The Relics of Rome, Part 64 – Part 66
Of excommunication.
POpe Calixtus the fyrst made a decree yt no Christen mā should communicate or bee familiar with him yt is excommunicate,No cōpany with excō municate persons. Ioan. Ep. ii. eyther in prayer, or in eating and drinckyng, or in any other point of amitye, no, nor yet bydde hym once God speede, accordyng to the doctrine of the Apostle. Agayne, if any man, presumed to doe the contrarye wittingly & of a set purpose yt the same person shuld also be excommunicate. In the yere of our Lord. 217. Lib. Concil. Bartholom. Carrantza. Mich. Buccingerus.
The same decree made Pope Fabian also. In the yeare of our lorde. 242. Lib. Concil. Carrantza.
Pope Lucius the fyrst decreed,Spoylers of ye church excommunicate. yt all such as spoyle, robbe & take away the churche goodes, or in any case vexe or trouble the churches, or any appertaynyng vntounto them, shoulde be excommunicate and accursed. In the yere, &c. 258 In epist. 1. Ad episcopos Galliae et Hispaniae Lib. Concil.
Pope Gregorye the fyrst cōmaunded,A good & a godly law. yt no byshop should excommunicate any man for priuate iniuries, wronges, and displeasures done agaynst himself, (which sayth he,☞ ought eyther patiently to be suffred, or els vtterly to be dissembled) but only for such sinnes as ar cōmitted agaynst God or agaynst our neighbour to the slaunder of the fayth and doctrine, whiche we professe. In the yeare of our Lorde. 590. Caus. 2. Qu. 4. Cap. Inter querelas.
The names of excōmunicate persons published.Pope Honorius the fyrste made a decree, yt the names of suche as were excommunicate, shoulde be published to al Byshops, Curates and Churches yt be nighe: again, that their names with the excommunication shoulde be set in places, where most resort of people is, yt by this meanes al men may eschewe them, and forbyd them to come into their companyes. In the yeare of oure Lorde. 622. Lib. Concil. Caus. 11. Quaest. 3. Cap. Curae sit.
One excō municate person may not excommunicate an other.Pope Alexander the second ordayned, yt he which is already excommunicate, should not presume to excommunicate an other. In the yeare, &c. 1063. Caus. 14. Quaest. 1. Cap. Audiuimus.
Pope Calixt the fyrst decreed, that all suche as either hinder, let, or trouble those persons yt go to Rome on pilgrimage to visite the holy Apostles Peter and Paule,Hinderers of pilgrimages or spoylers of pilgrimes accursed. or ells any other where to seeke and visite ye Oratoryes of other Saintes: eyther spoyle or take away any of their thinges, yt they carye with them, shalbe excōmunicate, and so remayne til they hauehave made ful and perfecte satisfaction. In the yeare of oure Lorde. 217. Caus. 24. Quaest. 3. Cap. Si quis Romipetas.
Pope Gregory the fyrst made a decree, yt whosoeuer striketh Bishop or prieste or spoyleth or setteth on fyre churches:Smiters of byshops or priestes▪ spoylers or burners of churches, accursed. the same shal be excommunicate: hys goodes confiscate, and he hymselfe enclosed in a monasterye and there do penaunce al the daies of his life. For, sayeth he, suche a person hath committed most greuous sacriledge. In the yeare of oure Lorde. 590. Lib. Concil. Caus. 24. Qu. 3. Cap. Quisquis.
Pope Nicolas the fyrst pronounced al them accursed,Spoylers of pilgrimes Chaplens▪ Clarkes, monks, &c▪ accursed. that spoyle pilgrimes or Oratours of any Saint, or Clerks, or Monkes, or women, or poore people yt beare no weapon, or elles take awaye theyre goodes, or do them anye other kinde of harme. In the yeare, &c. 871, Caus. 24. Qu. 3. Cap. Illi qui.
Pope Vrban the fyrst proclaymed also al thē excommunicate, yt trouble the Curates of any churches, or Clerkes, or Monks, or the Conuerses, Nouices, that appertayne vntounto thē. In the yere, &c. 222. Lib. Concil.
Pope Vrban the seconde made a decree, yt no man ought to kepe company nor to eate and drinke with suche, as ye Byshop hath excommunicated. In the yeare of our lord. 1086. Caus. 11. Quaest. 3. Cap. Quibus.
Pope Clement the fyrst made a law, yt if the priestes and other of the Clergye,Disobediēt to bishops, accursed. yea and all Princes and Rulers, whether they be of hye or lowe degree with al ye cōmon people, doe refuse to obey the byshops: al such shuld not only loose their good name but also bee banyshed out of the kingdome of God, & put out of the company of the faythful, yea and vtterly estraunged from al doings with the holy churche of God. In the yeare, &c. 92. Caus. 11. Qu. 3. Cap. Si aeutem vobis Episcopis.
Pope Gregory the seuenth decreed, yt although hys predecessours the popes according to the rigoure of the ecclesiasticall censure dyd forbyd generallye al men to keepe companye,This pope mitigateth y• rigor of ye ecclesiastical censure. to praye, to eate, drinke, bye, sell, &c, with suche as be excommunicate and accursed: yet from henceforth it shall be lawfull for wiues to keepe companye, to eate and drinke, &c, with their husbandes: children with their parentes: seruauntes and hande maydes with their maisters and mastresses, &c, although they be excommunicate. He also exempteth thē by the Apostolyke authoritie from the bonde of excommunication, which ignorantlye communicate with them yt are excommunicate. In the yere of our lorde. 1073. Caus. 11. Quaest. 3. Cap. Quoniam multos.
Pope Zacharye the fyrst determined,A frendly decree. yt although men kepe companye, eate and drinke with them that are excommunicate, yet if they doe it not of an euill purpose, nor inwardly consente to their iniquitie, thei receaue no domage thereby, neither are they excommunicate. In the yeare, &c. 752. Caus. 11. Qu. 3. Cap. Quod precessor.
Pope Vrban the second made a law, ye subiectes are not bounde to kepe theyr othes made vntounto their princes,Thys is wicked. if they be excommunicate eyther of the pope, or of any Byshop. In the yere, &c. 1086. 15. Quaest. 6. Cap. Iuratos.
Neither ba…el, better her ringPope Gregorye ye eyght likewise by his Apostolique authoritie, absolued al thē from their fidelitye, othe, and promise, which they hauehave made & owe to their heades, rulers and gouernours, being now excommunicate, streyghtly charging to shew thē no obedience or loyaltye, till they hauehave made satisfaction. In the yeare, &c. 1186. Ibidem. Cap. Nos sanctorum.
Pope Zacharias (as Pope Gelasius writeth to Anastasius the Emperoure) dyd depose from hys kyngdome the Kyng of Fraunce,The pope deposeth Princes. not so greatly for hys euil behauiour, as yt he was vnprofitable to so greate a power: and placed in hys roume Pipine father of Charles ye Emperour: and absolued and made free all the Frenchmen from the othe of theyr fidelitie vntounto the king: which thing holy Church many tymes doth of her authoritye, as in deliueryng the Souldioures from the bonde of their othe, whiche they hauehave made to their Emperoure and Captayne. Thys thyng also holy Church practiseth of those bishops,Practise▪ which by the Apostolyke authoritye are deposed and put downe from their pontifical degree. Ibidē. cap. Alius.
In the Councel …halcedonense it was decreed,Destroyers of Abbeies, excommunicate. yt whosoeuer attempteth to spoyle, to robbe, to destroye, to dissolue, &c, any monasterye or Abbay: the same should be excommunicate and vtterly banyshed from ye Kingdome of God, so yt no goodnesse eyther of Fayth, or of workes shall profyt hym vntounto saluation, forasmuch as he hath destroyed the way of so noble and wholesome a lyfe, Lib. Concil. Carrantza.
In the councell Laterane it was determined,Preachers not authorised by the Pope or some bishop accursed. yt al they, which being either forbidden, or not sente, presume & take vpō thē eyther publiquely or priuately ye office of preaching wtout ye authority of ye pope, or of some Catholike bishop, shoulde be excommunicate: and if notwithstandyng they goe forth, and will not cease, that then some other punishmente agreable to theyr disobedience shalbe exercised vponupon them. Lib. Concil.
In the councel Toletane it was agreed, yt if any noble mā do spoyle a priest, or any poore man, or religious person, and ye Byshop shall commaund hym to come vntounto hym, yt the cause maye bee heard, & he refuse to come: letters shall be sēt thorow out al bishops one to another, which shall declare to al ye countreyes round about, yt that man is excommunicated and is so to bee reputed & taken, til he hath shewed hys obedience to the ordinary, and made restitution. Caus. 24▪ Quaest. 3. Capit. Si quis de polentibus.
In a councell holden at Paris, it was ordayned yt no priest should excommunicate any man,No man ought to be excōmunicate before his matter be knowē. Paiment of tythes. before ye cause be euidently proued, and openly knowen. Ibidem. Cap. de illicita.
In the councell Rothomagense, it was decreed, yt all manner of tythes should bee payde to the Priestes, both corne, Haye, Fruite, Oxen, Shepe, Goates, &c. (For all tythes are sanctifyed to the Lorde.) And forasmuche as many are stubborne and disobedient, and wil not truely and faythfully pay their tithes, as they ought to doe: it was ordayned in that Councell, that all suche as will not pay them, shoulde be admonished once, twice or thrice according to the cō maundement of the Lord. If they will not then amende, that they shall then be excommunicate and accursed, till they hauehave made due satisfaction and sufficient recompence. Caus. 16. q. 7. cap. Omnes decimae.
The manner and fourme of Excommunication.
TWelue Priestes must stand about the Byshop, and holde burnyng candles in their handes: whiche candles at the latter ende of the curse or excommunication they must throw downe vponupon the grounde, and treade them vnderunder their feete. Afterward letters must be sent roūd about vntounto Parishes, contayning the names of them that are excommunicate, and also the cause of their excommunication. Caus. 11▪ quaest. 3. cap. Debent.
In concilio Arausicano we reade these wordes: we folowing the canonical ordinaunces, and examples of the holy fathers, do vtterly sequester and banish by the authority of God and the iudgement of the holy Ghost, al violatours, disturbers, hinderers, and destroyers of Gods churches, frō the lap of holy mother Churche, & from the company and felowship of al christianitie, vntil they repent, amend and satisfie the Church of God. Ibidem. cap. Canonica.
The manner of reconciliation of them that were excommunicate.
WHen any man yt is accursed or excōmunicate,☞ is penitēt & sory for his sinne, & desireth forgeuenesse, & promiseth to amende: the Bishop yt did excōmunicate him, shall come before the church dore, and xii. priestes with him, shall stande round about him on eueryevery side. And if the person yt is excommunicate, fal flat downe on the grounde, and asketh forgeuenesse, promising amendement: thē shall the Byshoppe take hym by the ryght hande, and leade hym into the Church and restore him to the christen congregation, Afterward they shal sing the seuen penitentiall Psalmes, with these prayers, Kirie eleyson and Pater noster, & Saluum fa… seruum. &c. With this collecte: Praesta quesumus domine huic famulo tuo dignum paenitentiae fructum: vt ecclesiae tuae sanctae, a cuius integritate deni… …erat peccando: admissorum veniam consequendo, reddatur innoxius. Per Christum dominum nostrum. Amen.
Whiche is thus Englished▪ Graunt we beseche thee O Lord to this thy seruaunt, the worthy frute of repentaūce that be obtaynyng forgeuenesse of his sinnes, may be restored pure and faultlesse to thy holy Churche, from the integritye and purenesse wherof thorow sinne▪ he had wandred and gone astray. By Christ our Lord. So be it. Causa. 11. Quest. 3. cap. Cum aliquis.