Vindication of Ecclesiastical Volume 3, Volume 2 · Book · Chapter 1 · Document 25
HONORIUS Epiſcopus ſervus ſervorum Dei. Dilecto filio Nobili viroAn. Dom. 1222 6 Hen. 3. Hugoni de Lezimaco Comiti Marchiae, & Iſabellae Uxori ejus, Pictavenſ. Dioc. ſalutem & Apoſtolicam Benedictionem. Intelleximus ex relatione Venerabilis fratris noſtri Pandulphi Epiſcopi Norwicenſis, quod tempore treugae initae, inter chariſſimum in Chriſto filium noſtrum Henricum Regem Anglorum illuſtrem, ex parte una, & vos ex altera, mediante praedicto Epiſcopo tunc electo, vos juxta intentionem Epiſcopi memorati pro vobis & complicibus veſtris, mandatis noſtris ſtare iuraſtis, ſuper hiis pro quibus in perſonas veſtras, et fautorum veſtrorum, ac complicum excommunicationis et in terras veſtras et ipſorum, Interdicti fuerant per Venerabiles fratres noſtros, Xantonen. Lemovicen. Epiſc. & dilectum filium Decanum Burdegaley, ſententiae authoritate Apoſtolica promulgatae pro eo videlicet, quod dotem ſororis ejuſdem tu fili Comes, ea rejecta, reddere contempnebas, & quia Caſtrum de Campniaco, quo tu filia, priuſquam invicem copularemini, ſpoliaras Regem & fideles ipſius, detinebatis indebite occupatum, & poſt inhibitionem nostram, ne Regem infeſtares eundem, Caſtrum ſuum Merpiſii, tu Comes obſederas & occupaveras violenter; (all Temporal matters no wayes belonging to his Papal Juriſdiction) Verum quia pati nec volumus nec debemus, ut mandata noſtra vel per alienam eludantur aſtutiam, vel per proterviam contempnantur, nec vos decet abuti gratia in relaxatione praedictarum ſententiarum vobis exhibita, cum potius expediat ut vos noſtris et Regis ejuſdem beneplacitis coaptetis, nobilitatem veſtram monemus attente per Apoſtolica vobis ſcripta ſub debito praeſtiti juramenti, praecipiendo mandantes, quatenus infra feſtum Sancti Andreae futurum proximo, dotem et Caſtra praedicta cum fructibus inde perceptis, et aliis, necnon et Caſtrum Merpiſii praefato Regi, vel cui mandaverit ipſe, ſublato cujuſlibet difficultatis et appellationis objecto, reddatis; de dampnis et injuriis irrogatis ſibi et ejus fidelibus nihilominus ſatisfacientes eidem; alioquin praedictis Epiſcopis et Decano noſtris damus Literis firmiter in praeceptis, ut vos et Complices veſtros, et veſtras et ipſorum terras in priſtinas ſententias reducentes, ex tunc vos excommunicatos denuncient, et perjuros et ſententias ipſas pulſatis campanis, et accenſis candelis ſingulis diebus Dominicis et feſtivis publicari ſolempniter faciant, et uſque ad ſatisfactionem condignam inviolabiliter obſervari. Praelatos, quoque ac Clericos, ſi qui vobis in hac parte faventes, ſententias non ſervaverint memoratas, ad praeſentiam noſtram cum ſuis teſtimonialibus Literis ſuſpenſos venire compellant. Nos quoque contra vos ſeverius ſpiritualiter et temporaliter procedemus. Dat. Lateran. vij. Kalend. Iulii. Pontificatus noſtri Anno ſexto.
This Original Bull under ſeal (with ſundry more) I found in the White Tower, with this in the leaden Seal, Honorius Papa 3.
Thus did this inſolent Pope in meer Temporal affairs caſt abroad his Thunderbolt of Excommunication with higheſt arrogance, to terrifie and trample all Kings and Temporal Princes, Nobles, under his Papal feet. What Eccleſiaſtical cenſures were then inflicted upon Impoſt…rs and Blaſthemers, this preſident will inform us.
Hoc Anno comprehenſus fuit quidam, paucis diebus ante Concilium celebratumAn Dom. 1222. Mat. Paris Hiſt. Angl. p. 304, 305. Mat. Weſtm. Anno 1222. Walſingham Ypodigma Neuſtriae, An. 1222. Mat. Parker Antiqu. Eccleſ. Brit. p. 25. Hen… ▪ de Bracton, l. 3. c. 9. f. 123, 124. &c. 23. f. 144. b. Fleta l. 3. c. 1. Polychron. l. 7. c. 34. Holinſhed, Speed, Stow, Grafton, Anno 6 H. 3. Cantuariae, (miſtaken for Oxoniae) a Magiſtro Stephano Cantuarienſi Archiepiſcopo, habens in corpore & membris, ſcilicet in latere, manibus, & pedibus, quinque vulnera Crucifixi, & in dicto Concilio ſimul cum eo, utriuſque ſexus, ſcilicet Hermaphroditus, ejuſdem erroris quo Prior obcaecatus, fuit cum ſuo complice praeſentatus. Super quo convicti, et publice confeſsi, iudicio Eccleſiae puniti fuerunt. Similiter & quidam Apoſtata Iudaeus, factus ex Chriſtiano Diaconus; qui ſimiliter eſt iudicialiter punitus, quem Falco ſtatim arreptum ſuſpendi fecit: by Judgement of the Kings Temporal Court, (not Council) as Bracton informes us. The firſt impoſter who counterfeited himſelf to be Chriſt, with two women his followers, counterfeiting themſelves to be the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Chriſt, and Mary Magdalen, were immured together with him without any victuals, and ſtarved to death, as ſome relate, and others that they were crucified.
In this Council held at Oxford under Archbiſhop Stephen, many Conſtitutions were made, moſt of them very uſefull to reform extortions, abuſes, Procurations in Viſitations, the taking of any Fees for Letters of Order, Funerals, or adminiſtring any Sacrament; as alſo againſt Pluralities, Non-reſidence, aud other abuſes of Clergy-men: Only it begins with this extravagant general form of Excommunication, enchroaching upon the Kings Prerogative and Subjects Liberties in ſundry particulars, warranted by no Authority from God the Father, or Bleſſed Virgin, as it pretends.