cess of
codification have entirely failed. As regards the texts, the canon law
of to-day is in a very similar position to that of English law, which
gave rise to J.S. Mill's saying: "All ages of English history have given
one another rendezvous in English law; their several products may be
seen all together, not interfused, but heaped one upon another, as many
different ages of the earth may be read in some perpendicular section of
its surface."[33] Nothing has been abrogated, except in so far as this
has been implicitly demanded by subsequent laws. From this result
insoluble controversies and serious uncertainties, both in the study and
practice of the law; and, finally, it has become impossible for most
people to have a first-hand knowledge of the actual laws.

Decrees of the Council of Trent.

Pontifical constitutions.

Decrees of the Curia.

For this third period, the most important and most considerable of the
canonical texts is the body of disciplinary decrees of the council of
Trent (1545-1563). In consequence of the prohibition issued by Pius IV.,
they have not been published separately from the dogmatic texts and
other acts, and have not been glossed;[34] but their official
interpretation has been reserved by the popes to the "Congregation of
the cardinal interpreters of the Council of Trent," whose decisions form
a vast collection of jurisprudence. Next in importance come the
pontifical constitutions, which are collected together in the
_Bullarium_; but this is a collection of private authority, if we except
the _Bullarium_ of Benedict XIV., officially published by him in 1747;
further, the _Bullarium_ is a compilation arranged in chronological
order, and its dimensions make it rather unwieldy. In the third place
come the decrees of the Roman Congregations, which have the force of
law. Several of these organs of the papal authority have published
official collections, in which more place is devoted to jurisprudence
than to laws; several others have only private compilations, or even
none at all, among others the most important, viz. the Holy Office (see
CURIA ROMANA). The resulting confusion and uncertainty may be imagined.

"Liber septimus" of P. Mathieu.

of Clement VIII.

These drawbacks were felt a long time back, and to this feeling we owe
two attempts at a supplementary codification which were made in the 16th
century, both of which are known under the name of _Liber Septimus_. The