ever, and a sufficient amends shall not have forthwith followed, and one that may with reason be approved of and praised by the parties themselves; they may and shall hold the said synod to have incurred all those penalties which, by law divine and human, or by custom, the violators of such safe-conducts can possibly incur, without any excuse or contradiction in this respect.
SESSION THE SIXTEENTH,
Being the sixth and last under the Sovereign Pontiff Julius III, celebrated on the twenty-eighth day of April, 1552.
DECREE FOR THE SUSPENSION OF THIS COUNCIL.
The sacred and holy, œcumenical and general Synod of Trent, lawfully assembled in the Holy Ghost,—the most reverend lords Sebastian, Archbishop of Siponto, and Aloysius, Bishop of Verona, apostolic nuncios, presiding therein, as well in their own proper names as in that of the most reverend and illustrious lord, the legate Marcellus Crescenzio, Cardinal of the holy Roman Church, of the title of Saint Marcellus, is absent by reason of a most grievous illness,—doubts not that it is well known to all Christians, that this œcumenical Council of Trent was first convoked and assembled by Paul, of happy memory, and was afterwards, at the request of the most august Emperor Charles V., restored by our most holy lord Julius III., for this cause especially, that it might bring back to its pristine state, religion, which was miserably divided into diverse opinions in many parts of the world, and especially in Germany; and might amend the abuses and the most corrupt manners of Christians; and whereas very many Fathers, paying no regard to their labours and dangers, had for this end cheerfully flocked together from different countries, and the business was being proceeded with earnestly and happily, in a great concourse of the faithful, and there was no slight hope that those Germans who had stirred up these novelties would come to the council, so disposed, as to acquiesce unanimously in the truthful reasons of the Church when, in fine, a kind of light seemed
