have after a period of sixteen centuries grown entirely obsolete; for most of them deal with matters of fundamental and catholic interest, and consequently have in them a germ of immortality. With some exceptions in which decrees had only a local or limited territorial application, this is equally true of the decrees of all the general councils, many of which were renewed wholly or in part by the Council of Trent, are still in force, and will continue so. What authority or binding force attaches