Church-history of the government of bishops and their councils abbreviated including the chief part…

§ 153. Under Carolus Calvus the Church-Lands were much alienated, especially Abbots Lands, to Nobles and other Lay-men. Whereupon CCLV. a Council at Melda (Meaulx) did by Ansegisus and Bernardus Levita draw up a Book of seven Parts, lamenting the sins of Christians, and the Sacrilege of the Laity, and offered it to the King, who refused it, the Nobles being against it: For which (say the bold Expositors of God's Providences) the Normans by Invasion troubled the Land.

§ 153. Under Carolus Calvus the Church-Lands were much alienated, especially Abbots Lands, to Nobles and other Lay-men. Whereupon CCLV. a Council at Melda (Meaulx) did by Ansegisus and Bernardus Levita draw up a Book of seven Parts, lamenting the sins of Christians, and the Sacriledge of the Laity, and offered it to the King, who refused it, the Nobles being against it: For which (say the bold Expositors of God's Providences) the Normans by Invasion troubled the Land.

§ 154. Leo the 4th became Pope; they durst not consecrate him without the Emperor's authority, Anastas. in Bin. p. 618. This Pope wrought great Miracles, say they. 1. He conquered a Basilisk that killed men by his looks, (as St. George conquered the Dragon.) 2. By the Cross he stopped a fire in the City: But his good works contain a Volume in Anastasius, viz. the many Churches that he adorned, enriched, repaired; the silver Vessels and Ornaments that he gave, the Posts and Pillars, and Altars that he beautified, and the glory that he added to the Roman City and Churches, &c. yea, when the Saracens came and spoiled St. Peter's Church in the Suburbs of Rome, he caused the said Suburbs to be walled and fortified, as a new City, calling it Leonina from his name: And he made two or three Prayers of six or seven lines long, to desire God's protection of it, by the intercession of St. Peter. And he writeth a notable Homily, in which he compriseth much of the Canons, teaching them all the Arts, Gestures, and Ceremonies of canting the Mass; and precisely ordereth, that every Priest do learn his Lesson; and that if any of them be illiterate, (that cannot read) he shall be suspended till he amend, (learn to read;) so learned was the Clergy in that Age.