The Council of Tours held in the Year 1163.
THis Council held at Tours by Pope Alexand••r III. on the 28. Day of April, was compos'd of * 1.1 Seventeen Cardinals, 127 Bishops, and of a very great Number of Abbots, and other Ecclesiastical Persons. Arnulphus, Bishop of Lifieux, made an excellent Discourse before mention'd; Alexander renew'd his Bulls of Excommunication against Octavian, and the Ten fol∣lowing Canons were publickly set forth.
The First, forbids the dividing of Prebends, and the changing of Dignities.
The Second, condemns Usury, more especially that by virtue of which the Interest of Things left in pawn by poor People, amounts to a greater Sum than the Principal.
In the Third, Clergy-men are forbidden to bestow Churches, Tithes, or Offerings on Laicks.
The Fourth, is against the Albigeois, which we have already recited in discoursing of those People.
The Fifth, prohibits the letting out of Churches to Priests for an Annuity or yearly Rent.
The Sixth, forbids the exacting of any Thing for admission into Orders; for Nominations to Benefices; for the Burial of the Dead; for the Holy Chrism; and for the consecrated Oils.
The Seventh, is a Prohibition to Bishops to grant Commissions to Deans, or to Arch-Priests, for the carrying on of Judiciary Proceedings in their room, or instead of Arch-deacons.
By the Eighth, Monks are forbidden to go out of their Cloisters in order to study, or to become Professors of the Civil Law, or to practise Physick.
The N••nth, declares the Ordinations made by Octavian, and by the other Schismaticks or Hereticks, to be void and of none Effect.
The Tenth, proposes new Methods for maintaining the Revenues and Liberty of the Churches, and ordains, That whenever the Chaplains, who reside in the Castles, perceive any Injury to be done the Church, they shall make an Address to the Lord of the Castle, to demand Restitution; and if he neglect to do it within the space of Eight Days, the Celebration of the Divine Offices shall be suspended in the Castle; except that of Baptism, Confession, and the Communion, in case of Danger of Death: Only it is permitted to say Mass privately once a Week in a neighbouring Village, to consecrate the Host: It is added, That if the Inhabitants of the Castles continue in their obstinacy Forty Days, the Chaplains shall absolutely abandon the Place. They are also or∣der'd to retire in Three Months, if they be charg'd with any manner of Servcies, and enjoyn'd to get Information when the Booty is brought in; whether any of it belong to the Churches, or be claimed by Clergy-men: All the Vicars and Chaplains are requir'd to take an Oath to observe these Injunctions.
By this Canon, the Inn-keepers and Inhabitants of Towns or Villages, are forbidden to entertain excommunicated Persons: Church-yards and Ecclesiastical Revenues are exempted from all manner of Rent-charges and Assessments: The Excommunication to be inflicted on those who misuse Clergy-men is reviv'd, with a Reservation of that Cause to the See of Rome. All manner of Converse or Correspondence is prohibited with Persons who lie under a Sentence of Excommunication: The ••eans are enjoyn'd to take care that these Ordinances be duly put in execution, and to give notice to the Bishop or Arch-deacon, of the Trespasses that shall be committed upon them. The Abbots, Monks, Priors, Abbesses and Prioresses, are likewise free'd from all manner of Rent-charges,