A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

674 A Source Book for Ancient Church History[616]was received only in part at the Council of Orange, A. D. 529 (v.supra, § 85), and it was profoundly modified by the moralistictype of theology traceable to Tertullian and even further back(v. supra, § 39). It was, furthermore, completed by a clearerand more precise statement of the doctrines of purgatory andthe sacrifice of the mass, and to the death of Christ was appliedunequivocally the doctrine of merit which had been developed inthe West in connection with the early penitential discipline, andwhich was seen to throw a new light upon the sacrifice of Christupon the cross. These conceptions served as a foundation fornew discussions, and confirmed tendencies already present in theChurch (§ 102). Connected with this theology was the penitentialdiscipline, which, growing out of the ancient discipline as modifiedby the earlier form of monastic life, especially in Ireland,came under the influence of the Germanic legal conceptions (§103). In the same period monasticism was organized upon a newrule by Benedict of Nursia (§ 104), and the need of provision forthe education of the young and for the training of the clergy wasfelt and, to some extent, provided for by monastery schools andother methods of education (§ 105).§ 101. Foundation of the Mediæval Diocesan and ParochialConstitutionAn outline of some of the legislation is here given, whereby theparish as organized in the West was built up, and the diocese wasmade to consist of a number of parishes under the bishop, who,however, did not exercise an absolute control over the incomesand position of the priests under him.The selections are given in chronological order.(a) Council of Agde, A. D. 506, Canons. Bruns, II, 145.