In order that proper supervision may be exercised over the royal officials in charge of our domains, we have agreed that the tax collectors and defensores shall be changed every year; and, as we are well aware that in consequence of this, much injury results to our people, we hereby decree that any tax collector or defensor, who has been elected by the bishops or the people, shall serve the full term for which he was chosen. Where any tax collector or defensor has been appointed, he shall not give any present to a judge, nor shall a judge presume to accept or exact anything from him. If any judge should violate this law, he shall be deprived of his office, and shall be compelled to pay ten pounds of gold to the royal treasury. Should the priests, whom we address with God as our witness, learn of any misconduct of judges, or of other officials, and not bring the same to our notice, they shall be liable to the sentence imposed by the council, and shall be compelled to make reparation from their own property for such losses as the poor may have suffered through their silence.

TITLE II. CONCERNING THE ERADICATION OF THE ERRORS OF ALL HERETICS AND JEWS.

I.Laws Having Been Given to True Believers, it is Now Necessary to Place Restraints upon Infidels.
II.Concerning the Renunciation of the Errors of all Heresies.
III.Concerning the Laws Promulgated on Account of the Wickedness of the Jews.
IV.Concerning the Extirpation of the Errors of the Jews in General.
V.Jews shall not Celebrate the Passover According to their Custom.
VI.Jews shall not Contract Marriage According to their Custom.
VII.Jews shall not Perform the Rite of Circumcision.
VIII.Jews shall not Divide their Food into Clean and Unclean, According to their Custom.
IX.No Jew shall Subject a Christian to Torture.
X.No Jew shall Testify Against a Christian; and Under what Circumstances the Descendants of Jews may Testify.
XI.No Jew shall Circumcise a Christian Slave.
XII.Concerning the Penalties to be Inflicted for Offences Committed by Jews.
XIII.Concerning Christian Slaves who are Known to have been Sold or Liberated by Jews.
XIV.Under no Circumstances shall Christian Slaves Attach themselves to Jews, or be Admitted into their Sect.
XV.All Christians are Forbidden to Defend or Protect a Jew, by Either Force or Favor.
XVI.Memorial of the Jews Presented to the King.
XVII.Concerning Judaizing Christians.
XVIII.Concerning the Perfidy of the Jews.

THE GLORIOUS FLAVIUS RECESVINTUS, KING.

I. Laws Having Been Given to True Believers, it is Now Necessary to Place Restraints upon Infidels.

Hitherto, we have directed our steps cautiously through the arduous paths which traverse the iniquities of the Jews; and have used moderation in the restraint of human crimes and infirmities. For it has been our manifest purpose and task, both to remove ill-founded opinions, and to prohibit what is evil, as well as to abolish what has been wrongfully done, and is abhorrent to decency and honor. As the law penetrates the secret recesses of minds conscious of guilt, so its censure corrects the depravity of morals, and prevents the perpetration of crime. And, indeed, we do not attempt to bring about this purity of soul for any other purpose than for the sake of the Church of the living God, which has invested so many different nations and peoples with the robe of immortality, and has united them to herself with the bonds of one holy religion. For the excellence of our strength and earthly glory are derived from the virtues of God, and his influence, sometimes acting through compassion, sometimes through fear of the sword of justice, prevents the commission of sin; and on one occasion diminishes crime by the practice of moderation, on another, extirpates it by an exhibition of severity. Following, not only the example of noble and illustrious races who restrained the illegal excesses of the people by leniency and rational laws, but also copying the rules and imitating the example of the Holy Fathers throughout the entire globe of the earth, we shall endeavor, as far as lies in our power, to reduce to action the precepts which we have received from them. For this reason, our relatives and subjects will know that our decrees are suitable, and dictated by honesty of purpose, in that they forbid the commission of crime, and are not opposed to the opinions of the Holy Fathers heretofore promulgated. And we are confident that we shall receive two rewards from the generosity of God: one, that we will be permitted to remain in the enjoyment of peace with our neighbors, as we are now; and the other, that, when our rule is ended, we shall receive a due acknowledgment from heaven. Thus, when, by means of the laws directed to our faithful people, this salutary remedy shall have been administered to the adherents of the Holy Faith, (as medicine is absorbed by the members of the body), and peace and charity shall everywhere prevail; confiding in the virtue of God, we shall attack his enemies, pursue his rivals, and conquer his adversaries; contending manfully, and constantly persevering; dispersing and overcoming those enemies, as dust is driven by the wind, or as mud is dried up in the fields, we shall acquire the reward of Faith; and when we shall include all people as true believers in our holy religion, and shall bring all infidels to belief in its truths, our glory shall increase, and our kingdom shall be exalted.[53]

FLAVIUS RECESVINTUS, KING.

II. Concerning the Renunciation of the Errors of all Heresies.

The eternal counsel of Almighty wisdom and Divine piety, as we understand it, and revealed to us in former ages, for the benefit of our own times, dissipated the errors of perfidious heretics, as well as abolished the false maxims of impious doctrines. Nevertheless, that such a time may not come during our lives, as that of which the representative of Divine Grace formerly said: “A time will come when persons will not desire sound doctrine, but with eager ears, and according to their desires, will seek masters for themselves; and who will not listen to the truth, but will turn to false doctrines; and, as it is proper that whatever remains in the light of the Faith should be defended, by legal edicts, from the efforts of all who seek to contradict it; and that whatever ideas have arisen through the influence of error, be removed by legal proceedings; therefore, we decree that no man of whatever race or lineage, either native or foreigner, proselyte or old in faith, visitor or resident, shall openly or silently, impugn the unity of the Catholic faith; or take part in any injurious disputes affecting the truth of said faith; or countenance the same by remaining silent.” No one shall attack the decrees of the Gospel, or criticise the institutions of the Church, or call in question the sacred institutions established by the ancient Fathers; no one shall treat with contempt discussions concerning points of doctrine which arise in modern assemblies; no one shall entertain any thoughts against the holy edicts or the true religion, or shall utter any words in depreciation of the same; or perfidiously cause a controversy to arise with an obstinate unbeliever; or engage in a quarrel on account of the contempt of honor exhibited by a listener. Any person who violates any of the provisions aforesaid shall be arrested; and should he be an ecclesiastic, or belong to any religious order, he shall lose his rank and dignity; shall be regarded forever as a criminal; and shall be punished by the loss of all his property. If he should belong to the laity, he shall be deprived of honor and position, and stripped of all his possessions. Every violator of this law shall be condemned to perpetual exile, unless he should be converted from his errors by the interposition of Divine mercy, when he may be suffered to remain and live in accordance with the commands of God.

FLAVIUS RECESVINTUS, KING.