The Second Council of Douzy.
AN Assembly of Bishops, who met the 13th of June at Douzy, in the Diocess of Rheims, Wrote * 1.1 a Circular Letter to the Bishops of Aquitain, which contains some Laws of the Councils and Popes about Marriages between Relations, and against them who possessed themselves of the Churches Revenues, that they might deterr the Great Lords from those two disorders, which reigned among them. This Assembly also Tried Duda the Nun, who, being ambitious to become an Abbess, combined with the Priest Huntbertus, and engaged him to Write Slanderous Libels a∣gainst her Abbess, and present them to the King's Commissioners, by whom he was convicted of Falsehood and Calumny. After this, he returned to his Monastery, and had such private com∣merce with the said Nun, that she became with Child by him: She confessed her fault, and said, That it was done by the Priest Huntbertus; but he denyed it. The Council, in the first place, declared, That that Priest, being already convicted of Perjury, and to be a False Accu∣ser, ought not to be believed upon his denial, nor ought they to refer themselves to his bare Af∣firmation. Secondly, That before he be judged in the place, where the Crime was committed, the King should send certain Commissioners into the Monastery, who may examine all the Nuns apart, and inquire out particularly of Duda, the time and place, where she committed the Crime with Huntbertus; who may also examine her Companions, and so make that Priest sensible that his Oath is not to be trusted; That if he persist in the Denial, they shall bring him before the Deputies of the Synod, King's Commissioners, Priests, and Clergy of the Monastery, with the Abbess, and her Society. That Duda, and her Companions, being also summon'd thither, shall en∣deavour to make him own his Crime. But, if he still resolutely deny it, they shall Swear Duda and her Companions, and make them bear Witness against him; That, upon their Testimony, he shall be deposed by the Deputies of the Synod, Banished by the King's Commissioners, and Im∣prisoned in some Monastery. As for Duda, they ordered, That she should be put to Penance, and Scourged by the Abbess, in the presence of her Sister-Nuns, and shall not be received into Com∣munion till after Seven years Penance. And, as for the two Nuns, who being conscious of Du∣da's Fault, did not discover it, they judged them Blame worthy; because the Priests, to whom they discover'd that sin, by secret confession, are obliged to keep them secret; yet there is not the same Obligation of Secresie upon them, who attain the knowledge of others Crimes some other way. Nevertheless, they dealt more mildly with these Nuns, and ordered, that after they have been moderately chastised with a Rod, they shall endure but Three years Penance. This is the sub∣stance of the Relation of this Council, which is full of choice passages out of the Councils and Fathers, very handsomly and fitly alledged.