eir interests to send deputations to the Council of Bourges: Pope
Eugenius, with a view to obtain its support for the rival council which
he had opened at Ferrara; the Fathers of Basel, in order to make known
their decrees, which, as agreeing with the received doctrine of Gallican
theologians, would, it was hoped, meet with a cordial welcome throughout
France. The assembly at Bourges did not fail to profit by these
exceptional circumstances. It accepted the decrees of Basel, yet not
absolutely, but after critical examination and with certain
modification; a course which, by implication, asserted a right to
legislate for the concerns of the French Church even independently of a
general council acknowledged to be orthodox. The following explanation
of this proceeding was inserted in the preamble of the celebrated
statute agreed upon by the authorities at Bourges. It is there stated
that this policy was adopted, "not from any hesitation as to the
authority of the Council of Basel to enact ecclesiastical decrees, but
because it was judged advisable, under the circumstances and
requirements of the French realm and nation." So that it appears, on the
whole, that while the French professed great zeal on this occasion for
the dogma of the superiority of a general council over the pope, the
principle practically illustrated at Bourges was that of a supremacy of
a national council over every other ecclesiastical authority. Such were
the anomalies which arose out of the strange necessities of the time.

The Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges embraces twenty-three articles. The
first treats of the authority of general councils, and of the time and
manner of convening and celebrating them. The second relates to
ecclesiastical elections, which are enjoined to be made hereafter in
strict accordance with the canons, by the cathedral, collegiate, and
conventual chapters. Reserves, annates, and "expective graces" are
abolished; the rights of patrons are to be respected, provided their
nominees be graduates of the universities and otherwise well qualified.
The pope retains only a veto in case of unfitness or uncanonical
election, and the nominations to benefices "_in curia vacantia_,"
_i.e._, of which the incumbents may happen to die at Rome or within two
days' journey of the pontifical residence. The king and other princes
may occasionally _recommend_ or _request_ the promotion of persons of
special merit, but without threats or violent pressu