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
generally excommunicated all them who murdered Canterbury and all who gaue counsell ayde or assent therunto and all who should wittingly receaue them into their landes or any way foster them Our Lordes the Bishoppes of Worcester and Eureux Robert of Newboroughe of Eureux and Master Henry were presently to follow vs whom wee lefte exceedingly igreeued and troubled that they could not according to their desire come to dispatch your busines and it was their aduyce that wee should by all meanes make haste before to hinder and auoyde the disgrace and calamity which your aduersaryes had prepared against you For wee were assured the sword was ready in the courte to strike you and wee feared that days woÌ„ted custome God send your Maiestie loÌ„g to prosper and florish Bee comforted in our Lord and let your harte reioyce beecause after this present clowde a faire calme will to your glory ensue On Sattursday before Palme Sunday wee came to the Courte and the Bearer of these letters departed on Easter day from vs. Afterwardes Easter beeing passed Alexander adressed Legates to examine the king of England Concerning this legation from the Pope Herbert in Quadrilogus treateth wryting in these wordes But beecause confession as it neither can nor ought to bee made by letters soe neither can nor ought it to bee made by Messingers and the liuely voyce of the penitent by how much the more it encreaseth deuotion soe much the more hath it of vertue the Apostolicke man Alexander sent two Cardinalls a latere Master Theodinus of holy memory preist of the tytle of saint Vitalis or Vestina for it hath both names and Albert of saint Laurence in Lucina preist Cardinall Chancellor of the Church men truly endowed with all sanctity and knowledge of Religion But what was done by them shall heereafter in the proper place bee declared Legates to the king before the death of S. Thomas Meane while this same yeere an other Legation sent by Pope Alexander to the king of England beefore any thing was knowne of the death of saint Thomas came to vrge with Ecclesiasticall censures the king who as hee vnderstood by the letters of saint Thomas reuolted from his promise What the Legates were and how the king handled matters to euacuate their authority Roger thus deliuereth this yeere In the meane tyme came from Pope Alexander into Normandy two Cardinalles Legates a latere who beefore as hath bin sayde exercised the same Legatine office Gratian I meane and Viuian who assayled the king of England with greate and diuers vexations intending to cast him and his countrey into interdiction But the king forewarned and thereby armed did before their entry into his land appeale to the Popes presence and soe kepte himselfe and his dominions free from aggreiuance but fearing yet the seuerity of the Apostolike Sea hee hasted to the seas syde and passed ouer from Normandy into England giuing a streight command that none who brought any breife from the Pope of what condicion or order someuer hee was should bee suffered to passe from Normandy into England or from England into Normandy vnles hee first entred into good security that hee sought noe hurte nor molestation to the king or his kingdome Hetherto concerninge this Legation sent beefore the Martyrdome of saint Thomas This Author proceedeth to the kinges iourney this yeere into Ireland Ireland yeelded to the king of England which kingdome hee challenged as yeelded to him by the consent of the whole countrey where there was a counsell celebrated of foure Archbishoppes and 28. Bishoppes all which receaued the king and his heires for their kinges confirming the same with their Charters A Counsell in Ireland This Counsell held at Casselen decreed many thinges coÌ„modious to the Church as for Baptisme Tythes and Mariages which the king sent to Pope Alexander The Pope confirmeth the kinges tytle who confirmed to the king and his heires the kingdome of Ireland according to the tenor of the Irish Bishoppes Charters All which Baronius recyteth out of Roger the king remayned in Ireland from the feast of saint Martin vntill the beeginning of Lent AN. DOM. 1172. Heere ensueth the yeere of our Lord 1172. with the fifte indiction Legates soâ—e to the king of England When the Legates of Pope Alexander sent the last yeere to king Henry the father concerning the murder of that most holy man Thomas Archbishop of Chanterbury came into Normandy whom the king returning lately from Ireland into England and thence sayling into Normandy receaued and performed what beeseemed a true penitent king and a most pious Christian obeying in all thinges the cheife Bishoppe of the vniuersall Church who by most choyse persons for soe greate a worke beeing Cardinalls of the sacred Roman Church and most blessed men Theodinus I meane preist Cardinall of the tytle of saint Vitalis called also saint Vestine and Alberinus preist Cardinall of the tytle of saint LaureÌ„ce in Lucina Chancellor of the holy Roman Church most happily finished the whole busines Intending therefore to treate heerof and how these matters soe passing difficult were managed with so great facility God disposing the kinges harte to pennance first of all the tyme wherin it was handled is to bee discouered beeing this very yeere whenas it was accomplished according as Roger an Author of that age hath in his Chronicles of England exactly declared In the yeere one thousand one hundred seauenty two was all this busines concluded after the kinges returne out of Ireland beeing the tyme when hee receaued the same into his subiection as in the former yeere out of the sayde Author is rehearsed As touchinge the passage of matters beetweene the Legates and the king beeing first intangled with difficultyes and after by the inspiration of the holy Ghoste absolutely ended according to the Legates desire there is a relation lefte in wryting among the Epistles of saint Thomas and Pope Alexander sett downe in the often recyted booke of the Vatican The relation of the proceedinges with the kinge in these wordes The king and the Legates first mett at Gorna on wednesday before the Rogation and there mutually were receaued in the kisse of peace On the morrowe they came to Sauiniacke where the Archbishop of Roane withall the Bishoppes and Nobility assembled And after long debate for conclusion of peace beecause the king absolutely denyed to sweare to their Mandate hee departed with indignation from them vsing these wordes I will returne into Ireland where I haue many weyghty occasions to bee dispatched as hee meant for your partes take on your iourney in peace at your pleasures throughout my land and performe your Legation according as yee are commaÌ„ded where with hee departed Then the Cardinalls hauing more aduisedly consulted called backe the Bishoppe of Lizieux Iohn of Poytiers and the Bishoppe of Salisbury by whose endeauors it was agreede that on Fryday following the king and Cardinalls should meete againe at Abrincke where was a
sinfull counsell tranformed himselfe into an Angel of light sometimes with a preteÌ„ce of exceeding piety otherwhyles with whole boastes of Bishoppes preystes and Religious yet whosoeuer considereth that Alexander was elected by fowerteene Cardinalles and Octauian by three only Three principall approbations of the Romane papacy that Alexander was chosen by all the Bishops Cardinalles Tusculan only excepted That Alexander was consecrated by the Bishop of Ostia and not Octiuian and Alexander established vpon these three principall foundations of the Romane papacy and not Octauian must needes beesides diuers other reasons bee inuincibly perswaded by these that AlexaÌ„der was truly preferred by God and his Church aÌ„d OctauiaÌ„ only bolstered out by the Emperour and the world For no Pope can hee chosen without the Bishop of Ostia I should haue wondred that soe many Bishoppes and Prelates gathered together in this vnlawfull conuenticle could soe bee ouerwhelmed in this Aegiptian darknes as they could not see this apparant light had I not knowne the like afterwardes in our owne countrey But thus it is when Bishopes feeding themselues and not theyr flockes run away at the sight of the Wolfe and beetray Godes cause with theyr slauish feare or flattery The reasons alleaged for this theyr wicked sentence against they re supreme spirtuall head were supported with the horrible periury of many eminent Clearkes a thing most detestable in soe holy a function and a great argument against him was that hee refused to bee iudged by these his subiectes a matter contrary to Religion and all rules of gouerment Heereupon these rebells against the Church excoÌ„municated the Pope out of the Church and imitated in all pointes the actioÌ„s of a true counsell but still grating vpoÌ„ the old quarrell of the league with Cecill against the Empire so was the world euer predominaÌ„t Some also pretended the cause of theyr connyueÌ„ce or coÌ„sent to this coÌ„uenticle was for an vnioÌ„ beetweene the Church and the Empyre which proued on the contrary side the originall of a tedious dissention beetweene them and some wiser then the rest subscribed to the Conuenticle to satisfy the present necessityes of the Empyre with reseruation of theyr sentence to the Churches more serious and further determination The Emperour heereupon not only adored the beaste attributing to his Idoll all honor beelonging to the papacy as kissing his feete The Emperour adoreth Octauian The Emperour persecuteth all Prelates who resiste this scysme Scysmaticks vsurpe Ecclesiastical dignitys Alexander threateneth the Emperour with excommunication The Archbishop of Mountes who first subscribed against Alexander miserablie murdered by his Cittizens CoÌ„rade succeeding the scysmatick in the Archbishoprick of Mounts left all to followe Alexander The Cistercians persecuted for Alexander houlding his styrrop and leading his horse but also proclaymed throughout the Empyre that all the Prelates should accept and reuerence him as Pope threatening banishment for euer to such as refused it And presently ensued the tyme to try the gold in the fire of persecution Now was the corne and chaffe parted For they who preferred theyr soules before theyr worldly substance left theyr countreyes their Churches and all their Ecclesiasticall dignityes which Octauians scysmaticall followers by intrusion inuaded Soe miserable was the face of this deformed Church Neyther was Alexander heerewith discomforted but the more the persecution preuayled the more couragiously hee opposed himselfe against the Emperour for hee prepared to denounce iudgmeÌ„t against him froÌ„ his Apostolicke throne hee summoned him to appeare and refusing to obey threatened him with the swoard of Excommunication Arnold Archbishop of Mountes beeing the first who absolutely subscribed against Pope Alexander for the Patriache reserued his opinion to the Churches iudgment was the first who susteyned due punishment therefore beeing on the Natiuity of saint Iohn the Baptist next following most cruelly murdered by his owne CittizeÌ„s throwne naked out as a prey for Wolues and dogges and his body after diuers abuses offered it in the end stinking aÌ„d scarce to bee knowne by stealth and with great difficulty buryed His next lawfull successor was Conrade the Emperours kinsman who leauing the Emperours scysmaticall faction followed Pope Alexander and for his iust cause endured persecution as alsoe whole Conuentes of the Cistercians who were banished for defence of Alexander But among others was Peeter Archbishop of Tarantasia most to bee admyred who not withstanding hee laboured aboue all others in mayntaining Alexander against Octauian was honored by the Emperour for his singular vertues Thus hee and some others in this ruine of Bishoppes were tryed faythfull in the Churches cause The Archbishop of TaraÌ„tasia most coÌ„stant to AlexaÌ„der yet honored by Frederick for his sanctity OctauiaÌ„ on the other side as it is sayd soe basely beehauing himselfe as hee submitted the Papal insignes to the Emperours will and receaued backe from Fredericke his inuesture by the ryng OctauiaÌ„ receaueth his inuestur froÌ„ Fredericke The king of EnglaÌ„d coÌ„stant to AlexaÌ„der coÌ„teÌ„neth Octauianes Nuntios The Archbishop of SenoÌ„ faythfull to Alexander and a great freind of saint Thomas The Cardinall of Pauy fainting in Alexanders cause proued soe to S. Thomas An. 1162. S. Edward King of EnglaÌ„d aÌ„d CoÌ„fessor canonized WhereupoÌ„ miracles were wrought Miracles wrought by the Archbishop of TaraÌ„tasia prouing the lawfull election of Alexander The Archbishop of Tarantasia confirmeth the Catholikes in obedience to the Pope in Italy Burgundy Loraygne S Anthelâ—â— Bishop of BilliceÌ„s setâ—eth the Carthusians aÌ„d Cistercians in subiectioÌ„ to Alexander winning thereby the western Church Frederick rageth Spayne Gaule and Brytaygne acknowledg Alexander Alexander not able to continue in Rome beeing oppressed by Octauian Alexander enforced to flye into France This appeareth in Alexanders Epistle to the Bishop of Lexouy wherin hee seemeth very much to relye vpon the king of Englandes constancy extolling him with extraordinary prayses For king Henry soe much contemned Octauian as hee made a scorne of his Nuntios and letters Lastly there were two thinges contrary to themselues yet concurring in this yeere which hauing relation to the history of S. Thomas are not to bee passed ouer in silence The one that the Archbishop of Senon beeing now most faythfull to Pope Alexander proued afterwardes as faythfull to saint Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury the other that William of Pauy Priest Cardinall of sainct Peeter ad vinculum faynting with silence at the Conuenticle of Pauy in the cause of Alexander was afterwardes as faulty in the cause of sainct Thomas King Henry the second of England acknowledging Alexander the lawfull Pope sent this yeere Embassadours to him for canonizing sainct Edward King of England and Confessor beeing 95. yeers after his death whereupon miracles beeing wrought God did with the power of these two Kinges the one in Heauen the other in earth confirme Alexanders vndoubted tytle and our remote Iland one of the vttermost boundes of the world confessed whom some of his Countreymen yea Cittizens wickedly contradicted Now also
world allmost France only excepted was assayled and oppressed with aduersityes scarse tollerable and many other wordes they vsed of the mighty power of our prince his loue and reuerence to the Church of Rome his fauor grace and benefitts bestowed on vs aggrauating withall excellency the accusations of iniurys done by vs and ours wherewith hee complayned that he was wonderfully wronged affirming wee procured both the king of France and Earle of Flanders to make warrs against him then they perswaded vs to endeauor with great humility and ample showe of deuotion and moderation to appease his indignation if soe extreme a fierce nature may by any meanes bee reclaymed and so rough and vnbridled a disposition broken yea they asked counsell of vs who in tymes past weere accustomed to knowe him more inwardly how they might soften the hardnes of his harte for hee shewed himselfe more distastefull to them after hee perceaued how they could not according to the promises made by Iohn of Oxeforde contrary to God and all lawes pronounce against vs at his pleasure the sentence of condemnation but what hee sayde in the hearing of his Bishoppes shall by Gods assistance bee deliuered you more commodiously by word of mouth then by wryting And for vs wee yeelde thankes to your Holines that you are soe carefully of the Churches peace and ours which ours if the Churches peace and yours Wee auoyded the suspitions by which the king labored to taxe vs with true and probable reasons and the king of France himselfe the next day followinge did as farre as concerned him in the presence of the Cardinalles cleere our innocency with his oathe being as the searcher and iudge of hartes knoweth guiltles of this faulte neither are wee so dull and slowe to beeleiue the lawe prophetts and Gospell that in a point of this great importāce laying asyde our spirituall weapons and the sheildes of Apostolike discipline wee should suppose armes of the flesh to be vsed especially by preistes for we knowe we are not to trust in princes and accursed is hee who maketh flesh his arme Ierem. 17◠and to the end they might not falsly deuise any such thing against vs wee long abstayned from hauing conference with the king vntill at the last vpon his cōmandement wee came that wee might present to him the letters of our excuse and obtayne a free passage and safe conducte for my lord Oddo the Legate who sent to vs for that purpose his Chaplayne Papia for hee had procured the like from the king of England the king of France also as then vnripped vnto vs an old iniury as hee sayde offered him by them at such tyme as hee accepted you as his father and lord and lastly hee tooke worst of all the vainglorious boasting of Iohn of Oxeforde with those of his faction After his hauing gratiously admitted our excuse and graunting the passe wee desired wee returned to the place of our poore aboade expecting with patience reliefe from our Lord. And beecause our Lordes the Legates required at our handes all humility and showe of modesty wherby so magnificent a prince might bee appeased and pleased wee answered wee would according to their counsell render vnto him as to our Lord and king most willingly and deuoutely all humility seruice and reuerence sauing euer to God and the Apostolike Sea their honor to the Churches her liberty to vs respect of our person and to Churches their possessions and if any thing seemed according to their opinion to bee heerin added lessened or altered wee beesought them to certify vs in regarde it was our desire to obey thē so far as stood with our condition professiō they replying they would not consult hereof nor came to vs then to giue aduice but aske counsell of vs essaying vs they demanded that wee may vse my lord Williams wordes in regarde wee were not better then our forefathers we would in their presence promise our king to obserue all the customes which his ancestors helde in the tyme of our Predecessors and so all controuersyes on both sydes beeing layd asleepe if they could bring this aboute which would not bee done as they thought without difficulty for vs to receaue our Archbishoppricke againe and to recouer his grace and fauor Whereunto wee sayde that none of our predecessors were euer by any king constrayned to make this protestation neither wee God willing would euer professe to obserue the customes which vtterly destroy the liberty of Gods Church pluck vp by the rootes the priuiledge of the Apostolike Sea and are open and absolute oppugners of the lawe of God from the which of your mercy you absolued vs at Senon in the presence of themselues and many others whenas you vsed withall these wordes worthy of your Apostolicall mouth which by Gods grace shall neuer departe out of our mynde that wee ought rather yeelde out neckes to the swoard of the executioner then consent to such wicked customes and for a filthy and base commodity of our temporall estates and greedy purchase of a frayle life to neglect our pastorall office There were read in their presence those reprobate customes some of which wee had allready condemned yea which the whole Catholicke Church had in many Counsells before our age together with the obseruers of them accursed wee asked them if it were then any way lawfull for a preist without perill of his order and danger of his soule to obserue them yea or to wincke at them wee sayd moreouer wee had formerly sworne our fealty vnto the king with reseruation of the honor of our order and that we would euer willingly obserue the same so far forth as wee doe not frustrate our faith due to Allmighty God wherupon one whom as your Holines knoweth wee haue held and euer ought to haue in suspition vrged vs thus that better it was absolutely to yeelde then the Church to bee in this sorte disturbed and to this effect were multiplyed many perswasiue speeches which will better be deliuered by word of mouth then otherwise to whom wee replyed that in this cause wee would neuer yeelde in regard it would proue a pernitious example and turne to the ruine of the Ecclesiasticall liberty yea perhappes to the damage of the Christian faith for who heereafter would then euer dare to open his mouth what is hee who when the Pastors shall thus runne away will rise against them to oppose himselfe as a wall for the house of Israel wee sayde moreouer neither your Holines nor any Apostolicall men instructed euer the Church of God with such examples Did not vpon the flight of the Pastors as it is famousely reported in Historyes all Egipt returne to Idolatry where at the first Religion so exceedingly flourished Then running to an other matter they demanded if wee would abyde the iudgment of the Legates in the controuersy beetweene the king and vs and that if heerin we refused iudgment wee seemed to iustify the kings syde and in the eyes
concerning the vnlawfull customes hath made oathe ioyntly with him Moreouer what was there donne hee resolued to iterate againe as Cane more publickely in a greater assembly of people to the end there might neuer bee question made to the contrary Lastly bee released the Bishoppes of the promise they gaue for obseruing the customes and promised himselfe neuer heereafter to exacte them Thus far the Legates Epistle then proceedeth the Author On the morrowe the aforesayde Cardinalls celebrated there a great Counsell together with the Archbishop The Counsell in Normandy Bishoppes and Clergie of Normandy and there concluded and ioyned all firmly and inuiolably to obserue these decrees following The Decrees published at Abryncke by Theodine and Albert Cardinalles FIrst that no children shall bee admitted to the gouerment of those Churches and the administration of them whereunto appertaineth the Cure of soules Item the children of Preistes shall not bee placed in their fathers Churches Item Laie men shall haue no parte of the oblations of the Church Item Churches shall not bee committed to annuall Vicars Item Preistes of great Churches who haue liuinges sufficient therfore shall bee enforced to maintaine vnder them each one another preist Item no Preistes shall bee ordayned without a certaine title Item let no Church bee farmed at on annuall rent Item let nothing of the third parte of the tythes bee taken from him who serueth the Church Item let such as haue Tythes by inheritance bee lycenced to giue them at theyr pleasures to any beeing meete and able Clearkes vpon condiciō that after thē the Thythes ruturne to the Churches to which by law they beelong Let not any man enter into Religion whilst his wife remaineth in the world nor on the contrary syde vnles they both exceede the age of abilitie for vse of mariage Item in the Aduent of our Lord let all who can but especially Clearkes and souldiers fast and bee commanded to abstaine from flesh Item let not Clearkes bee appointed iudges especially to administer the iurisdiction of Secular powers and who presume to doe the contrary let them bee excluded from theyr Ecclesiasticall Benefyces Item concerning the new bookes of the Excommunicated and the goodes of the dying which preistes take with the blessinges of the espoused ād Baptisme and xvliii exacted for the Absolution of the Excommunicated nothing was perfected beecause the Bishoppes of Normādy would not receaue the Decree In the same Counsell the Archbishop of Thomas challenged the Archbishoppricke of Dole to beelong of right to his Archbishoppricke affirming no Archbishoppes seate ought to bee there but the Clearckes of Dole did constantly contradict it Hetherto concerninge matters handled there by the Legates who beefore they departed receaued these letters from Pope Alexander for reconciliation of the Church of Canterbury beeing polluted with soe enormyous a sacriledge Wee command yee that yee cause the Church of Chanterbury to bee reconciled The reconciliation of the Church of Cāterbury yet in that sorte as the sacrament of the former Dedication bee not againe reiterated but as it hath bin accustomed in the Church of saint Peeter let it only bee sprinckled with holy water Thus Pope Alexander to his Legates And the Legates againe to the Clergie of the Church of Canterbury wrote in these wordes Wee reioyce yea the whole congregation of the iust which heareth therof reioyced that God doth manifest the death of Thomas of holy memory sometimes your Archbishoppe to bee soe pretious in his sight and hath made famous with soe many miracles the venerable memoriall of him as the sweetenes of his oyntmentes hath now dispersed it selfe allmost ouer the whole body of his Church and his vertue is generally renowned from the Easte to the Weste soe as they who whilst hee liued inuyed his prosperous successes now hee beeing disburdened of this world and translated as wee beeleeue his fayth and preistly zeale deseruing the same to the society of the higher powers reuerence his vertue giuing due thankes to him whoe worketh only great miracles Beecause therfore it seemeth conuenient that the glorious miracles which multitudes of people reporte to bee done among yee may resound with thākes-giuings and voyces of prayse in your publicke Church which the diuine grace hath endowed with so bountifull a guyfte It ought no longer vpon occasion of this execrable acte forbeare to glorify the Creator Returning therfore to you mutuall salutations and willingly consenting to your deuoute petition wee command your Brother hoode that assembling together the Bisoppes and Abbotes of your Prouince whom yee shall deeme meete for this purpose yee doe according to the rule of the Ecclesiasticall solemnity accustomed among our Predecessors consecrate againe your Church And if any thing bee wanting in the solemnity it may bee supplyed with the illustrous glory of the diuine miracles As touching vs if there bee ought in our power which wee are able to doe for the good of your selues and your Church what by Gods grace wee may we will most readily performe Thus wrote the Legates of the Apostolike Sea who admonished therof by Pope Alexander made dilligent inquiry of the miracles of the most glorious Martyr Thomas and send a most exact relation of them all to his Holines which beeing throughly vnderstood hee without delay wholly bent himselfe to perfect the Martyrs solemne Canonization This hee wittnesseth in his letters afterwardes indighted and to bee recyted when wee speake of his Canonization So therfor by how many miracles by soe many diuine testimonyes it is knowne and made apparant by wittnesses that not only they who for defence of the Catholike fayth suffer death Euery Bishop may haue occasion of Martyrdome but such also as for conseruation of the lawes rightes and possessions of the Church offer themselues to the slaughter doe a worke most acceptable in the sight of God and deseruing crownes which occasion of induring Martyrdome is not to bee sought a far of from Infidells but is allwayes ready at hand to euery Bishop if hee laboreth in all respectes to performe the duty of his charge Now the Legates returning backe brought to the Citty the holy reliques of the late Martyr beeing the Braines of his head that were dispersed on the pauement of the Church and also his coate imbrewed in his blood which are to this day religiously kepte in the Church of saint Mary Maior Famous mē of the family of S. Thomas Thus hauing seene what appertayneth to the glory of the Martyr wee are not to let passe in silence his fellow souldiers who followed him banished in his seauen yeeres exile beeing all famous and renowned men much honored for their glorious confession whose excellent prayses are seuerally sett forth in the booke of the Vatican after Quadrilogus where amōge them is first and principally one by name and nation Lumbard of the country of Placentia an excellent scholler who was created Cardinall of the sacred Roman Church beeing called from exile and