The Canons on the Sacraments in General discusses the importance of the 7 Catholic Sacraments in direct response to the circulating Protestant ideas about the invalidity of the sacraments. The council claims it’s authority on the matter essentially by listing all the names of the men who are supporting the document; such names including the Pope, cardinals, and several other important figures in the Catholic church at the time, and then by claiming that they have power through the Holy Spirit. The council considers the sacraments the “path of all true justice” and claims that they are essential to achieving salvation.

The council claims that all 7 Catholic Sacraments were instituted by Jesus Christ, and that God imparts grace through the sacraments upon any individual who takes them correctly. They also clarify that only ministers who have power imparted by God can confer sacraments, in direct conflict to the Protestant belief that one could achieve salvation solely through their own faith. Nearly all of the listed canons seem to be in almost direct conflict with the new Protestant teachings; the claim that sacraments are necessary for salvation (4), that grace is achieved through works (8), that not any Christian can administer sacraments (10), and that priests who marry cannot confer sacraments (12). These are only the more blatant refutals of Protestant ideals, but virtually every canon listed attacks and discredits Protestant ideas in some way.

In the Index of Prohibited Books the church essentially claims that any book which challenges or goes against the doctrines of the Catholic church is an inauthentic book. Books are classified by local bishops, inquisitors, and theologians approved by the local bishop. On a larger scale and in Rome books are classified by certain appointed church officials that are called out in the document. Books such as biblical translations and manuals can be used as supplemental material to the Vulgate so long as they are approved by the church. The Index of Prohibited Books was released at a time when printing presses were still relatively new and therefor knowledge could be spread much easier and faster than ever before. By having virtually every book published be either approved or banned by the church they had very tight control over what ideas could circulate in Christian society, even ideas that were not directly religious in nature. The level of detail of the document is to be expected in such an unsteady time as the church struggles to gain control over the spread of ideas in Christian society.