Creeds of Christendom, with a History and Critical notes. Volume II. The History of Creeds.

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Sessio Quinta, Fifth Session,
celebrata die XVII. Junii, 1546. held June 17, 1546.
DECRETUM DE PECCATO ORIGINALI. DECREE CONCERNING ORIGINAL SIN.
Ut fides nostra catholica, sine qua impossibile est placere Deo, purgatis erroribus, in sua sinceritate integra et illibata permaneat; et ne populus christianus omni vento doctrinæ circumferatur; cum serpens ille antiquus, humani generis perpetuus hostis, That our Catholic faith, without which it is impossible to please God,8585     Heb. xi. 6. may, errors being purged away, continue in its own perfect and spotless integrity, and that the Christian people may not be carried about with every wind of doctrine;8686     Ephes. iv. 14. whereas that old serpent, the perpetual
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inter plurima mala, quibus ecclesia Dei his nostris temporibus perturbatur, etiam de peccato originali ejusque remedio non solum nova, sed vetera etiam dissidia excitaverit: sacrosancta œcumenica et generalis Tridentina synodus, in Spiritu Sancto legitime congregata, præsidentibus in ea eisdem tribus apostolicæ sedis legatis, jam ad revocandos errantes et nutantes confirmandos accedere volens, sacrarum scripturarum et sanctorum patrum ac probatissimorum conciliorum testimonia et ipsius ecclesiæ judicium et consensum secuta, hæc de ipso peccato originali statuit, fatetur ac declarat. enemy of mankind, amongst the very many evils with which the Church of God is in these our times troubled, has also stirred up not only new, but even old, dissensions touching original sin, and the remedy thereof; the sacred and holy, œcumenical and general Synod of Trent,—lawfully assembled in the Holy Ghost, the three same legates of the Apostolic See presiding therein,—wishing now to come to the reclaiming of the erring, and the confirming of the wavering,—following the testimonies of the sacred Scriptures, of the holy Fathers, of the most approved councils, and the judgment and consent of the Church itself, ordains, confesses, and declares these things touching the said original sin:
1. Si quis non confitetur, primum hominem Adam, cum mandatum Dei in paradiso fuisset transgressus, statim sanctitatem et justitiam, in qua constitutus fuerat, amisisse incurrisseque per offensam prævaricationis hujusmodi iram et indignationem Dei, atque ideo mortem, quam antea illi comminatus fuerat Deus, et cum morte captivitatem sub ejus potestate, qui mortis deinde habuit imperium, hoc est, diaboli, totumque Adam, per illam 1. If any one does not confess that the first man, Adam, when he had transgressed the commandment of God in Paradise, immediately lost the holiness and justice wherein he had been constituted; and that he incurred, through the offense of that prevarication, the wrath and indignation of God, and consequently death, with which God had previously threatened him, and, together with death, captivity under his power who thenceforth had the empire of death, that is to say, the devil,8787     Heb. ii. 14.
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prævaricationis offensam, secundum corpus et animam in deterius commutatum fuisse; anathema sit. and that the entire Adam, through that offense of prevarication was changed, in body and soul, for the worse; let him be anathema.
2. Si quis Adæ prævaricationem sibi soli, et non eius propagini asserit nocuisse; et acceptam a Deo sanctitatem et justitiam, quam perdidit, sibi soli et non nobis etiam eum perdidisse; aut inquinatum illum per inobedientiæ peccatum, mortem et pœnas corporis tantum in omne genus humanum transfudisse, non autem et peccatum, quod mors est animæ; anathema sit: cum contradicat apostolo dicenti: Per unum hominem peccatum intravit in mundum et per peccatum mors, et ita in omnes homines mors pertransiit, in quo omnes peccaverunt. 2. If any one asserts, that the prevarication of Adam injured himself alone, and not his posterity; and that the holiness and justice, received of God, which he lost, he lost for himself alone, and not for us also; or that he, being defiled by the sin of disobedience, has only transfused death and pains of the body into the whole human race, but not sin also, which is the death of the soul; let him be anathema:—whereas he contradicts the apostle who says: By one man sin entered into the world, and by sin death, and so death passed upon all men, in whom all have sinned.8888     Rom. v. 12.
3. Si quis hoc Adæ peccatum, quod origine unum est et propagatione, non imitatione transfusum omnibus, inest unicuique proprium, vel per humanæ naturæ vires, vel per aliud remedium asserit tolli, quam per meritum unius mediatoris Domini nostri Iesu Christi, qui nos Deo reconciliavit in sanguine suo, factus nobis justitia, sanctificatio et redemptio; aut negat 3. If any one asserts, that this sin of Adam,—which in its origin is one, and being transfused into all by propagation, not by imitation, is in each one as his own,—is taken away either by the powers of human nature, or by any other remedy than the merit of the one mediator, our Lord Jesus Christ,8989     1 Tim. ii. 5. who hath reconciled us to God in his own blood, being made unto us justice, sanctification, and redemption;9090     1 Cor. i. 30.
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ipsum Christi Iesu meritum per baptismi sacramentum in forma ecclesiæ rite collatum, tam adultis quam parvulis applicari; anathema sit: quia non est aliud nomen sub cœlo datum hominibus, in quo oporteat nos salvos fieri. Unde illa vox: Ecce agnus Dei; ecce qui tollit peccata mundi; et illa: Quicumque baptizati estis, Christum induistis. or if he denies that the said merit of Jesus Christ is applied, both to adults and to infants, by the sacrament of baptism rightly administered in the form of the Church; let him be anathema: For there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved.9191     Acts iv. 2. Whence that voice: Behold the lamb of God, behold him who taketh away the sins of the world;9292     John i. 29. and that other: As many as have been baptized, have put on Christ.9393     Gal. iii. 27.
4. Si quis parvulos recentes ab uteris matrum baptizandos negat, etiam si fuerint a baptizatis parentibus orti; aut dicit in remissionem quidem peccatorum eos baptizari, sed nihil ex Adam trahere originalis peccati, quod regenerationis lavacro necesse sit expiari ad vitam æternam consequendam; unde fit consequens, ut in eis forma baptismatis in remissionem peccatorum non vera, sed falsa intelligatur; anathema sit; quoniam non aliter intelligendum est id, quod dixit apostolus: Per unum hominem peccatum intravit in mundum, et per peccatum mors, et ita in omnes homines mors pertransiit, in quo omnes peccaverunt, nisi quemadmodum ecclesia 4. If any one denies, that infants, newly born from their mothers' wombs, even though they be sprung from baptized parents, are to be baptized; or says that they are baptized indeed for the remission of sins,9494     Acts ii. 38. but that they derive nothing of original sin from Adam, which has need of being expiated by the laver of regeneration for obtaining life everlasting,—whence it follows as a consequence, that in them the form of baptism, for the remission of sins, is understood to be not true, but false,—let him be anathema. For that which the apostle has said, By one man sin entered into the world, and by sin death, and so death passed upon all men, in whom all have sinned,9595     Rom. v. 12. is not to be understood otherwise
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catholica ubique diffusa semper intellexit. Propter hanc enim regulam fidei ex traditione apostolorum etiam parvuli, qui nihil peccatorum in semetipsis adhuc committere potuerunt, ideo in remissionem peccatorum veraciter baptizantur, ut in eis regeneratione mundetur, quod generatione contraxerunt. Nisi enim quis renatus fuerit ex aqua et Spiritu Sancto, non potest introire in regnum Dei. than as the Catholic Church spread every where hath always understood it. For, by reason of this rule of faith, from a tradition of the apostles, even infants, who could not as yet commit any sin of themselves, are for this cause truly baptized for the remission of sins, that in them that may be cleansed away by regeneration, which they have contracted by generation. For, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he can not enter into the kingdom of God.9696     John iii. 5.
5. Si quis per Iesu Christi Domini nostri gratiam, quæ in baptismate confertur, reatum originalis peccati remitti negat; aut etiam asserit non tolli totum id quod veram et propriam peccati rationem habet; sed illud dicit tantum radi, aut non imputari; anathema sit. In renatis enim nihil odit Deus; quia nihil est damnationis iis, qui vere consepulti sunt cum Christo per baptisma in mortem; qui non secundum carnem ambulant, sed veterem hominem exuentes, et novum, qui secundum Deum creatus est, induentes, innocentes, immaculati, puri, innoxii, ac Deo dilecti effecti sunt, heredes quidem Dei, coheredes autem 5. If any one denies, that, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is conferred in baptism, the guilt of original sin is remitted; or even asserts that the whole of that which has the true and proper nature of sin is not taken away; but says that it is only rased, or not imputed; let him be anathema. For, in those who are born again, there is nothing that God hates; because, There is no condemnation to those who are truly buried together with Christ by baptism into death;9797     Rom. viii. 1; vi. 4 who walk not according to the flesh, but, putting off the old man, and putting on the new who is created according to God,9898     Ephes. iv. 22, 24. are made innocent, immaculate, pure, harmless, and beloved of God, heirs
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Christi; ita ut nihil prorsus eos ab ingressu cœli remoretur. Manere autem in baptizatis concupiscentiam vel fomitem, hæc sancta synodus fatetur et sentit: quæ cum ad agonem relicta sit, nocere non consentientibus, sed viriliter per Christi Iesu gratiam repugnantibus non valet: quinimmo qui legitime certaverit, coronabitur. Hanc concupiscentiam, quam aliquando apostolus peccatum appellat, sancta synodus declarat, ecclesiam catholicam nunquam intellexisse peccatum appellari, quod vere et proprie in renatis peccatum sit, sed quia ex peccato est et ad peccatum inclinat. Si quis autem contrarium senserit, anathema sit. indeed of God, but joint heirs with Christ;9999     Rom. viii.17. so that there is nothing whatever to retard their entrance into heaven. But this holy synod confesses and is sensible, that in the baptized there remains concupiscence, or an incentive (to sin); which, whereas it is left for our exercise, can not injure those who consent not, but resist manfully by the grace of Jesus Christ; yea, he who shall have striven lawfully shall be crowned.100100     2 Tim. ii. 5. This concupiscence, which the apostle sometimes calls sin,101101     Rom. vi. 12; vii. 8. the holy Synod declares that the Catholic Church has never understood it to be called sin, as being truly and properly sin in those born again, but because it is of sin, and inclines to sin. And if any one is of a contrary sentiment, let him be anathema.
Declarat tamen hæc ipsa sancta synodus, non esse suæ intentionis comprehendere in hoc decreto, ubi de peccato originali agitur, beatam et immaculatam virginem Mariam, Dei genitricem; sed observandas esse constitutiones felicis recordationis Sixti papæ IV. sub pænis in eis constitutionibus contentis, quas innovat. 102102    [This indirect exemption of the immaculata Virgo Maria from original sin is a very near approach to the positive definition of the immaculata conceptio Virginis Mariæ in 1854.—P. S.] This same holy Synod doth nevertheless declare, that it is not its intention to include in this decree, where original sin is treated of, the blessed and immaculate Virgin Mary, the mother of God; but that the constitutions of Pope Sixtus IV., of happy memory, are to be observed, under the pains contained in the said constitutions, which it renews.
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