Prev TOC Next
[Image]  [Hi-Res Image]

Page 461

 

481 RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA Toledo

the acceptance of the Lord's Supper (Arian), and the above-mentioned doxology. Canons xx.-xxiii. concern the acceptance of the first four ecumenical councils. Happily the decisions of the fifth ecumenical council (Second Constantinople, 553) were not submitted, and by tacitly rejecting them, the Spanish-Visigothic church was still in latent schism with Rome at the time of the Arab incursion in 711. The first of the twenty-three disciplinary chapters declares the old canons, the ordinances of the councils, and the synodal letters of the Roman bishops valid. Chapter v. enjoins the celibacy of the clergy. Chapter xiii. forbids clerics to bring suit against their fellows before a secular tribunal. Chapter xiv. excludes Jews from judicial positions and offices with power of inflicting punishment on Christians, and prohibits marriage or concubinage with a Christian woman, and possession of Christian slaves. Chapter xvi. reads: " Spiritual and secular judges shall work together to uproot the idolatry [i.e., old heathen practises retained by Christians] so wide-spread in Spain and Gaul [Septimania]." Chapter xvii. is directed against abortion, and shows the same tendency to make civil officials aid and serve the ecclesiastical. Chapter xviii. requires annual instead of semi-annual synods and makes judges and fiscal agents mere tools of the bishops. In like manner chapter xix., placing the care of all church property in the hands of the episcopal consecrator, and chapter. xxi. exalt the episcopal power.

(4) A national synod of Dec. 5, 633, was called by King Sisenand and presided over' by Isidore of Seville. Seventy-five chapters were issued, the most noteworthy (Ivii. lxvi.) relating to the Jews. Chapter lvii. forbids the compulsory baptism of Israelites, but declares that the Jews already converted by force during the reign of

a. The Sisebut (612-620; see SrsEBUT) Must Semi- remain Christians. Chapters Iviii. Political lxvi. imposed the harshest penalties Synods. upon Jews who returned to the faith of their fathers after baptism. (5) A national synod in 636, convened by the new King Chintila, and presided over by Archbishop Eugenius L, adopted in eight chapters what was merely a stronger repetition of chapter lxxv. of the preceding council in confirmation of the power of the throne. (6) Another national synod, 638, under King Chin tila reviewed, in the nineteen chapters, all the anti Jewish decrees of the fourth synod. Chapter iii. orders the expulsion of all Jews who refused bap tism. Chapter xv., against the greed of the bishops, orders that the Church retain whatever the kings or others have donated. (7) A national synod, Oct. 18, 646 was called by King Chindasvinth, who by the deposition of Tulga had gained the throne. After suppressing a revolt he summoned the synod, and his purpose of drastic retaliation against the spirit ual and temporal nobility appears in the Draconian measures and penalties of the first of the six chap ters. (8) A national synod, Dec. 16, 653, called by Recesvinth, son of Chindasvinth, relaxed the harsh penalties provided by the preceding synod but reenacted the anti-Jewish laws of the fourth synod. (9) A provincial synod, Nov., 655, presided over by

the metropolitan Eugenius IL, adopted seventeen canons mostly in favor of the bishops. Celibacy of the clergy is enforced, and the last canon requires the baptized Jews always to be present at divine service conducted by the bishop, under penalty of beating or fasting. (10) A national synod, Dec. 1, 656, decreed the deposition of clerics tainted with high treason, and forbade the clergy to sell Christian slaves to the Jews. (11) A provincial synod, Nov. 7,, 675, called by King Wamba, revised the Apostles' Creed, and issued sixteen canons, which testify to the unexampled coarsening of the clergy, including the bishops. Canon i. forbids boisterous irreverent conduct at the synod. Canon ii. relates to the ignorance of the Scriptures on the part of the clergy. Canon v. is directed against bishops who commit murder and other acts of violence or seize the property of others. Canon vi. forbids the clergy to pronounce a sentence of death or impose a mutilation (12) A national synod, Jan. 9-25, 681, presided over by Archbishop Julian, adopted thirteen chapters, the first of which shows that Julian knew of the perfidy of the reigning king, Ervig, against his predecessor and benefactor Wamba. Chapter vi., contrary to the existing canon law, invests the metropolitan with the primacy, doubtless in reward for Julian's support of the usurper. Chapter ix. approves of the twenty Antisemitic laws of Ervig, a codification of all legislation against the Jews since the time of Recared and Sisebut. Chapter xi. prescribes very severe measures against the remnants of heathenism. (13) A national synod, Nov. 4, 683, likewise presided over by Julian, aimed to protect the royal family against assassins. With an astonishing simulation of regard for continence the widow of Wamba is forbidden to marry. Chapter ix. reaffirms the primacy of Julian. (14) A synod, Nov. 9, 684, officially provincial but national by representation and validity, again presided over by Julian, was aimed to secure the ratification, by the Spanish church, of the acts of the sixth ecumenical council (Third Constantinople, 680-681), in particular the condemnation of the Monothelites (q.v.) and their doctrine. To secure this Pope Leo II. had sent four letters to Spain in 682. The chapters approved of the acts, including the teaching of the two wills and two energies in Christ, and accepted the council as ecumenical. (15) A national synod, May 11, 688, was called by King Egiza. Two years previously the Spanish bishops had sent to Rome a memorial, composed by Julian, expressing their agreement with the orthodox doctrines of the sixth ecumenical council. Pope Benedict II. asked for changes in certain dogmatic passages. The Spaniards, however, led by Julian, resented this interference of the Curia and now adopted a second apology drawn up by the militant primate and sent by him to Benedict's successor, Sergius, who seems to have been discreet enough to treat the matter with silence. (16) A national synod, called by King Egiza in 693, after a renewed condemnation of Monothelitism set up thirteen disciplinary chapters. Chapter i. reaffirms the old Antisemitic laws, but provides for Jewish converts exemption from the special taxes and almost equality with other subjects. Canon ii. enjoins bishops, priests, and judges to exterminate