Tridentine Profession of Faith or the Creed of Pius IV, is a summary of the doctrines of the Council of Trent, suggested by that council, prepared by a college of cardinals under the supervision of pope Pius IV, and issued by him, Nov. 13, 1564. It consists of twelve articles, including the Nicene Creed (q.v.), and is put in the form of an individual profession and solemn oath. It is required of all Roman Catholic priests, and public teachers in seminaries, colleges, and universities. It is also used for Protestant converts to the Roman Catholic Church, and hence called the "profession of converts." The 10th article reads, "I acknowledge the holy Catholic Apostolic Roman Church as the mother and mistress of all churches; and I promise and swear true obedience to the bishop of Rome as the successor of St. Peter, prince of the apostles, and as the vicar of Jesus Christ." See Latin text in the two papal bulls of Nov. 13 and Dec. 9, 1564, and in Denzinger's Enchiridion, p. 292-294; also a history of this creed by Mohnike, Urkundliche Geschichte der Professio Fidei Tridentince (Greifswald, 1822). SEE TRENT, COUNCIL OF.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More