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250 POLITICAL CONSEQUENCESschism of seventy years, (1378 1449),at one period ofwhichtwo popes, at another three, were busied in excommunicating each other, had rendered the Christian world disaffectedand had caused the assemblage of those general councilswhich asserted the fatal doctrine of their authority even overthe head of the Church. But notwithstanding this, Churchand State were far too closely interwoven throughout theChristian world, to allow of any change being wrought inthe former which should not recoil on the latter.Althoughcontinual opposition was made to the claims of the pope tobe recognised as arbitrator in secular matters, stillby the spiritual jurisdiction of his office, and in several other ways, heexercised many most important rights, without denying whicha Reformation could hardly even be imagined. As soontherefore as a measure of this kind were set afoot and beganits necessary interference, the princes could not remain unmovedneutrality was out of the question and they werecompelled to declare themselves either for or against it. Inthe latter case they set themselves in opposition to a partywithin -their own dominions, to which oppression would unavoidably give a political character in;the former they became the direct adversaries of the pope, and in this, as in theother, the political tendency of the Reformation was soondecided.The moment at which it assumed this form necessarilydoubled its importance. When the Reformation broke outthere was BO longer any great moral interest which couldinfluence politics and breathe into them a spirit of life.Italy, it is true, had been taught a more refined policy bythe necessity of maintaining the balance among her states,and tils bad spread even beyond the Alps, but under thebands of Fefdiaa&d tbe Catholic it had assumed the form ofmem systematical deceit. The Influence which the nationsf Europe had up to that time exercised by their representatives* upon their own affairs, began either to disappearwe say of the Spanish Cortes under Ferdinand and Isabella,and still more under their successors? What of the Englishentirely, er to become weak and unimportant.What shallParliament under Henry the Eighth? What of the assemblyof the States-general in France under Lewis the Twelfth?Al the threads of political power were in the hands of some