The Council of Lerida, or Ilerda.
THe Council held at Lerida on the eighth of August in the Year 524, under King Theodoric, con∣sisting of nine Bishops, made these following Canons.
The first forbids Clergy-men who serve a•• the Altar, and distribute the Blood of Jesus Christ, or who touch the Vessels destin'd for a holy Ministery, to shed Human Blood, even that of their Ene∣mies. If they do it, they shall be depriv'd for two years of the Communion, and suspended from the Exercise of their Ministry; and they shall exp••a•••• their Fault by Watching, by Fasting, and by Prayers, if they have a mind to be restor'd; neither shall this be granted, but upon condition that they shall be uncapable of rising to higher Orders: That if in this time of two▪ years they shall be found negligent and slothful in doing Penance, the Bishop shall prolong the time of their Pe∣nance.
The second imposes seven years Penance upon those Men or Women that murder Infants conceiv'd or born in Adultery. If they be Clergy-m•••• they also shall be put under Penance, and shall never be restor'd again to their Order: They shall only be permitted after seven years to sing in the Quire. But as to those who give drugs for committing these detestable Crimes, 'tis said that they shall not re∣ceive the Communion till death.
The third renews the Canons of the Councils of Agda and Orleans, concerning Monks, and adds to them this Canon, That the Bishop may, with the consent of the Abbot, and for the good of the Church, draw forth Monks out of the Monastery to ordain them Clergy-men; that he cannot meddle with the Donations that are made to Monasteries, and yet no Person can under this pretence cause to consecrate a Church under the Title of a Monastery, to hinder it from being entirely at the dispo∣sal of the Bishop.
The fourth imports, That those who continue to live in Incest, shall not be suffer'd to continue in the Church any longer then till the Catechumens are dismiss'd, and that no Christian may so much as eat with them.
The fifth impo••••s, That if those who serve at the Altar fall into a Carnal Sin through Fr••ilty▪ and afterwards give signs of Remorse, it is in the Bishops Power to restore them quickly, if he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 them truly pierced with hearty Sorrow, or to leave them a long while Excommunicated if they be slothful; But that he shall not restore them, except upon condition, that they shall not be capable of rising to higher Orders, and if they relapse, they shall be separated from the Communion till death.
The sixth Canon says, That he who has defil'd a Widow or a Nun, shall be Excommunicated, and that the Nun also shall be Excommunicated, unless she part from him, in which case she shall be put under publick Penance.
The seventh excludes him for a year from the Communion of the Body and Blood of our Lord, who has made an Oath never to be reconcil'd to that Man with whom he had a Suit of Law, and advises to blot ou•• his Sin by Aims, by Tea••••, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 F••••••ing.
The eighth forbids Clergy-men to take out of C••••rches by force, or to abuse their Slaves or Scho∣lars, when they t••••e shelter there.
The ninth ordains that those who ha••e bee•• re-baptiz'd in Heresie▪ shall be seven years under Pe∣nance among the Catechumens, and two years among the Catholicks, and that after this time they may partake of the Oblation and the Euc••••rist.
The tenth ordains, That those who will no•• ret••e from the Church for some Fault, according to the Order of their Bishop, shall continue the longer under ••en••nce.
The eleventh enjoyns the Bishop to punish those Clergy-men who fight with any Man, according to the quality of the Person offended.
The twelfth meddles not with the Ordinations which are already made▪ against the Canons, but only forbids to promote those who are thus ordain'd to higher Orders. And declares for the future▪ That they shall be Depos'd, and that those who ordain them, shall not any more be permitted to make an Ordination.
The thirteenth rejects the Oblations of Catholicks, who give their Children to be baptiz'd▪ by He∣reticks.
The fourteenth forbids the Faithful to eat with those Persons who cause themselves to be re-baptiz'd by Hereticks.