Vindication of Ecclesiastical Volume 3, Volume 2 · Book · Chapter 1 · Document 34 – Document 39
EOdem Anno ſurrexit murmuratio non modica a Magnatibus Angliae, contra Hubertum Mat. Paris, Hiſt. Angl. p. 306.de Burgo Juſtitiarium, qui pacem Regni conati ſunt perturbare. Dicebant enim ad invicem, quod animum Regis exaſperabat contra illos, & quod ſimiliter non aequis legibus Regnum regebat. Acceſſit praeterea ad majoris odii incentivum, adventus nunciorum Regis, quos Romam miſerat, qui Bullam Domini Papae Archiepiſcopis Angliae, et eorum Suffraganeis deferebant, quae talem continebat ſententiam, videlicet, quod Dominus Papa Regem Angliae plenae aetatis adjudicaverat, quod ex tunc negotia Regni idem Rex principaliter cum ſuorum domeſticorum conſilio ordinaret. Significavit etiam executoribus praelibatis Dominus Papa in Literis ſupradictis; quatenus authoritate Apoſtolica denunciarunt Comitibus, Baronibus, Militibus, et aliis uni…erſis, qui cuſtodias habebant Caſtrorum, honorum et villarum, quae ad Regis dominium ſpe…tabant, ut continuo viſis Literis, Regi illas redderent: Contradictores autem per cenſuram Eccleſiaſticam ad ſatisfactionem compellerent. Unde pars maxima Comitum & Baronum, quorum corda concupiſcentia poſſidebat, hujuſmodi praecepta indigne ferens, bellumque ſuſcitare diſponens, convenit in unum, & conſpiratione abſque follibus conflata, ſupradictas occaſiones praetendebat, ut pacem Regni perturbaret. Cuſtodias autem jam dictas, per admonitionem Archiepiſcoporum et Epiſcoporum, Regi reddere ſuperſedit, volens potius arma movere, quam Regi ſatisfacere de praemiſſis.
Hereupon, Anno Domini 1224. Rex Henricus ad natale tenuit Curiam ſuam apudAn. Dom. 1224 Mat. Paris, Ibidem. Northamptonam, praeſente Archiepiſcopo Cantuarienſi, cum ſuis Suffraganeis, & militia magna nimis. Comes vero Ceſtrenſis, cum ſuis conſpiratoribus, apud Leiceſtriam tenuit feſtum ſuum; tumens, & minas contra Regem & Juſtitiarium intendens, pro cuſtodiis Caſtrorum ac terrarum, quas idem Rex exigebat ab illo. In craſtino autem poſt Miſſarum ſolemnia, Archiepiſcopus Cantuarienſis, cum ſuis Suffraganeis Epiſcopis albis induti veſtibus, et candelis accenſis, excommunicaverunt omnes Regis et Regni perturbatores, et Sanctae Eccleſiae, et rerum Eccleſiaſticarum invaſores. Deinde idem Archiepiſcopus miſit ſolemnes nuncios apud Leiceſtriam ad Comitem Ceſtriae et ſuos complices; firmiter denuntians ſingulis et univerſis, quod niſi in craſtino reſignarent in manus Regis omnia Caſtella et honores ad Coronam ſpectantia; ipſe et omnes Epiſcopi nominatim excommunicarent illos, ſicut a Domino Papa fuerat demandatum. Tunc Comes Ceſtrenſis & ejus complices, cum per exploratores edocti fuiſſent, quod Rex majorem quam ipſi, haberet numerum armatorum, conſternati ſunt valde: quia ſi facultas eis ſuppeteret, in Regem propter Juſtitiarium potencer arma moverent. Sed cum proprium conſpexiſſent defectum, verebantur dubium certamen mire: et praeterea timuerunt Archiepiſcopum et Epiſcopos, ne forte illos excommunicarent, niſi deſiſterent ab incoeptis. Unde ſaluberimo uſi conſilio, venerunt apud Northamptonam ad Regem univerſi, et a Comite Ceſtrenſi incipientes, reddiderunt ſinguli Caſtella et municipia, honores et cuſtodias Regi, quae ad Coronam ſpectare videbantur.
Thus the Popes Bulls, and Biſhops Excommunications, (which here accidentally produced the beſt effect I read of, for want of power in the Barons to reſiſt the Kings Temporal Sword, Forces, not this Eccleſiaſtical Thunderbolt) were then made uſe of in moſt ſecular affairs, and not only the Temporal Lords and Commons thereby ſubjected, enthralled to the Popes and Prelates Juriſdictions, but the King and Kingdom too, upon meer politick and ſecular concernments and affairs. The ſame year, *Mat. Paris Hiſt. Angl. p. 309, 310. Mat. Weſtm. Anno 1224. p. 115, 116.Falcatius de Brent ſeizing upon Henry de Braybroc, one of the Kings Juſtices Itinerant, for giving Judgement againſt, and impoſing Fines upon him in Aſſizes of Novel-diſſeiſin, for Lands and houſes he had forcibly entred into in Luton, and afterwards carrying him Priſoner to Bedford Caſtle: The King, Biſhops and Barons then ſitting in a Parliamentary Council at Northampton, preſently went and beſieged the Caſtle, Tunc Archiepiſcopus, & Epiſcopi univerſi; (after a treble ſummons and admonition to ſurrender it, withſtood) ipſum Falcatium, & omnes qui in Caſtelli praeſidio erant, candelis accenſis, excommunicationis mucrone percuſſerunt: Which Excommunication they ſlighting and deriding, manfully defended the Caſtle near 9. weeks ſpace, till taken by force. Falcatius by judgement abjured the Realm for ever, and loſt all his goods. After which, Romanam Curiam adiit, qui ſciebat eam pro pecunia ſibi de facili in quacunque cauſa propiciandam. Sed machinatio ſua non eſt a Deo permiſſa, vel a ſanctis quibus tot irrogavit injurias, writes Matthew Weſtminſter. Yet Alexander de Savenesby ſped better, who was then conſecrated Biſhop of Cheſter, Romae a Domino Papa Honorio, die Paſchae; no doubt for current money.
King Henry to pacify and gratify the Archbiſhop (of whoſe fidelity he formerly had cauſe to doubt) writ this enſuing Letter to the Pope, to give way for the return of his Brother Simon Langeton, into England, out of which (it ſeems) he was formerly baniſhed, (as well as *Here p. 371. 372.excommunicated, and deprived of all his Eccleſiaſtical Benifices) for adhering to Lewes and contemning the Popes excommunications.
DOmino Papae ſalutem. Quod Venerabilis Pater S. Cantuarienſis Archiepiſcopus,Clauſ. 8. Hen. 3. m. 27. dorſo. ſirmiter & fideliter nobis adhereat, nos & agenda noſtra ea ſollicitudine promovendo, qua circa nos cuncta fuerint proſpera, cuncta tranquilla, ſicut paternitati veſtrae notum fieri volumus, tam praeſentium atteſtatione Literarum, quam nunciorum fidelium noſtrorum viva voce. Volentes igitur ſicut debemus, Sinceritate veſtra digna viciſſitudine reſpondere, ad ea ex multiplici merito ſuo nitimur quae ſibi grata fuerint & accepta. Verum quia placeret ei plurimum ſicut humanum eſt, Magiſtri Simonis fratris ſui regreſſus in Terram noſtram, regreſſum ipſius & moram libenter concederemus, ſi ad hoc vester aſſenſus preveniret, quod ex multimoda affectione, ſicut decet, exoramus, quia in nostra & multorum magnatum & fidelium nostrorum praeſentia conſtitutus, idem Archiepiſcopus promiſit & manucepit, quod regreſſio ipſius, ſive mora, nobis vel Regno nostro in nullo erit damnoſa. Beneplacitum igitur voluntatis veſtrae quam circa hoc expectandum duximus, recurrentibus ſanctitatis veſtrae Literis nobis petimus intimari. Teſte meipſo apud North. xix. die Decembris Coram H. de Burg. Juſtic. & Bathon. & Surr. Epiſcopis.
I cannot finde that the Pope conſented to this requeſt, eſteeming it very dangerous for this firebrand to return or continue in England, in this juncture of Affaires.
What a Power the Pope then uſurped in making and commanding Truces between England and France, (in which caſes he frequently interpoſed his advice, and Papal Authority upon requeſt, and ſometimes by meer intruſion) will in part appear by this Record.
REX, Venerabilibus viris & Amicis in Chriſto Chariſſimis, Epiſcopo Senon. &Clauſ. 8. H. 3. m. 27. dorſ. Epiſcopo Silvanectenis, ſalutem. Paternitati veſtrae referimus de hiis quae de Mandato Domini Papae nobis duxiſtis per Liter as veſtras intimanda, de Trugis inter Dominum Regem Franciae & nos prorogandis, & vobis ſignificamus, quod nuncios noſtros per dei gratiam ad concilium Pariſienſe ad tres ſeptimanas Paſchae mittemus ad audiendum inde per vos voluntatem & reſponſum ipſius Regis Franciae. Noveritis autem quod nos non interim intercipiemus erga ipſum Regem vel ſuos in trugis niſi ex parte ſua prius fuerit interceptum. Nos autem ex parte Domini Papae mandatum accepimus per Literas ſuas, de Trugis prorogandis uſque ad Quadriennium ſicut ipſe recepit. Teſte Rege apud Westmonaſterium Viceſimo Octavo die Aprilis.
How the Pope recommended perſons to the Biſhoprickes in Ireland, when voyd (yet with the Kings royal aſſent and approbation, (which he complementally requeſted) who then durſt deny him nothing) theſe Records will informe us.
REX Dublinenſi Archiepiſcopo ſalutem. Noveritis quod nos, juxta petitionemClauſ. 8. H. 3. m 5. dorſ. Domini Papae ad nos directam pro dilecto nobis in Chriſto G. Artferten. Epiſcopo, ipſum Epiſcopum Duximus habere commendatum. Unde vos rogamus, quatinus ipſum benigne admittatis juxta mandatum Domini Papae, nobis pro eo directum, de facto ſuo ipſum habentes Commendatum: Et quod veſtrum eſt in hac parte exequi velitis. Teſte Rege apud Wodeſtock Decimo Quinto die Septembris Coram Juſticiario & Bathonienſi Epiſcopo.
DOminus Rex adhibuit aſſenſum & regium favorem ad petitionem Domini Pat. 8. Hen 3▪ part. 3. m. 4. intus.Papae Electioni de Mauritio quondam Epiſcopo Cork in Archiepiſcopum Caſſel. Et Mandatum eſt omnibus, &c. quod ei tanquam Domino ſuo in omnibus intendentes ſint & respondentes: In cujus, &c. Teſte Rege apud London. Viceſimo Quinto die Auguſti.
DOminus Rex adhibuit aſſenſum regium Electioni factae de Florentio olim Beleghatenſ. Archid. in Cleonenſem Epiſcopum. Et Mandatum eſt Electo Caſſell. quod id quod ſuum eſt in hac parte exequatur. Teſte ut ſupra.
But though the King conſented to theſe Papal requeſts, yet he would by no meanes admit the tranſmiſſion of an Appeal to the Pope in a caſe of Baſtardy in Ireland, pleaded in a Writ of Mortdaunceſter, after due proof and examination thereof in the Eccleſiaſtical Court there before the Archbp. of Dublin, who ought to certify the ſame; it being both diſhonourable, of dangerous example, and prejudicial to his Crown and publike Juſtice, to tranſmit that which belong'd to his own juriſdiction Dignity, Court, to a forraign Papal Tribunal; as this memorable Record will evidence.