Vindication of Ecclesiastical Volume 3, Volume 2 · Book · Chapter 1 · Document 74
EOdem anno, in fine menſis Junii, facta eſt motio magna in opus Crucis perorbemMat. Paris, Hiſt. Angl. p. 32…. 326. univerſum Cruce ſignatorum, quae adeo fuit numeroſa, ut ex ſolo Anglorum regno pluſquam ſexaginta millia proborum hominum, praeter ſenes et mulieres, profecti referantur. Hoc enim profeſſus eſt Magiſter Hubertus, unus ex praedicatoribus in Anglia; aſſerens veraciter tot in ſuo rotulo conſcripſiſſe. Qui omnes, & praecipue pauperes in quibus voluntas divina quieſcere ſolet, & negotium Crucis magis proſperari, cum tanta devotione opus Crucis aſſumpſerunt, ut ſibi inde proculdubio Tonantis favorem acquirerent, quod ſignis conſtrat evidentibus declaratum. The multitude and proceedings of thoſe who croſſed themſelves for this War, out of a blind zeal, are at large recited in this Popes own Bull, directed this year, Omnibus Chriſti fidelibus, (recited at large in Matthew Paris) wherein there is this memorable paſſage, That the Pope engaged theſe his Votaries to break off the Truce that the Chriſtians had made with the Sarazens, and ratified with an Oath, two years before its expiration, contrary the judgement of the Duke of Lemburge, (whom the Emperour appointed General of the Army) and ſome of his Council, who upon adviſe had, reſolved, Quod Treugam periculoſum eſſet infringere, et cum fuiſſet Iuramento firmata, penitus inhoneſtum. To which was anſwered, Quod Dominus Papa excommunicaverat omnes Cruce ſignatos, qui in isto paſſagio non tranſirent, qui ſciebat adhuc Treugam per biennium duraturam, & per hoc intelligebant, quod non volebat Treugam obſervari: Upon which ground they violated it, to the great ſcandal of Chriſtianity, and damage of the Chriſtians, whom he excited with all poſſible ſpeed to haſten to Jeruſalem, concluding his Bull thus: Clamat autem ad ſingulos Chriſti *Did not the▪ blood of Chriſtians, ſhed in this needleſſe War, cry louder?ſanguis de terra, ſupplicat p…vus & humilis exercitus, ſed devotus, ſibi celeriter ſubveniri: ſperans in Domino, & confidens, quod negotium humiliter inchoatum, debeat ipſo concedente …oeliciter terminari. Vniverſi igitur et ſinguli, qui Chriſtum induiſtis per fidem, viriliter accingimini ad Terrae Sanctae ſuccurſum; cum hic cauſa communis agatur▪ veſtrae ſci…icet fidei, ac totius fidei Chriſtianae: Nos enim promotioni hujus negotii, proviſore Domino & auctore, non ceſſamus intendere: ſperantes fiducialiter, quod in manibus fidelium, fideliter perſeverantium, res debeat prosperari. Data Laterani, x. Calendas Januarii, Pontificatus noſtri anno primo.
The Pope in purſuance of this deſign, enjoyned the Emperour Frederick the 3d.Anno 1228. Mat. Paris, p. 327. and others who had croſſed themſelves, by a ſet day to begin their paſſage to the Holy Land, under pain of Excommunication; in obedience whereunto, the Emperour to perform his vow, ſet ſail with a ſmall retinue toward the Land of Promiſe, but after 3. dayes ſail, falling ſick by the diſtemper of the Sea, and corruption of the Air, he turned his ſails, and landed at a deſigned Haven, as if he would return; which thoſe who paſſed over before him, and hoped to have him their General, hearing of, animo nimis conſternati, in eiſdem navibus quibus venerant, pluſquam xl. armatoram millia ſunt reverſi. Quod factum Imperatoris damnoſe nimis redundavit in dedecus & in praejudicium totius negotii crucifixi. Hereupon this Pope (diſcovering the real deſign of this Croſſado to be only to affront and trample upon the Emperour, and all other Chriſtian Princes, who diſobeyed his Papal Edicts) excommunicated the Emperour for his pretended contempt, and ſent abroad Letters of this his Excommunication, to be publiſhed in all parts, every Lords-day and Holy-day, but more eſpecially in England, to his great defamation; as this his Antimonarchical, Antichriſtian Bull, ſent from Rome to the Archbiſhop of Canterbury, (the original whereof I found in the White Tower) not extant in any Writers I have ſeen, will at large demonſtrate, being worthy the knowledge, conſideration of all Chriſtian Princes.