Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort,[1] who, having vouchsafed to look down upon His holy Church, agitated and harassed by so many storms and tempests, and whilst it was every day more grievously distressed, hath at length given relief thereunto by a suitable and wished for remedy. To extirpate very many and most pernicious heresies, to correct manners, and to restore ecclesiastical discipline, to procure the peace and concord of the Christian people, an œcumenical and general council had been, a long time since, indicted by our predecessor, Paul III., of pious memory, and had been begun by holding several sessions. Having been by his successor recalled to the same city, the council, after several sessions had been celebrated, could not, on account of various impediments and difficulties which occurred, be even then brought to a conclusion: it was, therefore, for a long time interrupted, not without the greatest grief on the part of all pious persons, whilst the Church daily more and more implored that remedy. But we, after having entered upon the government of the Apostolic See, undertook to accomplish so necessary and salutary a work, even as our pastoral solicitude admonished us; with confidence in the Divine mercy, and aided by the pious earnestness of our most beloved son in Christ, Ferdinand, emperor elect of the Romans, and by that of other Christian kings, republics, and princes, we have at length attained to that which we have not ceased to toil for by daily and nightly cares, and which we have assiduously besought of the Father of lights.[2]
For whereas a most numerous assembly of bishops and of other distinguished prelates, and one worthy an œcumenical council, had, upon being convoked by our letters, and impelled also by their own piety, assembled together from all sides out of the nations of Christendom, at the said city; besides very many other persons of piety, men pre-eminent for skill in sacred letters, and knowledge of divine and human law; the legates of the Apostolic See presiding in the said synod; ourselves so favourable to the liberty of the council, that we, even by letters written to our legates, had voluntarily left the said council free to determine touching matters properly reserved for the Apostolic See; such things
