Ultimately it was agreed that the declaration of dogma and the
reformation of abuses should be treated _pari passu_, the decrees
formulated in each case being from time to time announced
simultaneously. Taking into account the subsequent history of the
council, one can hardly deny that this arrangement saved the work of the
assembly from being left half done. Nor was the progress made in the
period ending with the eighth session of the council (March 11, 1547),
intrigues and quarrels notwithstanding, by any means trifling. On the
doctrinal side, the foundations of the faith were in the first instance
examined, and the whole character of the doctrinal decrees of the
council was in point of fact determined, when the authority of the
tradition of the Church, including of course the decrees of her
ecumenical councils, was acknowledged by the side of that of Scripture.
Little to the credit of the council's capacity for taking pains, the
authenticity of the Vulgate was proclaimed, a pious wish being added
that it should be henceforth printed as correctly as possible. At first,
Pope Paul III hesitated about giving his assent to these decrees, which
had been passed before receiving his approval, and showed some anxiety
to prevent a similar course being taken in the matter of discipline by
publishing a regulatory bull on his own authority. But on being more
fully advised by the legates of the nature of the situation, he
consented to allow the debates to proceed, provided always that the
decrees should be submitted to him before publication.
During the next months (April to June, 1546) the work of the council was
accordingly vigorously continued in both its branches. In that of
discipline, the episcopal and the monastic interests at once came into
conflict on the subject of the license for preaching; and still more
excitement was aroused by the question of episcopal residence, which
brought into conflict the highest purposes of the episcopal office and
the selfish profits of the Roman Curia. The discussions on preaching
ended with a reasonable compromise, monks being henceforth prohibited
from preaching without the bishop's license in any churches but those of
their own order. The question of residence was by the Pope's wish
adjourned.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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