orders or who possess any manner of dignities, personates, or other offices, or benefices ecclesiastical; if, after that they have been admonished by their own bishop, even by a public edict, they shall not wear a becoming clerical dress, suitable to their order and dignity, and agreeably to the ordinance and mandate of the said bishop, they may, and ought to be, compelled thereunto, by suspension from their orders, office, and benefice, and from the fruits, revenues, and proceeds of the said benefices; and also, if after having been once rebuked, they offend again herein, even by deprivation of the said offices and benefices; the constitution of Clement V., published in the Council of Vienne, and beginning Quoniam, being hereby renewed and enlarged.
CHAPTER VII.
Voluntary homicides are never to he ordained: in what Manner Accidental [Homicides are to he ordained].
Whereas too, he who hath on set purpose slain his neighhour, and by lying in wait for him, is to he taken away from the altar,[1] because he has of his own will perpetrated a homicide; even though that crime have neither been proved by ordinary legal process, nor be in other wise public, but is secret, such an one can never be promoted unto sacred orders; nor shall it be lawful for any ecclesiastical benefices to be conferred upon him, even though they have no cure of souls; but he shall be for ever destitute of every ecclesiastical order, benefice, and office. But if the homicide be alleged to have been committed not on set purpose, but by accident, or while repelling force by force, that he might defend himself from death, in such wise that, by a kind of right, a dispensation ought to be granted, even for the ministry of holy orders, and of the altar, and for any kind of benefice whatever and dignity, the case shall be committed to the ordinary of the place, or, if there be reason, to the metropolitan, or to the nearest bishop; who shall not be able to dispense, without having taken cognizance of the case, and proved the prayers and allegations, and not otherwise.
- ↑ Exod. xxi. 14: "If a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he die."
