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.

The Council of Nantes.

THE Canons which bear the Name of the Council of Nantes, are only a Collection of several Constitutions made at different places. * 1.1

The First orders, that the Priests on Sundays and Holy-days shall demand of the People before they say Mass, whether there be any person of another Parish, who is come to hear Mass in Con∣tempt of his own Priest; and if they find any, they shall put them out of the Church, and oblige them to return to their own Parish. They shall also ask, if there be any Person at Variance, and in Quarrels, and if they find any, they shall cause them to be Reconciled immediately, which if they refuse to be, they shall also put them out of the Church, till they shall be Reconciled, because they cannot bring their Offering to the Altar, till they be reconciled to their Brother. This being done, the Priest shall say Mass.

The Second forbids all Priests to receive the Parishioners of another, unless he be in a Voyage, or come to some Court.

The Third forbids a Priest to have any Woman with him, yea, those that are accepted by the Canons. It forbids also Women to approach the Altar, officiate as Priests, or to sit within the Rails.

The Fourth contains Directions, what a Priest ought to do when he hears that any Person is sick in his Parish. He ought to go immediately to see him, and when he enters into his Chamber, sprinkle Holy-Water, singing the Anthem, Asperges me Domine, Thou shalt sprinkle me, O Lord, &c. Psal. 51. 7. Then he shall say the Lord's Prayer, the Seven Psalms, and the Prayers for the Sick. After this, he shall cause all that are in the Chamber to go out, and coming to the Bed of the Sick-Man, he shall speak comfortably to him, and exhort him to put his whole Trust in God, to bear patiently the Afflictions he hath laid upon him, to confess his Sins, and to resolve fully upon a thorough Conversion; if God restores him to his Health, to promise, that he will do Penance, to dispose of his Goods, and set his worldly affairs in order, while he is of a sound Mind, to redeem his Sins by Alms, to pardon those that have injured him, to make a Confession of the Faith of the Church, and not to despair of the Mercy of God. After he hath given him these Exhor∣tations, he shall give him his Blessing, and then shall retire to leave the Sick Man to think of his Sins.

The Fifth imports, that the Priest who shall receive the Confession of a Sick-Man, shall not be∣stow Absolution upon him, but upon Condition, that if God shall restore him to his Health, he will undergoe Penance proportionable to his Faults.

The Sixth forbids taking any thing for Burials, and Burying in the Church, near the Al∣tar.

The Seventh forbids all Ministers of the Church to favour secret and clandestine Ordinations of any of the Clergy of another Diocess.

The Eighth forbids a Priest to have more than one Church, unless he have other Priests under him in every of those Churches, who shall recite the Office day and night, and celebrate Mass in them every day.

The Ninth commands, that the Bread be Blessed that is distributed to the People. This is one of the Articles of Hincmarus's Constitutions made 852.

The Tenth is about the Revenues of the Church, what use they ought to be put to, and how distributed into Four parts.

The Eleventh Orders, that when the Bishop designs to make an Ordination, he shall cause all those who are to be Ordained, to come to the City the Wednesday before the Ordination, with the Arch-Priests who are to present them. That afterward he shall send some Priests, and other dis∣creet persons, to get information of their Life, Education, Birth, Manners, and Capacity; that he shall have them examined Three days together, and on Saturday Ordain those he finds worthy.

The Twelfth allows a Man to put away his Wife for Adultery, but not to Marry ano∣ther in her Life-time. He may be Reconciled to her, but on condition that he doe Penance with her.

The Thirteenth imposes Three years Penance for single Fornication.

The Fourteenth imposes Seven years Penance upon a Married person, that hath committed A∣dultery; and Five on him that is not Married.

The Fifteenth regulates the practises of Fraternities, and takes away Abuses. This is Copy∣ed out of Hincmarus's Constitutions.

The next is an Extract from the same Author, In it a Priest is forbidden to sue for another Church besides what he has, and give Presents to the Lord to attain it.

The Seventeenth lavs 14 years penance upon a Voluntary and Publick Murtherer, viz. Five years in which he shall be separated from the Church; the rest of the time he may be at Pray∣ers, but without Offering, or Communicating.

The Eighteenth imposeth Five years penance upon an Involuntary Murtherer; Forty days Fast with Bread and Water, Two years separation from the Prayers of the Faithful, and Three years without communicating. It leaves it to the Priest to prescribe the Abstinence as he thinks con∣venient.

The Nineteenth forbids Nuns and Widows to be present at Pleadings, or any publick Assem∣blies, if they are not summon'd by the Prince or Bishop, or have no necessary business, in which case they ought to have the permission of the Bishop.

The Twentieth commands, that Bishops and their Ministers should use their utmost endeavours to abolish the Remainders of Idolatry in all places.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Council of Nantes.