ctions were geuē forth to Priestes and Deacons: as diuers other sinodall actes also by the same Anselme had bene concluded in other Councels before. And because here falleth in mention of the actes Synodall concluded in þ^e tyme of this Anselme: I thought here good to packe them all and in one generall heape together, as I finde them in Malmesbury, and in other sondry authors scateryngly recited.

MarginaliaEx lib. Gulie. de gestis pontific. lib. 1.
Ex Iornalēsi. et alijs.The first thing decreed by this Anselme, in his Synodal Councels, was touchyng the fault of Simony: whereby diuers both Byshops and Abbotes (as is aforesayd) were at the same tyme deposed. And lay men forbydē to conferre any Ecclesiasticall promotion.

Also it was decreed, that no Byshop should beare any office in secular mens busines or meetynges. MarginaliaPriestlye apparel.And that such should not go apparelled as the lay men did, but should haue their vestures decent, and mete for religious persons. And that in all places they should neuer go without some to beare witnes of their conuersation.

MarginaliaArchdeaconries not to be farmed.Itē, that no Archdeaconries should be let out to ferme.

Item, that no Archdeacon should be vnder the degree of a Deacon.

MarginaliaMariage of priestes forbidden.Item, that archdeacon, priest, deacon, subdeacon, colligener, nor Chanon, should from thence forth mary a wife, nor yet keepe her, if he had bene maried to one before.

Item, that euery subdeacon, beyng vnder the degree of a chanon (after the profession of chastitie, maryeng a wife) should be subiect to the same rule.

They ordeined also that a priest keepyng cōpany with his wife, should be reputed vnlawful: and that he should say no Masse: and if he sayd Masse, it should not be heard.

MarginaliaVow of chastitie brought in.They charged that none were admitted to orders from that tyme forward, from the degree of a subdeacon, vnlesse he dyd professe chastitie.

MarginaliaBenefices not to goe by heritage.That Priestes sonnes should not clayme by heretage the benefices of their fathers, as the custome had alwayes bene before.

Item, that no spirituall person should sit in any secular office: as to be procurators or iudges of bloud.MarginaliaHow then was Steuē Gardener Lord chaūcelor in Queene Maryes tyme.

Item, that Priestes should not resort to tauernes, or banquets, nor sit drinkyng by the fire side.

That, the garmentes of Priestes should be of one colour, and that their shoes should be decent.

Item, that monkes or any other of the clergy (if they forsoke their order) either to come agayne, or to be excommunicate.

MarginaliaPristes crownes.Item, that mē of the clergy should weare broad crownes.

MarginaliaTythes.Item, that no tythes should be geuen, but to the church.

MarginaliaByeng of prebendes.Item, that no churches or prebendes should be bought.

MarginaliaBuilding of chappelles.That no new Chapels should be made without consent of the Byshop.

MarginaliaEuery church to finde his owne priest.That no church should be halowed, before necessary prouision were made for the Priest, and for the Church to be mainteyned.

MarginaliaAbbots to maintaine no warre.That Abbotes should set forth no men to warre, & that they must both sleepe & eate, in the same house with their monkes, vnlesse some great necessitie do let.

MarginaliaMonkes limited in geuing penance.Item, that monkes do inioyne no penance to any man without the knowledge of his Abbot. And that their abbotes may geue no licence therin, but onely for such persōs whose charge they haue of soule.

MarginaliaMonkes no godfathers nor nunnes godmothers.That no monkes should be Godfathers: Nor nūnes Godmothers.

MarginaliaAbbey landes.That monkes should haue no Lordshyps to ferme.

MarginaliaImproperations restreyned.Item, that Monkes should take no Churches but by the Byshop, neither should so spoyle and oppresse the churches geuē to them, with the rentes, that sufficiēt were not left for the Ministers of the same.

MarginaliaPriuie cōtractes.That priyu contract betwene man and woman without witnes should not stand, but be frustrate if eche partie do go from the contract.

MarginaliaRoundinge.Item, that such as weare long heare of the Clergy, be so rounded, that part of their eare appeare, and that their eyes be not couered.

MarginaliaMariage within the 7. degree restrayned.Item, that there be no matrimoniall copulation, within the vij. degree of kindered: nor so to continue if they be maryed, but the mariage to be broken. and if any beyng priuie to that incest, do not detect the same, he to be giltie of the same crime.

MarginaliaBuryinges.Item, that no funerall or buryenges be without their owne Parish Church, so that the Priest therof do lose that which to to hym is due.

MarginaliaNo holynes to be geuen to shrynes & places.
Selling and bying of men.Item, that no man vpon any newfangled rashnes, do attribute any reuerence or opinion of holynes, to dead mens bodies: to fountaines, or to any other thyng (as the vse hath bene in tyme past) without autoritie of the Byshop.

Item, that no buyng & sellyng be vsed hereafter in En-gland of men as of other cattell.

MarginaliaSodomitryItem, after the restreinte of Priestes mariage: whē filthy Sodomitry begā to come in the place therof, then were they forced also, to make an acte for that, which was this.

MarginaliaA flap with a foxe tayle for Sodomitrie.With a greuous curse we condemne both them that occupy the vngracious vice of Sodomitry, and them also that willyngly assiste them, or be wicked doers with them in the same: till such tyme, as they may deserue absolution by penaunce and confession.

So that whatsoeuer hee be, that is noysed or proued to be of this wickednes (if he be a religious person) he shall from thence forth be promoted, to no degree of honour: and that which he hath, shalbe taken from hym.

If he be a lay person, he shalbe depriued of all his fredome within the land, and be no better then a forener.

And because it shalbe knowen, the absolution of such as be secular to belong onely to Byshops, it was therfore enacted: that on euery sonday, in euery parish church of England the sayd excommunication should be published. &c.

But marke in this great matter what followed. For as Ranulphus Cestrensis witnesseth: MarginaliaRanulph. Cestrēsis. Lib. 7.this greuous generall curse was soone called backe agayne, by the sute of certaine: which perswaded Anselme, that the publication or openyng of that vice, gaue kyndlyngs to the same in the hartes of lewde persons: ministring occasion of more boldnes to them to do the like: MarginaliaNote the preposterous proceding of Anselme in ceasing the vice of Sodomitrie.And so to stop the occasion of filthy Sodomitry, the publication thereof was taken away, but the forbiddyng and restreinment of Priestes vnlawfull mariage (which chiefly was the cause therof) remained stil. And thus euer since, horrible Sodomitry remained in the clergy, both for lacke of mariage more vsed, and for lacke of publication, lesse punished.

Besides all these Synodall actes aboue comprehended, and geuen out by Anselmus in his Coūcels before: here also in this present Councell at Westminster, and in the yeare of this kyng aforesayd, he also directed other new Iniunctions to the Priestes.

MarginaliaPenalties & forfaites against priests that kept their wiues.First, that they and their wyues should neuer more meete in one house, neither yet haue dwellyng in their territories.

Item that Priestes, deacons, and subdeacons, should keepe no women in their house, vnlesse they were of their next kynne.

Item, for such as had disseuered themselues from the society of their wiues: yet for some honest cause they had to common with them, they might: so it were without doore, & with. ij. or. iij. lawfull wytnesses.

MarginaliaIn the latter dayes shall come false teachers forbidding mariage, & eating of meates, &c.Item, if any of them should be accused by ij. or iij. wytnesses, and could not purge hymselfe agayne by sixe able men of his owne order (if he be a Priest, or if he be a Deacon, by. iiij. or if he be a Subdeacō by. ij) then he should be iudged a trāsgressour of the statutes, depriued of his benefice, and be made infamous, or be put to open reproche of all men.

Item, he that rebelled, or in contempt of this new statute held still his wife, and presumed to say Masse: vpon the. viij. day after (if he made not due satisfaction) should be solemnly excommunicated.

Item, all Archdeacons and Deacons to be straightly sworne, not to wincke or dissēble at their meetynges, nor to beare with thē for money. And if they would not be sworne to this, then to loose their offices without recouery.MarginaliaPurification of priestes, that had been maried.

Item, such priestes as forsakyng their wiues, were willyng to serue still and remaine in their holy order: first must cease. xl. dayes from their ministration, settyng Vicars for them in the meane tyme to serue: and takyng such penaunce vpon them, as by their Byshop should be enioyned them.

Thus haue ye heard the tedious treatise of the lyfe and doynges of Anselmus: how supersticious in his Religion, how stubburne agaynst his Prince he was, what occasion of warre and discorde he ministred by his complaintes (if they had bene taken) what zeale without right knowledge, what feruencie without cause he pretended, what paynes without profit he tooke. Who if he had bestowed that tyme and trauel in preaching Christ at home to his flocke, which he tooke in gaddyng to Rome, to complayne of his countrey: in my mynde he had bene better occupyed. Moreouer what violent and tyrannicall iniunctions he set forth of inuestyng and other thynges, ye haue heard: but specially agaynst the lawfull and godly mariage of Priests. Wherin, what a vehement aduersary he was: here may appeare by these minutes or peeces extracted out of his letters, which we haue here annexed in forme and effecte as followeth.