A new history of ecclesiastical writers containing an account of the authors of the several books of the Old and New Testament, of the lives and writings of the primitive fathers, an abridgement and catalogue of their works ... also a compendious history of the councils, with chronological tables of the whole / written in French by Lewis Ellies du Pin.

The Council of Poitiers held in the Year 1100.

THIS Council was assembled on the Octave of St. Martin in the same Year. The Bishop * 1.1 of Autun, not having sufficiently clear'd himself of the Accusation brought against him, was depos'd and excommunicated, notwithstanding his Appeal to the Pope in this Council, and in the preceding: For the Legates had declar'd, that no regard ought to be had to that Ap∣peal, since they were invested with the whole plenitude of the Pontifical Power. This Council was compos'd of Eighty Dignitaries, as well Bishops as Abbots, and in it was pronounced a solemn Excommunication against King Philip for retaking Bertrade. The Abbot of St. Remy at Rheims was confirm'd in his Abbey; the Case of Drogo, Treasurer of the Church of Châlons, was argu'd, and it was made to appear, that he could not possess that Benefice, having another in another Dio∣cess: Lastly, a certain Church was adjudg'd to Ives Bishop of Chartres, which had been usurped from him, and Sixteen Canons were made in this Council.

The first imports, That only the Bishops or Abbots shall be empower'd to administer Clerical Tonsure to the Monks, that is to say, to engage them in the Monastick Life by vertue of that Ceremony, and that they ought only to confer it on those Persons who actually tum Monks.

The Second, That nothing shall be exacted upon account of such Tonsure, nay not so much as for the Sizzers and Napkins that are us'd in performing the Ceremony.

The Third ordains, That Clerks shall not do Homage to Lay-men, and shall not receive Church-Livings from their Hands.

The Fourth, That the Benediction of the Sacerdotal Habits, and of the Utensils belonging to the Altar, shall be reserv'd to the Bishop.

The Fifth, That the Monks shall not be allow'd to wear the Maniple, unless they exercise the Office of Sub-deacons.

The Sixth, That the Abbots shall not make use of Gantlets and Sandals, nor of the Ring, in officiating, unless they have obtain'd a Privilege from the See of Rome.

The Seventh, That Prebends shall neither be bought nor sold, and that no Household-Provi∣sions shall be exacted for the conferring of them.

The Eighth, That no Prebends, nor any other Benefices, shall be dispos'd of during the Life-time of the Incumbents.

The Ninth, That the Clerks and Monks shall not buy any Altars or Tithes of the Laicks.

The Tenth declares, That the Regular Canons may Baptize, Preach, enjoyn Penance, and Bu•…•… the Dead, with a Licence from the Bishop.

The Eleventh, That the Exercise of these Functions is forbidden to Monks.

The Twelfth ordains, That those Clerks, who carry about Relicks to get Money by them shall not be suffer'd to preach.

The Thirteenth, That the Archbishops shall not exact of the Bishops, nor the Bishops of the Ab∣bots, any Copes, Carpets, Basons, or Napkins, for their Consecration.

The Fourteenth, That Laicks shall have no share in the Offerings made at the Altar, nor in the Gratuities allow'd to the Priests, especially upon the account of Burials.

The Fifteenth, That no authorized Judges shall seize on the Revenues of the Bishops, either in their Life-time, or after their Death.

The Sixteenth, and last Canon, confirms every Thing that Pope Urban had ordain'd in the Council of Clermont; particularly concerning Tithes and Altars unjustly retain'd by Laicks, as also concerning the Celebacy of Priests, Deacons, Sub-deacons, and Canons, and the Prohibition to hold Two Prebends, or Two Dignities in Two several Churches. Moreover it is related in a certain Ancient Chronicle, that this Council ordain'd, that the Bishops should have a Right to re∣cover their Possessions.

King Philip, to cause the Excommunication which was denounced against him in the Council of Poitiers to be taken off, wrote to the Pope, that he was ready for the future, not to have to do carnally with Bertrade. Whereupon the Pope referr'd the Management of that Affair to Richard Bishop of Albano his Legate, who held at Beaugency a Council of the Bishops of the Provinces of Rheims and Sens, in which the King and Bertrade took an Oath upon the Holy Gospels, that they would no longer have carnal Copulation together, and that they would not see one another, but in the presence of such Persons as could not be suspected, till they had obtain'd a Dispensation from the Pope. However the Bishops and the Legate durst not give them Absolution, but reserv'd the Determination of the Matter to the Pope: Afterwards Richard being departed from France, the Pope granted a Commission for that purpose to Lambert Bishop of Arras, with the Archbishops and Bishops of the Provinces of Rheims, Sens and Tours, whom he impower'd to absolve the King, in case he renounced his unchast Correspondence with Bertrade, and engag'd no longer to see her, unless it were in the presence of unsuspected Persons. At last, Lambert Bishop of Arras, Diam∣bert Archbishop of Sens, Radulphus Archbishop of Tours, and many of their Suffragans, being con∣ven'd at Paris A. D. 1105. receiv'd the Oaths of the King, and of Bertrade, conformably to the Tenor of the Pope's Letter, and gave them Absolution upon those Conditions.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Coun∣cil of Poi∣tiers in 1100.