Raimond Junior Count of Toulouse having made his peace with King Saint Lewis, and being returned to his estates, Romanus, Cardinal of St. Angelo, Legate of the Holy See, followed him in order completely to destroy Heresy in that country, and held there a Council in the Year 1229, which began in July and ended in November, at which were present Peter Amelli, Arch-Bishop of Narbonne, Gerard of Malemort, Arch-Bishop of Bourdeaux, and Amaneus, Arch-Bishop of Ausche, and several Bishops of those Provinces: the Counts of Toulouse and the other Barons and Lords of the Country, except the Count of Foix, were likewise there, with the Seneshall of Carcassonne and the two Consuls of Toulouse, who were to swear to and approve of the peace. The legate proceeded therein against several Heretics, reconciled several of them who recanted, and made forty-five Orders for the rooting out of Heresy.

In the First, he enjoins the Arch-Bishops and Bishops to settle in each parish a Priest and two or three approved Laicks [1] to make Inquisition after Heretics, and to engage them upon oath to use their utmost endeavors to find them out, to present them forthwith to the Bishop, and to the Lords or their Bailiffs.

In the Second, the same thing is enjoined to Abbots exempted with respect to the places where they have jurisdiction.

In the Third, the Lords of the respective places are recommended to search after Heretics, and to ruin the places whither they resort.

In the Fourth, there is added the Penalty of Losing their Estates, against those who know that a Heretic lives in their territories and will suffer it. And with respect to those who shall neglect to make Inquisition after them, it is ordered in the next Canon, that they shall likewise be punished for their neglect. The houses where Heretics shall be found are not so much as spared; and in the Sixth Canon, it is declared that they shall be destroyed, and that the ground shall be confiscated. The Bailiffs are condemned to the loss of their Offices and Estates, who shall be careless and negligent in searching after Heretics.

But to prevent the abuse that might be made of these Constitutions, in making those pass for Heretics who were not so; it is ordered in the Eighth, that no person shall be condemned as an Heretic, who has not been judged to be one by the Bishop of the place.

The Ninth gives leave to the Lords and their Officers to apprehend Heretics upon the territories of other Lords.

The Tenth imports, that the Heretics who voluntarily recant, shall not remain in the Villages where they were, if they are suspected of Heresy, but shall be transported into other Catholic Villages, which are free from suspicion; that they shall wear two crosses on their cloths, and have Certificates from their Bishops of their being Reconciled: that they shall not be admitted any more into Public Offices, nor do any Public Act till they shall have been qualified for it again by the Pope or his Legate.

In the Eleventh, it is ordered with respect to those who are converted by the fear of death, or for some other such account, that they shall be shut up in a Walled Place, that so they may not corrupt others.

The Twelfth imports that all men above fourteen years old, and all women above twelve shall make an abjuration of all sorts of Heresy, and a Profession of the Faith of the Roman Church, and that they shall be engaged to persecute Heretics.

In the Thirteenth it is ordered, that all persons who have the use of their reason, shall Confess themselves twice a year to their own proper Priest, and receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist at Christmas, Easter and Whitsuntide, so that Confession shall go before the Communion, unless the Priest think fit for some just cause, that they should abstain one time from receiving the Eucharist, and that those who shall abstain from it upon other accounts, shall be suspected of Heresy.

The Fourteenth prohibits Laicks from having the Books of the Old or New-Testament, unless it be a Psalter or a Breviary, and the Rosary, and does not permit them so much as to Translate them into the Vulgar tongue. This restraint was doubtless founded on that frequent abuse which was made of them in that country.

In the Fifteenth, they who are suspected of Heresy are prohibited the practice of Physic [2], and Heretics are forbidden to come near the sick, after they have received the Viaticum.

The Sixteenth orders, that the Last Wills and Testaments shall be received by the Curates.

The Seventeenth prohibits the Prelates and Barons from bestowing Offices which depended on them on Heretics, and from having for their domestics suspected persons, or of an ill reputation.

The Eighteenth declares those to be of a bad repute, who are notoriously infamous, or against whom persons of worth give in evidence.

The Nineteenth maintains the Churches and Religious Houses in their Privileges, and orders the entire payment of Tithes.

The Twentieth prohibits the laying any Tax on the Clergy.

The Twenty-first discharges them from all manner of Tributes and new Duties, and extends this favor to the Monks and Pilgrims, provided they do not concern themselves in merchandise.

The Twenty-second obliges those who receive Taxes, to take care of the high-ways, and makes them responsible for the robberies committed between sun and sun.

The Twenty-third forbids Laicks from laying any Tax on the Servants of Churches or of Church-Men, if they do not hold any estate of them.

The Twenty-fourth orders. that if any person shall throw a Clergy-Man into prison, even though he has not the Tonsure, the Bishop shall be acquainted of it: that the Lay Judge shall be obliged to remit him into the Hands of the Ecclesiastical Judges, and that if he refuse to do it, he shall be declared Excommunicated and forced to deliver him up by his Lord.

The Twenty-fifth orders all the Masters and Mistresses of every house, every Sunday and Holyday to be at Church, to hear the Preaching and Divine Service, and not to go out till Mass be quite over: that if they both cannot be there, one of them shall, and that if both miss without being sick, or having any lawful excuse, they shall be obliged to pay twelve French Deniers; one Moiety whereof shall go to the Lord, and the other to the Priest and the Church. They are likewise recommended to go to Church on Saturday-Nights in Honor of the Virgin Mary.

The Twenty-sixth contains the Catalogue of the Festivals, which are as follow: Christmas Day, the Feasts of St. Stephen, of St. John the Evangelist, of the Holy Innocents, of St. Sylvester, of the Circumcision, of the Epiphany, of the Purification, of the Annunciation, of the Assumption, of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Easter-Day, and the two next Days, the three Rogation-Days, Whitsunday and the two following Days, the Nativity of St. John Baptist, the Invention and Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the Feasts of the Twelve Disciples, of St. Mary Magdalen, of St. Lawrence, of St. Martin, of St. Nicholas, of the Dedication of St. Michael, the Dedication of each Church, the Feast of the Holy Patron and every Sunday.

In the Twenty-seventh it is ordered, that during all those Festivals, they shall abstain from all manner of work according to custom, and according to the Order which shall be prescribed by the Bishop, and that the Curates shall give notice of them every Sunday at Mass.

The other Canons relate to the observing of peace, and contain Orders for civil affairs.

FOOTNOTES:

-----------------------

[1] Laicks: Latin laicus, laymen (H&F).

[2] Physic: The art of healing diseases (H&F).

more to come ...