suffer Penance for Three Years time The 31st declares That a Woman can never Marry though her Husband does not appear as long as she is not sure of his Death and that if she does she commits Adultery The 36th ordains the same thing to Souldier's Wives who Marry again when they have no more News of their Husbands yet he thinks them more excusable because they have more reason to believe that they are dead The 32d ordains That Clergymen who Sin mortally should be degraded but not turn'd out of Communion The 33d That a Woman who takes no care of the Fruit of her Womb and who is brought to Bed in the middle of the Street should be punish'd as one guilty of Murder The 34th That Women guilty of Adultery who voluntarily confess it or are partly convicted of it should not be defam'd left their Crime coming to Publick Notice should be the cause of their Death but that they should be order'd to stay out of Communion till the time of their Penance be over The 35th is That when a Husband is forsaken by his Wife it should be inquir'd whether there was any Fault in him and if there was not but she only was in the Fault then they ought not to deprive the Husband of the Communion of the Church but only punish the Wife The 37th is That if a Man who had Espoused another Man's Wife Marries another Woman after the former was taken away from him he is guilty of Adultery against the First but not against the Second The 38th is That Young Women who follow those that have abus'd them without the consent of their Parents are guilty of Fornication And that though it may seem that their Fault is made up when the Parents afterwards consent to it yet they ought to be put under Penance for Three Years The 39th That she who stays with him whom she had committed Adultery with is to be accounted guilty of the Crime as long as she continues with him The 40th That a Slave who Marries without the consent of his Master has committed Fornication because the Contracts and Promises of all those who are under the Power of others are void without their consent The 41st That the Marriage of a Widow that 's free cannot be null'd The 42d contains this general Maxim That the Marriages of all those who are under the Power of another without his consent are not Marriages but Fornications and therefore that the Marriages of the Sons and Daughters of a Family are void without the consent of their Fathers as that of Slaves is without the consent of their Masters The 43d declares That he who has given a Mortal Wound to another is guilty of Manslaughter whether he first attack'd him or did it in his own defence The 44th That a Deaconess that hath committed Fornication with a Pagan ought not to be Excommunicated but only depriv'd of the Oblation for the space of Seven Years after which she shall be receiv'd if she liv'd chastly during that time In the 45th he observes That the Name of a Christian will stand him in no stead who leads a Life unworthy of a Christian. In the 46th he says That a Woman that without her knowledge espoused a Married Man whom his former Wife was parted from and afterwards separated from him may Marry again to another but that it were better if she continued as she was The 47th Canon is about the Baptism of Hereticks It seems in some Points to be contrary to the first but when the Matter is well examin'd 't is easie to reconcile them He observes That the Encratites the Saccophorians and the Apotactites ought to be treated as Novatians Now he seems to have said the contrary in the First Canon where he affirms That it was absolutely necessary to re-baptize the Encratites This Difficulty made an Author of our Age believe That a Negative Particle must be added in the Canon The Reason which St. Basil alledges to prove this Proposition seems to confirm this Conjecture for he adds That there are Canons which have regulated what concerns the former though differently whereas there is none which speaks of the latter But after a full Examination of the words of this Canon I find that 't is not necessary to change any thing in it Take the true sence of it as follows St. Basil says That the Encratites Apotactites and Saccophorians ought to be treated after the same manner as the Novatians That 's to say That with respect both to the one and the other we must follow the Custom of the Church where we live and the Reason which he gives for it is because there is no Rule and Determination about their Cause since the Canons are found different about the former and there is nothing order'd about the latter He adds That in his Country they were all rebaptiz'd but if this Rebaptization was forbidden in the Province whereof Amphilochius was Bishop as it was at Rome and yet he found the Reasons were convincing which he had brought to prove that the Encratites must be rebaptized then he ought to call a Council to make this Regulation In the 48th Canon he counsels Women divorced by their Husbands not to Marry again since Jesus Christ hath said That he who putteth away his Wife except for Fornication committeth Adultery when he espouseth another and is the cause of her committing Adultery by marrying again In the 50th Canon he says That the Laws do not forbid nor punish Third Marriages and yet the Church looks upon them as shameful Actions The Third Letter to Amphilochius is also a continuation of Canons St. Basil speaks in the Preamble of a Journey he had made a little before into Pontus about the Affairs of the Church He thanks Amphilochius for the Letters he had written to him he declares to him that he desired to see him and that he would do all that lay in his Power to come and meet him but that perhaps he might be obliged to go soon to Nazianzum because of the departure of St. Gregory who was gone from it tho' no body knew the Reason of his going He acquaints him That he of whom he had spoken before probably to make him Bishop of some City depending upon the Metropolis of Amphilochius was fallen sick that there was no other Person that he could cast his Eyes upon He counsels him rather to put into that place one whom the Inhabitants of the City desired to have tho' he had been but lately Baptiz'd He repeats what he had said in the 10th Canon concerning those that had taken an Oath that they would not be Bishops The 51st Canon ordains that Clergy-men should not be otherwise punish'd for their Crimes but by Deposition whether they were in Sacred Orders which are given by Imposition of Hands or in Inferior Orders The 52d is against Women that Voluntarily suffer their Infants to perish The 53d ordains that a Widow-Slave that procures
the Discipline of that time than what is said of the Fall of Marcellinus is contrary to the History 'T is said That Marcellinus at first denied his Fault That the Synod declar'd to him he should be his own Judge That the Bishops durst not judge him because it was not lawful for any body to judge the First See I say nothing of the Impertinences which some of the Bishops are made to say that are unworthy of the Gravity and Simplicity of the Christians of the First Ages Lastly he who forg'd these Acts says that Dioclesian was inform'd of the Condemnation of Marcellinus when he was at War with the Persians which yet further discovers that these Acts are not ancient since the Persian War was ended before the Persecution of Dioclesian from whence it follows that he who fell into so gross a Fault in Chronology is a modern Author unworthy of any Credit Of the COUNCIL of Cirtha THE Violence of the Persecution being a little abated in Africk in the Year of Jesus Christ 305 some Bishops of Numidia assembled at the beginning of the Month of May in the City of Of Cirtha 305. Cirtha in the House of one Donatus because the Churches were not yet restor'd The occasion of this Synod was the Ordination of a Bishop into the See of this City of Numidia in the room of Paul The Bishops which were present there were Secundus of Tigisis Donatus of Mascula Marinus of Aquae Tibilitanae Donatus of Calama Purpurius of Limata Victor of Garbis Felix of Rotarium Nabor of Centurio and Secundus the younger A Bishop call'd Menalius would not be present for fear of being accus'd and convicted of having sacrificed to Idols These Bishops who were afterwards the Heads of the Donatist Faction accus'd one another mutually in this Council and all of them fearing lest they should be convicted of the Crimes of which they had accus'd one another they The Councils pardon'd one another referring themselves to the Judgment of God After which they ordain'd Silvanus Bishop of Cirtha You have the Acts of this Council in St. Austin in his Third Book against Cresconius Chap. 27. Of the COUNCIL of Alexandria under Peter Bishop of that Church IN the Year 306. Peter of Alexandria held a Council wherein he deposed Meletius being convicted Of Alexandria 306. of having sacrificed to Idols We have not the Acts of this Council and we know nothing more in particular of it Of the COUNCIL of Eliberis or Elvira THE place a The place The Name of this Council is very various Some call it Libertinum others Elibertinum others Heberitanum and some Eliberinum but the more common Name is Eliberitanum or Illiberitanum The ancient Geographers mention only Two Cities call'd by this Name whereof one was in Gallia Narbonensis and the other in Boetica 'T is thought that the first is Perpignan and the other in all probability is the City of Granada The First was destroy'd in the time of Pliny and Mela and 't is no wise probable that the Bishops of Spain should come so far to hold a Council Wherefore it is much more probable that this Council was held at the Spanish Elvira i. e. Granada and time b The time Those who said that this Council was held after the Year 400 affirm'd what is manifestly false since at that time the enjoining Penance for those who had sacrific'd to Idols was not debated The same Reason proves that there is no probability that it was assembled after the Council of Nice It seems to have been called before that of Arles but I do not believe that it was called before the Persecution of Dioclesian There is more probability that it was assembled when the Persecution ended in the West and when Dioclesian had abdicated the Empire in the Year 304. of the Council of Eliberis are very uncertain Some have thought that Of Eliberis or Elvira 305. this Council was assembled in a City of Gallia Narbonensis others say that this City was in Boetica and the most Learned think that this City of Eliberis was the same with Granada As to the time some Authors have placed it at the end of the Third Century others have remov'd it unto the end of the Fourth but the most probable Opinion is that it was assembled at the beginning of the Fourth Century before the Councils of Arles and Nice about the Year 305. The little Order that is observed in the Canons of this Council the great variety of Rules that are to be found in it and the multitude of Canons about different Matters make some Learned Men think probably enough that the Canons attributed to this Council are an ancient Code or an ancient Collection of the Councils of Spain However this be it cannot be doubted but these Canons are very Ancient and very Authentick The Discipline which they establish is very rigorous In the 1st Canon they are depriv'd of Communion i. e. of Absolution even at the point of Death who have voluntarily Sacrificed to Idols after they were baptized The 2d establishes the same Penalty against those who taking upon them after their Baptism the Office of Priests to False Gods were obliged to offer up Sacrifices to Idols by themselves or others and who have also encreased their Guilt by Murders or Adulteries The 3d. moderates this Penalty to those who have only caused profane shows to be represented and grants them Communion at the point of Death provided they put themselves under Penance and that they do not afterwards fall into Adultery The 4th is That if the Catechumens cause themselves to be chosen Priests to false Gods and act in profane Shows their Baptism shall be delay'd for three Years The 5th imposes Seven Years Penance upon a Woman that shall beat her Servant-Maid in such a manner that she dies within three Days after if the Woman had a design to kill her and Five Years Penance if she had no such design She is acquitted if the Maid dies more than Three Days after In the 6th Canon it is ordain'd That Absolution shall be refus'd even at Death to him who shall kill another by Treachery The 7th is That those who relapse into Adultery after they have undergone Penance shall not be received even at Death The 8th subjects a Woman to the same Penalty who has forsaken her Husband without cause to marry another The 9th declares That 't is not lawful for a Woman tho' she has forsaken her Husband because of Adultery to marry another and that if she does it she ought not to be admitted to Communion till he whom she has married be dead or at least till the extremity of Sickness make it necessary to grant it her The 10th allows Husbands to be baptiz'd who have forsaken their Wives and Wives who have forsaken their Husbands for Adultery while they were Catechumens But if a Christian Woman marries a Man who has forsaken his Wife without
191. Luitbertus 152. Lupus of Ferrara 13 14 169 170. M. Methodius 190. Michael Syncellus ibid. Milo Sigibert 193. N. Naucratius 9. Nicephorus 1 5 6. A Nameless Author of the Liber Synodicus 190. Nameless Authors against Paschasius Ratbertus 72 79. Nicetas Paphlago 191. Nicholas I. 86 89 90 176. O. Odilbertus 157. Odo 111. Orthegrinus 192. Otfredus 194. P. Paschal I. 175. Paschasius Radbertus 69 70 71 72 c. 84 85. Photius 85 105 106. Petrus Siculus 189. Prudentius 13 15 19. R. Rabanus 10 11 13 160 194. Ratramnus or Bertram 13 15 24 73 c. 81 111. Regino 153. Rembertus 194. Remigius of Lyons 18. Remigius a Monk 174. Riculphus 152. Rudulphus or Rodulpus 192. S. Sedulius 174. Sergius II. Pope 175. Sergius the Historian 189. Smaragdus an Abbot 168. Stephen V. 103 104 187. Stephen VI. 188. T. Theganus 189. Theodorus Graptus 9. Theodorus Abucara 110. Theodorus Studita 8. Theophanes of Nicea 9. Theophanes Cerameus 191. Theosterictus 9. U. Usuardus 195. Vufinus Boetius 191. W. Walafridus Strabo 4 166. Wandelbertus 194. Wolfadus or Wulfadus 193. AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE of the COUNCILS held in the Ninth Age of the Church Place Page Year A. AIx-la-chapelle 114 809 Aix-la-chapelle 117 816 Aix-la-chapelle 118 817 Aix-la-chapelle 120 836 Aix-la-chapelle 46 860 Aix-la-chapelle 47 862 Arles VI. 114 813 Attigny 146 822 Attigny 123 854 Attigny 37 870 B. Beauvais 121 845 Bonneval 123 856 C. Celichith 117 816 Chalon II. 116 813 Coblentz 130 860 Cologn 134 887 Compeigne 142 833 Compeigne 123 866 Constantinople 5 806 Constantinople 8 809 Constantinople 3 842 Constantinople 86 859 Constantinople 87 861 Constantinople 91 866 Constantinople VIII General 92 869 Constantinople 102 879 Coulein Assembly 122 843 D. Douzy I. 43 871 Douzy II. 132 874 E. Epernay 122 846 F. Fismes 134 881 I. Ingilheim 119 826 L. Langres 21 859 Lyons 119 829 Lyons 142 836 Lyons 150 845 M. Mentz 115 813 Mentz 119 829 Mentz 124 847 Mentz 11 848 Mentz 134 888 Meaux 121 845 Mets 129 859 Mets 47 48 863 Mets 135 869 N. Nantes forged 138 895 Noion 157 83â— P. Paris 2 824 Paris VI. 119 829 Paris 142 838 Paris 121 846 Pavia 125 850 Pavia 124 876 Pista 123 862 Piste 35 123 869 Pontigon 50 876 Q. Quiercy 12 848 Quiercy 19 853 Quiercy 123 857 Quiercy 129 858 Quiercy 124 877 R. Ravenna 132 877 Rheims 116 813 Rheims 49 842 Rheims 49 857 Rheims 49 874 Rome 127 826 Rome 127 853 Rome 89 862 Rome 48 863 Rome 90 864 Rome 25 865 S. Savonieres 21 129. 859 Senlis 24 863 Sens 19 853 Soissons 19 22 27 126. 853 Soissons 34 866 Soissons 34 867 T. Thionville 118 821 Thionville 23 24 32 145 835 Thionville 121 844 Thoulouse 119 829 Thoulouse 122 843 Toul II. 130 860 Tours III. 116 813 Toussi 48 860 Treves 12 845 Tribur 136 895 Troyes 32 867 Troyes 45 133 878 V. Valence III. 20 23 128 855 Verbery 127 853 Verbery 36 869 Verneuil 121 844 Vienna 135 892 W. Wormes 119 829 Wormes 131 868 A General INDEX of the Principal Matters contained in this Volume A. ABbots whom they may ordain 7. Of their Promotion 181. Abbesses not to go out of their Monastery 125. Abortion the Punishment imposed upon Women that procure it 131. Absolution granted by a Letter 52. Granted to Photius on condition 101 Means of obtaining it 129. How granted to sick Persons that have lost their Speech 152. Acts and Records necessary in Ecclesiastical Affairs 28. Adalgarius the Deputy of Charles the Bald to the Pope who granted him the Pall 181. Adegarius a Priest of the Diocess of Sens his Design to leave his Cure to become a Monk 170. Authorities that confirmed him ibid. Adelard Bishop of Verona the Cause of his Excommunication 181. Adventius Bishop of Mets declared Charles the Bald King of Lorrain 123. Adultery all Commerce with any Person besides a Husband or Wife is Adultery before the Sentence of Dissolution 47. When it gives Liberty to marry another Woman 128. And when it hinders 139. When it makes Marraige void 137. Penances for Adultery 139. Adulterers Punishments ordained for them 130 131. Aeneas Bishop of Paris his Election and Ordination 171. Affairs Ecclesiastical Formalities required about them 28. Afflictions and Sufferings profitable for the Godly 171 Agius Bishop of Autun his Ordination confirmed 12â— Agobard Archbishop of Lyons his Deposition 143. His restoration ibid. Almsgiving the Punishment of those that do not give the Alms of the Sick 136. To be given according to Men's Ability 137 Two sorts according to Rabanus 162. Altar-Cloath washed by Chance loseth not its Consecration 6. Amalphitans excommunicated 185 And forced to break their League with the Saracens ibid. Anastasius a Priest of the Church of Rome deposed in a Council Another Priest of Rome his Affronts offered to Benedict III. Pope 127. Anathema may be pronounced for other Causes besides Heresie 96. The Ceremonies used before it is pronounced 122 130. Aniana an Abby its Foundation 168. Ansegisus Archbishop of Sens the Pope's Vicar in France and Germany 50 188. The Deputy of Charles the Bald to the Pope who blames his Carriage 181. Anspertus Archbishop of Milan the Reproofs and Orders given to him by John VIII 183. Cited often to the Synods at Rome 183 184. Suspended from his Episcopal Office for refusing 184. Excommunicated which he solicited to be taken off 184 185. His Deposition in a Synod and the Pope's Orders to chuse another in his Place 185. Joseph Bishop of Vercellae was first ordained but soon excluded from that Dignity ibid. Then the Bishop of Ast was ordained and that Ordination was approved 186. Antichrist his Life and Actions 164. Antiphonies reasons for correcting them 159. Apostates how to be dealt with 178. Appeals to the Holy See 25 29 44 51. The Pope's Pretensions to Appeals 44. From Bishops to Metropolitans and from these to the Patriarch 98. Arles the Archbishop of Arles made the Pope's Vicar in France 182. Privileges granted to him upon that account 182. His Commission to judge 〈◊〉 Bishops 182. Arms Churchmen not to use them 135. Arts Schools established for them by a Council 128. Asylum The Right of the Asyla preserved to Churches of Advantage to those that fly to Churches Assemblies of Secular Persons not to be in Churches or Church-porches 135. A Rule for the Publick Assemblies of this Age 1â—6 Days forbidden to them 137. Nuns or Widows not to be at Publick Assemblies without the Allowance of the Bishop 1â—9 Assemblies of Priests in the Deanaries 152. Athanasius Bishop of Naples excommunicates his Brother and assumes the Government of that City 181. Excommunicated himself and why 187. Autun the Charters which confirmed the Gift of the Revenues of that Church 133. B. BAptism allowed Monks to administer 7. In what Cases Laymen may baptize ibid. Whether a Priest that communicates with Hereticks may baptize 7. Forbidden to be done by Sprinkling 118. Ought to be
the Catalogue of the Works of Honorius of Autun no mention is made of certain Questions relating to the Books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes but they come very near his particular Style and Genius His Commentary on the Canticles is preceded by a Preface concerning the different senses of Holy Scripture the Division of the Sacred Books and the general Questions which relate to that Book in particular He explains the Text of it according to the four Senses expressed in his Preface viz. the Historical the Allegorical the Tropological and the Anagogical This Treatise is follow'd by another call'd The Seal of the blessed Virgin Mary in which he applies to Jesus Christ and to the blessed Virgin what is express'd in the Book of Canticles concerning the Bridegroom and the Spouse All these Works were collected by Andreas Schottus and Joan. Covenius and printed in the Twelfth Tome of the Bibliotheca Patrum of the Colen Edition and in the Twentieth of that of Lyons The following Works compos'd by the same Author are lost viz. An Illustration divided into three Books the first of which treats of Jesus Christ the second of the Church and the third of Eternal Life It cannot be that which is attributed to St. Ansehn and which is extant amongst his Works because the Subject of the three Books written by the latter is altogether different The Mirror of the Church consisting of Moral Discourses A Treat se call'd The Scandal raised by the Incontinency of Priests An Historical Abridgment A Treatise of the Eucharist The Knowledge of Life or a Treatise of God and of Eternal Life The Ladder of Heaven or the Degrees of Vision Some Extracts out of St. Augustin in form of a Dialogue between God and the Soul A Treatise of the Pope and the Emperor A Commentary on the Books of Psalms and Canticles Certain Homilies on those Gospels that were not explain'd by St. Gregory The Key of natural Philosophy concerning the Nature of Things The spiritual Nutriment about the Festivals of our Saviour and the Saints and some Letters Mention is made of these Works and of those that are still extant in the end of his Treatise of Ecclesiastical Writers and in Trithemius In the end of the Works of Honorius of Autun is annexed a certain Commentary on the Canticles that is more Moral than Mystical and which some attribute to him but it is not his genuine Commentary This Author is not of good esteem upon account of his Style or Accuracy but for his Industry and the Pains he has taken in making Enquiries ERNULPHUS or ARNULPHUS Bishop of Rochester ERNULPHUS or ARNULPHUS a Monk of St. Lucian at Beauvais left his Monastery Ernulphus or Arnulphus Bishop of Rochester by reason of the Disorders that happen'd therein and made Application to Lanfrank Arch-bishop of Canterbury under whom he had study'd in the Abbey of Bec. He continu'd for a long time in the Quality of a simple Monk in his Monastery at Canterbury was made Prior of it by St. Anselm and afterwards Abbot of Burck At last he was ordain'd Bishop of Rochester in 1115. and govern'd that Church during nine Years and some Days He died A. D. 1124. in the 84th Year of his Age. Father Dachery publish'd two Letters written by this Prelate in the second Tome of his Spicilegium which are two small Tracts The first is directed to Waquelin Bishop of Windsor as an Answer to a Question which that Bishop propos'd to him in a Conference they had together at Canterbury viz. Whether a Woman who has committed Adultery with her Husband's Son whom he had by another Wife ought to be divorced from her Husband He maintain'd the Affirmative and the Bishop to whom he wrote asserted the Negative In this Treatise Ernulphus answers the Objections of that Prelate shewing that all the Passages of Holy Scripture in which 't is forbidden to part Man and Wife ought only to be understood of a voluntary Separation between Persons who are not guilty of Adultery and afterwards confirms his Opinion by making it appear that the Bishops to prevent Disorders have often condemn'd Adulterers to abstain for ever from the use of Marriage that it is the usual Custom of the Church that this Punishment is ordain'd in the Penitential Books and that a Divorce is justly allow'd upon account of Spiritual Alliance although it be not express'd in the Scripture as Adultery He adds that 't is not unjust that a Husband should be divorced from his Wife although he be innocent of the Crime committed by her and that there are many other Causes for which a Husband is obliged to put away his Wife The second Letter of the same Author is directed to a certain Person nam'd Lambert who had propos'd five Questions although he was unknown to him The first is to know why the Eucharist is administer'd at present after a different and almost contrary manner to that which was observ'd by Jesus Christ because it was customary at that time to distribute an Host sleept in Wine to the Communicants whereas Jesus Christ gave his Body and Blood separately Ernulphus replys to that Question That our Saviour being come into the World for the Salvation of Men prescrib'd to them what was necessary to be done in order to obtain it without expressing the manner in particular That therefore he did not tell them Baptize in this or that manner let the Baptized Person be plunged three several times in the Water do not permit the Catechumens to be consecrated at first with Holy Chrism c. but only said simply Baptize them That by this means the Things which are absolutely necessary may be easily known and those that may be sometimes omitted or alter'd That upon that very account some Customs which were in use in the Primitive Church were not long observ'd That it is certain for Example That the Apostles receiv'd the Communion after Supper although it be now receiv'd Fasting That they celebrated it on a wooden Table although at present it is offer'd on a Stone-Altar that the Bread they made use of was ordinary Bread and that that which is now us'd is finer and more loose That therefore 't is not to be admir'd if this Bread be given steept although there was no such Custom heretofore that the Priest should mingle some part of the Species of Bread with the Wine That this manner of Administration is observ'd lest any ill Accidents should happen in the distribution of the Wine alone and lest it should stick on the Hairs of the Beard or Whiskers or should be spilt by the Minister The second Question is Why a fourth part of the Host is put into the Chalice He answers That it is not customary to divide the Host into four Parts but only into three yet that third part which is put into the Chalice is as large as the fourth part of the Host although care be taken in some Churches to make it exactly of the
Husband's Death and that if the Wife is married to another while he liveth she committeth Adultery St. Augustin enlarges much upon the Sence of these two Passages He endeavours to make the first to agree with his Opinion which he groundeth especially upon the second He answereth Pollentius's Arguments and uses several Reasonings upon the Matter He confesses in his Retractations That he had not yet cleared that Point but that there are some considerable Difficulties besides though he had given Light enough to resolve them He further explaineth in the 1st Book another Passage in the same Epistle of St. Paul concerning the Dissolution of Marriage between Infidels Pollentius held That St. Paul absolutely forbids Believing Husbands to put away their Unbelieving Wives Whereas St. Augustin affirms That it is only an Advice that he gives them Not to use the liberty they have to Separate He concludes this Book with another Question concerning the Catechumens who fall into such Diseases as take away their Speech and Knowledge VVhether they should be Baptized or no He saith That they ought to be Baptized though he doth not condemn those that dare not hazard the Sacrament And he goes so far as to declare That in such Cases those very Catechumens may be Baptized who are known to be in a habit of Sin and who ought not to be admitted to Baptism at another time He adds That Penitents are to be dealt withal after the same manner and they should not be suffered to Die before they are Reconciled In the 2d Book he treateth more at large than in the First Of the Indissolubility of Maâ—riages and examines several Questions upon that Subject He concludes with an Exhortation to Husbands that have left their VVives to live in Continency alledging the Example of Church-men who abstain so religiously though they often were forced to take that Profession upon them against their VVills The rank which St. Augustin sets these two Books in in his Retractations shews that he composed them in the Year 419. The two next Books are concerning Lying There St. Augustin handleth this Question which was very famous in his time Whether a Lye may be used upon some Occasions He confesseth in the 1st Book entituled Of Lying and written in 395. That this is a perplexing Question often disturbing Consciences and that there seem to be some Occasions when in Civility and sometimes out of Charity officious Lyes may be lawful He says that he will forthwith examine the Question that he may find out some Light in so obscure a Matter and that at last he will declare for the Truth being persuaded That though he were mistaken in so doing yet his Mistake would prove less dangerous because Error can never do less mischief than when Men are deceived by a great Love of the Truth and by opposing Falshood with too much Zeal After this Preface he defines what Lying is He confesses That Ironies are not Lyes That every Untruth which a Man may speak is not a Lye if Men believe that what they say is True and That to Lye is to speak what we do not think with a design to deceive VVhereupon he examines this subtle Question VVhether a Man speaking what he knoweth to be false because he is sure that he to whom he speaks will not believe it tells a Lye And on the other side VVhether a Man that speaketh a Truth with a design to deceive him whom he speaks to because he knows that he will not believe him is free from Lying St. Augustin saith That neither of these can be taxed with Lying because the one design'd to persuade the Truth by telling an Untruth and the other spake the Truth to persuade a Falsity but neither can be excused from Imprudence and Rashness Then he comes to the Question which he proposed to himself VVhether a Man might Lye upon some Occasions Those that held the Affirmative alledged several Examples of Lyes which seem to be both approved and commended in the Old Testament and added a Reason from Common Sence Should any one said they flee to your House for shelter and it is in your power to save him from Death by telling a Lye would you see him unjustly murthered rather than tell a Lye If a sick Man asketh you a Question about something that he must not know yea supposing that he will be the worse if you give him no Answer would you then utter a Truth that might occasion Death or will you keep silence when you may ease him by telling a charitable Lye St. Augustin Opposes to these Reasons those Passages of Holy Scripture which forbid Lying without restriction and then answereth the Examples out of the Old Testament That the Righteous who seem to have Lyed did not intend that what they said should be understood in the usual sence but that by a Prophetical Spirit they meant to discover those things that were signified by those Figures as for other Persons which are not in the number of the Righteous the Holy Scripture never approves their Actions but by comparing it with a greater Evil. He affirms That there is no Example of Lying in the New Testament and endeavours to answer the Inferences which they pretend to draw from the Instances of the Dispute betwixt St. Peter and St. Barnabas and betwixt St. Peter and St. Paul as well as from the Circumcising of Timothy Lastly That he might put an End to all the Reasons alledged from Necessity or Advantage he maintains That we must never do Evil what Advantage soever we may get by it That so the whole Question is Whether Lying be Evil or no And not Whether it is sometimes Profitable VVhence he concludes That no Lye is to be told either to preserve our Chastity or our Life or for the Good of others or for any other reason whatsoever no not for the Eternal Salvation of our Neighbour because that Sin cannot be imputed to a Man which he cannot prevent but by committing himself another Sin To explain what he had said more at large he reckons up Eight sorts of Lyes and having laid this down for a Rule That we must depend altogether upon Gospel-Precepts he enlargeth upon those that make against Lying The Second Book against Lying is written upon the same Principles but long after the First for St. Augustin wrote it in 420 at the Request of Consentius who asked him Whether it was not lawful to make use of Lyes to discover the Priscillianists who concealed their Error by Lying and horrid Execrations St. Augustin condemns not only the Practice of the Priscillianists but also the Zeal of the Catholicks who made use of Lyes to discover the Men of that Sect. He positively condemns the Catholicks Action who feigned themselves Priscillianists more than that of the Priscillianists who feigned themselves Catholicks From hence he takes an opportunity to enter upon the general Question concerning Lying and he affirms That it is never allow'd upon any Pretence
any but that of the Judges of the Provinces That if a Monk go from one Monastery to another his Possessions shall remain with the first Monastery That the Abbots ought not to receive the Monks of another Monastery That if a Monk enter into Orders he is forbidden to marry That the Bishop must choose an Abbot without respect to his Age but only to his Merit The sixth Novel is about the Qualifications which those Persons ought to have who are Ordained It contains That he who would be ordained Bishop should be of a good Life and good Reputation That he should be one that was never engaged in the Military Service of the Governours or the Palace That an ignorant Lay-man ought not to be promoted all on a sudden to this Dignity That he must be one who was never married but once and also one who was not espoused to a Widow that he must have been for some time a Monk or a Clergy-man that he must be one who did not purchase his Ordination That if any oppose his Ordination and make any Objection against him the Accusation shall be examined before he be Ordained That a Bishop cannot be longer then one year out of his Diocese upon any pretence for any Business whatsoever That none can come to Court unless he be permitted by his Metropolitan or if he be a Metropolitan by the Patriarch and that he cannot desire Audience of the Emperor unless he give an account to the Patriarch of Constantinople or to the Surrogates of the Diocese whereof he is of the occasion of his Journey That the same Precautions shall be observed proportionably in the Ordination of inferiour Clergy-men That such shall be chosen as are able Men of a good Life who have not been married but once who have no Concubine and are not espoused to a Widow-woman That Diaconesses shall be Ordained only of Virgins or of Widows who were never married but once and who have passed the fiftieth year of their Age. That if it happen that any younger are Ordained they shall enter into a Monastery That as to others they shall dwell alone or only with their Father their Son or their Brethren That 't is forbidden not only for Priests and Deacons but also to Sub-deacons and Readers to quit their Station under pain of serving in the Militia That there shall not be too great a number of Clergy-men The seventh Novel contains many Regulations for preventing the Alienations or Prejudicial Exchanges of the Possessions of the Church The eight grants to the Bishop of Justinianaea being the place of Justinian's Birth the title of Metropolitan and also of Archbishop or Exarch of the two Dacia's of the second Maesia of Dordania of the Province of Prevala of the second Macedonia and of the second Pannonia The vast number of useless Clergy-men was so great a charge to the Churches and People and it was so difficult to prevent it that Justinian was forced to make another Novel wherein he forbids to Ordain Clergy-men for the great Church in the room of those who die willing them to take of those who are supernumerary in the other Churches This Novel is the sixteenth The 22th is of Marriages There Justinian treats first of the Causes of the Dissolution of Marriages He distinguishes them into two sorts The first are those which he calls ex bona gratia because it is to be presumed that both Parties are willing 1. When one of the two who are joyned together makes a Vow of Chastity 2. When the Husband is impotent for the space of three years 3. When he is a Captive or absent for the space of five years without hearing any tidings of him but not when he is a Slave or condemned to the Mines or exiled and banish'd for ever 4. That nevertheless if a Woman be espoused who is found to be a Slave the Marriage shall be null for the future unless he was her Master who married her as a Free-woman in which case she shall continue free 5. Constantine had permitted a Woman whose Husband had been four years in the Wars without writing to her or giving her any Marks of his Affection to marry another Justinian repeals this Law and ordains that a Woman cannot marry again till the end of ten years and also till she has sollicited her Husband to return and presented her Petition to his Captain or his Colonel whereby it may be evident that he has no mind to return to his Wife These are the Causes of the Dissolution of Marriages which Justinian calls ex bona gratia The other Causes are those which are Rigorous As if a Man or a Woman are convicted of Adultery or Murder or Poisoning or Theft or Treason or Robbery or any other Crime and if it happen that the Woman is found guilty of these Crimes she shall continue five years without being capable of marrying again and also if it be she who convicts her Husband of them she shall at least continue one year before her second Marriage Justinian adds also three Causes for which Women may be Divorced If they make themselves Miscarry If they bathe with other Men If they speak of Marriage to others while their Husband is alive The other Titles of this Novel concerns Civil Effects The 40th Novel permits the Church of the Resurrection at Jerusalem to sell the Houses which it had in the City The 42th is the Edict against Anthimus Severus Peter and Zoaras related in the fifth Council The 43th grants to the great Church 1100 Shops free from Taxes and deprives all others of the same Priviledge The 46th is of the Alienation of the Possessions of the Church and of the Payment of Debts The 55th confirms the preceding and permits the Exchanges of Possessions and the long Leases of Lands among the Churches The 56th forbids to exact any thing for the Registring of Letters of Ordination but it allows to receive what had been the Custom to pay for it in the great Church In the 57th its Ordained That when Clergy-men quit the Church which they serve others shall be put in their places who shall enjoy the Revenues In it 't is forbidden that Founders should place Clergy-men in the Churches by their own Authority only they are allow'd the Right of presenting them to the Bishop The 58th forbids the Celebration of the Holy Mysteries in private Houses The 59th regulates Ecclesiastical Fees chiefly for Funerals The 65th contains a particular Order about the Revenues of the Churches of Mysia The 67th forbids to make Chappels without the Bishops ' leave It orders those who build them to furnish them with things necessary It forbids Bishops to forsake their Churches and regulates the manner of making Alienations of the Possessions of the Church The 76th is an Interpretation of the Law which forbids Monks to dispose of their Possessions in favour of those who were entred into a Religious House before this Law was publish'd The 77th
Action 30. It is necessary to Conversion 7 St. Gregory His Family 72. His Employs ibid. His Voyage to Constantinople ibid. His Ordination ibid. His Conduct and Actions in the Pontificate ibid. 104. His Works 73 c. His Death 73. Supposititious Letters attributed to St. Gregory 91. His Morals 95. The Pastoral 96. Homilies 98. Dialogues ibid. Other Works dubious or supposititious 100 101. An Explication upon the seven Psalms of Gregory VII 101. Fabulous History concerning the Soul of Trajan 102. Judgment upon his stile ibid. Editions of his Works ibid. The last Edition ibid. Gregory of Tours His Works 63. Judgment upon his stile ibid. Gondobald Conference of Avitus with the Arians in the Presence of the King Gondobald 7 H HAbitation of Clerks with strange Women forbid 111 Hallelujah In what times it is to be sung 88 Harmony of the Gospels published by Victor 55 Heraclianus his Treatise against the Manichees 106 Hereticks Methods to oppose them 68. How they must be received 48. If the Arian Bishops that are Converted must be let perform the Functions of their Dignity The Bishops of Africa and Agapetus were of Opinion not 32. Clerks that were Hereticks being Converted may be allowed their station 113. Those that fall into Heresie after Baptism received after Penance 116. It is forbidden to use the Churches of Hereticks 117. Clerks of the Church are forbidden to eat with them 116. The Priest may apply to them the Chrysm if being sick they are willing to be converted 116. Clerks converted may perform the Functions of their Ministry having received the Benediction 160. In what Hereticks are to be received 5. An Heretick Bishop who is converted may be raised to the Priesthood ibid. It is never permitted to the Catholicks to make use of the Churches of Hereticks 4 Holy Ghost Mission of the Holy Ghost explained 15 Homicides Penitence imposed on Homicides 117 118 〈◊〉 Abboâ— of Fâ—â—â—i 〈◊〉 â—â—ich 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—8 〈◊〉 Hiâ— Lifâ— 10. His Lâ—… ibid. Hospitality A Câ—â—holick Bishop in what place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ouâ—… 〈◊〉 to â—e esteemed a stranger 14 Hâ—… 〈◊〉 Catholick Bishop dispuâ—â—â— againâ—â— the â—eâ—erians 124 J JAnuarius Bishop of Calarâ—â— cited to Rome 77 Januariâ—â— Bishop of Malâ—ga unjustly Deposed and established by the Coâ—â—issary of St. Grâ—gâ—ry ibid. 〈◊〉 The Letter of Iâ—â— forbidden â—3 Proofs against him 142. Judgment upon the Letter 146 St. 〈◊〉 the Apostle That he is not dead any more than Eliâ— and Enoch 34 Joâ—â— I. Bishop of Rome His Ordination 29. His Legation into the East ibid. Two supposititious Letters attributed to him ibid. John II. His Life and Letters 30 John of Biclarum His Writings 67 Johâ— Priest of Chalcedon Absolved by St. Gregory 78 St. John Climacus His Life 69. Abstract of his Scale 70 John the Faster Circumstances of his Life His Writings 67 John of Raithu Friend to St. John Climacus 72 Joannes Scholastious of his Ordination and of his Collection of Canoâ—s 63 John of Scythopolis Judgment upon his Work 28 John Talaia His Ordination 132 Images They ought not either to be adored or beaten down 87 Incarnation Doctrine of the Church concerning that Mystery against the Errors of the Nestorians and Eutychians 60 68. The Question of the two Natures discussed with the Sevâ—rians â—24 Scholastical Explication of that Mystery by Boâ—tius 26. If it may be said that One of the Trinity was crâ—cified 13 16 20 23 28 30 31 34 52. If the Soul of Jesus did perfectly know the Divinity 20. If we may say that the Father or the Divine Nature was Incarnate 20. If the Flesh of Jesus Christ is Corruptible or Incorruptible ibid. Divers Questions concerning the Incarnation 34 Iâ—â—â—nts exposed Precautions concerning them 112 Intriâ—guing and Canvassing for Bishopricks forbidden 108 Last Judgment It was believed near in St. Gregory's time 89 Ecclesiastical Judgments Form of Judgments according to St. Gregory 77 Junilius His Writings 57 Justinian the Emperor His Edicts and Letters against Origen and upon the Affair of the three Chapters 136 137 139. Letter of Justinian against Vigilius 144. He sends a Profession of Faith to John II. 30. He writ also to Agâ—petus 31. Life of Justinian 37. Novels or Laws of that Emperor that concern Religion 37 Justinian and Justus The Writings of these two Bishops of Spain 51 K KYrie Elâ—isoâ— Use of that Prayer among the Latins 88 L LAâ—… Anti-Pope I. Ordained Bishop of Nocâ—ra ibid. Another Lawrence His Writings 25 St. Leander of Sevil Friend to St. Gregory Upon what occasion he knew it 95. His Life and Writings 103 Leo. His Letter 50 Leontius His Profession 60. His Writings ibid. Leontius of Arabissa Author of a Homily of the Creation and of Lazarus 107 Lent The Fast of Lent commanded 111 114. There ought to be three Litany days before it 151. The Priest ought to Inform themselves from the Bishop when it begins 151 Liberatus Memorial of this Author 58 Lioinianus Letters of this Bishop of Spain 104 Liberty is not taken away by the Prescience of God 26. Man is free to do well or ill 8 Life Precepts to lead a Christian Life 68 70 Lombards Pelagius II. demands Succours against the Lombards 65 Lord's-day It is forbidden to Travel on the Lord's-day and to Bathe for Pleasure 88. To assist at the Divine Office on the Lord's-day 112. It is forbidden to draw with Oxen or to do other work on the Lord's-day 152 154. Exhortation to Celebrate it holily 154. A Bishop ought to assist at the Holy Office in the nearest Church to the Place where he is 114. It is forbidden to Ecclesiasticks to judge on the Lord's-day ibid. M MAnicheâ—s Writings against them 107 Mappinius Bishop of Rhemes complains of Nicetus of Triers 131 Marcellinus Author of a Chronicle 25 Marriage That Marriage is not forbid 19. Not even the second or third Marriage ibid. The indissolvableness of Marriage 74. A particular Case of a Woman who being separated for Adultery was afterwards return'd to her Husband ibid. Lawfully contracted cannot be dissolved without consent of both 125. Against married Persons who separate upon light occasions 112 125. Causes of the Dissolutions of Marriages according to the Novel of Justinian 39 42. Reasons of Divorce 39. Degrees forbid between Kindred 93 117 123 127 147. Those to be tolerated that have contracted unlawful Marriage before their Conversion 93. It is forbidden to demand of the Primean Order to have a young Woman 147. The Wife of a Deacon or Priest shall be put to Penance with him she marries till they separate 113 117. Incests Punishment of Stephen accused of Incest 117 118. Incests condemned ibid. Marriage with the Widow of his Brother forbidden 114 117. and with his Stepmother 117. It is not permitted to marry the sister of his Wife 4 48. Unlawful Marriages condemned 131. The Use of Marriage is not permitted but upon the Prospect of having Children 15. The Duties of married People ibid. Mary She-remained a Virgin after she had brought
Important Affairs both in Church and State which gave him occasion to exercise his Pen in divers Controversies That which made the greatest noise of all was the Divorce of the Queen Theutberga and Lotharius III. King of Lorrain She was the Daughter of Hubert Duke of Outrelemontjou and allied to Charles the Great Lotharius being fallen in Love with another Woman endeavoured to dissolve his Marriage and made this the pretence That Theutberga had committed Incest with her own Brother He forced her to confess it and so dissolved his Marriage by the Advice of some Bishops in an Assembly held 860 at Aix la Chapelle Since these Bishops had given it out that Hincmarus approved of this Divorce he thought himself obliged to testify his Detestation of it in Writing This Paper was made in his own and all the Bishops Names of the Province of Reims and directed to Kings Bishops and all Christians He first gives this reason of the Dedication That altho' the Church of Rome ought principally to be consulted in Matters obscure and dubious yet it is convenient to Address himself to the whole Church when the ancient Truth is attacked by some Novelty That the Matter about which he treats is of so great importance that Kings and Princes Magistrates and People ought to give great attention to the Truth of the Judgment Consent of the Bishops and the Lenity Patience and Goodness of the King Lastly That he addressed his Speech to Kings who ought to be an Example to the People To the Bishops who are obliged to Teach what Christ hath commanded And to all the Faithful who ought neither to approve nor favour any Man's faults After this Preface which he hath adorned with several passages out of the Fathers to authorize and explain these Maxims he Answers the Reasons that are brought to maintain the Divorce of Lotharius and Theutberga The first and chief was the Incest which that Queen was accused to have committed with her own brother by whom she is said to have conceived and afterward procured her Abortion She denied that she was guilty of any such Crime and since no Proof or Witnesses could be produced for her it was resolved by the Lay-Judges with the Advice of the Bishops and consent of Lotharius himself that she should Name a Man that should undergo the Trial of hot Water Accordingly it was put in Execution and the Man received no hurt so she was declared Innocent even by the Judgment of the King her Husband Some time after this Accusation was again renewed and certain Bishops were Summoned to the Palace of Aix la Chapelle of which the chief were Thietgaldus Archbishop of Treves and Gonthierus Archbishop of Cologne the former the Unkle and the other the Brother of Waldrada whose Sister Lotharius desired to Marry They made Theutberga to own that she was not fit to continue Lotharius's Wife She called Gonthierus for a Witness to whom she had confessed it and required him to tell the Reason of it before the other Bishops Hincmarus after he hath thus recited the Articles of that business he shews that the Praemonitions that the Bishops gave the Queen that she should not accuse her self of any Crime she was not guilty of do evidently prove that they knew she was to accuse her self After which he says that the secret Crimes which are discovered in Confession ought not to be divulged nor ought any Person to be condemned for his secret Crimes He also relates the Declaration of Gonthierus Jan. 8. who assured the Council that the Queen had confessed to him that she had suffered an Abuse tho' against her consent The Judgment of the Bishops Adventius and Thietgaldus was that if this were true she ought not to cohabit with Lotharius The Council of the Abbot Egilius was the same and the Extract of the Acts of the Session of that Synod held Febr. 14. at which besides Gonthierus and Thietgaldus were Wenilo Archbishop of Rouen Frotarius of Tongres or Liege Hatton of Verdun Hildegarius of Meaux and Hilduinus which contains a Declaration in Writing which the Queen gave the King her Husband in which she owns before God and all his Angels that her Brother Hubert had abused her 'T is then said that the Bishops did conjure the King to tell them whether he had obliged her either by force or threats to make this Declaration and he protested that he had not and that he was much troubled at it Then the Bishops asked the Queen again whether it were true and she boldly said it was whereupon they Judged that she ought to be put to Publick Penance to attone for the Incest which was now become publick by her Declaration Hincmarus says that Pope Leo forbids this sort of Confession by Writing as to what respects the Church That Lotharius who seemed to be troubled at this was inwardly pleased and was the Author of this Stratagem That the Queen having accused her self in Judgment in the presence of the King and his Lay-Judges ought not to be put to publick Penance that she was not regularly condemned and therefore they had the less reason to Divorce her so readily from her Husband and allow him to Marry another He then shews that this Cause was much different from Ebbo's because he had chosen his Judges before whom he regularly and judicially owned his Crime and besides that there is a great deal of difference between Deposing a Bishop and parting Man and Wife the Union between Husband and Wife being much more near and close than that between a Bishop and his Church That if a Bishop Priest or Deacon own their Crime although it be false that they have committed it they ought to be Deposed according to the Council of Valence but a Wife cannot be parted from her Husband for the same reason That Bishops may leave their Churches but a Woman can't depart from her Husband It was farther said That the Archbishop of Reims had consented to what was done in that Assembly and had conserred about it with Adventius Hincmarus Answers That it was not true that Adventius had indeed spoke to him of it and invited him to be at the Synod or send thither but he gave him his answer in Writing before he parted from him that he could not do it because he had not consulted the Bishops of his Province and that he wrote to him after such a manner as did shew that he did not approve of that Divorce Before he enters upon a particular discussion of this business he produces several Authorities concerning the manner how a Lawful Marriage ought to be contracted he treats of the Reasons of a Separation between Man and Wife which are according to him the desire of their Salvation to live Continently And Adultery for which the Lay-Judges part Man and Wife with the consent of the Ecclesiastick and the Church put the Guilty to publick Penance if the Crime be known He adds That in the Case in hand
Service all Ravishers and Man-slayers till they shall submit to a course of Penance The Fifth enjoyns all wandring Clergy-men and Monks which are out of employ because their Churches or Monasteries are burnt by the Normans to betake themselves to their Duties and submit themselves to their Abbots or Bishops We have spoken about the contest between the two Hincmarus's concerning these Canons the Arch-bishop of Rheims mantaining that they were not made by a Council and that he did not sign them the Bishop of Laon affirming the contrary It is probable that Hincmarus Arch-bishop of Rheims composed the Large Letter but that not being liked some others digested the Five Canons which were signed by several of them This Council order'd Hincmarus to Write to the Arch-bishops of Bourges and Bourdeaux and Bishops of their Provinces about the Affair of Earl Raimond which we have explained in the History of Hincmarus's Work And because we have also spoken of the Councils of Aix la Chapelle Metz and Rome held about the Divorce of Lotharius and Thietberga we shall pass them over here as also those held about the business of Rothadus Hincmarus of Laon Ebbo Wulfadus of which we have spoken in the History of the Controversies in which Hincmarus was chiefly concerned The Council of Worms IN 868 in June Lewis King of Germany Assembled a General Council of his Kingdom at The Council of Worms Worms in it the Bishops first of all composed a Confession of their Faith in which they asserted the Procession of the Holy Ghost form the Father and the Son and rejected the Opinion of those who affirmed That it proceeded from the Father by the Son or from the Son onely They deliver That the Resurrection shall be in the same flesh in which we live and that the Catholick Church shall Reign with Jesus Christ for ever After they had made this Confession of Faith they composed or rather revived several Canons The 1st Imports that Baptism shall be solemnly Administred onely at Easter and Whitsuntide The 2d that it belongs to the Bishop onely to Consecrate the Chrism The 3d that a Bishop shall not require any Present for the Consecration of Churches and that they shall use nothing but Bread and Wine mingled with Water in the Sacrament of the Altar The 5th contains a Rule of S. Gregory's about Dipping once or thrice in Baptism The 6th that the Disposal of the Church Revenues belongs to the Bishops and not to the Founders The 7th that they shall divide the Church Revenues into four parts The 8th is an Extract of the Seventh Canon of the 2d Council of Seville The 9th contains a Law of Caelibacy for all in Sacred Orders The 10th concerns a Bishop accused of a Crime The 11th declares that Priests who have been guilty of carnal sins ought not to enjoy their Dignity The 12th that they that are accused of that crime but can't be convicted shall clear themselves by their Oath The 13th that Bishops shall not Excommunicate any Man for small faults The 14th that if they do their neighbouring Bishops shall not communicate with them till a Synod shall meet The 15th orders that if there be any Robbery done in any Monastery and the Author is not known all the Brethren shall communicate at one Mass that by that means it may be known that they are innocent The 16th Excommunicates the Bishops that refuse to come to a Synod or withdraw before 't is ended The 17th forbids Clergy-men keeping Hunting-dogs or Hawks The 18th orders that strange Clergy-men shall not be suffer'd to exercise their Ecclesiastical Functions unless they have a Letter from their Bishop The 19th says that those that will not obey their Bishops nor execute their Ministery diligently in the Church which shall be allotted them shall be Excommunicated and Degraded The 20th appoints that those Women who are devoted to God by the Sacred Veil and fall into any carnal crimes shall not leave their profession but shall be put to severe penance The 21st obliges those Widows who have taken the Veil and have Prayed in the Church among the professed Nuns offer'd Oblations with them and promis'd to continue in that Estate never to leave it The 22d holds that it is not lawful for them who have by their Parents been put into the Monasteries in their Infancy and have been brought up in a Regular Discipline to leave or forsake that sort of Life when they are come to a Riper Age. The 23d Revives that Maxim of the Councils of Spain That a Man may be made a Monk either by the Devotion of his Parents or by his own proper Profession and declares That both ways equally oblige and those that are made so either way may not return to a Secular Life The 24th is against them that doe any Injury to Clergy-men or Churches The 25th Commands Priests to impose penances proportionable to Mens Crimes and agreeable to the Laws of the Church The following Canons contain the punishments of different sorts of Manslaughter The 31st gives Lepers a liberty of receiving the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ but not with those that are in perfect health The 32d says that the number of Children which a Man may have can't be determin'd yet no Man may Marry his near Relations The 33d forbids Marrying Two Sisters The 34th a God-mother or God-daughter The 35th condemns to the penance of Murtherers those Women who cause Abortions in themselves and those to something less punishments who smother their Children in their sleep though not thinking of it The 36th subjects to penance and separates him from his Wife who hath layn with his Wife's Daughter by another Husband The 37th imports that Marryed persons though under penance are not to be parted The 38th and 39th impose penance upon those that kill their Slaves The 40th appoints that a Bishop who ordains a Slave knowing him to be such without the consent of his Master shall pay double the worth of him to his Master but if he were ignorant of it the Sum shall be paid by them who were Witnesses for him The 41st orders that they shall be Excommunicated who live in Enmity and will not be reconciled The 42d constitutes that no Man shall be Condemned who is not formally Convicted The 43d sentences them to Deprivation of their Goods and Excommunication till Death who side with the Enemies of the State The 44th condemns Adulterers to a Seven years penance These are the 44 Canons which are all but the 40th in an ancient MS. under the Name of the Council of Wormes There are also 36 other Canons that bear the Name of this Council But since they are not to be found in any ancient MS. and some of them are already among the 44 preceeding and Labbé hath assured us that the order of the first is very different in a MS which he hath consulted And there are some Canons cited by Ivo Caarnutensis under the Name
final Sentence Lastly By the Three and twentieth of the sixth Book dated March the 5th 1079. he acquaints the People of Orleans that he approv'd of the Election of Sanzon but that he could not confirm him in Form till such time as he should send Legats upon the place Robert Abbot of S. Euphemia in Calabria had been nominated by the King of France to The Cause of Robert nominated to the Bishoprick of Chartres the Bishoprick of Chartres Gregory VII who lik'd not such sort of Nominations and look'd upon them as Simonaical charg'd him by his Legat to quit his Bishoprick But Robert was not very forward to obey whereupon the Pope declar'd him to have forfeited his Title to it order'd the People of Chartres to elect another Bishop and enjoyn'd Richerus Arch-bishop of Sens and his Suffragans to see this Order put in Execution You may consult the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Letters of the Fourth Book dated March the 4th 1077. However by a Letter directed to Hugh of Dia which is the Eleventh of the Fifth Book he gave that Bishop orders to examine into that business and to make his Report thereof to him Stephen Bishop of Annecy had the same fortune Hugh of Dia the Pope's Legat excommunicated The Cause of the Bishop of Annecy him and Gregory ratified his Sentence by two Letters the one written to the Clergy of Annecy and the other to the Bishops of France which are the Eighteenth and Nineteenth of the Fourth Book dated March the 23d in the Year 1077. The Arch-bishop of Roan being grown infirm and uncapable of governing his Diocess Gregory VII sent him one Hubert a Subdeacon to enquire whether things were so or no and to perswade him to give his Consent that another be put in his place if he were capable The Cause of the Arch-bishop of Roan of giving such a Consent and in case he were wholly infirm to cause another to be elected This is what he acquaints the King of England with by the Nineteenth Letter of the fifth Book dated April the 4th 1078. The Canons of the Castle of S. Paul and S. Omer having sent Deputies to Rome to complain The Cause of the Canons of S. Omers of the Counts Hubert Guy and Hugh who had seiz'd upon some Revenues which belong'd to them the Pope wrote to these Counts ordering them to make Restitution according as it had been enjoyn'd in a Council held at Poitiers by Hugh of Dia or else to justify their Pretensions to these Revenues before that Legat within the space of forty Days If they would not obey he order'd the Defenders of the Church to re-enter upon the Premisses and the Canons of Terrouanne to see that this Sentence be put in Execution This is the Subject Matter of the Eighth and Ninth Letters of the sixth Book dated November the 25th 1079. In the Seventh and Eighth Letters of the sixth Book he approves of the Election which Cardinal Richard elected Abbot of Marseilles The Letters of Gregory VII concerning Discipline the Monks of Marseilles had made of Cardinal Richard for their Abbot He declares to them that he wish'd that that Monastery were united to the Monastery of S. Paul We will conclude the Account of the Letters of Gregory VII with several Points of Ecclesiastical and Monastical Discipline which he decided and of which we have had no opportunity of speaking In the Fifth Letter of the first Book directed to Rainier Arch-bishop of Florence he determines that a Woman who had Marry'd one of her Kinsmen and was become a Widow ought not to receive her Dowry from any part of her Husband's Revenue nor to have any advantage of that Marriage which was in its own nature Null In the Four and twentieth Letter of the first Book he recommends to the Bishop of Verona a constant Submission to the Holy See and promises him the Pall provided he would come in his proper Person to Rome Because his Predecessors had order'd that the Pall should be bestow'd only on Persons who were present This Letter bears date September the 24th 1073. In the Four and thirtieth Letter of the same Book directed to the Bishop of Lincoln he determines that according to the Opinions of the Fathers a Priest who had been guilty of Homicide ought no longer to attend at the Service of the Altar but he is willing that in case he be truly Penitent a Subsistence should be allow'd him out of the Ecclesiastical Contributions Afterwards he gives that Bishop Absolution of all his Sins In the Seven and fortieth of the same Book he exhorts the Princess Matilda to frequent Communion and to bear a due Respect and Devotion to the blessed Virgin In the Eight and fortieth he enjoyns that a Woman accus'd by her Husband of Adultery shall be admitted to justify her Innocence In the Sixty fifth he reproves the People of Ragusa for having first apprehended Vitalius their Bishop and then elected another in his room He enjoyns them to set him at Liberty and to suffer his Cause to be try'd by the Arch-bishop of Siponto whom he had Commission'd for that very purpose with a Charge that if it could not be determin'd upon the place they should send to Rome their old Bishop and him whom they had newly elected that so he might decide the Controversy between them In the Seven and fortieth of the second Book he acquaints the Lord Rainier that he had order'd the Bishop of Chiusi to turn out of the Provostship of a Church a Priest who had been Condemn'd by his Predecessor Alexander and whom that Bishop would re-establish in defiance to the Authority of the Holy See In the Eight and fortieth he orders two of his Legats to prevent a Man who had kill'd his Brother from Marrying till he had done Pennance By the Fiftieth he determines that one who is not Born in lawful Wedlock cannot be advanc'd to the Episcopacy because 't is contrary to the Canons He likewise therein declares that he would not accept of the Resignation of the Bishop of Arragon who had desir'd to relinquish his Bishoprick because of his Infirmities He says that he had advis'd him to make use of an Ecclesiastick to take care of the Temporalities of his Diocess and to apply himself wholly to Spiritual Affairs with the assistance of his Neighbouring Bishops and that if his Infirmities continu'd upon him longer than an Year and he were no longer capable of discharging his Episcopal Functions one might with the Consent of the Clergy of that Church accept of his Resignation and ordain in his stead the Person who should be elected to assist him in the Government of his Diocess if he were fit for that Dignity This Letter is directed to Sancho King of Arragon and bears date January the 25th 1075. In the Seventy seventh Letter of the same Book directed to Gebehard Arch-bishop of Salzbourg he advertises that Arch-bishop that he ought not to detain
that were sent him from Adrumetum were not directed to him but to his Clergy ever since Juvenalis and St. Cyprian were arrived there To this St. Cyprian answers in the 44th Letter that the Reason of this was because they had acquainted the Christians of that Colony with a Decision lately made in Africk which by reason of their Bishop's Absence they were ignorant of viz. That they should neither write to Novatian nor Cornelius but to the Clergy of Rome till they had received certain News from Caldonius and Fortumatus and that since Cornelius's Ordination was now approved of by all the World he himself in particular had writ about it to all the African Bishops Towards the end of this Letter he prays That GOD who chose and established Bishops would not only vouchsafe to protect and defend them but give them Grace and Knowledge necessary to repress the Licentiousness of Offenders with Vigor and to manage the good Inclinations of the Penitents with Gentleness and Clemency In the mean time the Confessors of the Church of Rome returning from their Error and being received by Cornelius in an Assembly of the Roman Clergy where five Bishops made their Appearance Cornelius communicated this News to St. Cyprian in the 45th Letter which he sent to him by the Hands of the Acolyth Nicephorus wherein he gives him a particular Account of whatever had passed in relation to the Confessors and how they had acknowledged their Fault and desired to be publickly pardoned owning that they had been abused by the Persidiousness and Artifices of Novatian and that though they had communicated with him yet they were always in their Hearts united to the Church and acknowledged at the bottom that as there was but one God one Christ and one Holy Ghost so there ought to be but one Bishop in a Catholick Church That after this solemn Profession they had been received with the Approbation of the People and that they had granted the Favour to Maximus the Priest to keep his Rank and Dignity The Person that carried this brought St. Cyprian another Letter from Cornelius wherein he informs him of the Departure of Novatus and his Companions Nicostratus the Deacon Evaristus the Bishop Primus and Dionysius This is the 47th Letter St. Cyprïan having received these two Letters answered them by two others In the first which is the 46th he rejoyces with Cornelius at the Return of the Confessors In the second which is the 48th he paints Novatus in his true Colours and accuses him of several Crimes He tells him it was he who by his Caballing had got Felicissimus to be ordained a Deacon in Africk and that coming to Rome afterwards he had been the Cause of Novatian's being Ordained but that it was no wonder that this Man could not continue in the Church who had violated all the Laws of Christian Morality the Ecclesiastical Discipline that he had plundered the Otphans and Widows that he had cheated the Churches by laying out their Money to other Uses that he had suffered his own Father to die of meer Poverty and that he had been the Cause of his Wife 's proving Abortive by Kicking and Ill-using her that he ought not only to be deprived of the Pristhood but also of the Communion of the Church for his Crimes and that he had prevented the Judgment which the Bishops ought to have passed against him by his voluntary Separation At the same time likewise the Confessors of Rome writ to St. Cyprian signifying that after they had deliberated among themselves concerning the Welfare and Peace of the Church forgetting what had passed and leaving the Judgment of it to God they had reconciled themselves to Cornelius to the Clergy and all the Church of Rome St. Cyprian congratulated them upon their Return in such a manner as sufficiently testified the Joy he had at such welcome News as also the Sorrow he had formerly entertained at their falling away These Letters in Pamelius's Edition are the 49th and 50th Towards the beginning of the Year 252 Antoninus an African Bishop who had been of Cornelius's Side having received a Letter from Novatian to acquaint him that Cornelius had received Trophimus and several other Persons who had offered Incense to Idols was a little staggered at it and writ to St. Cyprian praying him to inform him what was Novatian's Heresie and why Cornelius had received Trophimus and the other Apostates St. Cyprian perceiving him to waver endeavoured to confirm him by a long Letter wherein after he has justified the Conduct that was observed at Rome and in Africk concerning those that were fallen he defends Cornelius and demonstrates the Validity of his Ordination He begins it with making a sort of a Reproach to this Bishop for his Inconstancy telling him it by no means became discreet Persons who had built their Judgments upon solid Grounds to suffer themselves to be carried away with every Wind and to be always changing their Opinions After this he proceeds to justifie the Measures that were taken with those that had fallen into Idolatry whether by taking Certificates or Sacrificing to Idols He tells him as long as the Persecution lasted he had been of Opinion that it was their Duty to deny them Reconciliation to encourage them the better to suffer Martyrdom but that after Peace was once restored to the Church and after a mature Deliberation upon this Affair in a numerous Assembly of Bishops it was thought convenient to keep a Temper not by taking away all Hopes of Pardon from those that had fallen for fear they should live as Pagans when they saw themselves intirely shut out of the Church but by obliging them to undergo a long Penance before they could be reconciled that this had been regulated in Councils of several Bishops held in Africk and at Rome He afterwards comes to the Person and Ordination of Cornelius and tells him that he had not all on the sudden arrived to the Episcopacy but that he had formerly passed through all the Ecclesiastical Dignities that he had neither desired it nor stickled for it but that he had received it with all Humility that in a word he had used no manner of Violence as some have done to get himself made a Bishop but that he had suffered it rather in receiving the Episcopacy against his Will Non ut quidam vim fecit ut Episcopus fieret sed vim passus est ut Episcopation coactus acciperet that he had been elected Bishop by several Bishops who happened to be then at Rome in expectation of the Choice of the Clergy and the Suffrages of the People and with the general Approbation of all Churches the See being at that time vacant by the Death of Fabian that after this Ordination which was approved by all the Bishops in the World whoever would get himself ordained in the See of Rome must necessarily be out of the Church that no Credit was to be given to the secret
their Letter 366 The Book against Auxentius Bishop of Milan is a Manifesto against this Bishop and against those that maintain him Who because they cover'd themselves chiefly under the Cloak of procuring Peace and Unity St. Hilary says That we can have no other true Peace but that of Jesus Christ and the Gospel and that this Peace cannot take place in a time when the Ministers of the Church are become Anti-Christs by opposing the Doctrine of Jesus Christ and the Gospel while they pretend to preach it He complains That they make use of Temporal Power to maintain a False Doctrine He endeavours to prove that Auxentius fosters Heretical Opinions he recites the Conference that he had with him and exhorts the Catholicks to take heâ—d of Anti-Christ and to separate themselves from Auxentius After this Book follows a Letter of Auxentius to the Emperour wherein he endeavours to purge himself from the Heresy of Arius yet without approving the Term Consubstantial or rejecting the Creed of Ariminum The Commentaries of St. Hilary upon St. Matthew are very excellent for there he had made many very useful Historical and Moral Observations The Chief of them are these following In the 1st Canon he endeavours to reconcile the two Genealogies of Jesus Christ by saying That St. Matthew describes the Royal Race of Jesus Christ by Solomon and St. Luke the Sacerdotal Race by Nathan He maintains That the Virgin was of the same Tribe and the same Family with Joseph and that she continued a Virgin after her Child-bearing and that the Persons who are call'd in Scripture the Brethren of Jesus Christ were indeed the Children of Joseph that he had by a former Wife He says That the Wise-men acknowledg'd the Royal Power of Jesus Christ by presenting him with Gold his Divinity by offering him Incense and his Humanity by giving him Myrrh He observes That Rachel who mourn'd for her Children is a Figure of the Church which having been a long time barren became afterwards fruitful He says That the Innocents were made partakers of Eternal Life by the Martyrdom which they suffer'd In the 2d Canon he says That Jesus Christ did not cause St. John to Baptize him for the Purification of his Sins since he was without Sin but that Water might Sanctify us by Jesus Christ. Then he speaks of the Effects of Baptism After Baptism says he the Holy Spirit descends upon the baptiz'd he fills them with a Caelestial Unction and makes them the adopted Children of God In the 3d. Canon he explains the Temptations of Jesus Christ and speaks of his Fast for Forty Days He says That the Devil was ignorant of the Incarnation In the 4th he explains the Beatitudes He says That none but the perfect Man who is wholly purified from his Sins shall enjoy the Vision of God He observes That Adultery is the only cause for which married Persons can be Divorc'd He condemns Oaths Revenge and Vanity In the 5th he sends the Reader to a Book of St. Cyprian for the Explication of the Lord's Prayer He also mentions Tertullian but he says of this last Author That his following Errors depriv'd his First Books of that Authority which he could otherwise have allow'd them He occasionally says That the Soul is Corporeal In the 6th Canon he particularly recommends Good Works without which all other things are unprofitable to Salvation In the 7th he explains allegorically the Cure of the Leper and of St. Peter's Mother-in-Law understanding those places of the Curing of Sinners He compares the Church to a Ship tost with a Tempest and towards the latter End he observes That we ought not to mention the Names of Dead Infidels in the Commemorations of the Saints In the 8th he Discourses particularly of the Fall of humane Nature by the Sin of the first Man and of the Reparation of Mankind by Jesus Christ. In the 10th he Advises Catholicks not to enter into the Churches of Hereticks He observes That nothing in the Ecclesiastical Ministry ought to be sold for Money and that the Ecclesiastical State ought not to be ambitious of obtaining Temporal Authority He says That at the End of the World the Jews that shall be then alive shall believe in Jesus Christ and be saved He assures us That Man was created Free but that the Sin of Adam enslav'd him to Sin and Vice and that in Baptism we are deliver'd by the Word from Sins contracted by our Birth Towards the latter End of the 11th he explains wherein the Easiness of Christ's Yoke consists excellently and in a few Words What is more Easy says he than the Yoke of Christ and what is more Light than his Burthen It is only to be obliging to all the World To abstain from committing Sin To desire that which is Good not to desire that which is Evil To Love our Neighbour To Hate no Body To lay up for Eternity Not to addict our selves to things present Not to do to another what we would not they should do unto us In the 12th he explains after the same Manner as St. Athanasius the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost by saying That it is the denying of Jesus Christ to be God In the 13th he observes That those who are out of the Church cannot understand the Word of God In the 14th speaking of St. Joseph he says That he was a Lock-Smith and not a Carpenter as is commonly believ'd In the 15th he observes that those who are to be baptiz'd make profession of their Faith in Jesus Christ and of being firmly persuaded of his Death and Resurrection and that their Actions may be agreeable to their Words they pass all the time of the Passion of Christ in Fasting that so in some measure they may suffer with Jesus Christ. He speaks in the 16th of the Prerogative that St. Peter receiv'd when Jesus Christ gave him the Keys of his Church after this manner O happy Foundation of the Church says he in the change of your Name O Rock worthy of the Building of Jesus Christ since it was to abrogate the Laws of Hell to break its Gates and to open all the Prisons of Death O happy Porter of Heaven to whom are entrusted the Keys of admission into it and whose Judgment on Earth is a fore-judging of what is done in Heaven since whatsoever he binds or looses upon Earth shall be bound or loosed in Heaven In the 18th Canon he concludes with these Words of Jesus Christ The Angels of these Children see the Face of my Father From whence says he it may be concluded That the Angels rejoyce at the Sight of God and that they preside over the Prayers of the Faithful which they offer continually to God He says that those who are bound on Earth by the Ministers of Jesus Christ that is says he those whom the Ministers of Jesus Christ leave bound in their sins and that those who are loosed by receiving them unto the Grace of Salvation upon
He observes that before these Homilies there was one upon Psalm 4. Printed in the Seventh Volume of the Eaton Edition of S. Chrysostom pag. 431. which he likewise attributeth to the same Asterius I confess I mis-trust very much the Quotations of these Catenae and I should rather believe that these Commentaries belong to Asterius the Philosopher who according to the Testimony of the Ancients writ a Commentary upon the Psalms than to the Bishop of Amasea who is not said to have written upon that Subject Cotelerius pretends that the Conformity both of Stile and Doctrine demonstrate that these Homilies were written by Asterius Amasenus But tho' I pay a great deference to the Judgment of that learned Man yet I find no such Resemblance however I would not be believed upon my own word but leave it to those to judge who will take the Pains to compare them The Stile of Asterius Amasenus is plain but with a great deal of natural Beauty His Characters and Descriptions are excellent His Sermons would be esteemed in this Age where those things are extremely valued He is very severe in his Morals the Reflections he makes are exact and solid He explains the Scripture-Parables after an ingenious manner and draws from them very useful Thoughts He doth not excite his Auditors by violent Motions as great Orators do but insinuates into their minds Christian Truths by his agreeable and natural way of proposing them and infensibly begets in them an Abhorrency of Vice and a love of Vertue only by a bare Picture lively drawn ANASTASIUS ANASTASIUS was chosen Bishop of Rome after the Death of Pope Siricius Anno. 398. He was an illustrious Person as commendable for neglecting his private Interest as for his Anastasius Pastoral Vigilance Under his Pontificate Flavianus and the Eastern Bishops were reconciled to the Church of Rome and to the other Western Churches The business of the Origenists making a great noise in the Church he thought it his Duty to declare his Sense of that matter He therefore made a Decree after the Example of Theophilus whereby he condemned both the Works and the person of Origen and being informed that Ruffinus the Priest was his chief Defender he cited him to come to Rome and appear before him but Ruffinus deferring to appear he condemned him as an Heretick in the Year 401. at the Sollicitation of a Lady called Marcella who produced Evidences against him her self and shewed the Errors that he had left in the Translation of the Books of Origen's Principles as S. Jerom says Ep. 16. John of Jerusalem having heard of this Judgment writ him a very civil Letter wherein after abundance of Commendations he spake in Ruffinus his behalf Anastasius having returned him thanks for his Complements answered That he could not but condemn Ruffinus his conduct because he had translated the Books of Origen's Principles with a design that the People should read them as Catholick Books that the Fear he was in least they should corrupt the Doctrine of the faithful in his Church obliged him to condemn them that he was informed that the Emperours had made an Edict to forbid the reading of Origen's works that Ruffinus having approved in his Translation the Opinions of Origen deserved to be treated after the same manner as he that first published them Lastly he declares that he will hear no more of him that he might seek for Absolution where he pleased for his part he looked upon him as an excommunicated person This is the only true Letter of Anastasius the two others are written by Isidore The first directed to the German and Burgundian Bishops is dated Fourteen years before Anastasius was Pope Those of Burgundy to whom it is directed were not then converted It is made up of several passages of the Letters of Innocent S. Leo and Flavianus c. It is full of Faults and far from the Stile of the true Anastasius The second addressed to Nectarius is dated Fourteen years after Anastasius his Death and is taken out of Innocent S. Leo Gregory c. We have not the first Synodical Letter of Anastasius wherein he condemned Origen's Books nor the Letter wherein he cited Ruffinus nor that directed to Venerius of Milan whereof he speaks in his Letter to John It is believed that he writ a Treatise of the Incarnation directed to Ursinus whereof some Fragments are found at the latter end of Liberatus's Breviary But it is certain that they belong to Anastasius This Pope died in the beginning of the Year 402 and left Innocent his Successor CHROMATIUS Bishop of Aquileia CHROMATIUS Bishop of Aquileia whom S. Jerom in his Preface to the Chronicles calleth the most Holy and Learned Bishop of his time writ and preached several Sermons There is Chromat Bishop of Aquileia but one Discourse of his extant upon the Beatitudes upon Christ's Sermon on the Mount and upon the words of S. John to Jesus Christ I ought to be baptized of thee Which probably is a Fragment of a Commentary composed by this Saint upon the whole Gospel of S. Matt. He explaineth the Letter of the Gospel insisting particularly upon the Moral Precepts thereof In the Exposition of what the Gospel saith concerning Divorces he seems to have believed That a Man might Marry another Wife after being divorced for the cause of Adultery but he condemneth those that abandon their Wives upon any other Account and Marry again tho' he confesseth that humane Laws allowed it He expounds the Lord's Prayer and recommends the Exercise thereof the Love of our Neighbour Alms-deeds Fasting and other Vertues spoken of in Christ's Sermon upon the Mount In the last Fragment he discourseth of the Efficacy of Christ's Baptism The Stile of this Author is not very lofty but his words are well chosen his Notions just his Expositions literal and his Reflections useful He was one of the most famous Bishops of the West and held Correspondence with the Learnedest men of his time He is one of the Three to whom S. Chrysostom directed the Letter to demand help of the Western Bishops and he subscribed the Letters written for him to the East His Works were printed by themselves at Basil in 1528. and at Lovain in 1548. and afterwards in the Bibliotheca Patrum I say nothing of a Letter bearing the Name of Chromatius directed to S. Jerom in which he desires to have the Martyrology of Eusebius It being certain that both this Letter and the pretended Answer of S. Jerom are spurious as Baronius evidently proves in the Seventh Chapter of his Preface to the Roman Martyrology GAUDENTIUS Bishop of Brescia SAint Philastrius Bishop of Brescia who composed the Book of Heresies mentioned in the foregoing Century dying in 386. in the Year 387 the Bishops of the Province together with Gaudentius Bishop of Brescia S. Ambrose did with the Consent of the people chuse for his Successor Gaudentius who was gone to travel in the East But fearing
Jesus Christ and made Profession of believing one Christ only compos'd of two Natures pronouncing an Anathema against â—…se who admit two Forms in Jesus Christ who did not acknowledge that the Miracles and Sufferings belong'd to one and the same Christ and did not own that the Word suffer'd and particularly against Paulus of Samosata Dioscorus Theodorus and Theodoret. Baronius and Binius endeavour to make incredible that this was not Vigilius's but Liberatus is more to be believ'd then they and Vigilius was certainly capable of doing it The second Letter of Vigilius address'd to Eucherius is that of the first day of March in the Year 538. He answers this Bishop about certain Aâ—…es concerning which he had consulted him 1. He condemns those who under pretence of Abâ—…ence superstitiously refrain from eating any Meat thinking it forbidden and evil in it self 2. He orders the Canons of the H. See to be observ'd concerning the solemn Administration of Baptism and reproves those who cut off the Particle And in the Gloria Patri between the Son and the H. Spirit singing Gloria Patri Filio Spiritus Sancto instead of Spiritus Sancto 3. He says that he had sent to him who writes the Ecclesiastical Canons taken out of the Archives of the Church of Rome made with respect to those who having been baptiz'd in the Church were re-baptiz'd by the Arians when they return'd to the Church He adds that nevertheless their Penance may be diminish'd in proportion to their fervor but that they must not be receiv'd by that Imposition of Hands which is us'd to cause the Holy Spirit to descend but by that which is us'd to reconcile Penitents 4. He thinks that a Church must not be Consecrated anew which is rebuilt upon the same Foundations but that it is sufficient to celebrate Mess in it This Consecration was made by throwing Holy Water upon it for to show that it was not necessary to consecrate it anew he uses this Expression Nihil Judicamus officere si per eam minime aqua benedicta jactetur 5. He fixes the Day of the Feast of Easter approaching he says that Divine Service is perform'd after the same manner in all the Feasts that some Chapters only are added which agree either to the Mysteries or to the Saint whose Feast it is He sends Reliques to him to whom he writes Here this Letter should end for he declares that he had answer'd all the Demands of this Bishop and makes him a Complement wherewith it was usual to conclude a Letter Yet there are in it two other Articles which have no relation to the preceding nor any connexion with the remainder of the Letter The first condemns the Priests who name not the three Persons in administring Baptism the second is about the Primacy of the Church of Rome It affirms that there is no doubt but the Roman Church is the Foundation Form and Principle of all the Churches because tho all the Apostles were chosen after the same manner yet St. Peter had the Pre-eminence above the other which made him be call'd Cephas because he is the Head and Prince of the other Apostles that therefore the Church of Rome has the Primacy among all the Churches and that 't is necessary that the Causes which concern the Persons of Bishops or the important Affairs of the Church should be communicated to him and that the Appeals of these Causes should be reserv'd to him 'T is very probable that these two Articles are added In the third Letter Vigilius makes Answer to Caesarius Bishop of Arles about King Theodebert's Consulting him concerning the Penance which should be impos'd upon one who had married his Brother's Wife Vigilius had already written to the King that this Crime could not be expiated but by a great Penance But because 't is convenient that the Penance should be regulated by the Bishops upon the place since none but they can know the condition of the Penitent he commits this care to Caesarius with whom he leaves full power to regulate the Time and Order of this Penance But he admonishes him to require that he commit no more such things for the future and to hinder him and her who were thus married from dwelling together The fourth Letter is address'd to Justinian There he praises the Piety and Faith of this Emperor who had written to him that he would inviolably adhere to the Faith establish'd in the four General Councils and in the Letters of St. Celestin and St. Leo. He testifies to him that he is of the same Judgment and that he approves what his Predecessors Hormisdas John and Agapetus had done against the Hereticks and that he condemns the Persons whom they had condemn'd He recommends it to this Prince that he would maintain the Priviledges of the See of Rome which could not be attack'd without violating as one may say the Faith In the following Letter he congratulates Mennas for being of the same Judgment This is dated Sept. 17th 540. The sixth seventh and eighth Letters are address'd to Auxanius Bishop of Arles In the first he grants him the Pallium In the second he makes him his Vicar in the Kingdom of Childebert and annexes two Prerogatives to this Title The first is to examine and judge the Causes of the Bishops of this Kingdom provided notwithstanding that if any Causes of Faith or of difficult Matters happens they shall be reserv'd to the Decision of the Holy See The second is that no Bishop shall go out of his Country without taking Literae Formatae from him He exhorts him afterwards Caesarius Bishop of Arles to pray for Justinian and to preserve the Peace and good Understanding between King Childeber and the Emperor In the third Letter to Auxanius Vigilius commissions him to Judge the Affair of Pretextatus The first of these Letters is dated Octob. 18th 543 and the other two May 22th 545. The same day he wrote a fourth to the Bishops of the Kingdom of Childebert and to those who were accustomed to receive their Consecration from the Bishop of Arles wherein he gives them to understand that he had made Auxanius his Vicar and sets forth the Rights which he had granted him After the death of Auxanius he gave the same Title and the same Priviledges to his Successor Aurelianus as appears by the Letters ten and eleven written in 546. The other Letters and Treatises of Vigilius having a relation to the History of the fifth Council of which they make a part we shall reserve them to be spoken of upon that Head CAESARIUS Bishop of Arles CAesarius born at Chalons upon the River Sone a Monk and Abbot of Lerina and afterwards Bishop of Arles was one of the most famous Bishops of France in his time He was honour'd with divers Letters from the Popes who made him their Vicar He assisted at many Councils of France in which he caused very excellent and useful Canons to be made
of this last to the Bishop The eighth forbids Bishops to Ordain a Clergy-man of another Bishop without his leave in writing The ninth Ordains That for the future Deacons shall wear their Stole upon their Shoulders and not hide it under their Tunick that they may be distinguish'd from Sub-deacons The tenth forbids Readers who are not Ordain'd Sub-deacons to carry the holy Vessels The eleventh forbids them to sing in the Church in a Secular Habit and to suffer their Mustuche's to grow The twelfth declares That they must not sing any Hymn in the Church but only the Psalms and Passages of the Canonical Books of the Old and New Testament The thirteenth forbids Lay-men to enter into the Sanctuary to receive the Communion The fourteenth to remove all suspicion of being Priscilianists Ordains the Clergy-men who eat no meat to taste of the Herbs which are boil'd with Meat The fifteenth is That none shall communicate with a Clergy-man excommunicated by his Bishop The sixteenth That no Commemoration shall be made of those who lay violent Hands on themselves and that their Corpse shall not be conducted to Burial with singing of Psalms That the same shall be observ'd as to those who are condemn'd to death as Criminals The seventeenth That no Commemoration shall be made no Psalms shall be sung for the Catechumens that die without Baptism The eighteenth That none shall be interr'd in the Churches but without them and round about the Walls The nineteenth forbids Priests to bless the Chrysm or to consecrate the Altars The twentieth ordains that none shall be promoted to the Priesthood who has not been at least one year a Reader The one and twentieth That the Alms of the Faithful and the Offerings for the Dead shall be collected by a trusty Clergy-man who shall divide them equally amongst the Clergy once or twice The Council held at Santones a year The two and twentieth forbids to violate the ancient Canons and those that are made in this Council The Council held at Santones GRegory of Tours relates that Leontius Archbishop of Bourdeaux held a Council at Santones wherein he depos'd Emerius who had taken an Order from King Clotarius to get himself ordain'd Bishop without the consent of the Metropolitan Heraclius was made choice of to succeed him but Charibertus maintain'd him who was ordain'd by his Father's order This was done in 563. The second Council of Lyons THis Council was compos'd of the Archbishops of Lyons and Vienna and twelve Bishops and was held under the Sons of Clotarius in the year 567. It made six Canons By the first it is order'd That the Differences of the Bishops of one Province shall be determin'd The second Council of Lyons by the Judgment of the Metropolitan and the Bishops of that Province and that if the Bishops who are at odds be of different Provinces then two Metropolitans shall accommodate the matter The second orders that all the Donations made to Churches shall continue good tho they be not drawn up with all the Formalities which the Laws require The third declares That those who take or detain Freemen by force shall be Excommunicated The fourth That he who is Excommunicated by his Bishop shall not be receiv'd into Communion until he be Absolv'd The fifth That Bishops shall not take away from the Clergy the Revenues that are given them by their Predecessors The sixth That Letanies shall be said in all the Churches and Parishes in the first Week of September as before Ascension-day The second Council of Tours in the Year 567. THis Council was not very numerous for it consisted only of seven Bishops and the Archbishops of Tours and Roan but it made seven and twenty great Canons The second Council of Tours 567. The first renews the Order for holding Provincial Synods twice every year It decrees Excommunication against those Bishops who shall not come to them when they shall be Summon'd The second ordains Bishops who are at difference to determine them amicably by Judges which they shall choose These are the words of the third Ut Corpus Domini in Altari non imaginario ordine sed Crucis titulo componatur To this Canon different senses are given That which seems to me most natural is That the Parcels of the Eucharist which are upon the Altar shall not be rang'd according to the fancy of him that Celebrates but in the form of a Cross as is to be seen in the ancient rangings of them Some think that the Council ordains that the Body of Christ shall not be plac'd upon the Altar in the rank of Images but under the Cross. This sense does not appear to me so natural The fourth forbids Lay-men to place themselves behind the Altar with the Clergy while the Office is a Reading but allows them to enter into the Sanctuary and even the Women to pray in private and receive the Communion The fifth orders that every Parish shall maintain its own Poor The â—…th That no Leâ—… of Râ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be receiv'd bad Foâ—… the Bishops The seventh 〈◊〉 the Bishop cannot depose an Abbot now an Aroâ—â— Priest without an Assembly of Priests and Abbots The eighth That a Bishop who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exâ—…â—…ed when he was advertis'd of it shall be Excommunicated until the meeting of the Synod The ninth forbids to ordain a Britain or a Roman in Britany without the consent of the Metropolitan The tenth renews the Prohibitions so often made to Clergy-men of keeping strange Women in their Houses The eleventh ordains that the Bishops who shall neglect to put this Canon in execution shall be Excommunicated until the meeting of the â—…od The twelfth That the Bishop shall live with his Wife as with his Sister without giving any cause of Suspicion The thirteenth That the Bishop who has no Wife shall not suffer any Woman in his House The fourteenth forbids Priests and Monks to take any Person to bed with them It orders that Monks shall not lye two or three in several Câ—… but in 〈◊〉 common Hall where some shall watch while others take their rest The fifteenth is against Monks who go out of their Monastery to marry 'T is ordain'd that they shall be parted and put under Penance The sixteenth forbids to suffer Women to enter within the Precincts of Monasteries The seventeenth regulates the Fasts of Monks They shall not fast after Easter till Whitsunday except on the Rogation-days They shall fast all the Week after Whitsunday From that time till the first of August they shall fast three times a Week In this Month they shall not fast because the Office of Saints is said every day In the Months of September October and November they shall fast three times every Week In the Month of December they shall fast every day till Christmas After Christmas until Epiphany they shall not fast because of the great number of Festivals except the three first days of January on
be a Priest and baptizing a great many People In the fifteenth he says that such Persons ought not to be re-baptized in the Name of the Holy Trinity In the sixteenth he says That those that did thus abuse this Priest ought to be put to Penance In the seventeenth he blames the King for executing the principal Leaders of a Rebellion raised against him by the Bulgarians whom he had caused to be baptized And he says that he has committed a great Sin and particularly in the murthering their Infants who were innocent But since he did it thro' a violent Zeal for Religion and a blind ignorance he hopes he may obtain mercy if he repent In the eighteenth he says That those that have been baptized and after forsake Christianity ought to be first admonished by them that held them to the Font that if they do not reform they ought to be accused to the Church and that if they refuse to obey the Church they should be punish'd by the Prince's Authority In the nineteenth he says They may make use of the rigour of their Laws against those as would take away the lives of their Princes Nevertheless he exhorts the King to pardon such Offenders This and the following Articles relate more to Civil Policy than Church Discipline In the 41st he forbids forcing Infidels to the Faith and advises them to avoid communicating with them In the 44th and those that follow he forbids Hunting Examining Causes Playing Marrying or Feasting in Lent and in the 50th leaves it to the prudence of the Bishop or Priest who have the care of Consciences to determine after what manner a man should live with his wife during that time In the 51st he expresly forbids men to have two wives at a time In the 53d he says that it is permitted to all Believers to make the sign of the Cross upon the Table and to give a Benediction thereupon in the absence of the Priest In the 54th he does not disapprove of the Custom of the Greeks who thro' humility used always to wash their hands before they went into the Church but nevertheless he does not command it In the 55th he says he does not think it needful to force People newly converted to pay their debts that they may be received into Communion In the 56th he approves of the Custom of ordering Prayers and Fasts for Temporal Necessities as in a time of Drought c. In the 57th he rejects the Superstition of the Greeks who would not eat any Beasts kill'd by Eunuchs In the 58th he orders according to the Precept of the Apostle that women should have their heads covered in the Church The 59th and 60th relate to their Habits and the Hours of Eating In the 61st he recommends continual Prayer to them In the 62d he forbids them to make use of a certain Stone that they believ'd would heal or cure a Disease The 63d and 64th shew the time when it is most proper to abstain from use the of Marriage The 65th commands to receive the Eucharist fasting and allows those to come to the Communion who have bled much at the nose or mouth for which he makes use of the example of the Woman in the Gospel who being sick of a Bloody-flux touched Christ's Garment which makes it credible that he doth not debar Women from it that are under the like inconvenience In the 66th he forbids them to enter their Church with their Turbans on their Heads In the 67th he forbids the Bulgarians to swear by their Sword or by the name of any Creature The 68th allows Women newly brought to bed to enter into the Church In the 69th he says That the solemn times of administring Baptism are the Feasts of Easter and Whitsuntide but that it is not necessary to observe this in regard of the People newly converted no more than in respect of such as are in danger of death The 70th directs that they ought not to depose a Priest who hath a Wife and that it is not lawful for Lay-men to judge of Priests The 71st shews that Priests how wicked soever they are cannot defile the Sacraments and that they may be received from them with security The 72d is about the question propounded to him concerning a Patriarch He says he cannot answer whether he shall grant them one till he knows their number of Christians That a Bishop may serve their turn in the mean time and that if their numbers of Believers encrease and that there be divers Churches and divers Bishops he will make choice of one of them for their Patriarch or rather Arch-Bishop In the 73d he says that their Patriarch Bishop or Arch-Bishop must not be Ordained but by the Supreme Bishop and then he that is Ordained by him having receiv'd the Privilege of Metropolitan from the Holy See may Ordain other Bishops That after this there would be no more need of coming to Rome for the Ordination of their Arch-Bishop who then might be Ordained by the other Bishops upon condition that he doth not execute any part of his Office till he has receiv'd the Pall. The 74th asserts that men may pray any where The 75th and 76th That the Bishops that he will send them shall bring the Rules of Penance which they desired together with a Missal In the 77th he forbids them to have any thing to do with Lots by putting a Pin into a Book to find out any thing they are in suspicion of The 78th declares that Penance ought to be refus'd to none In the 79th he forbids superstitious Ligatures made use of to cure men The following Articles relate to Peace Agreements or Bargains Judgments and Civil Punishments In the 87th he forbids forcing Widows to become Nuns The 88th says that it is not lawful to pray for such as dy'd in their Infidelity The 89th recommends to them the Custom of Offering the First-fruits of the Earth The 90th says that it is lawful to eat Birds which have not been bled in killing them The 91st forbids Christians to eat Beasts kill'd or hunted by Infidels In the 92d he declares that they are the proper Patriarchs who govern the Churches founded by the Apostles which are only Rome Alexandria and Antioch That the Bishops of Constantinople and Jerusalem are also called Patriarchs but they have not so great Authority as these three In the 93d he declares that of Alexandria to be the second Patriarch In the 94th he declares the Cheat of the Greeks who said that Chrism came first from their Country The 95th says that they ought not to be taken from the Church who have fled thither for Sanctuary In the 96th he forbids Husband to be divorced from their Wives if it be not for Adultery In the 97th he exhorts Masters to pardon their Slaves that have offended them In the 98th he is willing that such as kill themselves should be buried for fear their puâ—rid Bodies should occasion Infection but
it belongs to the Pope and Bishops of Italy to Consecrate the Emperour so it is chiefly their Right to call and choose him In the 156th he Comforts the Duke of Beneventum for the loss he had sustained by the Agarenians The 157th is only a Letter of Complement and Thanks to a Bishop that was very zealous for the Roman Church and had enquired of his Health and Condolance for the Death of his Brother Here end the Letters of the eleventh Indiction and those of the twelfth begin The six first Letters contain nothing very remarkable being chiefly about Civil Matters In the 163d he forbids certain Bishops to Excommunicate the Person that brought the Emperour's Letters Patents till his Cause were examined In the 165th he Excommunicates a Count and his Wife for taking a Nun out of his Monastery till they restored her In the 174th 189th 192d Letters he exhorts Michael King of Bulgaria to submit himself to the Church of Rome In the 181st and 182d he sharply reproves Anspert Arch-Bishop of Milan for not coming to the Synod at Rome after he had been thrice Summoned and threatneth to proceed against him if he come not this fourth time He forbids his holding any Assembly with any of the Kings of France that shall come into Italy In the 188th to the Bishop of Limoges he decides That a Man ought not to be parted from his Wife because he had Baptized his Child himself in a Case of Necessity In the 190th written to the Bishops of Dalmatia he exhorts them to acknowledge the Jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome and to send thither their new chosen Bishop to be Consecrated and Receive the Pall from him The 191st is to the Arch-Bishops of Arles Narbonne and Aix He orders them to conser with the Bishop of Nimes to oblige him not to molest the Monks of a certain Monastery and gives them power if he does not do as he desires to suspend him from all his Priestly Functions till he comply or appear at Rome to give an account of his Conduct In the 194th he Exhorts a Sclavonian Lord to continue in the Faith of the Roman Church and live in its Obedience He saith he hath written to Arch-Bishop Methodius who was Ordained by Pope Adrian his Predecessor because he had heard he taught other Doctrines than what he had professed in Presence of the Holy See The following Letter is to this Methodius Titular Arch-Bishop of Pannonia he commands him to come to Rome and justifie his Doctrine Forbids him to Celebrate Mass in the Sclavonian Tongue but only in Latin or Greek as saith he the Church of Jesus Christ dispersed over the whole Earth practiseth in all places The 196th is to Anspert Arch-Bishop of Milan about his refusing to come to the Synod at Rome The Pope had suspended him from Celebrating Divine Service till he came to Rome to justifie himself but not regarding of that Suspension he continued to do all Episcopal Functions The Pope peremptorily commands him to come to Rome or send his Legates In the 197th he thanks King Lewis for his good will and invites him to come speedily to Rome promising to do his utmost to make him to be declared Emperour The 198th Letter is to Herard Arch-Bishop of Auch and to the Bishops of Comminges Conserans and Bigores concerning the Disorders in their Dioceses which they could neither restrain by Exhortations nor Excommunications They had written to the Pope to joyn his Authority to theirs to put a stop to them The Pope writes to them to use their utmost Endeavours to rectifie the Disorders of the People committed to their charge And because the greatest were in the Marriages of Kindred he saith 't is not permitted to Christians to marry their Kindred so long as they can make out any Relation He declares all those that are so married and will keep their Wives or those that shall so marry for the future to be subject to the Churche's Anathema by Apostolick Authority and forbids all Priests to give them the Sacrament till they have done Penance He also declares it unlawful to have two Wives to forsake one Wife and marry another for no cause whatsoever or to have a Wife and a Concubine at the same time He forbids the Laity to meddle with the Church Goods He orders Priests and Clerks to submit to their Bishops and to do nothing without their consent and that the Laity do obey their Bishop under pain of Excommunication The following Letters concern the Affair of Photius which we have spoken of in the History of the Eighth Council In the 204th Letter he writes to the Empress Engelberga who had desired him to Absolve Anspert Arch-Bishop of Milan and humbly represents to her That he could not do it without the consent of his Brethren the Bishops with whose concurrence he had Excommunicated him That he must either come or send Deputies to the Synod to be held the eleventh of October at Rome to answer such things as are laid to his Charge and after Satisfaction given he will Absolve him and Receive him into his Communion He saith he will Celebrate the Anniversary of the Emperour her Husband and that he prays for the Soul of her Brother Suppo that God would forgive his sins The four following Letters are concerning the Troubles about the Election of Landulphus to the Bishoprick of Capua The 216 Letter is written to King Charles whom he saith he hoped to raise to the Dignity of Emperour that therefore he was come to Ravenna That he hoped he would labour all he could to Re-establish the Honour and Dignity of the Roman Church and subdue its Enemies That at his Return he found its Enemies more violent having not only seized and carried away the Possessions but the Persons that belonged to the Church of Rome He desires him to send him three Persons before he comes that he may concert with them concerning what belongs to the Honour and Good of the Holy See In the next Letter he prays the same Prince to protect the Church of Rome against its Enemies The 218th is addrest to the Arch-Bishop of Ravenna he wonders he had not recourse to the Holy See to redress the Injury done him he intimates that he had sent a Prudent Person to Ravenna whom he Impowred to inform himself of all had been done to him he orders him to be at Rome by the beginning of October at the Synod and promises all manner of Assistance but finds fault with his quitting his Church to live elsewhere In the 219th he orders him to refer it to the Bishop of Pavia whom he had Commissioned to Excommunicate those that deserve it The 221st Letter is to the Clergy of Milan whom he orders to proceed to the Election of a new Arch-Bishop instead of Anspert whom he had deposed in his Synod and tells them that he sends the Bishop of Pavia and Rimini to joyn with them in this Election This
Bishop of Parma to be Elected Pope who was acknowledg'd as such by the Bishops and Princes on the other side the Alpes He intending to take Possession of the the Papal Chair by Force sat down with an Army before Rome but was beaten off by the Forces of Godfrey Marquis of Tuscany and of Matilda his Wife who had enter'd into the Interests of Alexander This first attempt proving very unsuccessful he return'd a second time with greater strength and became Master of the Town Leonina and of the Church of S. Peter but he was outed thence also and his Forces put into such a Consternation that he himself had like to have been taken and was forced to throw himself into a Castle from whence he very narrowly made his Escape by giving Mony to those who Besieg'd him Some time after Anno Arch-bishop of Cologne who had the greatest hand in the Administration of the Affairs of Germany ever since the Empress Agnes was remov'd being come into Italy and alledging that the Election of Pope Alexander was invalid because it was carry'd on without the Emperor's Approbation and because he lay under a suspicion of having given Mony for to be Elected It was agreed upon to call a Council at Mantua to adjust this difference Alexander and Cadalous met there with Peter Damien Hildebrand and several other Bishops of Italy Lombardy and Spain Alexander did there very stiffly defend his Election Cadalous had not the face to maintain his pretended Right and so withdrew The former likewise clear'd himself by Oath of the Accusation of Simony which was lay'd to his Charge so that Anno and the Bishops of Lombardy acknowledg'd him alone to be Lawful Pope But the Emperor's Prerogative was preserv'd for the future and Alexander was oblig'd to Pardon Cadalous and to make Guitbert Grand Signior of Parma Chancellor to King Henry and formerly the Popes greatest Enemy Arch-bishop of Ravenna This Council was held in the Year 1064. and put an end to a Schism which would have been the Cause of very great disturbances in the Church of Rome if it had continued as it had begun The year before Alexander had held a Council at Rome consisting of above One hundred The Councils under Alexander II. Bishops wherein he had reviv'd the Decrees of his Predecessors Leo IX and Nicholas II. against those who were guilty of Simony against those who kept Concubines against such of the Laity who seiz'd on the Revenues of the Church against those who Marry'd their Kindred till after the seventh Degree and against the Apostate Clergy and Monks This is only a renewal of the Council held under Nicholas II. In two other Councils held at Rome the year following Alexander Condemn'd those who maintain'd that the Degrees of Consanguinity ought to reach no farther than to Cousin-Germans which he calls the Heresy of the Nicolaitans He likewise Condemn'd those who had maintain'd that one may without being guilty of Simony give Mony to Princes to be instituted into the Revenues of the Church He makes use of Peter Damien to confute these Errors and sent him to Milan to reform the Clergy of that City into France to relieve the Monks of Cluny and to Florence to put an end to the Schism of the Church belonging to that City Whilst Peter Damien was employ'd in Reforming the Church Hildebrand Arch-deacon of Rome who had the sole Administration of Affairs relating to the Holy See made use of his utmost endeavours to advance the temporal Power thereof With the Assistance of Godfrey Marquiss of Tuscany and the Princess Matilda he repuls'd the Normans of Pozzuolo and oblig'd them to surrender several places He engag'd several Lords of Burgundy and France to bind themselves by Oath to defend the Church of Rome He exhorted William Duke of Normandy to take upon him the Kingdom of England vacant by the Death of King Edward Lastly From the Pontificate of Alexander he began the Contest with King Henry about the Right of Investitures and caus'd him to be cited to Rome upon that Subject We attribute all this to Hildebrand because 't is evident that it was he who Govern'd under the Name of Alexander II. who led a reserv'd and a retir'd Life and spent more of his time at Lucca and Mount Cassin than at Rome However he dy'd in that City April 22. in the Hear 1073. Since this Pope was eleven Years and some Months on the Chair we may very well expect The Letters of Alexander II. a great many Letters written in his Name We have Five and Forty of them compleat and the Fragments of several Acts related by Ives of Chartres and by Gratian His First Letter is directed to the Clergy and Laity of Milan whom he exhorts to lead a Christian Life The Second is directed to Harold King of Norway whom he exhorts to own the Arch-bishop of Breme as Vicar of the Holy See and to submit to him as such He reproves him for that the Bishops of his Kingdom were either not Consecrated or else had given Mony to be Consecrated By the Third directed to the King of Denmark he demands of that Prince the payment of what was due from that Kingdom to the Holy See By the Fourth directed to the Arch-bishop of Dalmatia and Sclavonia he sends him the Pall and gives him some Instructions concerning his Office The Fifth is the Decree of the Council of Rome of which we have already spoken In the Sixth directed to Gervais Arch-bishop of Rheims he writes to him against Cadalous congratulates him of the endeavours he us'd for the extirpation of Simony and intrusts him and the Arch-bishop of Sens with the Tryal of the Bishop of Orleans who was Charg'd with Simony and orders him to turn out the Abbot of S. Medard of Soissons Excommunicated long before and to Elect another in his Place This Letter is follow'd by a Decree made at Milan by two Cardinal Legats of the Holy See against the Clergy who were either guilty of Simony or kept Concubines The Seventh Letter is directed to the Bishops of Denmark whom he injoyns to be present at the Synod held by the Bishop of Hamburgh In the Eighth he exhorts William King of England to pay him the Peter-pence which were due to him In the Ninth he grants to Anno Arch-bishop of Cologne a Privilege which he had beg'd of him in the behalf of a Monastery The Tenth is directed to William King of England He exhorts him to take into his Protection the Ecclesiasticks of his Kingdom and advises him to follow Lanfrank's directions to whom he committed the Determination of the Bishop of Chester's Cause and of the Dispute on foot between the Arch-bishop of York and the Bishop of Dorchester In the Eleventh directed to Landulphus he determines that the Man who had Vow'd to take upon him the Monastick Life and had forc'd his Wife to consent to it ought not to be made a Monk till she should give
Tours dated the First of March 1077. The Pope was deceived in the Choice of the Man whom he had ordain'd to the Church of Dol. He soon receiv'd Complaints of his bad Conduct And after he had examin'd the Accusations brought against him he was just ready to depose him when he received a Letter from William King of England who interceded for him This caus'd the Pope to supersede the Execution of that Sentence till he should send upon the Place Hugh Bishop of Dia and two other Legats to inform themselves more fully about that Affair This appears by the Seventeenth Letter of the Fourth Book written to the King of England and dated March the 2d in the Year 1077. He committed the Determination of that Affair to Hugh of Dia to the Abbot of Cluny and to two other Clerks by the Two and three and twentieth Letters of the Fifth Book dated May 22d 1078. At last the Contest between the Churches of Tours and Dol for the Right of Metropolitanship having been debated in the Council held at Rome the beginning of the Year 1080. And the Archbishop of Tours having made it appear by good Titles That Bretagne belong'd to his Metropolitanship whereas the Bishop of Dol not being able to produce such Authentick ones was pleas'd to say That he had forgot behind him several of his Titles The Pope granted him a farther time and declar'd that he would send Legats upon the Place to determine that Affair And that if it appear'd that the Bishop of Dol had sufficient Titles whereon to ground his Exception he should still remain in Possession of it if not that then the Bishop of Dol and the other Bishops of Bretagne shall be subject to the Archbishop of Tours as to their Metropolitan upon Condition however that the Bishop of Dol shall still enjoy the Privilege of wearing the Pall. This is what he intimates to the People of Tours and Bretagne by the Fifteenth Letter of the Seventh Book dated March 8th in the Year 1080. The Bishop of Toul having refus'd to one of his Clerks a Church which he pretended to The Cause of the Bishop of Toul belong to his Prebendship and having absolutely suspended him that Clerk was incens'd against him and accus'd him of selling Benefices and Sacred things of holding a shameful and dishonorable Commerce with a certain Woman and of having bought his Bishoprick The Bishop's Friends to avenge his Quarrel threaten to be even with that Clerk if ever they could catch him Whereupon that Clerk not thinking himself secure absconded and the Bishop immediately caus'd all that he had to be sold. That Clerk having made his Complaints thereof to Rome Gregory VII by the Tenth Letter of the second Book dated October the 14th 1074. Commission'd the Arch-bishop of Treves and the Bishop of Metz to Try this Cause He enjoyns them in the first place to put that Clerk into the Possession of his Benefice afterwards to make enquiry into the Life of the Bishop If he were Innocent to punish the Clerk who had scandaliz'd him and if he were Guilty to depose him William Duke of Aquitain and Count of Poitiers having Marry'd one of his Relations The Cause of William Duke of Aquitain the Legat of the Holy See and the Arch-bishop of Bordeaux call'd a Synod to oblige him to part from her Isembert Bishop of Poitiers disturb'd that Assembly and offer'd violence to those who were there However the Duke of his own accord parted from his Wife Gregory no less pleas'd with his Submission than he was offended at the Action of the Bishop of Poitiers complimented the Duke upon it by the third Letter of the second Book and cited the Bishop to the Council of Rome by the second Letter of the same Book threatning to depose and excommunicate him and by the Fourth of the same Book advises the Arch-bishop of Bordeaux to come to Rome or to send some body thither to accuse Isembert These Three Letters are dated September the 2d 1074. Isembert not appearing at the Synod the Pope not only confirm'd the Suspension which his Legat had pronounc'd against him but likewise excommunicated him till such time as he should come to the Synod to be held at Rome the beginning of Lent as appears by the Three and Four and twentieth Letters of the same Book dated November the 16th in the same Year The Letters of Gregory are full of Instances of Bishops whom he cited to Rome to give The Causes which Gregory VII hear'd and try'd at Rome an account of their Conduct or condemn'd for not appearing or absolv'd when they did appear or depos'd or enjoyn'd to do Pennance We may consult beside those already mention'd the Fifty sixth Letter of the first Book by which he Summons the Bishop of Chalons to come and clear himself at Rome The Fifty seventh by which he orders the Bishop of Pavia to come to him with the Marquiss Aso accus'd of Incest with that Bishop's Sister This Woman's Name was Matilda which gave occasion to some Authors to think her to be the same with the Princess Matilda the Wife of Godfrey But she was quite another Woman for she whom we speak of was the Sister of William Bishop of Pavia who had Marry'd her Kinsman Aso before the Death of Godfrey the Princess Matilda's Husband The Pope wrote to her by the Thirty sixth Letter of the second Book to part from Aso till such time as she should prove in the Synod of Rome that the Marquiss was not her Kinsman And by the Thirty fifth Letter he likewise cited William Bishop of Pavia upon the same account These two Letters are dated December the 16th 1074. Sometimes Gregory VII Commission'd Bishops upon the places to pass a definitive Sentence Causes referr'd by the Pope to his Legats upon the Affairs in dispute Thus he committed to the Arch-bishops of Bourges and Tours the Determination of the Process between the Monastery of Dol and the Abbey of S. Sulpicius by the Ninth Letter of the second Book To Richerus Arch-bishop of Sens by the Twentieth Letter of the same Book the correcting of Lancelin who had injur'd the Arch-bishop of Tours By the Sixteenth Letter of the fourth Book he referr'd to Hugh Bishop of Dia the Tryal of the Difference which was between the Clergy of Romagne and the Arch-bishop of Vienna In the Twentieth of the same Book he referr'd to Josefroy Bishop of Paris the Absolution of several Persons excommunicated by the Arch-bishop of Rheims and granted him power to Absolve them in case he found them innocent if that Arch-bishop would not do it In the One and twentieth he referr'd to Herman Bishop of Metz the Tryal of the Process between the Bishop of Liege and the Abbot of S. Lawrence who having been turn'd out of his Monastery by the Bishop had Appeal'd to the Holy See In the Fourth Letter of the sixth Book he referr'd to the Arch-bishop of Treves and
exasperated if they sometimes go beyond the bounds of their Authority but must be left to God's Judgment when they will not yield to the humble admonitions and Remonstrances of the Clergy for his part Ivo protests that were he oblig'd in obedience to his Superiors to readmit an Excommunicate person in to the Church without penance or satisfaction he would do it by some such Form as this Do not deceive your Self I admit you into the visible Church notwithstanding the Crimes you are guilty of but I cannot open to you the Gates of the Kingdom of Heaven and therefore I absolve you no farther than I have power to do it those of more Courage and Piety may find out better methods in such cases This seems to me proper enough not that I hereby prescribe to others but to prevent farther mischiefs to the Church think it best to submit thus far to the necessity of the Times The CLXXIId Letter contains a judgment given by Ivo in Favour of the Monks of St. Laurner at Blois against the Abbot and Monks of Vendôme concerning a Chappel near Baugency which he adjudges to belong to the Jurisdiction of the former notwithstanding the Abbot of Vendôme's having appeal'd to the Holy See In the CLXXIIId he relates to Pope Paschal what had pass'd at the Tryal of Rotroc who he tells him has now appeal'd to his Holiness In the CLXXIVth he assures Mathilda Queen of England that he will pray for the Soul of her Brother Edgar King of Scotland who died without issue in the Year 1107. for though he doubts not but his Soul is in Abraham's bosom yet since we cannot be certain of the State of Souls in the other World it is a piece of commendable Devotion to pray even for those in Heaven that their happiness may be augmented and for those in Purgatory that their sins may be forgiven them In the CLXXVth he excuses himself to Pope Paschal for not appearing at the Council he cites him to held at Troyes Anno 1107. by reason of his being very much indispos'd but tells his Holiness he has sent his three Arch-Deacons in his stead In the CLXXVIth to the same Pope he prays him not to oblige Volgrin Chancellor of the Church of Chartres to accept of the Bishoprick of Dol to which he was Elected by the Deputies of that Church in the Council of Troyes and. In the CLXXVIIth Letter he acquaints the Clergy of Dol that Volgrin will not accept of that Bishoprick In the CLXXVIIIth he Counsels Geofry Bishop of Beauvais to punish one of his Clergy who had admitted to Divine Service and consorted with an Excommunicated person In the CLXXIXth to Adela Countess of Chartres he complains of her denying the Clergy of his Church the privileges of Travelling the Roads and of buying Bread and Wine and threatens her in case she do not Revoke the Orders she has publish'd to this Effect that the whole Clergy of the Province shall dayly curse her at the high Altar The CLXXXth Letter gives Ledger Arch-Bishop of Bourges advice to abate sometimes the Rigour of justice and not to be so wholly govern'd by some of his Clergy as not to doe any thing but according to their Pleasures even in judicial matters as hapned lately in the case of Arnoulf of Vierson who was so exasperated by his hard usage that he was forc'd to appeal to Rome upon the very first hearing before them The CLXXXIst is to Richard Bishop of Albane the Popes Legate upon a dispute between the Monks of Vezelay and those of St. Lucian at Beauvais about a Church they both of them laid claim to The CLXXXIId is to Daimbert Arch-Bishop of Sens concerning a difference between Ivo and the Chapter of Chartres who had oppos'd and violently affronted him for conferring the Office of Sub-Dean upon Fulk The Arch-Bishop is agreed upon to be Judge between them and Ivo prays him to appoint the day and place where their cause shall be heard which he wishes may be at Chartres In the CLXXXIII to William Bishop of Paris he asserts that if a Man challenge a Woman for his Wife upon pretence that her Father promis'd her to him he must bring witnesses of such promise and that the Tryal by single combat is not to be allowed in cases of this Nature The CLXXXIVth to Walter Library-Keeper of Beauvais maintains that all Actions about Goods belonging to the Church are to be brought before Ecclesiastical Judges In the CLXXXVth he gives answer to what William Arch-Bishop of Rouen had written him about one who had gottten himself Ordain'd Sub-Deacon before he had pass'd the inferior degrees of Holy Orders In strictness of Law Ivo acknowledges that he should not be permitted to exercise the functions of the Order he has obtain'd nor to Rise to the higher Orders however if his Life and Conversation be unexceptionable and the good of the Church require it he thinks the Arch-Bishop may give him the Clerical Benediction and let him assist at Ordinations not to be Re-Ordain'd but to Confirm him in his Orders In the CLXXXVIth Letter he Answers several Questions propos'd to him by Laurence a Monk of the Monastery of Charity 1. He asserts that we are oblig'd to avoid only those that are Excommunicated for the most notorious and abominable faults 2. That of such we are not to receive any thing but in extream necessity nor are we to give them any thing but for their relief in utmost want and misery 3. That those of the Clergy who buy of Lay-men goods that formerly belong'd to the Church or receive such from them by way of Gift are much to blame if they doe it with any other design but of restoring them to the Church 4. That they who in private Confession discover themselves to be guilty of the greatest crimes are not therefore to be Excommunicated nor put to publick penance as publick offenders however they are to be admonish'd to abstain from the Sacrament and from the Functions of their Orders if they are Ecclesiasticks 5. That the Sacraments are not the less profitable for being administred by wicked Priests nor 6. by Simoniacal ones or such as are Married 7. That the People ought not to abandon their Prelate nor fail in their obedience to him though in many respects blameable till he is publickly Condemn'd or Excommunicated 8. That Confession of common and small sins may be made to any Christian but that great faults are to be confess'd only to those who have the power of binding and loosing 9. That one may entertain an Excommunicated Person provided he doe not Eat with him nor salute him In the CLXXXVIIth he admonishes the Countess of Chartres to leave troubling the Abbot and Monks of Bonneval on Account of the murder of Hugh the Black In the CLXXXVIIIth to Ralph Arch-Bishop of Rheims he delivers his opinion That a Woman who is deliver'd of a Child within two or three Months after her Marriage is not
out by their Bishop 17. Of the Visitation of the Monasteries of Black-Friars in Germany 120. Privileges granted to the Italian Monks of the Order of S. Benedict 43. The Tokens that William of St. Amour prescribes whereby to discover the false Monks 140 143 Monasteries Constitutions concerning their Cloyster 92. Prohibitions against Building of new ones without the Bishop's leave 113. The leave of turning a Church into a Monastery to be granted by the Bishop 43. Prohibitions against holding Tryals in them 117 The Abbey of Mont-sacre The Differences between this Abbey and that of Calane adjusted by Innocent III. 29 The Church of Montreal The Confirmation of the Privilege of its Arch-Bishop 23 Abbey of Mouzon The Pope's Grant of raising it to a Bishoprick 17 Murder Deprives a Clerk of his Benefices 27. That an involuntary Murder committed by a Clerk do's not deprive him of his Benefices 18. Whether a Priest who is the innocent Cause of a Murder may continue his Functions 39. The Absolution of this Crime reserv'd to the Bishop 132. The Pennance impos'd on a Man who had kill'd his Wife and Daughter 44 Muret. This City Besieg'd by the King of Arragon who lost his Life before it 151 Mysterium Fidei Why these Words were added to the Canon of the Mass 44 N NArbonne A Peace set on Foot in this City between the Croisade and the Albigenses 151 Church of Nephin Restor'd to that of Tripoli 14 New Converts The care the Bishops ought to have of them 111 Nicholas de Bar sur Aube Doctor of Paris The Proceedings of Pope Alexander IV. against this Doctor and several others of his Brethren 138. Is one of the Embassy to Rome 139 The Church of S. Nicholas of the Mount near Narni It s Privilege of Exemption confirm'd 25 29 Notaries What they ought to know in order to be admitted into such an Office 111 Nuncios of the Pope Those who offer them any Injury Excommunicated 134 Nuns Constitutions concerning their Conduct and Duties 93. 102 105. Oblig'd to live in Common 126. That the Nuns who have beaten other Nuns or Clerks may receive Absolution from the Bishop 42 O OAths When forbidden to exact the Oath of Fidelity of Ecclesiasiicks 100. When one is not bound to keep it in Justice 28 Odo of Doway Doctor of Paris The Proceedings of Alexander IV. against this Doctor and several of his Brethren 138. Is sent to Rome with William of S. Amour 139. The Rules for the University which the Pope would have him approve of and made him to execute 140 Offerings That those of private Chappels belong to the Curates 121 Officials The Study requisite for being admitted an Official 111. Of their Duties 127 Orbibarians A Sect of Hereticks and their Errors 149 Ordinations Of the Times of Ordinations and the Qualifications of those who are to be Ordain'd 109 112 117 124 125. The Age prescrib'd for taking Priest's Orders 90 155. And the other Orders ibid. That an Eccesiastick who is the cause of a Murder without being an Accomplice in it may be promoted to Holy Orders 24. That a Man who has lost his Right Hand may not be admitted to take Holy Orders or enjoy Benefices 23. Of the Duties of Bishops in Ordinations 99. That a Bishop who has Ordain'd any Clerks without the Title of a Benefice or a Patrimony ought to provide for their Subsistence 14. Ordinations made by Excommunicated Persons null 27. Prohibitions against demanding any thing for conferring Orders 102 130 The Minor Orders Three of the Minor Orders omitted by the Greeks 50 Religious Orders The Institutions of several Religious Orders in this Century 156. c. Their Number Restrain'd 124. And Prohibitions against Founding new Ones 98. That 't is not lawful to pass from a more strict to a more remiss Order but rather from a more remiss to a more strict One 34. The Laicks forbidden to wear the Habit of any Religious Order without having made Profession of it 125 Teutonick Order Its Rules approv'd of by Innocent III. 33 Orensa in Spain The number of it's Canons fix'd to thirty six 24 Ornaments of the Church The Abbots prohibited to Consecrate or bless them 120. Of those which are requisite for every Church 104. Of the care that ought to be taken of them 98 115. 132. Prohibited from pawning them without the Bishop's leave 126 Osyth of Chu The Confirmation of the Institution of the Order of Regular Canons of that Abbey and of its Privileges 22 Osma in Spain Rules confirm'd for this Church 35 Cardinal Otho The Council which he held at London during his Legation in England 111 Otho Duke of Saxony and Emperor Disputes the Empire with Philip Duke of Suabia 45. The Motives which induc'd the Pope to declare for him and to confirm his Election 46 47. Is recogniz'd for Emperor after the Death of Philip and Crown'd at Rome 2 47. The Oath which he takes of the Pope ibid. The cause of his breaking with the Pope who Excommunicates and Deposes him 2. His Attempts to maintain himself on the Throne 2 3. His Defeat by Philip Augustus King of France 3. And his Death ibid. Cardinal Ottobon The Constitutions which he Publish'd during his Legation in England 120 Ottogar King of Bohemia Takes an Advantage of the Divisions of Germany to Aggrandize his own Anthority 9. His Differences with the Emperor Rodolphus 10. His Death ibid. P PAlestine or the Holy Land The Obligation of the Vow of going to to the Holy Land 14. The Letters of Pope Innocent III. for the Relief of the Holy Land 23 24 25 28 29 40 41 48 Pall. That it ought only to be granted to such Arch-Bishops whose Predecessors have enjoy'd it 32 Peace Prayers for it injoyn'd 126. Decrees for the Observation of it 109 Perfect Who are counted such a among the Albigenses 153 Perjurers Canons against them 106. 116. Their Absolution reserv'd to the Pope 91 Patriarchs Of the Rank and Privileges of Patriarchs 97. That they ought not immediately to take upon themselves the Tryal of Clerks who desire to be tryed by their Bishop 31 Patriarchs of Constantinople What Rank they held in the Conventions wherein the Emperor was in Person 42 Patronage Of the Right of Patronage 130. That no Man can present himself to a Benefice of which he has the Right of Patronage 21 Patrons Penalties to be inflicted on those who abuse the Clerks of their Patronage 100 The Church of S. Paul near Mount Cassin The Privilege of having Tenths and of Baptizing granted to this Church 30 Pegaw A Contest about the Exemption of this Abbey 24 Canonical Penalties The commutation of them for Pecuniary Fines forbidden 121 Penetintiaries Order'd to have one General Penitentiary in every Cathedral Church 112. Of their Duties in Absolving reserv'd Cases 118 Pennance Of the injoyning of Pennances for Publick Sins 132 Penitentiary Friars Hermits re-united to the Order of Augustin Friars in this Century 157 Pensions Forbidden to lay any on
Orders of Friars Mendicants against Mendicity against Fraternities and Indulgences The Style of this Work is dry and Scholastical there is but little Solidity and much Heat and Passion in his Arguments This is almost the only Work of Wicklef which has been printed There appeared in Germany The Works of Wicklef in 1525 written in English with this Title The Little Gate of Wicklef compos'd against Transubstantiation and printed at Nuremberg in 1546 and at Oxford in 1612. It is a Work of some of his Disciples since it was not written till 1395. There was also Two Books of Wicklef in English publish'd by James and printed at Oxford in 1608 viz. a Request to Richard II. and all the Orders of the Kingdom that they would reduce the Friars Mendicants to their Duty and a Memorial containing 50 Articles of Errors or Crimes whereof he accuses them There are also in Historians and Acts of Council some Propositions and Declarations of Wicklef He translated the Bible into English and his Version is to be found in M. S. in some of the Libraries of England as also a Commentary upon the Psalms and the Canticles upon the Epistles and Gospels upon some select Passages of Scripture an Harmony of the Evangelists Sermons for the whole Year and many other Treatises of Doctrin or Morality While the Works of Wicklef were spreading after his Death and his Diciples continued still to publish their Errors Thomas Arundel who succeeded William Courtnay in the Archbishoprick of A Council at London against the Wicklesites Canterbury held a provincial Council at London in 1396 wherein he condems 18 Articles drawn out of the Trialogue of Wicklef Whereof the 1st is That the Substance of Bread continues upon the Altar after Consecration and that it does not cease to be Bread the 2d That as John was Elias by a Figure and not personally so the Bread is figuratively the Body of Jesus Christ and that without doubt these Words This is my Body are a figurative way of speaking like that John is Elias the 3d That in the Chapter Ego Berengarius it was determin'd that the Eucharist is naturally true Bread the 4th That those who determine that the Children of the Faâ—… die without Baptism are noâ—â—…d are presumptuous and foolish the 5th That the conferrâ—… of the Sacrament of Confirmation is not reserv'd peculiarly to the Bishop the 6th That 〈…〉 time of 〈…〉 Paul and the Apostles there were but two Orders iâ— the Church that of Priests and that of Deacons and that there is no difference between the Pope the Patriarchs and the Bishops 〈…〉 would be sufficient if there were only Priests and Deacons and that it was Pride which 〈…〉 the other Degrees the 〈◊〉 That Marriages made between ancient Persons whose end 〈◊〉 not to â—ave Children are not true Marriages 8 That the Causes of Divorce upon the account of Consanguinity or Affinity are human Constitutions and groundless the 9th That â—t would be better to use in the Celebration of Marriage these Words I will take you for my Wife 〈…〉 these I take you for my Wife and that when a Man is â—â—ed to one Woman by the former and afterwards to another by the latter the former Marriage is to be held good the 10th That the Pope Cardinals Patriarchs Archbishops Bishops Officials Deans Monks Canons Mendicants Beggars are the 12 Fore-runners and Disciples of Antichrist the 11th That â—he Precept given to the Priest under the Law and to the Levites that they ought to have no Share in the Reâ—… of Lands but to live upon Tithes and Oblations is a Negative Precept and obliges for ever the 12th That there is not a greater Heretick than a Priest who â—eaches that 't is lawful for Priests and Levites under the Gospel to possess Temporal Revenues the 13th Thaâ— Temporal Lords not only may but are even oblig'd to take away all Temporal Revenues from â—he Church that is habitually disorderly the 14th That Jesus Christ and the Apostle would have appointed Corporal Unction if it had been a Sacrament the 15th That he who is â—ast in the Church is the greatest in the Sight of God and the Vicar of Jesus Christ the 1â—th That in order to the possessing of a true Temporal Demand 't is necessary that a Man be in a state of Righteousness and that those who live in Mortal Sin are not Masters of any thing the 17th That every thing which happens comes to pass necessarily the 18th That we ought noâ— to believe or practise every thing which the Pope and Cardinals enjoyn but only what follows clearly from Scripture and that all other things ought to be rejected and despised as heretical Widford was employed to defend the Condemnation which was decreed in this Council which he dâ—d in a Book written on purpose which is printed in the Collection of Orthunâ—â— Gratus wherein he opposes the Errors of Wicklef not by Scholastical Arguments but by Authorities drawn from the Holy Scripture the Fathers and the Canon-Law His Treatise is solid and learned for that time tho' it is not well-written At last Thomas Arundel utterly banish'd the Heresie of Wicklef by the Constitutions which he made in a Synod held at Oxford in 1408. wherein he ordains 1st That no Ecclesiastick whether Another Condemnation of Wicklef by Thomas Arundel in 1408. Secular or Regular shall be suffer'd to preach unless he be authoriz'd and approv'd by the Bishop 2â—… That those who shall preach any Doctrin contrary to that of the Church shall be punish'd severely 3 That the Professors shall teach no new Doctrin nor suffer their Scholars to leaâ—… any That no Book of Wicklef or any others shall be read unless it be approv'd by the University of Oxford or of Cambridge or by 12 Doctors whom these Universities shall appoint 5 That no Version of the Scripture into the vulgar Tongue shall be read unless it be approv'd by the Diocesan Bishop or a provincial Council 6 That none of the Propositions which are condemn'd shall be maintain'd and that no Person shall oppose the Doctrins and Practices receiv'd by the Church as the Worship of the Cross of Images and of the Reliques of Saints 7 That no Priest shall be admitted to the Celebration of Mass in another Diocese unless he has a Letter recommendatory from his Bishop or some others in the Dioceses where â—…he has liv'd 8 That the Principals and Heads of Colleges shall take Care to examine every Month â—…e Morals and Doctrin of the Scholars and to punish those who shall advance any Errors Lastly That all those who are accus'd by common Fame or suspected of Heresy shall be condemn'd after a simple Citation if they do not appear These Constitutions were publish'd at London the next Year and confirm'd by the King's Authority In the Year 141â— Pope John XXIII condemn'd in a Council at Rome the Books of Wicklef â—et he â—…anted to all those who had a mind to defend
of it self a good Thing but one of those good Things which we should not look after but in order to a greater Good or to avoid a great Evil. That before Christ the most Continent might marry to multiply that People from whom the Messiah was to be born but now as many as are able to contain do well not to marry That for this Reason Men were permitted formerly to have several Wives and never Women to have several Husbands but now no Man is to have more than one Wife That the Gospel-Purity is so great in this Point That a Deacon was not to be ordained who had ever had more than one Wife He approves their Opinion who understand this Maxim in its whole Extent and without Restriction as St. Jerom doth by excepting those who contracted a former Marriage before Baptism For saith he Baptism doth indeed remit Sins but here the Question is not concerning a Sin And as a young Woman that hath been defiled when she was a Catechumen cannot be consecrated as a Virgin after Baptism even so it hath been thought reasonable that the Man who hath had more than one Wife whether before or after Baptism should be looked upon as wanting one necessary Qualification for Orders In answer to Jovinian's Objection he distinguishes the Habit from the Action of Vertue This being Premised he saith That the old Patriarchs had an Habit of Continency but did not practise it because it was not convenient to do it in their time and so when the Question is put to a Man that is not married Are you more perfect than Abraham he ought to answer No but Virginity is more perfect than conjugal Chastity Now Abraham was endu'd with both these Vertues for he had the Habit of Continency and exercised conjugal Chastity He adds That Persons are to be distinguished from Vertues One Person may have one Vertue in a higher Degree than another and yet be less Holy because he hath not other Vertues in the same Degree Thus a disobedient Virgin is less to be esteemed than a married Woman with the Vertue of Obedience Last of all he exhorts Virgins not to be lifted up because of the Excellency of their Condition but to be constant in Humility The Book Of Holy Virginity came out presently after that Of the Advantage of Matrimony St. Augustin shews there That Virginity is one of the most excellent Gifts of God and that Humility is necessary to preserve it He exalteth the Excellency of Virgins consecrated to God by the Example of the Virginity of the Mother of God who according to him had made a Vow of Continency before the Angel appeared to her He refutes those that condemn Matrimony and those that compare it with Celibacy He does not think that Virginity is of Command but of Advice It should not be chosen as a thing necessary to Salvation but as a state of greater Perfection And this he proves by several Passages of Scripture and explains a Passage of St. Paul from which some concluded that he recommended Virginity merely upon account of the Advantage of this present Life He asserts also That Virgins shall have a particular Reward in Heaven At last he exhorts them to Humility proposing several convincing Reasons and powerful Motives to inspire them with it Then he recommends to them above all things the Love of their Divine Spouse and speaks of him in a very moving manner Behold saith he to them the Beauty of your Spouse Think that he is Equal with his Father and yet he was willing to submit himself to his Mother He is a King in Heaven and a Slave upon Earth He is the Creator of all things and yet he ranked himself among the Creatures Consider both the Greatness and the Beauty of that which the Proud look upon with Contempt Behold with the Eyes of Faith the Wounds which he received upon the Cross the Blood of the dying God who is the Price of our Redemption and the Cause of our Salvation ... He seeketh only the inward Beauty of your Soul He gave you the power to become his Daughters He desires not the Handsomness of the Body but Purity of Manners None can deceive him nor make him be jealous of you and you may love him without fear of ever displeasing him upon account of false Suspicions Both this and the fore-going Books were written in the Year 401. They did well to joyn unto this the Book that treats Of the Advantages of Widowhood which Erasmus and others had inconsiderately rejected as a Work that was none of St. Augustin's St. Augustin indeed takes no notice of it in his Retractations but that 's not to be wonder'd at because it is only a Letter to Juliana which Possidius put into his Catalogue * Who this Philo is I don't know it seems to be a Fault of the Press Philo Carpathius mention'd in the last Volume dy'd several Years before St. Augustin wrote this Letter to Juliana Philo and Bede quote it as St. Augustin's and in the 15th Chapter some other Pieces of St. Augustin's are quoted This Book is an Instruction for Widows He asserts there That Widow-hood is to be preferr'd before Marriage Yet he doth not condemn Second Marriages nor Third and Fourth but only says That it is a great Crime to Marry after the Vow of Virginity though he judges those Marriages to be good and valid and blames those who look upon them as adulterous The Practice of the Church at that time was To put them under Penance who Married after vowing Virginity but their Marriages were not yet declared void as is plain by the Sixteenth Canon of the Council of Chalcedon and by several other Testimonies of the Ancients The rest of this Letter is full of Instructions to Juliana and her Daughter Demetrias who had already made Profession of Virginity as it is observed in the 19th Chapter And so this small Treatise is of the Year 414. He bids them beware of the Pelagian Errors In both the Books Of Marriages which cannot be excused from Adultery St. Augustin handleth this nice and Difficult Question Whether it be lawful either for the Man or the Woman to Marry after Divorce on the Account of Fornication Pollentius to whom these Books are directed believed That the Exception of the Case of Adultery which we find in St. Matthew's Gospel was no less to be understood of a Permission to Marry again than of a Separation of Bodies so that a Husband might not only leave his adulterous Wife but also take another when he was divorced from the first St. Augustin affirms on the contrary That a Woman thus divorced ought never to Marry again no more than the Husband who caused her to be divorced This whole Dispute depends upon the Sence of that Passage in St. Matthew which excepteth the cause of Fornication and upon that of St. Paul 1 Cor. 7. which saith That the Bond of Matrimony is indissoluble but by the