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The Second General Council of Lateran.
POPE Innocent II. having obtain'd the quiet Possession of the See of Rome, by the Death of * 1.1 Peter of Leon, conven'd in the Month of April A. D. 1139. a Council in the Palace of La∣teran, call'd, the Second General; which (as they say) was compos'd of near a Thousand Prelates, and of which Thirty Canons were published.
The First imports, That all Clergy-men, who were ordain'd by Simony, shall be depos'd from the Dignity which they have unjustly usurped.
The Second, That all those, who have bought or sold any Benefice, shall be depriv'd of it, and branded with Infamy; and that nothing shall be exacted for the conferring of Ecclesiastical Dig∣nities and Livings.
The Third, That none shall entertain those who are Excommunicated by their Bishop.
The Fourth, That the Bishops, and the rest of the Clergy, shall endeavour to please God and Men, by their inward Disposition, as well as by their outward Behaviour: That they shall give occasion of Scandal to none, neither by the Colour nor Fashion of their Habits: That they shall be cloath'd after a regular and modest Manner: And that they, who neglect to observe this Rule, shall be depriv'd of their Benefices, unless they be reform'd, after having been admonished by their Bishops.
The Fifth, forbids the Pillaging of the Goods, or Revenues, of the Bishops after their Death.
The Sixth, ordains, That those who officiate as Sub-deacons, or have enter'd into Orders of a higher Station, if they marry, or keep Concubines, shall lose their Offices or Benefices.
The Seventh, prohibits the hearing of Mass of Priests who are marry'd, or keep Concubines; declares the Marriages of Priests to be null; and ordains, that those who have contracted it shall be divorc'd, and put to Penance.
The Eighth, regulates the same Thing, with respect to Virgins consecrated to God, if they marry.
The Ninth, forbids Regular Canons, or Monks, to study the Civil Law, or the Art of Physick, in order to make profit by the Practice of those Sciences.
The Tenth, enjoyns Laicks, who have Churches or Tithes in their Possession to restore them to the Bishops under pain of Excommunication; prohibits the conferring of Arch-deaconries or Dean∣ries on any Persons but Priests and Deacons; declares that those who have procur'd them without entering into Orders, shall be depriv'd of them, if they refuse to be ordain'd: And in like manner forbids the granting of them to young Men, who are not admitted into Orders, or the demising of Churches to Priests for Rent.
The Eleventh, ordains, That Priests, Clerks, Monks, Travellers, Merchants, and Country People, shall have free Liberty to come and go with Safety at all times.
The Twelfth, specifies the Days and Times when it is forbidden to make War, and exhorts the Christians to Peace.
The Thirteenth, condemns Usury and Usurers.
The Fourteenth, prohibits military Combats that were practised at Fairs, and ordains, that those who are mortally wounded in such Rencounters shall be depriv'd of Christian Burial; although Penance, and the Viaticum, ought not to be deny'd them.
The Fifteenth, denounces an Anathema against those who abuse a Clergy-man, or a Monk, and prohibits the Bishops to give them Absolution, except in case of necessity, till they have made an Appearance before the holy See. The same Canon re-establishes the right of Sanctuary for Chur∣ches and Church-yards.
The Sixteenth, is a Prohibition to lay claim to Prebends, or other Benefices, by right of Succession.
The Seventeenth, re-enforces the Laws against Marriages amongst Relations.
The Eighteenth, denounces an Anathema against Incendiaries, and declares them to be unwor∣thy of Christian Burial; forbids to give them Absolution, till they have made Restitution for the Damage done by them; and enjoyns them for Penance to take a Journey to the holy Land, or to Spain, for the Service of the Church.
The Nineteenth, suspends for a Year, and condemns to restitution, the Archbishops or Bi∣shops, who shall take upon them to remit the Rigour of the Punishment ordain'd in the preceeding Canon.
The Twentieth, imports, That Kings and Princes have a Power to execute Justice, in consulta∣tion with the Bishops and Archbishops: A Canon which cannot be understood but in reference to Ecclesiastical Persons.
The Twenty first, forbids to admit into Orders the Sons of Priests; unless they have led a Re∣ligious course of Life in Monasteries, or in Canonical Houses.
In the Twenty second, Priests are admonished not to suffer Laicks to be deceiv'd by false shews of Penance; and it is observ'd therein, that that Penitence is of none Effect, when only one Crime is repented of, without reforming the others; or when one continues to dwell in the confines of Sin, by retaining an Office or Employment that cannot be exercised without Sin; or when one