3. This instrument we produce as one of the criteria by which we may form a fair and impartial judgment of the principles of Roman Catholics, being a document of their own, and expressed in their own words. The ?'eg'alifie.? o.f ,,Rr. Peter may be made to contract or dilate to any dimensions which circumstances and policy may command. There is an addition made to the end of this oath, in reference to the subjects of the British government, which is tm follows: "I will observe the foregoing oath in proportion to my conviction that it contains nothing adverse to my fidelity to the king of Great Britain and his successors." The above is the oath taken by the Roman Catholic bishops of Ame- rica. Indeed, this oath of temporal and spiritual vassalage is b/nd?'? upon t? whole ruling order in the ecclesiastical monarchy of Rome. IV. CATECHISM OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. This was published in 1566, by Pope Pius V. The following is the decree of the Council of Trent respecting it :---" That the faithful may approach the sacraments with greater reverence and devotion, the holy synod commands all bishops not only to explain, in a manner accoms resdated to the capacity of the receivers, the nature and use of the sacraments, when they are to be administered by themselves; but also to see that every pastor piously and prudently do the same, in the ver- uacular language, should it be necessary and convenient. This expo- sition is to accord with a form to be prescribed by the holy synod for ?he administration of the sacraments, in a catechism, which bishops will take care to have faithfully translated into the vernacular language, and expounded to the people by all pastors."* The translation in our possession, and from which we quote, is that by Rev. J. Donavan, pro- lbssot, &c., Royal College, Maynooth, 1829, and republished in Baltimore i)ereonamm, juris, honoris, status et potostatis eorum machinentur. Et si tails a qui- buscunque tractari vel procurari hovers, impediam hoc pro posse, et quailto citius potero significabo cidera domino nostro, vel alteri per quem possit ad ipsius notitiam pervenim. Regulas sanctemm Patrum, deereta, ordinationes, aeu dispositiones, roservationas, pro. x',siones et mandate apostolica totis viribus observabo, ot factare ab allis observeft. r?,ticos, schismaticos, et rebellee eldera domino nostro vel successorthus prmdictis pro i?ssa persequnr ot impugnabo. Vocatus ad synodurn yenism, nisi prmpeditus fuexo ,'anonice pr'?epeditione. Apostolorum !irains singulls trienniis personaliter per me ipsum v,,sitabo, et domino nostro ac successoribus prmfatis rationera reddam de toto meo pas- ?omli officio ac de rebus omnibus ad mean Ecclesi? stature, ad cleri, et populi discipli- n,?m, animarum denique qum mere fidel traditm suut, salutem quovis modo portinonti- bus, et vicissim mandate apostolica humtitter recipiam et quam diligentiasime exequar. Quod si legitimo impedimente detentus fuero prm�ata omnis adimplebo per �ertum nun- cram nd hoc speciale- mends. turn babestem de gremio mei capituli, aut eliurn in dignitato ,x?clesiasticn eonstitutum, seu alias personaturn habentem; aut, his mihi de�ntibus, !,er dioecesanum sacerdotem; et clero de6ciente omnino per aliquem allure prosbyterum .ocularera ?'el regularera spectat?e probitaris et religionis de supmdictis omnibus plene instrnctum. De hujuumodi autem impedimento docebo per legitimas probationes ad ?nnct?e Romasin Ecclesim cazdinalem proponentera in congregatione ascri concilii par .suprsdictom nuncium transmitresales. Possessiones veto ad mensam meam pertinentes ,on vendam, nec donabo neque implgnorabo, nee de novo infeudabo vel aliquo modo alienabo, etiam eum eonsensu capituh ? Ecclesis, tnem, inconsulto Romano Ponttrice. Et .siad aliquam alienationera devenero, pomes in quadam super hoc edits constit. utione contentas eo ipso incurrere rolo. Sicme Deus adjuvet et hme asseta Dei evanslie. *s D�cr?um Gr?. IX., lib. it, tit. 14. Those who may not have other books at- hand can find the original in Barrow on Supremacy, p. 411. New-York, 185t. London Protestant Journal, for 1831, p. 140.
- Cone. Trid. Seu. Y,4. de Reform. c. 7.
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