To  the  ripe  fruit  of  this  Roman  Confessional
System  some  reference  will  be  made  in  the
concluding  chapter  of  this  little  volume.  I
will  only  add  here,  in  regard  to  the  topic
immediately  before  us,  that  the  records  of
the  discussion  which  took  place  at  the
Council  of  Trent,  indicate  very  clearly  two
currents  of  opinion,  with  various  subordinate
streams  on  either  side,  struggling  for  the
mastery.*  At  length  the  definitions  con-
cerning Sacramental  Confession  came  forth
in  the  form  which  was  the  natural  result  of
the  decree  of  1215,  after  the  opportunity

*  See  Paolo  Sarpi's  "Historic  of  the  Councell  of  Trent"
(Brent's  Translation,  1620),  book  iv.  pp.  345-359.
72  SACRAMENTAL   CONFESSION.
given   by  three  centuries  and  a  half  for  the
development  of  its  legitimate  effects.
Turning  now  to  the  decree  of  the  Fourth
Lateran  Council,  again  we  are  bound  at-
tentively to  consider  the  circumstances  which
were  associated  with  it.  Only  thus  are  we
able  to  see  its  true  and  full  significance.  The
very  name  of  Innocent  III.  shows  that  the
change  in  question  must  have  been  an
advance  in  the  power  of  the  hierarchy.  Let
it  be  remembered,  too,  that  at  this  time  first
the  word  "  transubstantiation — "  itself  an  as-
sertion of  the  highest  sacerdotal  prerogative
— began  to  be  authoritatively  used :  let  it  be
remembered  again  that  in  this  Council  the
power  of  deposing  a  Sovereign  Prince  was
assumed  by  the  Church,  and  that  this  epoch
"  bequeathed  to  the  Papacy  its  two  great
standing  armies,"  the  Franciscans  and  Domi-
nicans ;  *  and  it  will  easily  be  seen  that  the

*  Dean  Milman's  "History  of  Latin  Christianity,"  vol.  vi.
