Acolythy killing some famous man renowned for Religion or dignity should escape free with the losse only of this Order The Clergie therefore vphoulding the Order established from heauen and our Lord the king persecuting only the offence as hee hopeth with a iust hatred and intending to plant his peace more deepely a certaine holy contention arose among vs which wee trust the playne intention of both partyes will excuse with your Holines Heereupon not with any ambition of larger dominion not with any concept of oppressing the Churches liberty but with an affection of confirming peace our Lord the king passed soe farre as hee would produce to light the customes of his kingdome and dignityes anciently obserued and quietly and reuerently yeelded by persons Ecclesiasticall to former kinges in the kingdome of England and to the end no longer thread of contention might heereafter bee spunne hee would haue the same to bee openly knowne Wherefore the most ancient Bishoppes and greatest peeres of the realme beeing first adiured by their faith and the hope which they had in Allmighty God and then making search into the state of forepassed tymes the dignityes of the crowne being sought were layd open and by the testimonyes of men of the greatest accompt in the kingdome were published Loe heere the cruelty of our Lord the king against the Church of God which fame hath soe spread ouer the whole world Lo heere his persecution These are his workes soe diuulged for wicked both heere and euery where Yet neuertheles in all these proceedings if there bee any thing contayned either dangerous to his soule or ignominious to the Church hee hath long since with a most sacred deuotion promised and doth still most constantly continewe in the same mynde especially being admonished and moued with your authority for the reuerence of Christ and the honor of the holy Church whom hee professeth to bee his mother and for the redemption of his soule to reforme the same accordingly as hee shall bee aduised by the Counsell of the Church of his owne kingdome And truly father our solicitation had long since as wee hope obtayned the desired end of this wished peace had not our Father the Lord of Canterbury's bitter prouocations stirred vp anew this discorde now layd asleepe and allmost absolutely extinguished For hee from whose patience wee hitherto expected peace from whose modesty the recouery of the kinges fauor assayled him afresh and without respect of his Maiestie at such time as lately hee led his army against the Peace breakers with seuere and terrible letters no whit sauoring of fatherly deuotion or Pastorall patience but most bitterly threatening him with the sentence of Excommunication and his realme with the payne of interdiction Where as on the other side hee rather ought with admonitiōs to haue mollifyed him and with meritts and meeknes ouercome him whose humility if it bee soe requited what will bee then determined against the stuborne and contumatious if the ready deuotion of obedience bee esteemed soe slightly in what manner shall willfull obstinacy bee reuenged Yea to these soe greuous threates are yet added matters far more greeuous for hee inuolued in his Excommunication some of his Maiesties Liege men most inward with our Lord the king the principall of his priuy counsell who managed the mysteryes of the kinges estate and the affaires of his kingdome and denounced them publickly excommunicate beeing neuer cyted nor defended neyther as they call it guilty of any cryme nor conuicted nor confessing any thing Yea hee stepped farther in soe much as hee suspended our reuerent brother the Bishop of Salisbury beeing absent vndefended neither confest nor conuicte from his Preistly and Episcopall Office beefore euer the cause of his suspension was approued by the aduice of those of the same Prouince or any others If therefore this course of proceedinges in iudgmentes soe preposterous I spare to say inordinate bee followed concerning the king and kingdome what will bee the end considering the time is euill and yeeldeth great occasion of exceeding malice but that the band of grace and fauour whereby the kingdome and preisthood haue bin hetherto vnited will bee rent a sunder and wee with the flocke committed to our charge bee dispersed into exile or which God forbid falling of from the faith wee owe to you into the miseryes of Scysme bee cast downe headlong into the bottomles pitt of iniquity and disobedience for this is the ready way to the ruine of all relligion and the subuersion and ouerthrowe as well of the Clergie as Layety In regard whereof least in soe miserable a tyme of your Apostolicall raigne the Church bee ouerthrowne least our Lord the king with the people subiect to him fall away which God forbid from your obedience least what someuer our Lord of Canterbury by the counsell of priuate men deuiseth bee in his wrath executed on vs wee haue as well by word as wryting appealed to your excellency against him The Bishoppes appeale to the Pope against their Archbishoppe and his Mandates importing any detriment to our Lord the king and his kingdome vs and the Churches committed to our care and haue designed for the day of our Appeale the day of our Lordes Ascension chusing rather to humble our selues before your Holines in all thinges which shall bee pleasing vnto you then to bee daily according to the lofty motions of his mynde whyle our merittes deserue nothing lesse tediously afflicted Wee beeseech our Allmighty Lord most beeloued father in Christ long to preserue your health to his Churches prosperity Thus farre the Bishoppes Pope Alexander neuerthelesse perseuering in his opinion when hee perceaued the Appeale of the Bishoppes to bee voyde by reason the Appellants appeared not at the designed day confirmed the sentence which saint Thomas pronounced against them which is wittnessed by Salusbury in his letter to saint Thomas saying As it is signifyed to mee from the Citty soe I remember I certifyed you by wryting that my Lord the Pope hath now confirmed your sentence yea hee hath challenged it as an iniury offered himselfe There are also extant Pope Alexanders owne letters written to Saint Thomas to the same purpose after hee perceaued the Bishops did not prosecute their Appeale His wordes are these Wee haue had intelligence as well by your letters as alsoe the certaine relation of many that you pronounced the sentence of Interdiction against Ioceline Bishoppe of Salusbury in regard hee was disobedient to you and hee notwithstanding hee appealed heereupon to our audience and assigned for the tyme of his appeale the Sunday wherin is sung Ego sum Pastor bonus next ensuing neither himselfe at that instant appeared neither sent any one vnto vs to answer for him wherefore wee refusing absolutely to maintayne him in his disobedience and rebellion against you will by Gods grace ratify and confirme the sentence which vpon this occasion you haue giuen against him and haue thought good to leaue the whole busines concerning
against mee are all these forces bent and I once taken away there will bee none left to pursue yee further c. Bee therfore comfortable and feare nothing Nay rather quoth they wee take pitty on you not knowing which way you caÌ„ turne your selfe beeing a man of soe greate authority and thus left by your cheifest and last frindes To Allmighty God answered Canterbury I committ the care of my selfe and since the dores of both kingdomes are now shutt against me ah other way is now to bee taken I haue heard that about Araris a riuer of Burgundie and from thence to the countrey of Prouince men are of a more liberall and free disposition to these will wee all trauell on foote who perhaps vpon sight of our afflictions will take compassion of vs and furnish vs with victualls for a tyme vntill our lord shall better helpe vs for God is able euen in the deepest pitt of distresse to releiue vs hee is worse then an infidell who despayreth of Gods mercy And Gods mercy was instantly at hand for a certaine seruante beelonging to the king of France comming to them hastely sayde my lord the king calleth yee to his Courte That hee may quoth one of them banish vs the kingdome you are noe prophet answered Canterbury nor the sonne of prophet doe not then foretell euill tydinges Comming therfore they found my lord the king sitting with a sad countenance and not according to his custome rysing to my lord of Canterbury which was vpon the first sight an vnluckly presage where they sate still after this cold inuitation and remayned long in silence the king hanging downe his head as if with greife and against his will hee deuysed which way hee might dispatch them out of his kingdome and they no lesse fearing the king who breaking out into teares and with sobbing rysing vp on the subdaine did prostrate himselfe at my lord of Canterburys feete all there present being amazed and my lord of Canterbury bowing low to lifte him vp The king of France repenting greatly humbleth himselfe to Saint Thomas the king in the end hardly comming to himselfe soe greate was his greife sayde Truly my lord and father you only did see and redoubling his sighes with sorrowe truly father quoth hee you only did see for all wee were blind who gaue you counsell against Allmighty God that in your cause yea in his diuine cause you should at the pleasure of man neglect the honor of God I repent mee father I repent mee withall my harte pardon mee I beeseech you and absolue mee wretch from this offence and heere I cast at the feete of God and you my kingdome and from this tyme forward doe promise neuer to bee wanting to yoâ— and yours in any thing so long as God willing this life shall last My lord of Centerbury therfore absoluing the king and giuing him his benediction returned ioyfully with his followers to Senon where the king of France maintayned them royally vntill their teturne into England Vpon reporte wherof the king of England sendeth worde to the king of France that hee maruelled very much how or with what reason hee could in iustice maintayne Canterbury against him seing in his owne presence hee soe humbled himselfe with readynes to endure all course of iustice neyther yet that hee was any impediment to hinder Canterbury from recouering his peace which hee proudly and contumeliously reiected wherfore quoth hee the king of France ought not heereafter to yeeld any releife to the disgrace and reproche of his liege man Whereunto the king of France replying sayde Goe messingers and reporte this to your king The renowned answer of the king of France to the king of England that if the king of England will not endure the customes which hee calleth ancient though as some affirme not agreable to the law of God yet as appertayning to his royall dignity to bee any way abrogated much lesse can I of right ouerthrowe that lawe of liberality which together with the inuesture of my Crowne falleth to mee by inheritance for France hath bin of ancient tyme accustomed to receaue all distressed and afflicted persons especially them who were banished for iustice and vntill they recouered peace to fauor protect and defend them the grace of which honor and excellency shall neuer by Gods helpe during my life vpon the request of any man bee diminished or denyed to Canterbury beeing thus exiled And soe far concerning the speech that passed beetweene the king of France and the Agents of the king of England which euery wise man will accompt worthie to bee written in letters of Golde ANNO DOMINI 1169. Now ensueth the yeere of Christ 1169. with the second Indiction when Pope Alexander refusing absolutely to yeeld to the king of Englands requestes propounded in his last Embassage and constantly perseuering in the restitution of Saint Thomas vnto his Church determined yet againe to send other Nuntios for regayning Saint Thomas his Archbishoppricke Whereof meeting to treate it is first necessary to lay open what the king demanded of the Pope which consisted of two principall pointes one that Saint Thomas beeing remoued out of France might bee called by his holines to Rome the other that hee might bee translated to an other Sea But with what trauaile and exceeding cost the king endeauored to bring his purpose to passe and winne the Popes good will certaine letters secretly written to Saint Thomas doe in this sorte declare Cod. Vat. lib. 2. epist 79. In regard that through the Allmighty worke of God the cause of Christe and of his Church is now restored to that security as it cannot heereafter bee endangered because the Ring-leaders of this Scysme are quayled and the hammer of the Church of England beeing taken captiue in the workes of his inuention cannot as now find any on whom hee may relye beeing driuen to the last cast The new and terribâ— attempts the king of England â—gainst Saiâ— Thomas hee made these dangerous attemptes when by solliciting as well the courte as the Scysmaticke Friedricke with his complices hee sawe hee could not that way any whit preuayle against our Lord and his anoynted hee fledd by his Embassadors to the Cittys of Italy promising to those of Millane three thousand mearkes towardes the strong reparation of their walls if they together with the other Cittys which they attempted to corrupt could obtayne at the Popes hands the deposition or traslation of the Archbishopp of Canterbury for the same purpose did hee likewise promise to Cremona 2000. mearkes to Parma a thousand and as much to Bononia But to my lord the Pope hee made offer to deliuer him with a larges of money from the exactions of all the Romans and giue him more ouer ten thousand Mearkes granting beesides that hee should ordayne at his owne pleasure Bishoppes as well in the Church of Canterbury as in all other vacant Seas through out England But beecause his greate
rule and commodiously to gouerne your kingdome according as our lord hath appointed you to the honor of God and the peace tranquillity of his Chrch for which only end you haue receiued into your hand the reynes of the realme That hee by whom kings raigne whose seruice is a kingdome may preserue to you your heires a temporal kingdome after the expiration thereof an eternal one without end Thus Alexander to King Henry which is also set forth by Roger in his Chronicle But what Thomas in this passage of time beefore hee fledd into France with patience endured is to bee declared out of the afore-mentioned Authors for thus is it related The kinge in the meane while vnderstood that my Lord of Canterbury would flie off from that promise especially in that hee openly gaynesayd to seale the deede of those conditions in sorte as beefore was appointed Whereupon the Prince inraged more with fury beegan to afflicte my lord of Canterbury with more greeuous and exquisite vexations soe far forth as it was apparant to vnderstanding men that his bloud and life was thirsted after Wherefore Thomas fearing that determined to flie the Realme and comming to his Mannor called Aluter while all the rest were a sleepe accompanyd only with two with drewe himselfe secretly and getting a ship committed himselfe to the seas but long outwearyd with a contrary winde returning backe hee hardly recouered early in the morning the land againe with hazard of his life In the end his departure beeing knowne his familiars and seruantes were thereupon seuerally dispersed Yet one of them boulder then the rest comming to Canterbury S Thomas â—ttâ—mpâ—ing 〈◊〉 passe awâ—â— by seas 〈◊〉 contrary â—indes â—â—â—â—en backe againe retyred himselfe the next night into the Bishoppes owne chamber and supper being ended began carefully with sorrowe to lament the misfortunes and afflictions of his lord and hauing thus spent the beeginning of the night desirous to take his rest Goe quoth hee to his Boy and shutt the vttermost dore of the hall to the end wee may sleepe more securely this seruant therefore comming thither with a candle lighted the dore beeing open sawe my lord of Canterbury sitt alone in a corner terrifyd with which specctacle hee ran away imagining hee beheld a vision and telling his Master thereof this Clearke whom hee serued would in no case belieue it vntill himselfe made tryal of the truth and comming found all in sorte a foresayde My lord of Canterbury calling together some of his brethren of Canterbury Church declared to them what had beefallen him and how as yet it was not Godes pleasure he should departe and beeing refreshed with a light supper rested The next morning came the kinges officers to confiscate the whole estate of the Archbishop as a fugitiue but hearing and seeing hee was present confounded they helde theire peace The kinge therfore with a more heauy hand increased the afflictions of my lord of Canterbury causing him to bee peremptorily cyted for answering his Maiestie at a certayne day concerning matters The Parliament at North-Hampton to bee obiected against him The tyme being come they who were summoned assembled and a Parliament beeing helde at North-Hamptonne my lord is called to answer his cause The Archbishop together with the rest of the Bishops beeing sate and sequestred in a roome a parte the dores by the Kings commandemeÌ„t beeing shutt so as there could be no passage forth it was on his Majesties beehalfe alleaged against him that in the tyme of his Chancellorship hauing many vacancyes of Bishopprickes and Abbeys with great rentes for very many yeeres in his handes hee neuer gaue vp his accompt for the same which now the kinge required of him Heereunto sayd the Archbishop wee will consult with our counsell and answer by aduice While therefore The opinions of the Bishoppes they remayned all in deepe silence Gilbert Bishop of London Deane of the Church of Canterbury and in that respecte cheefest of his Councell in authority next vnder the Archbishop my lord of Canterbury requiring him to speake sayd if father you consider froÌ„ whence the king hath exalted you what hee hath beestowed on you and weygh alsoe the malice of these tymes how miserable a reigne you haue prepared for the Catholike Church and vs by withstandinge the kinge heerein you ought not only to yeelde him the Archbishoppricke of Canterbury but also the same were it tenne tymes better And if perchance hee could but seein you that humility hee would restore you whatsoeuer you haue lost Wee sufficiently perceaue quoth my lord of Canterbury what you haue aduisedly answered Then Henry Bishop of Winchester sayd This manner of Counsell beeing absolutely pernicious to the Catholicke Church byndeth and confoundeth vs all because if our Archbishop and Primate of England should leaue vs such an example as that euery Bishop should yeelde and forsake at the becke and threatning of his Prince his authority aÌ„d care ouer the soules committed to his charge what will bee then afterwardes the state of the Churches but only this that nothing will bee ordered according to law but all will be confounded as the king listeth and such as the Preist such will bee the people Next Hilary Bishop of Chichester a man glorious in wordes adding his opinion sayd if this instant time and the troubles of the Catholike Church did not require at our handes an other course wee ought doubtlesse to assent to your sentence But when the authority of the Cannons staggereth wee ought very much to withdrawe the rigor of seuerity that sweete dispensatioÌ„ may profit there where sharpe correctioÌ„ may otherwise destroy wherefore I thinke wee ought to yeeld to the kinges pleasure yet only but for a tyme least otherwise wee run on rashly to decree that whereupon may followe a more greeuous retractation not without confusion Afterwardes the Bishop of Lincolne a man truly simple and of lesse discretion sayd it is apparant they seeke the life and blood of this man and of necessity one of these must followe that hee must suffer eyther in his Archbishoppricke or in his life now what fruite hee can reape of his Archbishoppricke if hee loseth his life therefore I see not But Bartholomewe Bishop of Excester spoake thus it is playne that these dayes are euill wherefore if wee may vnder the shadowe of dissimulation auoyd the force of this tempest without hurte or losse it were especially to bee procured neither can wee easily attayne thereunto vnlesse there bee a great relaxation of seuerity the instance of this tyme requireth it cheefely since this persecution is not generall but particular It is better therefore one head should in parte bee subiect to danger then the whole Church of England exposed to an ineuitable perill Roger the Bishop of Worcester beeing also asked his opinion soe tempered his answer as in his very negatiue hee made apparant what his minde was In this quoth hee I will giue no aduice
of peace establshed at Easter but vpon new occasions broke out a rupture of warre againe whereupon it was necessary the couenantes after our Lordes Ascention should once more bee reuiued sauing the king of France would not bee obliged to beestowe his daughter on Richard the king of Englands sonne Thus is it there related at large And yet although Pope Alexander as hath bin sayde admonished by letters his Legates who were sent into France that setting other busines a parte they should only bend their forces to reunite the kinges soe rent in warres neuertheles one of the Legates William of Papia not performing as it was beeseeming the office of a Mediator far from indifferency which declineth in affection to neither parte beecame presently an absolute partaker with his frind Henry king of England Vvilliam the Legate taketh partâ— with the king of England Cod. Vat. lib. 2. epist 32. The discourse of the incounter of the two kinges whereupon the king of France was somewhat moued against him There remayneth a perfect declaration of all this in wryting contayning other thinges worth the knowledge and is set downe in the letter of Iohn of Salisbury sent to Master Lumbard in these wordes When the kinges were come to the place appointed for conference Ewdo earle of Britane and Rowland of Dynamen broke into many and greeuous coÌ„playntes to the king of FraÌ„ce against the king of England but Edwo especially beewayled that his daughter who beeing yet a virgen was deliuered into his handes for a pledge of peace was afterwardes gotten with child by him beeing therin a Traytor adulterer and intestious For the king and Ewdoes wife were borne of two sisters But the Earle of Angolysme and Marche with the Vice-count of Doway Robert de Sylly Geffrey de Licimacke Henry de Rancore and the Abbot of Caroffy pleaded for restitution of losses they incurred by the king of England and his subiectes after the truce was taken For the Abbot affirmed his Monastery appertayned to the Dominion of the king of France since the tyme of Charles the greate who was their founder And a little after The king of France hauing there vnderstood that the Cardinall sate in the king of Englandes counsell incensed sayde hee had not deserued of the Church of Rome that the Cardinall as hitherto hee had euer donne should fauor his enemyes and that at this instant hee woulde not receaue any thing for the loue hee bore to the Earle or Cardinall but only for his owne right c. And after many matters hee addeth that the parlee of the kings beeing ended the king of England with greate ostentation vaunting shewed the Popes letters wherby hee had enioyned Saint Thomas not to publish any excommunication or interdiction against the king or any of his English soe long as the Legates remayned there suspending him thus from his authority and boasted that hee had with tryumph in a sorte obtayned of the Church of Rome whatsomeuer hee desired of the Pope The procurer of these letters was one of the Legates William of Papia Iohn of Salisbury openeth and deliuereth the whole matter in his epistle to the Archdeacon of Excester where wee thus reade It is apparant the letters whereby the king gloryeth that hee hath restrayned my Lord of Canterburys power vntill hee reconcyleth himselfe vnto his royall fauor were purchased by this deuice The often mentioned Papia knewe how my Lord of Canterbury had obtayned authority from the Apostolike Sea to publish against the king the sentence of excommunication and against his kingdome the like of Interdiction vnles the kinge within a tyme limited by the letters made full restitution to the Church of all thinges taken away with ample satisfaction wherfore hee wrote to my lord the Pope beeseeching him with a lamentable petition to proceede with the king in a milder fashion otherwise the king to the shame and eternall disgrace of the Church of Rome according as hee hath resolued if hee were more rigorously handled would caste as well himselfe as his Associate Oddo into chaynes and prisons where they should passe a life abridged with miseryes yea a tyme more terrible then death it selfe perswading thefore his Holines that the king intended thus to tyrannize hee obtayned for contenting him and continuing the free liberty of himselfe and his associate whereby they might the easyer trauell in these affaires this Apostolicall letter which hath so much afflicted the myndes of you and all other true Catholikes Soe wryteth Salisbury of this letter so fraudulenty procured from his Holines by William of Papia one of the Legates By reason heereof the king of France grewe wonderfully discontented with Pope Alexander which the elected Bishoppe of Charters perceauing certifyed his Holines thereof wryting thus of the king of France Among all the kingdomes of this world in my opinion there is not one which hath continually shewed a faith more sinceare a charity more feruent a deuotion more plentifull to the Sea Apostolike then that of France There is not one among the kinges and princes who obeyeth your Mandates with more humility honoreth the Church and Ecclesiasticall persons with more deuotion and defendeth them with greater endeauors then our most Christian king There is not a Church which hath bin more seruiceable to the Church of Rome in all her distresses then that of France This Church of France and the king himselfe beecame sutors to your Holines on the beehalfe of my Lord of Canterbury who hath for the Churches liberty and defending the dignity of your Maiestie continued a banished man in exile now fower whole yeeres There pleadeth against him before your Holines a Tyrant a persecutor of the Church and to the kingdome of France open enemy whose iniquity is notorious to all men And yet notwithstanding which I am ashamed to speake and greiue to see malice hath hetherto preuayled in vanity For why when as hee lately came to a parlee with the most Christian king where by the mediation of the Earle of Flanders who inuited my Lord of Canterbury thither The king of England vaunteth of the suspeÌ„sion of S Thomas from proceeding against him there was earnest endeauoring to renew a peace to the Church hee caused to bee read in the hearing of his Bishoppes and Peeres the Apostolicall letters wherin was decreede that the aforesayde Canterbury should not publish any sentence against him or his land nor yet any way molest any person vnder his Dominion untill hee were reconcyled to the king Vpon the hearing whereof the most Christian king was confounded and the whole realme together with all the children of the Church conceaued exceeding greife to see a iust man a reuerent Bishoppe suspended without cause and that there proceeded from the Apostolike Sea a wryting that would proue soe pernicious a President Cod Vat. lib 2. epist â—0 Thus wrote William the Elect of Charters whose singular commendation Iohn of Salisbury in his letter to Iohn Bishope of
your neerest seruantes beesides your tyme of respitt is very shorte Thus wrote Viuian to the king of England And soe concluded this Legantine office executed this yeere by Gratian and Viuian being Nuntios sent by Pope Alexander to the king of England Moreouer when in the middest of this serious busines Pope Alexander vnderstood how the king of England would not suffer Bishoppes to bee chosen for the vacant Seas he sent comminatory or threatening letters of great importance vnto the king in the conclusion whereof hee threatened thus And if truly you will as you are bounde haue a care to accomplish that which by our admonitions in the spirit of meekenes and with all humility wee haue forewarned you you shall vndoubtedly procure therby your glory and saluation and performe that which to God and vs is most gratefull and acceptable otherwise allthough wee desire earnestly to loue you as our deerest sonne and a most Christian prince and to augment the greatnes of your glory yet can wee no longer withhould the handes of Saint Peeter and vs from inflicting punishment on you but as wee ought dreading rather God then men wee wil endeauor with the authority graunted vs from heauen to preserue the lawes and honor of the Catholike Church pure and vntouched Dated at Beneuent 7. Ides of Octobr. The Pope beesides did this yeere publish a constitution against such as receaued of the Layety inuestitures of Churches or their goodes dated in the moneth of May and indighted in those wordes to all the Bishops of England Wee haue receaued as well by a vulgar reporte as also the relation of many how since the miserable contention which for your greiuous sinnes was raysed and yet continueth beetweene our most deere sonne in Christ Henry the renowned king of England and our reuerent Brother Thomas Archbishoppe of Canterbury a certayne wicked custome hath growne in those partes for lay-men to beestowe on any at their pleasures throughout the kingdome of England Churches and Ecclesiasticall benefices and to inuest Clearkes by their owne authority wherfore because this is knowne to bee soe contrary to the institutions of the holy fathers as both the giuer and receauer from the lay hand incurreth Excommunication and also in regarde it redoundeth vndoubtedly very much to the ouerthrowe of the Churches liberty wee by the authority of Saint Peter and vs doe abrogate absolutely and denounce for voyde all such Collation made in this turbulent tyme by lay men to any persons of any Churches whatsoeuer and therfore wee seuerely command and in the vertue of obedience streightly enioyne yee all by these our Apostolicall letters that with all care yee admonish diligently and instantly exhorte all such as haue receaued from the handes of the Layety any Churches Prebendaryes or other Ecclesiasticall benefices whersoeuer throughout England especially in this troublesome season to resigne without contradiction or appeale into our handes the sayd Churches Prebendaryes or Benefices together with the profites therof receaued and to leaue the same to their dispositiō vnto whose ordination by the Ecclesiasticall lawes these appertayne which if vpon our commonition or warning they refuse to doe within fourty dayes after the receipt of these our letters then yee by our authority setting asyde the remedy of Appeale and not respecting the feare fauor or forbidding of any doe presently pronounce the sentence of Excommunication against them and cause them throughout your parishes as persons excommunicaed to bee eschewed of all men vntill they shall resigne the foresayde Churches and Ecclesiasticall Benefices freely vp to them vnto whose collation and ordination they appertayne leauing them peaceably and making sufficient satisfaction for the Churches profittes soe taken by them and if yee are negligent or remisse in the execution heereof then wee our selues by the authority wee inioy denounce the sentence of Excommunication against them all and charge that they bee auoyded of all men as excommunicated by vs because they are knowne to receaue as aforesayd Churches or other Ecclesiasticall benefices from the hand of the Layety without assent of the Bishoppes to whom their donation appertayneth vnles they obey our cammandementes within the former appointed tyme. Dated at Beneuent 14. kalend Iunij And foure days after hee wrote to the king of England first commonitory letters of admonition and then comminatory or threatening letters by certaine Nuntios chosen for that purpose called Symon Pryor of Gods-Mount and Bernard of Corilo who were appointed to deliuer vnto the king first the comonitory letters and that done if neede requyred the cominatory Both which to the king of England are yet extant dated this yeere on the eight of the Kalends of Iune the which his holynes cōmended first to the Bishop of Belleten and the Pryor of the Carthusians as it appeareth by the letters but beeing vncertayne whether they wovld cary them to the king or noe hee made choyse of Symon a most reuerent man and Bernard his associate vnto whom the letters are yet remayning wrytten by his holines concerning this Legantyne office imposed on them Ibid epist 1. where hee mentioneth in this sorte of his letters written to the king Deliuer him our commonitory letters instantly adding withall in the spirit of fortitude and lenity our admonition if soe hee will not harken vnto yee but rather continue still in his hardnes and obstinacy giue him then our cominatory letters declaring to him with all constancy on our beehalfe that wee will no longer any way shutt vp the Archbishoppes mouth nor vnles beefore the beeginning of Lent a tyme now neere at hand hee will fullfill what beefore wee haue sayde will wee grant heereafter any inhibition but that hee may by vertue of his office with the swoard of Ecclesiasticall seuerity bouldly reuenge with rigor the iniuryes offered to himselfe his Churches and followers For the king ought not to beelieue or thinke with himselfe that our Lord who is yet sleepeing will neuer bee awaked or Saint Peeters swoard is soe outworne with rust but that it may bee drawne to worke a due reuenge Lastly wee command yee as wee haue sayde diligently to execute these our designes vnles our reuerent Brother the Bishop of Belleten and our beeloued sonne the Prior of the Carthusians doe performe the same in such sorte as wee required them Giuen at Beneuent 8. Kalend. Iunii On which day also were deliuered as wee reade the cominatory letters sent by the Pope to the king of England that are likewise registred in the same booke and dated 11. Kal. Iunij which Roger in his Chronicles recyteth in these wordes Alexander Bishoppe seruant of the seruantes of God to his beeloued sonne Henry the renowned king of England health with Apostolike benediction Your royal wisedome is not ignorant how fatherly and mildly wee haue often perswaded and by sundry letters and Nuntios diuers tymes exhorted your Maiestie to reconcile according as you are bounde our reuerent brother Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury vnto your
his former fauor I theruppon complayning before his Maiestie of the iniuryes and insolencyes committed against mee and myne especially by the Bishoppes who in despight of their Mother Church of Canterbury beelonging to my charge were not afrayde to vsurpe hee graunted mee most gratiously his leaue â—o obtayne from my Lord the Pope any censure whatsomeuer to repaire my wronged right soe as not only hee enclined to consent but vouchsafed also to promise mee his assistance And thus publickly professed saint Thomas beefore those cruell kinghtes of the kinges Guarde But let vs pursue the history and especially concerning the tyme when hee tooke shipping for England wherof Herbert in Quadrilogus of the life of S. Thomas discourseth thus In the yeere therfore of our Sauiours Incarnation 1170. and the seauenth yeere of his exile beeing now beegune on the second and third day of our Lordes Aduent the glorious frend of God and most constant defender of the Church Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury with his followers beeing imbarked in the night launched forth and hauing a prosperous wind according to their desire landed in England Soe much concerning his sayling and arriuall And Iohn of Salisbury whom saint Thomas had seâ—t before into England perswaded the people by his letters yet extant Cad Vâ—â— li. 5. 〈◊〉 65. to meete their Pastor according to the example of their ancestors who mett saint Anselme in his returne from exile But therin were they hindred by the enuy and hatred of his aduersaryes Now for the passage of matters after his comming into England thore remayneth a large relation of Iohn of Salisbury to Peeter Abbot of saint Remigius Ibid. â—p 6â— yet let vs neâ—ertheles heare a more certaine reporte of these occurrents written by saint Thomas himselfe to Pope Alexanâ—â—â— beeing the last of all his Epistles for not many dayes after was hee murdered by the kinges Guarde This of his to Pope Alexander was indighted in these wordes Vppon how iust and honorable condicions weâ—e concluded our peace with my Lord the king of England I suppose your Holines is certifyed as well by The 〈◊〉 â—â—â—stle of saâ—â—â— Thomâ—â— to the Pope the relation of vs as diuers others who haue trauelled beetweene neither yet doe wee thinke you to bee ignorant how my Lord afterwardes flewe of from these his conuenants and promises which neuertheles wee beelieue not to bee soe much his faulte as the faulte of the Preistes of Baal and the children of the false Prophetts who from the beeginning haue bin the fewell of this dissention But the cheife leaders of these are that Yorke and London who sometimes when you were at Senon vppon their returne from you hauing neither seene our king nor heard him speake were not afrayde to beereaue vs of our possessions beeing then present in the Courte of your Clemency allthough it was vndoubtedly knowne to them as beeing the parties appealed how mee prosecuted two appeales before your Holines When therfore these Ringleaders of the Baalamites were aduertised of the peace wee made with my Lord the king ioyning to them Salisbury and other their confederates they sought by sea and land to cutt in sunder this knott of vnited peace perswading as well by themselues as others my Lord the king and his counsell how vnprofitable and dishonorable this coÌ„cord should bee to the kingdome vnles the indowments of our Churches which his Maiestie had made should remayne stable and wee also bee enforced to obserue the customes of the kingdome beeing the cause of all this controuersy Wherupon they preuayled soe farre in their peruersityes as my Lord the king by their instigation tooke from vs and ours all our rents from the time of the peace which was concluded on saint Mary Magdalens day vntill the feaste of saint Martin yeelding vs then at last empty houses and ruinated barnes and yet notwithstanding his clearkes G. Rydell and Nigell de Sackeuylle doe at this day withhoulde froÌ„ vs two of our Churches which they receaued from a lay inuesture and the king himselfe denyeth vs many possessions of our Bishoppricke which in the reformation of this peace hee vndertooke to restore But albeeit as it is knowne to many hee beehaueth himselfe otherwise then it beeseemeth against the artickles of peace considering neuertheles the outragious and irreuocable spoyles of the Church and for preuentioÌ„ of farre greater hauing also taken aduise with my Lordes the Cardinalles wee resolued to returne vnto our torne Church thus troaden vnder foote which if wee cannot as wee would rayse againe and repaire yet at the least dying with her wee may more confidently in her presence spend our life for her sake which determination of ours when these our enemys did more certaynly vnderstand I knowe not vpon what feare they consulted with the kinges officers and that most sinfull childe of perdition Raynulphe Broc who abusing the power of the publicke gouernment against the Church of God hath now for these seauen yeeres made hauocke more freely therof Wherupon they concluded to keepe most carefully with armed men and a continuall guarde of scoutes and souldiers the sea coastes and hauens where they supposed wee would arriue that wee might not land beefore they had searched all our lading and taken away all such letters as wee obtayned from your Maiestie But by the goodnes of God it soe fell out that all their attemptes were made knowne to vs by our freindes who suffered not their impudency builded vpon presumption to lurke concealed For these armed scoutes did scoure the sea coastes running heere and there according as the foresayde Bishoppes of Yorke Londom and Salisbury directed them and they made choyse for execution of their malice of such as were knowne to bee our greatest enemys beeing Raynulphe de Broc Reynold de Warrenne and Geruase shyreefe of Kent who threatened openly to cutt of my heade if wee presumed to arriue These afore recyted Bishoppes came often to Canterbury that if this armed route were not outragious enough they might yet more incense them Hauing therefore more thoroughly vnderstood their determination wee sent away your letters a day before wee toke shipping excepting for the suspension of Yorke and the recalling of London and Salisbury into their former sentence of Excommunication which were deliuered to their handes On the morrow wee went to sea and sayling prosperously arryued in England taking a long with vs according to the kinges commandement How saint Thomas was vsed at his landing in England Iohn Deane of Salisbury who not without sorrowe and shame beeheld these armed troupes posting to our shippe of purpose to assault vs in our landing wherfore the Deane fearing least if any wrong should bee offered to vs and ours it would redound to my Lord the kinges dishonor mett the souldiers and charged them in the kinges name neither to hurte vs nor ours because it would taynte the king himselfe beetweene whom and vs a peace was now concluded with some note of trechery and
THE LIFE OR THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORIE OF S. THOMAS ARCHBISHOPE OF CANTERBVRY COLLONIAE M.DC.XXXIX TO THE MOST REVERENT FATHER IN GOD RICHARD SMYTH BISHOPE OF CHALCEDONE c. MOST Reuerent and my most honored good Lord I haue alwayes apprehended the life and Martirdome of that most excellent Prelate and vndaunted Champion S. Thomas Archbishope of Canterburie a most perfect Paterne of a good Pastor yea and of a good subiect too as one wisely discerning Gods part from Caesars and giuing to ether their owne without which there can be no Christian iustice Take his owne golden and last words for it written to King Henry his soueraigne Prepared I am not onely to die but also to suffer a thousand deathes and all torments whatsoeuer for Christ's sake Yet whether I die or liue Cod. Vat. l. 5. Epist 54. I am and shall euer be yours and what euer becomes of vs and ours God euer blesse you and your issue So that I haue iudged no tyme mispent in culling the peeces out of the most authenticall and best Authors which haue concurred to the making vp of this litle bulke or Epistolarie processe of his life and death which I hope will appeare most contentfull and satisfactorie to all and fittest to frame a right iudgment in any as not being crooked and fitted to selfe endes by artificall amplifications but furnished by knowne fact and made good by so many and so irâ—eprochable witnesses as it cannot indeed be suspected to be in any part disguised or forced by corruption or malice but to deliuer a naked truth Now amongst all those whom I duely reuerence and honor in earth I could find none to whose patronage this poore worke of myne might laye a more iust clayme then to your Lordship like as in my iudgment your Lordshipe can pretend no Patrone in Heauen to whom you may haue a more confident recourse or with whom you might haue more sympathie being considered such as he liued in this earthly habitation for Religiousnesse zeale contrie cause constancie None which comes more home to your vse in respect of your long delay in banishment and the opposition you haue found euen amongst some of your children and those domesticalls of faith In a word in reading it you will not fayle before your death to reade a great part of your owne renowned life May it I beseech almightie God be long contentfull prosperous in earth and followed out with an eternally blessed one in heauen These are and euer shall be the zealous wishes of all good men and in particular of Your Lords. most humble and deuoted seruant A. B. THE PREFACE TO THE Epistolarie and Ecclesiastical History of sainct Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury INTENDING to present vnto your viewe out of that reuerent an renowned author Cardinall Baronius the great controuersie beetweene the Church and kingdome of England wherein the cheife actors in this our disturbed nation were that mightie King Henry the second and our Metropolitane sainct Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury and in forraine countryes that most holy wise Pope Alexander the 3. and Lewes the pious king of France with many Catholicke Princes and among the Scismatickes the potent Emperour Fredericke with his idoll Octauian seeking by all meanes to intrude themselues and put their sickles into this haruest where the Diuel the father of their execrable scysme like a deepe polititian taking aduantage of their hellish discord had in this vnfortunate Iland sowed the cockle of dissention I thought best in regard this canker soe spreade it selfe through the Christian world and this history was collected out of the Epistles written by the cheifest rulers in that age to lay open briefely the state of the westerne Church and kingdomes vnited therein whereby your mindes receauing light may better discouer thinges otherwise obscured First therefore to delineate the time I must somewhat touch the raigne of Pope Adrian Alexanders predecessour who being the only man of our English nation that euer steered saint Peeters ship and was not only for his singular vertues wisedome and learning preferred to the Apostolike Sea but also himselfe the Apostle who conuerted the Norwegyans to the Christian faith I thinke it no vnnecessary digression to treate of his origine progresse and most high preferment At Abbotts Langley in the County of Hertford neere kinges Langley Nicolas Breakespeare afterwards Pope AdriaÌ„ borne in England where Edmund of Langley receaued his first breath from whom all the kinges of England and Scotland haue these many yeeres descended was borne Nicolas Breakespeare who afterwarde exalted to the gouerment of the Church of Rome and called Adrian the fourth ruled in matters of faith and Religion the whole Christian world His father was Robert Breakespeare a yonger brother of the family of Breakespeare whose place concurring with the name is seated neere Vxbridge in Middelsex now in the possession of Ashby His father saith Iohn Stowe after the death of his wife and before the departure as I conceaue of his sonne out of the realme professed a Religious life in the Monastery of saint Abbans wherein Stowe ignorantly not maliciously ran into an errour for Pope Adrians mother as shall bee afterwards showed ouerliued him It appeareth in a Counsell celebrated in Normandie by Pope Alexanders Legates with the Archbishop of Roane and Bishops of the same Prouince anno Dom. 1172. how before that time men might enter into religion leauing their wiues in the world for there was made a Canon afterwards prohibiting it And so might Robert Breakespeare in this precedent age as it is affirmed bee a Monke in saint Abbans and his wife as it is certaine ledd a retyred life vnder the Archbishop in Canterbury The name of Breakespeare beeing truly English and about the time of the Conquest inuincibly proueth they were of the Saxon not of the Norman race Breakespeare it selfe was in the raigne of king Iames the inheritable mansion of a knight and how great in forepassed dayes God knoweth But as sainct Thomas sayth in his Epistle to Gylbert Bishop of London what hath a priest a religious man to doe with these worldly flourishes I will descend to his humiliation which was his ascent first to honor then to heauen All that followeth is collected out of Card. Baronius Leauing as Abraham his countrey and kindred hee trauelled in his youth to pourchase learning and comming to Arnulate professed religion in the Monastery of saint Rufus where hee was called first to bee Prior then Abbot of the house whereupon it fortuned that for serious occasions of the Church commended to his charge hee went to the Apostolike Sea and hauing fully finished all his busines and now intending to returne Pope Eugenius of blessed memory retayned him there and by consent of his brethren Pope Eugenius Adrian Bishoppe of Alba. did consecrate him Bishop of Alba. A while after seeing his vertues and wisedome hee designed him Legate a Latere of the Apostolike Sea into
Norwaye to preach the faith in that Prouince Adrian Apostle of Norwaye and purchase to allmighty God their misdebelieuing soules where hee like a worthie and discreete steward and disciple of Christ diligently instructed that rude and Barbarous nation in the Christian lawe and Ecclesiastical ordinances Pope Anastacius After by the diuine prouidence vpon the death of Eugenius and preferment of Anastacius to the Papal throne hee returned to his mother the holy Church of Rome leauing beehind him peace to the kingdome lawes to the barbarous tranquility to the Churches order and discipline to the Cleargie and a people acceptable to God and fruitfull in good workes Within a shorte tyme after dyed Anastacius and the Bishops and Cardinals assembling together in saint Peeters Church by the dispensation of the diuine counsell speedily chose him Pope Pope Adâ—iaÌ„ and with great acclamation of the Cleargie and layetie as a man elected by Allmighty God allthough hee laboured with all his power to auoyde it they inthronized him in the papal chaire calling him Adrian the fourth 3. Non. Decemb. An. Dom. 1156. He was a man of singular benignity The praise of Pope Adrian meeke and patient learned in the Greeke and Latine tongues eloquent in speech a perfect Orator very skillfull in Church musicke a famous preacher seldome angrie willing to pardon bountifull in beestowing a greate AlmesmaÌ„ and for demeanour and beehauiour renowned This much out of the Vaticane library Now to showe that hee esteemed his honor a burden his dignity a misery and that hee would neuer haue vndergone the weighty charge of this supreme authority but only to satisfie the will of almighty God I doe heere recite his owne wordes spoken to that worthie Iohn of Salusbury in Polichrati lib. 8. cap. 23. Hee confessed hee found in that high estate soe great tribulations as in comparison of them all his former bitter aduersitys seemed sweete and pleasing Hee sayd the seate of the Romane Pope was a thorny throne beegirt with most sharpe spurres of that huge weyght as it was able to presse to bend yea breake in peeces the strongest shoulders and but that said hee I will not struggle against the diuine prouidence I would I had neuer gon out of my natiue soyle of England or else euer lurked in my poore Cell of saint Rufus rather then to bee plunged in these extreame difficultyes yea hee professed that in all his ascentes from his solitarie cloyster to the supreame heygth of the Papacy hee found noe contentment or pleasure yea quoth hee god hath stretched out my whole life beetweene the anuile and the hammer but now if it pleaseth his diuine goodnes let him supporte with his allmighty haÌ„d the burdeÌ„ that hee hath imposed on my infirmity or otherwise it is intollerable Thus hee teacheth from the highest throne of this world to flye honors thus hee preacheth from the greatest eminency to all Potentates not to repose themselues in glory riches and pleasures which are but the shadowes of their seates but deepely to consider the charge that by reason of their authority they vndergoe which is to employ their vttermost forces to honor Almighty god in the ryghtuous gouerment of the people subiected to their powers for otherwise Potentes potenter punientur Nether would I euer haue dilated my selfe soe farre in praise of Pope Adrian but that some of our Chronickles ignorantly others willfully omitt his commendation They confesse hee conuerted Norwaye and gaue the dominion of Ireland to the kinges of England but as the first was only for enlargeing the kingdome of Christ soe was the last as you may see in his Epistle to Henry the second Now crauing pardoÌ„ for my digression in the prayse of this man the glory of our nation who prefered god beefore his contrey and all I will returne to the matter Fredericke king of the Romanes in his first entrance into his royaltie began impiously to encrease his dominion Frederick kinge of the Româ—nes a perpetual enemy of the Church with the suppression of the Church and by how much his power was the greater for hee commanded all Germany and mightily preuayled in Italie so much the more was he enabled to mischeife This wasting flame which soe much endangered the whole Christian world shewed it selfe as a litle sparke in the raigne of Pope Eugenius gathered strength by the conniuancy of his successor Anastacius began to waste the power of our noble Adrian and lastly fired Alexander the third out of Italie and deuoured for the time all his iurisdiction in Germany and had not Christ maintayned his Church against the gates of Hell France England Spayne with all the rest had bene ruinated The original of the discord beetweene the Church and the Emperor The original was the first yeare of his raigne in the Church of Magdeburghe the Metropolitane of Saxony where vpon the death of the Archbishop a dissention aryseing about choosing his successor they appealed to Fredericke then residing in Saxonie who not able to compose the controuersie perswaded the Deane and Chapter of Magdebourghe to accept of Guicman Bishop of Cicens a noble yong gentleman to gouerne their Church pretending that when such questions arose the king with aduice of his counsell ought to dispose therin nether was any Bishop in that case to bee consecrated till hee had receaued his authority from the kingly scepter But all this was a false pretence for it lay not in the kinges or Emperors power causelessly to translate Bishoppes from seate to seate without assent of the Apostolike Sea which holy Pope Eugenius righty considering with singular constancy withstood the kinges vnlawfull attempt sharpely reprouing the Bishoppes of Germany that laboured for him because they rather sought to flatter their prince in concurring with his sinne then to please God and this did hee not only with his learned and pious Epistle but also vehemently persued the same by his Legates But Eugenius preuented by death lefte all to his successour Anastacius a man of a gentle and yeelding disposition For notwithstanding his Legate was disgracefully abused by Fredericke and ended his life in his returne home hee neuerthelesse ratifyd the kinges election and granted Guicman his Pall whereupon Fredericke declining from his religious zeale increased yeere by yeere in obstinacy against the Church And Anastacius not long after departing the world our countreyman beeing instantly elected by the name of Adrian the fourth Pope AdriaÌ„ assaulted by the King of Cecil The king of Cecill excoÌ„municated Pope AdriaÌ„ terrifyed by Fredericke king of the Romanes found the kinges insolency much strengthned against him by his predecessors facility of nature In the beeginning of his Popedome hee was troubled with the inuasions of William king of Cecil wherefore against his temporall sword hee drewe his spirituall sword and excommunicated him Fredericke also king of the Romans with his suddaine approach towarde the Citty terrifyed him whereupon hee sent Legates to treate
as the Churches Aduocate soe long as they dishonored not God but when they could not please the one without offence of the other then they would absolutely preferre God Hee maruayled much hee denyd him the reuerent respect due to his place and summoned a counsell without his authority and aboue all that hee would cyte him to appeare before that Conuentickle The priuiledge of the Church graunted by Christ and continued from saint Peeter to that present age hath euer bin that in Causes Ecclesiasticall the supreame iudgement was euer in the Church and the Church it selfe neuer iudged by any since therefore hee who ought to defend the Church did now offend it and in contemning the Church disparaged his mother hee could not but admire it For appearing at his Courte the Canonicall tradition forbad him And since meaner prelates in matters spirituall doe gouerne they re princes it were intolerable in him to suffer the authority of his place which was purchased with the blood of Christ through his pusilanimity or ignorance to bee subiected to the temporall power Wherefore as his Predecessors had endured death for the Churches liberty soe was hee ready to spend his blood in her cause The Embassadors offended with his answere contumeliously departed comming to Signia adored the the Idoll Octauian The Emperours Embassadors and Otto adore Octauian and soe did Count Otto the Palatine whom the Emperour had sent with his Germanes towards the Citty which exceedingly puffed vp the pryde of this Archhereticke not considering that scysme though at the first it flourysheth yet after a while it vanisheth Thus Fredericke by his Embassadors accepted of Octauian wherefore Alexander had reason to except against Fredericke as no indifferent Iudge The Emperour for aduancement of this Antipope sought to drawe other kinges into his faction The Emperour sought to drawe the King of England into his faction and first vehememtly attempted King Henry of England but in vaine for Arnulphus Bishop of Lexouy a very learned man and of great estimation with the king had soe informed him as hee preuented Fredericke and although there was a firme league of freindship beetweene them yet would king Henry neuer bee induced to yeelde to this scysme but only suppressed The King of England faithfull to Alexander till matters were more ripened his proclamation for publishing Pope Alexander suffering all his subiectes in the meane time to maintayne his right Alexander also vpon the aduice of the Bishop of Lexouy sent his Legates a latere to the realmes of Spayne and France The Bishop of Lexouy most industruous in asisting Alexander and likwise to the Emperour of Constantinople and king of Hungary to make knowne his lawfull election and the wrong hee susteyned by this presumptuous Scysmaticke Whereupon Lewys the most Christian king of France a contrey neuer defyled with scysme together with Henry king of England receaued Pope Alexander as theyr father and pastor of theyr soules All Chrystendome beesides Frederick the Emperialles accept of Alexander moreouer the kinges of Spayne Cecyll and Ierusalem and the Emperour of Constantinople with the Patriarches Bishoppes Prynces Cleargie and Layetie did all acknowledg him the Catholike successor of Peeter Only Frederick with his complices and these fewe scysmaticall Cardinalles the vnlearned children of Belial obstinate still in theyr errour remayning neuerthelesse the cruell persecutors of him and the Church Neyther was this vnpunished in Frederick Frederick vnfortunate after his fall from the Church for euen from the very beeginning of this scysme his successes altered and of a victorious Emperour hee beecame now often vanquished God endeuoring by this discipline to correct him The Popes Legates who went to the kinges of France and England were encountred with some difficultyes becausâ— the Polititians of both kindomes beeing affected to theyr aduersaryes when they could not heerein alter theyr kinges resolutions laboured to deferre the acceptance of Pope Alexander The king of England draweth England France Spayne Ireland and Norwaye to the Popes obedience tyll matters were more fully determynd but the Legates with theyr vertue wisedome and exemplar liues ouercame these assaultes and the king of France referring all to the king of England the king of England drew England France Spayne Ireland and Norwaye to Alxanders obedience And in the kindome of Ierusalem allbeit is whas some wat cuÌ„trouerted because Octauian had there in former tymes won some affection yet preferring the loue of God beefore natures disposition they yeelded to the truth and embraced the lawfull Pope In the yeere of our lord 1160. was held the Conuentickle at Pauy The Conuenticle of Pauy but adiourned from the Octaues of the Epyphany to the Purification of our Blessed Lady William of Newberry our Countreyman wryteth That this controuersy considering the multitude that chose Alexander and the smale number that elected Octauian might easily haue bin ended had not Frederick hated Alexander vpon his old grudge to Rowland Fredericks inueterate hatred to Alexander for Rowland the Chancellor was one of them who did mediate the peace to deliuer Pope Adrian the Cardinalles and the Citty of Beneuent out of the handes of William king of Cecill a matter to Frederick most distastefull and was also one of the Legates sent to Frederick about the sacrilegious abuse offered in Germany to Edward Bishop of London when Count Palatine in the Emperours presence had like to haue murdered one of the Legates these thinges lay vndigested in Frederickes stomacke which made him not endure Rowland now Alexander the thyrd This caused him to assemble his Italians and Germanes at Pauy in showe to determine the controuersy but indeed to crowne Octauian his Victor with the victory according to Newberrys opinion who liued in that age There flocked together the Bishoppes of both Nations with an infinite number of inferiour Prelates vpon the Emperours command who with the Generalles of his armyes strooke a terror into theyr myndes Frederick terrifyeth with power heere in silence were suppressed all proofes and allegatious for Alexander who discreetely absented himselfe and what in truth was wanting on Octauians side was artificially helped Frederick allureth with hypocâ—iticall sanctity Frederick to cast a myste before the eyes of the assembly beegan with fasting and prayer and then with a solemne protestation that hee hauing no authority to intermedle with spirituall matters left all to the iudgment of the Cleargie there present departed the place hauing giuen them beefore examples how to proceede in electing Octauian by his Embassadors and Count Otto After deliberation of seauen days for this Pageant was set out with solemnity they consented as before was conspired to the approbation of Octauian there present The Scysmatickes approue Octauian and condemne Alexander and condemnation of Rowland who beeing cyted refused to appeare beefore them for by these names are they recyted by the author who fauored or feared the Emperour Allthough the diuell in this
being very bitterly incensed beegan to vexe him with more greiuous and exquisite molestations in such wise as it was apparant to all vnderstanding men the blood and life of the Archbishop was thirsted after Among other matters the king soe wrought The King incensed against Saine Thomas sendeth an embassage to the Pape as hee sent messangers to Pope Alexander and required two thinges at his hands first that hee would grant the legantine authority which was vsually committed to the Archbishop of Canterbury vnto the Archbishop of Yorke then that the Pope would confirme the artickles of the customes published in the Parliament of Claringtonne Vpon receipt of which message Alexander beeing on all sides beesieged with exceeding extremities seeing this warre now turned on the Apostolicall Sea laboured with his best and most ready endeauours to calme and appease the king and soe to yeeld to him insome what which neuerthelesse should with no preiudice derogate from the Chuch of Canterbury and thereupon did write in this sorte to the Archbishop Lib. 1 epist 4 The Popes epistle to S. Thomas coÌ„cerning the Kinges dedemandes Although in regard of the wisâ—dome of your minde and sincerity of your faith wee would euer loue your persâ—â— with a more plentifull sweetnes of châ—ritie and a more enflamed desire and with a fare more feruent affection seeke the honour and exaltation of you as our most deare brother it is notwithstanding beehoofefull to vs and you who are a greate pillar of the Church warely to weigh the qualityes of the times and with a prouident moderation and dispensation to mitigate the wrath of the incensed king You on whom God hath beestowed a large talent of wâ—sedome and grace doe truly see in your discretion in what sorte our most deare sonne in Christ Henrie the renowned king of England maintaineth an outragious course in the gouerment of his kingdome and desireth to haue the same vnlawfull proceedinges strenthned witâ— the authority of the Church of Rome whereby they may obtaine the greater confirmation and fauour Whereupon when in times past hee more instantly required of vs and our brethren by our reuerent brother the Bishoppe of Lyons and our beeloued sonne the Archdeacon of Poyters that hee might haue the power Legantine of all England graunted to the Arrchbishop of Yorke and beesought alsoe that wee would command as well you as all the Bishops vniuersally to keepe and conserue the ancient customes and dignities of his kingdome because wee did not yeeld to his desire according to his owne will instantly vpon returne of his embassadors scarce hearing the answer receaued from vs hee sent our beeloued sonnes Geffry his Archdeacon and Master Iohn vnto our presence and by them most earnestly required at our handes not only the former but also other far more vnreasonable demands and to the end wee should yeelde an easyer way to his desire hee procured letters vnto vs from your brotherhood and also the foresaid Bishop of Yorke For as hee prayed vs beefore that the ancient customes and dignitys might by our command bee conserued soe now againe of late hee most earnestly requested that in like sorte as your selfe and others had promised to obserue them they might in the same manner bee assured to him and his posterity Hew far the Pope graunted or denyed the Kings requests by the Sea Apostolicke But wee reiected his petition Notwithstanding least wee should incite him to ouermuch bitternes and more passionate trouble of mynde against vs and you least also it might bee suspected that this was any way hindred in regard of your selfe moreouer fearing hee might breake out into a more furious rage against you and beeing therefore desirous to bee more prouident for you and our selues with consideration of the dangerous times wee yealded so far to the king as to grante the Legantine letters to the aforesaid Archbishop And for that subiectes are truly bound to submitt themselues to their Princes desires and obey their wille wee aduise counsail and by all meanes exhorte your wisedome that as a prouident and discreete man measuring the necessity of the time and with faithfull consideration foreseeing what aduersityes may happen by reason thereof to you and your Church you would endeuour to yeelde to your King in all thinges sauing euer the honour of your Ecclesiasticall dignity and instant labor to recouer to your selfe his grace and fauour least in doeing otherwise you disquiet him to the hurte of you and our selues and they who are transported with an other spirit might thereby purchasse power to insult ouer you and vs. And wâ—e truly as oportunity shall serue will diligently and carefully treate with your King for your honor and augmentation and will employ all necessary trauell for conseruation of the lawes and dignityes of your Church and with all conueniency bee watchfull and prouident therein Dated at Senon the third of the Nones of March Reader you beehould Pope Alexander beesett with extremityes either to loose the kinges good will or grante his requestes and yeeld to him who laboureth to extorte a petition against the Churches liberty these two soe intangleing him the one of the kings demaundes hee satisfyed giuing the Legantine authority to the Bishop of Yorke the other hee absolutely denyed beeing the confirmation of the recited customes yea to the end this Legantine power conferred on the Bishop of Yorke might no way preiudice S. Thomas hee thought good soe to restrayne the same in his later letters that hee should vnderstand this Legation of his for England to bee confined with condition that notwithstanding hee should haue no authority graunted him ouer the Archbishop or Dioces of the Church of Canterbury Lib. 1. epist 5 Lib. 1. epist 3â— 40. Pope Alexanders letters importing this restraint are extant which for breuity wee omitt thinking it sufficieÌ„t if wee leaue them heere noted with their numbres in the margent It is alsoo apparant in the same letters of Pope Alexander that hee soe gaue the legation for England to the Bishop of Yorke as neuerthelesse hee would not suffer the Bishopps to bee exempted from the obedience they owed vnto the Archbishop of Canterbury to whom in very true right they were subiecte which rather enkindled the Kinges greater indignation who desired the Apostolicall Legantine authority for the Archbishop of Yorke of purpose to depose the Archbishop of Canterbury For Alexander hereupon inclined more to the cause of Sainct Thomas The Pope endeauoreth to succour S. Thomas and was soe far of from graunting to pleasure the King against him as hee most carefully watched to supporte his prosperity with the libertys of his Church commanding also the principall Monasteries of France to pray for him vnto allmighty God which is witnessed by a messinger sent from S. Thomas to his Holines in the conclusion of whose letter are these wordes worthie of memory Last of all wee petitioning his Holines that hee would commaund you to make your repaire
matter it selfe had now fallen out more fouly But in respect hee could not as hee ought not compell vs to condescend to his intended purpose hee attempted to retorte the blame of his rash presumption on my lord the king on vs yea on the whole nation wherefore to giue a coulor to the infaming of our mutuall brotherhood no man enforcing him no man threatening him hee fled the land Proueâ—b 27. according to that saying the wicked hath fled and no man persecuted him Heere my Lord the Pope interuping him sayd Forbeare Brother and London answered I will my Lord forbeare him Wherunto his Holynes replyed I bid you not forbeare him but forbâ—are to wrong your selfe At the sound of this Apostolicall trumpet Londons senses were soe amaysed by Allmighty God as hee could not after pronounce one word Wherefore Hilarie Bishop of Chichester floweing in eloquâ—nce more confident of his Rhetoricke then of the truth and honesty of his cause as appeared by the sequel pursued the matter saying My lord and father it beehoueth your Holines speedily to reduce to the orderly state of peace and concord whaâ—soeuer is disorderly landled to the destruction of the vniuersall body leastâ— such immoderate presumption may produce with the ouerthrowe of many the scysme also of the whole Catholike Church â—hiâ—h my loâ—d of Canterbury full little considâ—â—eâ—h while leauing all grauer aduice hee buildeth only on his owne braine that thereby hee may rayse more turbulent stormes and anxietyes to himselfe and his the king and kingdome the people and Cleargie and truly in a man of his eminent authority this was not seemely neither was it opportune neither can it heereafter at any time bee euer opportune Soe gaiely Hylary of Chichester played the Grammarian with his opportune adding moreouer neither yet was it opportune to his Cleagie were they well aduised to yeeld in such a case assent vnto him Heareing therefore this gallant Grammarian soe leape from porte to porte by often iterating opportune they could no longer abstayne from laughter among whom one breaking out sayd Now Sir at length you are ill arriued in the porte At which word our Lord soe abashed the Prelate as presently hee beecame silent and dumbe The Archbishope of Yorke seeing them both soe foyled before him endeauored to abate the fury of his minde and in few wordes only taxed the improuidence of the Archbishop and they in like sorte who discoursed afterwardes whom for breuity I heere ouerpasse yet ioyning all finally in this they beesought that his Holines would make a Legate a latere and send him into England to vnderstand the busines beetweene the king and the Archbishop whom they would needes haue returned backe into the same land there to receaue his iudgment which allthough they instaÌ„tly intreated yea and partly threatened that otherwise the king would breake out into scysme the Pope neuerthelesse would not yeelde to deliuer vp into their handes innocent Thomas but that they should expect his Sommons into that Courte there to haue his cause before his Holines determined whereunto they refused to agree and with disdayne departed without receauing his Apostolicall benediction There is among other epistles to bee seene the Libell farced with poyson which these Prelates offered vp to Pope Alexander against S. Thomas S. Thomas came afterwardes vnto his Holines who as saith Alane in Quadrilogus was entertayned coldly by the Cardinalles but admitted freely to my Lord the Popes presence who receaued him with a most kind and fatherly affection casting a tender compassion on his manifould afflictions and his long pilgrimage soe dangerous troublesome and tedious and while these matters were thus to fro discoursed hee was at the length coÌ„manded to lay the next day open beefore his brethren the causes of his banishment wherefore on the morrowe while it was questioned amoÌ„g his associates which of them should first vnfould the cause euery one pretending excuses the bulke of this busines fell on the Archbishop himselfe Instructed therefore by God allthough of himselfe absolutely vnprouided while placed next vnder my lord the Pope hee would for reuerence haue rysen beeing commanded to sit dow againe and soe to pleade his cause hee thus beegan Although not abounding in wisedome yet are wee not soe vndiscreete as for a trifle to leaue the king of England S. Thomas pleadetae his cause in the Consistory his Courte and commodityes for if wee would in all respectes submet our selues vnto his pleasure there is not hee within his dominions or kingdome who would refuse to bee obedient to our will and during the tyme that vnder this condition wee serued his turnes what was there that answered not our wished desires But after wee entred another course of proceedinge thorough the dewe remembrance of the profession and obedience which for the seruice of God wee haue vndertaken his former affection hee bore vs beegan assuredly to wax cold And yet truly if wee would flye backe from our intended purpose wee neede not the intercession of any for recouery of his fauour but because the Church of Canterbury hath bin accustomed in tymes past to bee the Sun of the west and her brightes in this our age is very much clowded wee had rather in thee name of God suffer any torments yea thousand seuerall deathes if soe many were offerred vs then euer with dissimulation to indure the afflictions which at this instant shee sustayneth And that wee may not seeme with curiosity or a pretence of vayne glory to haue beegun this our entreprise it is conuenient that with an eye-witnessing testimony the effecte bee made apparant And producing the writinges contayneing the customes the cause of this contention with teares hee sayd Loe heere what lawes the King of England ordayned The rroyal customes of the kingdome of England examined in the Consistorie against the liberty of the Catholike Church Bee iudges your selues if it bee lawfull to dissemble in matters of this moment without the losse of a mans soule Which once heard they were all moued to the very effusion of teares neither yet could they contayne themselues who before were to their power vehement on the contrary parte all with one voyce praysing our Lord for reseruing yet one person to himselfe who durst in this tempest of persecution stand in defence of his holy Church and they who seemed before to bee in this controuersie deuided now consented in this one opinion that in the person of the Archbishop of Canterbury the vniuersall Church was at this tyme to bee succoured But my lord the Pope hauing read and often perused and with greate diligence and attention heard and considered seuerally these customes beeing exceedingly moued instantly burst out into anger against the Archbishop reprouing him with sharpe reprehension for that yeelding an assent to these vnworthie the name of customes but truly tyrannical vsurpations hee as hee there confessed together with the other Bishops had renounced their preistly dignity and cast
king of England is confident in the Emperor aÌ„d the captiuity of my Lord the Pope which the Prophetts of Belial haue tould him But whereas the kinges Embassadors did sweare in his Maiesties name to followe the Scysmaticall factioÌ„ the Arch-bishop of Roane excuseth the same as no way done by the kinges commandement which appeareth in his letters directed to Henry Preist and Cardinall of the title of the Saintes Mereus and Achilleus written thus Concerning the king of England wee certainly secure you that neither by himselfe nor by his Embassadors hee euer gaue oath or promise to leaue the Church and cleaue to the Schysmaticke yea wee are assured that in those couenants of Maryage whatsoeuer they were allthough for three dayes the Almaynes indeauoured to peruert him hee would neuer accord to any thing but with preseruation of his fidelity to our Lord the Pope the Church and the king of France and as well our lady the Empresse as our selues haue by our letters inioyned him to cleere himselfe with all expedition from this aspersion For our partes beeing at Roan allthough the kinges Embassadors were then also there wee only heard of them but sawe them not c. But for these Embassadors who faulted soe fouly wee find that sainct Thomas excommunicated them as his letters to his suffraganes in the yeere following doe signify which heere after in their turne wee will declare These thinges beeing thus layd open concerninge this passage with Fredericke the Emperour against Pope Alexander it remayneth that wee likwise know what were the actions of this yeere concerning saint Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury When Pope Alexander was certifyed of the king of Englandes Embassadors in the conuenticle of Witemberge The Pope reproueth the King of England wherby they bound themselues with their king to the Scymaticall Antipope Pascall it pleased him to admonish the king thereof by letters from the sacred Colledge of Cardinalls the letters themselues are not extantâ— but only the letters of Apologie written by the king in his defence to the holy Colledge of Cardinalls in these words Cod. Vat. lib. â— Ep. 41. King Henrys Apologie written to the Cardinalls As touching that which our Lord the Pope hath signifyed vnto vs to wit the alienation of our mynde and intention from our loue and deuotioÌ„ to the Roman Church wee doe first answer that your wisedome is fully informed with how sinceere an affection wee haue euer loued as well the Romane Church as also the person of our Lord the Pope what great attemptes wee haue vndertaken for him and what affronts wee haue sustayned for his sake for to passe ouer other thinges in silence when the question and controuersie arose for receauing him wee did not only accept of him our selues but also drawe yea inforce diuers others allthough vnwilling to doe the like nor yet did wee euer estrange our mynde from the fullnes of our affection But hee as wee manifestly knowe who hath in former tymes bin most troublesome to vs as the euents of his actions many way declare euen now especially with word worke and writing which cheefely incenseth the myndes of Princes perseuereth to defame our person terming vs as well in letters as speech the Persecutor and oppressor of the Church Now let our Lord the Pope consider how fatherly this mans proceedinges are towardes vs who first signifying vnto vs that Princes ought to haue especiall caution and care to preserue their fame vnspotted neglecteth heere this fatherly affection towards vs and with word and worke disgraceth our fames renowne Wee doe therefore make it knowne to your whole reuerent Colledge that whatsoeuer honor eminency and power our kingdome possesseth aÌ„d all other thinges subiect vnto our gouerment these and euery one of these wee acknowledg and professe to bee giuen and bestowed on vs by our Lord and Creator and to him wee render most humble thankes although not such vs mee ought beeing thereunto altogether vnable but such as our power can afford and would to God our Lord the Pope would beeseech allmighty God in our beehalfe that wee might offer vp and vnderstand how to yeeld to our God and Creator all dutifull deuotion and reuerence and that wee may with that intire and inward portion of our soules which wee owe him feare and loue him only for truly although wee cannot loue and adore him soe much as in duty wee are bound vnto neuerthelesse haue wee an affection and desire to serue him in euery thing to please him in all thinges and wholy to obey him Wee intend truly and desire willingly to perseuer in the integrity of the grace and loue of our Lord the Pope if his Holines will in like sorte mayntaine vnto vs and our kingdome the same honor and preseruation of glory and dignity which holy and reuerent Popes of Rome haue shewed to noble and potent Princes our Predecessors But concerning appeales which hee supposeth wee prohibite affirming also that wee restraine the subiects of our kingdome from visiting the Courte of Rome wee would not haue this concealed from your wisedomes that wee haue neuer at any time hindred either visitations or appeales but only require they should bee in such manner such course and such fashion ordered as they haue bin formerly performed according to the customes and dignity of our kingdome in the tyme of our progenitors who were illustrous Princes and according to the ordinations and constitutions of the grauest and wisest persons as well of the Clergie as Laytie of our dominions In that hee reproueth vs for entring into leage with the excommunicate wee suppose not wee haue heerein either offended God or proceeded against reason for as wee receaued from our Lord the Popes owne mouth his Holines neuer held the Lord Fredericke the Emperour of Roâ—â— excommunicate neither yet haue wee heard by relation of any that hee was afterwardes excommunicated Neither although wee graunted our daughter in mariage to the Emperours sonne doe wee beelieue wee haue committed any offence therin Beecause that wee may receaue example from the like as the same was in our knowledge lawfull to the most excellent and mighty king Henry our grandfather who intermaryed his daughter with Henry of late memory Emperour of Rome so wee by the same reason deduced from our ancestors beeing aduised also by our graue Counsellors did condescend to a contract beetweene the Emperors sonne and our daughter Whereas moreouer hee admonisheth vs by his letter to recall the Archbishop of Canterbury whom hee saith wee haue expulsed our kingdome vnto the dignity from whence hee fell and restore him againe vnto his Sea wee apparantly knowe how euident it is vnto the eyes of yee all that wee neither banished nor yet inforced him to departe our dominions but hee rather by the instigation of his owne light and peruerse disposition then vpon any mature deliberation indueeing him thereunto beetooke himselfe to flight with an intent and purpose to rayse enuy against vs and
the vertue of obedience and vpon the perill and hazard of your order that yee denounce them publickly excommunicate and cause them soe to bee declared through out your Dioceses who lay violent handes on the Clergie and that yee command your neighbouring Bishoppes by the authority of our Lord the Pope and also of vs to performe the same likewise in thier Bishopprickes Moreouer in the same manner and vnder the same payne wee command yee to denounce to such as hinder Appellantes or Penitents from trauailing to our Lord the Pope or vs that they incurre the sentence of accursing as well as they who doe it in proper person as also the kinges officers who constrayne others to this heynous offence And for such as beeing enforced thereunto haue taken vnlawfull oathes to hinder these aforesayd passengers wee absolue them from their oathes whereby they may heereafter desist from soe greate à sinne and beeing penitent for their offence learne rather to obey God then man If any one in seeking to right his Church and conserue the integrity of his faith to the Apostolicke Sea dreadeth ensuing discommodityes let him remember how the Church with far more safety and profitt purchaseth vertue then temporall treasures and that Christ who raigneth ouer the Church of Rome restrayneth the powers of his aduersaryes and hee who shall punish the mighty mightely will chastise likewise all disobedience not only bringing the poore to iugdment but also humbling the glorious of this world to the ministry of the Church against which the very gates of hell shall not preuayle Bee ashamed most deerely beeloued to put in practise vniust iudgmentes in such sorte as the peeres of the kingdome insulting vpbrayd yee saying If a poore man committeth a light offence hee is presently excommunicated by yee and your officers but if a rich person transgresseth hee is not so much as with a word chastised whereby scandalls may on euery syde bee retorted on such iudges And can greate powers against the poore soe rage Looke therefore to your selues and your Churches least if yee dissemble the iniuryes of the Romane Church yee may bee iustly thought to conspire with the impious against her and to haue forestalled the wayes of those who walked that yee might raise your commodityes vpon the Churches losse Remember rather how our fathers atchiued saluation by what meanes and how great tribulations the Church hath encreased and bin dilated what huge stormes the ship of Peeter hath escaped hauing Christ for her Pilot. Thus did saint Thomas write to his Clergy ANNO DOM. 1167. Now beeginneth the yeere of our redemption 1167. with the xv Indiction when Pope Alexander vnderstanding as well by the letters of the king of England as also from others beeing Bishoppes the Suffraganes of saint Thomas that was persecuted by them and his most worthy proceedinges condemned as hideous offences to the end hee might rayse him aboue his aduersarys and humble them to his obedience hee ordayned a king most worthie of prayse which was to make the holy Archbishop with most ample authority Legate of the Apostolicke Sea The Popes letters are yet extant indighted for that purpose in these wordes Alexander seruante of the seruantes of God to this beeloued brother Thomas Archbishoppe of Canterbury sendeth greeting and his Apostolicall blessing The most holy Church of Rome hath bin euer accustomed to embrace with greater charity Saint Thomas made Legate à latere ouer all England excepting only the Proumea of Yorke and prefer in glory and honor persons of eminent worth and them especially whom she knoweeh to bee most renowned for honesty wisedome lerning and excellency of vertues Considering therefore the constancy of your deuotion and faith wherin you haue persisted as an vnmoueable pillar for the Church of God and weighing withall the singular prudence of your integrity lerning and discretion wherin you are knowne to surpasse others wee thought it worthie to loue and honor with a certaine peculiar priuiledge and more excellent prerogatiue your person soe adorned with the insignes of such high vertues and with our vsuall hounty to prouide and with a more tender care to procure your good and commodity This is the cause that with our louing fauor wee grant and beestowe on you the Legantine authority ouer all England excepting only the Archbishoppricke of Yorke to the end that within your iurisdiction in our place and authority you correct what you find worthie amendment and that to the honor of God and of the holy Church of Rome and for the saluation of soules you doe constitute buyld and plant whatsoeuer is to bee setled and planted wherefore wee admonish yea wee command your brotherhood that you dispose all thinges extirpate vices and plante vertues in our Lordes vynyeard with that prudence and discretion which Allmighty God hath beestowed on you Dated at Auigni on the seauenth of the Ides of October Heereunto were also added other letters of Pope Alexanders beeing written for the same purpose to the Clergy of the Prouince of Canterbury And others likewise for gathering of saint Peeters Pence which the king had beefore as wee see forbidden all which were caryd into England and receaued by the Bishop of London who certifyed the king of all wryting in this sorte vnto him Lib. 1. Epist 116. Lib. 1. Epist 131. To Henry King of England Gylbert Bishop of London The Bishop of Londons letter to king Henry concerning the Popes Mandates So bige a weyght of commandementes doth my Lord at this tyme oppresse vs soe great an authority beeseegeth vs as cōpelled by extreame necessity wee are enforced to beeseech counsell and with all assistance from your Maiestie for what the Apostollicall authority commandeth cannot with Appeale bee suspended neither can there bee any remedy against his Mandate since wee must needes fullfill his precept or incurre the offence of disobedience For beeing on saint Pules day in London at the Altar wee receaued from the handes of a certaine Messinger altogether vnknowne to vs our Lord the Popes letters whereby was graunted and by authority confirmed vnto the Lord of Canterbury the Legantyne power ouer all England excepting only the Archbishoppricke of Yorke Moroeuer all wee the Bishops of the kingdome were by the same authority inioyned with all humility to obey him as the Legate of the Apostolicall Sea and at his calling without any contradiction to assemble our selues together to yeelde him an accompt of all thinges appertayning to our office and absolutely vndertake to obserue whatsoeuer hee shall decree and lastly that wee shall enforce all who by your commandement haue receaued the reuenues and goodes of the Clearkes beelonging to the Archbishop in their absence to make full restitution and satisfaction to the owners within two monthes otherwise to bee denounced accursed without any appeale at all to the contrary S. Peeters pennyes Wee are beesides required to gather of our brethren the Bishoppes saint Peeters pence and to deliuer the
possessions and fortunes to the spoyle of the wicked There came to him not long since two of the Clergy as one then present at Pontiniake made certayne relation to mee publishing these things and appealing the first in the beehalfe of the Lord Bishop of Salisbury the other of his Deane absolutely denying he made euer such oath to the Emperor or in sorte communicated with Reynold â—he Scysmaticke of Colen on of them alon confessing 〈◊〉 was M. Iohn of Oxefordes clearke and familiarly conuersed with him at the table sayd hee had a message from the king to the Archbishop appealing in the name and beehalfe of his Maiesty aÌ„d by his commandement as hee affirmed froÌ„ the Archbishop to Pope Alexanders audience and added The King appealeth that by him the king appealed assigning for the appeale the day wherin is sung Ego sum Pastor bonus To whom the Archbishop replyed thus Since you are altogether vnknown to vs neither yet haue any Mandate or letters from the king and are a person excommunicate by reason of your communicating with your Master Iohn of Oxeford who is apparantly excommunicated by my Lord the Popes letters you are disenabled to vndertake the office of an Appealant and therefore by Gods grace wee will execute and accomplish the commandement of the Sea Apostolicke And a litle after But all France wondred at the dealinges of these Bishoppes saying They must needes assemble to prouide a remedy for their king whom they knewe like the Emperor whose offence was his Scysme to fall daily deeper into the ruine of sinne in regard of the Church and Clergie whose ouerthrow hee wrought Thus Salisbury But the Bishoppes of England The Bishop of England beecome aduersaryes to S. Thomas Suffraganes to saint Thomas beeing netled with the letters of their Archbishoppe who gouernd as Legate a latere flying backe neuer deuysed as they ought to obey his commandementes to receaue profitable admonitions to prouide for the goods of the Catholicke common-wealth by redeeming it from miserable bondage but rebelling contend against him for the king with wrytinges wordes and actions and soe far were they of from defending the Church against the king which was their office and whereunto the holy sainâ— by his letters exhorted them soe far were they I saâ—â— from reprehending and threatening him by setting forth what arrowes were euen now in the bowe ready to strike I meane the Ecclesiasticall censures issuing out with Apostolicall power from the Church of Rome that they raysed rather a terrible warre against this holy Saint who defended the Ecclesiasticall liberty assayling him with the weapons of contentious wordes to the open scandall of all Catholike Bishops that euer heard it especially their neighboring Bishops of France among whom this glorious Confessor Thomas liued as yet securely And first they assaulted him with letters soe terrible as to them the saying of Dauid might rightly sute Psalm 13. The poyson of Aspes lurked vnder their lippes whose mouth was full of cursing and bitternes their feete were swifte for the effusion of blood while in the meane tyme they would dissembling seeme to bee pious to bee peace makers desirous of Charity carefull for brotherly concord imitating such indeede of whom the Psalme aptly sayth Psalm 54. Their speeches are made softer then oyle and the same are dartes All this shall you better vnderstand by reading their owne Epistles written this present yeere The Ring-leader of these disordered Bishops was London for hee penned their letters although written in all their names These letters are extant beeing either recyted by Roger in his Chronickles of England or else gathered out of the booke of the Vaticane where they are set downe at large And first of all receaue these which next ensue after the former recyted Epistles in this manner To the reuerent Father and Lord Thomas by the grace of God Archbishoppe of Canterbury The Epistle of the Bishopp of England to S. Thomas the Suffragan Bishoppes of the same Church and Parsons through their Dioceses in seueral places ordayned doe send their dutifull subiection and obedience Wee hope father that the troubles which were raysed by the new and vnexpected attempt of your departure hence to those forraine countreyes would by the grace of God through your humility and wisedome bee changed into the faire calme of the former tranquility It was truly comfortable to vs that after your departure a publicke fame was euery where reported how you liuing in those partes beeyond the seas did noe whit aspire in high conceiptes nor imagine any enterprises against our Lord the kinge and his kingdome but modestly indured the vndertaken burden of your voluntary pouerty that you were wholy bent to reading and prayer redeeming with fasting watching and teares the lost tyme of your forepassed dayes and soe busyed in sperituall exercises did through the blessed encreasing of your vertues monte to the state of perfection wee reioyced that by such your endeauors you tooke the way to recouer the benefittes of a peaceable reconciliation heereby was conceaued a hope that you could reduce from aboue into his Maiesties harte such fauor that hee would out of kingly mercy relent in his wrath towardes vs and neuer recall to minde againe the iniuryes offered in and by reason of your departure your freindes and well wishers regayned some accesse vnto his Maiestie while these thinges were thus diuulged of you in soe much as hee gratiously admitted all such as were sutors for restoring you into his former fauor But now by the relation of some wee vnderstand which wee cannot but with greife remember that you published against him a seuere threatening of comminatory wherin you let passe all salutation wherin you practise noâ— counsell or petition for pretending grace wherein you neither deuise nor write any thing that sauoreth fauorably but with all extremity doe rigorously menace Interdiction or excommunicatioÌ„ to bee instantly pronounced against him which were it as sharpely executed as it is bitterly spoken wee should not then hope our disturbed estate would bee reduced to concord but should feare it would bee inflamed with an irreuocable and eternall hatred Let your holy wisedome ponder the end of these actions carefully indeauoring that what is discreetely beegun may likewise come to a happy conclusion Bee therefore if it pleaseth you prudently aduised whether you runne and whether you can by these endeavors obtayne your desyred end for our partes wee are fallen downe by these your attemptes from a maruelous heighth of hoppe and wee who conceaued once some likelihood of obtayning tranquillity are now with a kind of heauy despaire cast downe from all hopfull conceyptes and whilst as it were with drawne sword you ioyne battell you haue not left for your selfe any place for petition Whereupon ô father wee charitably imparte to your aduise that you heape not labors vpon labors and iniuries on iniuryes but setting threatinges asyde you would rather embrace patience and humilyty Commend
whose snares by the fauor of God are broaken in peeces and wee deliuered And trauelling from Venice not couertly but openly with great ioy and comforte of our fryndes through Marchia Verona and our natiue countrey Brixia where wee made some long abroade by Bergom ad Millane neere Nouaria then by Vercelles not far from Taurin wee attayned to Saint Michaelles de clusa and thorough Prouince to Saint Gyles with safety vntouched following thence our ready way to Mount Pessulan where the lord William our frynde whom our Lord the Pope assigned to bee our associate coasting thorough other countryes in such sorte as wee suppose you haue hearde gaue vs the meeting And now proceeding on farther wee send you this bearer our Chaplayne whom wee would haue you credit as our selues beeing confident in whatsomeuer hee shall on our beehalfe relate vnto you and whatsomeuer you will signify backe agayne to vs trust him therin as you would trust your selfe Thus wrote Oddo the Legate to saint Thomas Who beefore hee receaued the same or any way vnderstood of the Lord Oddos beeing in France saluted him with this respectiue letter Hearing the approach of your excellency Ibidem epist 18. Christes banished flocke our fellowes in exile conceaued a meruellous ioy and as if an Angell were sent froÌ„ heauen for the comforte of the Church and ransoming of the Clergy the whole congregation of Saintes with thankes-giuing tryumphed And although your associate bee held in suspition by many saying hee accepteth of persons and rewardes and is an inward faueror of our Lord the king willing in all thinges to patronize his cause and for vs together with the Church of God to kill and choake yea make vs all his spoyle The opinion neuertheles of your name or to speake more truly of your vertues shyneth soe bright as you are esteemed to haue with Moyses the Angell of our Lord which is the holy Ghoste the forerunner in the lawe who protecteth you euer and suffereth you not to haue new Gods whereby you should preferre either rewardes person or cause before Allmighty God c. Psalm 18. But for his opinion of William the other Legate hee vttereth it afterwardes in these wordes Many insult ouer vs especially our aduersaryes yea the Churches aduersaryes saying truly the Cardinall of Saint Peters chaynes is sent against vs that Peter may by his meanes bee chayned againe Now the reason why the Legates did not instantly vpon their comming into France execute the office of their Legantyne authority for concluding a peace beetweene the king and Saint Thomas was the rysing of a war beetweene the kinges of England and France that hindred their designes of which troublesome discorde Iohn of Salisbury wryteth to Iohn Bishop of Poytiers in this sorte Cod. Vat. lib. 2. epist 31. The confusions of the two kingdomes with mighty earthquakes of immineÌ„t dangers haue long enforced mee to withhould my pen and expect more conuenient tymes for wryting vnto you For the tumultes of warre raging all the whole sommer out off the intercourse of Postes and a rebellion in kindled in the Citty of Rhemes soe disturbed the Prouince as a man could hardly passe in and out of the Citty c. Hee treateth farther of the Ciuill warre of Rhemes which neuer left till it came to the kinges themselues vpon reporte whereof Pope Alexander wrote thus to his Legates Alexander Bishop seruant of the seruantes of God to his beeloued sonnes William of Saint Peter ad vincula Preist and Oddo of Saint Nicholas in carcere Tulliano Deacon Cardinalles and Legates of the Apostolicke Sea sendeth greeting and Apostolicall benediction What exceedinge greate damages and discommodityes may beefall to the vniuersall Church of God Ibidem epist 34. and especially to the Romane and the Church of the Easte by reason of the discorde and dissention which by the procurement of the enemy of mankinde is raysed beetweene our dearest sonnes in Christ the renowned kinges of France and England it bee seemeth vs in wisedome to consider and so much the more dilligently to bend our forces to extinguish theÌ„ the more wee dread which God forbid the greater dangers ensuing theron and therfore by our Apostolicall letters wee admonish charge and command both your discretions that yee endeauor by all meanes possible of your owne and also by other Religious and graue men of either kingdome for restoring peace and concord beetweene them and that heerein yee beestowe all your labors and powers and that yee haue in any case singular care not to determine any thing vpon the request and for the fauor of any one of them whereby the other may bee scandalized or disturbed Moreouer wee streightly forbid yee that neither yee nor any of yee presume to enter the kingdome of England or manage the affayres of that dominion and especially not to compasse or any thing to ordayne concerning the consecration of the Bishoppes vnles our venerable brother Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury bee absolutely reconcyled to the afore sayd king of England which wee hope and wholy trust may bee brought to passe by your industry and â—â—â—el if God câ—â—curreth with all For as wee perceaue by the letters of many iudicious men there hath not bin a greater firebrand to inkindle insurrections and tumultes to the disturbance of the kinge of France with all his countrey then the rumors which Iohn Deane of Salisbury vpon his returne from vs is sayde to haue dispersed in those partes Dated at Beneuent the eleauenth of the Kalends of Septemb. Thus truly the peace which was once or twise confirmed was now cleane dissolued againe But let vs heere sett downe the conuenantes and conditions which were formerly contryued for conclusion of a peace beetweene the two kinges for these are signifyed in an epistle of Iohn of Salisbury sent to the Arch-Deacon of Excester wherin is mentioned how in the assembly at Soisson they proceeded in this sorte concerning the Articles of peace now ratyfied anewe The king of England ought to returne againe vnto the homage of the king of FraÌ„ce and taking a corporal and publicke oathe to professe beefore all men that for the Duchie of Normandy hee would serue him as his Lord in such wise as the Dukes his Predecessors were accustomed to serue the kinges of France That hee was bound to resigne the Countyes of Anioue and Cenomane together with the fealty of the peeres depending on these Signiories to Henry his sonne who therupon was to doe homage and fealty to the king of France against all men neither to owe any more to his father or brothers therfore but what the consideration of nature or meritt required The king of France on the other syde did grant to Richard sonne to the king of England the Duchie of Aquitayne on like conditions giuing him his daughter in mariage without any dowry who was neuertheles at her fathers pleasure to accept any free gifte towardes her mariage These were the conditions
discreete and worthie Aduocate of the Romane Church And how far the commission extended which they receaued from Pope Alexander is thus sent in a secret relation of a certayne frind before rehearsed vsing these wordes in the Conclusion Notwithstanding all this the Pope restrayned these Nuntioes with the obligation of an oath to a precise and confyned forme of peace in such sort as they should not exceede their limited boundes commaunding also seuerly that they should abstayne from receauing any rewardes of the king or burdening him with expences vnles the Churches peace were first procured nor yet make any longer stay beeyond the setled day assigned them Concerning the forme of peace as it was expressed for the Bishoppe it contayned nothing dishonorable or derogating either from the Church or his person or in any respect diminishing his authority but that hee might freely without impediment of any occasion or Appeale excercise the Ecclesiasticall seuerity on the king himselfe the kingdome or any persons of the realme in such sorte as hee knewe expedient for the Church of God vsing neuertheles therin the counsell of his freindes and men of discretion that while the treatis of peace continued hee should more mildly proceede and wincke at many thinges but if afterwardes which God forbid they preuayled not for peace hee should arise as one returning to his former strength to prostrate with greater power the Churches persecutors And this was there written concerning the commission giuen by Pope Alexander to his Nuntioes by whom hee sent this letter to Saint Thomas Ibid. epist 1. Wee haue receaued lately the Embassadors and letters of the renowned king of England and wheras hee demanded therin of vs crtayne greate and difficult matters for obtayning wherof they laboured earnestly and vehemently with vs yet neuertheles they could not incline our mynde to satisfy their desire But that they might not haue any reason or occasion to complayne of rigorous proceeding on our parte or that wee refused in any thing to yeeld vnto them following the steppes and examples of our Predecessors who wee doubt not are Saintes wee determined with all kindnes modesty and sweetnes to recall the king from his peruerse purpose to mitigate his mynde and asswage his cruelty wherupon it came to passe that wee by the graue aduise and counsell of our brethren decreede to send to the kinges presence our deerely beeloued sonnes Gratian the Subdeacon our notary an honorable and learned person whom for the memory of our holy father of sacred remembrance our Predecessor Pope Eugenius and in regarde of his owne most sincere fidelity and ready seruice wee esteeme euery way deare and acceptable and with him Master Viuian who for his long experienced frindshippe wisedome and learning wee loue most intyrely by whom and also by our letters wee admonish his Maiestie with all care and dilligence as much as in vs lyeth that restoring to you his peace and fauor hee would recall you honorably to your Church and suffer you and yours to rest in all peace and tranquillity Wherfore wee entreate you and aduise your brotherhood that carefully weyghing the difficultyes and malice of the tyme and considering with your selfe how our forefathers haue beehaued themselues for auoyding such stormes as these in dayes of like extremity you would endeauore by all meanes as far as with preseruation of the honor of your place and office may bee donne to recouer the fauor and good-will of your kinge and labour to mitigate his mynde in shewing such patience gentlnes and meekenes as none may iustly say your selfe was in faulte wherby his loue and kindnesse was not fully obtayned wee request alsoe your wisedome yee wee warne counsell and command you that before the departure of our Nuntioes you proceede not in any sentence against the king or any persons of his kingdome or against the realme it selfe and if perchance which wee beeleeue not you haue allready pronounced any you doe now suspend the same vntill that tyme bee expired all which wee say to the end wee may take away from him all occasion and matter of complaynte and by such meanes ouercome the hardnes of his harte But if it fall out otherwise which God forbid wee will by no meanes depriue you of your authority but rather preserue the same intire and carefully affourd you therin our assistance and counsell The rest which remayneth wee haue left to bee declared by our Nuntioes to whose words wee wish you to giue creditt and also to yeeld to their counsells and exhortations Thus did Alexander wryte to Saint Thomas Ibidem epist 3. The Popes letter sent by his Nuntios to the King of England and likewise to the king of England other letters in these wordes We haue receaued with fatherly loue your Maiesties letters which you sent vs by our beeloued sonnes Reynold of Salisbury and Randulphe Archdeacon of Lauâ— beeing both of them wise and discreete men and withall carefull and diligent in the busines committed to their charge and with attention and consideration haue wee heard the contentes of the same And when wee had fully vnderstood your royall demandes as well out of the substance of your letters as the relation of your Embassadors and had together with our brethren taken long aduice therupon it could not appeare to vs that wee might with our honor and the estimation of the Church yeelde to any of them in such sorte as you required notwithstanding to the end wee may in all thinges so far as standeth with the glory of God and his Church assent to your Maiestie and that you may bee resolued that what wee doe proceedeth not any whitt out of obstinacy but necessity wee haue sent to your royall presence our beeloued sonnes Gratian the Subdeacon our Notary together with Master Viuian beeing both of them graue and discreete men and most deare and acceptable as well to vs as the whole Catholike Church by whom wee haue at large signifyed to your Maiestie our pleasure and will and with all what shall concerne your honor and aduancement and ought truly to bee most conuenient for your royall dignity And wheras wee vnderstood out of your Maiesties letters that you haue soe farre ouercome your will and mynde in the busines concerning our venerable brother Thomas Archbishoppe of Canterbury as for the reuerence you beare to the Church and vs you will suffer him to returne home and quietly enioy his pastorall office in peace yeelding to you what of duty hee oweth wee embrace the same as a thing most gratefull and acceptable to vs giuing therfore the greatest prayse and thankes wee can vnto the diuine clemency which hath heerin vndoubtedly inspired your harte instantly beeseeching your Maiestie yea and inioyning you for the remission of your sinnes that in this importunate matter you will respect rather God then man and submitt your selfe heerin only for the loue of our Allmighty Lord. Concerning that you sayde was signifyed to your Maiestie of
iniurious demandes which afflicted much our mynde the vrged vs on his beehalfe breathing out terrible threates vnles wee would condescend to his will wherupon wee in regarde the stormy persecution of the Church is not yet layde nor the fayre calme of peace as it was expedient hath hetherto shined on vs allthough wee would not graunt his requestes were neuertheles carefull to temper and asswage the fury and outrage of his mynde dreading greatly least hee should as once hee did ioyne in any league of society with Fredericke the Emperor that tyrant and wicked enemy of the Church to the hindrance and disturbance of her peace or picke any quarell to departs from the Church and our deuotion this was the reason that wee considering the malice of the tyme did with the ioynt counsell of our brethren by our Apostolicall letters command your brotherhoode vpon the conceyte of a certayne hope and confidence hee would receaue you into his fauor and restore the Church of Canterbury to your free disposition that you should not publish against him or any persons of his kingdome or against the kingdome it selfe any sentence of Interdiction Excommunication or Suspension vnles you first receaued from vs other letters wherin should bee signified that if the king would not reconcyle himselfe in peace vnto you you should haue leaue to execute your office against him and his Wherfore in regarde we desire to conserue by all meanes to you as our deere brother also to your Church due honor and liberty if hee shall not effectually fullfill before the beeginning af Lent what wee hope hee will doe as we haue propounded to him but perseuer still hardened in his obstinacy wee doe thē restore to you againe your authority to haue fre liberty without any barre of Appeale to execute the power of your office as well against the persons as also the kingdome yea the king himselfe if you shall iudge it conuenient and expedient for your selfe and your Church Cod Vat. lib. 4. epist 17. 51. to the king reseruing euer that grauity and Pontificall discretion which beehoueth you Thus wrote Alexander to Saint Thomas sending an other letter vnto him also to the same purpose and certifying likewise the king of France to the sayd effecte And soe the Pope reformed that which the king of England vsed not for establishing of peace but abused for the prolonging of discorde I meane this priuiledge of tyme graunted without limitation Cod Vat. lib. 3 epist 1. 23. These letters of reuoking this suspension Alexander this yeere commanded to bee deliuered by the aforesayde two Nuntios vnto the king who perusing them was exceedingly moued exclayming against his holines that hee had within the compas of one yeere published two decrees contradicting one an other one beeing for him the other against him vnles hee would agree presently to a peace What ensued afterwardes wee will in place conuenient declare the next yeere ANNO DOMINI 1170. The last Legates sent by the Pope to Henry King of England on the beehalfe of S. Thomas Now followeth the yeere of our Lord 1170. and the third Indiction When Pope Alexander addressed yet once againe certayne Bishoppes as Legates to Henry king of England For which purpose he selected Rotroche Archbishop of Roane with Bernard Bishop of Niuers to whom was after added William Bishop of Senon a prelate of approued fidelity and assured integrity For the better executing of which office Pope Alexander directed his letters which are yet extant to either of them seuerally Cod Vat. lib. ◠epist 2. 4. Ibid epist 5. dated after Viuians returne beesides others to them ioyntly contayning their treaty to bee had with the king which was that S. Thomas should returne to his Church and receaue all the possessions taken away from his Church that others exiled for his sake should euery one bee restored to his owne the king should grant him a perfect peace in a holy kisse if hee would not yeeld therunto beecause hee had sworne the contrary hee should performe it by his sonne according as hee had promised hee should abolish and absolutely condemne the wicked customes contradicting the Churches liberty and the Legates should absolue from their promise the Bishops who vndertooke to obserue them if there were any hope of peace they should then absolue the Excommunicates but vnder this condition that if the peace succeeded not they should fall backe againe into their former excommunication without any remedy of Appeale all which couenantes hee commanded precisely to bee performed within the compas of 40. dayes And if the peace could not bee perfected within that limited tyme nor these condicions accomplished they should presently interdict the Prouince on this side the seas where the king as then remayned This was the charge imposed by Pope Alexander on the Legates as appeareth by his Apostolicall letters dated this yeere at Beneuent 14. Kalend. Februarii The Pope sent also diuers letters to others concerning the same Legation and especially to king Henry himselfe Whilst this busines was in hand there brake forth à new discord king Henry would haue his sonne crowned king by the Archbishop of yorke beeing an office appertayning to the Prime seate of England which is Canterbury wherfore the Pope vnderstanding theerof directed his letters to the Archbishop of yorke and all the Bishoppes of England in this sorte Cod. Vat. lib 4. Ep. 42. In regarde wee are long since certifyed by the relation of many that the Coronation and vnction of the kinges of England appartayneth to the Archbishop of Canterbury as an ancient custome and dignity annexed vnto his Church wee doe by these presentes our Apostolicall authority streyghtly inioyne your brotherhood that if the renowned king of England will haue his sonne crowned and annoynted king during the tyme our reuerent brother Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury remayneth in exile none of yee attempt to impose handes on him or presume any way to intermedle in the busines which if any of yee shall bee soe bould as to doe let him vndoubtedly knowe that it will highly redounde to the perill of his office and order for heerin wee will cut of all remedy of Appeale and exclude all occasion of malignity Dated at Cisuinary 4. Kalend. Martii Hee wrote also seuerally to the same Bishoppes of England and likewise to saint Thomas Ibid epist 44 Ibid. epist 3. Ibidem epist 42. 4◠the priuiledges of whose Church should bee heerby infringed Sainct Thomas moreouer wryting in the name of the high Bishop of Rome to the Archbishop of yorke and other Bishoppes of England in like manner forbad the same to bee donne Vpon receipt of which letters the king of England and his followers were soe far inraged as they caused them all to take an oath not any way to obey the constitutions of the Pope and Archbishop forbidding this same which soe heynous offence saint Thomas presently reproued by these his letters
consecrated king if it may bee termed a consecration which is ministred by the Excommunicate who are odious to the holy Ghost and enemyes to the Church and this with the notorious iniury of the Church of Canterbury and of my Lord the king of France whose Daughter that aduersary of God and man would not admitt to bee partaker of this consecration This consecration or rather execration was ministred by yorke and as they say with your authority where London some others named Bishoppes whose memoryes are buryed in malediction assisted him Haue a care therfore ô father heereafter of this Church which hath perished i◠your handes least the bloud thereof bee required of you which wee thinke cannot bee otherwise done for the redemption of your fame and soule vnles with your Apostolicall power you confound the foresayde Malefactors Thus wrote Senon to the Pope There are letters yet to bee seene written in the Popes name to the Archbishop of Roane for absoluing London on certaine conditions Cod Vat. l. 3. Epist 16. and others likewise sent by Roane to his holines signifying how hee was absolued on Easter day but there is the letter of saint Thomas to Roane affirming the absolution to bee voyd Ihid Ep. 19. beecause the Popes conditions were neuer proformed Ibid. Ep. 24 And moreouer beesides all these an other letter of saint Thomas wherin hee complayneth to the Pope concerning these abuses Yet bee assured all this was but a slaunderous reporte And first as it was false that the Archbishop of Yorke euer consecrated the king by the Popes authority as the letters before recyted written both by the Pope and also by a frind to saint Thomas apparantly declare soe make no doubt it is as manifest a falshood that London and his Associate were euer absolued by the Popes Mandate and therfore loe heere the Epistle of Apologie sent by his Holines to the Bishop of Senon Wee haue gratefully receaued Ibid. Ep. 26. and with dilligente care and attention considered the letters which your deuotion sent as concerning the busines of our venerable brother the Archbishop of Canterbury The Pope purgeth himselfe of a false imputation But in regard the Bishop of London is not yet come vnto vs wee haue determined nothing in the cause If hee had appeared before vs wee would haue endeauored to preserue the iust tytle of the Archbishoppe of Canterbury soe far forth as wee might haue done with the safety of our conscience But yet how far wee haue proceeded in that controuersy wee suppose wee haue made sufficiently knowne to him in parte and also to our most deere sonne in Christ Lewes the famous king of France in such sorte as wee enioyned you by word of mouth to deliuer for wee haue therin altered nothinge since your departure nor haue wee thought good to change any thing heereafter allthough the foresayd king of England did sollicite vs most earnestly by the Consuls of Lumbardy beeing present before vs with his agents as also by the Embassadors of our most deere sonne in Christ Emmanuel the illustrous Emperour of Constantinople to graunt him a longer tyme of repite And in regarde wee esteeme the Archbishoppes cause as our owne and the Churches cause wee command your brotherhood by these our Apostolicall letters that you admonish carefully and instantly exhorte by worde of mouth or otherwise by letters if they are not personally present the Archbishop of Roane and Bishop of Niuers dilligently and speedily to execute our commandement and if as yet they haue no way proceeded in the busines omitt not in any case to reprehend them sharpely and seuerely reproue them But if they haue allready pronounced according to our commandement the sentence of interdiction vpon the sayde kings lands then doe you firmly and streightly obserue this sentence and cause as far as it lyeth in your power the same to bee obserued without any partiality at all throughout the kinges landes which are knowne to ly in your Prouince setting all excuse and appeale a syde Thus far Pope Alexander purged himselfe to Senon and allthough the Pope commanded excommunicated London to bee absolued to the end hee might bee an instrument of peace as in an other place hee sayth what offence was this especially considering hee commanded the same to bee done vpon certayne conditions Nay did not saint Thomas himselfe this very yeere at such time as the Pope commanded the excommunication to bee reiterated on London and Salisbury beeseeche his Holines to forbeare the same for feare of disturbing the peace now vndertaken Soe as it appeareth not only Alexander but also saint Thomas himselfe did vpon diuers occasions command and perswade the Excommunicated to bee bound and loosed for these are his owne wordes Allthough the Bishop of Lomdon hath bin the cheife Leader of this sedition that wee may forbeare to call it Scysme wee neuerthelesse beeseech it may bee lawfull for vs to haue cōpassion on him and Salisbury if they cannot bee punished according to your commandement without renewing of Scisme But the modesty of Pope Alexander was vndoubtedly admirable who although hee felt himselfe ouerladen with soe huge a burden of wrongfull accusations yea and was most vniustly afflicted with the cōplayntes of this soe Saintly a man signifyed by the Apostolicall Legate as also those of the king people and Clergy of France allmost wholy with clamors inueyghing against him beeing made neuerthelesse as a man not hearing nor hauing any refutations in his mouth hee handled his cause with that vnspeakeable myldnes as hee abstayned absolutely from retorting reproofes or any other spytefull replication allbeeit hee was gauled with the spurres of most sharpe letters soe as it may without all controuersy bee affirmed of him which was once sayde of Moyses that hee was of all men the meekest But whence will you say arose then this reporte so bruted in the mouthes of all that the Bishoppe of London was absolued by the Pope It is layde open in the Epistle of Iohn of Salisbury Secretary to saint Thomas wrytten to the Archdeacon of Excester and dated this yeere where among other occurrents 〈◊〉 this tyme hee inserteth this of this same It was commonly giuen out that the kinges Agents had then obtayned absolution for the Bishoppe of London and all others Cod. Vat. lib. 5. Ep. 18. and how the Archbishoppes authority for proceeding against the kingdome with the persons of his realme was withdrawne But they were presently refuted as manifest vntruthes by letters sent from his Holines yea before such tyme as the Bishoppe of London vndertooke his iourney to the Courte who doubtles would haue spared that labor and cost if as some fayned hee might haue bin absolued without soe greate difficulty Thus sayth Salisbury for clearing Alexander from the iniurious slanders raysed of him by the king of Englands Agents Whereunto may bee added the testimony of saint Thomas expostulating with king Henry thus My Lord if you hasten
the planting of your sonne in your place with the accomplishment of his consecration why are you not carefull to exclude from the solemnity of soe greate a Sacrament those who are apparantly and namely excommunicated by the sentence of my Lord the Pope and vs Can a consecration bee perfected without a participation But if London and Salisbury had bin absolued beeing excommunicated beefore as well by the Pope as saint Thomas these obiections could neuer haue bin made by saint Thomas himselfe in that assembly where none stood excommunicate but only the sayde Bishoppes For answer moroeuer of the other flaunder concerning the Popes consent to the consecration of the king of England by the Archbishop of Yorke reade heere the Popes letters wrytten to saint Thomas in these wordes Considering deeply the constancy of your vertue and fayth Ibid. Ep. 34. with the resolution of mynde which you haue apparantly shewed for defence of your Churches liberty wee doe willingly giue you as our deerest brother the best counsell and assistance wee can for obtayning those thinges which wee knowe conuenient for the conseruation and augmētation of the same Church and will with diligent endeauor affoarde the defence of the Apostolicall power against all such as contend to diminish and disturbe the rightes and dignityes herof Wee heare of certaynty how the Archbishop of Yorke contrary to our prohibition and interdiction hath crowned in your Prouince Henry sonne to the famous king of England wherfore in regarde you affirme the same to bee an exceeding great derogation to the right and dignity of your Church beeing desyrous on this beehalfe to succour both your selfe and Church wee ordayne by our Apostolicall authority that the sayde Archbishoppes acte shall no way heereafter by any meanes preiudice you for diminishing your right in the Coronation and vnction of the kinges of England but that you may haue it in as ample manner as your Predecessors and Church haue bin knowne to haue enioyed the same forty yeeres now past Thus far in refutation of the scandall concerning the Archbishoppe of Yorke and heereto is agreable an other Epistle wrytten to the Bishoppes who were present at the Coronotion and that letter especially which the Pope sent to the same Roger Archbishop of Yorke and Hugh Bishoppe of Duresme indighted thus Alexander Bishoppe seruant of the seruantes of God to his reuerent brethren Roger Archbishoppe of Yorke and Hugh Bishoppe of Duresme sendeth greeting and Apostolicall benediction Allthough yee are many wayes commendable and gratefull to vs and wee on the other syde embrace yee with the armes of vnfayned charity neuertheles wee ought not therfore to ouerpasse but call yee to accompt and with the zeale of rightuousnes to correct such offences as beeing committed by yee and left vmpunished engender death Our Lord speaking by the Prophet thus If I saying to the wicked thou shalt dye the death thou dost not declare it vnto him nor tell him thereof hee shall dye in his sinne but I will require his blood at thy handes The oppression truly of the Church of England with the diminishing of her liberty which is knowne to bee caused by your king bee it either of his owne motion or else by the suggestion of others hath now long since very much afflicted our mynde and bred vs noe small care and greife for wheras it behoued him to deuyse how to correcte those abuses which were brought in wickedly by his Predecessors hee rather heaping sinnes vppon sinnes constituted and established with the coullor of à royal tytle those vnlawfull customes by which the Churches liberty perished and the decrees of Apostolicke men as far as hee could infringe them were depriued of their power neyther did hee thinke it enough if vnder his Dominion the Diuine lawes in his kingdome of England were put to silence and made voyd vnles hee should also cast à descent of sinne vpon his heires and make his kingdome for long tyme sit solitary without Ephod without Superhumerale without preistly dignity Thence came it to passe that hee procured those vsurpations to bee confirmed without any exception by the oathes of your selues your brethren and the Bishoppes your Associates and condemned him to bee punished as à Traytor who woulde not yeelde consent to these wicked customes This appeareth manifestly in the exile of our reuerent brother the Archbishoppe of Canterbury this is openly declared in the miserable banishment of his Clearkes and kindred and of those who sucking their mothers breasts cryed as yet in their cradles yea the terror of death is threatened to all such as dare resist the same and prefer the lawes of God beefore those synnefull Statutes Wee our selues by whose iudgment those offensiue lawes ought to bee corrected and amended were vnder coullor of this vnquiett tyme most earnestly sollicited to confirme the same and were not meanely labored and prouoked to strengthen with Apostolike power those vsurped customes before wee were fully informed of them and this in their very first beeginning and in processe of tyme the sayde Archbishoppe remayning in exile for executing the office of his Pastorall function and very often requiring from our authority the wonted assistance of the Romane Church wee sent to the same king the cheifest and worthyest of our brethren wee sent also other Ecclesiasticall persons supposing the hardnes of his harte would bee softened with our humility and meekenes and that as Salomon sayth The Prince will bee mollifyd with patience Prouerb 25. Ibid. 15. and a gentle tongue will asswage anger But hee deluding our sufferance with the seuerall deuises of sundry Embassadors seemeth soe far to obdurate his mynde against our admonitions as neither hee relenteth any whitt in his wrath against the forenamed Archbishop nor yet endureth that any one of his peruerse lawes should bee diminished yea damnifyeth the Church of Canterbury it selfe very much in her possessions and spoyleth her of her ancient dignity in her Ecclesiasticall administration for when hee was disposed of late to haue his sonne crowned contemning the Archbishop of Canterbury to whose office the same in tymes forepast is sayd of right to beelong hee caused him to bee inuested with the Crowne by you brother Archbishop and that in this Prouince noe whit appartayning to your iurisdiction Moreouer in his Coronation there was not according to the ancient custome any condicion made or as they say requyred of him for the preseruation of the Churches liberty but as the reporte goeth hee was rather bound by oath to obserue during his raigne inuiolably the royall customes as they call thē of his ancestors wherby the Churches dignity is endangered Wherin allthough the sayde kinges violence doth greatly trouble vs wee may neuertheles bee much more incensed with the imbecility of yee and your Associates the Bishoppes who not without greife wee speake it are made like Rammes without hornes Thren Ierem 1. and flye away without strength before the face of the Pursuer For allthough brother
comming into Normandy hee hearde not his Legates had passed the Alpes then hee should absolue the Bishoppes of London and Salisbury from excommunication first taking of them an oathe to obey our Lord the Popes Mandate they and the rest remayning neuerthelesse still in suspension Thus departed our Lord the kinges Messingers from the courte neither yet caryed they backe any thing else But when they shall come or who shall vndertake this iourney I thinke it is hetherto vnknowne to the Cardinalls Only now as I beelieue you neede not feare the Interdicton of England soe as the king will submitt himselfe to the Legates And our Lord the Pope wryteth to him and inuyteth him to humility yet hardly could hee bee wrought to wryte to him Hetherto is the relation of one of the kinges Messingers But these letters of Pope Alexander to the king of England are lost Now let vs heare a more faythfull and certaine reporte made by other the kinges Messingers vnto the king himselfe where no mention of money either offered or receaued as the other vpon his false coniecture rehearsed is made although it contayneth a most exacte recytall of all and singular matters and wordes that passed for thus it is To his dearest Lord Henry the renowned king of England Duke of Normandy and Aquitayne and Earle of Anioue R Abbot of Wallacia R Archdeacon of Salisbury R. Archdeacon of Lizieux Richard Barre and Master Henry send greeting with due obedience in all thinges and euery where These are to certify your Maiestie that when Richard Barre going beefore vs had with great danger and trauaille come to our Lord the Popes courte wee foure with the two Bishoppes the Deane of Eureux and Master Henry with much difficulty attayned Sene where for some dayes wee were constrayned to stay for Count Macarius had on all sydes soe beeset the wayes as there remayned no passage for any When wee foure together with the Bishoppes who earnestly desyred to departe could not as wee would in regarde of these exceeding difficultyes consulting in one at midnight with all secrecy wee sett forwarde and so by craggy mountains and places allmost unpassable with extreme feare and danger wee came in the end to Tusculan There found wee Richard Barre allthough as beeseemed him carefull of your honor and labouring discreetely and instantly for your commodity yet much troubled and confounded in regard neither our Lord the Pope had yet receaued him nor others had courteously and gently entertayned him And for vs at our comming the Pope would neither see vs nor receaue vs at his feete yea many of the Cardinalls would hardly afforde vs a worde Remayning therfore long and anxiously troubled in the bitternes of our soules wee by all meanes huÌ„bly besought those who more eÌ„tirely affected to you that our Lord the Pope by their intercession would some way vouchsafe vs a hearing The Lord Abbot of Wallacia R. Archdeacon of Lizieux as men least suspected were first receaued to audience But when they in salutation on your beehalfe beegan with your name inâ—ytleing you the most deuoute childe of the Roman Church The name of the king of England now hatefull at Rome The whole courte cryed out forbeare forbeare As if it were abhominable to the Pope to heare your name Soe comming from the Courte in the euening they returned agayne to our Lord the Pope deliuering to him by the aduice of vs all what by your Maiestie was commanded vs declaring also distinctly the suÌ„dry benefittes beestowed by you on CaÌ„terbury with the diuers excesses and importunityes committed by him against your dignyty and all this first in secret then before our Lord the Pope and the whole Colledge of Cardinalls where Alexander of Wales and Gunter of Flanders Clearkes of the Church of Canterbury contested and contended against you Thurseday before Easter beeing now at hand on which day according to the vse of the Roman Church our Lord the Pope was accustomed to absolue or excommunicate in publicke whereas wee were certayne that with greate attention they had long handled this weyghty cause which soe neere touched your selfe aÌ„d your kingdome wee aduysed with those who as wee knewe most fauored your Maiestie wee meane the Lords of Portua and Hyacinth The Cardinalles who fauoured the king of England the Lordes of Papia and Tusâ—ulane with Peeter Lord of Mirle for the Lord Iohn of Naples was absent importuning them with all labor and instance to lay open vnto vs our Lord the Popes intention and what hee determined to decree concerning your selfe But they on the other syde reporting nothing but disasters and matters disgracefull to your renowne wee perceiued out of the sights and sorrowfull relation of theÌ„ all especially of your faythfull well wisher brother French that our Lorde the Pope had that day resolued absolutely with the ioynt consent of all his brethren to pronounce the sentence of interdiction against your selfe by name and your dominions as well on this syde as beyond the seas and also confirme the same sentence which was allready diuulged against the Bishoppes Besett therfore with these extremityes wee attempted with our vttermost endeauors as well by the Cardinalls as those our Associates who had accesse to his holines and likewise by his inward freindes to make him desist from this purpose or at the least deferre it vntill the comming of your Bishoppes which when it could no way be obtayned wee according to our bounden duty to you beecause wee were neither able nor ought to endure the great disgrace of your person with the agreiuances of all your principalityes consulting in the end with our Associates beefore certayne Cardinalls deuysed à way good and secure for your state and honor profitable to all your dominions and necessary for your Bishoppes whereby wee auoyded that ignominy and danger euen now threatening your person subiectes and Bishoppes and exposed our selues wholly to the vttermost perill for this your deliuery beelieuing and hauing a singular hope that it is according as wee thinke to your wished desire For astonished with feare wee signifyed to our Lord the Pope by the intercession of the same Cardinalls that wee had receaued à commandemeÌ„t from you to sweare in his presence that you shall obey his Mandate and how your selfe in person shall make the sayde oathe The same thursday about nyne of the Clocke were the Messingers called in as well yours as the Bishoppes The Messingers sworne in the kings name and in the generall consistory were wee sworne the Abbot wee meane of Wallacia the Archdeacons of Salisbury and Lizieux Master Henry and Richard Barre that you shall stand to the Popes Mandate and take your corporall oathe at his appointment to this effecte Then the Messingers of the Archbishop of Yorke and of the Bishoppes of London and Salisbury swoare in like sorte that their Lordes should subiecte themselues to the Popes commandement and take an oath to that purpose Neuertheles the same day hee
together with the recyted Cardinalls seales to bee set to the wryting wherin the Articles aforesayde were contayned beeginning in this forme To Henry by the grace of God the renowned kinge of England Albert of the tytle of saint Laurence in Lucina and Theodine of the tytle of saint Vitalis Preistes Cardinalles and Legates of the Sea Apostolicke health in him who giueth health to kinges To the end that thinges donne may neuer bee after questioned These Actes published in wryting it is accustomed and the consideration of the publicke vtility requyreth that they should bee recorded wherupon wee thought it conuenient to drawe the Mandate into wryting which wee doe especially for your sake in regarde you feare malefactors who murdered Thomas of holy memory late Archbishoppe of Canterbury proceeded to the execution of that vnlawfull acte vpon occasion of your anger and distemperature In which action neuertheles you haue of your owne accord in our presence made your purgation that you neither commanded nor wished him to bee killed and when you heard the reporte therof you exceedingly sorrowed Wherfore from this instant feast of Pentecoste to the end of one whole yeere you shall giue soe much mony as by the iudgment of the Templar Knightes will maintayne 200. souldiers twelue monethes for defence of the holy land Touching your selfe you shall from Christmas next three yeeres are fully accomplished take the Crosse and in proper person vndertake your iourney thitherwarde by Gods conduction the next summer vnles you stay by appointment of our Lord the Pope or his Catholicke successor But if vpon vrgent necessity you make warre against the Saracens in Spayne for the tyme you vndergoe that voyage soe long you may deferre your iourney to Ierusalem You shall not hinder Appeales nor suffer them to bee hindred but that they may bee freely made in Ecclesiasticall causes vnto the Pope of Rome in good fayth without fraude or any ill intent that causes may bee handled by his Holines and obtayne their effectes yet soe neuertheles as if you shall haue suspicion of any they shall giue you security that they shall not endeauor to iniure your selfe or your kingdome You shall absolutely disanull the custumes brought in during your tyme the Churches of your land Concerning the possessions of the Church of Canterbury if any haue bin taken away you shall restore them to that fullnes wherin shee enioyed them a yeere beefore the Archbishop departed England Moreouer you shall restore to the Clergie and Layetie of both sexes peace and your gracious fauour with all the possessions which they lost for the Archbishoppes sake All this by the authority of our Lord the Pope wee inioyne you for remission of your sinnes and command you to obserue the same without fraude or deceypte This haue you sworne in a great Audience with reuerence to the diuine Maiesty Your sonne hath likewise sworne the same excepting only what in particular concerned your selfe and yee haue both sworne not to leaue Pope Alexander and his Catholike Successors so long as they shall vse yee as they haue vsed your Predecessors and other Catholicke kinges And that this may bee firmly recorded in the Roman Church yee haue commanded this same to bee confirmed with your seales Afterwards the same Roger addeth the Epistle of the Legates written at that tyme to the Bishop of Reuenna declaring matters then handled in these wordes To the Reuerent in Christ and our beeloued brother Gilbert by the grace of God Archbishop of Rauenna Albert by the diuine goodnes of the title of saint Laurence in Lucina and Theodine of the title of saint Vitall Preistes Cardinalles and Legates of the Apostolike Sea what God hath promised to such as loue him In regarde wee suppose you are desirous to heare of our state and the good successe of the busines commended to our charge wee thought conuenient to signify to your brotherhood by these letters how God hath at this tyme dealte with vs and wrought by the ministery of our vnworthines Bee yee therfore certifyed that after the renowned king of England knewe by certayne relation that wee were come within his Dominion setting asyde all obstacles of delay hee presently returned from Ireland into England lettinge passe the businesses which then imported him and from England arriued on the coaste of Normandy sending instantly sundry Messingers and honorable personages from vs to vnderstand at what place wee thought most conueniently to meete him and treate of these affaires It pleased vs at length to meete at the Monastery of Sauyne that wee might there confer where wee should bee assisted by the prayers of the Religious Wee mett there together and there mett with vs many persons of eyther order of his kingdome and wee treated as dilligently as wee could of what appertayned to the good of him and the charge imposed on vs. But not aggreeing in all pointes hee departed from vs pretending to passe into England wee expected intending the next day to goe to the Citty of Abryncke On the morrowe came to vs the Bishoppe of Lizieux with two Archdeacons and condescending to our request wee passed on to the sayde Citty whether on the Sunday in which is fung vocem iucunditatis wee assembled with very many persons and they also with vs and with soe much humility hee accomplished what was promised as without all doubt wee may beeleeue it was his worke who looketh on the earth and maketh it tremble Truly to declare how much hee endeauored to humble himselfe to God and shewe his obedience to the Church it is not a matter in these few lynes to bee vttered his deedes doe sufficiently manifest it and heereafter will manifest it more fully as wee assuredly hope it will appeare First therfore not vpon any constrainte or request of ours but of his owne free will hee cleered his conscience by an oathe vpon the holy Euangelistes concerning the death of Thomas of blessed memory late Archbishoppe of Canterbury swearing that hee neither commanded nor wished that the Archbishop should bee killed and vpon the reporte therof hee was exceedingly greiued Yet beecause the murder was committed and hee feared hee gaue occasion therof for making satisfaction hee tooke this oathe First hee swore hee would neuer leaue our Lord Pope Alexander and his Catholicke successors so long as they vsed him like a Catholicke and Christian king and this alsoe hee caused his sonne and heire to sweare in the Charter of absolution for the death of blessed Thomas Hee swore likewise other thinges very necessary for the Clergie and Layety all which in order according as hee swore them wee dilligently recorded in the Charter of his absolution Other matters hee likewise promised of his owne accord not conuenient to bee deliuered in wryting But this wee haue written that you may see his obedience to Allmighty God and how hee is farre more incouraged then hitherto hee hath bin to the seruice of his Sauiour Knowe beesides that his sonne