54 2
ESSAYS ON LIBERTY
a protest, declaring that he could not ackno\vledge the validity of the Council if dogmas were to be decided by a majority,l and sent it to the Presidents after it had been approved at the meeting of the Germans, and by bishops of other nations. The preamble \vas \vithdra\vn, and another was inserted in its place, \vhich had been written in great haste by the German Jesuit I(leutgen, and \vas received with general applause. Several of the Jesuits obtained credit for the ability and moderation with which the decree was dra\vn up. It \vas no less than a victory over extreme counsels. A unanimous vote was insured for the public session of 24th April; and harmony was restored. But the text proposed originally in the Pope's name had undergone so many changes as to make it appear that his intentions had been thwarted. There was a supplement to the decree, which the bishops had understood would be \vithdrawn, in order that the festive concord and good feeling might not be disturbed. They \vere informed at the last moment that it would be put to the vote, as its withdrawal \vould be a confession of
momenta possident, quibus misericordia Dei utetur, ut eos ad priscam fidem et Ecc1esiam reducat, nisi nos exaggerationibus nostris et improvidis charitatis ipsis debitae laesionibus tempus misericordiae divinae elongaverimus, Quantum aut em ad charitatem, ei certe contrarium est vulnera aliena alio fine tangere quam ut ipsa sanentur; puto autem hac enumeratione errorum, quibus Protestantismus OCC3- sionem dedisset, id non fieri, . ,. Decreto, quod in supplementum ordinis in- terioris nobis nuper communicatum est, statuitur res in Concilio bocce suffragiorum majoritate decidendas fore, Contra hoc principium, quod omnem praecedentium Conciliorum praxlm funditus evertit, multi episcopi rec1amarunt, quin tamen aliquod responsum obtinuerint, Responsum autem in re tanti momenti dari debuisset c1arum, perspicuum et omnis ambiguitatis expers. Hoc ad summas Concilii hujus calamitates spectat, nam hoc certe et praesenti generationi et posteris praebebit ansam dicendi: huic concilio libertatem et veritatem defuisse, Ego ipse convictus sum, aeternam ac immutabilem fidei et traditionis regulam semper fuisse semperque mansuram communem, adminus moraliter unanimem consensum. Con cilium , quod hac regula insuperbabita, fidei et morum dogmata majoritate numerica definire intenderet, juxta meam intimam convictionem eo ipso excideret jure conscientiam orbis Catholici sub sanctione vitae ac mortis aeternae obligandi. 1 Dum aut em ipse die hesterno ex suggestu banc quaestionem posuissem et verba deconsensumoraliter unanimi in rebus fidei definiendis necessario protulissem, interruptus fui, mihique inter maximum tumultum et graves comminationes possi- bilitas sermon is continuandi adempta est, Atque haec gravissima sane circum- stantia magis adhuc comprobat necessitatem habendi responsi, quod c1arum sit omnisque ambiguitatis expers. Peto itaque humillime, ut bujusmodi responsum in proxima congregatione generali detur, Nisi enim haec fierent anceps baererem an manere possem in Concilio, ubi libertas Episcoporum ita opprimitur, quemad- modum heri in me opprcssa fuit, et ubi dogmata fidei definirentur novo et in Ecclesia Dei adusque inaudito modo.
