The Second Council of Rome under Zachary.
THIS Council (assembled An. 745.) was composed of 7 Bishops and some Presbyters. The Presbyter Deneardus, sent by Boniface, came before the Council (Octob. 25.) and declared, That this Bishop had called a Synod in France, in which Clement and Adalbert, false, schismati∣cal and heretical Bishops, had been deposed, and then put in Prison by the Prince's order; but, that they would not obey this Sentence, keeping their Dignity still, and continuing to seduce the * 1.1 People. He added, he had * 1.2 a Letter of Boniface's upon this Subject: It was read, he de∣manded, That those two Bishops should be kept in Prison, and that no Body might speak with them. He accuses Adalbert, who was a French Man, to have been an Hypocrite in his Youth, to have made People believe, That an Angel from Heaven had brought him some Relicks from far, by which means he could obtain whatever he desired of God; That afterward he had given Mony to be ordain'd by some ignorant Bishops; That at last he equal'd himself to the Apostles; That he would consecrate no more Churches to the honour of the Apostles or Martyrs; That he condemned Pilgrimages to Rome to visit the Sepulchres of the Apostles; That he had consecrated Altars in his own Name; That he had set up little Crosses and small Chappels in the Country, where he kept Assemblies; That the People crowded thither and forsook the Churches; That some had been so impudent as to say, S. Adalbert's Merits shall help us; and that he had the Face to give some of his own Nails and Hair, to be honoured and carried with S. Peter's Relicks; That the People flocking to him, to cast themselves down at his Feet, ready to confess their Sins, he told them, There was no need for them to do it, that he knew all they had done, that their Sins were forgiven them, and that they might be assured of it.
As for Clement, who came out of Ireland, That he did reject the authority of the Canons; That he would not receive the Writings of the Fathers, and maintain'd he might continue Bishop, after having had two Bastards; That he gave leave to marry the Brother's Wife; that he affirmed, That Christ, being descended into Hell, had delivered all those that were there, whether Be∣lievers or Unbelievers, Jews or Pagans, Worshipers of the true God or Idolaters. These Accusa∣tions, brought to the Synod of Rome, provoked the indignation of the Bishops against those two wicked Villains: Yet the Pope put off the judging of this Matter to another meeting on the same day. They read in this the Proofs of the Facts alledg'd in Boniface's Letter, the Life of this Adalbert, a Letter which he affirmed to have fall'n from Heaven, and to be found by S. Michael, and brought to Rome by another Angel. These Follies became a Laughing-matter to the Council.
The next day they read a Prayer of Adalbert's making, wherein he called upon the Angels Uriel, Raguel, Tubuel, Michael, Incar, Tubicas, Sabaoc, Simiel. The Council, hearing all this, declared, That all these pretended Angels, except S. Michael, were Daemons; That they knew the names but of 3 Angels, Michael, Raphael and Gabriel. They required, Adalbert's Writings to be burnt; but the Pope judg'd it better, to secure them in the Library of the Roman Church. After this, the Council declared, That Adalbert, whose Acts had now been read, who made himself be called Apostle, and his Nails and Hair be honoured as Relicks, who had seduced the People into several Errors, and invoked Daemons for Angels, ought to be deposed and put to Penance. They pronounced the same Sentence against Clement, upon the Accusations brought in Boniface's Letter.
This is the sum of the Acts of this Council, in the end of which is the Letter of Gemmulus Deacon of the Roman Church to Boniface, about the condemnation of those two false Bishops.