the Church was perpetually infallible in its declarations of truth, and in its condemnations of error. In the three hundred years since the Council of Trent, the Church has taught with the same infallibility. The line of Pontiffs, from Pius IV. who confirmed the Council of Trent, to Pius IX. who defined the Immaculate Conception, have taught with the same supreme and infallible voice. Witness, as a few out of many, the condemnations of Baius, Jansenius, Molinos; the Bull Unigenitus; the condemnation of the Synod of Pistoia and, more recently, of Lamennais, Hermes, Frohschammer, and of the errors enumerated in the Syllabus. To the declaration of these truths, and to the condemnation of these errors, no act of the Church in Council is required. They are already full and perfect by the plenitude of the Pontifical authority. Peter has spoken by Innocent, by Alexander, by Clement, and by Pius. If, at any time, in an Œcumenical Council, any dogma be defined which has been already defined by the Pope, or by other General Councils, the bishops act as judges, but are already bound to judge in conformity to what is already defined. But if the defining of anything not yet defined is in question, they are the judges in such sense that their judgments have no force to bind the conscience until the assent and confirmation of the Supreme Pontiff has been given. It was thus that the fathers at Chalcedon declared that Peter spoke by Leo; and the Fathers of Constantinople recognised his
