THE DOCTRINAL DECREES AND CANONS OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT, TRANSLATED FROM THE FIRST EDITION PRINTED AT ROME, IN 1564. WITH A PREFACE AND NOTES BY W. C. BROWNLEE, D.D. Of the Collegiate Reformed Dutch Church, N. Y. NEW YORK: PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN PROTESTANT SOCIETY, 1845. Entered according to the Act of Congress, is the year 1841, by CHARLES K. MOORE, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Southern District of New York. E 1845 PREFACE. THR Council of Trent was assembled by pope Pius III., in 1545. It was continued under several pontiffs; and after several interruptions, it was brought to a close by pope Pius IV. in 1563. It was therefore convoked about sixteen years after the true church of God protested against the Roman Apostasy, and were thence called Protestants. It was called under the pretence of reforming "the church" in its head and members. But, who ever heard of an assembly of criminal intruders, and robbers of public property assembling to reform themselves, while they were resolved to be what they were; and retain what they had abstracted, by a system of fraud and tyranny! The real object of this council, was to crush the Reformation, so triumphantly going forward in the continent and islands of Europe. To accomplish this, the Council pursued two courses, while they carefully retained the entire power and supremacy of its pope, and prevented all reformation of the priesthood. First: they laid down their complete system of doctrines, rites, and ceremonies, in direct opposition to the simple and pure, and primitive doctrines, sacraments, and ordinances of Christ, drawn by the Protestants exclusively from the BIBLE. In doing this, they ratified the traditions of the fathers, though not, perhaps, two men present, could tell what they really were. They also confirmed the bulls, and decrees of former popes, with all the legends the most pal |