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 Bourdeaux in the Year 1255.

THis Council properly speaking is only a Synod of the Clergy of Bourdeaux held the 13th of April * 1.1 in the Year 1255, wherein Gerard de Malemort Arch-Bishop of that Church publish'd the follow∣ing Constitutions.

1. He order'd the Clergy-men who have Churches to be resident, and to present themselves in time to receive Orders under the Penalty of losing their Benefices.

2. He prohibits the Priests and Curates from tolerating Questors in Churches without his or the Holy See's Order.

3. From admitting of strange Clergymen without his Leave.

4. From Executing the Letters of Commission issu'd out of the Holy See, when a great part of the time perfix'd is elapsed

5. From giving Consecrated Hosts to Children on Easter-day; instead of which he permits the giving them Consecrated Bread.

6. He orders the Curates to write in the Missals the Inventory of the Goods of their Church, and forbids them to alienate them without the Consent of the Bishop.

7. He forbids the presenting of Relicks to Lay-men to swear by them in the seasons wherein 'tis un∣lawful to swear upon the Evangelists, upon any other account than that of Peace, which Seasons are from Septuagessima Sunday to Easter; from the beginning of Advent to the Octave of Epiphany, during the Rogation-days, and every Sunday in the Year.

8. He forbids the Priests to carry any Process before a Secular Judge, unless it be with the Con∣sent of the Bishop.

9. He orders, That they shall not any more bring any Relicks out of their Cases to expose them to the Weather, and that no new ones shall be honor'd till they have been approv'd of by the Pope.

10. He prohibits the Clerks from taking any Cognizance or passing any Sentence in Criminal Matters.

11. He prohibits the giving of Absolution to Excommunicated Persons at the point of Death, till they have satisfied all Parties, and given security for so doing, and makes them Responsible for it who absolve them otherwise.

12. He orders, That no Pleadings shall be in the Cloysters of the Monks under pain of Interdiction.

15. He made several Decrees relating to Tithes. He Excommunicates and deprives of Ecclesi∣astical Burial the Laicks who possess or detain them: Declares that the Tithes belong to the Curates: Prohibits the Engaging or Alienating of Tithes, and beside the Tithes would have the Laicks pay the first fruits, which is the Thirtieth, Fortieth or Fiftieth Part, and the other Dues which they ow to their Curates. This is the Subject Matter of Ten of these Constitutions.

In the Twenty sixth, He forbids the exacting any thing for the Administration of Sacraments, or for the Collating to Benefices.

In the Twenty seventh and eighth, He revives the Temporal Punishments against those who in∣fringe the Excommunication, or who despise and neglect to take it off

In the Two Last, He reforms the Abuses which were crept into the Societies, and prohibits them from making Constitutions or Choosing an Head without the consent of the Curate, and for the good of the Church.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Council of Bourdeaux in 1255.