Vindication of Ecclesiastical Volume 3, Volume 2 · Book · Chapter 1 · Document 82 – Document 88
CIrca dies iſtos, Papa Gregorius nimis moleſte ferens, quod Romanorum Imperator Anno 1229. Mat. Paris Hiſt. Angl. p. 340.excommunicatus & rebellis, ad Terram Sanctam tranſierat: de illius poenitentia & ſatisfactione, ut rediret ad Eccleſiae unitatem, non mediocriter deſperabat. Decrevit ergo eum, quem contumacem vidit & rebellem, ab Imperiali faſtigio depellere: & alium quemlibet filium pacis & obedientiae, loco ejus ſubrogare. Sed quoniam hujus rei certitudo nobis non niſi per alios conſtare potuit, ponemus hic Literas Thomae cujuſdam Comitis, quem Imperator cum quibuſdam aliis in receſſu ſuo, Imperii tutorem conſtituit & rectorem: quas Imperatori ſuper hoc negotio in Syriam deſtinavit, & quas a quodam fide digno ſuſcepimus peregrino.
Excellentiſſimo Domino Frederico, Dei gratia Imperatori Romanorum, & ſemper Auguſto, ac Siculorum Regi potentiſſimo; Thomas Comes Atteranenſis, ſuus in omnibus fidelis ac devotus, ſalutem, & de Hoſtibus triumphare. Post receſſum vestrum, Domine Excellentiſſime, Gregorius Pontifex Romanus, & magnificentiae veſtrae Hoſtis publicus, congregato exercitu copioſo per Johannem de Brennes, Regem quondam Hieroſolymorum, & alios quoſdam viros ſtrenuos, quos militiae ſuae Principes conſtituit; terram veſtram & hominum veſtrorum hoſtiliter ingreſſus, contra Legem Chriſtianam decrevit vos in gladio vincere materiali, quem non potuit dejicere in gladio, ut aſſerit, ſpirituali. Nam Johannes praefatus, de Regno Francorum, & aliis conterminis regionibus, militiam contrahens non modicam; ſub ſpe Imperii, ſi vos poſſit ſubigere, de Theſauris Apoſtolicis, ſuis militibus ſtipendia miniſtrat. It aque idem Johannes, & alii ſedis Apoſtolicae principes militiae, terram veſtram & hominum veſtrorum Hoſtiliter irgreſſi: Ignem in aedificiis & villis accumulant, ſpolia & armenta rapiunt, homines captos diverſis cruciatibus torquent, & ad graviſſimam redemptionem compellunt: nulli ſexui parcun…, nec cuiquam extra Eccleſiam vel Coemiterium deferunt: Vicos & Caſtella capiunt, non habences ad hoc reſpectum, quod ſitis in ſervitio Jeſu Chriſti. Et ſi quis de Imperatore mentionem facit, Johannes d… Brennes affirmat, non eſſe alium Imperatorem praeter ipſum. Mirantur ſuper his amici veſtri, Excellentiſſime Imperator, et praecipue Clerus Imperii veſtri: qua conſideratione et conſcientia talia facere poteſt Pontifex Romanus, et contra Chriſtianos arma movere. Maxime cum Dominus dixerit Petro, in gladio materiali percutere volenti: Mitte gladium tuum in vaginam. Omnis enim qui percuſſerit in gladio, peribit. Vel quo jure poſsit ille qui quaſi diebus ſingulis praedones, incendiarios, et Chriſtianorum tortores excommunicat, et ab Eccleſiae unitate ſeparat, talibus aſſenſum praebere, et Authoritatem praeſtare, ſimiliter admirantur. Provideatis nunc obſecro, Imperator potentiſſime, ſecuritati veſtrae & honori ſuper praemiſſis: quia inimicus veſter ſaepedictus, Johannes de Brennes, omnes Portus ciſmarinos cum exploratoribus armatis non paucis munivit: ut ſi fortè incautus a peregrinatione redires, ipſe vos ſub captione concluſum incarceraret, quod Dominus avertat.
Can any Romaniſt, Pontifician, Chriſtian, Turk, or Sarazen read theſe unchriſtian extravagant proceedings of the Pope, but with higheſt deteſtation of his Diabolical impiety, malice, and injuſtice? But though this Pope unjuſtly perſecuted him with fire and ſword, and curſed him with Bell, Book and Candle, yet God ſo bleſſed him with ſucceſſe, that he ſpeedily recovered Jeruſalem and the Holy Land out of the Sarazens hands, of which he gave a full account in his Letter to King Henry the 3d. which you may peruſe at leiſure in *Hiſt. Angl. p. 343, 344, 345.Matthew Paris; the form and inſcriptions of the Golden Bull or Seal thereto affixed; (which are memorable) he thus deſcribes.
FOrma Bullae Imperatoris aureae erat talis: Ex una parte erat Imago Regia, &An. Dom. 1229. Mat. Paris Hiſt. Angl. p. 345. ſcriptum in circuitu, Fredericus Dei gratia Romanorum Imperator, & ſemper Auguſtus. Ex una parte vero Regalis Imaginis, ſcilicet ſuper dextrum humerum, ſcriptum eſt, Rex Jeruſalem. Ex alia parte ejuſdem Imaginis, ſcilicet ſuper ſiniſtrum humerum, ſcriptum eſt, Rex Siciliae. Ex alia autem parte Bullae, inſculpitur quaedam Civitas, ſcilicet Roma, & ſcribitur in circuitu, Roma Caput Mundi, tenet orbis froena rotundi. Erat autem Bulla aliquantulum major Bulla Papae.
It is evident by the laſt Motto in this Seal, That the Emperour eſteemed himſelf, not the Pope, The Head of the World, and of Rome it ſelf, of which he held the reins; that the Pope had no real Juriſdiction in or over it, but only by pretext of St. Peters uſurped and abuſed Keys; which yet terrified his Superſtitious Votaries of the Clergy ſo much, that none of the Biſhops would or dared to ſay Maſſe within the walls of Jeruſalem it ſelf, when recovered from the Sarazens, ſo long as the Excommunicated Emperour was within it; ſo much did they obey and fear this unchriſtian Pope, more then God, or this Victorious Emperour: witneſſe this relation.
INgreſſus eſt igitur, Sanctam Civitatem Hieruſalem exercitus Chriſtianus, & PatriarchaMat. Paris Hiſt. Angl. p. 345. cum Epiſcopis ſuis Suffraganeis mundificavit Templum Domini & Eccleſiam Sancti Sepulchri, Sanctaeque Reſurrectionis ejuſdem, cum aliis Eccleſiis Sanctiſque locis Venerabilibus Civitatis, abluentes pavimentum & parietes aqua benedicta, & agentes proceſſiones in hymnis & canticis, reconciliaverunt Deo loca univerſa, diuturnis infidelium ſordibus prophanata. Verum, quamdiu Imperator, qui excommunicatus fuerat, intra urbis moenia moram fecit, nullus Praelatorum (ſuch was their baſeneſſe and impiety) Miſſam celebrare praeſumpſit. Magiſter tamen Walterus, frater quidam de ordine praedicatorum, vir religioſus, providus, ac diſcretus, & in divina pagina eleganter eruditus, Anglicus natione, qui a Domino Papa officium praedicationis, in quo ſingulariter floruit, expeditus, in exercitu Chriſti ſuſceperat, quod etiam per aliquod tempus foeliciter impleverat, celebravit divina in Eccleſiis ſuburbanis: unde devotionem fidelium plurimum excitando, ad obſequium crucifixi arctius animavit.
The Pope enraged with (inſtead of rejoycing at) the Emperours Victorious proceedings againſt the Sarazens, as he invaded his Empire with fire and ſword, to dethrone him at home, ſo he ſuborned the ambitious *Mat. Paris, Hiſt. Angl. p. 346, 347.Templers and Hospitalers (who envyed his ſucceſſes) to betray him to the Sarazens, to murther, or take him Priſoner in the Holy Land, ſumpſerunt cornua ex odio Papali; audierant enim, quod jam Papa Imperium hoſtiliter invaſerat. But this their Treachery was ſo execrable to the very Soldan of the Sarazens, made privy to it, that he revealed it to the Emperour, and ſo prevented his deſtruction; who thereupon clave more affectionately to this Pagan Soldan, then to this Antichriſtian Pope, or unchriſtian, perfidious Templers.
Moreover the Pope procured Geraldus Patriarch of Jeruſalem, to write a Letter toMat Paris Hiſt. Angl. p. 346, to 350. all Chriſtians concerning his ſlow proceedings againſt the Sarazens, fraught with ſcandals, which the Pope diſperſech into all parts, eſpecially in England, to defame and withdraw the peoples affections from him: Which done, Papa ad ejus dejectionem diligentius ſolito inſurrexit, & collectioni pecuniae hiavit avidius, both in England and elſewhere, of which more in its due place.
Theſe Antichriſtian Papal Uſurpations over, and proceedings againſt the Emperour abroad, were publiſhed by the Popes Legates and Inſtruments in England, to overawe, terrifie the King and Nobles, as well as Clergy, and abate their oppoſitions againſt his Uſurpations and Encroachments on their Rights, eſpecially in caſes of Proviſions, Appeals about Elections, and Church affairs, wherein he acted arbitrarily what he pleaſed, as theſe paſſages evidence.
EOdem Anno, Caſſata Romae electione Magiſtri Willielmi Scoti Dunelmenſis electi,Anno 1228. Mat. Paris Hiſt. Angl. p. 332. Robertus Sarisburienſis Epiſcopus ad eundem Epiſcopatum electus eſt, poſtulatus, & tranſlatus: poſt cujus promotionem Canonici Sarisburienſes elegerunt Magiſtrum Robertum Bingeham Canonicum ſuum in animarum ſuarum Epiſcopum & Paſtorem. Quo utique anno deciſa eſt contentio inter Monachos Coventrenſes, & Canonicos Litchfeldenſes, ſuper Epiſcopo eligendo, Romae per ſententiam diffinitivam: Ita ut deinceps Epiſcopos alternatim eligant, Monachi primum, & Canonici eo defuncto alterum. Hoc tamen obſervato, ut Prior Coventrenſis in electione primam ſemper habeat vocem. In hac autem ſententia videtur plurmum juri Monachorum fuiſſe derogatum, qui eatenus ſemper Pontifices elegerant abſque Canonicorum conſenſu.
This year there grew a new conteſt between the King and Monks of Canterbury, about the election of the Archbiſhop, which occaſioned an Appeal and deciſion of the election by the Pope at Rome, whereby the Pope got two years payment of his Annual Penſion granted by King John, (as you *Here p. 307.heard before) and a Tenth in promiſe the Hiſtorian will inform us.
EOdem Anno, Stephanus Cantuarienſis Archiepiſcopus, apud Slindonam maneriumMat. Paris Hiſt. Angl. p. 337. Mat. Parker Antiqu. Eccleſ. Brit. p. 158. in Richardo. Godwins Catalogue of Biſhops, p. 64, 65. ſuum vii. Idus Julii diem clauſit extremum: & Cantuariae ſepultus eſt pridie Nonas ejuſdem. Quo ſepulto, Monachi Cantuarienſes impetrata a Rege licentia, elegerunt Monachum de gremio Eccleſiae ſuae, Magiſtrum Walterum de Hemeſham, iij▪ Nonas Augusti; quem cum Monachi praeſentaſſent Regi, ipſe poſt diutinam deliberationem, eundem electum certis objectionibus refutavit. Primo quidem, ipſis objecit, Monachis, Quod talem elegerunt, qui ſibi inutilis erat in Regno. Secundo, Quod Pater ejuſdem de furto convictus, patibulo ſuſpenſus fuit. Tertio, Quod ſteterat in cauſis contra Patrem ſuum Regem Johannem, tempore Interdicti. Epiſcopi praeterea Cantuarienſis Eccleſiae Suffraganei, eidem electo objecerunt; quia Sanctimonialem quandam oppreſſerat, et ex illa pueros ſuſceperat. (A very chaſte Monk, fit to be Primate of all England.) Adjicientes inſuper, Quod electio Archiepiſcopi ſine iſtorum praeſentia non debuerat celebrari. Electus vero praefatus, electioni factae firmiter adhaerens, poſt appellationem interpoſitam, aſſumptis ſibi Monachis quibuſdam Cantuarienſibus, Domini Papae ſe conſpectibus praeſentavit: petens inſtanter, ut electionem factam confirmaret. Sed Dominus Papa, eum cognoviſſet, quod a Rege et Epiſcopis electio contradicta fuiſſet, diſtulit negotium, donec rei certitudinem cognoviſſet. Rex autem & Epiſcopi, cum audiſſent, quod electus memoratus ad Curiam Romanam iter arripuerat: objectiones praemiſſas in ſcriptum redactas, & tam Regio quam Epiſcoporum ſigillo roboratas, per Roffenſem & C…ſtrenſem Epiſcopos Domino Papae tranſmiſerunt, Magiſtrum Johannem Bedefordenſem Archidiaconum hujus negotii conſtituentes patronum. Nuntii tandem Romam pervenientes, Domino Papae Regis & Epiſcoporum Literas porrexerunt. Quibus Papa diligenter inſpectis, de conſilio Cardinalium ſtatuit partibus diem in craſtino cinerum: ut tunc mediante juſtitia cauſam ſententialiter diffiniret.
EOdem tempore, inſtante die cinerum, qui electo Caentuarienſi & Nuntiis RegisAnno 1229. Mat. Paris Hiſt. Angl. p. 342. Mat. Paker Antiqu. Eccleſ. Brit. and Godwins Catalogue of Biſhops, in the life of Richard. Anglorum fuerat praefixus; ut quid de Iure foret a Papa diffiniendum inter partes, procuratores dicti Regis, ſcilicet Magiſter Alexander de Staveneſſe Epiſcopus Cestrenſis, & Magiſter Henricus de Sanford Roffenſis Epiſcopus, & praecipue Magiſter Johannes de Heutona; Dominum Papam & Cardinales omnes aſſiduis petitionibus convenerunt: ſed illos invenientes ex more difficiles, timuerunt valde a ſuo deſiderio defraudari. Vnde habito tractatu deteſtabili ſuper praemiſſis, promiſerunt Domino Papae ex parte Regis Anglorum, ab univerſo Regno Angliae et Hyberniae decimationem omnium rerum mobilium, ad guerram ſuam contra Imperatorem ſuſtinendam, ut eos in Regis propoſito exaudiret. At Dominus Papa, qui rebellem Imperatorem ſuper omnia aeſtuabat dejicere, tanti… promiſſionibus exhilaratus, trahitur ad conſenſum, et *If Popes can Judge for meer bribes, promiſes, as here, why not erre likewiſe in Judgement ſitting in their Chairs? Mat. Paris Hiſt. Angl. p. 342.ſedens in Conſiſtoria, haec quae ſequu…tur propoſuit.
NUper ad audientiam noſtram pervenit, electio Cantuarienſis Eccleſiae, de quodam Monacho Waltero nomine. Et poſtquam audivimus quae pro ſe idem Monachus, & pro ſua electione propoſuit, auditis etiam objectionibus & exceptionibus Epiſcoporum Angliae, tam contra electionem praefatam, quam in perſonam electi, per Venerabiles fratres noſtros Coventrenſem & Roffenſem Epiſcopos, & dilectum filium Archidiaconum Bedefordenſem, in audient…a noſtra propoſitis, examinationem circa electi praenominati perſonam, Venerabilibus fratribus noſtris Domino Albanenſi, Domino Thomae de Sancta Sabina, & Magiſtro …. Cardinalibus, commiſimus faciendam. Cumque electus coram illis conſtitutus, requiſitus eſſet de deſcenſu Domini ad inferos, utrum in carne, vel ſine carne deſcenderit? male reſpondit. Item, de confectione corporis Chriſti in altare? male reſpondit. Item requiſitus, de Rachele qualiter plorabat filios ſuos, cum primo eſſet mortua? male reſpondit. Item requiſitus, de ſententia excommunicationis contra juris ordinem lata? male reſpondit. Item requiſitus, de matrimonio ſi alter contrahentium infidelis deceſſerit? male reſpondit. Super his omnibus articulis diligenter examinatus eſt a Cardinalibus, quem non ſolum dicimus minus bene reſpondiſſe, ſed peſſime. Cum igitur, Nobilis ſit Eccleſia Cantuarienſis et nobilem habuiſſet Praelatum, virum diſcretum, modeſtum, et de gremio Romanae Eccleſiae aſſumptum: et iſte modo electus, quem non ſolum pronunciamus indignum, imo ſi de rigore juris procederemus, aliud dicere cogeremur, ita inſufficiens eſt, quod ad tantum honorem non debet aſſumi, electionem de ipſa fa…tam omnino caſſamus, Proviſionem nobis dictae Eccleſiae reſervantes. Here he gives Judgement for himſelf in the cloze of his Bull, though againſt the elect Archbiſhop in the premiſes; robbing both the King and Monks of their Rights and Priviledges.