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 first General Council of Lions in the Year 1245.

WE will not here repeat what we have already said concerning the History of this Council, and * 1.1 of the Sentence which the Pope herein pass'd against the Emperor Frederick; but since we have not spoken of the other Affairs which were Transacted, nor of the Decrees which were made in it, we are oblig'd to say something of them in this Place.

There were three principal Affairs besides that of Frederick: The Relieving of the Empire of Con∣stantinople against the Greeks; that of the Empire of Germany against the Tartars; and that of the Holy Land against the Saracens. The Pope willing to provide for those three urgent Necessities or∣ders for the Relief of Constantinople, That a Moyety of the Revenues of all Benefices, on which the Incumbents did not actually Reside, should be given. However excepts out of this Act the Clergy of the Church of Rome, the Crosaido-Men, and those who have Lawful Excuses for their Non-Residence. He likewise join'd to this Supply the Third Part of what any Benefices might be worth above an Hun∣dred Marks. He promis'd likewise that the Church of Rome should give a Third Part of its Revenues towards the Relief of the Empire of Constantinople. He Excommunicates the Beneficed Clergy who should use any Fraud, and grants Indulgences to all those that shall go to the Succour of that Empire, equal to those which they had who go to the Holy Land.

To put a stop to the Incursions of the Tartars into Poland, Russia and Hungary, he could find no bet∣ter way than to make Trenches and Forts, in order to prevent their Inroads till such time as the Ho∣ly See consider of it, and be able to provide for their Relief.

Lastly, As to what concerns the Relief of the Holy Land, where the Affairs of the Christians were in a very bad Posture, he admonishes the Priests and other Ecclesiasticks in the Army of the Christians, to Pray continually, and to exhort the Croisado-Men to Repentance, and the Practice of Vertue; and grants to those Clergy-Men the Privilege of enjoying their Benefices. In the second place, he appoints for the Relief of the Holy Land the Twentieth Part of all the Revenues of Benefices for the space of three Years, and the Tenth of the Revenues of the Pope and Cardinals. He exempts the Croisado-Men from Taxes and all manner of Contributions. He discharges them from the Interest of those Summs which they had Borrow'd. He pronounces an Anathema against the Pirates and against all

those who supply'd the Saracens with Ships, Arms, or other Ammunitions. He orders a Peace to be made between the Christian Princes for four Years, under the Penalty of Excommunicating and In∣terdicting those who oppos'd it. He prohibited Turnaments, and Lastly heap'd very large Indul∣gencies on the Croisado-Men.

He made use likewise of another method of Raising Funds for the Relief of the Holy Land and the Empire, which was to admonish those who had the Cure of Souls, to incline the Faithful to give something by their Last Wills and Testaments, or otherwise, to be employ'd in this Good Work, and to take care to keep it.

The Pope likewise in this Council made several Decrees relating to the Canon-Law, such as about Commissions, Elections, the providing of a Delegate-Judge; about Processes, Appeals and Accusa∣tions; about Excommunication, and Debts Contracted by Churches, and other Points of Law which are to be met with in the Decreetals, and which are related by Matthew Paris in his History.

Some of these Decrees were made in the Council, and others before or after the Council: But the Decree about Raising the Pence, displeas'd several Prelates, who openly oppos'd it; and the more, be∣cause it was said, That it was to be done by the Pope's Commissaries, and they complain'd that the Court of Rome had often Rob'd them of their Revenues under this Pretence.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The first General Council of Lions 1245.