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.

Council IV. of Toledo.

THis Council was assembled in 633, by King * 1.1 Sisenand. The Archbishops of Sevil, Nar∣bon, Merida, Braga, Toledo and Tarragona were present in it, together with 53. of their * 1.2 Suffragan Bishops, and 7 Presbyters, Bishop's Deputies. The Assembly was held in the Church of Leocadia.

The Council begins with a larger Confession of Faith than the ordinary Creeds, chiefly about the Incarnation. The Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son is establish'd there.

Then the Bishops declare, That as they have but one Faith, so they judge it fit, that they should have but one Discipline, and observe the same things in the Celebration of Di∣vine Service.

The 3d. Constitution is concerning Provincial Councils: It decrees, That seeing they can∣not easily be assembled twice in the Year, they shall hold one every Year, the 16th. of May, in what Town the Metropolitan shall please to appoint; that all those that have any Matters against the Bishops or the Magistrates, and great Lords, shall bring them to that Tribunal, and what shall be adjudged by the Synod shall be executed by the King's Officer: That in case there be any Matter of Faith, or any Affair concerning the Good of the whole Church, they shall call a general Synod of the Provinces of Spain and France.

In the 4th. Canon they settle the Form or Order of keeping the Council. In the Morn∣ing, the Porters having turned the People out of the Church, must stand at the Door, they are to come in at; that the Bishops are to enter in first, and then the Presbyters, and at last the Deacons they shall stand in need of: That the Bishops shall sit down in the Form of a Circle, and the Presbyters behind them: That the Deacons ought to stand up before the Bishops: That they shall also bring in some Notaries to read or to write. Then the Doors being shut, the Archdeacon shall say aloud, Pray ye: That one of the eldest Bishops shall pray aloud, the rest being prostrate: This Prayer being ended, the Arch-deacon shall say, Rise up: Then he shall read the Canons, ordering the holding of Provincial Councils; and the Metropolitan shall invite all them that have any Matter, to propound it: That they shall end that which is pro∣pounded. before they begin another: That if any of them that are without hath any thing to propound, he shall acquaint the Metropolitan with it, who shall relate it to the Council; that he shall be brought in, freely to propose what he hath to say. That the Council shall not end till all Matters be dispatch'd, and that none of the Bishops shall go away, before it be finished.

The 5th. Decrees, That the Metropolitans shall write to one another three Months before the Epiphany, to agree together about the Day on which Easter is to be kept; and then they shall acquaint the Bishops of their Provinces with it, to avoid the Differences which happen'd in Spain about Easterday, because of the several Tables.

The 6th. Canon contains a large Passage of S. Gregory, touching the Liberty of Baptizing with one or three Immersions, according to the Use of the Place.

The 7th. Canon determines, That the Passion shall be preached on Good Friday, and the People shall beg aloud the Pardon of their Sins, that the Faithful being purified by the Com∣punction of Repentance, may celebrate the Resurrection-Sunday, and receive the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ with a clean and pure Heart.

The 8th. prohibits breaking the Fast of Good-Friday before Sun-set, excepting only Children, Aged and Sick Folks.

The 9th. orders, That on Easter-eve they shall bless the Lamp and the Taper. Some Churches of France did not observe this Practice, wherefore they are enjoyned to observe it for the future.

In the 10th. they are reproved, who never said the Lord's Prayer but on Sunday. They prove, by the Testimonies of S. Cyprian, S. Hilary and S. Augustin, that this Prayer is to be said every day; and judged this Practice so necessary, that they threaten to depose the Clerks, that shall omit saying that Prayer every Day in their Publick or Private Office. This shews, that Clerks did even then recite their Office in private.

The 11th. Canon prohibits singing Hallelujah during the whole Lent, because it is a Time of Mourning, as well as the Kalends of January, in which they abstain from Flesh, as in Lent to feed only on Fish and Herbs. It is observ'd, That some did likewise abstain from Drinking Wine: In former Time, Abstinence from Wine was as strictly commanded as Ab∣stinence from Flesh.

The 12th. Constitution decrees, That the Laudes shall not be said after the Epistle, but after the Gospel. These Laudes are some Verses which they recited before the Offertory.

The 13th. rejects the Opinion of those, who believed, That the Hymns of Humane Com∣position, made in the Praise of the Apostles and Martyrs, were not to be recited, as not being drawn out of the Canonical Scriptures, nor authorized by Tradition. They observe, That if it were not lawful to recite any thing in the Divine Service, but what is from the

Scripture, they should retrench the most part of the Masses, Prayers, Collects, Recommenda∣tions, and most of the Prayers said in the Confirmation.

The 14th, orders, That the Song of the Three Children in the Furnace shall be sung in the Pulpit, at the Mass, on Sundays and Holy Days.

The 15th, orders, That, in the End of the Psalms, they shall not only say, Glory be to the Father, but Glory and Honour be to the Father.

In the 16th, it is observed, That some do not say the Gloria after the Responses, because it is not proper to what was said. Gloria is to be said when the Subject is joyful and cheerful, and the beginning of the Response to be repeated when it is sad and mournful.

The 17th Canon pronounces Excommunication against them that will not receive the Revelation of S. John, as a Divine Book, or that will not read it in their Churches, from Easter till Whitsunday, in the Time of Divine Service.

The 18th, orders, That after the reciting of the Lord's Prayer, and the mingling of the Bread with the Wine in the Cup, they shall bless the People before the Distribution of the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood. It says also, That Priests and Deacons ought to re∣ceive the Communion at the Altar, the rest of the Clergy in the Quire, and the People with∣out the Quire.

The 19th, forbids advancing to the Priesthood the following Persons; them that have been convicted of any Crimes, or that having confessed them, have done Penance pub∣lickly.

Them that have been Hereticks, or baptized in an Heresy, or rebaptized.

Them that have made themselves Eunuchs, or have lost some of their Limbs.

Them that have had many Wives, or have married Widows, as also those that have had Concubines.

Those of a servile Condition.

Neophytes, Laymen, or those that are entangled in Businesses.

The Ignorant and Unlearned; those that are not yet 30 Years old, and have not passed through the Ecclesiastical Degrees.

Them that seek to be ordained by Bribery, or to buy that Dignity.

Those that are chosen by their Predecessors.

Those that have not been chosen by the People and the Clergy, nor approved by the Metro∣politan and the Provincial Synod.

That he that hath all these Qualifications, is to be consecrated on a Sunday, by all the Bishops of the Province, or at least by three Bishops, with the Consent of the others, in the Presence and by the Authority of the Metropolitan, and in the Place which he shall chuse.

The 20th, forbids making any persons Deacons before 25. Years of Age, and Presbyters before 30.

The 21st, recommends to the Bishop a chaste and innocent Life, that they may offer the Sacri∣fice with Purity, and pray to God for others.

The 22d, exhorts them, not only to keep a pure Conscience, but moreover, to have a care of their Reputation, and to have always in their Chambers some persons of probity with them, which may bear Witness of it.

The 23d, enjoyns the same thing to the Presbyters and Deacons, that do not live with the Bishop.

The 24th, commands, That young Clerks shall dwell all together in the same Hall, under the Conduct of an Elder.

The 25th, Recommends to Bishops the Knowledge of the Holy Scripture and the Canons.

The 26th, shews, That the Presbyters, put into Parishes, ought to receive from the Bishop a Book, containing the Service of the Church, and instructing them in the manner of admi∣nistring the Sacraments, and when they come to the Council or in his Visitation, they ought to give an account to the Bishop, how they celebrate Service and administer Baptism.

The 27th, That the Presbyters and Deacons put into Parishes, are to promise to their Bi∣shop, that they will live regularly and orderly.

The 28th, That, if a Bishop, a Presbyter, or a Deacon, have been unjustly condemned, and their Innocency be acknowledge in a Second Synod, they cannot be what they were be∣fore, till they have received before the Altar, and from the Bishop's hands, the degrees which they were fallen from. If it be a Bishop, he shall receive the Stole, the Ring, and the Staff; If a Priest, the Stole, and the Chasuble; If a Deacon, the Stole, and the Albe; If a Sub-deacon, the Chalice, and the Patine, or Cover of it; and so of the other degrees, which shall receive again what was given them at their Ordination.

The 29th, is against the Clerks, who consult Diviners, or use Sorcery. It is ordered they shall be deposed, and shut up in Monasteries, to do Penance the rest of their Life.

The 30th, Forbids Bishops bordering upon the Enemies of the State, to receive any order from Strangers.

The 31st, Forbids Bishops to be Judges between Princes and their Subjects, who are ac∣cused of High-Treason, till they have promised to pardon the guilty.

The 32d, Warns the Bishops not to suffer the Magistrates and Men of Power to do un∣justly, and oppress the Poor, to reprove them, if they perceive them to do so; and when they will not amend, to complain to the King.

The 33d, Forbids Bishops to take to themselves above the Third part of the Revenues of Churches Founded in their Diocess, tho' it leaves them the whole Administration thereof.

The 34th, appoints, That between the Bishops of the same Province, Thirty Years pos∣session shall be a valid Title to keep the Churches, which they possess in the Diocess of ano∣ther, but not between Bishops of different Provinces.

The 35th, Puts in an Exception as to Churches newly built, and orders, That, altho' the old Church belongs to him who enjoyed it, Thirty Years since, notwithstanding the Church newly built shall belong to the natural Bishop of the place where 'tis built.

The 36th, Appoints the Bishop to visit every Year the Churches of his Diocess; and if he cannot do it, to commit the doing of it to some Priests and Deacons of known pro∣bity.

The 37th, declares, That Men are bound to pay what they promised to give, for the per∣forming some Ecclesiastical Service.

The 38th, imports, That seeing Presbyters are bound to assist the Poor, if it fall out, that they who have bequeathed something to some Church, be brought to Misery, they or their Children, that Church is bound to help them.

The 39th, Forbids Deacons to take place of the Priests, and to place themselves in the highest place of the Quire, whilst the Presbyters stand below.

The 40th, Forbids Deacons having Two Stoles; yea, and having one of divers Colours, or Embroidered with Gold.

The 41st, Enjoins all Clerks to shave the whole Crown of their Heads, leaving but a small Tuft of their Hair in the form of a round Circle, or a Crown.

The 42d and 43d, Forbids Clerks to dwell with Women, not related to them, and only permit them to live with their Mother, Sister, Daughter, and Aunt.

The 44th, appoints, That Clerks Marrying Widows, Divorced or Debauched Women, shall be separated from them by their Bishop.

The 45th, That Clerks taking up Arms shall be put to Penance in a Monastery.

The 46th, That a Clerk found Robbing Sepulchres, shall be Expelled out of the Clergy, and put to Penance for Three Years.

The 47th declares, That agreeably to King Sisenand's Order, the Council decrees, That Clerks shall be free from all publick Offices.

The 48th, orders, That all Bishops shall have Stewards to manage their Churches Revenue.

The 49th, imports, That a Monk may be made so by the Devotion of Parents, or his own Profession; That all they that are made Monks by either of these Two ways, shall be ob∣liged to continue Monks, and that they are not permitted to return to the World.

The 50th, Gives Clerks leave to become Monks.

The 51st, Forbids Bishops abusing Monks, but it preserveth them the Right which the Ca∣nons give them, to exhort Monks to a good Life, to instruct Abbots, and other Officers; and to correct what is done amiss, contrary to the Rule.

The 52d orders, That Monks leaving their Monastery, to return into the World, shall be Reproved, and put to Penance.

The 53d, Prohibits that sort of Religious persons, which are neither Clerks, nor Monks; and enjoins Bishops to put them to the choice of either of those professions.

The 54th, declares, That they, who being in danger of Death, undergo Penance without confessing any particular Sin, but saying only in general, That they are Sinners, may be pre∣fer'd to the Ecclesiastical State; but it is not so with them who have confessed some grievous Crime.

The 55th, commands, That those that yielded to undergo Penance, and prepared themselves to do it, shall be obliged to finish it, and shall be constrained by the Bishop to it. But if they leave it, and refuse to take it again, they shall be condemned as Apostates, as also the Virgins or Widows which have put on the Religious Habit, if they return to the World and Marry.

The 56th, Distinguisheth Two sorts of Widows, some Secular, who do not leave the Secu∣lar Habit, and other Religious which take a Religious Habit, and declares, it is not lawful for these to Marry.

The 57th, Forbids to constrain the Jews to turn, because Conversion ought to be wholly free; yet as for those who were forced to turn under King Sisebut, they will have them bound to continue Christians, because they have received Baptism, the Holy Chrism, and Christ's Body and Blood.

The 58th, Pronounces Excommunication against those that shall favour, or uphold the Jews against Christians.

The 59th, orders, According to King Sisenand's advice, those Christians that turned Jews, shall be constrained to return to the Church; and if they have Circumcised their Children, they shall be separated from them.

The 60th, decrees, That the Children of the Jews shall be taken away from them by force, to be Christianly brought up in Monasteries.

The 61st, That the Children of the Jews, who are become Christians, shall not be depri∣ved of their Father's Estate, who are condemned for Apostasie.

The 62d, Enjoins Christians to avoid Commerce with the Jews.

The 63d, orders, That Christian Women Married with Jews, shall be separated from their Husbands, if they will not be Converted.

The 64th, That the Testimonies of Christians, that turned Jews, shall not be received.

The 65th, Forbids the Jews bearing Publick Offices.

The 66th, Forbids them having Christian Slaves.

The 67th, Forbids the Bishops, who give nothing to the Church, to set at liberty the Slaves of their Churches.

The following Canons to the 75th, contain some other Constitutions concerning the Slaves and the Free-Men, which are now out of date.

The 75th, and last Canon, is concerning the Fealty due to Kings, and the security of their Persons. The Bishops detest there the Crime of those that violate the Faith they owe to their Prince, and make a long discourse to create an abhorrence of it. And to prevent any such thing in Spain, they pronounce a solemn Anathema against all those that shall Conspire against Kings, that shall attempt against their Life, or usurp their Authority; after having repeated that Anathema Thrice, with terrible Execrations, they promise Loyalty and Fidelity to King Sisenand, and his Successors, and at the same time they beseech him to Govern his People with Justice and Piety, not to Judge alone in Criminal Causes, but to cause them to be examined and judged by the ordinary Judges, reserving to himself the Right of Pardoning. They pro∣nounce Anathema against the Kings that should abuse their Authority to do Evil, and exercise a Tyrannical Power. And they do particularly declare, That by the consent of the whole Nation, King * 1.3 Suintilan, who deprived himself of the Kingdom, and laid down his Au∣thority, by confessing his Crimes, is fallen from his Dignity, his Honour, and his Lands, as well as his Wife, his Children, and his Brother.

Notes

• * 1.1

  [Siseran∣da the 22d. King of the Gothish Race.]
• * 1.2

  Council IV. of Toledo.
• * 1.3

  [Suin∣tilla.]