Chapter XIX: Book VI: , chapter 15

Upon the great subject of ♦justification there was much diversity of opinion manifested in the ♠Council, and the discussions on it were long and tedious. A section of the members held views nearly similar to those of the Protestants. This party maintained that justification must be ascribed to the merits of Christ and to faith alone; charity and hope they affirmed to be the attendants, and works the proofs of faith, but nothing more; thus the basis of justification was made to rest on faith alone. But this primal doctrine of Protestantism had little chance of even a fair hearing in the Council; it was in vain that Cardinal Pole entreated them not to reject an opinion merely because it was held by Luther. The debate waxed extremely hot: a bishop and a Greek monk from words came to blows. The Council found that it could not argue the questions raised to any purpose, and the discussions were confined; still there were marked differences of opinion expressed among the assembled fathers and divines. Towards the end of the discussion on justification, Seripando advanced his opinion; he contended that the doctrine of justification was twofold, or that there was a twofold righteousness, “the one intrinsic, which he again divided into two kinds; the first being that, whereby we become friends instead of enemies of God, and that this is given us with the grace infused by baptism; the second, whereby man is said to live righteously, which results from the acts of virtue proceeding from the aforesaid grace. The other kind of righteousness was outward, and consisted in the righteousness and merits of Christ, imputed to us by the divine mercy as if they were our own, not indeed wholly, but to such degree, and for such effects, as seems good unto God. If it be asked which of these justifications we must rely on――that indwelling, or that imparted through Christ――the devout man will reply that we must confide in the latter only. Our own righteousness is incomplete and ineffective, marred by its deficiences――that of Christ alone is true and sufficient; this only is entirely pleasing in the sight of God, and in virtue of this alone may we trust to be justified before God.¹ These opinions of Seripando met with little sympathy, only five of the assembled theologians gave their assent to them; while his peculiar tenets on justification were combated with great ability, force, and subtlety, by Cardinal Caraffa,² and the two Jesuits, Salmeron and Laineg.³ The influence of the Jesuits was strong in the Council, and their opinions prevailing, the decision of the assembly was in accordance with their views. There were many and long discussions on the errors of the heretics in connection with the sacraments; debates respecting the granting of the cup to the laity; debates touching the mass and the abuses associated with it; debates concerning the institution of the priesthood and its various orders; discussions on marriage; discussions on pernicious and suspected books;⁴ and discussions on many other matters. But the result of the whole was that after several adjournments and reassemblings during a period of eighteen years, the twenty-fifth and last session terminated the Council in December 1563; the Protestant opinions were excluded from Catholicism, and all hope of mediation or reunion was utterly abandoned. The seven sacraments as heretofore were retained; and also purgatory, indulgences, auricular confession, celibacy of the priesthood, and so on: the incubus of the Middle Ages and the inherited accretions of the creed of the Roman Church rested too heavily and firmly upon her to be shaken off; hence she easily accepted tradition as of equal authority with Scripture; yet she was still bold in assumption, strong in assertion, and vigorous in her denunciations; she had always been kept free from error by special grace; she alone was the true Church, and beyond her walls no religious body could be acknowledged.⁵

♦ “jusification” replaced with “justification”

♠ “Conncil” replaced with “Council”

¹ Pallavicino, Book VIII., chapter 11; 1670. Ranke’s _History
of the Popes_, Volume I., pages 152‒153.

² Caraffa was elected Pope under the title of Paul IV. in
the year 1555; he was an ardent Romanist. Heresy had been
spreading in Italy as in other places, and it was deemed
desirable that the Inquisition should be reorganised at Rome.
The leading idea of this institution is well expressed in
these words:――“As St. Peter subdued the first Heresiarchs
in no other place than Rome, so must the successors of St.
Peter destroy all the heresies of the whole world in Rome.”
The Pope, by a bull in April 1543, founded at Rome the
Congregation of the Holy Office: six cardinals were deputed
as inquisitors-general of the faith, and their functions
were extended to embrace all Christian nations. They were
empowered to try all cases of heresy, to apprehend and
imprison all suspected persons and their abettors, of every
rank and order; they could nominate officers and appoint
inferior courts in all places, with the same or with limited
powers. One restriction only was imposed on the power of
this inquisition; they had full liberty to inflict all kinds
of punishment, but the right to pardon was reserved by the
Pope himself; they might condemn as many heretics as they
choose, but to absolve those once condemned was in the power
of the Pope alone. The inquisitors were commanded to go on
“enforcing and executing whatever might most effectively
suppress and uproot the errors that have found place in the
Christian community, and permitting no vestige of them to
remain.” Limborch’s _History of the Inquisition_, Volume I.,
pages 150‒152; Bromato’s _Life of Paul IV._, Book VII.,