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in readiness for use at any moment an appeal to a future Council
of the Church。
Of these two methods； the first would naturally seem by far the
more difficult。 So it was not in reality。 In the letter which
Sarpi presented to the Doge； he devoted less than four lines to
the first and more than fourteen pages to the second。 As to the
first remedy； severe as it was and bristling with difficulties；
it was； as he claimed； a simple； natural； straightforward use of
police power。 As to the second； the appeal to a future Council
was to the Vatican as a red flag to a bull。 The very use of it
involved excommunication。 To harden and strengthen the Doge and
Senate in order that they might consider it as an ultimate
possibility； Sarpi was obliged to show from the Scriptures； the
Fathers； the Councils； the early Popes； that the appeal to a
Council was a matter of right。 With wonderful breadth of
knowledge and clearness of statement he made his points and
answered objections。 To this day； his letter remains a
masterpiece。＇1＇
＇1＇ For Sarpi's advice to the Doge； see Bianchi Giovini； vol。 i。
pp。 216； et seq。 The document is given fully in the Lettere di F。
P。 S。； Firenze； 1863； vol。 i。 pp。 17； et seq。； also in Machi；
Storia del Consiglio dei Dieci； cap。 xxiv。； where the bull of
excommunication is also given。
The Republic utterly refused to yield； and now； in 1606； Pope
Paul launched his excommunication and interdict。 In meeting them；
the Senate took the course laid down by Sarpi。 The papal Nuncio
was notified that the Senate would receive no paper from the
Pope； all ecclesiasties； from the Patriarch down to the lowest
monk； were forbidden； under the penalties of high treason； to
make public or even to receive any paper whatever from the
Vatican； additional guards were placed at the city gates； with
orders to search every wandering friar or other suspicious person
who might； by any possibility； bring in a forbidden missive； a
special patrol was kept； night and day； to prevent any posting of
the forbidden notices on walls or houses； any person receiving or
finding one was to take it immediately to the authorities； under
the severest penalties； and any person found concealing such
documents was to be punished by death。
At first some of the clergy were refractory。 The head of the
whole church establishment of Venice； the Patriarch himself； gave
signs of resistance； but the Senate at once silenced him。 Sundry
other bishops and high ecclesiastics made a show of opposition；
and they were placed in confinement。 One of them seeming
reluctant to conduct the usual church service； the Senate sent an
executioner to erect a gibbet before his door。 Another； having
asked that he be allowed to await some intimation from the Holy
Spirit； received answer that the Senate had already received
directions from the Holy Spirit to hang any person resisting
their decree。 The three religious orders which had showed most
oppositionJesuits； Theatins； and Capuchinswere in a
semi…polite manner virtually expelled from the Republic。＇2＇
＇2＇ For interesting details regarding the departure of the
Jesuits； see Cornet； Paolo V。 e la Republica Veneta； pp。 277…279。
Not the least curious among the results of this state of things
was the war of pamphlets。 From Rome； Bologna； and other centres
of thought； even from Paris and Frankfort； polemic tractates
rained upon the Republic。 The vast majority of their authors were
on the side of the Vatican； and of this majority the leaders were
the two cardinals so eminent in learning and logic； Bellarmine
and Baronius； but； single…handed； Sarpi was； by general consent；
a match for the whole opposing force。＇3＇
＇3＇ In the library of Cornell University are no less than nine
quartos filled with selected examples of these polemics on both
sides。
Of all the weapons then used； the most effective throughout
Europe was the solemn protest drawn by Sarpi and issued by the
Doge。 It was addressed nominally to the Venetian ecclesiastics；
but really to Christendom； and both as to matter and manner it
was Father Paul at his best。 It was weighty； lucid； pungent； and
deeply in earnest；in every part asserting fidelity to the
Church and loyalty to the papacy； but setting completely at
naught the main claim of Pope Paul： the Doge solemnly declaring
himself 〃a prince who； in temporal matters； recognizes no
superior save the Divine Majesty。〃
The victory of the friar soon began to be recognized far and
near。 Men called him by the name afterward so generally given
him；the 〃terribile frate。〃 The Vatican seemed paralyzed。 None
of its measures availed； and it was hurt； rather than helped； by
its efforts to pester and annoy Venice at various capitals。 At
Rome； it burned Father Paul's books and declared him
excommunicated； it even sought to punish his printer by putting
into the Index not only all works that he had ever printed； but
all that he might ever print。 At Vienna； the papal Nuncio thought
to score a point by declaring that he would not attend a certain
religious function in case the Venetian Ambassador should appear；
whereupon the Venetian announced that he had taken physic and
regretted that he could not be present；whereat all Europe
laughed。
Judicious friends in various European cabinets now urged both
parties to recede or to compromise。 France and Spain both
proffered their good offices。 The offer of France was finally
accepted； and the French Ambassador was kept running between the
Ducal Palace and the Vatican until people began laughing at him
also。 The emissaries of His Holiness begged hard that； at least；
appearances might be saved； that the Republic would undo some of
its measures before the interdict was removed； or at least would
seem to do so； and especially that it would withdraw its refusals
before the Pope withdrew his penalties。 All in vain。 The
Venetians insisted that they had committed no crime and had
nothing to retract。 The Vatican then urged that the Senate should
consent to receive absolution for its resistance to the Pope's
authority。 This the Senate steadily refused； it insisted； 〃Let
His Holiness put things as before； and we will put things as
before； as to his absolution； we do not need it or want it； to
receive it would be to acknowledge that we have been in the
wrong。〃 Even the last poor sop of all was refused： the Senate
would have no great 〃function〃 to celebrate the termination of
the interdict； they would not even go to the mass which Cardinal
Joyeuse celebrated on that occasion。 The only appearance of
concession which the Republic made was to give up the two
ecclesiastics to the French Ambassador as a matter of courtesy to
the French king； and when this was done； the Ambassador delivered
them to the Pope； but Venice especially reserved all the rights
she had exercised。 All the essential demands of the papacy were
refused； and thus was forever ended the papal power of laying an
interdict upon a city or a people。 From that incubus；
Christendom； thanks to Father Paul and to Venice； was at last and
forever free。
The Vatican did； indeed； try hard to keep its old claim in being。
A few years after its defeat by Fra Paolo； it endeavored to
reassert in Spain the same authority which had been so humbly
acknowledged there a few years before。 It was doubtless felt that
this most p