Page:Leibniz as a Politician.djvu/15

 of these, which extended over the last quarter of the 17th century, with the exception of the last five years, is reflected in the correspondence (included in that between the Duchess Sophia and Leibniz), of which the central figure is Royas de Spinola, Bishop of Tina in Croatia, and afterwards of Wiener-Neustadt. This prelate had the full authority of the Emperor Leopold in carrying on his endeavours, as well as the tacit approval of Pope Innocent XI. Leibniz, who had not taken the initiative in the Bishop s scheme, warmly approved of his method, which was neither that of discussion nor that of concession. The inefficiency of the former is sufficiently taught by history, and some of us may remember one of the essays of Clarendon (certainly no reunionist) in which he blandly asserts the uselessness of religious conferences between Roman Catholics and Reformed, inasmuch as they never converted a single human being: those who are converted are not converted by argument. In concession (condescendance) on the other hand, there is always something that cannot be conceded; Leibniz himself had told the Landgrave that he would join the Church of Rome if he did not feel that certain tenets which he must reserve would, &quot; peut-être,&quot; not be conceded, and he could not risk the peut-être. What then was Bishop Spinola's method? To induce the Church of Rome to regard as not absolutely alienated from the Church those who, while material, i.e., nominal, heretics, were ready to submit to a Council of the Church recognised by them as such, and to induce the Protestants for their part to declare that readiness. You will perceive at once how this method carries us back to days when resort to it was still formally possible. Was it possible to revive the conditions of the times of Charles V in the age of Leopold I and Louis XIV? Of course the application of the method involved a large amount of tentative discussion as to the questions of major and of minor moment which would have to be reserved or waived, were such a basis of negotiation to be regarded as within the sphere