[Constitutiones synodales ecclesiae Constantiensis, 1481]

of salvation is elevated by the priest, and with devotion of heart let them pray to God for their sins. If anyone indeed shall be rebellious and negligent in these matters, we will that he be severely amended in confession; and nevertheless, such a one who, during the time of the preaching of the word of God, does not fear to stand outside the church and in the cemetery against this prohibition, let him be remitted to our episcopal authority. Those who hinder this most wholesome precept are also to be restrained through the infliction of excommunication. Moreover, let the curate priests take care to induce the people committed to them in their sermons to be present devoutly at processions and other acts and ecclesiastical ceremonies, and to discharge the praises of the omnipotent God there with attention of heart and gravity of manners.

Concerning religious orders

Since some religious men exceed in many ways against God and their own conscience, and their prelates are slothful and negligent in the observation of regular discipline and the correction of excesses, we request and exhort them through the bowels of the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that they should more diligently induce, admonish, and allure the regular persons subject to them to the observance of their rules and regular statutes, and if need be, more strictly compel them, so that they may be able to render a worthy account to God concerning the office committed to them. But if they shall continue to be transgressors of their order, or contemners, or negligent, or remiss, let them know for certain that they are not only to be deposed from office but otherwise castigated according to their rule, since the offense is not only their own but also another's, and the blood of their subjects shall be required from their hands. We also shall supply the negligence of the same prelates, God favoring, according to canonical sanctions.

To the same

Considering it to be too dangerous and scandalous that regular persons of either sex wander outside their monasteries and spend time in the world, some also, having put off the habit of their religion, do not fear to apostatize, thus incurring the sentence of excommunication and rebelling against their superiors. Since it is dangerous to participate in divine services with such persons thus wandering, excommunicated, and apostate, we will and command all ecclesiastical persons subject to us that they should admonish and require all and singular wandering and staying thus in the world in their districts, of whatever order or condition they may be, that within the space of a month from the day of the publication and requisition of such, they return to their monasteries and render their vows to God, obeying their superiors according to the order and institution of the rule, or at least within the same term prove lawfully before us or our vicar concerning indults special permissions if they have any to the contrary. Otherwise, we shall proceed against them through the penalties of ecclesiastical censure and as it shall be just.

To the same concerning the religious

Although against monks and nuns rashly fleeing from their cloisters due to some enormous excesses or lightness of mind and wandering through the world for times...