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the heirs and successors of the Apostles, confer the same grace, and give the same mission by the sacrament of Holy Orders, with the right of exercising its functions, with the consent and by the authority of the first Pastors.

Jesus Christ by bringing Matrimony back to its primitive state, has declared that it was not in the power of man to dissolve it; Matt. 19. 4, 5, 6. and we believe that this indissoluble union representing the union of Christ and his church, Ephes. 5. 23. has been raised to the ́dignity of a sacrament, in order to give to the married couple grace to fulfil the obligations imposed on them.

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Such is the doctrine of the Catholic church touching the sacraments, their number, and the special grace they confer upon the worthy receiver; and the Catholic in adhering to this doctrine has the infinite satisfaction to know that his faith, in this as well as in every other ticular, is grounded on the authority of the unerring word of God infallibly delivered and interpreted by the Catholic church, which St. Paul declares to be the pillar and ground of the truth; 1 Tim. 3. 15. which Jesus Christ has promised to be with, all days even to the consummation of the world; Matt. 28. 20. to which he promised to send another comforter to abide with her for ever, even the spirit of truth; John 14. 16. and finally against which the gates of hell were never to prevail; Matt. 16. 18. and that he believes no more than what the Fathers and Councils of the church, and all the saints of God have invariably always professed and believed in every age. From the proofs and arguments I shall adduce in support of the sacrament of Penance, which alone I intend to vindicate in this appendix, the candid reader may infer how firm and unshaken every other article of the Catholic creed stands, resting as it does, in all its parts, on the unerring authority both of the written and unwritten word of God, proposed and explained by the infallible Church.

SECTION II.

I shall now proceed to the examination of the great point in question, viz. the sacrament of penance, which I intend most fully, and I trust, equally satisfactorily, to prove and to vindicate. The aukward predicament in which Roman Catholics have been generally placed by their adversaries, as well learned as unlearned, who have been so very good as to draw up creeds for them, in order to combat and refute the

šame the more successfully; renders it necessary to place this subject first in its true and proper light, and previously to shew what the real doctrine of the Catholic church is touching the sacrament of penance. I shall therefore for the satisfaction of the public, transcribe the greater part of the fourteenth session of the Council of Trent, which presents a full exposition of said doctrine; and in order that every one may fairly understand, not what the Catholic willingly or unwillingly has been so illiberally made to believe, but what he believes in reality. This session was held under Pope Julius III. on the 25th of November. A. D. 1551.

AN EXPOSITION OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT,

ON THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE.

SESSION XIV.

*THE holy Ecumenick and general council of Trent, in the Holy

* A council, is an assembly of Bishops, the lawful successors of the Apostles, in which those points are treated that relate to faith, discipline and morals. For councils are held either to support the truths of faith, when they are in danger of being shaken by the errors disseminated by heretics, or to examine and decide questions, which regard faith and morals, or to regulate what appertains to discipline.

T'he assembling of councils is as ancient as the church. We read in the Acts of the Apostles, of the Bishops having assembled at Jerusalem with the Priests, in order to examine what was to be done concerning the legal observances, and it was decided, that the Gentiles converted to the faith should not be compelled to observe them; and the church has always looked upon that council, as the model of all those that have been held afterwards.

There are different sorts of councils. 1st. The Ecumenick, or general councils, which represent the universal church: for all the Catholic Bishops are there assembled, and have a right to assist at them in quality of judges. The eight first general councils were

Ghost lawfully assembled, the same Legate, and the same Nuncios of the apostolic See presiding therein : Although in the decree respecting justification, much has been already said, in many places concerning the sacrament of Penance, the affinity of the subjects, having, as it

convoked by the emperors, but with the express consent and approbation of the Pope: The others were all convoked by the Popes, as may be seen by their bulls, which are placed at the head of these councils. This authority belongs to them by right, as being constituted over all the bishops in the world, being the Vicars of Jesus Christ. The bishops have a right to give their suffrage, and their right is a divine right. The Abbots and Generals of religious Orders, also give theirs, but by Ecclesiastical right only. The deputies of Cathedrals, Dioceses and Universities, assist at them in quality of witnesses, examiners, and counsellors. The Pope presides there either in person, or by his legates. The general councils, when lawfully assembled, and when the bishops give their opinions with perfect liberty, are infallible in their decisions because they represent the whole church, against which Christ has promised, Matth. 16. that the gates of hell shall not prevail. The bishops there propose the faith of their respective churches: now this testimony which each bishop renders of the belief and tradition of his particular church, enables them to know, whether all the churches agree in the same dogma and in one and the same practice.

National councils are composed of the bishops of many of the principal sees of a kingdom or nation; and provincial councils are composed of the bishops of a metropolis, of the Diocesans, and of their clergy, that is to say, of the Abbots, Deans, Canons and Curates of a diocese. The decisions and judgments of particular councils are not infallible, and may be reformed by the general councils; yet, when they are approved of and received by the whole church, their decision becomes entirely certain, and gives the same weight to their decrees as that of the general councils: for the unanimous consent of all the churches, in a point decided by a particular council, is an incontestable proof of the tradition, and carries as much weight with it as the decision of a general council.

The council of Trent, of which mention is made above, is the last of the general councils. It was held at Trent, a city on the frontiers of Germany. It was opened in the year 1545 and continued until 1563, so that it lasted nearly eighteen years, during the Pontificate of

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were, necessarily required it, has judged, nevertheless, that it will be of no small utility to the public, in the great multiplicity and diversity of errors which appear at this time touching this matter, to give a more ample definition and explanation of it, in which, after having de tected and destroyed all these errors, by the assistance of the Holy Ghost, the Catholic truth may appear in all its evidence and lustre, such as the holy council heré exhibits it to all Christians, to be perpetually held and observed.

CHAP. I.

OF THE NECESSITY AND INSTITUTION OF THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE.

If all who are regenerated by baptism were so to testify their gratitude to God, as to persevere constantly in the justice they received therein through his grace and bounty; it would not have been necessary to have instituted any other sacrament than Baptism, for the remission of sin. But because God who is rich in mercy, Eph. 2. knew the frailty of our weak nature, he has been pleased also to provide a remedy, whereby those, who after Baptism should be brought again under the bondage of sin and into the power of satan, may recover life, namely, the sacrament of Penance, through which, the merits of the death of Jesus Christ are applied to such, as have fallen after Baptism.

Penance has been, in all times, necessary to all men who had sullied their consciences by mortal sin, to obtain grace and justice, even to those who desired to be cleansed by the sacrament of Baptism, whereby renouncing and correcting their evil ways they detest the offence

five Popes, viz. Paul III. Julius III. Marcellus II. Paul IV, Pius V. and under the reigns of Charles V. and Ferdinand, Emperors of Germany, of Francis I. Henry II. and Charles IX. kings of France. There were present at it five cardinals, legates of the holy see, three patriarchs; thirty-three arch-bishops; two hundred and thirty-five bishops; seven abbots; seven generals of religious orders; and one hundred and sixty doctors of theology. It was assembled for the purpose of shewing what the true doctrine of the Catholic church was. This council contains twenty-five sessions, and has been received and approved by the whole church.

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they had committed against God, joining thereto a hatred of sin and a grief of the heart. Whence the Prophet says: Ezek, chap. 18. Be converted and do Penance for all your iniquities: and iniquity shall not be your ruin. And our Lord says likewise: Luke 13. Unless you do Penance you shall all likewise perish. And St. Peter the prince of the Apostles, recommending Penance to the sinners who were to be baptized, said to them, Acts, c. 2. Do Penance and be baptised every one of you. But yet Penance was not a sacrament before the coming of Jesus Christ; neither is it after his coming, for any one who has not been baptized.

Now, our Lord Jesus Christ, principally instituted the sacrament of Penance, when after his resurrection he breathed upon his disciples, saying to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them: and whose you shall retain, they are retained, John 20. By which remarkable action and not less expressive words, the Holy Fathers, have always unanimously understood tha: the power of remitting and retaining sin, had been imparted to the Apostles and to their lawful successors for the reconciliation of the faithful, fallen after baptism. Hence the Catholic Church with very great reason formerly condemned and rejected as heretics, the *Novatians, who obstinately denied this power of remitting sin. Wherefore the holy council approving and receiving this sense of these words of our Lord as the true one, condemns the imaginary interpretations of those who, in opposition to the institution of this sacrament, wrest and falsely apply these words to the power of preaching the word of God and announcing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

❤ The Novatians, were the disciples of Novatien, a Priest of the city of Rome, who lived in the third century, with whom Novatus, a Priest of Africa joined in opposition to St. Cornelius, Pope. This opposition occassioned a temporary schism in the church. They maintained, that the church had no power to remit sin committed after baptism. St. Cyprian, St. Pacien, Bishop of Barcelona, St. Ambrose, St. Basil, were the Principal Fathers who wrote against this heresy. It was condemned in several councils held both in Italy and Africa; and finally by the general council of Nice. It was in consequence of this schism that St. Cyprian wrote his admirable work, on the Unity of the Church.

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