[Constitutiones synodales ecclesiae Constantiensis, 1481]

union shall have objected a malicious impediment, he shall not escape canonical vengeance."

By this constitution, we prohibit any of the priests of the City and Diocese of Constance from henceforward being present at clandestine marriages; and if he shall do otherwise, let him be duly punished beyond the penalties of the aforesaid canon. If, however, any of the subjects shall have contracted a marriage clandestinely, immediately after he knows of this, he shall admonish them that they solemnize the marriage contracted by them in the face of the church within the first month—unless that month happens to fall between the Sunday of the Invocavit the first Sunday in Lent and the octave of Pentecost; then, indeed, they are bound to solemnize such a marriage in the face of the church within the first month after the octaves of Pentecost, no legitimate impediment ceasing. And if they shall contemn to do this, or their curate, as is said, shall not take care to have them admonished, let both the curate and the contracting parties be punished according to the said constitution and otherwise canonically.

Concerning Jews

We strictly inhibit that Jews henceforth have Christian wet nurses or servants in our City and Diocese, for it is unworthy that the children of the free should serve the children of the bond a reference to the theological distinction between the children of the promise and the children of the flesh, commanding all their servants and wet nurses to depart from their service within the first month from the publication of these presents, which the Jews are also bound to dismiss freely. Transgressors of this statute shall be punished with worthy animadversion.

To the same

Since lately in the sacred provincial synod of Mainz Maguntina most recently celebrated, it is found and commanded among other things concerning the Jews and the enemies of the cross of Christ, under the cessation of divine services and the penalty of subtraction of communion, that the Jews ought to wear signs by which they may be seen to be distinguished and discerned from Christians, declaring and adding that such a sign ought to be such, namely: a circle of yellow thread on the outer garment before the chest, as regards the males and men, and two stripes of blue color in the same form on the garments of women, as in the Roman city. But since it is of little use to establish statutes and neglect their executions, therefore by the present constitution we command and strictly order all Jews living throughout our City and Diocese, having seen the penalties, that they be commanded to wear such outer signs according to the aforesaid declaration, and be compelled to this by secular power and reigning officials. Otherwise, against those doing otherwise, let the officials and regents proceed to the subtraction of the sacrament of the Eucharist, and against the Jews to the exclusion from the communion of the faithful, and otherwise as one may proceed by law.

Concerning adulterers

Certain persons, having left the legitimate marriage bed, do not fear to cohabit openly in a single house in adulterous embraces to the scandal of many, for whose salvation, desiring to provide, we command all rectors, parish priests, and curates of our diocese, in virtue of holy obedience strictly commanding, that they remove, require, and exhort all and singular those who do not fear to reside together in adulterous embraces that they depart from each other within fifteen days; and if they shall contemn to obey such a mandate, and after the said