the calamities of the schism, the progress of the restoration of unity, the goodness of the Popes, and the glorious labours of the Legate: the decrees were furnished with full descriptive titles: countless emendations and large additions gave vigour to the body of the work. A more copious recitation of the Roman authorities, a more benedictory manner in referring to the Roman pontiffs and doctors, a brisker vituperation of them that were without, a more minatory tone in threatening censures and punishments, the insertion of many positive complaints about abuses, showed that this edition was designed for other eyes and ears than of the English clergy and the historian may hesitate whether to display to the modern reader the outlines and contents of the original draft or of the final masterpiece, being that the one took effect no more than the other. "I am come," said Pole, "as Legate of the Apostolic See to Queen Mary and her universal realm, to recall England to the unity of the holy Catholic Church. To undertake this burden I am impelled by the love of my country, the piety of the Queen, the noble zeal of her consort, the authority of Julius, of Marcellus, and of Paul the present pontiff, to reform the Church of England, which has been deformed by the late schism in doctrine and in morals. For this I have convened a synod of the clergy of the realm, after the examples of Otho and Othobon, of good memory, my predecessors in legacy. Of the deformation of the Church in this kingdom, and of all our woes, the cause is that we have receded from the unity and doctrine of the Catholic Church, and have renounced the obedience of the Pontiff of Rome, the Vicar of Christ, the successor of that Peter for whose faith it was the prayer of Christ Himself that it might not fail: To this we are now returned after completing the round of error. In confirmation of our faith thus revived, let there be solemn

prayers inserted in the Missals to be hereafter imprinted,* to be said in all celebrations of the Mass throughout the kingdom, after the other collects. And as Othobon of good memory, legate in these parts, ordered processions to be made for celebrating the return of peace after the intestine wars of those days,† so let St. Andrew's day be kept in every church with a procession for the glorious event of the peace of the Church and the reconciliation of the kingdom, with a sermon, or at least one of the homilies that shall be issued. Let the ordinaries see to this, and punish parochs who obey not. As soon as the obedience of the Pontiff and the Apostolic See was ejected, the authority of the laws ecclesiastical was abolished. False teachers and books of false doctrine, especially concerning the Sacraments, were admitted: § all honesty and discipline came to an end. We therefore revive and replace all the decrees both of the general and provincial councils that are accepted by the Apostolic See, the constitutions of the Roman pontiffs, and the old ecclesiastical laws of this realm, so far as they are not altered by this synod, to the validity which they had before the schism: || and they ought to be in the hands of all the clergy. We damn and anathematise all who print, sell, or hold the books of heretics, according to the Bull In Cœna Domini: ¶ and we renew the penalties of

The clause about missals is added in the Reformatio Angliæ to Decree I of the constitutions as read before the synod.

+ The clause about Othobon added.

The clause about ordinaries punishing added.

The clause about false teachers added to Decree 2.

The words before the schism added.

The clause about the Bull In Cana Domini added. The words are, "juxta litteras Apostolicas, quæ quotannis in die Cœnæ Domini publice recitari consueverunt." The Bull was an enormous anathematisation of heretics, which was read every Holy Thursday in the presence of the Pope and the cardinals. Pole himself may have often been the reader: for it was recited by the last of the cardinal deacons. At the end the Pope used to take a lighted torch and throw it into the street, as a token of the

the last Lateran Council against any who imprint any book that has not been approved by the ordinary or his deputies. All books or traditions concerning the faith and ecclesiastical discipline, which have been accepted and approved by the Roman Church, or shall be accepted and approved hereafter, we receive and embrace. We insert a summary of the faith, concerning the Pope's power and the seven Sacraments, which was promulgated in the Council of Florence by Pope Eugenius the Fourth of happy recordation.* We renew the constitution of John Peckham archbishop of Canterbury for a tabernacle in every church; and all constitutions whether general or peculiar to this realm, for the reverent observation of all Sacraments, as to water, lights, oil, and the like. And, by the old custom of this realm, we appoint the first Sunday in October for the feast of foundation to all churches abolishing, with the aid of the secular arm, if need be, all the shows, dances and revels which the common people keep on such days and other holidays.

"Against the fearful evil of nonresidence," proceeded the Legate, "we renew all constitutions, whether general or of this kingdom: for many leave the souls committed to them to hirelings: † though a + reasonable cause may be allowed, according to the

flames to which the anathematised might be exposed. This awful ceremony was not much more than a hundred years old.

* In the Reformatio Angliæ this extract from the Council of Florence, which was not much more than a hundred years old, is given at great length: it is not given in the constitutions in Wilkins. The definition of the Papacy is as follows. "Definimus sanctam Apostolicam Sedem, et Romanum Pontificem, in universum orbem tenere primatum, et ipsum Pontificem Romanum successorem esse beati Petri, Principis Apostolorum, et verum Christi Vicarium, totiusque Ecclesiæ caput, et omnium Christianorum patrem, ac doctorem existere; et ipsi in beato Petro pascendi, regendi, et gubernandi universalem Ecclesiam a Domino nostro Jesu Christo plenam potestatem traditam esse, quemadmodum etiam in gestis æcumenicorum Conciliorum, et in sacris canonibus continetur."

The clause complaining of hirelings added in Decree 3.

determination of Pope Gregory the Tenth of happy recordation in the general Council of Lyons. As for deans, and other cathedral or collegiate officers, their statutes being in force, let them reside, and do their duties. Let archdeacons reside: or else be fined, and lose their fruits for the benefit of the common table for scholars, which has been or shall be set up in all cathedral churches. Subtraction of fruits we decree likewise against canons and prebendaries nonresident: for they were provided to help the bishop and do the divine offices in the churches whence they draw their emoluments: but so few of them observe this that the churches are in solitude. Those who are not bound by the statutes of the foundation to reside, must nevertheless do a month's duty in the year, if in the year they get ten pounds: two months if twenty: and do it in the dress of canons. Those who get leave of absence for the sake of study are often found not in the universities or other studious haunts, but in places by no means convenient for study: and those who are held to be devoting their lives to studies are often doing anything rather. Subtraction of fruits must be the remedy here. For the abuse of plurality, the Gregorian constitution of Lyons, and that of John the Twenty Second of happy recordation have penalties and censures: and so have the constitutions of former legates, and other provincial and synodal constitutions of this kingdom. But where is the use of residence, if the bishop or priest, being there, cannot do his duty, which consists much in preaching? This is greatly neglected by bishops, who give it over to others, and apply themselves to other offices, reversing the conduct of the Apostles.

* The clauses complaining of solitude added.

+ The clause complaining of studies added.

We order

The clause complaining of bishops added, in Decree 4.

bishops to preach. And we direct vicars and curates to preach on Sundays and holidays, according to the statute of Innocent the Third: on the other hand, by the same statute, we prohibit those who preach, not being sent by the Apostolic see or by the Catholic bishop of the place. Moreover the bishop ought to instruct those whom he sends forth, both in the matter and the manner of their preaching. First of all things the people ought to be called to penitence; the more so on account of the very pernicious schism from which we are lately relieved: and then it is necessary to extirpate the vices and abuses which sprang up in the time of the schism, and still remain infectious.* To remedy the incompetence of those who cannot preach, there shall homilies be issued by commandment of the synod, and they shall be chiefly about the sin that is greatest here. Moreover we require that bishops should select certain preachers to go round every part of their dioceses, so that no place may be destitute of the word of God.‡

We

"But what is preaching without example? forbid luxury in food and apparel. And, lest frugality be imputed to avarice, we bid them spend on the poor and in educating scholars whatever they may save out of their yearly fruits, according to the rescript of the blessed Pope Gregory to Bishop Augustine on dispensing the fruits of the Church. We decree that the ordin

The clause about the schism much stronger. "Gravius Deum offendimus, et majoribus ab eo beneficiis affecti sumus, hoc regno a perniciosissimo schismate liberato: deinde contra ea vitia et abusus, qui tum in doctrina tum in moribus tempore ipsius schismatis viguerunt, quibus etiam nunc plerique sunt infecti, diligenter erudiat." Of all this, in the original or synodal edition in Wilkins, there is only contra ea vitia et abusus qui tum in moribus tempore schismatis hic maxime viguerunt."

†The clause about sin added.

The clause about itinerant preachers added.

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§ The clause about Gregory and Augustine added, in Decree 5.