Vindication of Ecclesiastical Volume 3, Volume 2 · Book · Chapter 1 · Document 26 – Document 31
EX Authoritate Dei Patris omnipotentis, & Beatae Virginis, & omnium Sanctorum,Johan▪ de Aton Conſtitutiones Legitimae Eccleſiae totiuſque Regionis Anglicanae, fol. 121. Gulielm. Lyndewode Provincialis, l. 5. De ſententia Excommunicationis, fol. 249, 250, &c. & praeſentis Concilii, Excommunicamus omnes illos qui Eccleſias ſuo jure malicioſe privare praeſumunt: aut per maliciam earundem libertates infringere vel perturbare contendunt. Item, omnes illos qui propria temeritate Eccleſiaſtica beneficia in Cantuarienſ. provincia abſque diocaeſanorum authoritate, illicite occupant per intruſionem: & detinent ſic occupata, cum eorundem fautoribus. Item, omnes illos, ſive Clericos, ſive Laicos, qui ſequeſtrum Domini Epiſcopi in vacantibus Eccleſiis vel aliis de cauſis juſtis interpoſitum violare praeſumunt, Clericis nihilominus hujuſmodi ulterius puniendis prout ſtatutum eſt in Synodo Synodali. . Item, omnes illos qui Eccleſias vel Coemiteria, ſive caetera refugia Eccleſiaſtica contra Eccleſiarum immunitates violare praeſumunt, vel bona in eis cauſa refugii exiſtentia invadendo, vel auferendo, ſive incendendo; homines in eis capiendo vel extrahendo ab eiſdem. Item, omnes illos qui bona Clericorum aut hominum tenentium de Eccleſia, & praecipue manentium in terris Epiſcopalibus, injuſte, aut violenter diripiunt: ſeu alias eos in propriis perſonis moleſtare praeſumunt. Item, omnes illos ſures, & latrones, & praedones publice diffamatos, qui de loco ad locum tranſeuntes, furta & rapinas ac depraedationes illicitas Dei timore poſtpoſito perpetrare non formidant. Item, incendiarios, ſacrilegos, falſarios: cum omnibus praedictorum fautoribus, auctoribus, receptatoribus, defenſoribus, complicibus, participibus, conſilium praeſtantibus, & ſcientibus de hujuſmodi furtis, vel rapinas ementibus, illique maxime hac ſententia involvant, qui latrones in terris, Caſtris vel domibus ſuis tenent, vel de eorum latrociniis participes ſive Domini fiant. Item, omnes illos excommunicationis ſententia innodamus, qui pacem & tranquillitatem▪ Domini Regis & Regni injurioſe perturbare praeſumunt, & qui *Here p. 390, 391:jura Domini Regis & Regni injuſte detinere & continere contendunt. Adjecimus, omnes illos ſibi ſententia involutos, qui ſcienter & prudenter falſum perhibent teſtimonium, vel perhibere procurant, vel etiam qui tales teſtes ſcienter producunt, & ſubornant, cauſa matrimoniali, ubi ſcilicet agitur contra matrimonium, vel ubi agitur ad alicujus exhaeredationem. Advocatos quoque omnes excommunicamus qui in cauſis matrimonialibus malicioſe exceptiones proponunt, vel proponere procurant, ne matrimonia debitum ſortiantur effectum, vel etiam ut contra juſtitiam proceſſus ejus diutius ſuſpendatur. Item, excommunicamus omnes illos qui gratia lucri, favoris, vel odii, vel alia quacunque de cauſa alicui malicioſe crimen imponunt, cum infamatus non ſit apud bonos & graves, ut ſic ſaltem purgatio ei indicat vel alio modo gravet. Praeterea omnes illos excommunicationis ſententia innodamus qui vacante Eccleſia malicioſe opponunt ſe, vel opponi procurant ſuper jure patronatus, quatenus ſic verum patronum illius Eccleſiae collatione, ſaltem illa vice, defraudent. Excommunicamus omnes illos qui gratia lucri vel odii, vel aliter contemnunt exequi mandata Domini Regis contra excommunicatos edita, claves Eccleſiae contemnentes. Item, omnes illos qui in ſolvendis decimis ſuis Eccleſiis ſuis Parochialibus debitis & conſuetis ſcienter fraudem fecerint: videlicet de omnibus fructibus terrarum & arborum: de faeno quocunque loco percepto, de pannagio porcorum, herbis ortorum, de apibus & nutrimentis animalium, & de foetibus quos nutriunt, lana, lacte, caſeis quocunque coagulatis, & de omnibus quae renovantur per annum, piſcationibus, venationibus, molendinis, & negotiationibus, artificiis, caeteriſque juſtis laboribus, & licite acquiſitis, & de omnibus aliis de jure, ſive de conſuetudine decimandis. Item, omnes illos qui viros religioſos, Clericos Beneficiatos, & eorum homines in ſolo Eccleſiaſtico degentes, talliis, vectigalibus, muragiis, tributis, foſſatis, cariagiis, vel aliis exactionibus indebitis, & inconſuetis per injuſtas & violentas extortiones non modicum Eccleſiaſticae libertatis praejudicium, aggravare praeſumunt. Haec generalis ſententia excommunicationis ſupradicta ſingulis annis in quatuor feſtis majoribus, videlicet, Nativitatis Domini, Paſchae, Pentecoſtes, & diei Omnium Sanctorum, in ſingulis Eccleſiis innovetur, & ſolenniter recitetur a ſingulis Presbyteris Parochialibus, ſacris veſtibus indutis, pulſatis campanis, & accenſis candelis, praeſente Parochianorum multitudine in lingua vulgari.
Theſe Excommunicators had quite forgot *In Cantica Sermo 25. 77. & ad Clerum Sermo in Concil. Remenſi.St. Bernards Leſſon. Sciant boni fideleſque Pastores, languentium ſibi creditam animarum curam, non Pompam; medico… ſe, & non Dominos agnoſcentes: parant confeſtim adverſus haereſim animae, non vindictam ſed medicinam. Audiant haec Praelati, qui ſibi commiſſis ſemper volunt eſſe formidini, utilitati rarò: ſtudete magis amari quam metui: ſuſpendite verb ra, producite ubera; pectora lacte pingueſcant, non typho turgeant. And the people might juſtly take up his complaint. Paucos habemus heu Paſtores, multos autem excommunicatores. Parum eſt noſtris vigilibus quod non ſervant nos, niſi et perdant
Soon after this Archbiſhop and the Biſhop of Lincoln, by their Uſurped Eccleſiaſtical Juriſdiction, without the Kings Royal Authority, commanded by their Injunctions that none ſhould ſell any victuals to the Jews, nor have any communion with them, whereupon they could find none that would ſell any thing to them; of which the Jews complaining, the King by his Eccleſiaſtical Prerogative iſſued this Writ to the Mayors of Canterbury, Oxford, and Norwich, to countermand the Biſhops Injunctions, that all ſhould ſell victuals and other neceſſaries to them, and that they ſhould impriſon every one refuſing to do it, till further order, as this Record informs us.
REX Vicecomiti & Majori Cantuariae ſalutem. Oſtenderunt nobis Iudaei noſtriClauſ. 7 Hen. 3. dorſ. 29. Linc. quod occaſione praecepti Venerabilis Patris S. Cantuarienſis Archiepiſcopi, & Epiſcopi Lincolnienſis facti de Iudaeis, ne qui eis victualia vendant, nec Communiam habeant cum eis, nec inveniunt aliquem qui eis aliquid vendant. Et ideo vobis praecipimus, quod viſis Literis iſtis, praecipi et proclamari faciatis ex parte noſtra in Balliva veſtra, quod vendantur eis victualia et alia neceſſaria: Et ſi quem inveneritis qui eis deneget victualia et neceſſaria alia vendere in Civitate Lincolniae, et alibi, illum capiatis, et corpus ejus ſalvo cuſtodiatis donec aliud inde praeceperimus.
Teſte H. &c. apud Weſtmonaſterium, Decimo die Novembris. Eodem modo ſcribitur Majori & praepoſitis Oxoniae, de Judaeis Oxon. & Ballivis de Norwico, de Judaeis Norwic.
The Archbiſhop Stephen Langhton perſevering in his treaſonable ſeditious practiſesAn. Dom. 1223 againſt King Henry the 3d. as he had done againſt his Father King John, Anno 1223. demanded of him a confirmation of the Great Charter, granted and ratified by his Father, on purpoſe to raiſe new Wars and Rebellions upon the ſame account, and in the ſame manner as he had *Here p. 282, 283, 335.formerly done; thus regiſtred by Matthew Paris.
REX Henricus ad natale tenuit Curiam ſuam apud Oxoniam. Et poſtmodum,Mat. Paris Hiſt. Angl. p. 305. in octavis Epiphaniae, apud Londonias veniens cum Baronibus ad colloquium; requiſitus eſt ab Archiepiſcopo Cantuarienſi, et Magnatibus aliis: ut Libertates, et liberas conſuetudines, pro quibus guerra mota fuit contra Patrem ſuum, confirmaret. Et ſicut Archiepiſcopus oſtendit evidenter, idem Rex diffugere non potuit, quin hoc faceret: cum in receſſu Lodovici ab Anglia, juravit, et tota Nobilitas Regni cum eo; quod libertates praeſcriptas omnes obſervarent, et omnibus traderent obſervandas. Quod audiens Willielmus Briwere, qui unus erat ex Conſiliariis Regis, pro Rege reſpondens, dixit: Libertates quas petitis, quia violenter extortae fuerunt, non debent de jure obſervari. Quod verbum Archiepiſcopus moleſte ferens, increpavit eum, dicens: Willielme (inquit) ſi Regem diligeres, pacem Regni non impedires. Uidens autem Rex Archiepiſcopum in iram commotum, dixit: Omnes libertates illas juravimus, et omnes aſtricti ſumus, ut quod juravimus, obſervemus. Et Rex protinus habito ſuper hoc conſilio, miſit Literas ſuas ad ſingulos Vicecomites Regni; ut per Milites duodecim, vel legales homines, uniuſcujuſque Comitatus, per ſacramentum facerent inquiri, quae fuerunt libertates in Anglia, tempore Regis Henrici avi ſui; & factam inquiſitionem ad Londonias mitterent ad Regem, in quindecem diebus poſt Paſcha.
Soon after, this Archbiſhop with 3. more Biſhops came to Lewes the French King, to demand Normandy, and other tranſmarin Lands to be rendred to King Henry, according to his Oath upon the Peace made between them: He refuſing to perform it, replyed, (moſt probably by the Archbiſhops direction, whoſe words he uſed) That King Henry himſelf had violated his Oath and agreement between them, especially Mat. Paris Hiſt. Angl. p. 305, 306.concerning their Liberties and Laws. De Libertatibus autem Regni Angliae, pro quibus guerra mota fuerat, qu… in receſſu ſuo conceſſae erant, & ab omnibus juratae, ita actum eſt; quod non ſolum illae leg…s peſſimae ad ſtatum priſtinum ſunt reductae, ſed & illis nequiores per totum R…gnum Angliae ſunt generaliter conſtitutae. Quod audientes Archiepiſcopus & Epiſcopi, cum aliud responſum habere nequiverant, ad propria ſunt reverſi, Regi Angliae ea quae audierant referentes: dealing here as he *Here p. 335, 336.formerly dealt between King John and the Barons.
Beſides, this Archbiſhop and his Officials uſurping upon the Rights of the Crown on the one hand, as the Pope and his Legates did on the other, prohibited the payment of certain Rents, annually due to the Crown, during the vacancy of the Biſhoprick of Coventry, ariſing out of the Archdeaconries of that Dioceſſe, in derogation of the Rights of the Crown; Whereupon the King iſſued forth this Writ unto him, running in a milde ſtile, in nature of a Prohibition, to redreſſe this injurious encroachment, and preſerve his Royalties.
REX Cantuarienſi Archiepiſcopo ſalutem. Ex inſinuatione cuſtodum noſtrorumClauſ. 8. H. 3. m. 29. dorſo. Epiſcopatus Coventrenſis, accepimus, quod Officiales veſtri redditus quoſdam provenientes ex Archidiaconatibus Coventrenſis Dioceſis capiendo eos, ad manus praedictorum Cuſtodum venire non permittunt; Vnde tanto vehementius admiramur quanto certius per inſpectionem Rotulorum de ſcaccario noſtro, didicimus quod temporibus praedeceſſorum noſtrorm Regum Angliae, videlicet Avi, Avunculi, & patris noſtri hujuſmodi redditus ſimul cum aliis exitibus ejuſdem Epiſcopatus, cum ipſum temporibus illis vacare contigiſſet, de quibus etiam ad ſcaccarium noſtrum reſponderunt. Rogamus igitur paternitatem veſtram, quatenus non permittatis ab officialibus veſtris aliquid attemptari, quo minus redditus hujuſmodi ad manus Baillivorum cuſtodum noſtrorum perveniant, immo potius juxta ſpem certam quam dilectione veſtra gerimus, nos inveſtitis, obſervetis et laetantes de hiis quae anteceſſores noſtri ſicut praediximus, authoritate regia ſunt gaviſi. Teſte H. apud Weſtmonaſterium Octavo die Novembris.
The Biſhop of Durham likewiſe exceeding the bounds of his Juriſdiction, to the prejudice of the Rights of the Crown, the King for redreſſe thereof ſent this memorable Prohibition to his Officers.
REX Adae de Ieland, Rogero Dandre, Jordano Hayron, Willielmo Britton, &Clauſ. 8. H. 3. m. 11. dorſ. Roberto de Ieland, ſalutem. Praecipimus vobis ne teneatis placitum per aliquod breve Venerabilis Patris R. Dunholm. Epiſcopi, Cancellarii noſtri, quali praedeceſſores ſui temporibus praedeceſſorum noſtrorum uſi non fuerunt, et quale ad ipſum non pertinet, Iure Epiſcopatus ſui; et ne idem Epiſcopus utatur libertate aliqua in curia ſua contra Coronam et dignitatem qua praedeceſſores ſui jure Epiſcopatus ſui uſi non fuerunt temporibus Anteceſſorum noſtrorum Regum Angliae, donec diſcuſſum fuerit in Curia noſtra, utrum hujuſmodi brevia et libertates pertineant ad ipſum Epiſcopum jure Epiſcopatus ſui, vel non. Teſte meipſo apud Bed. XXX. de Junnii.
The King likewiſe iſſued this ſubſequent Prohibition to the Archbiſhop of York, againſt trying the right of Advouſons in Spiritual Courts, and to admit a Clerk.
REX Archiepiſcopo Eborum ſalutem. Monſtravit nobis Prior Dunholm. quodClauſ. 8 Hen. 3. m. 4. dorſo. cum Venerabilis Pater Dunholm. Epiſcopus, Cancellarius noſter, impetraſſet quaſdem Literas de Advocationibus Eccleſiarum de Kirkel. Hovedon, & Bretenham, Welleton, & de Waketon, quas, ſicut dicit, idem Prior ei injuſte detinet, ipſe poſtmodum alias Literas obtinuit vobis directas, ne ad Eccleſias illas perſonas admittatis donec in Curia noſtra diſcuſſum fuerit, ad quem illorum pertineat illarum Eccleſiarum advocatio. Verum quoniam viſum eſt Conſilio noſtro, quod ultimae Literae de prohibitione locum habere non debeant, niſi ubi agitur de ultima praeſentatione, et Prior ſibi timeat quod velitis de vacantibus Authoritate Concilii diſponere ſi ultra tempus ſex menſium eas vacare contigerit. Vobis mandamus rogantes, quatenus niſi alia juſta ſubſit cauſa praeter dictam prohibitionem ad Eccleſiam de Hovedon vacantem, ad dicti Prioris praeſentationem perſonam idoneam admittere non differatis. Teſte Rege apud Wigorn. Viceſimo die Septembris, coram Domino Cautuarienſi, Lincolnienſi, & Bathonienſi Epiſcopis, & M. de Pateſhull.
Theſe proceedings of the Archbiſhop and Biſhops, (then moſt intruſted by the King) made him jealous of their Loyalty, and ſome ſecret deſigns againſt him, which by reaſon of their preſent power he durſt not openly diſcover, but rather endeavoured to oblige them by commending their Loyalty: For which end, Anno 1223. King Henry having a reſolution to reſume the Caſtles and Lands belonging to the Crown of England, in the poſſeſſion of his Barons and others, by adviſe of Hugh de Burgo his chief Juſtice, diſpatched ſpecial truſty Meſſengers with Letters to the Pope and Gualo his Legate, commending the fidelity of the Archbiſhop and ſome other Biſhops to him, and beſeeching him to command them by his ſpecial Bulls to aſſiſt him againſt, and excommunicate all ſuch as ſhould rebell, or diſturb the peace of the Kingdom, and to ſend particular Letters to the Earls and others there named, to ayd him if there were occaſion with their Forces; the chief deſign being not committed to writing, but privately to be imparted by word of mouth, by the Agents who carried the Letters, which I find thus entred in the Records.