TRENT, Council of, in Ecclesiastical History, denotes the council assembled by Paul III. in 1545, and continued by twenty-five sessions till the year 1563, under Julius III. and Pius IV., in order to correct, illustrate, and fix with perspicuity, the doctrine of the church, to restore the vigour of its discipline, and to reform the lives of its clergy. The decrees of this council, together with the creed of Pope Pius IV., contains a summary of the doctrines of the Roman Catholics. These decrees were subscribed by 255 clergy, consisting of four legates, other two cardinals, three patriarchs, twenty-five archbishops, 168 bishops, besides inferior clergy. As 150 of these came from Italy, the council was entirely under the influence of the pope. For a more particular account of the Council of Trent, see the elaborate histories of Sarpi, Pallavicino, and Bungener. For the history of this council, a great mass of materials was collected by Le Plat: Monumentorum ad Historiam Concilii Tridentini potissimum illustrandam spectantium amplissima Collectio. Lovanii, 1781-7, 7 tom. 4to.