Page 104
The Council of Oxford, in the Year 1222.
STephen Langton Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, of whom we have already made mention; held a Council * 1.1 at Oxford in the Year 1222. wherein he made a great many Orders for Reforming the Church of England, and especially the Monastical Discipline. He therein Condemn'd an Impostor who call'd himself The Christ, and shew'd marks in his Hands, in his Feet, and in his Side, as the Scars of those Wounds made in his Suffering upon the Cross. We have the Canons of this Council, divided into Forty nine Chapters.
The first declares all those Excommunicated who wrong the Church; those that disturb the quiet of the State; false Witnesses, especially in the Case of Marriage, and Dis-inheriting; false Accu∣sers; those who unjustly or maliciously oppose the Patronage, or the taking Possession of Benefices: and those that obstruct the Execution of the Orders of the Prince against Excommunicated Persons.
The Second concerns the Duties of Bishops who are recommended to have honest and grave Al∣moners, to be Charitable, to give Audience to the Poor, and to do them Justice, to hear Confessions- to see that their Diocesses be Visited, to be resident at their Cathedrals on the Great Festivals and during Lent, and tosee that the Profession of Faith which they made at their Consecration be read.
By the Third, they are prohibited from exacting any thing for the Collation of Benefices; and by the Fourth, from delaying to give Institution and Induction to such as are presented to them for to supply the Benefices. However in case there be two Persons presented by two Patrons, it is order'd by the Fifth, That neither of them shall be promoted by the Bishop till the Cause be determin'd.
The Sixth imports, That the Priests shall celebrate Mass and administer the Sacraments with De∣votion; that they shall repeat the Words of the Canon entirely; that they shall not take the Ablution, if they are to celebrate again the same day. They are likewise prohibited from celebrating the Mass often on one and the same day, except on Christmas and Easter-day: or when a Corps is to be interr'd, in which case they shall say the First Mass of the Day, and the Second for the Deceas'd.
The Seventh prohibits the Ecclesiasticks who are Benefic'd or in Orders, from being Farmers, Judges, Bayliffs, or Officers, and from giving or passing Sentences of Death. Prohibitions are there∣in likewise made from holding a Session to try a Criminal in Consecrated Places, such as the Church and Church-yard.
The Eighth contains the Catalogue of Feasts that ought to be Solemniz'd, which are all Sundays, the Five Days of Christmas, the Circumcision, the Epiphany, all the Festivals of the Blessed Virgin, ex∣cept that of the Conception, to celebrate which no Man is oblig'd (these are the very Words of the Council) the Conversion of St. Paul, the Chair of St. Peter, all the Festivals of the Apostles, the Feast of St. Gregory, Holy Thursday, the Second, Third and Fourth Holydays in Easter-Week, As∣cension-day, the Second, Third and Fourth Holy-days in Whitson-Week, the Feast of St. Augustin in May, the Two Feasts of the Holy Cross, the Translation of St. Thomas the Martyr, the Two Feasts of St. John, the Feast of St. Margaret; that of St. Mary Magdalene, the Feast of St. Peter in bonds the Feasts of St. Lawrence, St. Michael, St. Edmund the Confessor, St. Edmund the King and Mar∣tyr, Sr. Catharine, St. Clement, and St. Nicholas, the Feast of the Dedication of each Church, and the Feast of the Holy Patron. There are likewise reckon'd several other Feasts of a Second Rank which are to be celebrated with less Solemnity, and several of a Third Rank, on which they might go to work after Mass, with a List of the Vigils and Fasts of the Year.
The Ninth enjoyns the Curates to Preach often, and to take care to visit the Sick.
The Tenth imports, That every Church shall have a Silver-Chalice, with other necessary Utensils, a White Surplice, Altar-cloths, Books and Ornaments proper and suitable, and that the Arch-Deacons shall take care of it.
The Eleventh prohibits a Man who resigns a Benefice, from retaining the Vicaridge thereof.
The Twelfth forbids the dividing a Benefice into several, and the giving it to divers Persons.
The Thirteenth prohibits the giving the Vicaridge of a Church to a Man who will not serve that Church in Person.
The Fourteenth orders the Residence of the Benefic'd Clergy.
The Fifteenth adjusts what Allowance is compleat for a Vicar.
The Sixteenth declares, That there ought to be two or three Priests in the great Parishes.
The Seventeenth imports, That the Bishop shall cause him who is presented to a Benefice to take an Oath, that he has given nothing to him who Presented him.
The Eighteenth, That there shall be settled in every Arch-Deaconry Confessors for the Rural Deans, end the other Ecclesiasticks, who will not Confess themselves to their Bishop.
The Nineteenth prohibits Rural Deans from taking Cognizance of Matrimonial Causes.
The Twentieth forbids all manner of Persons to keep Robbers in their Service..
The Twenty first forbids the Arch-Deacons to be any Charge to the Churches in their Visits.
The Twenty second prohibits the Leasing out of Benefices.
The Twenty third and the four next order the Arch-Deacons to inform themselves whether the Canon be as it ought to be, and whether the Priests know how to recite it and to pronouoce the Words of Baptism; to inform themselves whether the Eucharist and the Holy Chrism be under Lock and Key, and to take an Account of the Ornaments and Goods of the Churches.
The Twenty eighth prohibits the Ordinaries, or their Officers from Issuing out any Sentences which are not preceeded by a Cononical Admonition.