The Confirmation of the Council.
WE Alexander, Deacon of St. Laurence in Damaso, Cardinal of Farnese, Vice-Chancellor of the most Holy Roman Church, do Witness and Declare, That upon this present day being Wednesday the 26th. of January, in the year of Christ One Thousand Five Hundred Sixty Four, and in the fifth year of the Pon∣tificate of the most Holy Father our Lord Pius the Fourth, by the providence of God, Pope, in a private Consistory at St. Peters Church: The most Reverend Fathers my Lords, Cardinal Morone and Simoneta, being lately return'd from the Holy Council of Trent, wherein they were Presidents of the Apostolick See, made their Request unto his Holiness in the following manner:
MOst Blessed Father, By a Decree published before the end of the Oecumenick Council of Trent, the day before the Nones of December, last past; it was ordain'd, That there should be demanded of your Holiness by the Legates of the Apostolick See, and the Presidents in the name of the Council, a Confirmation of all those things which were de∣creed and determin'd therein, as well those in the time of Paul the 3d, of Happy Memo∣ry, and of Julius the 3d, as in the time of your Holiness. Wherefore we John Cardinal Morone, and Lewis Cardinal Simoneta, who were then Legates and Presidents, being willing to perform what was established in that Decree, do humbly desire in the name of the said Oecumenick Council of Trent, that your Holiness would vouchsafe to confirm all and every of these Decrees, which under Paul the 3d, of Blessed Memory, and Julius the 3d, or under your Holiness have been therein decreed and defined. Having heard these things, and his Holiness having seen and read the contents of the said decree, and having the consent of the most Reverend Lords, the Cardinals; he answer'd in these words. Grant∣ing the Petition concerning the Confirmation, which in the name of the Oecumenick Council of Trent, hath been offered to us by the Legates aforesaid, we do by our Apostolical Au∣thority, and by the Advice and Consent of our Reverend Brethren the Cardinals (with whom we have maturely deliberated and consulted about it) Ratify and Confirm all and every of those things which were Decreed and Defined in the said Council, as well under Paul the 3d, of Happy Memory, and Julius the 3d, our Predecessours, as in the time of our Pontificat. And we Command the same to be received and inviolably observed, by all the Faithful in the Christian Church, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; Amen.
So I testifie Ang. Card. of Farnese, Vice-Canc.