392 ANNALS OF EOGEE DE HOTEDEN. A .D. 1175. any one shall ho guilty of so doing, either let him put an end to the practice, or suffer deprivation. 3 9 " Those who are in holy orders are not allowed to give judgment on matters of life and death. "Wherefore, we do forbid them either themselves to take part in dismemberment, or to order it to be done by others. And if any one shall be guilty of doing such a thing, let him be deprived of the office and position of the orders that have been granted to him. We do also forbid, under penalty of excommunication, any priest to hold the office of sheriff, or that of any secular public officer.40 4 1 " Clerks who allow their hair to grow, are, though against their will, to be shorn by the archdeacon. They are also not to be allowed to wear any garments or shoes, but such as are consistent with propriety and religion. And if any one shall presume to act contrary hereto, and on being warned shall not be willing to reform, let him be subject to excommunication. 4 2 " Inasmuch as certain clerks, despairing of obtaining ordination from their own bishops, either on account of ignorance, or irregularity of life, or the circumstances of their birth, or a defect in their title, or youthful age, are ordained out of their own province, and sometimes even by bishops beyond sea, or else falsely assert that they have been so ordained, producing unknown seals to their own bishops ; we do enact that the ordination of such shall be deemed null and void, and, under pain of excommunication, we do forbid that they shall be employed by any one in the performance of his duties. The bishop also, within our jurisdiction, who knowingly and wilfully shall ordain any such person or employ him after the conferring of such orders,43 for so ordaining or employing him, let him know that he is suspended from his office until he shall have made due satisfaction. Likewise, inasmuch as the Church of God, according to the verity of the Gospel, ought to be the house of prayer, and not a den of thieves, and market for blood; under pain of excommunication we do forbid4 1 3 9 From the decrees of the council of Toledo. «o " Propositi," though a very general appellation, probably means here, reeve, mayor or provost. 4 1 From the decrees of the council of Agatha. 4 3 From various decrees of popes Urban and Innocent, and of the councils of Chalcedon and Carthage. 4 3 There is not improbably an omission in the text here. 4 4 Some words are evidently omitted here.