The "Catechism of the Council of Trent" was pub- lished in 1566, by command of Pope Pius V.38 Al- though termed a "Catechism," it is not written in the usual form of question and answer, but is in fact a manual of religious instruction chiefly, though not wholly intended for the use of the priests. It is a work of considerable la- bour and research, and is written in a terse and elegant style. Of the four parts into which it is divided, the first, third and fourth contain expositions of the Apos- tles' Creed, the Decalogue, and the Lord's Prayer; the second, is a treatise on the Sacraments. The doctrines laid down in the decrees of the council are here elabo- rately discussed and defended; much additional infor- mation is supplied; and great skill is employed in endea- vouring to make the obnoxious sentiments of the Roman Catholic church appear to be consistent with reason and scripture. The numerous quotations inserted in this volume, have enabled the reader to judge how far the authors have succeeded in their attempt.
As the catechism was designed for general circulation, directions were given to have it translated into the lan- guages of those countries into which it should be intro- duced. Accordingly, it was early published in England. A new translation has been recently issued by one of the professors of Maynooth College. 39 In his preface, the translator observes, that "Whilst he has endeavoured to preserve the spirit, he has been unwilling to lose sight of the letter: studious to avoid a servile exactness, he has not felt himself at liberty to indulge the freedom of paraphrase; anxious to transfuse into the copy the spirit of the original, he has been no less anxious to render it an express image of that original. The reader, perhaps, will blame his severity; his fidelity, he trusts, may defy reproof; and on it he rests his only claim to commen-
author. The title-page has "Opera vero ac studio doctissimi Jo- annis Langi:" but the inquisitor has erased "doctissimi," most learned, and written instead "Autoris damnati, opis permissum." "The work of a condemned author permitted to be published." The expunged passages in the work correspond exactly with the direc- tions in the index of 1571.
38 Every information respecting the writers, &c. of the catechism is contained in the "Introduction" prefixed to the Dublin edition. 39 "The Catechism of the Council of Trent, published by com- mand of Pope Pius the Fifth. Translated into English by the Rev. J. Donovan, professor, &c. Royal College, Maynooth, 1829,"
dation."4 After such professions, it would be naturally expected, that whatever might be the defects of the translation in regard to elegance, it would at any rate be entitled to the praise of fidelity and accuracy. But the evidence presently to be adduced, will prove that the translator has wilfully misrepresented the meaning of the original in order to beguile Protestant readers, by sup- pressing or altering such passages as express the peculiar tenets of popery in too open and undisguised a manner, and thus exhibit it in its own colours, as an anti-scriptu- ral system. This assertion will be justified by comparing the work in question with another Roman Catholic trans- lation, published in Dublin, "by permission." 41 of a great number of instances that might be adduced, a few specimens only will be selected, for the sake of bre- vity. It will be convenient to arrange them under three divisions omissions, additions, mistranslations.
Dublin Edition, 1816. "By the sacraments only, so that the form of them be kept, sins may be forgiven; but other- wise there is no power of absolv- ing from sin given to the church; Whence it follows that the priests as well as the sacraments are, as it were, instruments to the forgive- ness of sins, by which Christ our Lord, who is the very author and giver of salvation, works in us forgiveness of sins, and righteous- ness." p. 82.
"There is no greater punish- ment to be feared from God for any sin whatsoever, than if this thing [the eucharist,] which is full of all sanctity, or rather which contains the author and fountain of sanctity, be not holily and religiously used by the faith- ful." p. 163.
Donovan's Edition, 1829. "Sins can be forgiven only through the sacraments, duly ad- ministered. The church has re- ceived no power otherwise to re- mit sin." p. 110.
"For no crime is there reserv- ed by God a more terrible ven- geance than for the sacrilegious abuse of this adorable sacrament, which is replete with holiness it- self." p. 206.
41 "The Catechism composed by the decree of the Council of Trent, and published by command of Pope Pius the Fifth. A new edition, faithfully translated into English, by permission." Dublin,
42 The passages omitted are printed in italics.
Dublin Edition, 1816. "As that holy and learned man Hilarius has written concerning the truth of Christ's flesh and blood," &c. p. 177.
"But there is another point to be explained by the pastors, whence it may plainly be known, that the true body and blood of the Lord is contained in the eucha- rist." ibid.
"The pastors must explain not only that the true body of Christ, and whatsoever belongs to the true nature of a body, as bones and sinews, but also that whole Christ is contained in this sacrament." p. 181.
"Now after this" (the subject is 'inward penance' or 'penance as a virtue') "there follows, as the companion thereof, grief and sorrow, which is a disturbance and affliction, and by many is called a passion, joined with the detestation of sin. Therefore ac- cording to many of the holy fa- thers, the definition of this kind of penance is declared in the grief of the soul." p. 206.
Virginity is rather highly commended and persuaded to every one, and that by sacred scripture." p. 275.
"Acceptable also to God, and his saints which are in heaven." p. 335.
"The pastor will also explain to the faithful, that in this sacrament are contained not only the true body of Christ, and all the consti- tuents of a true body, but also Christ whole and entire." p. 226.
"It is accompanied with a sin- cere sorrow, which is an agita- tion and affection of the mind, and is called by many a passion, and if accompanied with detesta- tion, is, as it were, the companion of sin; it must, however," &c. p. 254.
"Yet it is not to be denied, but that they [heretics and schis- matics] are in the power of the church, as those who may be judged by her, [punished,] and condemned with an anathema." p. 71.
"It is not, however, to be de- nied that they are still subject to the jurisdiction of the church, in- asmuch as they are liable to have judgment passed on their opinions to be visited with spiritual punish- ment, and denounced with ana- thema," p. 96.44
43 The words added are printed in italics.
44 Ut qui ab eâ in judicium vocentur, puniantur, et anathemate damnentur." It will be seen that both the editions are faulty here:
Dublin Edition, 1816. Although Christ at his last supper instituted and delivered to the apostles this most profound sacrament in the species of bread and wine, yet it does not follow from hence that this was made by our Lord and Saviour to be a law." &c. p. 197.
"This [the form of absolution] the priest may pronounce no less truly, concerning that man also, who, by virtue of a most ardent contrition (yet so as that he has the wish of confession,) has ob- tained from God the pardon of his sins." p. 211.
Donovan's Edition, 1829. "It does not follow of necessi ty," &c. p. 244.
"This form is not less true when pronounced by the priest over him, who, by means of per- fect contrition, has already ob- tained the pardon of his sins. Perfect contrition, it is true, re- conciles the sinner to God, but his justification is not to be ascribed to perfect contrition, independent- ly of the desire which it includes of receiving the sacrament of pe- nance." p. 259.
the Dublin edition entirely omits the word " punished" while the professor interpolates the word "spiritual," to make us believe that the power of the "secular arm" is not intended!
"We ought, indeed, at all times to pay the duties of honour to our parents: but especially when they are dangerously sick, for then we must endeavour that no- thing be omitted which belongs either to the confession of sins, or to the other sacraments which are to be received by christians when death approaches." p. 336.
"Fortified-with the defence of religion." ibid.
"But of them who obeyed not the priests, it is written," &c. p. 339.
Donovan's Edition, 1829. greatest evils, and the heaviest calamities to the church of God." p. 324. 45
"We should then pay particu lar attention to what regards their eternal salvation, taking especial care that they duly receive the last sacraments." p. 390.
"Fortified by the sacraments of the church." ibid.
"But of those who resist the spiritual authority of the priest, it is written: He that will be proud, and refuse to obey the commandment of the priest who ministereth at that time to the Lord thy God, by the decree of the judge that man shall die.' (Deut. xvii. 12.)" p. 394.
Many more passages might have been adduced. These, however, will suffice to convince the reader that Roman Catholic translations ought to be carefully watched.4 46
45 The object of the compilers of the Catechism was to show that great evils and calamities have arisen from neglect of the obligations of marriage; but the professor has so constructed his translation, that marriage itself is represented as the source of those evils and calamities.
46 At page 82, an entire paragraph is omitted. In another place, enumerating the incentives to irregular desire, the authors mention "obscene books," which are as much to be avoided (they say) as indecent images. They add (referring to the decree on the use of images,) "let the pastor chiefly take care that those things be studi- ously observed, which have been piously and religiously decreed by the holy council of Trent, concerning those points." Dublin edition, p. 356. Professor Donovan has virtually suppressed this passage, by placing it as a note at the bottom of the page in the original Latin! The reason is obvious; he was unwilling to have it believed that the images adored by Roman Catholics are ever disgraced by any thing approaching to indecency. But why was the admonition given?
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