforded to the Protestants to complain of the
absence of free speech at the Council. There was also danger
to be feared from the imprudence of the opposing party ;
very
soon the General Chapter of the Franciscans would be held,
at which the theological controversy would be discussed. It
was quite possible that on that occasion the small fire might
develop into a great conflagration.^
While he was at Louvain Commendone tried by every means,
on May 24th, 1561, to reconcile the contending parties. But
the legate learned how tenaciously the innovators stood by
their contention that Baius was only defending the ancient
teaching of the Church from a letter addressed to him by
^ Raynaldus, loc. cit.
' Miscell. di storia Ital., VI., 162. Raynaldus, 1561, n, 44.
Pallavicini, 15, 7, 7.