Vindication of Ecclesiastical Volume 3, Volume 2 · Book 3 · Chapter 1 · Document 53 – Document 56
(eMat. Paris Hiſt. Angl. p. 219, 220.) INgeſſit ſe lae Interdicti tempeſtate conſiliis Regi…s Pſeudotheologus, quidam Magiſter Alexander, dictus Cementarius, qui ſuis iniquis praedicationibus Regem non mediocriter ad crudelitatem commovit. Dixit enim illud generale flagellum Angliae, non ex culpa Regis, ſed ex ſubditorum flagitiis pro veniſſe: Affirmavit etiam ipſum Regem virgam eſſe furoris Domini, et ad hoc principem conſtitutum, ut regat populos alioſque ſubditos in virga ferrea, & tanquam vas figuli confringat univerſos, ad alligandos potentes in compedibus, & nobiles ſuos manicis ferreis. Ad Papam quoque non pertinere de Regum, ſive de quorumlibet potentum laica poſſeſſione, vel ſubditorum regimine, (*Omitted in Printed Copies. judicare) veriſimilibus quibuſdam probavit Argumentis: Cum praecipue principi Apoſtolorum Petro, nihil a Domino niſi Eccleſiae tantum, ac rerum Eccleſiaſticarum ſit collata poteſtas. His igitur & his ſimilibus fallaciis, Regis adeo favorem promeruit, ut plurima a viris Religioſis Beneficia per Regis violentiam, obtineret. Sed cum tandem ipſius perverſitas ad ſummi Pontificis aures pervolaſſet, ipſo Papa procurante, bonis ac Beneficiis omnibus ſpoliatus, ad tantam demum miſeriam per ductus eſt, ut in habitu pauperimo & cultu, neceſſitate compulſus ſit panem ſuum cum dolore oſtiatim mendicare. Quem videntes multi ſubſannando dixerunt; Ecce homo, qui non poſuit Dominum adjutorem ſuum dum ſteravit in multitudine divitiarum ſuarum, & prevaluit in vanitate ſua. Fiat ergo nunc contra Dominum ſemper, & dispereat de terra memoria ejus, proco quod non eſt recordatus ut faceret miſericordiam. Propterea Deus deſtruet eum in finem, & oratio ejus erit in peccatum, ut eradatur habitatio ejus de terra viventium. Which might have been more properly applyed to the exiled Trayterous Biſhops and Monks, then to this (fMs. & Speeds Hiſtory, p. 571. Mat. Paris An. 1207. p. 212.) Theologiae Doctor eximius tam Seculari quam Eccleſiastica ſapientia imbutus & Regis connutritius, as Thomas Sprot deſcribes him. (gCentur. 3. Scriptorum Brit. ſect. 57. p. 249.) Balaeus in his life informes us, that he was Abbot of the Benedictines in Canterbury, and for his eminent Learning ſent by King John Anno 1206. with his ſolemn Meſſengers to Rome, Ʋt cum magnis illis proceribus, ſuper ſceptri ſui jure & authoritate Regia in Anglorum Regno diſceptaret: Quoniam Romani Pontifices, Tyrannide plus quam Pharaonica in Regnis Chriſtianorum omnia confundebant, Regnum (ut facturum eſſe Antichriſtum Paulus admonuit) ſuper omne quod dicitur Deus uſurpantes, Probabat igitur rationibus & ſcripturis coram Rabbinis illis, Non eſſe in Regnis a Deo conſtitutis, poteſtate Regia Dominationem majorem: Epiſcoporum vero nullum eſſe temporale Regimen dicebat, cum Chriſti Regnum de hoc mundo non ſit. Allega vitquae Gregorii magni dicta ad Auguſtinum monachum, de Anglorum Eccleſiae ab omni ſervitutis jugo immunitate, atque contra omnes in ea conflictatione praevalebat. He writ 3. Books againſt the Popes Uſurpations and Power, viz. De Ceſſione Papali, De Eccleſiae Poteſtate, De Poteſtate Ʋicaria, in defence of his Soveraign King John; for which his Loyalty he was afterwards by the Popes power deprived of all his Benefices, by Pandulphus the Popes Legat, (after King Johns ſurrender of his Crown) and thus enforced to beg his bread, when the Arch-traytors to the King were reſtored to their Biſhopricks, with all the profits of them and damages ſuſtained, during their baniſhment for their Treaſons. Thus
Dat…veniam corvis, vexat cenſura columbas.
This ſeverity of the Pope againſt the Kings loyal Clerks and Champions, might juſtly excuſe his ſeverity againſt his diſloyal perjured Biſhops, Monks, and Traytors, eſpecially againſt Hugh Biſhop of Lincoln, to which Biſhoprick he cauſed him to be elected, advanced, yet proved Treacherous to him.
EOdem tempore Hugo Lincolnienſis electus, impetrata a Rege licentia adAnno 1209. Mat. Paris, Hiſt Angl. p. 229. Edit. Lond, 1640. partes transfretandi Gallicanas, ut ab Archiepiſcopo Rothomagenſi conſecrationem acciperet, continuo ut Normanniam applicuit, contulit ſe ad Stephanum Archiepiſcopum Cantuarienſem, & facta ei Canonica obedientia, Decimo tertio Kalendas Januarii, munus ab eo conſecrationis accepit. Sed cum id a Rege compertum fuiſſet, ſuſcepit in manu ſua Epiſcopatum iam dictum: Atque omnia illius emolumenta in uſus ſuos converut. Waltero quoque de Gray ſigillum ſuum tradens, Rex facit eum Cancellarium ſuum, qui in omnibus regni Agendis, Regis ſtuduit facere voluntatem.
What little regard or dread the Nobility of England then had of the Popes Interdict, or perſonal excommunication of King John, though they had general notice thereof, will appear by all their attendance on and communication with him at Windſor, during Chriſts Nativity: Of which Matthew Paris, and Matthew Weſtminſter take ſpecial notice, and thus relate.Anno. 1210.
ANno Dominicae Nativitatis Milleſſimo ducenteſſimo Decimo, Rex Johannes Mat. Paris. Edit. London. 1640. p. 229. Mat. Weſtm p. 88.fuit ad Natale apud Windleſhores, preſentibus omnibus Angliae Magnatibus, & communicantibus ei, non obſtante ſententia qua fuerat innodatus, quae licet non pu…licata, omnium tamen partium Angliae climata pervolavit, & aures ſubintravit. This they did for the moſt part out of loyalty, but others out of fear. Omnibus enim ſeſe ſubtrahentibus Rex nocive inſidebatur.
How injurious Pope Innocents Interdict and excommunications were againſt King John, may be evidenced by his excomunicating his Nephew Otho the Emperor, his confederate, juſt about the ſame time, with ſome others upon the like account, (Only for executing his coronation Oath, which this Pope himſelf had given him, in reſcuing the Caſtles and Lands of the Empire out of his uſurping Powers) thus impartially recorded by Mat: Paris, not impertinent to our Engliſh affairs.
Circa dies iſtos Otho Romanorum Imperator memor Sacramenti quod fecerat, cum à Hiſtoriae Angliae. Edit. Londi. 1640. p. 229, 230.Papa ad Imperium fuerat ſublimatus, quod videlicet dignitates Imperii conſervaret, & jura diſperſa pro poſſibilitate ſuarevocaret, fecit per Sacramentum legalium hominum imperii Dominica Caſtella ſua, & alia jura ad dignitatem imperialem ſpectantia per quiri, & quaecun que per recognitionem ad jus imperii ſpectare didicerat, in uſus ſuos convertere laborabat. Hac autem de cauſa Orta eſt diſſenſio graviſſima inter dominum Papam & Imperatorem memoratum, eo quod tempore quo vacabat Imperium, Idem *Behold the Popes Juſtice.Papa Caſtella plurima cum rebus aliis occupaverat quae ad dignitatem imperii pertinebant. Vnde Imperator quia quod ſuum erat revocare ſtuduit, ipſum Papam ſine merito ad odium provocavit. Fredericum quo que Regem Siciliae, idem Imperator graviter perſequutus eſt, qui ſimiliter dum vacaret imperium quasdam munitiones occupatas detinuit. Ʋnde Papa memoratus ipſum Imperatorem per Nuncios, & literas frequenter admonere ſtuduit; ut eum *It is a perſecution in this Popes Judgment for the Emperor to demand reſtitution of his unjuſt Rapines, according to his Oath.a perſequutione Romanae Eccleſiae, quam a Regis Siciliae ac tutelae commiſſae ſedi Apoſtolicae exheredatione, ceſſaret. Imperator autem Nunciis domini Papae tale perhibetur dediſſe reſponſum, Si, inquit ſummus Pontifex Imperii jura injuſte poſſidere deſiderat, a Sacramento quod tempore Conſecrationis meae ad dignitatem Imperialemme jurare compulit, abſolvat; quod videlicet diſperſa Imperii jura revocarem. Denique cum Papa ipſum Imperatorem a preſtito juramento, quod omnes Imperatores in ſua conſecratione, inſpectis ſacroſanctis Evangeliis jurare tenentur, abſolvere noluit, & Imperatore contra Imperii Iura, quae jam parte maxima, in manu potenti revocaverat, reddere contempſit: idem Papa in ipſum Imperatorem, *Excellent Papal Juſtice.ſententian excommunicatonis tulit, atque Vniverſos, tam Alemanniae quam Imperii Romani Magnates, ab ejus fidelitate abſolvit. Et hoc odium Regis Johannis, & iram eſſicaciter obduravit. This being juſt King Johns caſe, in relation to the Archbiſhoprick of Canterbury. And was he here in either the Vicar of Chriſt or St. Peters ſucceſſor? or could the Devil himſelf, had he ſate in his chair, have given a more unjuſt diabolical ſentence in ſuch a caſe as this, pronounced by a miſnamed Innocent?
It is very obſervable what Glorious Victories, and admirable ſucceſſes, without effuſion of blood, both in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, God gave to King John whiles under the Popes Interdict, curſe, and excommunication, (as not offended with him) which the Monks his greateſt enemies thus relate.