The Council of London, held in the Year, 1075.
'TWAS a long time since any Councils were held, or any Constitutions made relating to Church-discipline in England, when Lanfranc was ordain'd Arch-bishop of Canterbury, * 1.1 neither could such an Assembly be summond'd for some time after, because the King would not suffer any to be conven'd without his permission. At last he held a National Synod at London, A. D. 1075. in which Thomas Arch-bishop of York assisted and eleven Bishops of England, with the Bishop of Coutances, who was admitted to the Council, because he had a considerable Estate in this Kingdom: There were also present 21 Abbots in this Council, in which it was first ordain'd, That all the Bishops should take their Places according to the antiquity of their Ordination, except those who had a peculiar Privilege upon account of the Dignity of their Sees; and after having sought for those who might lay claim to such a Privilege in England, it was determin'd that the Arch-bishop of York should be plac'd on the right Hand of the Metropolitan of Canterbury; the Bishop of London on the left, and the Bi∣shop of Winchester next the Arch-bishop of York; and that in the absence of the latter, the Bishop of London should sit on the right Hand of the Arch-bishop of Canterbury, and the Bi∣shop of Winchester on the left. Afterward it was decreed, That all the Monks should live according to St. Benedict's Rule; that they should take care to instruct the Youth, and that they should not have any private possessions: Then three Episcopal Sees which were erected in Towns, were translated to Cities, according to the Tenor of the third Constitution, and the ancient Injunctions were reviv'd, which prohibited to receive a Clerk who was sub∣ject to the Jurisdiction of another Bishop, without Letters of recommendation from his Diocesan, and to marry a near Kinswoman. Simoniacal Practices, Witchcraft and Pagan Superstitions were likewise forbidden, and the Celebacy of the Clergy was strictly enjoin'd.