Domingo de Soto (1494–1560)
Fratris Dominici Soto Segoviensis, theologi, ordinis praedicatorum, & Caesareae Maiestati à sacris confessionibus, ad sanctum Concilium Tridentinum De natura & gratia libri. III. cum apologia contra reuerendum Episcopum Catharinum. Ex postrema recognitione authoris. Accesserunt ad haec eiusdem authoris liber de tegendo & detegendo secreto. Et in causa pauperum deliberatio. Cum indice copiosissimo, atque locupletissimo
Salmanticae: Excudebat Ioannes Maria à Terranoua, 1566
E.9.31(2), title page

Calls for reform and for the definition of traditional doctrines challenged by Protestants finally led to the opening of a Church Council at Trent in 1545. A number of Dominican friars attended the several sessions of the Council before its eventual close in 1563. Some were bishops, like Ambrogio Catarino Politi, who was present at Trent from 1545 to 1547 as a papal theologian appointed by Pope Paul III. Politi was a prolific author and controversialist, especially in defence of Catholic doctrine against Luther. As early as 1520, he had written A defence of the truth of the Catholic and Apostolic faith which responded to Luther’s attack on papal authority, purgatory, penance, and indulgences.

Perhaps the most influential Dominican theologian at Trent was Domingo de Soto, who was sent by the Emperor Charles V in 1545 and remained until 1547. Soto contributed much to the debate on original sin. His three-volume treatise On nature and grace (De natura et gratia libri III) appeared in 1547. Yet Politi did not agree with Soto’s arguments, and himself published two works against them at Venice in the same year.