France, the council was again suspended and postponed; the enemy of mankind, to wit, striving, and throwing difficulties upon difficulties and hindrances in the way, to retard, at least as long as possible, although unable utterly to prevent, a thing so advantageous to the Church. But how greatly, meanwhile, the heresies were increased and multiplied, and propagated, how widely schism spread, we can neither think of, nor tell, without the greatest sorrow of mind. But at length the Lord, kind and merciful, who is never so angry that he remember not mercy[1] vouchsafed to bestow peace and unanimity upon Christian kings and princes. Which opportunity being offered, we, relying on His mercy, have come to the strongest hope that, by the said means of a council, an end may be put to these so great evils of the Church. We therefore have Judged that the celebration thereof is no longer to be deferred; to the end that schism and heresies may be taken away; that morals may be corrected and reformed; that peace may be preserved amongst Christian princes. Wherefore, mature deliberation having been had with our venerable brethren the cardinals of the holy Roman Church, and having also acquainted with this our purpose our most dearly beloved sons in Christ, Ferdinand, emperor elect of the Romans, and other kings and princes, whom, even as we had promised ourselves from their great piety and wisdom, we found most ready to aid in the celebration of the said council: We, to the praise, honour, and glory of Almighty God, and for the advantage of the universal Church, with the advice and assent of our said venerable brethren, and relying and resting on the authority of God Himself, and of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul, which we also exercise on earth; indict a sacred, œcumenical, and general council in the city of Trent for the next ensuing most holy day of the Lord's resurrection; and we ordain and decree, that, all suspension soever removed, it be there celebrated. Wherefore, we do earnestly in the Lord exhort and admonish, and we do also by strictly charging, command, by virtue of holy obedience, and by the obligation of the oath which they have taken, and under the penalties which they know to be appointed by the sacred canons
- ↑ See Habak. iii. 2.
