Vindication of Ecclesiastical Volume 3, Volume 2 · Book 3 · Chapter 2 · Document 26 – Document 28
REX Reginaldo de Cornhill, &c. Mandamus vobis, ſtatim viſis Literis iſtis, liberetis Magiſtro Pandulfo Domini Papae Nuncio Johannem Clericum Domini Hereford Epiſcopi quam habetis in Cuſtodia apud Roffam ſalvo Cuſtodiendum donec certum fuerit, utrum fuerit Clericus vel Laicus: Et in hujus rei teſtimonium has literas noſtras Patentes vobis mittimus. Teſte Domino H. Dublinenſi Archiepiſcopo apud Chileham Duodecimo die Junnii, Anno regni noſtri decimo quinto. Per eundem.
Theſe moſt *Tit. 4▪ 26.unchriſtian diſloyal proceedings of the Pope, his legats, Archbiſhops, Biſhops, and Engliſh Clergy againſt the King, ſo much alienated his affections from the very Chriſtian Religion they profeſſed with their Mouths, but denyed in their hearts, practiſes, that (if we credit *Mat. Paris p. 233.Matthew Paris, who willingly traduces him upon all occaſions) after the death of Geoffery Fitz-Peter cheif Juſtice of England (the chief pillar and ſupport of the Realm of England) King John conceiving himſelf abſolved from, and that he had liberty to go againſt all the Oaths, agreements, & extricate himſelf from the unjust conditions of peace he had made dolenter, with much grief and reluctancy wherewith he was entangled: poenituit ipſum graviter et amariſſime, quod ad praedictae pacis conſenſum inclinaretur. Whereupon thinking to finde better uſage from very Turks then from the Pope, his own Biſhops and rebellious ſubjects, who were Chriſtians, he reſolved to put himſelf and his Realm into their hands, and to renounce the Chriſtian Religion, which the premiſed proceedings of the Pope and Prelates againſt him made him repute as vain and ineffectual. Such was the fruit of theſe Antichriſtian proceedings againſt him, Miſit ergo nuncios ſecretiſſimos cum feſtinatione ſumma, videlicet Thomam Hardentonum, & Radulphum filium Nicholai Milites, & Robertum de Londino clericum, ad Admiralium Murmelium Regem magnum Aphricae, Marocchiae, & Hiſpaniae: ſignificans eidem, quod ſe et Regnum ſuum libenter redderet eidem et dederet et deditum teneret ab ipſo, ſi placeret ei, ſub tributo. Necnon et legem Chriſtianam quam vanam cenſuit, relinquens, legi Mahometae fideliter adhaereret. To which meſſage being delivered, Murmelius after a little deliberation returned this modeſt anſwer. Modo inſpexi librum in Graeco ſcriptum, cujuſdam Graeci ſapientis & Chriſtiani, nomine Pauli (the Apoſtle) cuju… actus & verba mihi maxime complacent, & accepto: Ʋnum tamen de ipſo mihi diſplicet, quod in lege ſub qua natus est non ſtetit, ſed ad alia tanquam transfuga & i…co…ſt…ns avolvit. Et iddico de domino veſtro Anglorum Rege, qui relicta piiſſima et mundiſſima lege Chriſtianorum ſub qua naſcebatur, cereus et inſtabilis gliſcit tranſmeare. No…it qui nihil ignorat D…us omnipoteks, ſi exlex eſſem, illam prae omnibus eligerem, & acceptam amplexar m. Poſtea vero ſciſcitabatur, cujus conditionis eſſet Rex Angliae & regnum ejus. Of which T. Hardenton gave this account of the King, that he was Egregie & ingenue atavis Regibus magnis procreatus: & of the kingdom, terra ejus opulenta & ſuis contenta bonis, &c. Regnum etiam ab *Miſprinted injancto.injuncto & coronato gubernatum, ab antiquo liberum eſſe dignoſcitur, ad nullius pr…terquam Dei ſpectans Dominationem: (the more ſhame for the Pope to invade & make it Tributary) Eccleſia etiam & nostrae cultus religionis plus quam in aliqua mundi parte ibidem proſperatur, ac *A forgery for the Popes advantage.Papalibus & Regiis legibus pacifice gubernatur. Hereupon, Tracto igitur abalto praecordiali ſuſpirio, reſpondit▪ Rex, Nunquam legi vel audivi, quod aliquis Rex tam proſperum Regnum poſſidens ſubjectum et obediens, ſuum ſic vellet ſponte peſſundaxe Principatum, ut de libero faceret tributarium, de ſuo alienum, de faelici, miſerum; et ſe alterius ſine vulnere victum, dedere voluntati. Quinimo de multis legi & audivi (qui) ſibi libertatem (quod laudabile eſt) compararent: Modo autem audio, quod Dominus veſter *He was neither.miſer, deſes et imbellis, qui nullo nullior eſt, de libero ſervus fieri deſiderat, qui omnium mortalium miſerrimus eſt. Poſtea vero ſed cum contemptu inquiſivit cujus aetatis eſſet, ſtaturae a… ſtreunitatis: Cui Reſponſum eſt quod aetate fuit quinquagenarius, & omnino canus, corpore fortis, nec procerus, ſed potius compactus, & formae ad robora convenient…s &c. Quod cum audiſſet Rex, reſpondit, Virtus ejus juvenilis ac virilis tepuit jam & refrigeſcit. Infradecennium, dato quod tamdiu victurus ſit, virtus ejus deficiet antequam arduum quid conſummaverit, ſi nunc inciperet in defectum declinaret, nec aliquid valeret. Quinquagenarius enim decidit occulte, ſexagenarius manifeſte. Pacem de caetero ſibi adquirat & quieſcat. Colligens ergo omnia inquiſita & reſponſa Nunciorum, poſt parvum ſilentium, facta ſubſannatione, in ſignum magnae indignationis, sprevit ille Admiralius Regem Johannem, dicens, nullius eſt Rex ille, ſed Regulus jam deſipiens & ſeneſcens; nec curo de eo: Indignus eſt mihi confederari; & conſpiciens Thomam & Radulphum torvo vultu, Ait, Non redeatis iterum ad meam praeſentiam, nec videant oculi veſtri amplius faciam meam. I ama, ſed potius infamia Domini veſtri, jam Apoſtatae deſipientis faetorem exhalat in conſpectu meo teterrimum. Recedentibus igitur cum Rubore nunciis, intuebatur Rex ille Admiralius Robertum Clericum, qui tertius erat Nunciorum, qui p…rvus erat & niger, unum brachium longius habens reliquo, & digitos inordinatos, ſcilicet duos ſibi Cohaerentes & faciem Judaicam. Perpendens igitur Rex, quod tam deſpicabilis perſona, ad tam arduum negotium declarandum non deſtinaretur, niſi ſaperet ut callidus & intelligeret, videns ejus coronam & tonſuram, & inde diſcernens quod eſſet clericus, juſſit eum ad ſe evocari, quia aliis loquentibus adhuc tacuerat, ſtans remotus. Ipſo igiter retento & ſpretis aliis, Rex cum eo multa loquebatur ſecretius quae poſtea ipſe Robertus amicis ſuis pateficit. Inquiſivit autem dictus Rex ab eodem, ſi Rex Angliae Johannes * aliquibus polleret moribus, & † A likely ſtoryſi liberos ſtrenuos procreaſſet; & ſi potens eſſet in vi generativa. Addiditque quod ſi Robertus ſuper his interogatis m…nt…retur, nunquam praecipue clerico crederet Chriſtiano. Tunc Robertus ſub atteſtatione legis Chriſtianae ſe promiſit, ad omnia interrogata veraciter responſurum. Dixit igitur affirmative *A very probable tal… that he ſhould thus defame King John, and yet be rewarded and advanced by him for this Embaſſy.quod potius fuit Tyrannus, quam Rex; potius ſubverſor quam gubernator, oppreſſor ſuorum, & fautor alienorum. Leo ſuis ſubditis, Agnus alienigenis & rebellibus, qui per deſidiam ſuam Normaniae Ducatum, & alias mult as terras amiſerat. Etinſuper Angliae Regnum, amittere vel deſtruere ſitiebat. Pecuniae extortor inſatiabilis, poſſeſſionum ſuorum naeturalium invaſor & Deſtractor. Paucos vel potius nullos ſtrenuos generavit ſed patrizantes. Sponſam ſibi habet exo…a…, & ipſum odientem, inceſtam, maleficam, & adulteram, & ſuper haec ſaepius convictum: unde Rex sponſus ejus comprehenſos laqueo juſſit ſuper ſtratum ejus ſuffocari. Ipſe Rex nihilominus multos procerum ſuorum & etiam conſanguineos Zelotipavit violenter, ac filias corrupit nubiles, & ſorores, In cultu autem Chriſtiano prout audiſtis fluctuans & deffuſus. Haec cum audiſſet Rex Admiralius non tamen ſicut prius ipſum ſprevit, ſed deteſtabatur & in ſua lege maledixit & Ait; Quare permittunt miſeri Anglici talem ſuper ſer…gnare & dominari? vere effeminati ſunt & ſerviles. Reſpondit Robertus patientiſſimi hominum ſunt Anglici donec ſupra modum offendantur & damnificentur. Nunc autem ſicut Leo vel Elephas cum laeſum ſe ſenſerit v…l cruentum, iraſcuntur, & executere colla de ſub jugo opprimentis, etſi ſero proponunt & conantur. Et cum haec omnia ipſe Rex Admiralius audierat, Anglorum nimiam redarguit patientiam▪ quam formidoloſitatem recta interpretatione fuiſſe interpres aſſeruit qui ad omnia preſens extiterat. Multosautem praeter hos tractatus, & confabulationes habuit Idem Rex cum eodem Roberto, quae poſtea Amicis plenius in Anglia declaravit. Collatis igitur ipſi Roberto, muneribus precioſis in auro & argento, gemmis variis & holoſericis ipſum in pace dimiſit. Recedentes autem nuncios alios, *A likely ſtory.nec ſalutavit nec aliquibus muneribus honoravit; Cum que autem ad propria remeaſſent nuncii & quae viderant & audiverant domino ſuo renuciaſſent doluit, dominus eorum Rex Iohames vehementer us que ad Spiritus Amaritudinem, quod ſi… ab ipſo Rege Admiralio contemnebatur, et quod in propoſito ſuo impediebatur. Robertus autem de extranels donis ſibi collatis Regem liberaliter reſpexit, ut ſaltem ſic preciperet, quod favorabilius alliis audiretur, licet primo repulſus tacuiſſet. Unde ipſe Rex ipſum plus aliis honoravit, & quaſi pro praemio *It was granted him 3 years, or more before this fictitious Embaſſy.Custodiam Abbatiae potius ſancti Albani, quamvis non vacaret, *The true ground of this fiction, and …lander of King John.improbus exactor conceſſit, ut ſic de alieno Clericum ſuum fidei tranſgreſſor remuneraret. Ipſe igitur Robertus, inconſulto imo invito Abbate, qui protempore fuit, videlicet Johanne de Colla viro religioſiſſimo & literatiſſimo, omnia quae in Eccleſia, & Curia fuerunt, pro libitu diripuit, & ſibi appropriavit. Et in qualibet Balliva quas obedientias appellamus, conſtituit (maxime in janua) janitorem omnium diligentem exploratorem & protervum unde pluſquam Mille Marcas ab eadem domo aſiute nimis emunxit Robertus Clericus memoratus. Hic tamen quoſdam Abbatis Miniſtros praecipuos cum quodam S. Albani Monacho, videlicet Dominum Clericum Magiſtrum Walterum Monachum Pictorem dilexit, & habuit familiares, quibus gemmas ſuas & *Note this Embaſſy or his relation of himſelf and King John.alia ſecreta revelavit, ſibi a dicto Admiralio collata & dicta, audiente Matthaeo qui & haec ſcripſit & ennaravit.
If this Embaſſy to Admiralius were a real truth, it diſcovers the tranſcendent wickedneſſe and impiety of the Popes, Archbiſhops, and Biſhops Treaſons to, cheats put upon King John, which ſhould caſt him upon ſuch a temptation and neceſſity as this, to truſt a Saracen rather then a Chriſtian, and to renounce the Chriſtian Religion as vain: But the whole contexture proves it a moſt ſcandalous malicious forgery of this Monke of St. Albars, for ſequeſtring that Abby.
1. It is recorded by no other Hiſtorian but himſelf. 2. All the parts thereof appear to be a malicious Satyr, Libel, invective againſt King John, invented by the Hiſtorians under the Perſon of Murmelius and Robert one of the Ambaſſadors, to render him odious to his ſubjects, excite them to rebel againſt him and deprive him of his Crown, as a perſon unfit and unworthy to raign over them, and to juſtify their election of Lewis of France for their King. 4. All the premiſed paſſages Glorious Victories, ſucceſſes of King John, prove him to be a quite contrary perſon to what was here repreſented to Admiralius. 5. Had he formerly reſigned up his Crown and Kingdom or under an Annual Tribute Rent to the Pope, as this Monk relates, King John had then no power to ſurrender or ſubject them to Murme lius a Sarazen without the Popes conſent. 6. This Kingdom being ſubject to none but God, it was a very great impiety in the Pope to unite and enthrall it to the See of Rome. 7ly. That King John would renounce the Chriſtian Religion as vain, and embrace the Mahumetan as true, is moſt improbable; it had been truer of Pope Innocent. For 1. King John commanded all Biſhops, Abbots, Monks, Prieſts, to celebrate Divine Service and Sacraments, during the above 6. years Interdict, in all their Churches, when the impious Pope and Prelates prohibited them, and ſuſpended thoſe who obeyed his pious precept. 2ly. He ſeized all the Temporalties, Benefices, Goods, of thoſe who diſobeyed him. 3ly. He encouraged all who celebrated Divine Service and Sacraments. 4ly. He with moſt paſſionate importunity preſſed the Pope and Biſhops to releaſe the Interdict, and that Divine Service and Sacraments might be every where adminiſtred, which they both delayed and refuſed, till their own covetous and ambitious ends were ſatisfied, ſhewing himſelf a far more religious, devout, zealous Chriſtian, then the Pope, Biſhops, and his Clergy, who for above 6. years ſpace together ſuſpended all Divine Service and Sacraments throughout his Realm, againſt his will and Writs, to wreck their own malice upon this King, and deprive him at laſt of his Crown and Kingdoms. 5ly. His conſtant profeſſion and maintenance of the Chriſtian Religion during his life, *Speeds Hiſtory p. 588.the 5. Religious houſes he built, and his piety at his death, prove this to be a malicious forgery, that he would embrace Mahumetaniſm, and abjure the Chriſtian Religion. 6ly. It is very improbable, as this forged Narrative relates, that King John would make himſelf and his opulent Kingdom a Tributary and Vaſſal to another Prince ſo remote, of his own voluntary motion, without War or Conqueſt. 7ly. That King John ſhould ſend ſuch mean and deſpicable Ambaſſadors as theſe here mentioned, to ſo great a Prince as Murmelius, about ſo weighty an affair as this. 8ly. That he ſhould do it with ſuch privacy, that none of his Nobles ſhould know or conſent unto it. 9ly. That theſe Meſſengers ſhould find this Saracen King reading St. Pauls Epiſtles, when they were preſented to him, and that he ſhould profeſſe the Chriſtian Religion to be the beſt and pureſt of any, yet blame St. Paul for electing it before that wherein he was educated. 10ly. That Robert ſhould make ſuch a relation to him and them concerning Admirallus his deſcription of his own deformity, of King John his Maſters Tyranny, Vices, and unworthineſſe to reign, and King John continue him in his favour notwithſtanding. 11ly. That Robert only of the three ſhould be rewarded by Murmelius, and that with ſo many and rich preſents, being ſo deſpicable a perſon, and the firſt (who was the moſt honorable, eloquent, propereſt perſon) go unrewarded. 12ly. The ground of this Hiſtorians malice, and frequent Invectives againſt King John, and this forged Legend of his againſt him and this Robert, was becauſe the King ſeized the Lands and Monaſtery of St. Albans into his hands, (whereof he was a Monk) for their Abbots and Monks refuſal to celebrate Divine Service during the Interdict, upon the Kings command, and committing the cuſtody thereof to this Robert, at leaſt three or four years before this pretended Embaſſy, diſcovers Roberts Embaſſy thither, and claiming the cuſtody of this Abby, by giving him a great ſhare of the gifts beſtowed on him by Murmelius, to be a meer *Speeds Hiſtory p. 588.forged Fable. 13ly. He ſubjoyns this further forgery of King Johns miſ-belief, and denying the Reſurrection of the dead, (grounded only upon his ſpeech or jeſt of a fat Stagge) *Hiſt. p. 234. Speeds Hiſtory p. 567, 568.Diebus quoque ſub eiſdem adeo inſipiebat Rex Johannes ut de mortuorum Reſurrectione futura, & aliis fidem Chriſtianam contingentibus male ſentiret, & quaedam inenerabilia diceret deliramenta, quorum unum duximus recitandum, (as the worſt of all the reſt, and that but a truth, diſcovering his little eſteem of the merits of Popiſh Maſſes, by which the Monks got and held their livings) Contigit ut venatu capto cervo quodam pinguiſſimo, in praeſentia Regis cum excoriaretur, & aeridens diceret, O quam prospere vixit iſte, nunquam tamen miſſam audivit!
To make King John ſome amends for theſe malicious ſlanders, (who to over-top his new Engliſh Pope and Barons, by that Papal hand by which himſelf was ſubjected to them) this Hiſtorian gives Pope Innocent the 3d. this true Character, evidencing him to be little better then a Devil incarnate.
EX tunc igitur Rex Johannes, praeconceptum propoſitum ſuum a quo credidit reſilire,Mat. Paris Hiſt. Angl. p. 235. & ſuam coepit conditionem deteriorare & deterioratam in perniciem Regni ſolidare. Oderat quippe quaſi virus viperium omnes Regni generoſos, praecipue tamen Sacrum de Q…ency, Robertum filium Walteri, & Cantuarienſem Archiepiſcopum Stephanum, Noverat autem, et multiplici didicerat experientia quod *A true Character of Pope Innocent.Papa ſuper omnes mortales ambitioſus erat, et ſuperbus, paecuniaeque ſititor inſatiabilis, et ad omnia ſcelera pro praemiis datis vel promiſſis Cereum et Proclibum. Miſſis igitur ſub omni feſtinatione Nunciis, magnam The ſauri ſummam ipſi tranſmiſit & promiſit ampliorem, ſpoponditque ſuum ſe eſſe et ſemper fore ſubiectum tributarium (which intimates his firſt mentioned Charter and Homage to the Pope to be a forgery) ea conditione, ut nacta ſubtiliter occaſione, Cantuarienſem Archiepiſ. confundere niteretur, & Barones Angliae quos prius foverat, excommunicaret. Et hoc ſitienter deſiderabat, ut in excommunicatos exhaeredando, & incarcerando, & necando poſſet malignari. Quae igitur nequiter ſubarraverat, nequius, ut in ſequentibus dicetur, ſolidavit.
The Pope greedy of this new booty, forthwith diſpatched his Legate into England, a perſon every way as covetous, ambitious, wicked, tyrannical as himſelf; of whoſe coming near England the King no ſooner heard, but he diſpatched this Letter to him, by Meſſengers to attend and haſten his arrival.
VEnerabili Patri in Chriſto, N. Dei gratia Tuſculan. Epiſcopo Apoſtolicae ſedis Legato.Clauſ 15. Johannis Regis, parte 2. D…ſ, m 7. J eadem gratia Rex Angliae, &c. & debi tam Patri cum devotione reverentiam. Audito adventu veſtro verſus partes noſtras, nos cum toto Regno noſtro gaviſi ſumus in Domino, de Religione, & honeſtate veſtra fiduciam gerentes pleniorem. Miſſiſſemus autem ad vos, ſicut dicens & dignum eſſet, nuncios noſtros, niſi communis relatio nos decepiſſ…t, quae vos in feſto exaltationis Sanctae Crucis Capitulo Ciſtercienſi debere intereſſe aſſerebat. Cum vero certos de Appropinquatione veſtra rumores audiſſemus, fuimus in remotis Regni noſtri partibus ultra Eboracum, & ſtatim latores praeſentium prudentes viros & familiares noſtros Eborac. & Seleby Abbates, in occurſum veſtrum miſimus: Mandantes quod bene veneritis, & plures & ſollemniores nuncios miſiſſemus ſi viae fidelibus noſtris tutae eſſent. Nos vero in occurſum veſtrum verſus mare venire f…ſtinamus, veſtram Rogantes ſanctitatem, quaetnus quam citius poteritis in Angliam venire f…ſtinctis, & voluntatem vestram nobis ſi placet ſignificetis. Teſte meipſo apud Thikehull, Decimo nono die Septembris.
The time of his arrivall, manner of his reception, Pomp, Covetouſneſſe, new Uſurpatious as well on the Biſhops and Clergy, as the King, Kingdom, Subjects, are thus recorded by Matthew Paris.