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.

S. CHRODEGAND, Bishop of Metz.

CHRODEGAND * 1.1 Son of Landrada, having spent his Youth in the Court of Charles Martel, was advanced, under Pepin's Reign, to the Bishoprick of Mets, and ordained by * 1.2 Pope Steven (An. 743.) He was the Founder and Restorer of the common Life of Clerks; for, having taken Possession of his Bishoprick, he caused his Clergy to dwell in a Cloyster, gave them a Rule, and supplied them with all the Necessaries of Life, that they might take no more care for earthly Things, but might apply themselves wholly to God's Service only.

This Rule of Chrodegand was published, in its Native Purity, by F. Labbe, out of a Copy transcribed from an ancient Manuscript of the Vatican Library. F. Dacherius had printed one under his Name in his Spicilegium; but this is a Rapsody patched up out of the true Rule of Chrodegand, Decrees of the Council of Aix-la-Chappelle and some other Monastick Rules. The true one hath but 34 Articles, with a Preface to them, wherein Chrodegand tells his Clergy, That, if the Canons of the Nicene Councils were yet in force, and the Bishop and his Clerks lived according to their Rules, there would be no need for him to make a new Rule; but having found the Clergy and the People of his Diocess remiss and loose, he thought himself obliged to prescribe these Rules: That he enjoins all the People of his Diocess, to live in Unity and Love, to frequent the Divine Service constantly, to be obedient to their Bishop, to avoid Law-suits and Divisions, to give no Offence; and the Pastors to look to their Flocks, as knowing they must one day give an Account of them to the Pastor of Pastors.

Then he prescribes some particular Rules to his Clerks.

In the 1st. Article he recommends Humility to them.

In the 2d. he binds them, To take place of one another according to their Seniority in Or∣ders. He will not have them to call themselves by their proper Names, without adding the Name of their Dignity; That the younger Clerks, when they meet their Seniors, shall bow to them, and ask their Blessing; That being set down, they shall rise up and give them their place. He enjoins young Men to observe this Rule, and preserve Modesty in all things.

The 3d. Article imports, That they shall all lie in the same Cloyster, in different Cells; That Women shall not come into the Cloyster, no, nor any Lay-man, without an order from the Bishop, the Archdeacon or the Chancellor; That they shall eat all together in the same Hall; That no Laick shall be admitted into the Cloyster.

The 4th. Article imports, That all the Clerks shall repair to the Church of S. Steven at Compline; after which last part of the Office they shall eat no more, and they shall keep Si∣lence till the first hour of Prayer; and if any Body did not return home at Compline, he is forbidden to knock at the Door, or to come into the Cloyster before the hour of the Nocturnal Office. Clerks are forbidden to stay in Town after the hour of Compline, without coming to it.

The 5th, 6th, and 7th. Articles, order the time and manner of singing the Divine Service in the day and night time.

In the 8th. he orders them to come every day into the Chapter-house after the Office of the first hour, to read there some of the Instructions made by him, or of the Homilies on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and there to receive Orders and Reproofs of the Bishop or Arch-deacon.

In the 9th. Article he enjoins them to perform the Bodily Labours, as well in common as in private.

In the 10th. He will have the Clerks, when they are upon a Journey, to keep their Rule whilst they are travelling, and to recite their Office.

In the 11th. he charges them to be Zealous.

In the 12th. he forbids private Persons to strike or to excommunicate their Brethren.

In the 13th. he forbids them to make Parties one against the other.

In the 14th. having represented the usefulness of Confession, he chargeth the Clerks to con∣fess their Sins twice every year to their Bishop, or to the Presbyters appointed by the Bishop, once in the beginning of Lent, and the other time between the 15th. of August and beginning of November. And all those who are guilty of no Crime, to receive the Body and Blood of Christ every Sunday, and on the great Festivals. He declares, That, if any Body hath con∣cealed his Sins from his Bishop, and goes to confess to other Priests, fearing, least the Bishop should degrade him or hinder his admission, and if the Bishop comes to know it, he that hath done so, shall be scourged severely or be imprisoned. For he is a very wicked Man, says he, who sins before God, and will not confess his Sins to him, of whom he ought to receive advice for the recovery of his Health.

The 15th. ordains, That Clerks guilty of heinous Crimes, such as Murthers, Fornication, Adultery, Robery and such like; shall be chastised on their Body, and then sent into Exile or cast into Prison, where they shall stay as long as the Bishop pleases; That when they come out, they shall moreover do publick Penance; that is, they shall stay at the Church-door pro∣strate, whilst others go in and come out, and they shall not enter in during the Service, but they shall say it standing at the door; That they shall use such Abstinence as the Bishop shall impose upon them; and that they shall receive a Blessing from no Body, before they be re∣conciled; That they shall sue for this Reconciliation publickly, being pros••rate on the Ground, and the Bishop shall reconcile them according to the order of the Canons.

The 16th. Excommunicates him who shall keep Company with an Excommunicate Per∣son.

The 17th. ordains, That for lesser Faults, such as Pride, Disobedience, Arrogancy, Detra∣ction and the Faults against the Rule, those who are faulty shall be first of all be admonished before one or two Witnesses; if they do not amend, they shall be reproved publickly; and if they persist, they shall be excommunicated; and, lastly, if they prove incorrigible, they shall have a corporal Punishment inflicted upon them.

The 18th. is concerning much lighter Faults, such as coming late to Meat, he chargeth the Clerks to come presently to discover them to the Bishop, who shall impose a light Punishment upon them; but if they do not submit to it, and their Fault come to be known, they shall be more severely punished.

The 19th. declares, That Penance to be imposed, ought to bear proportion with the Faults.

In the 20th. he ordains, That Clerks shall not eat till after the Vespres; That they shall ab∣stain from things prescribed by the Bishop; That they shall not eat out of the Monastery during this time, except in case of great necessity; That they shall not go out neither, without ne∣cessity; That they shall give themselves to Reading; That from Easter to Whitsuntide they shall eat twice aday, and they shall eat Flesh, except on Fridays; That from Whitsunday till S. John's day, they shall eat twice also, but shall abstain from Flesh-meat at the first Meal; That from Midsummer to S. Martin's day, they shall also eat twice aday, but shall eat no Flesh on Wednesdays and Fridays; That from S. Martin's day till Christmas, they shall not eat till after the 9th. hour, and shall abstain from Flesh; That from Christmas to Lent, they shall fast till the 9th. hour, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and on the other days they shall be allowed two Meals; That they shall abstain from Flesh only on Wednesday and Friday, unless they happen to be Holy-days, and the Superior permits them to eat of it; That the Bishop may dispence with the Infirm as to their Abstinence; lastly, That his Clergy may eat Flesh during the Octave of Whitsunday.

In the 21st. he prescribes the order of the Tables in the Hall, and ordains that there shall be Reading when they are at Meat, and prescribes some other Particulars about the order of the Hall.

In the 22d. and 23d. he comes to Particulars about the quality and quantity of the Meat and Drink.

The 24th. obliges all the Clerks to wait in the Kitchin, except the Arch-deacon and the Chancellor.

The following Articles are concerning the Duties of Officers, of the Arch-deacon, the Chancellor, the Butler, the Porter.

The 28th. is concerning the care to be had of the Infirm and Sick.

In the 29th. he provides for the clothing and warming of them.

In the 30th. he sets down the Festivals when the Bishop is to Feast them.

In the 31st. he enjoins the Clerks of his Society to have a Propriery in nothing, and to give what they have to the Church of S. Paul: Yet he gives them leave, to reserve the use of it to themselves for Almsgiving, and to dispose of their Moveables, as they please, by their Wills.

The 32d. imports, That the Alms bestowed upon private Persons, as upon Priests for say∣ing Mass or hearing Confessions, or upon other Clerks for praying, shall be their own; but those bestowed upon the Community shall be common. He will not have Ecclesiastical Persons to take a great quantity of Alms, for fear of over-burdening themselves with the Sins of others.

The 33d. Article is concerning the time and manner in which those Clerks ought to come to Mass on Holy-days.

The last Canon respects Clerks inducted into other Churches; he charges them to come twice in a Month, once in a Fortnight to the Church of S. Steven, to receive necessary Instru∣ctions and Advices from the Bishop, or him who taketh care of that Church.

Notes

• * 1.1

  [Alias Chroded in∣dus or Rode∣gangus.]
• * 1.2

  S. Chrode∣gand.