Vindication of Ecclesiastical Volume 3, Volume 2 · Book · Chapter 2 · Document 163 – Document 167
INNOCENTIUS Epiſcopus, &c. Chariſſimo in Chriſto filio, Regi Anglorum Literae Papales.illuſtri, ſalutem & Apoſtolicam benedictionem. Erga perſonam tuam, tanquam filii & devoti Apoſtolicae ſedis, specialis paternum gerentes dilectionis affectum, precibus tuis, quantum cum Deo poſſumus, libenter attentum accommodamus auditum, & benignum impertimur aſſenſum. Sane per dilectum Magiſtrum Laurentium, Nuncium tuum aepud ſedem Apoſtolicam conſtitutum, & per Literas Regias, a nobis humiliter postulaſti, ut cum inſtanti aeſtate proponens ad perfidiam quorundam tuorum rebellium conterendam, exercitu congregato dirigere greſſus tuos, Venerabilem fratrem nostrum Carleolenſem Epiſcopum, & ailectum filium Abbatem Weſtmonaſterienſem, cuſtodiae Regni tui, quamdiu in expeditione permanſeris, providè deputaris, ipſos & Venerabiles fratrem noſtrum Epiſcopum Landavenſem, omnibus bonis Epiſcopatus ſui, per inimicos Regios denudatum, & dilectos filios Sancti Edmundi, morbo podagrico laborantem, ac de Wautham ſenio confractum & confectum, Abbates, ne ad Concilium veniant, quod in inſtanti feſto Nativitatis beati Johannis Baptiſtae, Deo dante, celebrabimus, haberemus benigne ac miſericorditer excuſatos. Nos itaque Celſitudinis Regiae Regnique tui propenſius affectantes commodum & quietem, & tibi, ac pro te tuis, quantum pro Deo fieri poteſt, exhibere parati, gratiam & favorem devotioni tuae praeſentium authoritate concedimus benignitate poſtulata: ſublimitatem tuam hortantes attente, ut moleſte non feras, quod petitionem tuam pro Venerabili fratre noſtro Eboracenſi Archiepiſcopo, in Literis Regiis praedictis expreſſam, & per memoratum Magiſtrum ex parte tua inſuper nobis inculcatam, ſuper excuſatione conſimili, non duximus admittendam. Quia cum ipſe ſit honorabile Eccleſiae Dei membrum, ejus praeſentiam praefato Concilio credimus opportunam. Datum Lugduni, x. Calend. Junii, Pontificatus nostri anno ſecundo.
Similiter quidam alii Angliae Praelati, tam Abbates quam Epiſcopi, diverſis cauſis Quldā Praelati Angliae excuſati remanét ſed Abbas de Burgo Curiam coactus adiens, accuſatur, maleque tractatur.expreſſis praepediti, & ſeſe rationabiliter excuſantes, quia valetudinarii, vel ſenes, vel infirmi, (utpote Epiſcopus Elienſis, & Abbas Sancti Albani, & quidam alii) per procuratores ſuos, per quos Dominum Papam & Cardinales, ſic volentes, ſalutarunt, & precioſis muneribus reſpexerunt, licenter remanſerunt. Abbas autem de Burgo, vir ſine querela, qui ſpecialius aliis ſuper hoc mandatum Papale ſuſcepit, & non ſine moleſtia ad Curiam Romanam cum perveniſſet, per Magiſtrum Martinum Papae Clericum, in Anglia commorantem, graviter accuſatus eſt, pro eo quod quandam Eccleſiam, quam cuidam viro idoneo contulerat, ad opus cujuſdam conſanguinei Domini Papae, ipſi Magiſtro Martino noluit, ſicut nec debuit, conferre: (procuring a Prohibition from the King, forecited.) Unde dictus Abbas cum in Curia Papali apparuiſſet, ipſum Dominus Papa, vel per Papam, Papales, proboſe objurgatum, a Palatio ſuo juſſit ejici, tam turpiter et irreverenter, quod nunquam poſtea plenam admittens conſolationem, contriſtatus, in incurabilem praecipitatus eſt infirmitatem. Unde eodem anno, *Mat. Paris p. 669.poſt multas indignas vexationes, tribulationes, & infirmitatem, quam in jura Romana ob id initiaverat, in magnum Eccleſiae ſuae damnum, jacturam & perturbationem, quam prudenter rexerat, viam univerſae carnis eſt ingreſſus. Such was the Tyranny of this peremptory, uſurping, Antichriſtian Pope, trampling the perſons, priviledges, Crowns, Rights of all Chriſtian Emperors, Kings, Princes, Prelates, Abbots, Nobles, Kingdoms under his Papal feet, and more particularly thoſe who had either any courage or conſcience to withſtand his injurious Uſurpations, as this Abbot did at firſt.
Per idem quoque tempus, Dominus Rex ſano fretus Conſilio, ex quo certificabatur Mat. Weſt. An. 1245. p. 193.de Concilio generali in proximo Lugduni celebrando, Nuncios ſolennes ad Concilium deſtinavit, videlicet Comitem Rogerum Bigod, Johaennem filium Galfridi, Gulihelmum de Cantilupo, Philippum Baſſet, Radulphum filium Nicholai, Milites, & Gulihelmum de Powic, Clericum, ut Domino Papae et toti Concilio gravamina exponerent, quae Regno Angliae in multis a Romana Curia diatim inferuntur: praecipue de Tributo in guerrae tempore extorto, cui contradictum fuit, et aperte per Stephanum Archiepiſcopum Cantuar. reclamatum.
Which Matthew Paris thus more largely expreſſeth; Tunc vero, licet ſero, Mittuntur nuncii univerſitatis Angliae ad Concilium.Dominus Rex Anglorum, aliquantulum converſus ad ſe, coepit deteſtari Romanae Curiae inſatiabilem cupiditatem, et totius Regni, imo etiam et Eccleſiae per eam factas injurioſas occupationes, illicitaſque rapinas. Compoſita igitur per Regni univerſitatem eleganti Epiſtdla, in qua extorſiones Papales nimis execrabiles, et exactiones multiformes Legatorum ejus, et quorundam Clericorum poteſtate inaudita fungentium, continebantur, ut ſequens ſermo declarabit. Cum qua viri nobiles ac diſcreti ad Concilium deſtinantur, gravem ſuper his, et praecipue ſuper exactione Tributi, in quod nunquam conſenſit Regni univerſitas, coram Concilio querimoniam repoſituri, et talium relevamen onerum importabilium Regno Angliae miſericorditer impendi, rogaturi: (which as the affaires of England then ſtood they …ould hardly redreſſe themſelves, till this general Complaint and Petition firſt made againſt them in this general Council.) Electi ſunt igitur, et ad hoc, nomine totius univerſitatis Regni Angliae ad Concilium Lugdunenſe miſsi, Comes Rogerus Bigod, Johannes filius Galfridi, Willielmus de Cantelupo, Philippus Baſſet, Radulphus filius Nicholai, & Magiſter Willielmus de Poweric, Clericus.
I find in the Clauſe Rolls of 29 H. 3. this Letter ſent by the King to the Pope, reciting his ſending of theſe ſolemn Nuncioes to this General Council, according to his command, who were then in their journey to his Court, from whence they ſhould haſten to his Holy Paternity with all poſſible expedition; earneſtly requeſting him, that if before their arrival any thing ſhould happen to be handled or mentioned in this Council concerning his affaires, or the ſtate of the Kingdom, that it might be ſuſpended till they preſented themſelves before him.
DOmino Papae Rex, ſalutem, & debitam tanto Patri reverentiam & honorem.Clanſ. 29 H. 3, m. 9. dorſo. Cum ſollempnes Nuncii noſtri quos ad Concilium per vos in proximo celebrandum, ſicut nobis mandaſtis, duximus deſtinandos, in procinctu ſint itineris veniendi ad Curiam, & quam cito poterunt illuc venire feſtinant, Sanctam Paternitatem veſtram rogamus cum effectu, quatenus ſi ante adventum eorundem Nunciorum noſtrorum in dicto Concilio contingat, aliquid tractari ſeu mentionem fieri de negotiis noſtrum, & Regni noſtri ſtatum contingentibus, ea ſi placet teneri faciatis in ſuſpenſo quouſque commode ſe poſſint veſtro conſpectui praeſentare. Teſte Rege apud Weſtmonaſterium, viij. die Junii.
He likewiſe directed another Letter by them to the Emperor, entred in the ſame Roll, reciting, that he had ſent Embaſſadors to this Council, of the Nobleſt and diſcreteſt men of his Realm, who ſhould uſe their uttermoſt endeavours to effect a laudable and deſired peace between him and the Pope, to his honour; deſiring him when they came to his Excellencies preſence, to grant them a favourable reception and audience, that ſo by his deſire they might procure a convenient encreaſe of his Imperial honour.
DOmino Imperatori Rex, ſalutem. Ille novit qui nihil ignorat, & ImperialemClauſ. 29 H. 3. m. 9. dorſo. Excellentiam non credimus ignorare, quod honorem veſtrum totis viſceribus affectamus, ad quod fraternae dilectionis affectio nos excitat jugiter & inducit. Sane laborem animi noſtri quo diutius laboravit Altiſſimus ſui gratia conſummabit; ſicut enim ex voluntate veſtra novimus proceſſiſſe, ad Concilium Lugduni convocatum Nuncios mittimus ſollempnes, de Nobilioribus & diſcretioribus Regni noſtri, qui ad honorem veſtrum ſuper pacis reformatione, per Dei gratiam laudabiliter laborabunt & effectum conſequentur optatum; veſtram igitur Excellentiam exoramus, quatenus praefatos Nuncios noſtros ad veſtram praeſentiam accedentes commendatos habere velitis, & eis benignam audientiam exhibere, qui utinam veſtro deſiderio conveniens honoris Imperialis augmentum procurent.
The King did then likewiſe by his Letters Patents conſtitute three of theſe Embaſſadors, together with two others his Proctors general in that Council, to propoſe, impetrate and contradict on his behalf, whatever they ſhould deem expedient, and ratifying whatever they ſhould do according to juſtice.
DOmino Papae Rex, ſalutem. Cum dilectos & fideles noſtros Nobiles virosPat. 29 Hen. 3. m. 8. dorſo. Willielmum de Cantilupo, Johannem filium Galfriái, Radulphum filium Nicholai, ad veſtram praeſentiam deſtinemus, ipſos una cum Barthol. Pecche, & Magiſtro Laurentio de Saencto Martino, Procuratores noſtros conſtituimus, ad proponendum pro nobis quae viderint proponenda, & ad impetrandum quae viderint impetranda, & ad contradicendum quae viderint contradicenda, ratum habituri & gratum quicquid iidem in hac parte mediante juſtitia duxerint faciend. Teſte ut ſupra.
He then likewiſe granted ſpecial power to one of them by this Patent, to give his Royal aſſent to the tranſlation of any Biſhop, which by the advice of the Pope, his Cardinals, and his own Embaſſadors ſent to this Council, ſhould happen to be tranſlated, for the benefit of the Realm; without whoſe aſſent neither the Pope, Cardinals, nor Council could tranſlate any of his Biſhops.
OMnibus, &c. Rex, ſalutem. Ad univerſitatis veſtrae notitiam volumus pervenire,Pat. 29 Hen. 3. m. 8. dorſo. nos Magiſtro Laurentio de Sancto Martino, poteſtatem noſtram dediſſe, ut ſi forſitan de Concilio Domini Papae, & Cardinalium, & Nunciorum noſtrorum proceſſerit in inſtanti Concilio, aliquem Epiſcopum pro utilitate Regni noſtri debere transferri, praefatus Magiſter L. ad tranſlationem illam faciendam poſſit aſſenſum Regium adhibere. Teſte meipſo apud Weſt monaſterium, Decimo die Junij, Anno Regni noſtri xxix.
The Pope having called this General Council at Lyons, and given the King of England notice thereof, as aforeſaid, he thereupon iſſued this memorable Patent and Writ to all the Archbiſhops, Biſhops, and other Prelates of England, Ireland, and Gaſcoign, which ſhould repair to that Council by the Popes ſummons, and his Royal Licenſe, that as they were obliged by their reſpective Oathes of Fealty to be faithfull to him in all things belonging to his Royal Crown and Dignity, ſo they ſhould uſe their utmoſt diligence and endeavours in this Council, both to acquire, conſerve and defend the Rights of his Crown and Kingdom, and not do any thing therein againſt him, or thoſe Rights which his Predeceſſors and he by antient and approved cuſtome had uſed, nor give their aſſent to any one that ſhould attempt to procure or ordain any thing againſt the ſame, under pain of violating their Oathes, and forfeiting all the Temporalties they held of him. And ſo to demean themſelves therein, that he might rather commend and render them ſpecial thanks for their benefit and virtue, then reprehend or reprove them for ingratitude, in due time.