decrees of this Synod of Trent. And insomuch as, by reason of the diversity of nations, people, and manners, a uniform, system cannot be adopted everywhere, in receiving the grave and competent testimony of good and learned men touching the aforesaid qualifications, the holy synod commands, that, in a provincial synod, to be held by the metropolitan, there shall be prescribed for each place and province a proper form of examination, scrutiny, or information, such as shall seem to be most useful and convenient for the said places, to be approved by the discretion of the most holy Roman Pontiff; yet so, however, that, after that this examination or scrutiny, as concerns the person to be promoted, shall have been completed, it shall, after having been reduced into the form of a public document, be by all means transmitted, as soon as possible, with the whole attestation and profession of faith made by him,[1] to the most holy Roman rontiff, to the end that the said Sovereign Pontiff, having a full knowledge of the whole matter and of the persons, may, to the advantage of the Lord's flock, in a more useful manner provide for the churches out of their number,[2] if, by examination or scrutiny, they shall have been found competent persons. And all the scrutinies, informations, attestations, and proofs, of what kind soever, and by whomsoever made, even though in the Roman court, touching the qualifications of the person to be promoted, shall be diligently examined by a cardinal, who shall be bound to report[3] thereon to the consistory, and by three other cardinals; and the said report shall be confirmed by the signature of the cardinal who gave the report, and of the three other cardinals; in the which the four cardinals shall each make affirmation that, after bestowing diligent attention thereon, he has found the persons to be promoted, endowed with the qualifications required by law, and by this holy synod, and that, at the peril of his eternal salvation, he doth certainly consider them competent to be placed over the churches; in such wise that, after the report has been made in one consistory, to the end that the said inquiry may be more maturely considered in the mean time, the sentence shall be deferred until
