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A00173 The life or the ecclesiasticall historie of S. Thomas Archbishope of Canterbury; Annales ecclesiastici. English. Selections Baronio, Cesare, 1538-1607.; A. B., fl. 1639. 1639 (1639) STC 1019; ESTC S100557 287,552 468

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Archbishoppe was that sainct Thomas would not suffer him to punish a notarious offending Clearke which as shall bee manifested was not the only but one among other most iust occasions that moued saint Thomas to reproue the king whereupon grew this bitter dissention Yet Newborough would haue thus excused the king But let vs now follow the Archbishop returning home to his owne Church from the counsell of Towers that wee may search out the originall of this great controuersy which for seauen yeeres troubling the Romane Church found none effect for vniting this rented discord beetweene the king and him The Translation of S. Edward King of Englād and Cōfessour After the Archbishops returne vntill the translation of sainct Edward the king which was solemnized on the third of the Ides of October there remayned quiet peace and contentment beetweene the king and him but what afterwardes ensued these Authors beeing eye-witnesses of the proceedinges doe testify CONSIDERATIONS VPON the Preface LEt vs now heere behould the Christian world as at this tyme it presented it selfe Where first wee see the Pope Cardinals banished out of Rome Italy and all the mighty Emperour of Rome posessing all theyr dominiōs Ecclesiasticall temporall and mayntaineing Octauian that vsurping Scysmatick in the Papal throne The Emperour of Constantinople not intermedling with the Westerne Church and also lately ouerthrowne by the Ceciliās The king of Ierusalem though acknowledging Alexander his lawfull Pastor yet raigning a far of hardly able to defend the frontyers of Christendome against the Saracens The good king of Denmarke though lately showing himselfe an approued Catholike yet Frederickes Homager and diuorced by all Germany from assisting Pope Alexander Bohemia drowned in Germany and Hungary à remote kingdome and though subiect to the Romane Sea yet not able to succour her The king of Cecill though Alexanders faythfull freind yet soe incumbred with domesticall rebellions as hee could not rayse an army to restore him The kingdomes of Spaine though they wished him well yet soe ouercome with the Mahomet a Moores as they re states were miserable So hee was only left by God to the pious worthie king of France the powerfull king of England and in myne opinion the greatest king of the Norman race that euer swayd ouer this land for as Gilbert B. of London writing in the names of all the English Bishops to saint Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury sayth his dominions reached from the Perinean Mountaines to the Northerne seas and if Edward the III. Henry the V. and Edward the IV. hauing England Ireland Callis rather a tumultuous tytle then any peaceable countreyes or profitable reuenues in France were able to tryumph ouer France then how much was Henry the II. who beesides England Ireland had the Dutchyes of Normandy Aquitaine with the Earledome of Anioue his natiue soyle other honores in quiet possession to omitt Britaine that had a great dependance on him able to ouermatch the puissance of France To passe from this to his great reuerence affection to Pope Alexander I know no king that euer showed more and last to ascend to his actions the effectes of these Henry the II. drewe England France Spaine Ireland Norwaye to obey Pope Alexander and when the Emperour would haue surprysed at Mount Saon the king of France and thereby entralled the Pope Cardinalles spoyled them of all this renowned K. with his couragious army rescued them Now what a terrible attempt was it of the enemy of Mankind to withdrawe if hee could from the Pope such a king from the Church such a child But though the billowes of these seas were wonderfull yet God was more maruaylous in guiding sainct Peeters ship through them Considering all these euery indifferent man may in reading this Epistolary history iudge how great reason the Pope had as far as in conscience hee possibly could to forbeare this king soe well deseruing of the Apostolike Sea And also when inforced through iustice thereunto hee would haue executed against him the censures of the Church what a true heroicall vertuous acte it was to prefer the loue duty hee bore to Almighty God before the fauor of soe great such a deseruing freind And what aboue all others is most to bee marked in the proces of this matter although all the Bishops of this realme fearefully fowly wandred astray yea although saint Thomas of Canterbury himselfe like an other saint Peeter falling recouered againe rose to a glorious Martyrdome yet Pope Alexander whom it cheifely concerned neuer erred eyther infayth or infacte God so directed with his holy Ghost the gouernor of his Church Lastly to conclude with this famous kinge whose faire arysing sunne was soe ouerclowded with his turbulent passions as they molested the whole Church and gaue occasion though vnwitting to him of the Martyrdome of the glorious Saint hee returned neuertheles in the end soe clearly againe to himselfe as hee gaue that great satisfaction indured yea imposed vpon himselfe soe sharpe a pennance as was able to make his very enemys relent and a stony hearte with teares to pitty him Neither doe I thinke but the prayers merites of S. Thomas that conuerting his bloudy executioners to cōtrite penitētes through Christes passion saued their soules did in like sorte yea more effectually helpe to raise to the same eternall blessednes this king after hee departed this world in the Octaues of S. Peeter S. Paul An. 1189. beeing first penitēt cōfessing his sinnes receauing the most B. Sacrament This being deliuered by Card. Bar. out of Roger I haue precisely set downe because it is Cronicled that the king dyed out of charity beeing I thinke as false as that Pope Adrian according to the Scysmatickes fable was choaked with a flye or K. Iohn poysoned by a Monke THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORIE OF SAINCT THOMAS ARCHBISSOPPE OF CANTERBVRY THE olde enemie maketh continuall warre against the Church but the sonne of God who hath redeemed it with his owne blood will also by the blood of his owne membres bring the same to true and perfect liberty among which the glorious company of the Apostles and purple coulored army of holy martyrs hath the preheminence by whose doctrine the liuely stones in the building of the body of Christ are confirmed by whose blood as it were with morter and symonde they are ioyned together and vnited that the Church of God goeing forward and multiplying in piety the number of the faithfull might bee made fit for the building of an holy Temple in our Lord. And allbeit all Martirs in generall haue a supereminent prerogatiue of eternall glory The glory of martyrdome yet their title is more glorious and their Crowne more bright that haue deserued double honor by instructing of others making themselues an example to their flocke and laying downe their liues for their sheepe in the time of tryall for like as one starre exceedeth an other in
wee see nothing but shipwracke tbreatening instantly to deuoure vs nor any aduise lefte but that with our vttermost ability awakeing Christ Matth. 5. as it were sleeping in the ship wee crye out Lord saue us wee perish And heerin truly iniquity hath got a more fit occasion to vent her malice because hee seeth the state of the Roman Church as now more weakened whereby appeareth that whatsoeuer it bee good or ill sweete or sower which floweth downe on the head the same descending by the beard leaueth not the lowest hemme of the garment vntouched Iesus Christ is despoyled of that which by his blood hee purchased The secular power hath layd hands on his very patrimony Soe as neither the decrees of the holy fathers nor the constitutions of the Cannons whose very name among vs is growne odious are as now of force to patronise the Clergie whoe in tymes past haue bin by speciall priuiledge ex●mpted from this secular iurisdiction and because it is long and tedious to rechearse or prosecute in writting the iniuryes wee endure wee send to your Fatherhood Master Henry a man both to your Holynes and vs faithfull and familiar to wh●se relation wee haue commended all things in such sorte to bee declared particularly vnto you as hee hath s ene and heard them and if it pleaseth you credit him as much as you would our s lfe Know you neuerthelesse that if it might bee wee would far rather visit you in pe●son then by an other wee speake confidently to you as to our father and lord and what wee say wee humbly beeseech may bee concealed in all silence Nothing remayneth safe to vs since allmost all thinges are disclosed to the King which are spoken in our priuate chamber or whispered in our eare Woe bee to vs whoe are r●s●rued to these times in whose dayes these mischeifes are beefallen whoe in our former estate haue enioyed s●e great a liberty which now is recompenced with a hard and most vile slauery Wee would at the least haue fledd that wee might not see the patrimony of the crucifyed giuen ouer to spoyle but whither we knowe not vnlesse vnto him who is our refuge and vertue Concerning the Welshmen and Owen who calleth himselfe a prince wee beeseech your Lordship to bee prouident beecause our lord the King is heerewith wonderfully disturbed and moued to indignation And soe deere father and lord wee wish you all felicity To the same purpose and by the same Messinger Lib. 1. ep●st 19. 20. 21. 82. did hee writte to Humbald Cardinal and Bishop of Ostia hee sent alsoe letters to Bernard Bishop and Cardinall of Portua and likewise to Albert Preist and Cardinall with an other to Hyacinthe Deacon Cardinall all which are reserued intire in the same booke Alexander afterwards somewhat foreseeing these combates to come prepareth himselfe for resistance admonishing as well the Archbishop as all other Bishops of England not to yeeld a whit to the king against the Ecclesiasticall liberty and not to obserue whatsoeuer they had promised theyr prince in derogation of that immunity which was signifyed in writing to Thomas and all the Bishops of England with these words Lib. 1 epist 91. Wee would haue yee knowe that yee haue vndertaken the burden of your pastorall authority to the end yee should gouerne the Churches committed vnto your charge to the honour of God and the profit and saluation of your flockes in such sorte as the Francises of the same Churches should not by your defaultes in any wise bee impaired but conserued still in their estates by your studyes and endeauours whereupon wee will and command your brotherhoode by our Apostolicall letters and enioyne you in the vertue of obedience that if the renowned King of Englād shall at any time require of yee any thing contrary to the Ecclesiasticall liberty yee presume not in any case heerein to satisfy his minde nor yet beecome in any sorte bound vnto him especially against the Church of Rome neither yet bee yee soe bould as to bring in the f●rme of any new deuised promise or oath but only to obserue that which Bishops haue bin accustomed to sweare vnto their Kinges And if yee knowe that in any thing of this nature yee haue tyed your selues vnto your King obserue not by any meanes this your promise but bee rather carefull to recall it and endeauour to bee reconciled to God his Church for the lapse of this vnlawfull promise Thus wrote Alexand●r the most vigilant keeper of the sacred Cannons admitting nothing that was vsurped against them in fauour of the king allthough otherwise hee were very much beehoulding to the same prince for late receiued benefittes The rest followeth the next yeere Heere followeth the yeere 1164. and the 12. indiction A yeere to the Catholike Church in regard of many aduersities shee susteyned therein replenished with greifes and troubles And first concerning the state of English affaires more dangerous floods were daily there raised tending not only to ouerthrowe the Primate of Canterbury together with the whole Church of England but also to drowne if it had bin possible the holy Catholike Church it seife together with her high Bishoppe Alexander For Henry king of England prosecuting S. Thomas with an obstinate mind turned all his endeauours against the same Pope Alexander to remoue him from his sea But how all these deadly attemptes were managed receiue heere the relation After this turbulent encounter betweene the Bishops and the king and the departure caused by the kinges inraged fury for eschewing the imminent mischeifes whose forces daylie encreased and auoyding farr greater ruines which threatned the ouerthrow of the Catholicke Church S. Thomas is beesieged with the often and sundrie perswasions of many Bishops and Abbotts that hee should not in regard of one only word vnseasonably and vnreasonably cast himselfe together with the whole Church into soe open and apparant danger one Abbot among the rest affirming this to bee the opinion of Pope Alexander himselfe Thomas at lenght perswaded these by reasons sayeth Hubertin Quadrilogus charity enforceing him thereunto came to the King at oxford and promised hee would alter the word which the King tooke so offensiuely Whereupon the King his anger beeing now somewhat asswaged shewed the Archbishop a more pleasing countenance though inferiour to his wonted fashion the King moreouer sayd hee would haue according to this forme an instrumēt or obligation made for the obseruation of the royal customes in the publicke sight and hearing of the bishops and nobility of the kingdome But when Thomas was aduertised of the gathering together of a general assembly foreseing the ensuing mischeifes hee beegan to recall his consent yet againe hee is assaulted by the intreaty of many whereby hee is enforced for that instant to yeelde Galat 2. by the example of Peeter conforming himselfe to the Iewes with the Iewes at Antioch and of Paule often exercising the same A congregation of Bishoppes is appointed
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 cōcerning the Kinges dedemandes Although in regard of the wis●dome of your minde and sincerity of your faith wee would euer loue your pers●● with a more plentifull sweetnes of ch●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 w●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 wit● 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 w●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 3● 40. Pope Alexanders letters importing this restraint are extant which for breuity wee omitt thinking it sufficiēt 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
endeauour for her deliuery Vnlesse perchance you will imagin hee leaueth the shipp who entreth the Cock-boate to drawe her into the hauen This and much more in the beehalfe of saint Thomas wryteth his defendant Iohn of Salisbury But heare what the King of England did Cod Vatis lib 1 epistola 23. vpon the reporte of his departure Henry thus deluded hearing by some that saint Thomas was escaped by flight published his Edictes in this sorte against him and the Clearkes his followers Henry King of England to the seuerall Bishoppes ordayned in England Yee are not Ignorant in what euill sorte Thomas Archbisoppe of Canterbury hath proceeded against mee and my kindome and in what bad manner hee is departed And therefore I cōmand yee none of his Clearkes who after that his flight accompanyd him not any other Clearkes who derogated from the honor of mee and the honor of my kingdome receaue any renttes beelonging to them in your Bishoppickes otherwise then by my permission nor haue any assistance or aduice from yee Hee set out also an other proclamation for sequestring the reuenewes of the Archbishoppricke of Canterbury into the kinges handes Likewise hee published other decrees signifyed to S. Thomas from his friend by wryting in these wordes Please i● you to vnderstand Ibid epist 15 ibid. ep 14. Lawes on asted after the flight of S. Thamas that this is the tenor of the commissions sent by King Henry into England to wit That euery hauen bee most carefully guarded least any letters of interdiction bee any way brought into the land and if any Reguler person bringeth them in let his feete bee cut of if hee bee a Clearke let him lose his eyes and priuy members if a laye man let him bee hanged If a Leper let him be burned and if any Bishop for dread of this interdictiō will trauell out of the realme let him cary nothing with him beesides his staffe It is also his will that all schollers bee compelled to returne into their countrey or else to bee depriued of their Benefices and they that stay shall remayne without euer hope of returne likewise for those Priests who refuse to sing let them lose their priuy partes And let all who rebell bee depriued of their Benefices Thomas in the meane while hauing suffered this banishment sent these letters to Pope Alexander which Roger in his Chronickes of England recyteth the yeere following yet truly appertayning to this present S Thomas concerning hi● appeal to the Pope written with these wordes I flye for refuge most holy father vnto your audience that you who with soe greate a hazard of your selfe haue rescued the Churches liberty may now consider the only or cheifest cause of the persecution of my selfe who haue followed your example For I greeued to see the state of the Church by litle and litle to perish and her lawes infringed by the Auarice of Princes and thought this danger of sicknes was to bee preuented and by how much I knewe my selfe more bound to that lord of myne vnto whom next vnder God I am most ingaged soe much the more securely I supposed his vniust attemptes were to bee resisted vntill they preuayled who clowded from mee the cleere beames of his fauor Afterwardes as it is accustomed with Princes they raysed against mee slanders and false accusations whereby they might prosecute mee and I rather chose banishment then to yeelde to iniustice and to multiplye these mischeifes I was as a laye man called beefore the King to mak● satisfaction and where I hoped in my resistance for most assistance there was I especially deceaued for I found my lordes and fellowe brethren the Bishoppes prepared at the pleasure of the Courtiers to punish mee Thus allmost strangled with the inuasions of soe many I haue fled for succour to the audience of your Holines who neglecteth not those who are plunged in extremityes and vnder whom I stand ready to make good that I am nether to bee iudged there nor by them for what is this else father then to diminish and withdrawe from you the authority of your lawes yea what else then to submit spirituall Power to temporal iurisdiction this once suffered would open an example to many and therefore I iudged Christ fauoreth Caesar not a tia tirant it was with more constancy to bee withstood because the headlong way to doe hurte is to see but a weake resistance But they will say Those thinges are to bee giuen to Caesar which are Caesars yet allthough in many matters the king is to bee obeyed hee is neuerthelesse not to bee obeyed in those by which hee ceaseth to bee a king for such appertayne not to Caesar but to a Tyrant wherein the Bishoppes if not for my sake yet for their owne should haue resisted him For if the last iudgment is reserued for him who hath power to iudge both body and soule shall the highest Tribunal among men bee attributed to him who iudgeth according to his owne sense if these Bishoppes mayntaine the parte of iustice why did they assault mee why doe they reproue mee for appealing vnto him to auoyde whose determination of controuersyes is either vnlawfull or not expedient wherefore they haue vniustly accused mee or distrusted of your iustice for otherwise it were a double confusion to mee to bee conuicted before your Holines And haue I deserued persecution at their handes for whose cause I defended the bullwarke against soe greate a battery and had won the victory if only they would haue assisted but in all case is the head beeing left destitute by the members for how would it bee if the eyes should vse the tongue against th● head if they had well foreseene it they deuis●d but mischeefe to their owne confusion and our principall aduersaryes abused their assistance to bring them into slauery Because they haue accomplished all this How many wayes the Bishoppes of England offended against S. Thomas vpon soe greate a malice that to vndoe mee they would withall ouerthrowe themselues they haue herein neglected spirituall treasures for temporall trifles and fayled in the end of both Againe what an offence was it that when I cryed out against this iniustice and appealed to your audience they durst in iudgment comdemne mee their father what if they conspire with the Prince our aduersary against the whole Catholicke Church and truly most holy father you might haue bin suspitious thereof Yet wille they say they were bounde to their king as their temporal lord but to him in their bodyes to mee in their soules and to whom could they bee more obliged then to themselues Is it not better to lose corporall then spiritual riches But they will againe reply the king was not in this perilous tyme to bee prouoked O how subtilly doe they argue for their owne slauery yea they prouoke him who by their excesses giue winges to his will and pleasure For they might haue bin quiet had they not to quietly
assented And when is constancy more required then in the midst of our persecutors Are not Christes frindes tryed with persecutions If continually they yeelde when shall they ouercome Of necessity sometimes they must resist Condescend therefore most holy father to succour mee in my flight and persecution and remember that once I was in your age an eminent man but now for your sake wearyed out with iniuryes Put your power in execution restrayne them at whose instance the cause of this persecution came slilie creeping in Neither let the fault of any of these bee layde on my lord the King who is rather a practiser then inuentor of this wicked deuice Hetherto Roger but Pope Alexander heareing heereof declared first that S. Thomas was no waye bounde by his condemnation in this Conuenticle writing thus Cod Vatican lib. 1. epist 49. Pope Alexander to Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury That the inferior cannot iudge his superior and him especially to whom in the right of Prelacy hee is knowne to bee subordinate and helde bound in the chaynes of obedience as welle diuine as humane lawes doe showe and this especially in the decrees of the holy fathers is more manifestly declared Wherefore with carefull consideration weyghing this wee to whom it beelongeth to reforme errours and amend that which for want of correction may leaue a pernicious example to posterity and moreouer beecause the Church ought not by reason of the offence of any particular person to sustayne any losse or discommoditie doe adiudge the sentence to bee absolutely voyde and declare by the Apostolical authority the same to bee of no force which by the Bishops and Barons of England in reguard you appeared not vpon the Kinges first summons was presumptiously pronounced against you whereby the sayd Bishops and Barons depriued you of all your moueable goods as well against the forme of law as contrary to the Ecclesiasticall custome and that especially since you had noe moueables but only of the Churches goods Alsoe wee determine the sayd sentence to bee hereafter of no power nor any ability to preiudice or indammage you your successors or the Church committed to your gouermēt Thus wrote Pope Alexander whoe likewise by other letters commanded restitution to bee made of all thinges taken away from the Archbisgop or any others Ibid. epist 32. vpon any occasion concerning him But that the state of the Church of England may appeare more playnly I would haue you vnderstand how these letters which by the kinges Embassadors where returned backe to his Holines agayne were first imparted to the Archbishop of Yorke vnto whom at the kinges request was decreed the Legantine authority for England but in reguard Pope Alexander had in his later letters as wee see confined him that hee should not by reason of his iurisdiction challenge any power to himselfe either ouer the person of Saint Thomas or the Archbishoppricke of Canterbury the king as frustrate of his intention who was only bent by prerogatiue of this Legate to depose S. Thomas commanded the letters of legation now vnprofitable for his purpose to bee remaunded backe to the Pope by his Embassadors designed thereunto Concerning this there are other letters extant declaring soe much in these wordes To his most beeloued lord his assured sendeth greeting and euer wisheth him well to fare THrough the mercy of Almighty God who neuer forsaketh those Lib. 1. epist 6. who repose theire trust in him it soe fell out as the same day wherein my lord the Pope was certifyd of Octauians death the Imbassadors of the kinges L and H to witt Lewes and Henry came to the Court the English truly pretending on their kinges beehalfe a shewe of exceeding humility both in open wordes and letters consonant to their speech seemed soe far to moue my lord the Pope and some of his Cardinalls that as by reporte of those who fauoured you I vnderstood they hardly could abstayne from teares wherefore after many allegations in what sorte and with what affection the kinges Maiestie receaued Pope Alexander and how great reuerence hee euer shewed to him the which hee would continew during his life these flourishes finished they returned vnto his Holines many letters concerning the legantine power which your Archdeacon obtayned dishonestly for England during the tyme I remayned with you but the condition wheruppon hee procured the same letters my lord the King by the mouth of his Embassadors absolutely renounced as neuer made or desired by him The Popes Holines soe willingly and gladly receaued the same letters back againe as if a thing most wished were now offered him in such manner as some there present maruelled very much You perceaue reader in all thinges hitherto hādled before Bope Alexander in the case of S. Thomas how hee fauored euer his side Lib. 1. epist 24. and was from the first in the passage of this busines inclined to asist him in regard wherof let Iohn of Salisbury reprou himselfe who in the beeginninge of these tumultes wryting to S. Thomas beecōmeth soe bad a prophet of Pope Alexāders proceedinges saying many thinges make against you fewe for you for mightie persons will come who are bountifull in the largesse of money which Rome neuer despised and will bee supported not only with their owne but alsoe my Lord the kinges authority whom the courte ought in no case to displease c. You may see therefore how vntruly and rashly hee censured of Pope Alexanders constancy supposing hee might bee conquered with gould who was stronger then steele Another imbassage also ensued The imbassage of the Bishoppe● of England ●hainst Saint Thomas addressed from the keng to Pope Alexāder by the Archbishops ād Bishops of Englād who were all admitted to publicke audiēce wherein the Cōsistory first of thē all the Bishop of Lōdon houlding the first place did first beegin thus to speake Vnto you Father appertayneth the care and watchfull eye ouer the Catholicke Church that both the discreete may by your wisedom bee fostred vp to the exāple of manners ād the vnaduised by the Apostolical authority suppressed and chasticed to reduce them to wisedom But in the depth of your discretion the man cannot bee conceaued to bee wise who presuming in the strength of his owne witt endeauoreth to disturbe the band of vnion among his brethen the tranquillity of the Church and the deuotion of the king A dissention hath lately sprung in England beetweene the kingdome and the Preisthood vpon an occasion but light and of litle importance which might haue bin easily extinguished had a moderate medicine bin thereunto applyed but my lord of Canterbury being herein singular in his owne conceyte and not guided by our counsel insisted seuerely beeyond reason neuer considering this ill affected time or what manner of mischeife may ensue vpon such a headlong entreprise and soe weaued intangling snares for the dest●uction of himselfe and his brethren and had but our assent fauored his designes the
of an Idoll nor yet will there fayle some who possessing our seates and vsurping our chaires will with all the deuotion of their myndes obey him Many there are who doe now foretaste this wishing that scandalls would once arise and playne ways bee peruerted to crooked pathes Wherfore father wee doe not lament or bee wayle our owne misfortunes but vnles you preuent these mischeifes wee doe forseeing dread a foule subuersion to threaten and hang ouer the Church of God neither sooner would wee wish a day of this loathed life to perish then that wherin wee were borne to see such manner of spectacles Allmighty God deare father in Christ preserue you long in health and prosperity And thus wrote the Bishop of London to Pope Alexander But Pope Alexander who sought by the Bishop of Londons meanes the kinges recouery desired much more by his owne pastor sainct Thomas to perfect the same who neuer fayled of his office and as at all tymes hee admonished him by his letters soe now more amply in wryting hee thought good to perswade his king in manner following To his beeloued Lord Henry by the grace of God King of England Duke of Normādy and Aquitayne and Earle of Anioue Lib. 1. Epist 65. Thomas by the same grace the humble seruant of the Church of Canterbury sometimes temporally his but now much more wisheth him in our Lord all true repentance with amendment Expecting wee haue expected that our Lord would looke vpon you The Epistell of sainct Thomas to King Henry and that beeing conuerted you would doe pennance departing from your peruerse wayes and that you would cut off from you the wicked by whose suggestestion and counsell as it is tought you are now fallen downe allmost into the depth But God forbid it should bee into that depth whereof it is sayde Prouerb 18. The sinner when hee commeth into the depth will contemne And allthough wee haue hetherto forborne in vayne considering in silence and with all affection expectin if any messinger would come and reporting say your sonne king and Lord beeing now long inueagled with deceiptes and drawne on to the Churches destruction by the inspiration of the heauenly clemency in the abundance of exceeding humility hasteneth himselfe for the Churches deliuery with making all satisfaction and amendes Allthough there is yet no such thing wee not withstanding will neuer cease with humble and daily deuotion to beeseech Allmighty God that what wee haue long and earnestly wished both of you and for you wee may with a speedy and fruitefull effect obtayne And beehould thereupon it cōmeth to passe that the care of the Church of Canterbury ouer whō our Lord hath at this present placed our preistood though vnworthie while you doe there rule the temporall estate doth not soe neerely touch vs in regard of our continued discommodious exile as otherwise moue vs to direct to your Maiestie letters of admonition exhortation and correction that wee bee not to great a dissembler of your offences if any there bee which in verie deede are beeing the ground of our no smale greife those yea cheefely those wee say which concerne the Church of God and his Clergie beeing diuers ways committed by you without regarde of person or dignity and that wee appeare not theerin too negligent to the hazard of your soules saluation For hee is doubtlesse guilty of the facte who forbeareth to amend what hee ought to correct It is written Not only they who doe but those who consent are adiuged partakers of the crime And truly they consent who when they may and ought resist not or at the least reproue not the offendor for the error beeing not resisted is allowed and truth beeing not defended is oppressed neither auoydeth hee suspition of secret association who forbeareth to withstand a manifest offence For as most excellent Prince a small Citty cannot lessen the prerogatiue of a potent kingdome soe ought not your royal power to disturbe or alter the bounds of the Churches religious gouerment It is euer consonant to the rules of iustice that iudgment bee ministred to the preistes of God by a preistly councell The iurisdiction of the Preisthood distinguished from the iurisdiction of the kingdome For Bishopps whatsoeuer they are although as men they run astray yet if they fall not from their faith neither can nor ought they to bee censured by the secular power It is the parte of a good and godly Prince to repaire ruinous and decayed Churches to build them anew to honor the preistes of God and supporte them with all reuerence like Constantine that vertuous Emperor of most famous memory who sayd when a cause of the Clergie was brought beefore him yee ought not to hee iudged by any secular authority who are only reserued to the iudgment of Allmighty God And wee reade that the holy Apostles and their successors whose power is warranted by the word of God himselfe doe command That no persecutions nor disturbances bee raised nor yet that any should enuy them who labour in the feild of our Lord nor that the stewardes of the eternall king should bee banished from their Seas For who maketh question but that Preistes are the Masters and fathers of kinges and all faithfull beeleiuers and is it not then a point of miserable madnes for the sonne to endeauour to bring his father into subiection or the scholler his Master and with vniust lawes to reduce him vnder his rule who as hee ought to beelieue hath power to loose and bind him not only in earth but in heauen alsoe If you are a good and Catholike king and soe will remayne as wee beelieue and hope you will let vs say vnder your Maiesties correction you are a chylde and not a Bishop of the Church and ought to learne of Preistes and not to teach them and in matters Ecclesiasticall to follow them not to guyde them You haue the priuiledges of your power which you haue obtayned from God for administring your temporall lawes to the end that beeing not vngratefull to him for his benefitts you should vsurpe nothing contrary to the disposition of his heauenly order but that with a more sober mynde you should vse those things which now rather perchance through the counsell of the malitious then the inclination of your owne mynde you abuse against his ordinance yeelde therefore speedely with all humility and all manner of satisfaction least otherwise the hand of God beeing bent against you shoote his arrowe at you as at a marke for the Allmighty hath bent his bowe to strike you openly with his arrowe if you repent not Bee not ashamed whatsoeuer the malignant suggest in your mynde and the Traytors not only to you but also to God himselfe doe whispering murmer in your eares to humble your selfe vnder the mighty hand of God for it is hee who exalting the humble throweth downe the prowde who in reuenge for iniuryes offered to him and his beereaueth Princes of their
the same place cry out against you and say Aryse ô Lord adiudge thy cause call to mynde the scornes and iniuryes which are all day long offered by the king of England and his to thee and thyne forget not the reproches of thy Church which thou hast founded with thy blood reuenge ô Lord the blood of thy seruantes afflictions which are beeyond number infinite the pryde of these who hate and persecute thee and thyne ascendeth soe high as wee cannot longer indure them My Lord and king whatsoeuer your followers haue committed will all bee required at your hands for hee apparantly hath donne the iniury who hath giuen occasion of doeing the iniury Assuredly vnles you restrayne your handes from disturbing the people the sonne of the Allmighty himselfe will vppon the sighes of the settered vpon the sighes of those who crye out to him come in the rod of his fury beecause the tyme is now at hand to iudge against you iustice in equity and in the seuerity of his spirit for hee knoweth how to take away the spirit of Princes and is terrible among the kinges of the earth wee speake not thus vnto you to cōfound your face or prouoke you to farther indignation and anger as perchance the malitious who swarme about you and lye in wayte day and night for our destruction indeauoring to alienate your mynde from vs will with their wicked and vniust suggestions whispering murmur against vs Giue them ô God according to their workes and according to the naughtines of their inuentions but that wee may make you more cautions and wary in the prouision and care of your soule and cause you to auoyd the danger that is euen now instantly at hand and beecause it is our especiall charge to bee watchfull ouer your soule in regarde the care and gouerment thereof is committed to vs as the king whereof wee must render an accompt in the dreadfull day of iudgment Incline theereunto a willing eare and vse our seruice as it shall please you soe long vs wee offend not Allmighty God nor deale with wicked dissimulation to the ouerthowe of your soule and ours for what will it boote you to gaine the whole world with the danger of your saluation Consider with your selfe what is beecome of the Emperors what of the kinges and other Princes what of the Archbishopps and Bishoppes our ancient predecessours They laboured in their dayes und others haue succeeded in their trauailles what more Soe vanisheth the world and his glory Remember therefore your last and you shall not sinne eternally and moreouer if you haue offended you will then doe pennance God send you deerely beeloued grace well to fare if in true humility and speedy pennance you will bee conuerted to our Lord God Allmighty Soe fare you well againe and euer Thus saint Thomas Hee directed also other letters to the Bishoppes concerning the Hierarchicall order and vnity of the Catholicke Church which beegin in this sorte THOMAS BY THE GRACE OF GOD the humble seruant of the Church of Canterbury to all his reuerend brethren the Bishoppes of the Prouince of Canterbury sendeth greeting IF wee haue à care to liue as wee ought Codi Vat. lib. 1. Epist 97. The Epistel of S. Thomas to the Bishoppes of of England And within a fewe wordes after Now concerning the visible vnity of the Catholicke Church vnder one head In the beeginning of the Primitiue Church as the blessed Apostle teacheth Christ ascending into heauen that hee might fullfill all made truly some Apostles some Prophetts others Euangelistes others Pastors and Masters for the instruction of Saintes for the worke of ministry for the buylding of the body of Christ neither yet were all offices to bee committed to one but euery member was to bee endowed with his proper offices and yet neuertheless in that sorte as the head in whom as in a castle or certaine Capitoll all the senses of vertues are assembled together may prouyde for all and euery particular and all on the other syde may obey the head according to their seuerall conditions The Doctor of the Gentills who gloryeth that hee learned not the Gospell either of man or by man Call 1. but was instructed by Christ went vp to Ierusalem and conferred with the Prince of the Churches concerning matters of fayth least hee should run or had run in vayne And as it appeareth by many examples Gen. 2. all fluddes of the Gospell returne to the sea from whence they had their originall to the end they may flowe againe for the fountaine of Paradise is one but deuided into many riuers that thereby it may on all sydes water the earth Who doubteth the Church of Rome to be the head of all Churches and fountayne of Catholicke doctrine Who is ignorant that the keyes of the kingdome of heauen were deliuered to Peeter Doth not the frame of the whole Church aryse on the fayth and Doctrine of Peeter vntill wee doe all meete beefore Christ in a perfect man in the vnity of fayth and acknowledgment of the sonne of God And afterwardes But whosoeuer hee bee that watereth or planteth God giueth encrease to none but him who hath planted on the fayth of Peeter and humbleth himselfe vnto his doctrine To him truly are referred the iudgmentes of the people which are of greatest importance to bee examined by the Pope of Rome and the Magistrates subordinate to him in the Courtes of the Church that they who are assistantes in partaking the care may excercise the power committed to their charge soe as the preist when hee cannot determine a matter incident to the flocke of his parish may referre the same to his Bishop who submitteth things surmounting his reach also to the Archbishop or Metropolitane from whom whatsoeuer is of greatest importance is reserued vnto the high Bishop of Rome This order hath Peeter taught vs and the same hath the Catholicke Church obserued vnto this day neither by Gods grace shall is euer bee ouerthrowne whatsoeuer iniquity attempteth against it Neuertheless in the kingdome of England which I cannot without exceeding greefe recall to mynd nor without teares declare they presume wonderfully against Peeter The authority of the Apostolicke Sea as much as lyeth in peruerse Potentates is extenuated and indangered whyle they who of necessity are compelled for performing their pennance or procuring the commodity of their soules or otherwise in the duty of visitation to trauell ouer to our Lord the Pope are hindred in their iourney spoyled hardly handled and forbidden to passe the seas either by those who seeke out occasions to committ mischeefes or by others who are compelled to take oathes for restrayning Clearkes and Penitents in this sayd iourney And therefore in regard they lay violent handes on the Clergie they incurre by their owne acte the condemnation of accursing which is the reason that wee vsing the authority of the Church of Rome doe command your brotherhood charging yee by the Apostolicke power in
of our letters they neuer heereafter for that reason repute him Deane Wee haue likewise denounced excommunite and haue excommunicated Richard de Iuecester for his fall into the same damned heresie for communicating with Reynold the Scysmaticke of Colen and for deuising and practising all mischeefes by combining with the Scysmatickes and those Allmaynes to the ouerthrowe of God and his Church and especially the Church of Rome and by contracting couenantes beetweene our Lord the King and them Wee haue in like sorte excommunicated Richard de Lucy and Ioceline de Baliol who haue bin the authors and framers of those wicked deuises and Raynulph de Broc who possessed and with houldeth the goods of the Church of Canterbury which are by right the almes of the poore and hath apprehended our followers as well of the Clergy as Layety and detayneth them prisoners Wee excommunicate moreouer Hugh de Clare and Thomas Fitz-Bernard who haue also seized on the goods and possessions of the Church of Canterbury without our conniuence and as yet with hould the same wee haue lastly inuolued in this sentence of excommunication all such as shall heereafter lay violent handes without our will and consent on the possessions and goodes of the Church of Canterbury Afterwardes hee inserteth the decrees of the Bishoppes of Rome wherein such as these are sayde to bee condemned for excommunicate and wherby the sentence pronounced by him is approued All which beeing rehearsed hee addeth thus And wee inioyne you Brother and Bishop of London in the vertue of obedience that presently you manifest and shew these our letters to all our reuerent brethren and associate Bishoppes of our Prouince Farewell in Christ and instantly pray for vs. Thus wrote hee to London and other Bishoppes of his Prouince Saint Thomas did also certify the Archbishop of Rome of this excommunication soe denounced Beesides hee sent a letter to Pope Alexander of the same subiecte beeseeching him to confirme the sentence which hee had published against them Also to Hyacinth and Henry of Pysa Cardinalles And other letters are extant which were directed to the Bishop of London and the like to the Chapter there And to the same effect did hee write to Robert Bishop of Hereforde concerning this excommunication which Roger recyteth in the Annalls of England the yeere following But the letters to Pope Alexander for excommunicating the king of England are thus indighted To his most deerely beeloued Father Alexander by the grace of God high Bishop Thomas the humble seruant of the Church of Canterbury sendeth his dewe and deuoute obedience Long and ouerlong haue I endured most beloued father expecting the reformation of the king of England nor reaped any fruite at all of my patience but rather exceedingly encreased the losse and vtter ouerthrowe of the authority and liberty of the Church of God while I haue thus vnaduisedly forborne often haue I admonished him by religious and conuenient messingers and many tymes inuited him to make due satisfaction I haue also made knowne to him by letters the coppyes whereof I haue sent to your holines the diuine and seueere iustice and reuenge of God vnlesse hee amended his life But hee neuerthelesse waxed still worser and worser treading more vnder foote and depressing the church of God and continuing his persecution against my selfe and those exiled with mee in such sorte as hee attempteth by threates and terrours to beereaue of their benefittes and cōmodityes the seruantes of the Allmighty who for Gods sake and yours prouyde vs sustentation For hee did wryte to the Abbot of the Cistercians that as hee tendred the Abbeyes of his order which were within his dominions hee should banish vs from all benefitt and society of his sayd order What neede I more wordes The hard and cruell dealinges of the kinge and his officers haue encreased to that heygth by our endurance as by reporte of religious men who if it pleaseth your holines shall affirme the same by oathe shall bee in order deliuered vnto you And I wonder if your holines will giue credit to soe strange a thing soe constantly declared Considering therefore in great streightes and grefe of mynde and weyghing the danger as well of the king as of your holines I publicky condemned those pernitious not customes but subtell deceyptes and wicked deuises by which the Church of England is disturbed and confounded together with the instrument it selfe and the authority of the obligation the ground of their confirmation And did generally excommunicate as well the obseruers as the Exactors together with the Patrons fauorers counsellore and abettors of the same of what estate soeuer they were either of the Clergie or Layety And absolued our Bishops from that oathe whereby they were violently bounde to the obseruation of them And these are the thinges which in that wryting or obligation I haue especially condemned 1. That they shall not appeale to the Apostolicke Sea without the kings licence 2. That it shall not bee lawfull for Bishops to question any man of periury or violating his faith 3. That it shall not bee lawefull for a Bishop to excommunicate any man houlding of the king in cheife or to inderdict his land or the landes of his officers without the kinges licence 4. That Clearkes or Religious men bee drawne to the secular Iudgments 5. That the Layety the king or any others handle causes concerning the Church or tythes 6. That it shall not bee lawfull for an Archbishop or Bishop to departe the lād and come at the calling of our Lord the Pope without the kinges licence With others of this fashion The names of the excommunicated And namely I haue excommunicated Iohn de Oxeforde who communicated with that excommunicated Scysmaticke Reynold of Colen and contrary to the commandment of your holines and vs vsurped the Dearny of the Church of Salisbury and made oath in the Emperors courte for renuing the Scysme Wee haue also denounced for excommunicate Richard de Iuecester beecause hee fell into the same condemned heresy by communicating with that infamous Scismatick of Colen deuysing and contriuing all mischeises with the Scismatick and those Allmaynes to the destruction of the Church of God especially of the Roman Church by meanes of couenantes contracted beetweene the king of England and them Wee haue pronounced likewise the same sentence on Richard de Lucy and Iocelin de Baliol who were fauorers of the kinges tyrany and framers of those hereticall offences with Raynulph de Broc Hugh de sainct Clare and Thomas Fitz-Bernard who vsurped without our licence and consent the possessions and goodes of the Church of Canterbury and lastly wee haue excommunicated all who contrary to our will and assent lay handes on the possessions and goods of the Church of Canterbury Concerning the king himselfe wee haue not as yet personally excommunicated him expecting awhile his amendment whom neuerthelesse wee will not forbeare to excommunicate vnles hee speedely reforme himselfe and receaue discipline for
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 ●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 ād by his commandement as hee affirmed frō 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 sain● by his letters exhorted them soe far were they I sa●● 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 no● 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 excommunicatiō 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
which hee hath granted authority the other to which hee would haue reuerence yeelded hee then who derogateth from the right of the one or the other resisteth Gods ordination Let not then our Soueraigne Lord disdaine to attribute to them vnto whom the highest of all vouchsafeth to attribute calling them often goddes in the holy Scriptures For hee speaketh thus I haue said yee are godes c. And againe I haue appointed thee the God of Pharao Psal 81. Exod. 9. Ibid. 22. And Thou shalt not detract from the Goddes that is to say the Preistes And speaking by Moyses of him who was to sweare hee sayth Bring him to the Goddes Ibidem that is to the Preistes Neither let our king presume to attempt to iudge his iudges For the keyes of the kingdome of heauen are committed not to powers of this earthe but to Preistes And therefore it is written The lippes of the Preist shall haue the custody of knowledge and from his mouth they shall require the lawe 1. Cor. ● beecause hee is the Angel of our Lord. And also Paule sayth Shall wee not iudge Angells how much more men Wee would haue you also suggest into the mynde of our Soueraigne Lord that thing worthie of memory and imitation which wee reade in the Ecclesiasticall history of Constantine the Emperor to whom when there were offered vp in wryting accusations against Bishoppes hee receaued the Schedule of the accusations and calling the accused together hee burned it in their sight saying Yee are Goddes ordayned by the true God goe and determine your causes among your selues in regarde it is vnworthy that wee men should iudge the Goddes O mighty Emperor O discreete Gouernor on the earth not fraudulently vsurping on the authority of others and deseruing in heauen an eternall kingdome Let therefore our Lord the king indeauor to imitate soe greate soe discrete soe happy an Emperor whose memory is with prayses renowned on the earth and likewise accounted eternall and glorious in heauen Otherwise let him feare what our Lord hath threatened in Deutronomy Deut 17. saying What man soeuer shall soe deale in his pride that hee will not heare the preist hee shall dye before the iudge For to this purpose is hee called and to this end the tranquility of his temporall kingdome and that magnificency whereof you put vs in mynde are giuē him from heauen Otherwise the king is not saued by his great power although kingdomes are subiect vnto him and nations doe reuerently obey him And thus far concerning these Now whosoeuer haue ioyned with you in the wryting of these afore recyted letters let them knowe that the same answer wee make you the same wee make to them What remayneth brethren wee admonish intreate and beeseech yee that no scysmes may euer seperate vs but that wee bee in our Lord one harte and one soule and that wee harken to him who sayth In the beehalfe of Iustice contend for thy life and fight for Iustice euen to the very death and God will conquer for thee thyne enemyes Eccles 4. Let vs not forget that seuere iudge beefore whose Tirbunal Throne when wee shall appeare Truth only shall adiudge vs all feare and trust of any earthly power beeing then cleane vanished Soe in our Lord wee bid your brotherhood farewell These were this yeere written the rest shall in the yeeres following appeare in their places But the Bishoppes of England directed letters to Pope Alexander inueighing against this afore recyted Epistle written to them by saint Thomas not that they might any way succor the distressed estate of the Church as neede required but only appeale to his Holines against their Archbishoppe For these are their wordes To their father and Lord the high Bishop Alexander The Epistle of the Bishops of England to the Pope the Bishops of the Prouince of their seuerall Dioceses dispersed in sundry parishes as to their Lord and father remember their bounden seruice of charity and obedience Wee suppose father your excellency is not vnmyndfull how you conuented in your letters lōg since directed by the mediation of our reuerent brethren the Bishoppes of London and Hereforde your deuoute sonne and our most deere and renowned Lord the king of England and how with your fatherly compassion you admonished him for the amendment of some matters which appeared to the eyes of your holines as deseruing reformation in his kingdome who receauing your commandement with due reuerence as it is manifest swelled not in anger The Bishoppes commend their king nor with pryde of mynde contemned to obey you but yeelding thankes for your fatherly chastisement humbled himselfe presently to the Churches examination saying that in euery thing which according to the forme of your Mandat was dilligently expressed to him hee would submit himselfe to the iudgment of the Church of his kingdome and what soeuer they should determine to bee amended hee would reforme by their aduise with à commendable denotion and in a Prince worthie great prayse from this purpose hee flyeth not neither recalleth his mynde from his promise but hee who may sit in thrones who may consider and iudge now moued with the reuerence of diuine feare not as a king but as an obedient sonne is ready to yeelde to iudgment obey the lawfull pronounced sentence and as a Prince bounded with lawes shewe himselfe in all thinges a dutifull childe wherefore it is vnnecessary to enforce with interdictions or threates or the spurres of accursinges the man to satisfaction who subiecteth himselfe allready to the censures of the diuine lawes For his actions withdrawe not themselues from the light nor by any meanes desire to bee shrowded in darknes for this king in faith most Christian in the bandes of wedlocke most honest the conseruer of peace and iustice and one who enlargeth the boundes of the same far and neere incomparably indeauoureth with all his power and thirsteth with a feruent desire that scandalls and sinnes together with their fowle followers may bee taken away and rooted out of his kingdome and that peace and iustice may euer take place and all thinges prosper and flourish vnder him in sweete security and quiet tranquillity The Bishops excuse their king Who finding sometimes the peace of his kingdome not a litle molested with the outragious excesses of some insolent Clearkes with due reuerence to the Clergie referred their offences to the Bishoppes iudges of the Church that one sworde might assist an other and the power spirituall ground and establish in the Clergie the peace which hee ruled and fostred in his people Wherin the zeale of thee party came more to light the Bishops persisting in this setled iudgment that murder or any other like cryme should only bee punished in the Clergie by degradation the king on the other syde beeing of opinion that this punishement did not condignly answer the offence neither was it a sufficient prouision for mayntenance of peace if a Reader or
and intimate this vnto him with more diligence and perswade my Lordes the Cardinalls to remember the iudgment of Allmighty God to which Tribunal the poore of Christ doe with their prayers dayly flye against all the Aduersaryes of the Churches liberty Thus sayeth Salisbury who somewhat too boldly carpeth the estimation of so● noble a Pope whom in his epistles hee often commendeth excuseth defendeth But to the end reader you may vnderstand that it is dangerous to speake euill and rashly to iudge of the high Bishop heare I pray you the true defence of Pope Alexander without which it is vnworthy I should inserte all this in the Chronickles of the Church of Rome For I shall not discharge the parte I vndertake for bringing to light the truth of the history if I shall not vntwyning set it free out of the intangling errors and false assertions with which hee and his actes are wronged while thinges layd vniustly to his charge are accepted as certaine without a dilligent axamination of the truth which I will make appeare out of the epistles of diuers persons whereby these reportes blazed abroade by Iohn of Oxeforde will bee reiected as vntrue Marke therefore reader You haue seene for the space allmost of foure yeeres beeing fully three yeeres and a halfe the Controuersy of the Ecclesiasticall liberty beetweene the king and Saint Thomas and together with him the Church of Rome beeing tossed in delaye daylie declyning to the worse the king or Bishoppes neuer con descending to submitt themselues to the iudgment of the Archbishop of Canterbury from whom as you haue heard the king together with the Bishoppes appealed to the Roman Sea and by their deputyes prosecuted the same Appeale desiring by them that a Legate a Latere might bee sent into England In which petition of theyrs it is first a falshood that as it is affirmed the king requested onely a Legate for England which was the Cardinall of Papia For heare the same Salisbury Our king saith hee requireth that Williā of Papia and another Cardinall bee sent as Legates c. And the Pope fearing least one of them beeing the kings frind there might come any damage thereby to the contrary parte his Holines chose such an one to bee his associate as by his eminent vertue might withstand him if hee would attempt any thing against right and equity whom also hee knew to fauor the Bishop of Poytiers treating of both the Legates in his letter to saint Thomas wryteth to this William of Papia sayth hee as it is reported my Lord Oddo the Deacon Cardinal de Carcere Tulliano is associate and I wish it soe for a fauorable and well disposed starre may by coniunction if it cannot extinguish the malice of an euill affected starre yet at the least temper and extenuate the same Moreouer that his Holines designed the same legates not to decyde the controuersy as it was publickly reported according to Iohn of Salisburyes saying but to compose a peace the letters of the same Pope Alexander yet extant doe playnly witnes But to the end saint Thomas might rest secure of any feare from the sayde William the Legate Alexander aboue all other thinges made him promise not to attempt any matter against the Archbishop of Canterbury I will relate the very wordes of Pope Alexander in his epistle to Saint Thomas and truly sayth hee you may remayne absolutely confident in the Cardinalls neyther ought you any way to doubt of the mentioned William because wee haue streyghtly and precisely inioyned him to employ his whole power to worke your peace and hee made vs soe faithfull a promise thereof that wee haue no doubt of the contrary And more that hee might very much preuayle in procuring the peace the matter beeing throughly considered by reason of his intire familiarity with the king the same Salisbury conceaued in his mynde and expressed in wryting to the Legate in these wordes but in the meane tyme I hope this your familiarity with the king which to many is soe suspicious will bee profitable to the Church necessary to you gaynfull to him and to vs glorious Beesides this Alexander endeauouring to make a peace beetweene the Archbishop and the king commanded not as the kings messinger lying fouly sayd that this should bee accomplished with detriment to the Churches liberty but contrarywise would haue aboue all thinges a speciall prouision for the Ecclesiasticall lawes soe as in this pointe saint Thomas had no cause of doubt that the liberty of the Church should heerein sustaine any damage at all as in the same letters the sayd Bishop deliuered Againe that there was nothing granted by Alexander to the Bishoppes excommunicated by saint Thomas as Oxeford falsly affirmed but that at the houre of death they might bee absolued with a caution confirmed by oath as the letters which his Holines wrote by the same Legates to the Bishops of England doe manifest Neither yet was that true which with excessiue boasting Oxeforde did lying spread abroade among all men Cod. Vat. lib. 2. epist 3. how the king was exempted from the Archbishoppes authority but that his power ouer the king was only suspended while the Legates treated as the peace in like case and space as there is beetweene aduerse armys an abstinence of warre during a parlee And if peace tooke no place that Saint Thomas might then vse his authority against the king Alexander in his letters sent to S. Thomas thus playnly declareth But if perchance which God forbid the king shall determine with a hardened harte to persist in his obstinacy nor yet will as now yeeld any thing to the will of Allmighty God our admonition and his owne honor in his reconciliation to you and yours with the peace of the Church If afterwardes you thinke conuenient to execute the seuerity of a due reuenge vpon the kingdome and the persons of the same subiecte to your iurisdiction bee it either in regard of your Primacy or Legantyne power you shall reuenge the iniuryes offered to your selfe and your Church as you shall thinke fitting with reseruation of grauity and maturity of iudgment becomming your Pontificall dignity And to the pointe that Pope Alexander dealte bountifully with Iohn of Oxeforde the kinges messinger at his comming to Rome beestowing on him the Deanry of Salisbury which beeing extorted from his Bishop hee surrendred vp into te handes of his Holines and that done the wretched and alltogether vnwortthie mā receaued the same from the Pope againe For the Popes excuse heerein Iohn of Poytiers wryteth thus in his letters to saint Thomas Iohn of Oxeforde woon the more grace in the Popes sight in regard hee suggested to his Holines that a peace might bee concluded beetweene you and the king if there were but one to deale faithfully in the busines and promised to doe his owne vttermost endeauor for the performance thereof And addeth hee was absolued from his excommunication by the Pope in respect hee abiured the
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 frō 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 imminēt 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 thē 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 ●●●el if God c●●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 Frāce 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
Poytiers setteth forth in these wordes A man assuredly of greate hope of high fame of eminent authority And a little after There is not in the Clergy of France I sperke it from my harte who excelled him for wisedome and eloquence Moreouer the king of France sent letters importing as much to his Holines And saint Thomas himselfe hath his letters yet extant which hee wrote to Manfred the Cardinall to Bernard Bishop of Portua and to Humbald and Hiacinth Cardinalles Ibid●m epist 52. all tending to that purpose But this concerning the suspencion was graunted by the Pope beefore hee vnderstood the aforesayde deceiptes of Iohn of Oxeforde Ibidem epist 54. Ibid epist 55 which beeing once discouered hee was incensed with such a zeale against this trechery that hee suspended presently the Legates from approaching to the king and with his letters comforted Saint Thomas all which is witnessed in the letters of Iohn of Salisbury to Syluester where first hee wryteth of the most magnificent intertaynement of sainct Thomas by the king of France in these wordes The most Christian king of France receaued my Lord of Canterbury at Senon with royall magnificence in the Church of S. Columb Ibid epist 90 and in all respectes doth soe honor and reuerence him as beeseemeth the Christ or anoynted of our Lord to bee entertayned by a most Christian man yea in the eyes of that most faithfull Prince as himselfe confesseth the dayes seeme few and the expences small in comparison of the great loue which hee beestoweth in the seruice of the Preist of Christ and of this Apostolicall man and therefore this faith which with humility hee practiseth I beeseech God with worthy retribution to rewarde whose bounty it is that liuing in the middest of his enemyes without blood or war hee prospereth in all thinges and which most highly hee esteemeth is beloued and greatly respected by his subiectes 2 Reg. 6. as Obededon the Gethean vpon receauing the Arcke of God found the fruites of a diuine benediction in the fertility of his hand-maydes and flockes together with the multiplying of his whole possession 2. Paral. 34. 35. ibidem 20 and as Olela for receauing the same Arcke being cast out of the Temple of our Lord by Achaz obtayned in the silence of the Bishoppes and Preistes the grace of Prophesy This most Christian king receauing into his realme the Church of Rome in the person of Pope Alexander had by his wife a sonne and by Gods grace heyre of his faith and kingdome a thing which aboue all others he most earnestly desired and now for his charity to the afflicted Church of England hee confidently expecteth an other reward which God of his goodnes giue him My lord the Pope hath of late as well by message as letters recomforted the Archbishoppe of Canterbury and I would to God the world vnderstood with what sleyghtes and deuices the notorious swearer procured that whereof the Aduersaryes of the Church doe soe gloriously vaunte And a littel after These thinges are yet vpon the necessity of obedience concealed from the world but our hope is that all will bee shortly published beecause as wee certainly heare the comming of the Legates which hath by them binne soe gladly expected is now suspended or rather frustrated vpon the discouery of Oxeforde the swearers falshood Thus Salisbury Yet indeede the comming of the Legates to the king of England beeing for a tyme suspended was not suffered to proceede vntill almost the later end of Autumne But Pope Alexander receauing soe many complaintes by the letters of sundry persons for suspending Saint Thomas somewhat moued thereat wryting to the Legates signifyed how hee nothing at all abrogated the authority of Saint Thomas but rather suspended the power of the Legates themselues from intermedling any way as iudges in decyding these controuersyes For the letters hee sent to the Legates à latere Dated 9. Maij are these After your departure came heauy tydinges to our cares how our beeloued sonne Iohn Deane of Salisbury publickly declared that in regarde wee exempted Bishoppes and other Ecclesiasticall and tēporall persons of the kingdome of England from the Iurisdiction and authority of our reuerent brother Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury wee did all this to satisfie the will and pleasure of the king of England and to depose and condemne the Archbishoppe and that wee sent yee purposely to that end It is also insinuated to vs that Iohn Cunim of Oxeforde shewed to Guydo the Antipope of Crema all the letters hee procured of vs whereupon the Archbishop beeing confounded with shame and greife our most dearly beeloued sonne in Christ Lewes the renowned king of France together with his Princes through these reportes are very much troubled and extreamly moued for allthough it was suggested to vs by many and made in a sorte to seeme credible that the aforesayde Iohn did only and so faithfully labor for the honor and aduancement of the Archbishoppe with his Church and for the liberty of the same pretending that at his returne home hee would with his labor and industry procure the deliuery of Ecclesiasticall persons from restraint of imprisonment which they endured vpon the kinges Commitment and last allbeeit the forementioned Iohn signifyed to vs by his letter how the king in the presence of many did publickly say Hee would conserue vntouched to the Clergie of England the selfe same libertyes which they had in the raigne of his Grand-father king Henry yet neuertheles in regarde the fame heereof is soe farre spread as it causeth our good name in those partes to bee consumed with infamy wee admonish and command your wisedomes that yee haue instantly a speciall care to recomforte the sayd Archbishoppe with your letters and clearing his mynd from all sorrowe and suspicion yee endeauor by all meanes to reconcyle him to the king and worke a perfect peace among them and that hereein yee spend all the care and diligence yee possibly can prouyded allwayes that yee preserue pure and vntouched the ancient lawes and libertyes belonging to him and his Church neither doe yee any thing else of importance within the kinges principalityes enter not in any case into his kingdome although himselfe doth neuer soe much entreate yee vnles the Archbishop bee first accorded vnfaynedly with him because it will contract to yee and vs a wonderfull infamy whereby the voyce of the people will rent in peeces your honor with slanderous detractions but for Iohn Cumyn if yee finde the allegations to bee iustified against him censure him with seuerity that hee bee made an example heereafter to terrify others Wee also will that in all your actions and affaires yee beehaue your selues aduisedly grauely and prouidently to the end no cause of reproch bee any way found against yee but that the deuotion of both kingdomes by your trauell and conuersation bee continually encreased as well to vs as the Church wherby yee may gayne to your selues an
eternall prayse and glory Dated at Lateran in the Nones of May. These letters beeing receaued and diuulged in France did breede a singuler ioy in all deuoute myndes as the epistles of diuers doe testify Moreouer it so fell out as the Popes Legates vpon occasions did often mention in excusing themselues to the king of England that theyr authority was by his Holines diminished Yea although the letters of Alexander were not extant it is neuertheles most assured that the Legates haue professed the same in the presence of the kinges both of England and France as it appeareth out of the epistle heereafter to bee recyted But the Legate of Papia allbee it is his authority was very much lessened by the Apostolicall letters did notwithstanding leaue nothing vndone to obtayne for the king of England his hartes desire with the ouerthrowe of the cause of Saint Thomas who in the meane tyme was encouraged with the Popes letters wryting in this sorte Although the calamity of aduersityes and labors seemeth more terribly to threaten and preuayle against you set neuerthelesse beefore your eyes the sundry examples of the holy fathers who like your selfe suffering for the zeale of iustice many distresses and afflictions deserued therby to win with great felicity an euerlasting crowne in the kingdome of heauen Wherfore wee desire and admonish your wisedome that hauing in your sight the saying Blessed are they who suffer persecution for iustice you will not let your mynde be broaken with crosses nor fall from her setled estate with any tribulations but strengthen the same with the vertue of fortitude and constancy Where you knowe assuredly the iustice and liberty of the Church to haue receaued detriment doe not there in any case endeauor to renew a peace with the king of England to the suppression and abridgment of the Churches dignity but on the other syde so far as it may stand with the honor of your degree and liberty of the Church humble your selfe and labor by all meanes to recouer his grace and fauor neither conceaue of him a needelesse feare nor require more security then is conuenient beecause as wee beelieue after hee hath once reconcyled himselfe vnto you he neither will himselfe offend nor suffer any other to offend you and for vs as wee haue often signifyed to you both by message and wryting wee will euer loue you as our dearest with a sinceare charity and procure the conseruation of your honor with the encrease of your liberty and dignity so far as God will permitt vs. This was Alexanders Epistell worthy so renowned a Pope But to the matter let vs now see what ensued heere vpon After long indirect wayes and perplexityes the Legates who were sent from the Citty did hardly at the length in the Kalends of Ianuary and end of Autumne come together to the king of England for managing the busines wherin they were employed But how matters passed beetweene them and the king they re owne reporte to Pope Alexander in the name of the Legates of the Apostolike Sea declareth Ibidem epist 28. which beeing written by one of them William of Papia with a mynde extreamly bent against the Archbishop layeth all the blame on Saint Thomas in so much as wee ought not to make any reckoning thereof vnles hee bee withall admitted to audience who beeing innocent was accused as culpable Yet heare his relation or rather a most bitter accusation of Saint Thomas To our most blessed father and lord Alexander by the grace of God the most high Bishop William and Oddo by the same grace Cardinalles wishing prosperity remember the humble and deuoute seruice of theyr subiection The reporte of Vvilliam the Legate to the Pope with an inuectiue against Saint Thomas Comming to the dominions of the most renowned king of England wee founde the controuersy beetweene him and Canterbury aggrauated in far worser sorte beelieue vs then willingly wee could haue wished for the kinge with the greatest parte of his followers affirmed how the Archbishop with greate vehemency incensed the most worthy king of France against him and in like sorte induced his cosyn the Earle of Flanders who beefore did beare him no malice to fall out with him and rayse the most powerfull warre hee could against him and this hee knewe of certaynty as a thing apparant by euident demonstrations For wheras the Earle departed from the king with shew of freindship the Arbishop comming in his prouince to the very seate of the warre incyted as much as in him lay as well the king of France as the aforesayde Earle to armes when therfore wee first entred into parlee with the king at Cane wee deliuered into his handes as best beeseemed vs the letters frō your Holines which when hee had diligently and considerately read finding in the perusall of them that they somewhat differed and disagreed from others which hee had receaued from your Holines formerly concerning the same matter beegan to bee styrred with greater indignation and that the more because as hee sayde hee was assured how the Archbishop after our departure from your Holines receaued letters whereby hee was absolutely exempted from our iudgment and was no way bound to answer before vs. Hee affirmed moreouer that the informations deliuered to your Holines concerning the ancient customes of England were rather boulstred out with falshoodes then supported by truth which the Bishoppes there present did witnes The king offered alsoe that if any customes since his tyme were deuysed contrary to the Ecelesiasticall lawes hee would submitt them to the iudgment of your Holines to bee confirmed or cancelled The Legates appoint a tyme for parlee with Saint Thomas Calling therefore vnto vs the Archbishoppes Bishoppes and Abbotes of the kinges Dominions to the end the king should not absolutely depriue vs of all hope of peace but rather suffer himselfe to bee drawen might haue a conference with the Arbishop as well concerning the peace as the iudgment Sending therfore letters vnto him by our owne Chaplaynes wee appointed a certayne and safe place where wee might haue conference with him in the feast of Sa●●● Martin Hee neuertheles pretending excuses putt of th●● Parlee vntill the Octaues of this Saint which truly molested the king more then wee could imagine but when wee sawe the Archbishoppe although wee offered hi● safe conductes would neuertheles giue vs no meetinges in any parte of the kinges dominions which confyned on France wee beeing willing to yeeld to him to the end there might bee nothing wanting in vs which might redounde to his profit came to a place in the realme of France which himselfe appointed The parles beetween the Legates and S. Thomas Where being at the parlee wee first beegā most earnestly to perswade and instantly exhorte him that hee would beehaue himselfe to the king who had bin his singuler Benefactor with such humility as might minister vnto vs sufficient matter whereupon to ground our petition of peace at
also in the name of the Bishop of London whom the Archbishope held for excommunicate and therfore signifyed to the Cardinalls that they who were employed in this message had communicated with those whom hee had excommunicated although to delude the Apostolike Mandate they seemed to the ignorant absolued for our lord the Pope yeelded at the last only to this that in danger of death they might bee absolued taking first an oath to submitt themselues to the Popes Mandate if they recouered wherupon they fayning themselues to bee in hazard of their liues because sometymes by their lordes commandement they were to crosse the seas or other whiles to trauayle into Wales obtayned absolution from a Welch Bishoppe Llanesua a man vnexpert allmost in both lawes and who as one wise in making his bargaine had receaued at the kinges handes the Abbey of Abeedon for a Bishoppricke and to the end no question might bee had of the Popes Mandate the Archbishoppe sent to the Legates the Apostolicall letters wherby they were straightly commanded to reduce all such as were soe absolued into their former sentence of excommunication vnles they fully restored vnto the Archbishoppe and his Associates their possessions with all other thinges by them vniustly taken away and that no obstacle of any Appeale should euer hinder this Apostolicall Mandate And afterwardes Hee therfore instantly beesought the Legates that according to my Lord the Pope● Mandate they would vrge these persons excomm●●●cated by him to make satisfaction or to returne the● backe to their censure of accursing c. saying withall that Legates were inuited to this busines who were weake on this beehalfe to the end they might bee bowed with euery blaste But concerning them who stole out an absolution in regarde they were to passe the seas Cod. Vat. lib. 2. epist 98. the epistell of Iohn of Salisbury is extant written to Pope Alexander wherin hee doth manifest that they could in no case bee accompted for absolued After William the Legate vnderstood Saint Thomas had not admitted the Bishoppes messingers in respect they were not duely absolued from the excommunication they had incurred hee himselfe as well in his owne as his associate Legates name sent these letters to the Bishoppes of Norwich and Chichester both of England who had the matter by him committed to them for absoluing the excommunicate Ibidem Wee doe by these our letters command your wisedomes that vpon sight heereof yee absolue such persons as are sayde to remayne in your handes intangled in the chaynes of excommunication by the Archbishop of Canterbury taking first of them a promise to stand to our awarde and that this occasion beeing sett aside either of yee to whom these our letters shall first come doe endeauor to prosecute and accomplish whatsomeuer shall seeme moderate in your iudgmēt and after they haue receaued your Mandate then signify that vpon their oath they are absolued These were the letters written in the name of the Legates Salisbury mentioneth these letters in his epistle to the Archdeacon of Excester in this sorte Ibidem epist 101. For hee shall receaue shortly if hee hath them not yet letters from the Legates commanding him to absolue those who stand excommunicate by the Archbishop of Canterbury notwithstanding the Legates themselues haue therin no power to command but are by the Apostolicall letters forbidden to come within England or any way to intermedle with the affaires of the kingdome vnlesse a most perfect peace bee first concluded And after And let them bee tould that they shall haue no beenefit of absolution for obtayning saluation vnles pennance confession and satisfaction doe forerun it c. This and other thinges did Salisbury wryte out of whose other letters to Alexander receaue heere againe the complaints of such as were banished for the Ecclesiasticall liberty in these wordes Cod Vat. lib. 2. epist 100. Our soules ô father are drowned in bitternes in soe much as I feare exceedingly in your sight least the surpassing force of sorrowe should beereaue our wordes of modesty and patience in regarde the wonderfull depth of our miserys knoweth not how to confine our complayntes For some of our fellowes dying for the defence of iustice expect from God and the Church reuenge of their innocent blood others are afflicted with sundry tortures wee are all banished The complaintes of the banished English-men to the Pope and haue long lingred in exile but ther is one only remedy left to the faithfull in their tribulation incessantly to solicite the diuine Maiestie with their prayers and to reueale to him the secretts of their inward myndes that they may soe moue their father to mercy and obtayne comforte in their calamityes As often as the children of Israel vsed this soe often wee reade they were deliuered out of their necessityes and extremityes they had recourse to the Tabernacle of truce where the holy of holyes was reserued that is to say the commandementes of God which far excell all iustifications in their greatest difficultys they did flye to Moyses and Aaron the holy of our Lord and to whom shall the wretched of Canterbury runne to bee Mediators beetweene God 〈◊〉 them but to the Roman Church where flourisheth the conseruation of the diuine lawe and primacy of all Preisthoode for next vnder God if hee resolueth to saue vs wee shall bee presently deliuered if you lifte vp your handes Amelech shall bee destroyed and hee who hath made you a God ouer Pharao will ouerthrowe all the Churches Aduersaryes before your face Thus far hee complaining afterwardes of the excommunicated who were vnduely absolued as wee haue before declared But Pope Alexander vnderstanding this wrote thus to the Cardinalls Legates against those who were absolued without forerunning satisfaction Wee are let to vnderstand that some of those whom our reuerent brother Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury hath excommunicated Ibidē Epist 99. The Popes letter cōcerning the absolution of the excōmunicated doe still presume to withhould the goods and possessions of his Church and Clergie and make their commodity of them wherfore beecause it is vnworthy that while they retayne these goodes and possessions they should bee released of their accursed bandes wee doe by these our Apostolike letters command your discretion that if as wee haue heard they are absolued by any yee doe streightly on our beehalfe enioyne them vpō their oathes instantly to yeelde vp the possessions and goods soe wrōgfully vsurped vnto the persons and Churches to whom of right they beelong and that heereafter they attempt not vpon any occasion what someuer to keepe them or intermedle with them and if they will not obey your commandement that then all delay and appeale sett a syde yee recall and cast them backe into their former sentence of excommunication vntill they haue made full satisfaction yea although they haue bin absolued by your selues yet neuertheles accomplish yee this our commandement Thus wrote Alexander but the next yeere
wrongfully with houlden from vs vnto the Church for discharging the debtes of vs and ours for repayring dilapidations ordering our Graunges and deliuering from diuers necessitys the Church which hath bin by the wastefull spoyle and deceyptes of his officers cast into the depth of calamityes and that our petitions might not seeme to exceede reason and the couenantes for auoyding the kinges wauering vncertainty beeing set downe in wryting might remayne more authenticall wee caused to bee presented to him this supplication which you shall heere withall receaue beeing temperately corrected according to his owne Agents desire to the end the world may knowe that wee will refuse no condition of peace which is any way tollerable in the Church of God But the king hauing heard our petition read which was approued by all in regarde of our moderate demandes answered in his mother tongue couching his ambiguous wordes in that obscurity a thing vsuall with him as to the simple hee seemed to graunt all our requestes but to the iudgment of the wiser intermingled all with tedious and insufferable conditions yet they all agreede in one which was that hee no way consented to receaue vs in the kisse of peace and this made the Christian king say that hee would not for all the gold our king was worth counsell vs to sett footing in his land without hauing first receaued the kisse of peace And Count Theobalde added that to doe the contrary were a most foolish presumption many of the assembly discoursing much amonge themselues and calling to mynde what beefell to Robert de Silliacke beecause not this very kisse appeared in him a sufficient warrant for the maintenance of his peace and security nether yet would hee afforde vs this answer vpon the mediation of the foresayde Bishoppes the Arbiters of peace as wee hoped neither vpon the instance of any others yea while wee awayted his resolution hee turned away towards Medantan Then was presented to him on the way my Lord Phillip the blessed sonne of the most Christian king whom as they say who brought him our king sowerly beeheld slenderly saluted and hastily dismissed Moreouer hee sayth the king of France who accompanyed him on his iourney departed from him discontented hauing apparantly seene the disposition of his mynde subuerting all thinges with suttletyes And afterwards hee wryteth thus of his attempting Viuian with brybes And thus wee returned without any answer from the king to the place of our repose which Allmighty God had prouyded for vs casting our hope on him who neuer forsaketh such as trust in him and attending the comforte wee expect from your charity But for the king of England he sent a messinger with twenty Mearkes to Master Viuian intreating him yet once agayne to vndertake this reformation of peace which money as wee certainly heare hee refused answering him by letter the copy wherof wee haue heerewithall sent you nether is there any thing soe much vrgeth him to seeke for peace as the feare hee conceaueth of the iourney intended by your selfe and my Lord Gratian to his Holines nor yet doth he insinuate himselfe with Viuian for any other end but to preuent that hee fall not into the Lord Gratians handes and yours Moreouer wee vnderstand hee hath sent Gyles Archdeacon of Rone Iohn of Oxeforde and Iohn of Segia to the Courte of purpose to worke that wee may not haue any Legantyne authority granted vs ouer his land nor any thing else which may bee incommodious to him or the Earle of Flanders you partly knowe the messingers but perchance are better acquaynted with vs who by your fauor are conuersant with you Since therfore the king of England is stroaken with so greate a feare by reason of your sanctity and the faithfull dealing of my Lord Gratian whereof hee ha●h had experience it is most euident that if my Lord the Pope had at the first rather terrifyed with the power of a high Bishoppe then indured him with the charitable loue of an indulgent father the Church of God had long before this bin cleered of her stormes and the fury of the man asswaged who prosecuteth without pitty such as flye and are feeble and yeeldeth to them who manfully resist him But beecause Saint Thomas highly commended Gratian in regarde of his returne to Rome For an example to them who on the beehalfe of the Apostolicall Sea shall vndergoe matters of that importance with great princes we haue set forth here a few lynesout of the Saintes letter written to Gratian in these wordes The endeauors of sinners cannot in the end any way hurte the children of Grace Cod Vat. lib. 3. epist 63. because God suffereth them not to bee tempted aboue their power directing all things for the benefit of his elect and drawing miraculously out of the seuerall euents of matters a glorious profitt and God vndoubtedly respected your faithfull dealing who conuerted Master Viuians stay and the managing of his busines in France after your returne to the glory of your name making you a God to Pharao And afterwardes Whosoeuer beeheld the end of the exceeding familiarity which passed beetweene the king and Viuian or heard Viuian discoursing therof protested openly that among them all who were employed by the Pope to the king of England Gratian only proceeded aduisedly Ihid epist 65. Ibid. epist 61. c. Saint Thomas wrote also thereof to Pope Alexander and Viuian himselfe certifyed his Holines to that purpose But for the letter which Viuian sent to the king of England vpon refusall of his money the copy wherof the Bishop of Senon and Gratian as you haue heard receaued from Saint Thomas wee doe heere present it vnto you To the most renowned Lord Henry by the grace of God king of England Master Viuian Aduocate of the holy Roman Church wisheth health with a true assent to sound aduise Ibid. epist 62. How much I haue labored for your honor how far I haue endeauored that you should to the glory of God conclude your peace with the Church God himselfe knoweth and your wisedome ought not to bee ignorant For I haue bin soe forward on your behalfe as I haue therby lost the fauor of many and greate persons and am beecome the fable of detracting tongues which causeth mee to wonder that you haue a will to make mee infamous by corruption of money whom you would not heare when I counselled you for your honor and profitt But in regarde I beegan to respecte you with my best obseruance and seruice and am not accustomed easely to forsake my freindes I beesech you and by all meanes possible counsell you to returne to your selfe and confirme with your Charter the petition which my lord of Canterbury preferred to you and withall to receaue him in the kisse of peace sending to him and recalling him backe againe before your land bee interdicted and excommunicated whose names are allready conceaued in the booke of their condemnation for they are many and
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
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
was likewise necessary for his owne saluation with the good of his children and for the establishment and prosperitie of the authority graunted him from Allmighty God to recompense the holy Church of Canterbury for that most greeuous wrong wherewith hee had lately damnifyed her for hee caused his sonne to bee without all order crowned contrary to the most ancient custome and priuiledge of our Church c. Hee setteth downe in like sorte a matter of long debate beetweene the king and himselfe concerning this whom in the end hee perswaded soe farre as hee promised to make voyde and frustrate the Coronation which was solemnized by the Pope and especially executed by the Archbishoppe of Yorke and to cause againe a Canonicall consecration to bee celebrated wherin the Archbishoppe of Canterbury should crowne the kinges sonne together with his Queene and wife But of this heereafter Hee dilated also of other particulars which happened in that in meeting to bee donne by the king as where hee speaketh thus When I therefore alighting from my horse did humble my selfe at his feete hee catching my stirrop inforced mee to get vp againe and seeming to shedde tearres sayde what needeth any more my Lord Archbishoppe let vs renewe our old mutuall freindshippe and doe all the good wee can one to an other forgetting cleane this forepassed discorde but this let mee entreate you to doe mee honor beefore the company who beehould vs a farre of Beeing Saules wordes to Samuel when hee sayde Honor mee beefore the people 1. Reg. 15. Hee proceedeth And in regarde wee sawe some there present whose name this bearer will deliuer you that had bin louers of debate and sowers of discorde passing to them hee sayde If I seeing the Archbishoppe ready to right mee euery way should not on the other syde bee likewise good to him I may truly bee esteemed worser then others and shall verify the ill reportes which are raysed of mee neither can I conceaue any counsell to bee more honest and profitable then to endeauor to surpasse him in curtesy and exceede him in Charity and benefittes Which wordes of the king were receaued by allmost all there present with very greate congratulation whereupon hee sent this Bishoppes to aduise vs to make our petition in that publicke assembly and if wee woulde haue followed the Counsell of some of them wee should haue referred to his owne arbitrement our selues absolutely and the whole cause of the Church For from the beeginning to this very day iniquity hath issued from his Scrybes and Pharises and gathered strength from the authority of Seniors who ought to gouerne the people but blessed bee God who hath not suffered our soule to passe thorough their counsell nor permitted vs to expose the Churches liberty and Gods iustice to any creatures will Dismissing them and aduising our selues with my Lord of Senon and the poore of Christe the Associates of our peregrination wee resolutely determined not any way to submitt to his will the controuersy of the customes or the dammages which hee had donne to our Church or the iniury offered vs by the vsurped consecration or the losse of the Ecclesiasticall liberty with the ecclipse of our honor And soe comming to the king and his Lordes Concerning restitution of possessiōs to the Church of Canterbury wee did with all humility beeseech him by the mouth of my Lord of Senon who was our speaker that hee would vouch-safe to restore vs his fauor with peace and security to vs and ours together with the Church of Canterbury and her possessions which beeing set downe by vs in wryting his Maiestie had read and that hee would mercifully reforme what was presumtiously downe against vs and our Church in the consecration of his sonne promising him all loue and honor with whatsomeuer seruice may bee performed in our Lord by an Archbishoppe to his king and Prince The king accepting all in good parte yeelded vs our request receauing vs with all ours there present into his fauor and in regarde your Holines commanded vs not that hee should restore what was wrongfully taken from vs and ours wee would not require it neither on the other syde by Gods grace could wee bee content to remitt it Soe according to your Mandate those thinges were for the tyme put of but not put away for had you absolutely written as in your last letters you signifyed that they should bee restored without doubt satisfactiō had bin also made with an exāple for all ages heereafter very profitable to the whole Catholike Church and especially to the Apostolike Sea The king therfore hauing had much and long conference with vs after wee two had continewed in talke alone according to our ancient accustomed familiarity vntill allmost the Euening wee agreed in one that hee beeing departed wee should returne to rēder due thankes vnto the most Christian king and others our benefactors and vpon the setling of our busines to come backe to his Maiestie and remayne a while with him before wee passed into England to the end the world might take notice into how great and intire fauor hee had receaued vs. Wee intend to expecte in France the returne of our Messingers whom wee haue sent to receaue our possessions for wee are determined not to repaire to our king so long as hee detayneth one foote of Ecclesiasticall landes for by the restitution of our landes wee shall easily perceaue how sincerely hee meaneth to deale with vs. And thus farre concerning their meeting wherin a peace was concluded There is also in the same booke of Epistles an other reporte of this meetinge which beeing only gathered from the beare sayings of others and not testifyed by an eye wittnes seemeth to bee of lesse credit then the former Cod Vat lib. 3. Epist 46. And what king Henry promised saint Thomas in wordes the same did hee also performe in wryting by sendinge these letters vnto the king his sonne Ibid Ep 43 The king writheth to his sonne about the peace cōcluded betwene him and S. Thomas Knowe yee that Thomas Archbishoppe of Canterbury hath ratifyed his peace with mee according to myne owne desire wherfore I command that hee and all his inioy this peace and that you cause the Archbishop and all those who departed the land with him to haue restitution of all their estates as fully quiety and honorably as they possessed the same three monethes beefore the bishop departed out of England And that you call beefore you some of the most ancient and sufficient knightes of Lyore and Salts kind and make them vpon their corporall oathes to certify what is there heald in Fee of the Archbishoppe of Canterbury and what shall bee founde to bee of his fee you cause to bee rendred to the same Archbishoppe agayne Thus wrote the king to his sonne And with these letters did saint Thomas send his Agents into England but how many aduersaryes they found there they signifyed by their letters backe
againe to saint Thomas beeginning thus Ibid. Ep. 53. Wee haue accomplished as farre as wee could your command c. And vpon this conclusion of matters saint Thomas wrotte these letters to Pope Alexander Ibid. Ep. 52. S. Thomas writeth again to the Pope After the trompet of your Apostolicall Cominatory holy father had throughly sounded in the king of Englands eare and that the seuerity of the Church threatened as well himselfe as his dominion hee concluded his peace with vs assuredly promising hee would not omitt one iott or title of the whole contents of your commandement but absolutely fullfill the vttermost and hauing soe auoyded the blowe of this imminent sentence in some articles hee flewe of from the agreement withoulding from vs as yet certayne possessions of the Church which our Predecessor inioyde without controuersy all the days of his life and wee also afterwardes vntill the violence of this tempest arose against the Church of England And somewhat after wee truly will endeauor to winne the fauor of the man as far as wee can possibly with the preseruation of the liberty and reputation of the Church together with the testimony of a good conscience that wee may therby make tryall if all this can as yet recall him to a gentle temper Your clemency vouchsafed to send vs letters for the correction and chastisement as well of the Archbishoppe of Yorke as other our associate Bishoppes which lynes were vndoubtely inspired conceaued by the holy Ghost and are such as reproue the kinges enormityes with an authority beeseeming Peeters successor and Christes vicar Cod Vad li. 5. Epist 60. These letters as yet remayne beeing registred in the proces of the worke and are treated of in their place To these letters S. Thomas likewise added the letters which hee receaued from his agents sent into England for recouering the Churches goodes and are to bee seene in the same booke And to that purpose may you there reade also the complaintes of S. Thomas made to the king Ibid. Ep. 53. beeing seasoned with very greate modesty and sweetned with mildenes Ibid. Ep. 54. In the meane while before Pope Alexander receaued the letters of S. Thomas cōcerning the peace cōcluded with the king of England the Pope departing from Beneuent towardes Rome The Popes returne to Rome and his letters written on the way Ibid Ep. 65 and comming to Verula a Citty of the Hernicians hee directed his letters from thence to Thomas Archbishoppe of Canterbury beeginning thus Amonge the manifolde c. And excusing afterwardes himselfe in regarde hee did not according to the desire of saint Thomas seeme to proceede more speedily in this cause hee addeth these wordes Whereupon most deare brother if wee haue in the eye of the world proceeded more remissely in the matter concerning your selfe and the Church of England nor yet haue answered your petitions according to your owne will the reason was not in regarde wee reputed not the cause of your selfe and the Church of England to bee our owne and as neerely touching our selues as you or that wee would any way bee wanting to you therin but that wee thought conuenient to vse all patiēce to the end wee might cōquer euill in doeing good Wee feared also least if there grewe any greater breach in the Church it might bee imputed vnto our rough proceeding But now in respect the disturbers of the peace and the oppressors of the Churches liberty are not as it seemeth moued with any contrition at all to amend their fore passed abuses yea extending their sinnes as a long rope insulte more and more as well to your vexation as the depression of the Church of Canterbury soe far forth as they appeare in your case to bee past well-nigh all hope of repentance wee doe heere pronounce the Canonicall sentence and suspend from Apostolicall dignity your brother Roger Archbishop of Yorke with the other Bishoppes who haue bound themselues by oath to obserue the customes and doe still blowe the coales of so greate a mischeife And for the Bishoppes of Salisbury and London who seeme indebted in a greater band of gratuity and yet neuertheles are reported to repay for thankfullnes nothing but ingratitude if so they haue with their presence and ministry furthered the coronation of the new king against the prerogatiue of the Church of Canterbury wee recall them into the sentence of Excommunication from which they were absolued And last hee thus mentioneth the tyme and place where the letter was dated Datum Verulae 4. what the Pope did Verule Id. Septemb. Departing from Verula hee came to Ferentine a Citty seauen myles distant from Verula towardes Rome Cod. Vad. 5. Ep. 66.67 where the letters of Excommunication were dated vnto these English Bishoppes beeing London what 〈◊〉 wrote 〈◊〉 Ferentine Ibid. Ep. 5● Salisbury and the rest there mentioned with an other letter aparte to the Archbishoppe of Yorke concerning his suspension both beeing dated as appeareth in their conclusion at Ferentine 16. Kaled Octob. These are the letters which saint Thomas in his to Pope Alexander concerning the same commendeth as written with an Apostolicall zeale But in the letter to the Arcbbishop of Yorke hee alleageth the cause of his suspension not to bee only the coronation of the the kinges sonne but that also in the same coronation hee omitted the accustomed caution and condition for defending the Churches liberty or at the least in place therof to make him take another oath vsuall then to bee sworne and which is worser that an oath was there giuen for an exact conseruation of his ancestors customes directly opposite to the Church Going from Ferentine his Holines with a shorte iourney of fiue myles lodged at Anagnia which is declared by diuers Epistles to the same purpose wrytten thence as first for the recalling as well of Clearkes as lay-men into the excommunication from which they were absolued if according to their promise they made not satisfaction in restoring possessions taken away from Churches limitting a terme of xv dayes for performing the same Dated as wee sayde at Anagnia 8. Octobris with other Bishoppes of England for continuing the interdiction vntill the Church were satisfyed Cod Vat li. 5. Epist 40. The morow following also were letters dated at the same place to the Bishoppes of Roane and Senon where after some other matters were these wordes for obseruing such thinges as were promised by the king in his couenants of peace Wee will and command and in the vertue of obedience by our Apostolicall letters inioyne your brotherhoode Ibid. ep 31. that within twenty days after the receipte heereof yee doe with all dilligence conferre with the king in our beehalfe and carefully admonish and instantly exhorte him sincerely to accomplish the peace which hee hath as yet in wordes only concluded with the Archbishoppe and withall that yee incite him afterwardes to restore all thinges wrongfully taken away rapaire the dammages
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 ●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 se●t before into England perswaded the people by his letters yet extant Cad V●● 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. ●p 6● yet let vs ne●ertheles heare a more certaine reporte of these occurrents written by saint Thomas himselfe to Pope Alexan●●● 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 we●e concluded our peace with my Lord the king of England I suppose your Holines is certifyed as well by The 〈◊〉 ●●●stle of sa●●● Thom●● 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 cōcord 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 frō 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 preuentiō 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
for that cause his name exalted in the heauenly countrey Soe the Masters our brethren the Cathedrall Monkes now left as Orphans without a father Allmighty God who raysed from the deade the great Pastor of his stocke our Lord Iesus Christ in the bloode of his eternall testament prouyde a man that I may vse the worde of Moyses to bee ouer this multitude Num. 27. For many complayne and indure it most impatiently that Christes coate without seame is now rent beetweene them and the Bishoppes of the Prouince The Scysme raised in the Church of Cāterbury and that not only the Cowe and the Ramme but also the Turtle and the Doue are deuyded and seperated one from an other That Mistrisse of discorde that mother of hatred that presumptious occasion of scandalls that vsurpation I meane of syding and singular election hath presumed to breake in euen to the very professors of Religion so as contemning and casting away the generall counsell of the Bishoppes and Abbottes they haue made a secret and stollen election contrary to customes enemy to lawes condemned by Decrees reproued by practise All others who accompt now this election made by the Monkes to bee to their derogation and disgrace would willingly and with one consent without any diuision or scandall haue conferred their voyces on the person by them named but as this case standeth I feare least this election which God forbid proue his deiection and this attempting of a fayned liberty turne to Christes Church into a matter of thralldome This plague truly and many others doe at this day generally infecte and corrupt the body of the Church Lay-men intrude themselues into the holy Sanctuarys and the stones of the Sanctuaryes are dispersed apparantly in all high streetes Cloysters are now conuerted to Castles and Market-places Religious men to Ethnickes Pastors to Wolues Lillyes to thornes Gould to drosse Corne to Tares Wine to Vinager Oyle to Lees. Let Allmighty God yet cast an eye backe on the face of his Testament neither let him giue ouer to bee troaden vnder foote the Vyne which hee hath planted with his right hand the Church which hee hath purchased with his pretious bloode let him stirre vp the spiritt of Moyses and erect the horne of that Vnicorne that only high Bishoppe and without comparison most vniuersall soe as his hand may execute iudgment that with his horne hee may blowe ouer Siria thunder against Edom send out lightning against the Calfes of Bethel against the Idolls of Egipt against the fatt Cowes of Samaria against the Preistes of Baal against Shepherdes who feede themselues against iudges who enact vniust lawes against dumb dogges which are vnable to barke against the earthen pott of Zacharie against the vessells of the foolish Pastor against the ambition of Simon Magus against the tyranny of the world against the presumption of the Cloyster against deceytfull dealers against oppressors of the poore against disturbers of the Churches peace against the subuerters of fayth Thus wrote Peeter the rest wee refer to their propper place AN. DOM. 1171. Now followeth the yeere of our Lord 1171. with the fourth Indiction When the horrible murder of the most holy Martyr Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury beeing spread farre and neere all the Westerne world was astonished and the sighes of all deuoute people euery where breathed out especially by letters from all partes and those replenished with lamentations and sent to Pope Alexander from sundry persons beeing such and in such sorte as you may well say they were soe many glorious trumppetts and renowned Epithapes to celebrate the funeralls of this most worthie Martyr Among which receaue heere first what the king of France wrote to Pope Alexander To Alexander by the grace of God High Bishop Lewes by the same grace king of the French sendeth salutations with due reuerence The king of Frances letter to the Pope about the death of saint Thomas The childe reuolteth from the lawe of humane pietie who disgracefully abuseth his mother neither are they myndfull of their Creators benefitts who are not moued with sorrowe for the abuses offered to the holy Church whereuppon wee haue now an especiall cause of lamentation and a new cruelty neuer heard of beefore beegetteth a new sorrowe beecause malice rising against the Saint of God hath run her swordes point into the very aple of Christes eye and no lesse cruelly then fowly slaughtered soe great a light of Gods Church Styrre vp therefore some kinde of exquisite iustice and vnsheath saint Peeters sworde for punishing the murder of the Martyr of Canterbury beecause his blood cryeth out for the whole Church not soe much exclayming reuenge for his owne particular as for all And beehould at the Tombe of this Champion as it is reported to vs the diuine glory shyneth with mirackles and God sheweth from heauen where hee resteth on earth who in his quarrell so couragiously fought The bearers of these letters who are beereft of this their father will relate the whole matter to your Holines yeelde therfore a most gentle eare to the testimony of this truth and as well heerin as otherwise beelieue them as you would beelieue our selues God prosper you euer Thus the king The Earle of Bloyes also wrote to the same effect vnto his Holines More ouer the Bishop of Senon then Legate for the Apostolicke Sea sent two Epistles to the Pope about the death of saint Thomas But omitting these as tēding all to one purpose let vs see the rest the messingers I meane sent by the king of England to Rome who offered the vndergoeing of pennance for killing the martyr as also of the diuers and excellent mirackles now beegun to bee published at the Martyrs sepulcher with other things appertayning therunto The Martyr thus killed in the end of the last yeere there was presently great recourse to the Pope lying in Rome of some as you see detesting and complaying of this damnable sacrilege the accusers were pious princes as the king of France the Earle of Bloys and Bishoppes who were Legates especially hee of Senon others excusers beeing an assembly of Bishoppes among whom hee of Lizieux in all their names wrote thus to Pope Alexander At such time as beeing gathered together with our king The assembly of Bishoppes excusing the king of England wee determined to handle great matters concerning both the Church and kingdome a rumor on the suddaine ouerwhelmed vs all in a lamentable confusion of sorrowe concerning our Lord of Canterbury soe far forth as in a moment our calme was turned in to a turbulent tempest our consultations into sighes For by some returning from England wee were assuredly certifyed that some of his enemyes beeing as they say with his sundry and seuere preceedinges against them prouoked to anger and madnes rashly assaulted his person and what without greife wee cannot nay ought not to speake cruelly persisting did strike and murder him This vnhappy reporte came in the end by the
lastly made by the same Pope Archbishop of Beneuent Next is Iohn of Salisbury a man of mauellous learning and raysed after the Martyrdome of saint Thomas to the Bishoppricke of Charters Then Robert an Englishman created Bishop of Hereford After him Reynold also of England surnamed Lumbard preferred to the Bishoppricke of Bathe whom wee suppose to bee corruptly inserted for wee finde him not any where in the Catalogue of the Saintes familiar frindes who followed him in his persecution for whom beeing rather numbred among his enemyes Peter of Bloyes wrote an Apologie which shall after appeare Geralde insueth who was promoted to the Bishoppricke of Couentry and Huhge by nation à Roman who succeeded Geralde in his Bishoppricke Moreouer Gilbertus Angelus afterwardes Bishoppe of Rochester And likewise Rafe made in his exile Deane of Rhemes Lastly after others who were honored with Ecclesiasticall dignityes is Hubert of Millane first instauled in the Archbishoppricke of that Church and after called to the high Pontificall authority of the Church of Rome by the name of Vrban the third Others are in like sorte remembred as worthy of soe greate a father and Master who as they were partakers of his passion soe were they of his glory Such was the family of this most famous man not seruing him to please the eye but endowed with like constancy as their Master in suffering laborious afflictions truly Apostolicall men gloriously shyning with Apostolicall forces and therfore reputed worthie to bee promoted beefore others in Ecclesiasticall honors Pope Alexander beeing refused by the Romans and lying at Tusculan sent from thence these letters to the Archbishoppe of Biturees and the Bishop of Nyuers vpon occasion of the excommunication denounced by saint Thomas against the afore recyted Bishoppes of England Alexander Bishoppe seruant of the seruantes of God to his reuerent brethren the Archbishop of Biturees and the Bishop of Niuers sendeth greeting with Apostolicall benediction Wee suppose it is not vnknowne to your brotherhood how Thomas of holy memory late Archbishopp of Canterbury vpon our commandement denounced the sentence of excommunication against the Bishoppes of London and Salisbury The Popes letter for absolution of two English Bishops the which wee ratifying and confirming corroborated the same with our Apostolicall authority Now beecause the sayde Bishoppes beeing both aged and one of them sicke cannot trauell to our presence wee haue thought good to commend to yee of whose wisedome and honesty wee are confident theyr absolution for which the Messingers of Henry king of England with the Messingers also of the same Bishoppes haue bin earnest sutors Wherfore by our Apostolicall letters wee command your brotherhoode that if within one moneth after the beares heereof returne home yee heare not our Legates haue passed the Aples which Legates wee haue determined to send to those partes as well to vnderstand the depth of that heynous offence lately committed as also for the kinge absolue them from the bandes of excommunication taking first according to the manner of the Church an oathe of them to obey our Mandate the sentence of Suspension giuen vpon the same cause for which they were lastly excommunicated remayning neuertheles still in the former vigor And if it appeareth vnto yee that the Bishop of Salisbury by reason of his sicknes cannot trauell to yee then which will please vs right well that yee will personally goe vnto him or if yee cannot goe then that yee will send ouer some sufficient men whom wee and yee may confidently trust who taking first an oathe of him publickly in the face of the Church to obey our Mandate may therupon absolue him But if you brother Archbishoppe cannot personally execute this then doe you brother Bishopse taking with you the Abbot of Pontianacke carefully performe it according to these our directions Dated at Tusculan 8. Kalend. Maij. Hetherto Pope Alexander as it is rehearsed in Rogeres Chronicle Now amydd all this The Murderers of S. Thomas flye to the Pope for their remedy these sacrilegious murderers of the Martyr who hetherto remayned in the furthest parte of England on the landes beelonging to one of them when they sawe all men flye their company yea and that the very vnreasonable creatures eschewed them as accursed for dogges albeeit hungry abhorred to eate the bread they gaue them as taynted with the poyson of excommunication and aboue all their owne consciences guylty of this greate sinne inforcing them principally to detest themselues calling on the Saint whom they slaughtered they sought mercy at his handes to whom themselues had bin most vnmercifull and cruell Wherfore amyd their showers of teares and clowdes of sorrowe there shyned out to them a beame of hope for obtayning pardon and one onely way appeared beeing this to trauell vnto Rome to Pope Alexander Christes Vicar and falling downe at his feete and opening the enormity of their offence to receaue from him the medicyne hee would apply to them They came to Rome and fled to that Pastor whom hee from whom hee receaued that supreme power had taught not to kill and spoyle but cary on his shoulders the lost sheepe where that renowned Pastor byndeth vp what is broken strengtheneth what is infirme seeketh out what is lost and recouereth what is cast away this wise Archsurgeon pouring oyle and wyne into the deepe hartes of the wounded soe waked them vp as hee deliuereth them from all euills that may happen They are therfore inioyned for remission of this intollerable sacriledge to trauell beeyōd the seas to the regions which were glorifyed with our Sauiours presence euen to those places that where Christ wrought our saluation in the middest of the earth by shedding his blood for the redemption of mankinde they who had most wickedly shed the most innocent bloode might there bee purged with the bloode of his passion Their death who killed S. Thomas In their iourney one of them and hee the cheefest who encouraged the rest and first wounded the most holy man whose name was William Tracy comming into Calabria and remayning a while at Consentia beeing there taken with a greeuous infirmity of his body was compelled to stay the other three goeing on as they were inioyned Soe truly for an example of the iustice of Allmighty God hee could passe no farther then Italy that the Westerne world might bee admonished and none should heereafter dare for feare of soe seuere a punishment to lay rash and violent handes on our lordes annoynted For God stroke him with soe terrible a sickenes as his flesh rotting and his very synewes and bones appearing the same beeing dissolued from the ioyntes eyther of it selfe fell away or was haled of with his handes beeing impatient of his greife and his owne executioner yet euer vntill the very last gaspe imploring the assistance of saint Thomas whom himselfe had martyred All which beeing published to the Christian world by the Bishops of Consentia is affirmed in the end of the often recyted history
of Quadrilogus wherunto all other wryters who reporte the life of saint Thomas agree And that not only hee who dyed at Consentia but also the other three who sayled to Ierusalem liued not aboue three yeeres after they had martyred the Saint is constantly alleaged in the aforementioned history soe as they exceeded not the limitts of the nexte yeere following For they beeing vpon the Popes commandement restrayned in a place called the Black-Mountaine a pryson of pennance did there as penitents finish their dayes and were graced with a seemely buryall beefore the dore of the Temple with this inscription as Roger sayth ouer them Heere lye the wreched men who martyred blessed Thomas Archbishoppe of Canterbury Soe let this bee the period of this yeeres history AN. DOM. 1173. Next followeth the yeere 1173. with the sixt Indiction The Cannozation of S. Thomas Whenas Pope Alexander vpon returne of the Legates late sent to the king of England hearing of them what miracles were wrought by God with a mighty hande and a high arme in Thomas the new Martyr and therupon taking aduice with his brethren the Cardinalls of the sacred Roman Church by the generall consent of them all Cannonized him among the number of the holy Martyrs Treating therfore heereof let vs first make dilligent search of precedent matters After this bloode soe shed sayth Edward God by many miracles published his sanctity but at the first they lay concealed as not purchaceing creditte till by the multitude of them the impiety of his aduersarys was vanquished and the mouthes of the wicked stopped for so far truly the number and greatnes of his miracles grewe manifest as in their open showe saint Thomas seemed not only nothing inferior to other renowned Saintes but also excelled them as wittnesseth Peeter of Bloyes an eye witnes and Iohn of Salisbury sometimes the holy Martyrs secretary for Peeter with greate confidence wryteth thus to Richard Bishop of Siracusa saying Reioice England and let the Westerne worlk tryumph beecause the East hath visited vs from high India and the Easterne regions gloryed in Thomas the Apostle But hee hath respect to the Wersterne Church who dwelleth in heauen and looketh downe on the humble God hath beestowed on England our Thomas wee enuy not India for their Thomas let Thomas the Apostle possesse India Let Thomas our Martyr inhabite Englād that by these two witnesses of Christe euen frō the rysing of the sun to the setting therof the name of our Lord may bee praysed Some there are who trauell into India to gayne the suffrages of the blessed Apostle so lōg a pilgrimage is to paynfull for mee my Thomas sufficeth me Hee touched our lordes syde ād the piercinges of the nayles and beecause hee saw beelieued Blessed is hee who not seeing beelieued nor euer doubted but offered hinselfe to Christ and for Christ a sacrifice I labor not to compare a Martyr with an Apostle an Apostle euer excelling a Martyr but it is glorious for vs to enioy a Martyr who bearing the name of an Apostle imitateth or rather exceedeth an Apostle in miracles The Apostle is not offended beecause our Lord himselfe is not offended with Apostles and Martyrs if at any tyme the holy Ghost poureth out himselfe more fully often on any in the operation of vertues and sayth our Lord you shall doe these and greater then these Thus Peeter recyted by vs to declare the famous miracles so wrought which God in his new Saint then shewed But let vs heare Iohn of Salisbury somewhat moued against Pope Alexander as seeming too slowe in the Canonizatiō of the Martyr since God abundantly published as it appeared by soe great and soe many miracles that hee had receaued him into heauen among the number of his Martyrs Yet the Pope was to bee excused if hee deferred the same vntill the returne of the Cardinalls his Legates by whose relation hee might exactly and securely vnderstand all Neuertheles let vs see Salisburys complaynt poured out with greate assurance to the Legate of the Apostolike Sea To his reuerent Lord and most deere father William by the grace of God Archbishop of Senon Legate of the Apostolicall Sea Iohn of Salisbury sendeth greeting with the obedience of his most ready deuotion Allthough a huge desolation hath confounded hetherto the English Church Iohn of Salisburys Epistle of the miracles wrought b● S. Thoma● her sorrowe neuerthles hath now for the most parte bin altered into ioy and her lamentation chāged with a blessed and pleasing transmutation into Cāticles for miracles soe seldome heard of are at our Martyrs memoriall soe often showed as others otherwhere heard of can hardly bee compared to his for as in euery thing his noble mynd euer endeauored to excell all who liued in his age soe now that I may speake it by the leaue of other Saintes hee exceedeth others of whom wee haue read or hearde of in miraculous operations which I am easily perswaded are therfore effected that God may styrre vp in many of these in our partes of the world fayth not layde asleepe but allmost extinguished that hee might more soundy confirme charitie and stoppe the mouthes of the wicked who detracted the holy man in his life and for priuate hatred persecuted the cause of Christ For who can now misdoubt the Christian doctrine to bee otherwise then true and faythfull since hee rewardeth with soe greate felicity a man knowne to vs and constant to him Who vnles misled by the diuell will say the cause was vniust the Patron whereof God hath crowned with soe great a glory Many haue questiond whether our Lord the Popes tytle for which wee contend bee grounded on iustice but this glorious Martyr hath cleered it from any suspition of scysme beecause had hee bin a supporter of scysme hee could neuer haue shined with so great miracles Moreouer hee was a man of that excellent wisedome as hee could not easily bee supplanted with error in a matter soe neere concerning his soule I should assuredly very much maruayle why our Lord the Pope hath not allready commanded him to bee numbred in the Catalogue of Martyrs but that I remember I haue read in the Ecclesiasticall history that when Pylate sending a relation of proceedinges asked aduise of Tyberius Cesar if Christ who had don soe many and so greate miracles and was of very many worshipped as God ought to bee honored as God the Senate beeing asked by the Emperor their opinion answered hee was verely to bee reuerenced as God but that diuers of sundry Prouinces had allready without the Senates authority presumed to doe it which was truly by the diuine prouidence soe answered that the Deity of Christ whose name was to bee preached to the Iewes and Gentilles should not seeme to be● subiect to any earthly power neither the Gentills vaunt it was obtayned by petition which against their willes they were compelled to heare Beecause our Lord hath raigned let the people bee angry and the
neuertheles would haue the ensignes of his sanctity shyne with magnificent miracles that hee who with the constancy of an inuincible vertue suffered for Christ tribulations and dangers may now bee knowne by all to haue receaued in that eternall blessednes the tryumph of his labor and combate And wee truly haueing heard the innumerable and greate miracles which the whole multitude of the faythfull declare to bee dayly wrought by the merittes of that holy man and moreouer beeing especially certifyed heereof not without our too greate contentment by our beeloued brethren Albert of the tytell of saint Laurence in Lucina and Theodine of the tytle of saint Vitalis Preistes Cardinalls and Legates of the Apostolike Sea who more perfectly discouered those miracles as hauing bin neere the place where they were wrought and giuing credit as wee ought to the testimony of diuers other persons haue solemnly in the Church a great assembly of the Clergie and Layety beeing present in the beeginning of the Fast with the deliberate aduise of our brethren cannonized the sayde Bishoppe and decreede that hee should bee numbred in the Catalogue of Saintes Wherfore wee admonish all in generall and by the power that wee enioy streyghtly command yee that yee celebrate yeerely with solemnity the festiuall day of the foresayde glorious Martyr beeing the day of his passion and labour by our deuoute prayers vnto him to purchase remission of your sinnes that hee who for Christ suffered in his life exile and in his death by vertue of his constant passion Martyrdome beeing now dayly sollicited with the suffrages of faythfull will make intercession to God for vs. Dated at Signia 4. Id. Martij There are afterwardes extant in that volume of Epistles Apostolicall letters sent to the Bishop of Auersane and letters patents and circular to all Bishoppes of the Catholike Church And lastly the payne pursueth the sinne Gods reuerence vpon the king of England for the death of S. Thomas For king Henry the yonger when hee could not obtayne of his father one Citty in England or Normandy for himselfe and his Queene the daughter of the king of France to inhabit in extremely moued with this denyall raysed a most vnnaturall and terrible warre against the king his father wherin not only his wife and all his sonnes together with his nobility subiectes seruantes and bosome freindes conspiring rebelled but also the kinges of France and Scotland the Earles of Flaunders Poytiers and others confederating ioyned all their powers against him and was originally by his owe children brought into extreme miseryes and troubles who had before raysed an vngodly persecution against saint Thomas Archbishoppe of Canterbury his spirituall father Heereupon ensued huge slaughters of his people and hee like an other Dauid terryfyed with the powers of those Absalom's was enforced to flye for succour to the Pope against them as saint Thomas was constrayned to appeale to the Pope against him O wonderfull mutability of worldly fortune or rather ô meruailous iudgment of Allmighty God! Hee that was wont soe victoriously to preuaille against all his enemyes in soe much as hee sayde himselfe hee was euery day able to conquer a castle is now plunged in these necessityes The Pope assisteth the king of Englād against his sonnes and Aduersaryes But Pope Alexander drawing saint Peeters swoard excommunicateth without remedy of Appeale vnles they returne to obediēce his rebellious wife sonnes and subiectes wherin Richard Archbishop of Canterbury and Rotrode Archbishop of Roane as well by godly discreete and perswasiue letters as by thundering out this dreadfull sentence laboured to reduce them to naturall and dutifull obedience but the king of France was in that hyght of displeasure against the father and lincked with soe streyght a league confirmed by oath vnto the sonnes that earthly hopes on all sydes vanishing hee was left for his only refuge to the prayers and patronage of S. Thomas the Martyr whom hee had beefore afflicted with soe many iniuryes ANNO DOMINI 1174. Wherfore An. Dom. 1174. commending Normandy with all his Dominions to the protection of God and his Martyr hee sayled ouer into England and setting aparte all other important matters trauelled towardes Canterbury before the entrance wherof The kinges admirable pennance at the shryne of S. Thomas as soone as hee discouered the Metropolytan Church wherin the blessed Martyrs body rested changed from the Maiesty of a king to the showe of a most silly man with naked feete and naked body beesides one only contemptible coate vpon his naked skinne with vnspeakeable deuotiō and humility like another Dauid on his bare feete in the sight of all the people passed his pilgrimage through the durty wayes and streetes thus hee whose power was terrible to kingdomes and Nations now dreading and trembling with deepe sighes and lamentations came most poorely to the Martyrs sepulcher ond there beestowed a whole day and night in fasting waching and prayer then assembling together the Bishoppes with the sacred Conuent of the Monkes and submissiuely bowing downe his heade into the Martyrs tombe God and his Martyr beehoulding it receaued vpon his naked skinne from euery Bishop fiue and from all the Religious aboue foureskore blowes with Disciplines at the sight whereof all the standers by broke out into abundance of teares Moreouer the king as truly penitent for his offence and to giue full satisfaction to the Martyr did for the honor and deuotion which hee owed him abrogate againe all his wicked customes beeing the causes of this dissention enacting for the tyme to come iust ordinances All this beeing therfore soe deuoutely and humbly accomplished the king on the morrow as a pilgrimme after celebration of the Masse of a Martyr before the reliques of this Martyr returned submissiuely as hee came on his naked and durty feete without receauing any sustenance hauing a singular hope shortly to recouer vnder the patronage of the Martyr redresse of his misfortunes Neither was it a vayne expectation for beeing with such religious and seuere pennance reconcyled to the martyr Allmighty God by the Martyrs intercession and meritts rescued him from these calamitys yee a maruaillous thing to tell as well for the Martyrs renowne The kinges enemyes cōquered by the Martyrs merites as the kinges effectuall pennance the same day beeing Sattursday and the same hower when as the Masse was sayd in honor of the Martyr and the Saint beeing as it were pacifyed the king licenced to departe at the very instant of the diuine sacrifice as the world doth wittnes and the king himselfe confessed the king of Scottes one of his greatest enemyes armed with a huge hoste of men stragling a syde from his mighty power was surprised without wounde or blowe by a fewe souldiers of no greate accompt which yet remayned faythfull to king Henry the father Neither only was this king as a prisoner in this sorte subiected to his mercy but all the other aduerse forces alsoe shortly vanquished or vanished his wife and children reduced to obedience and the clowdes of misfortunes thus dispersed king Henry the father as before victoriously shyned All which as hee attributed only to Allmighty God and his Martyr soe humbly commending my selfe to the mercys of the one and the patronage of the other I heere conclude this Translation FIN
Tusculan who of a follower of Alexander bee●ame now his fai●hles enemy in showe consecrated but ●n deede execrated Octauian Neyther had Octauian as ●imselfe afterwards openly professed attempted a sinne ●oe heynous as this against the Church of God had hee not ●in thereunto animated by the fauour and power of the Emperiour Octauian animated by the Emperor to this scisme for there was sufficient proofe that hee was ●estrayned by an oathe of fealtie not to attempt the Popedome In this turbulency of the state Pope Alexander first of ●ll found Palatine Otto and Guido Blanderan the Emperours Embassadors to Pope Adrian though they knewe their Maisters affection to Octauian and his distaste of the Romane Pope yet faynedly dissembling with him These ●hinges thus passing Alexander neuerthelesse with the Counsell of the Cardinales sent his Nuntios with letters to the Emperour beeing then in Lumbardy at the siege of Crema Pope Alexander seeketh the Emperours fauour seeking with all patience and humility to reclayme him who swollen with pride contemned to reade the letters and had not Duke Welphus the Duke of Saxony disswaded him hee had in his madnes hanged the Nun●ios The Emperours conceaued cruelty against the Pope and Cardinales and although at the instance of the Dukes hee admitted them in the end and did reade the letters yet hee afforded them no fauourable answere The relation of this s●ysme thus arysing vpon Adrians death beecause it soe much disturbeth Christendome I translated as I found it 〈◊〉 the Annales of Cardinall Baronius alleaged out of the ●●oke of the vatican what followeth I will abridge Alexander heereupon excommunicated Octauian and all s●ch as should assist him in his counterfet consecration Octauian and his complices excommunicated h●uing giuen them first eyght dayes warning for reformation of their error Hee wrote moreouer his letters to the ●●shop Cleargie and vniuersity of Bononi beeing men 〈◊〉 speciall accompt for vertue and learning and as it is to bee thought to sundry other Churches to declare the truth of his election and Octauians reprobation all which puctually agreeth with the former relation Octauian on the other side beeing instaled in his vsurped place Octauian by letters fortifyes his vsurpation not vntike the diuell who endeauoureth to bee adored as God assuming to himselfe the name of Victor and facing his letters with apparant lyes wrote especially to the Emperour and his inward fauorites as vpon whose power his calling beeing not from God but man hee principally relyed and also to others signifying his election or rather inuasion where vnder a formal showe of sanctity hee flattereth the mighty to compasse his ambitious endes Soe likewise his Cardinals encreased now as it seemed with the number of two more in all fire as the spirits that fell with Lucifer following Octauian sent euery where their circuler letters which to showe they sauoured not God but flesh were especially grounded vpon the league concluded in the tyme of Adrian with the king of Cecill of which beefore and hereupon diuision arysing among the Cardinales was the cause of Alexanders election maintayning by falshoodes what they wrongfully gott Octauians faction in their owne letters confute themselues wherein although they vntruly multiply Octauians Cardinales from two to nyne yet they are enforced to confesse that fowerteene concurred in the choyse of Alexander and soe beeing inferiour not only in vertue but also in number they establish with their owne wordes the truth of Alexanders title which they soe wickedly opposed Count Otto with armes inuadeth the Popes dominion The Cardinalles appeale to the Emperour against Otto For now Otto Count Palantine first of all for the aduancement of Octauian and the Popes ouerthrowe entred violently into Campanie and the Patrimony of saint Peeter seeking to subdue it whereupon the whole colledge of Cardinalles excepting these scysmatickes sued for redresse to the Emperour the cheife fountaine of this mischeife But noe iniustice is soe great as that which is shadowed with a coulour of iustice which the Emperour practised for vnder a pretence of piety to determine this greate controuersy and conclude an vnion The Emperour summoneth Alexāder and Octauiā to a counsell hee summond Pope Alexander and Octauian to a counsell alleaging thereof the examples of Iustinian Theodosius and Charles seruing nothing to his purpose for these Emperours were freindes not foes to the Church as Frederick had now proued himselfe they likewise summoned these Counsells vpon the Popes perswasion or the Pope at the least assenting thereunto but Alexander neyther persuaded nor assented lastly matters were there controuerted not concluded as Alexanders election was Thus Frederick with the Counsell of the impious would haue aduanced Octauian to serue not God but his owne turne Hereupon hee sent his Embassadors the Bishopes of Prage and Verdun with letters to the Pope styling him only Rowland the Chancellor imperiously commanding him and the Cardinales to appeare at a Counsell held at Pauy vpon the Octaues of the Epiphanie to receaue his sentence from the Cleargie there assembled The Emperour summoneth all adiacent kingdomes to appeare at his counsel to bee held at Pauy Hee likewise wrote to all the Bishoppes not only of the Empire but also of France England Spayne and Hungary enioyning them all to bee then and there present to decyde this controuersy the finall sentence whereof in his first letters hee reserued to himselfe but after beeing by some of more vnderstanding better instructed hee left that to the Cleargie In the meane time thinking to make voyd the priuiledge graunted by God vnto his Church and to dispose of the Papacy at his owne pleasure not as an aduocate and defendor but as the supreme iudge of the Church his Embassadors tracing the stepes of their Masters pride came to the Pope at Anagnia The Emperours Embassadors vse no reuerence to the Pope where in the presence of the Cardinalles and a great assembly of the Clergie and Layetie they sate downe giuing him no reuerence at all and there in his pallace deliuered their embassage showing their Lordes commission authorized with his golden seale commanding the Pope and Cardinalles on the Churches beehalfe to appeare at Pauy beefore his presence The Emperour styleth Octauian Pope and Alexāder Rowland the Chācellor Whereupon the Pope and Cardinalles discouered on eyther side apparant dangers heere threatning persecution of a mighty Emperour there the ruine of the Churches liberty againe hee named in his letters Octauian Pope and Alexander but Rowland the Chancellor neuerthelesse in the end the zeale and grace of God dispersing theyr feares they resolued all in defence of the Churches liberty and vnity and for they re obedience to the Pope if occasion were to sacrifice they re liues The Pope and Cardinalles resolue to dye in defence of the Church The Emperours Embassadors instantly vrging them for an answere the Pope sayd That aboue all Princes they would honor the Emperour
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 becaus● 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 cūtrouerted 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 hypoc●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
sinfull counsell tranformed himselfe into an Angel of light sometimes with a pretēce 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 Alexāder was truly preferred by God and his Church ād Octauiā 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 excōmunicated the Pope out of the Church and imitated in all pointes the actiōs of a true counsell but still grating vpō the old quarrell of the league with Cecill against the Empire so was the world euer predomināt Some also pretended the cause of theyr connyuēce or cōsent to this cōuenticle was for an vniō 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 Cōrade 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 iudgmēt against him frō 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 Cittizēs throwne naked out as a prey for Wolues and dogges and his body after diuers abuses offered it in the end stinking ād 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 Tarātasia most cōstant to Alexāder yet honored by Frederick for his sanctity Octauiā 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 Octauiā receaueth his inuestur frō Fredericke The king of Englād cōstant to Alexāder cōtēneth Octauianes Nuntios The Archbishop of Senō 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 Englād ād Cōfessor canonized Whereupō miracles were wrought Miracles wrought by the Archbishop of Tarātasia prouing the lawfull election of Alexander The Archbishop of Tarantasia confirmeth the Catholikes in obedience to the Pope in Italy Burgundy Loraygne S Anthel●● Bishop of Billicēs set●eth the Carthusians ād Cistercians in subiectiō 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
Peeter the renowned and holy Archbishop of Tarantasia beeing sent for by the Pope to strengthen the faythfull in theyr true obedience to the Church Herbert the scysmaticall intruder of the Bishopricke of Chrysopolis seeking to disturb him in his iourney was miraculously stroken and dyed desperately An other tyrant likewise as hee attempted to make a prey of the good man his horse running amayne in the very acte beeing spoyled ouerthrewe him which caused him to beecome a penitent and obtayne pardon both of God and the holy Bishop Many o●her miracles were moreouer shewed in him which together with his admirable vertues labor and preaching not only enforced that feirce Lyon Fredericke to loue him but also confounded the erronious and established the Catholikes beeing imnumerable multitudes in Italy Burgundy and Loraygne In the same sorte saint Anthelme Bishop of Billicens assisted with one Geffery a learned wise and vertuous man soe perswaded the Priors of the Carthusians and Cistercians who amazed knew not which way to take that as now beeing setled by them in the right they with theyr orders especially the Carthusians through out the whole westerne Church were the cheife publishers and defendors of Pope Alexanders cause Neither thus ended the worthy endeauors of sainct Anthelm and Gessery but they diswaded many other Prelates and theyr subiectes from following the wicked scysme of Octauiā and made thē vtterly detest it Whereupon Fredericke desirous still to dispose of the Papacy although hee neyther had power to blesse nor curse condemned saint Anthelm a firme pillar of the Catholicke Church susteyning the strong frame of obedience through Spaine Gaule and Britaygne Alexander neuerthelesse returning to Rome sound Octauians faction soe strengthened with the power of his noble kindred and such as the Emperour had with his vttermost endeauors laboured on his side as hee could haue there no place of cōtinuance wherefore hee departed thence into Campany and all the Patrimony of saint Peeter and the adiacent territoryes about the Citty beeing allmost wholy possest by the Almaynes and scysmatickes hee determined by the aduise of his faythfull Counsellors to goe by sea with his brethren the Cardinalles into France Leauing therefore the Bishop of Prenestyne his vicar and substitute in the Citty ād disposing other thinges necessary for the Church hee with the Cardinalles went to Tarana to take shipping where hee found foure Galleys excellently ordered beeing sent by the King of Cecill to serue him Alexander suffereth shipwracke without losse of life or goodes of any Which hee and the Cardinalles had no sooner boarded but that a horrible tempest aysing with the violēce of the windes waues and rockes shattered thē all to peeces yet heere the successor of S. Peeter obtayned at aboue S. Paule at Malta for God graunted to the Apostle the liues of all the saylors and passingers but to the Apostolike Alexander not only the liues but also the goodes of all that were in the Galleys Neither was Alexander vnthankfull to the King of Cecill for this extraordinary fauor The Archbishop of Tarantasia sent Legate into France to make a peace beetweene France and England Peace concluded for when hee was afterwardes sollicited with great summes of money to haue deposed him as a man not able to weylde the state of a kingdome and to haue placed Amirate Maio as an other Pypin of France in his throne the Pope not only refused it but remayned also to death his constant freind soe the King though otherwise ill was heerein worthie and prouident The Pope notwithstanding this resoluing to goe into France heard the countrey was wonderfully imbroyled by reason of warres lately arysing beetweene the kinges of France and England and therefore sent Peeter Archbishop of Tarantasia to reunite them againe in league Which hee happily accomplished and thereupon ensued that both the kinges in theyr seuerall dominions summoned theyr Bishoppes Abbottes and Barons the king of England at * Nouum Mercatum New-Market in Normandy and the king of France at Bewuoys where they treated and concluded about the receauing of Alexander and reiecting Octauian and because the Emperour neuer ceased to sollicite them to ioyne with him in the acceptance of Octauian some what to satisfy him and make a prefect conclusion of the controuersy they called in one a Counsell of both kingdomes where the scysmaticall Cardinalles Guido and Iohn on the beehalfe of Octauian and Henry of Pisa Alexanders title manifested in a counsell of the Clergie of France and Englād Iohn of Naples and William of Pauy Cardinalles for Pope Alexander appeared Heere Guido in the presence of these kinges and Prelates and that great multitude both of the Clergie and Layetie extended for Octauian the vttermost of his witt and eloquence to whom William of Pauy a singular Orator opening his mouth that was shutt at Pauy replyed and soe retorted his owne argumentes vpon him as hee ouercame him with his owne weapons in the conclusion of which conflicte the victory was soe apparant on Alexanders side as both kinges with theyr subiects acknowledged him euer after their spirituall gouernor and therupon was excōmunication pronounced against the Scysmatickes Thus all beesides the Empire yeelded to Pope Alexander who safely reposeing himselfe in the principality of the king of Cecill expected a conueniente tyme to passe ouer into France hauing thus prepared his way by Peeter Archbishop of Tarantasia a man of that singular humility charity and contempt of the world as had hee not bin disswaded vpon vrgent reasons hee would haue sold his horses and beestowing the money on the poore trauelled on foote But happily hindred The Archbishop of Tarantasias humility ād charity hee was instantly vpon the Popes occasions enforced to vse them in his iourney to France when staying by the way at the Monastery of Pluriack for want of health hee neuerthelesse restored the sicke miraculously to their health and that by the confluence of people flocking to him the prouision of the Religious should not bee wasted The Archbishop of Tarantasias miracles confirming the Popes election hee with the same power multiplied theyr corne and bread where also a knight whose sonne was depriued of sight hoping to recouer by the meritts of the Saint what his child for his owne demeritts had lost carying him towardes the Abbey and meeting by the way with a Catholike who had bread hallowed by the Archbishop applyed some of the crummes thereof to his sonnes eyes whereupon hee did presently see and the father who thought to presse the Saint with his sute did now render God and him humble thanks for this benefit The Gouernor of Corboyle in France hauing a daughter of fiue yeeres old who was borne lame offered the child at the Saintes feete by whose prayer and imposition of his hand shee presently obtayned integrity of her limbes From thence hee passed through Paris with wonderfull expectation of the kinges and princes and exceeding concourse of multitudes of people
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 ●tt●mp●ing 〈◊〉 passe aw●● by seas 〈◊〉 contrary ●indes ●●●●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 commandemēt 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 frō 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 ād 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 dispensatiō may profit there where sharpe correctiō 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
as he bee consecrated This hee condemned 13. If any noble-mā of the kingdome shall powerfully ouerbeare any Archbishop Bishop or Archdeacon in matter of iustice so as hee cannot obtaine the right beelonging to him or his the king ought to make him haue his owne according to iustice And if any one will ouerbeare our Lord the king in clayming his right the Archbishops Bishops and Archdeacons ought to procure his Maiesties iustice that his aduersary may satisfy our Lord the king This hee tollerated 14. When any shall forfeit their chattells vnto the king no Church nor Church-yeard ought to detaine them contrary to his Maiesties iustice beecause bee they found in Churches or otherwise all is one they are his Maiesties This hee tollerated 15. Pleadinges in matter of debt which are grounded vpon oath as well as others which are without oathe shall bee handled in the king's court This hee condemned I thinke beecause periury was punished in the spirituall courte 16. The sonnes of Villanes ought not to take holy orders without assent of their Lordes of whose landes they are knowne to bee natiues This hee tollerated How the Pope proceeded with S. Thomas Which beeing read and considered Pope Alexander as beefore beeing very much troubled turning himselfe to the Archbishop vsed these wordes Allthough brother the offence of you and your associate Bishoppes bee great and enormious yet ought wee to proceede more mildly with you who albeeit as you confesse haue fallen yet presently after with rising agayne endeauored to repaire your ruine and by reason thereof endured many greeuous and terrible wronges and presently vpon your fall remayning as yet in England did seeke and deserue from vs as proceeding from our clemency the benefit of Absolution whereupon as it is conuenient wee pardon your offence to the end you in this your aduersity may soe much the more fully and effectually feele the consolation and grace of our clemency aboue other Ecclesiasticall Persons by how much the more you haue lost worldly commoditys and sustayned greater afflictions for the liberty of the Church your faith and deuotion towardes vs. And thus the Apostolicke Prelate first rebukeing with a fatherly seuerity and then recomforting with the sweetenes of a motherly consolation dismissed for that time the Archbishop Soe is the matter there discribed But an other speech far differing from this heere recyted and supposed to bee made by sainct Thomas to Pope Alexander is rehearsed in the fore mentioned volume of Epistles Lib. 1. Epist 30. Then our Author preceedeth The morrow after the Archbishop beeing present with my Lord the Pope and the Cardinalls sittting in a withdrawing chamber vsed these wordes My fathers and lordes S. Thomas resigneth his Archbishopprick before the Pope it is vnlawfull for a man to speake vntruly any where much more before God and in your presence wherefore with teares I confesse that my miserable offence was the originall of these agreeuances to the Church of England I ascended into the fould of Christ but not by the true dore as a person not called by Cannonicall election but intruded by the terror of publick authority and although I vndertooke this burden against my minde neuerthelesse the will of man and not of God induced mee thereunto What wonder then if thinges succeeded contrary to my expectation But if I had vpon the kinges threateninges as my associate Bishoppes instantly persuaded mee renounced at the Princes pleasure and desire the prerogatiue of the Episcopal power soe granted mee I had left to the Catholike Church a pernicious example I differred it therefore vntill I came before your presence but now acknowledging myne entrāce not to bee Cannonicall and fearing therefore my departure will fall out to bee farre worser perceauing also my ability too weake for vndergoeing soe great a charge least I proue to bee preferred ouer my flocke for their ruine ouer whom I am placed howsoeuer for a Pastor into your handes ô holy father into your handes I say I resigne the Archbishoppricke of Canterbury And pulling withall his ring from his finger hee humbly beesought a fit Bishop might bee prouided worthie of that Church in reguard that hee hauing the name of a Pastor proformed not the office of a Pastor And finishing his speech he inforced my Lord the Pope and all present to like sorrowe yea what man hearing this can abstayne from lamentation The Archbishop afterwardes departing asyde together with his followers who were scandalized at his wordes beecause in reguard heereof they began to dispaire My lord the Pope did heereupon enter into conference with the Cardinalls the matter beeing on both sides through sundry opinions diuersly discussed Some thought occasion beeing thus offered the Kinges indignation might bee more easily appeased while the Church of Canterbury by the election of an other Bishop might bee reconcyled to his fauour and sainct Thomas otherwise prouided with more competent meanes These were the Pharisees soe the Author termeth the aduersaryes of S. Thomas Others whose eyes were opened iudged otherwise saying That if hee who for defence of the Churches liberty exposed to imminent hazard and danger not only his riches and glory with dignity and authority but also his very life should at the kinges pleasure bee depriued of his right as hee should bee made a patterne to others in like case for resisting of Princes if the tytle of his iuste cause were mayntayned intire soe on the other side were hee suffered to fall all other Bishopes would fall after him and none in time to come dare to resist the power of willfull Princes whereby the state of the Church would stagger and the Popes authority perish and therefore say they it is expedient that this man although vnwilling should bee restored to his sea and hee who fighteth for vs by all meanes succoured This sentence was approued by all the Pharisies only excepted The Pope restoreth to S. Thomas his resigned Archbishoppricke Saint Thomas with his followers beeing called in my Lord the Pope thus deliuered his sentence Now at length Brother appeareth to vs the zeale you haue had and doe as yet still continew for the house of our Lord with how sincere a conscience you haue opposed your selfe as a bullwarke against her aduersaries how pure a confession you haue made of your entry into your function making a voluntarie resignation whereby the fault of the offence may and ought to bee purged Now may you securely receaue an w from our handes the charge of your Pontifi●all authority wee adiudging you to bee intirely restored and out of all doubt worthily whom wee knowe to bee a man approoued with manifold kindes of temptations a person prouident and discreete beeloued of God and man faithfull in all thinges to vs and the sacred Church of Rome And as you haue bin made a partaker and vndeuided associate in our persecution soe by Gods grace can wee neuer in any thing bee wanting to you as long as the
Saintes recounteth his charitable benignity Thus fare Peeter who although hee were the king's faithfull seruante yet seeking rather the honor of God then men omitted not as much as in him lay to defend vnder hand the cause of saint Thomas AN. DOM. 1165. Now followeth the yeere of our Lord 1165. with the xv Indiction according to times computation An Embassage to the Pope from mawde the Empresse in the beeginning whereof an Ambassag was sent from Mawde the Empresse mother of Henry king of England to Pope Alexander wherin shee beesought his Holines to ioyne in league the kinges of France and England which if hee could accomplish a peace was likely to ensue beetweene the king of England and saint Thomas When Iohn of Salisbury who was resident in Alexanders courte had notice heereof hee certifyd saint Thomas thereof by letter beeginning thus When as lately I sollicited my Lord the Pope incouraging him and carefully insinuating a way which meethought I vnderstood for reducing to him and you the tranquillity of peace hee answered that hee conceaued a hope of peace from wordes of the Empresse who vpon a vowe sent then the Abbot of saint Martyrs thither promising the king of England could easily bee perswaded to what soeuer my Lord desired if his Holines would as hath bin long wished confederate the two kinges wherein beecause my Lord the Pope is forward the king of France as surely it semeeth will easily inclyne vpon the Popes conference with the kinges and that his Holines had allready inuited the king of France to keepe the feast of the Purification with him Thus far concerning the conceaued hope of Peace and added moreouer That hee spoake with the king of France whom hee found very fearefull least vpon such occasion hee should bee withdrawne from the communion of the Church of Rome and leauing Pope Alexander cleaue to the scysmaticall faction These thinges thus signifyed Salisbury beeseecheth saint Thomas to employ himselfe rather in prayer then the study of learning from whose letters receaue these notes which in Quadrilogus are recyted out of Herebert concerning sainct Thomas while hee remayned as yet in the Monastery of Pontiniacke hee was so much affected to the reading of holy scriptures as daily after the Cānonicall houres the sacred bookes were scarce euer out of his handes whereupon by reason of his loue to the Scriptures and labour employed therein hee did in shorte tyme soe profit as most often in the nice and obscurest sentences hee excelled his instructors themselues moreouer hee bestowed his life in studying the Ecclesiasticall Cannons which endeauours of his in these dangerous tymes were no whit pleasing to Iohn of Salisbury whom saint Thomas held in no smale estimation as well in reguard of his singuler honesty as also his learning who confident of his credit with this saint admonisheth him in the same letters of these thinges worthie remēbrance saying My counsel my desire my instant intreaty is that you wholly conuert your mynd vnto our Lord Cod Vat. lib. 1. Ep. 31. and the suffrages of prayers beecause as it is written in the Prouerbes the name of our Lord is the strongest tower whereunto if any man flye Prouerb 18. hee shall bee deliuered out of all extremities Put of in the meane time as much as you may all other businesses The ptofitable admonition of à friend to S. Thomas beecause allthough they seeme maruilous necessary yet what I perswade you is more highly to bee preferd in regarde it is farre more necessary The lawes and Cannons ef the Church doe profit but beelieue mee this other woorke is now of more importance those ornamentes are not sutable to this season for they are not soe much the procurers of deuotion as of curiosity Doe you not remember how in the distresse of the people as it is written the Preists and Ministers poured out their teares beetweene the porch and the Altar Ioel. 2● Psal 76. ibidem saying Spare ô Lord spare thy people I was exercised sayd the Prophet and I sweeped my spirit in the day of tribulation seeking our Lord with my handes Which teach vs that spirituall excercise with cleansing and examination of the conscience turneth away the scourge and obtaineth the mercy of God Who riseth with compunction from perusing the lawes and Cannons Nay I say more these exercises in schooles doe sometimes puffe vp knowledge to swell in pride but seldome or neuer inflame vs with deuotion I had rather you would meditate on the Psalmes and spend your life in saint Gregorie's Moralles then beecome a Philosopher after the Scholastical fashyon it is farre better to confer with aspirituall father for amendment of manners by whose example you may bee incensed then to sifte and discusse pointes of controuersies appertayning to secular literature our Lord knoweth with what intent with what deuotion I suggest these thinges Accept them as you please but if you performe this God will euer assist you that you shall neuer haue cause to feare what soeuer man deuiseth against you our Lord seeth that in these instant streightes of afflictions wee are not to hope as I thinke in any mortal creature c. Thus Iohn aduised saint Thomas very conueniently In the meane time S. Thomas oppressed with extreme afflictiōs although absent yet with letters doth prosecute his busines writing as well to the king of England as also to the Bishoppes who ought to exhorte and admonish their Prince To the king hee directed these letters which Roger in his Cronicle deliuereth in these wordes To his Dread Soueraigne Lord Henry by the grace of God the famous king of England Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine and Eearle of Anioue Thomas by the same grace the humble seruāt of the Chuch of Canterbury The letter of S. Tomas to the king of England sendeth greeting and all wishes of well-doinge To speake of God is the parte of a free and well quieted mynde which causeth mee soe to speake to my Lord And I would wee might treate peaceably I humbly beeseech you my Lord to endure with patience some litle admonition concurring with the grace of God which was neuer voyd for the saluation of your soule and deliuery of myne I am on all sides beeset with extremityes for tribulation and perplexities haue found mee in the midst of two most weyghty and fearefull matters plunged I say beetwene these two important thinges dreaded silence and Admonition Let mee cease to speake death is then threatened mee nor can I auoyd the hand of our Lord saying If thou shalt not showe the offendor his fault and hee thereby dyeth in his sinne Ezech. 3. I will require his blood at thy bandes On the other side let mee admonish I see not how to eschewe which God forbid my Soueraignes indignation fearing moreouer least that should beefall which the wise man foretould saying when hee who pleaseth not commeth or sendeth to make intercession or motion it is to bee
darke clowdes of his speech Thus did saint Thomas write to the Pope Whereupon saith Alan my lord the Pope modestly answering the kinge affirmed how it was neuer in any age heard that the Church of Rome at the command of any Prince whatsoeuer forbad any person her presence especially beeing banished for the cause of iustice But that it was a priuiledg authority granted from aboue to the Apostolike Sea to succour the exiled oppressed yea from the fury of their soueraignes the violent rage of their malitious enemys The Embassadors therfore repining departed to deliuer this message to their king and my lord the Pope determining to returne to Rome vndertooke his iourney Thus Alan whom saint Thomas followed as far as Bituricum where taking leaue receauing his blessing hee departed backe to Pontiniake neuer after seeing Pope Alexander in this world AN. DOM. 1166. The yeere 1166. ensueth and the 14. indiction When Frederick the Emperour seeing the prosperitie of the Catholicke Pope Alexander daily more and more to encrease and that his holines was now peaceable setled in Rome beeing enraged with anger and enuie commanded a Conuentickle in Witemberge otherwise called Herbolis at the feast of Penticost where hee meant with his Bishops and Princes to assemble for cōfirming the power of this Antipope Guido Wherefore the king of England beeing by the Emperour inuited to this scysme beecause experience taught him that Pope Alexander inclined to the parte of saint Thomas taking aduantage of this fit oportunitie for his excuse sent an ambassage vnto the Citty to Pope Alexander determining if hee refused to yeeld to his demands then to fall off from him to Guido for the better accomplishment whereof hee wrote these letters to the Archbishop of Colen the cheife ring-leader of the scysmatickes for procurring a safe conduct for his Embassadours I haue long since desired to find out some iust occasion for leauing the parte of Pope Alexander and his vnfaithfull Cardinalls whoe presume to maintaine that Traytor Thomas sometimes Archbishop of Canterbury against mee whereupon by the aduice of all my Barons and consent of the Clergie intending now to send to Rome men of great accompt in my kingdome namely the Archbishop of Yorke the Bishop of London the Archdeacon of Poyters Iohn of Oxenford and Richard de Lucy who openly and manifestly on the beehalfe of my selfe and my whole kingdome with all other landes vnder my dominion shall propound and denounce to Pope Alexander and his Cardinalls that they shall no longer defend my Traytor but soe absolutely discharge and free mee of him as I with the counsail of my Clergie may establish an other in the Church of Canterburie and shall moreouer require that they reuoke and make voyd whatsoeuer Thomas hath done and likewise demand that the Pope in their presence cause it to bee sworne publickly that hee and his successors shall conserue for euer as far as to them appertaineth to mee and all my successors the royall customes of Henry my grandfather inuiolable and vntouched and if by chance they will gainsay any one of my demandes that then neither I nor my Barons nor yet my Clergie will euer heereafter yeeld him any obedience yea wee will openly withstand him and his and whosoeuer vnder my gouermēt shall bee found heereafter to follow his parte shall bee banished out of my kingdome I entreate you as my dearest frend all excuses set aparte to send mee speedily brother Ernold or brother Randulph of the hospitall of saint Iohn whon may on the beehalfe of the Emperour and your selfe giue safe conduct to the afore said Embassadors as well in their goeing as returne through the Emperour's dominion This was the kinges letter An Embassage was also sent to Pope Alexander which London and Oxford only executed But soe far was Pope Alexander from beeing any way moued either by the terrors of the kinges thundering letters or other threates vttered by the Embassadors in the kinges name as hauinge rebuked their rashnes hee returned to the king himselfe againe an answer fraughte with sharpe reprehension wherewith beeing terrifyd hee desisted from his wicked intention and gaue therfore great thankes to his Holines promising heereafter to obey euer readily in all thinges whereof the Bishops of England in their epistle sent the next yeere to Pope Alexander are apparant witnesses which afterwards in place conuenient wee determine to declare Meane while sayth our Author Colen requireth the Emperors aduise in what sorte hee should āswer the king of England whereunto the Emperor replyeth that hee ought to satisfy the kinges desire in reguard with how much the more solemnity this matter is accomplished soe much the greater shall bee the Popes confussion if hee condescendeth to the kinges request and it may bee that secretly by some one of the Temple or Hospital or any other whom they could not preuent the king by corruption of money may otherwise obtayne the same Wherefore brother Randolph of the Hospitall was addressed to the king of England who safely conducted the Embassadors whom the king intended to send to the courte of his Holines through the Emperors dominion Thus much there But soe it beefell that the same Embassadors came first into Germany where they were present at the Conuentickle of Witemberge but what matters were there handled the letters patents of Fredericke the Emperor dated at that place declare where among other thinges is thus written of this Embassage Moreouer the honorable Embassadors of our renowned freind the king of England directed from him to vs Cod. Vat. Epist 70. did on the beehalfe of the same king in the presence of the whole court vpon the reliques of Saintes make their publicke oath to vs that the king himselfe together with all his kingdome should continew faithfull to our side and ioyning with vs should euer defend the Lord Pascall whose parte wee take and neuer heereafter intermedle in mayntaining Rowland the Schysmaticke Beccause also wee who haue euer hitherto bin ready to abyde the examinatiō of the vprighteousnes of our cause which the aduersaries of the Church of God and vs bee it either out of their pride or the distrust of their cause haue auoyded are now by reason of their manifest obstinacy compelled to vnacustomed oathes Let therefore heereafter euery man and estate carefully eschew the Communion of Scyfmatickes for their fury allthough it hath seemed hitherto in some sorte pardonable it will heereafter bee alltogether intollerable c. Moreouer in an other letter written by one affected to Pope Alexander is sayd That Fredericke the Emperor gloryeth in the assistance of the king of England whose Embassadors were sworne to the parte of the Antipope c. In an other place likwise Fredericke Couloreth his busines with false prophesies that Pope Alexander should bee taken captiue whereunto not only the vulgar sorte but the king of England expecting the euent hath allmost giuen credit c. And out of Salisbury The
which the world witnesseth wee neuer deserued at his handes malitiously to depraue and derogate from vs and our renowne But if the sayd Archbishoppe as of his owne accord hee departed the land soe of his owne free will would returne againe and beare him selfe to vs in such sort as he ought to behaue himselfe to his Lord and king wee then would likewise so deale with him as according to the counsell of our Clergie and Layetie as well of our kingdome as our Prouinces beeyond the seas should bee thought conuenient but wee thinke it vnfitting to call him backe whom wee neuer enforced to flye our dominions Wherefore if it ●●all appeare to vs that wee haue any way offended or exceeded our boundes wee will with the aduice of our Clergie and Barons according to the customes dignityes and excellency of our kingdome willingly satisfy as wee are bound But if any one will attempt to trouble or diminish the lawes customes and dignityes of our crowne wee will esteeme him the publicke aduersary and open enemy of our name honor and kingdome and wee so long as wee liue will neuer endure the least detriment to the dignityes and customes of our regality which the renowned men our Predecessors haue held and inioyed in the raignes of the holy Popes of Rome Lastly in that hee commanded yee to insinuate vnto vs that wee should not afflict the Churches or Ecclesiasticall persons of our kindome or Prouinces nor yet suffer them to bee afflicted God and our Conscience doe witnes that to this very day wee neuer did nor Permitted it to bee donne Hetherto the kinges Apologie to the Cardinalls But as the image of a foule deformed and horrible Monster beeing ouercast with coulors may bee transformed into the showe of a most faire and chaste Virgin and not with standing there lurketh vnderneath what to the eyes would bee dreadfull to beehould yet outwardly it appeareth delectable Soe shall yee playnly see his detestable crymes with a deceytfull style transformed into vertues But what estimation is to bee had of him that which hath allready bin sayd and what heereafter shall bee written will apparently declare There are also other letters extant which passed this yeere in the cause of controuersy beetwene the king of England and sainct Thomas beeing writings truly of great moment and principaly that which Pope Alexander sent to the Bishop of London and is recyted by Roger in these words Alexander Bishop seruant of the seruantes of God to his reuerent brother Gilbert Bishop of London sendeth greeting with an Apostolicall Benediction In that you haue beestowed singular care and diligence about the busines wee enioyned your brotherhood and for that your haue faithfully sollicited and effectually admonished our most deare sonne in Christ Henry the renowned king of England concerning the encrease and exaltation of the Church and vs wee receaue the same as a thing most gratefull and acceptable and thereupon rendring you abundance of thankes wee doe for that cause highly commend and prayse in our Lord your watchfull and endeauouring wisedome And beecause wee loue with a more intire charity this your king as a famous Prince and our dearest sonne therefore wee haue thought good often yea very often to sollicyte and excite him by all meanes to deuotion towards the Church as well by your reuerent brethren the Archbishop of Roane and Bishop of Hereforde and also by our most deare daughter in Christ his mother sometymes the illustrous Empres of Rome And now reioyce and are greatly comforted in our Lord for the godly zeale of the same king signifyed to vs by your letters But beecause wee would haue him as intirely affected to the Church of God and to vs as in the beeginning her was accustomed to bee wee intreate admonish yea command your brotherhood that you will againe and againe both by your selfe and others carefully and diligently stirre vp exhorte and by all meanes perswade him to procure after his wonted manner with his best endeauors the honor and exaltation of the same Church and foster mayntaine and defend with all courage the cause therof that hee would loue and reuerence Churches and Ecclesiasticall persons and conserue their rightes and franchises Likewise that hee would restore to his grace and fauour our reuerent brother the Archbishop of Canterbury and for our parte if hee yeeld to sainct Peeter and vs the respect and honor which heeretofore hee hath done wee will loue him with a most tender affection and labour by all meanes as beeseemeth vs to magnify and aduance him and preserue the kingdome committed to his charge for wee had rather vanquish him with patience and mildnes then any way agreeue him soe long vs wee can possibly forbeare him Dated at Gradus Mercurii XI Kalend. Septemb. Thus wrote Alexander to the Bishop of London who in this manner answered him To his father and Lord the most high Bishop Alexander Brother Gilbert seruant of the Church of London sendeth his dutifull seruice of sincere charity and humble obedience Hauing receaued most deere father in Christ your commandement with dew reuerence wee instantly heard that your sonne our most beeloued soueraigne Lord was leading his army in the confines of France and taking with vs our venerable Brother Robert Bishop of Hereford according to your direction with all attentiue dilligence wee treated with him and laying beefore his eyes whatsoeuer you signifyed to vs by letter partly entreating and as far as beecame subiects to the Maiestie of their king also reprouing wee constantly and instantly perswaded him that hee would bee certifyed in all these pointes and if hee had swarued from the path of reason hee would returne to the way of truth and iustice beeing called backe by your admonition deliuered him by our mouth and beeing piously aduertised by his father 〈◊〉 absolutly desist from wicked actions loue God wit● a pure harte respect his Mother the holy Church of R●●e with his wonted reuerence and neuer forbid those wh● were willing to visit her nor hinder appeales made vnto her and reducing charitably from exile our father the Lord of Canterbury hee would remayne constant and vnmoueable in the obedience of sainct Peeter and your Holines and wholy bent to the workes of deuotion would not any way afflict Churches or Ecclesiasticall persons of his kingdome or dominions nor suffer them to bee in any sorte iniured by himselfe or others but with loue defend them vnder his royall protection that hee by whom kinges doe raigne may in this world prosper his temporal Dominion and beestowe on him in heauen an eternall kingdome Otherwise if hee obeyed not your godly and wholsome admonitions your Holines who had hetherto with patience indured could no longer contayne your selfe within the compasse thereof Heereunto wee added that hee was iustly to feare least if hee corrected not his offences hee shoulde shortly incurre the wrath of Allmighty God through which his kingdome would not long continewe nor his bee
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
these his disorders To the end therefore most blessed father the authority of the Apostolicke Sea and liberty of the Church of God which in our partes are allmost wholy perished may howsoeuer bee againe able to bee restored it is necessary and by all meanes expedient that what wee haue do●● may by you bee absolutely ratifyed and with your letters confirmed And soe wee wish your Holines long to prosper and flourish The reason why saint Thomas did not excommunicate the king which hee was prepared now to doe and was of the king soe much feared is thus declared by Iohn of Salisbury in his Epistle to the Bishop of Exceter Hauing lately assembled to a counsell at Chynon his peeres and familiars who are knowne to haue the sleyght and practise for contriuing mischeefes and are wise to deuise and effecte wickednes hee carefuly inquired many wayes with forerunning threates protestations what w●re best to bee aduised to preiudice the Church greeuously complayning not without groanes and many sighes yea very teares as the standers by reported of the Archbishop of Canterbury saying that Canterbury would depriue him both of body and soule in the end hee affirmed they were all traytors who would not with their vttermost endeauors and diligence seeke to deliuer him from the molestation of this one man Heereupō my Lord of Roane was somewhat moued in regard of these wordes reprouing him but mildy according to his fashion in the spiritt of lenity whereas the cause of Allmighty God required rather the spirit of seuerity ād the authority of à Bishop to bee applyed to his wound who languisheth both in reason and in faith for the greife was the greater by the pressure of the feare conceaued out of the letters written by Canterbury to him and his mother the coppies wherof are sent you for hee feard and not without cause least by the authority and commandement of the Popes holines the sentence of Interdiction should bee instantly pronounced against his land and the like of Accursing against his person Caught therfore in these streyghtes the Bishop of Lexouin sayd there remayned one remedy which was to stay this sentence now ready to strike him with the barre of Appeale So I knowe not how but that truth the more it is resisted the more it excelleth and iustice the more resisted the more preuayleth While the king endeauored by his ancient customes to ouerthrowe Appeales added greater strength vnto them beeing himselfe for his owne safegard constrayned to flye to the refuge of Appeales And therefore from this Parliament as from the face of God and their king were dispatched in all haste the Bishop of Lexouine and likewise Sagien to the often named Lord of Canterbury to the end that by the interposition of an Appeale they might suspend the sentence vntill the Octaues of Easter The Archbishop of Roane vndertooke this iorney also with them not as an Appealant as hee professed but as mediator for peace a thing hee much desired But our Archbishop beeing euen now in hand to deliuer this sentence trauelled to the citty of Swesson to the end hee might there commend the care of this controuersy by prayers to our Blessed lady whose memory is there renowned to saint Drausius The Pilgrimage of S. Thomas to Swisson vnto whom men in their fightes haue refuge and to saint Gregory the Apostle of the Church of England who lyeth in the same towne intombed saint Drausius is a most glorious Confessor who as they of France and Loraigne beelieue maketh the Champions that watch and pray all night at his reliques inuincible soe as both out of Burgundy and Italy men in such necessityes haue recourse vnto him For Robert de Mount-forte beeing to incounter with Henry of Essex vsed there the same deuotion wherefore by this chance through the worke of Allmighty God was made frustrate the di●●nt exployte of these king-pleasing Bishoppes beecause comming to Pontiniake they found not the Archbishop whom they should appeale but deluded of their purpose they returned with complaynte that they beestowed their money and trauell and profited nothing The Archbishop hauing watched three days nightes before the reliques of these Saintes the morrow after the Ascension hastened his iourney towardes Vizelliac to the end that there hee might on Whitsonday proceede to the sentence of Accursing against the king and his adherents But by the prouidence of God it hapned beeing in the Church at Regitane the fryday before the same feast it was reported to him as a thing most certayne that the king of England was taken with a desperate sicknes soe as hee could not come to a Parlee with the king of France beeing a matter hee greatly desired and deerely purchased but was enforced to send Richard de Poyters and Richard de Humec to make his excuse who proferd by oath to auerre this the cause of his absence by reason therefore of this beeing deliuered to the Archbishop by a Messinger from the king of France hee deferred the denouncing of this sentence against the king Thus far Iohn of Salusbury concerning the delay of this sentence against the king Then hee proceedeth to speake of the excommunication of them whom wee reade to bee specifyed by name in the letters to the Bishoppe of London and of the accursed customes there condemned by him and how with other letters yet againe hee sent his last and peremptory admonition vnto the king But for the king sayth Salisbury whom hee had beefore as well by letters as Messingers with respect of his regality according to the customes of 〈◊〉 Church inuited to satisfaction hee summoned 〈◊〉 now with a publick citation to the fruites of p●●nance threatening hee would shortly pronounce against him the sentence of excommunication vnles hee reformed his abuses and made satisfaction for these soe greate and wicked attempts against the Church which neuertheles hee would not doe but by constraynte against his will neither was any of his seruantes inclyning to bee the Messinger of his sentence as yet suspended saint Thomas in his Epistle to Pope Alexander writeth thus Wee haue not yet pronounced our sentence on the kings person Cod. Vat. lib 1. Epist 138. but it may bee wee will doe it vnles hee conuerteth his errors and vpon these our admonitions embraceth discipline Thus much saint Thomas Cod. Vat. lib. 1. Epist 116. But how the king dreading this interposed an Appeale is declrared in a letter written by Iohn of Salisbury to the Bishop of Excester where hee beeginneth from the Appeale of the Bishops in this sorte How as touching the publicke estate this was afterwardes diuulged by the affirmation of many how all the Bishoppes of England assembled by the kinges commandement The Bishops interpose an Appeale to the end the sentence promulged by my Lord the Pope might not take place they appealed against their Archbishop who for their safety and the liberty of the Church was neither ashamed nor afrayd to expose his
him to bee determined by your discretion resoluing without farther obstacle of Appealation to establish whatsomeuer you shall therin Cannonically doe And the Pope likewise wrote to all the Bishoppes in england in these wordes Epistola 1.9 The Pope in these letters restrayneth the Bishoppes of England Allthough by the obligation of our office wee are bound to haue a care and bee watchfull for vphoulding the right of all sortes in perfect integrity yet notwithstanding in mayntenance of their iustice who are chosen by our Lord to vndergoe a parte of the charge committed to vs wee ought in how much they are more eminent aboue others in their authority soe much the more to reflect vppon them to prouide with greater dilligence for them and haue an especialleye ouer them Guyded therefore with this reason wee charge and command yee and in the vertue of obedience by our Apostolicall letters inioyne your brotherhood that yee presume not in any case neither yet any way attempt vpon occasion of the Appeale which yee haue made vnto vs against our reuerent Brother the Archbishop of Canterbury to intermedle in any thing knowne to appertayne to the rightes dignityes and libertyes of the Church of Canterbury without his assent and priuity And if any of yee shall vnder any coluor whatsomeuer dare to breake this our commandement wee will by the grace of God endeauor to punish him soe seuearely as hee shall learne by the paine inflicted on him how dangerous it is to violate the Apostolicall Mandates Dated at Lateran 5. Kalend. Februarij But the king fearing as yet to bee excommunicated or to haue his Realme subiect to interdiction by Saint Thomas after hee had interposed as wee see such as it was this Appeale hee directed to Pope Alexander an Embassage not soe much to prosecute the Appeale as to obtayne of his Holines an other legantine authority to the end hee might thereby weaken and infringe the sinewes of the power giuen to Saint Thomas and for the vndergoing of the busines hee desired of the Pope that a certayne Legate might bee sent him which was William Cardinall of Papia of the Tytell of Saint Peter ad vincula whom hee might haue as his intire freind To manage alsoe this matter the king made choyse of his Chaplaine who as wee lately sayde was excommunicated by Saint Thomas because hee made oath to the Archbishop of Colen for maintayning the Scysmaticall Pope wee meane Iohn of Oxeforde with whom were others also ioyned Associates in authority but in what sorte they proceeded with Pope Alexander heerein wee shall heereafter in place conuenient declare Codic Vat. lib 1. Epist 139. The king after this Appeale made as saith Salisbury sent then a Messanger into England for he● remayned at this tyme in Normandy with letters for guarding the sea coastes dealing also with the Abbott of the Cistercians against Saint Thomas for expelling him out of the Monastery of Pontiniake who since hee continewed there two yeeres as the Authors in his life declare must needes bee sayd this yeere to haue bin banished thence for the recyted letters testify that till this yeere hee remayned there William likewise in Quadrilogus rehearseth how hee aboade two whole yeeres in that place and soe wee see hee entred first into that Abbey in the yeere of our Lord 1164. But how foule a scandall it was in the eyes of all good men to see soe greate a guest soe banished the sayd wryter sheweth at large and addeth that Lewes the kinge of France receauing tydinges thereof by letters from Saint Thomas exclamyng publickly sayd O Religion ô Religion where art thou Loe the men whom wee esteemed as dead to the world feare yet the ruines of the same world and for the fraile temporal trash which they profess to contemne for our Lord flye off from the worke which God himself hath commanded casting out of their house this man exiled for Gods cause Moreouer hee telleth vs how Saint Thomas was then entertayned by the king of France assigning him Senon to dwell in And at that tyme as the same Author reporteth it fell out that God reuealed to Saint Thomas in a vision his Martyrdome Saint Thomas afterwardes not to let shippe any thing appertayning to his office whereas hee had beefore with censures terrifyed and troubled the king now againe hee indeauored to quiet and pacify his mynde with more pleasing letters indyted in this sorte To his most beeloued Lord Henry by the grace of God King of England Duke of Normandy and Earle of Anioue Thomas by the same grace the humble seruāt of the Church of Canterbury wisheth health and all times perseuerance in goodnes with worthy resistance of all malicious suggestions Our speech to you shall bee shorte Cod. Vat. lib. 1. epist 66. least in abundance of wordes wee become ouer tedious would to God wee were more acceptable to you as to our most beeloued Lord hee knoweth this who is the searcher of hartes whatsoeuer is otherwise and falsly muttered and murmured against vs by your enemyes yea rightly and truly rather yours then ours Wee exhorte you therfore agayne on the beehalfe of Allmighty God and adiure you in the vertue in the Holy Ghost and require you for the remission of your sinnes that you make restitution sinceerly of your grace with assured peace and good security to to vs and ours and the like to the Church of Canterbury in such fullnes and liberty as our Predecessors and wee alsoe since our entrance into our Archbishoppricke haue more amply and freely enioyed the same with all the possessions Churches and prebendaryes appertayning thereunto which haue remayned voyde since the first breaking out of the discord beetweene you and vs and ours and that wee may vse and possesse the same vnder your dominion as our predecessors haue in better and more worthy sorte heeretofore done and wee alsoe since our preferment to this same Sea whereby the Church may iustly reioyce in our returne which hath for many causes to the danger of both our soules as wee beeleiue soe long wanted our presence and ought truly to lament the discommodity incurred by our absence Performe this gratious Lord with a ioyfull and pacifyed mynde that God may graunt and restore to you the peace which your harte desireth with the saluation of your soule and the soules of the people committed by our Lord to your charge and wee truly on the other syde are and will bee euer ready to doe you all seruice with more feruor and deuotion then euer heretofore so long as wee neither offend God nor violate our order thereby Concerning the goods taken away from the Church of Canterbury from vs and ours wee constantly affirme to you before God and the whole world yea were his diuine Maiestie heere present that by no meanes nor reason can the sinne bee forgiuen vnles what is vniustly taken away bee againe restored if hee who tooke it or caused it to bee taken
shortly speake against his immoderate proceedinges And thus far Iohn for this yeere but after this ensued a wonderfull mutation of matters For in the meane tyme the king of England misledde with most wicked connsell that hee might auoide the sentence of Excommunication thus threatening him searcheth out new remedys inuenting other sutle and more potent deuices which was to addresse an other embassage and send an other Sinon to Rome to deceaue Alexander with vntrue oathes and corrupt as hee could the Cardinals with money To set this sinne abroach is chosen the worst of men periured excommunicated Iohn of Oxeforde the vsurper of a Deanry as beefore is mentioned who furnished with lyes and false promises and also with gould might ouerthrowe the whole iudgment and recall Pope Alexander from pronouncing his sentences of excommunication and interdiction beeguyling him with pretended promises of peace and absolute restitution of all the Churches priuiledges inuaded by the king Pope Alexander gaue credit to this Embassadors oathe suspended his iudgment allready beegun and determined the legation desired for effecting this busines But allthough hee designed according to the kings request William of Papia Preist Cardinall of the tytle of Saint Peeter ad Vincula whom hee esteemed most conuenient to moue the king his affected freind for composing a peace betweene him and Saint Thomas neuertheles because this Cardinall in regarde of the kinges fauor might growe into some suspicion with the contrary parte hee ioyneth with him for an associate a man of singular integrity very much renowned in the Church of Rome and passing well knowne through the whole Christian world for his vertuous life Otto I meane Deacon Cardinall of saint Nicholas in carcere Tulliano who if occasion were might with his worthynes restrayne the other and confine him within the stricte boundes of iustice But allthough Pope Alexander proceeded thus warely in sending his Legates notwithstanding this which might seeme soe passing commendable by reason of the false reportes forerunning the Legates appeared to the credulous as a matter not beeseeminge such a singular Pope in soe much as all as well by wordes as wrytinges exclaymed against him yea his very freindes and those most forward for the Catholicke cause but how vniustly will bee easily perceaued by this Popes letters which shall heereafter bee recyted yet how beefore this was throughly vnderstood the tongues of men yea of the wise were let loose against him you shall see by what next ensueth and thereby learne how euery one yea though most holy is sett vp as a marke and as well his freinds as foes will sometymes shoote at him the arrowes of detraction For heare what the Champion of the Ecclehasticall liberty and defender of the lawes of the Roman Church spoake though sincerely yet bitterly Thomas I say the Archbishop of Canterbury when Iohn of Oxeforde in his returne from the Citty into England euery where boasted that hee had obtayned of Pope Alexander as well for the king as himselfe whatsomeuer hee desired intermingling many falshoodes with truthes concerning the authority conferred in the king which beeinge blazed abroade and beelieued Saint Thomas as one oppressed with exceeding sorrowe did thus wryte to Iohn a man of his owne Prouince Thomas by the grace of God the humble seruante of the Church of Canterbury to Iohn of Canterbury sendeth greetinge Cod. Vat. lib. 1. epist 164. How wee are made a reproach to our neighbors and a scorne and scoffe not only to them who are round about but also allmost to all the people of both kingdomes as well France as England and it may bee to those likewise of the empyre and what fame I say not infamy and scandall rangeth vp and downe thorough the eares and mouthes of all men against our lord the Pope beeing to vs a greater cause of greife God hee knoweth then that of our owne person with a slaunder to the whole Courte raysed by those who rage and insulte and cast irreuocable dartes of disgrace against them you may some what see out of this that followeth and secretly intimate the same to our Lord the Pope and our freindes if as yet perchance wee haue any Hee addeth thereunto what by faithfull reporte hee lately heard out of England saying Beehould Iohn of Oxeforde and other the kinges Embassadors returned lately from the courte extolling themselues aboue all whatsoeuer is called or honored as God vaunting they had obtayned of the courte all they desired that is to say concerning the band of excommunication how the king was exempted from the authority of all Bishoppes excepting only that of the Pope and his Maiestie should haue the Legate hee requested I meane William of Pauy our inueterate enemy with ample power ouer all the kinges dominions to buyld and plant and especially to pull out and pluck vp by the rootes without euer any remedy of Appeale but aboue all to decyde the controuersy now gtowne beetweene the king and vs with all matters whatsoeuer incident thereunto without any exception of preiudice as it is sayd which may herafter happen And with this pomp and pryde returned Iohn of Oxeforde into England and landing in a certayne hauen there hee found our Brother the Bishop of Hereforde expecting yet secretly a prosperious winde to passe ouer daring not openly to attempt it beeing forbidden by the kinges officers on his Maiesties beehalfe by vertue of his letters and finding him Oxeforde first commanded him in the kinges name and then in the Popes that hee should not crosse the seas the Bishop asking as his messinger comming afterwarde to excuse his lord deliuered to vs whether hee had the Popes letters to warrant this hee answered yea and that our Lord the Pope did thereby forbid both him and all other Bishoppes of England to appeare at our call or any way to obey vs vntill the comming of the Legate a latere whom the king had obtayned from the Pope and who should also determine the cause of the Appeale lately made and the mayne controuersy beetweene the king and vs and all thinges beelonging thereunto with full power and without any further barre of Appeale The Bishoppe vrging to see the letters hee replyed they were not ready at hand but that hee had sent them with his caryages to winchester 12. myles distant from the hauen of South-Hampton the Bishop taking aduice of his freindes sent with Iohn of Oxeforde to Winchester Master Edward his Clearke as wee thinke an honest faithfull man who sawe the letters and soe did likewise the Bishop of London beeing then also at the pointe of passing the seas and London perusing the letters with reioyceing burst out into these wordes now Thomas from hence forth shall bee no more my Archbishop And Iohn moreouer added that hee was a priuiledged person nor could heereafter bee excommunicated nor conuented by vs but only in the presence of our lord the Pope and likewise had free power to beestowe the Deanry of the Church
of Salisbury on whom hee listed and for our dignity that it was in euery point diminished vntill the Legates comming All this did the Bishop certify vs by his Chaplayne beeing a Cannon Regular and a Religious man whom hee sent to excuse his forbearance of comming to vs at our cyting for wee cyted him once and agayne and lastly the third time with a peremptory Mandate to appeare beefore vs beetweene that and the feast of the Purification as a man of great authority the kinges familiar and one who should mediate a peace beetweene his Maiestie and us if possibly it might bee compased All this the Cannon is ready to testify by oath that thus hee receaued the same from the mouth of the Bishop to bee deliuered on his beehalfe to vs. Which if it bee true then doubtles our lord the Pope hath choaked and strangled not our person only but alsoe himselfe with all the Clergy of both the kingdomes yea verily both Churches as well of France as England for animated with this most foule example what will not other Princes of the world dare attempt against Ecclesiasticall persons To whom shall they haue refuge How can they hee confident of the Church of Rome that hath soe forsaken and left destitute vs who maintaine her cause with fighting therefore to the very death What will beefall if these vnspeakeable and detestable priuiledges standing good together with the oppressions as well by the king as others vnder any pretext it should soe happen which God forbid that the Pope should dye or the Citty runne into confusion of troubles All these would then descend on their heires nor would euer heereafter bee wrested out of their hands And what is far worse other Princes stirred vp with this example would extorte the like priuiledges to bring the Church whether shee will or no into subiection Soe shall the Churches whole liberty vtterly decay together with the iurisdiction and power of Bishoppes no man remayning who is able to controule and restaine the outrages of Tyrants whose whole intention is at this day bent to make hauocke of the Church and Clergy nor will they haue brought them like others into bondage What will bee the end wee know not but this wee knowe that our greife exceedeth measure bee these thinges true or false which are thus propounded For wee are neither obeyed nor respected in any thing as wee were wont by Bishoppes or Abbotts or others of the Clergy of England beeing now assured of our deposition But let our Lord the Pope bee perswaded that wee will neuer on any condition passe ouer into the kinges Dominion to haue there our cause decyded nor will wee euer abide the iudgment of our enemyes and especially of Papyan who thirsteth nothing but our blood thereby to obtayne our seate which in truth as wee heare is allready promised him vpon condition the king may bee deliuered of vs. Wee haue also an other exceeding greiuance The nobles as well temporall peeres as Bishoppes with other Prelates of the kingdome of France as it were despairing now of vs shake of and send vs backe againe the Associates of our exile whom they haue heatherto mercifully relieued and what will these but perish heereafter with cold and famyne as others their fellowes haue formerly donne Intimate all these thinges diligently to our Lord the Pope that hee may prouyde vs some remedy against these mischeifes according to our request if as yet any zeale of God remayneth in him as wee hope it doth and wee pray God our hope confoundeth not Farewell and with all speede returne vs backe this messanger againe who may as well in these as other matters certify vs who rest streyghtned in great extremitys if thinges are soe as wee heare them reported And thus Saint Thomas wrote to his agent being lieger for him in the Citty But heere ended not the complaints poured out against Pope Alexander For now remayneth to be recyted an other epistle of Lumbard Subdeacō of the Sea Apostolike who liued at this present in France and wrote thence to the Pope for it is first thus intytuled To Pope Alexander Lumbard Subdeacon of the Roman Church And afterwardes beeginneth thus To the reuerent father and Lord Alexander by the grace of God High Bishop Lumbarde his faithfull Clearke remembreth his seruice of obedience Cod Vat. lib. 1 epist 165. Whereas I am seruante to your Holines and in Christ the worke of your handes I neither can nor ought to dissemble the slanders openly spread to the reproch of your renowne and derogation of your name and such mischeifes as are subtilly deuised to the detriment of the whi●● Church For Iohn of Oxeforde insolently vaunteth hee is returned from Rome with the honor of a Deanry and the fullnes of your fauor adding arrogantly withall that hee is fortifyed with your priuiledge against my Lord of Canterbury and euery Bishop and beeing as it were litle inferior to the Courte of Cardinalls that hee is subiect to you only and your Apostolike power glorying moreouer in his pryde hee affirmeth hee hath procured that for the king which neuer kingdome could yet obtayne which is the confirmation of a Mariage by your authority beetweene the king of Englandes sonne and the Earle of Britaines daughter beeing Cosyns in the third degree And lastly that Legates such as he desired were to bee sent to heare and determine whatsoeuer it should please the king to deuise against my lord of Canterbury without any remedy of Appeale All this most holyfather vpon Iohns returne from Rome was diuulged which by how much they were the more vnusuall how much the more rare to bee compased soe much they more amazed the heares myndes whereupon the king of France the deuoute childe of your Holines and of the Church was soe passionatly moued as hee sayd hee would presently addresse a message to forbid your Legates to enter his Realme and more hee did which I willed this Bearer by word of mouth to deliuer Hee resolued moreouer to assemble his Archbishoppes and Bishoppes beefore whom hee would lay open and declare how the Church of Rome rayseth alofte the malicious enemyes as well of him as her selfe endeauoring to depresse his power saying and doth hee not seeke my dishonor who subtelly compasseth to worke the death of the Archbishop of Canterbury an innocent man banished for iustice and the Churches liberty by yeelding him wickedly vp into the handes of his persecuting enemyes whom not in respect of any fauour receaued by him hauing rather bin wronged by him whyle hee serued the king who now seeketh his ouerthrowe but moued with reuerence of the most iuste cause hee mayntaineth with admiration of his vertue and the loue of my Lord the Pope who instantly entreated mee for him I constantly resolued to entertayne honorably and decently as long as hee remayned in exile and to noursih him as it were in my bosome as I haue allready beegunne denouncing to all and openly protesting
it was no lesse greiuous to him that your Holines sent Legates for managing this cause then if you had designed them for depriuing him of his Crowne Neither were they wantinge who ministred fewel to his enflamed mynde Weertupon was occasion giuen of malice and mischeiuous attemptes against vs and the Church of God to them who from the beeginning had myndes and meanes to hurte vs whose wicked purpose your clemency hath nothing changed although your authority repressed their assaultes All this I receaued from a Clearke who is faithfull and deuoted to your Holines who beeing then present did afterwards pruily deliuer the same to mee This one thing most holy father I assuredly know which I wryte not without teares that the glory of your name is somewhat eclipsed because the detraction of your fame is as it were meate and drinke to backbyters and slanderers who like men intoxicated and drunke with wyne teare in peeces your renowne and deuoure it with the iawes of misreportes and these are not the fauorers of my Lord of Canterbury but also his professed foes and that especially since the tyme of his victory and yours as many beeleiued was now at hand for the day of the Appeale beeing past the king was in that feare to see himselfe excommunicated and his whole dominion interdicted as hee sayd openly Hee neither perswaded nor compelled his Bishoppes to appeale and therefore would not intermedle in the matter the Bishoppes themselues were soe mightily troubled and feared soe much to bee interdicted as some of them sent messingers to my lord of Canterbury others were ready to appeare at his summons When Iohn of Oxeforde as your Legate assembling the Bishoppes commanded them by authority from you as it is reported in France that they should not come to the Lord of Canterbury vpon his citation Whereupon Master Robert Bishop of Hereforde beeing at the seas syde ready to passe ouer was recalled againe as in way of excuse was deliuered from him to the Lord of Canterbury by his Messingers beeing religious men and well knowne I beeing then present and therefore soe great a trouble hath inuaded the myndes of many vpon the feare they conceaue of the kinges subtell deuises to the ruine of the Church of Englād and all Churches within his Dominion together with the ouerthrowe of the Ecclesiasticall liberty and the longer and stronger persecution of the Archbishop For whereas it is sayde by many and that very often that the king hath set vp the rest of his hope on your misfortune and deathe which Allmighty God out of his most mercifull clemency long deferre affirming constantly as it is reported by many that hee will neuer admitt your successor vntill hee hath confirmed all the dignityes and customes of his kingdome It is therefore supposed that craftily and fraudulently hee requesteth the Legates for accomplishing his owne endes and desires as well against the lord of Canterbury as all other Bishoppes of his land or if that fayle yet at the least that hee may put of the excommunication against his person and the interdiction of his dominions and thus winning tyme hee may soe auoyde the authority of the Bishop of Canterbury as if in your Popedome hee bee not bounde hee neede not feare the power of your successor since as many say hee hath resolued not easely to receaue him Wherefore most wise father such as thirst after the spirit of God and peace of the Church desire with all the affection of their myndes that our Lord will styrre vp in you the spirit of Daniel to search out the sleyghts of Bell Daniel 14. and to kill the Dragon For which they beseech God with their deuoute and continual prayers God prosper your Holines with many yeeres Thus far Lumbard whom one reporteth to haue bin the renowned diuine who flourished in Paris and beeing properly called Peter Lumbard liued in these dayes You haue heard the complayntes of the king of France and others expressed in Lumbardes letter Heare now the exulting and insulting of the king of England deriued from this vnfortunate fountaine beeing no litle cause of lamentation to all well disposed myndes For there is extant to this purpose an epistle of Iohn of Salisbury written to Iohn Bishop of Poytiers wherin after other thinges hee sayth thus of the king of England Moreouer the king himselfe toulde the Bishop of Worcester that hee and all other Bishoppes were now exempt from the Lord of Canterburys power and commanded him not to feare any threates for hee had now my Lord the Pope and all the Cardinalls in his purse and soe far hee vaunteth as hee sayth openly hee hath now at last obtayned the priuiledge of his Grand father beecause in his owne land hee was a king a Legate a Patriarcke and Emperor and what hee list Cod v●t lib. 1. epist 1●8 and soe would he bee wherin as it is probable hee aymed at the Church of Rome For what could Octauianus or the Archhereticke of Crema haue don more for him How could their Cardinalls haue pleasured him more then the forenamed Cardinalls sent from Pope Alexander who whetted the tongues of England and made them spitt fire and poyson to terrify the Pope and subiect him to their will This will bee regestred in the Chronickles of the Roman Church and doubtlesse God permitting it there will not want Historiographers to recorde that at the petition and threates of the king of England whose intollerable excesses hee had soe long endured the Champion of liberty the preacher of iustice now liuing with an infinite number of Innocents for the cause of Allmighty God as yet foure yeeres in banishment without any respect of reason or lawe as a man guilty was depriued by the Pope of his office not vpon any offence of his but only to please a Tyrant And yet neuerthelesse vnder his letters patents remayning with vs was granted him to exercise in his ample right the power of his office wherein is expressed that hee neither gaue nor restrayned the mandate for the kings excommunication O good God what a nouelty haue wee heere Isaia 58. The holy Ghost biddeth in his lawe Crye out cease not and loe an other spirit of what fashion I knowe not issuing out from the Citty into the world sayeth to the Preachers cease crye not 2. Tim. 4. The Apostle instructing a Bishop commanding biddeth Accomplish thy ministery And lo the Apostolicall man willeth saying desist from the ministery of thyne office Yet perchāce hee supposeth hee can with patience mollify his mynde but hath hee not a sufficient tryall to the contrary in the Bishoppe of Canterbury who hauing bin allmost foure yeeres depriued of his Sea hath felt the remisnes of the Sea Apostolicke and the Tyranny of the king beeing all this while exposed to windes Let therefore I pray you my Lord the Pope bee ashamed of such a conscience and haue a care of his fame honor and preseruation of the Church
on our beehalfe with our beeloued sonne that noble Earle of Flanders and instantly perswade him that considering the necessity of vs and the Church hee would endeauor with his liberality somewhat to succor vs for wee doe not thinke hee can doe a more acceptable seruice to Allmighty God then to labor at this present to comforte vs with the worthy supply of his bounty for the defence of the Churches liberty Thus wrote Pope Alexander vnto Saint Thomas and to king Henry of England by the same Legates in this sorte Yeelding gladly to the requestes of your Maiestie and desiring as far as with God and his iustice wee can to satisfy your will in all thinges and showe due respecte to you and your honor wee haue thought good to sende vnto your excellency as Legates into your dominions on this syde the seas our beeloued sonnes William of the tytell of Saint Peter ad vincula Preist with Oddo of Saint Nicholas in carcere Tulliano Deacon Cardinalles men of learning discretion vertue beeing of great authority in the Church of God and well affected to you and your kingdome and whom among the rest of our brethren wee esteeme as very deere and acceptable to vs giuing them absolute power to vnderstand those causes which in former letters wee haue declared to you with all other matters likewise which shall seeme conuenient for them to knowe whom wee haue in all things authorized as vice gerents so far in our steede as euer the Church of Rome was accustomed heeretofore to constitute them or any other Legates of the Apostolike Sea Wherefore wee doe by our Apostolical letters request admonish and in our lord exhorte your Highnes that you will honorably and benignly receaue and as it beeseemeth your royall dignity courteously entertayne them in such sorte as is meete for men of that eminency and Legates of the Apostolicall Sea Soe as the holy Church of Rome may in your beehauiour to her sonnes acknowledge your ancient deuotion to her and your Maiestie together with the landes committed to your gouerment through the goodnes of God reape therby encrease of all thinges and for those matters which they shall propose to your excellency on our behalfe wee doe wish you soe diligently to admitt and promptly to obey them as our lord and his Church may bee therin worthily honored and you with the realmes subiect to your regiment may also thereby gayne abundance of benefits with rewardes from God and prayse and glory beefore men Shewe not the coppy of this letter to any but only Master Gunter because I haue passed therupon as stricte a promise to Master Walter as hee desired Thus wrote the Pope to the king sending likewise an other letter of the same effecte to the Bishops of England which beeginneth it is reported to our eares c. Dated the last yeere in the Kalends of December By all which is euidently apparant that Pope Alexander perswaded a peace in such sorte as no detriment might therupon accrewe to the Church Pope Alexander did wryte withall by the same Legates to the king of France to whom among other thinges hee openeth the desire of his mynde for honoring Saint Thomas with all worthy respectes and decreeing to this holy man the Legantyne authority ouer the whole Church of France if the Bishoppes of that kingdome were soe pleased The letters of his Holines were thus indighted Amonge other renowned tokens of your magnificence and deuotion wee esteeme as cheifest that you haue with so many and soe great honors entertayned our reuerent brother Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury a man most religious discreete and vertuous and to vs and the vniuersall Church in euery respect most deere and acceptable and that out of your boūty you haue vouchsafed plētifully to beestowe soe large and royall benefittes out of your humanity on him for which wee render your Maiestie the greatest and worthyest thanks wee may and for your clemency therin commend you with most exceeding prayses in our lord And this as it is most gratefull to God to whom in his person you haue consecrated the same soe wee accept it as deerely as if you had donne it to our selues and because with all our affections wee desire the peace of the same Archbishop wee haue thought conuenient to send our beeloued sonnes William of the tytell of saint Peter ad vincula and Oddo of Saint Nicholas in carcere Tulliano Cardinalls to our most deere sonne in Christ Henry famous king of England to reforme by the helpe of God all matters beetweene the sayd king and Archbishop indifferently for the honor of them both and for the conclusion of perfect concord and peace and that they may in the same kinges landes on this syde of the seas heare and vnderstand all araysing controuersyes and there inioy the Legantine authority of the Apostolike Sea Wherefore by our Apostolicall letters wee beeseech admonish and in our lord exhorte your Maiestie that for the reuerence of the Church of God and the honor of Saint Peeter and vs you would effectually doe your parte as well with the sayd king as Archbishop and carefully labor in such sorte as to the honor of God and his Church and likewise to the benefit and commodity of them both they may frindly and peaceably agree together and bend their myndes and willes wholly therunto soe it bee donne without impeachmēnt of the Archbishops and the Churches reputation And if by endeauour and labor of the same Cardinalles with your trauell they may returne to peace and agreement the Church which next vnder God is supported with your speciall assistance shall receaue thereby no small encrease and you in the blessed retribution of the iust obtayne of Allmighty God for this a speciall reward But if otherwise which God forbid they cannot accorde soe it may stand with your royall likeing and good pleasure it would bee to vs in euery respect a singular pleasure and very gratefull and acceptable if it may bee without great scandall of the persons of your kingdome that wee might endowe the sayd Arbishop with a particular honor aboue others and make him our Legate vice-gerent in those your partes and therefore doe most earnestly entreate your Highnes if hee cannot a cheyue a peace with reseruation of the honor of himselfe and the Church beeing the thing wee most desire then that you will with all speede signify vnto vs your mynd heerein and in the meane while conceaue this as an exceeding secret Thus wrote the Pope to the king of France The Legates therefore as soone as they touched Frāce presently saluted saint Thomas with their letters and William did in this sorte wryte vnto him Allthough thorough the variable alteration of tymes for doubt least the Church of Rome Cod. Vat. lib. 2. epist 9. beeing distempered with a Scysme should sustayne the greater damages wee seeme in the conceipts of some to decline from you to the aduerse parte hee knoweth notwithstanding who is the
which motion retyring himselfe asyde with his freindes after consultation with them hee answered that he had sufficiently humbled himselfe to the king without impeachement of the honor of God the liberty of the Church the reputation of his owne person the possessions of the Churches and lastly the iustice due to him and his these thinges so numbred vp wee seriously perswading him as it was necessary to descend to particulars when hee would alleage nothing either certayne or particular wee consequently demaunded of him if in the matters specifyed in your letters hee would submitt himselfe to our iudgement in sorte as the king and the Bishoppes had allready vndertaken to doe to which our demaund bee presently replyed hee had receaued no Mandat from your holines to that purpose but if hee with all his might first bee fully restored hee would then proceede heerein according as by the Apostolike Sea hee should bee commanded Soe returning from the parlee since his wordes neither ●ended to iudgment nor agreement nor yet hee would by ●ny meane enter into the matter wee manifested vnto the ●ing some thinges knowne to vs concealing neuertheles 〈◊〉 as it was conuenient other passages and tempering what wee heared with discretion Hauing therfore ended ●ur speech the king and peeres there present beegan to maintayne that his Maiestie was now sett at liberty since ●he Archbishop disclaymed from iudgment wherupon after the king had shewed signes of great disturbance the Bishoppes and Abbotts of the kingdome of England toge●her with many others of the Clergie demaunded earnestly whether wee could enforce by vertue of any speciall mandate or by our Legantyne power the Archbishop to stand to iudgment and when they vnderstood our facultyes were heerin insufficient least the Archbishop beeing 〈◊〉 not subiect to iudgment should as before hee had done worke molestation to some of the kingdome in regarde that therin our presence could profit them nothing and was not able to defend them against the Archbishop with a generall consultation and consent they appealed to the audience of your Holines assigning the terme of theyr appeale the feast of Saint Martin which shall fall the next winter following flying in the meane tyme for defence of them and theires to the Apostolicall protection and including all the subiectes of the realme with the whole kingdome within the Edict of this appellation Lastly wee knowing this matter euidently to tend to the Churches exceeding detriment did by your and our authority absolutely forbid the Archbishoppe first in regarde hee was restrayned by your letters then because they appealed solemly against him that hee should not heereafter attempt any thing to the aggreeuance of the kingdome people or Churches of the realme It is therfore the parte of your Apostolicall prouidence carefully to foresee that this busines turne not to the greeuous damage of the Church as they who respect the Churches especiall commodity feare and doubt This was the relation of the Apostolicall Legates to Pope Alexander But heere wee are to se● downe likewise the epistle of Saint Thomas concerning these matters to his Holines which was thus Cod. Vat. lib. 2. epist 50. The greatnes of our miseryes and bitternes of our greifes confounded the myndes of vs and our fellowes in exile and afflicted with a heauy scandall the most Christian king the peeres of France compassionating the Church which as it seemed in the comming of Iohn of Oxeforde was giuen ouer into the handes of them who sought the depriuatiō of her life in soe much as with exasperated hartes they complayned that faith and truth were taken of from the earth But for the which the father of mercys reward your pitty most holy iudge most liuing Parent and of the Church of God faithfull Guardian according to the multitude of dolors in our hartes your consolations haue reioyced our soules For now are wee reuiued in hope and the most Christian king with his kingdome yeelding infinite thankes to your Apostleshippe which God most highly blesse and conserue for many yeeres retorte all this their indignation vpon them who gloryed they had with their oathes tryumphed ouer your Maiestie For the king hauing receaued your l●●ters of excuse wrytten by your excellency instantly praysed and magnifyed the grace of your wisedome iustice sanctity and blessednes and with great ioy layd open to the detractors the malice and deceyptes of them who had with false rumors so fowly scandalized the Church of France beating this someytmes into the eares of them if perchance they were present who were vnwilling to harken therunto in regarde they sided with the contrary parte But his ioy was more encreased after his conference with your Legates by whom beeing receaued of him with reuerence as hee confessed hee vnderstood they came not to preiudice the liberty of the Church or vs but to compose a peace beetweene the king of England and vs and if it were possible beetweene him and the Church of God And I pray God they may prosper in this way with his grace v herin they shall finde vs most ready Assystantes for retayning the honor of God and the Churches liberty And beeing inuited by them to a parlee in the confines of the kingdomes the tenth day following wee hauing then wee speake on our conscience but three horses in our stable obtayned a forbearance fer seauen dayes more to assemble together our exiled company beeing poore wretches miserably dispersed heere and there yet necessary as well for comforte in this intended iourney as to helpe vs with they re counsell in the caryage of this busines who albeeit they were hardly able to be called together in a tyme so shorte and penury soe pressing on all sides neuertheles wee gaue our Lord the Legates meeting on the Octaues of Saint Martin The most Christian king by his seruantes appoynted for that purpose for which God in the mercy of his word reward him liberally and bountefully entertayning vs with our fellowes the whole company of Christes exiled whoe flocked together from euery place And as it was signifyed to vs by some our persecutors did all they might to breede vexation in our iourneys and chargeable disbursements to the end they might make vs burdensome and odious by the great weyght and tedious prolonging of our expenses to the king of France who among others the poore of Christ releiueth vs with his almes for they thinke to reape a great benefitt of their malice if they coulde disturbe vs of this habitation which God hath prouyded for vs and depriue vs of the Princes charity 〈◊〉 as they beereaued vs of our assistance among the Cistercians There came only with my Lordes the Legates the Archbishop of Roan the other Bishoppes and Abbots of our prouince whom it pleased the king to call beeing left at Roan They layd therfore open first before our eyes the cruelty of the king the malice of the tymes the necessityes and calamityes of the Churches which in all partes of the
Hungarians which at the day of Iudgment cannot excuse vs if wee preferre the barbarisme of Tyrantes before Apostolicall constitutions and beeleiue the vsurping pryde of wordly powers to bee rather a rule to directe our life then the Eternall Testament confirmed with the bloud and death of the sonne of God To frame therfore a lamentable end to our former discourse let your Holines now consider if this ought to bee the fruite of our labour trauayle and exile thus to bee iudged naked miserable depriued of our whole estate and these extremityes in our tryall only beecause wee attempted for the liberty of the Church to withstand a most fierce oppressor of the same Yea wee who daylie expect comforte from this desolation ioy for this misery with a iust reuenge from God and you against the Churches Aduersaryes for their iniury done to Christe Could it not sufficiently satisfy them who sought our life that they haue murdered some of vs nor yet could they content themselues with our pouerty and calamity beeing scarse able to liue by releife from the almes of strangers but that wee must moreouer with this Legantyne authority which would it had neuer bin bee in vayne protracted and delayed from yeeres to yeeres from greife to greife from misery to confusion Yea our right and iustice to be turned to the ruine of vs and our wretched Associates Good God what will bee the end of this dolor Aryse ô Lord adiudge thy cause reuenge the bloud of thy seruantes thus impiously killed together with those who through intollerable afflictions doe euen now fainte since there is none but our Lord the Pope and some few left with him who will deliuer vs out of the handes of our enemyes God grante your Holines for many yeeres well to liue and prosper that wee with our vnfortunate fellowes may liue and recouer This was the reporte of Saint Thomas vnto the Pope In the meane while the Legates Cardinalls signifyed to Saint Thomas how the king of England had obtayned from his Holines which as wee see by all meanes possible hee bruited abroad that the authority of Saint Thomas concerning the affaires of the English Church was wholy interdicted There is extant a restraynte in this manner which was sent by them to Saint Thomas written in these wordes To our reuerent and most beeloued brother the Archbishop of Canterbury William and Oddo Cardinalls send greeting The king was certifyed of your answer as well concerning the agreement as alsoe the cause Cod. Vat. lib. 2. epist 29. if soe it pleased him to proceede against you and wheras hee was before hy reason of your other actions as hee sayde incensed enough and too to much hee beecame now enraged with a greater and more vehement indignation accusing peremptorily the erection of your mynde against him and our Lord the Popes nrglect of his affaires Moreouer the Bishoppes and Abbottes of the kingdome of England hearing you would haue noe dealing with them nor yet stand to our iudgment read openly in our presence our Lord the Popes letters wherin as hee sayth hee commandeth you to forbeare interdicting the land They demanded alsoe of vs if they might by vs or either of vs thorough this our Legantine authority bee defended against these your molestations of them in England wherunto when wee answered wee had no power at all concerning any matters in the realme of England they appealed there instantly both for themselues and the whole kingdome vnto our lord the Pope sheilding themselues and the realme vnder the protection of his Holines and vs assigning for their day the feast of Sainct Martin wherfore wee command your dearly beeloued selfe and enioyne you on the beehalfe of the Pope and our selues that answering the foresayd Appeale and respecting the restraint which our Lord the Pope as hee affirmeth hath layn vpon you you attempt no interdiction or excommunication against the realme of England before you haue appeared in the Apostolike presence and vnderstood the pleasure of his Holines and the Church of Rome heerein The Bishoppes likewise and Abbottes themselues haue sent their especiall messangers to denounce to you this their Appeale made in our presence together with the determined day This was the Mandate of the Legates But when this newes of the inhibition or restraint of the authority of Saint Thomas was not only by letters signifyed vnto him but also as before you haue heard reported euery where to the scandall of all good men who fauored the Churches liberty S. Thomas beeing heerewith exceedingly afflicted did wryte lamentable letters replenished with complaintes heereof as well to Pope Alexander himselfe as also to all the Cardinalls of the Romane Church wherin hee discouered the bitter sorrowe of his mynde all which especially wee can readylie declare beeing extant in the end of the same often recyted booke of Epistles and were by error of the wryter omitted in the second booke after the 45. epistle as the corrector of that error hath admonished vs. The epistle of Saint Thomas to Pope Alexander is in this wise To his most beeloued lord and holy father Alexander by the grace of God high Bishop Thomas the humble seruant of the Church of Canterbury a wretched and miserable banished man together with his exiled Associates wisheth prosperity and all felicity Saint Thowryteth to the Pope expressing his sorrowe We send to your holines the bearers heereof beeing two persons faithfull to vs and fellowes of our miserable exile such at this instant as wee could gett and them whom wee haue assigned to deliuer in your presence the certayne and pittifull relation of matters concerning vs now lately acted and withall the necessity of our calamityes beeing assuredly aboue measure that wee may thervpon receaue if it please you with speede redresse by your meanes from this oppression of the Church and vs which helpe though most due is yet too long delayed and obtayne withall through the hand of your mercy releife in our greiuous distresses least being otherwise cruelly and abouer sure depressed we fainte in this tribulation a greater then which we haue not since the first beginning of our long continued afflictions endured For we are deferred the tyme is now tedious as your excellency vnderstandeth we are put of and prolonged no lesse cruelly then vniustly from yeeres to yeeres in misery and dolor that if perchance by that way in length of protracted tyme our life may perish through tribulation and we thus worne out altogether be extinguished and fall to dust as absolutely spent in the extremitys of our disasters while death in the meane tyme which God forbid may depriue you of authority whose power through the mercy of God shall before it expireth redeeme vs and ours out of this lake of misery and breake the snares of the malitious cōtrary to the desire of the wicked Bēd downe therfore ô Lord thyne eare and heare open thyne eyes and see if there hath bin an iniquity equall to
vnlike that infamous Scysmaticke the oppressor of your selues Fredericke wee meane who laboreth vtterly to rent out the very bowels of the Church if this bee suffered to passe vnpunished in our king what will not his heires presume what shall your successors endure Consider how mischeifes daylye encrease and the occasions inuentions of mischeifes encrease withall Good God and shall hee doe all this without controulement This was not the way of Christ nor yet of his Apostles whose imitators yee ought to bee c. By reason therfore of these letters sent as well to Pope Alexander as the Cardinalls of the sacred Roman Church beeing then at Rome and likewise by the authority of a man of that worth and aboue all by the truth it selfe his Holines with the Colledge of Cardinalls was moued to call home with all speede these Legates who were accused by so many complayntes of this saintly man and his messinger and agent who resyded at Rome especially also procuring the same whom S. Thomas as it appeareth admonished to followe the matter effectually with his Holines wryting among other thinges vnto him th● Wherefore in all respectes it is expedient Cod. Vat. lib. 2. epist 104. yea most necessary that you employ all yours endeauors and with your vttermost power worke our Lord the Pope to call backe the often recyted Cardinalls and cause them to bee compelled vpon a payne to ensue if they should refuse presently to departe out of all the kinges dominions Soe wrote saint Thomas for recalling the Legates who as wee haue sayde was euer fauorably heard of his Holines for the Pope by his letters recalled them presently backe to the Citty abrogating all their authority who beefore they departed thought good to see the king of England wherof and concerning the passage beetweene them Ibidem epist 6. a relation then written discourseth in this sorte The next Thursday after the Octaues of Saint Martin the Cardinalls came to the Monastery called Bec The rep●rte of the last conference beetweene the Legates and the King● on the morrowe to Ligieux the next day to Saint Peters vpon Dyue and thence the wednesday before the first Sunday in Aduent to Argenton on which day the king gaue them meeting two leagues before they entred the towne entertayning them with a pleasant countenance and accompanyd both the Cardinalls to their lodging the second day ensuing after Masse beeing called early enough in the morning they came and entred the kinges chamber to consult with the Archbishoppes Bishoppes and Abbots there assembled and continuing in counsell the space of two hours they passed on farther the king accompaning them to the outward dore of the Chappel and as they went the king in the hearing of them and all others sayde that hee wished his eyes might neuer more beehould any Cardinal and dimissed thē soe hastily as their lodging beeing neere at hand yet could they not expecte the comming of their horses but were enforced to ryde on such as they could by chance finde without the Chappell Thus departed the Cardinalls with noe more at the vttermost then foure attendantes The Archbishoppes Bishoppes and Abbotts remayned with the king and entred the Chamber to sitt in counsell where hauing continued vntill euening they went thence to the Cardinalls with discontented countenances and staying awhile with them returned to their lodginges On the morrow after they had remayned with the king six houers they went to the Cardinalls and thence backe to the king with returning againe to the Cardinalls and soe continued carying secret messages to and fro At their meeting being on Saint Andrewes Eue the king rising early went on hunting and as it was certainly supposed did it of purpose to absent himselfe the Bishoppes came beetymes to the kinges Chappell and thence to the counsell chamber where after deliberation of matters they departed to the Church neere the Cardinalls lodginge where the Cardinalls beeing sate they were called in to heare what they would propose the Archbishoppes of Roane and Yorke taking their places after them the Bishops of Worcester Salisbury Bayon London Chichester and Angolisme with many Abbottes and a company of the Layety London rose vp whose idle and ill digested oration was a manifest argument of his distempered mynde and beeginning yee haue seene c. And rehearsing the Appeale made by the Bishoppes of England and declared formerly by the relation of the Legates hauing concluded hee sayde since now they had appealed they desired of the Cardinalle a Letters of appellation sent from one iudge to another Apostles which as it is supposed was giuen them as proper to their appeale So the Cardinalls departed from the king on the Tewesday after the Sunday wherin is sung Ad te leuaui but in taking leaue the king with great humility beesought the Cardinalls to be intercessors to his Holines that hee would absolutely deliuer him from vs and with those wordes before the Cardinalls and all the company hee wept and my Lord William was seene with his teares to accompany him But my lord Oddo could hardly forbeare laughing Now for the substance of the busines thus it is My Lord William of Papia sendeth a certayne Chaplayne of his kinsman as it thought to Master Lumbard in P●ste to my Lord the Pope and with him the king sendeth likewise two messingers the one appertayning to the Bishop of London called Master Henry Pixim the other Reynold sonne to the Bishop of Salisbury Moreouer on Satturday before the second Sunday of Aduent there went from the Cardinalls beeing then at Sureux Master Iocelin of Chichester and the Chantor of Salisbury towards you to denounce that there was an appeale made against you by the persons of England And somewhat after my Lord Oddo the Cardinall certifyeth my Lord the Pope in secret that hee would neuer bee author or any way guilty of your deposition although the king seemed to desire nothing else but your head in the dish This was the relation sent by a frind of Saint Thomas vnto him And yet there is an other reporte made by Iohn of Salisbury in his letter to Iohn Bishop of Poytiers where it is set downe thus of the kings imaged mynde in their last departure The Cardinalles found the king in such an excessiue fury as hee complayned openly that hee was beetrayed by my Lord the Pope Cod Vat. lib. 2. epist 20. and threatened to forsake him vnles hee would cause iustice to bee executed on the Archbishop of Canterbury And afterwardes concerning what followed when they had appealed hee declareth it in these wordes The Bishoppes sent also two messingers beeing of the messingers beelonging to the Legates one called Walter the Chauntor of Salisbury the other Iocelyn the Chancellor of Chichester to declare the Appeale made in this sorte and to renew the same before the Archbishop But the Archbishop admitted not the Messingers from the Bishops to speake in his presence because among others they came
following as appeareth by what hath byn sayde for before that tyme was not the Pope certifyed theereof Which letters from his holines when the Legates had receaued by the messanger of sainct Thomas wryting backe to the Sainct they excused themselues with saying that while they remayned with the king they could not put these matters in execution against them on whom the king had beestowed the goods and how this was also the Popes intention that during the tyme they remayned Legates there with him they should endure thereupon at his handes any thing vnworthy of the Apostolike Sea But let vs followe the Legates in their returne homeward wherof Iohn of Salisbu●y sayth this in his Epistell to the Archdeacon of Excester The Cardinalles returne Cod. Vat lib 2. Epist 105. called backe not without confusion repētance and complayntes that to pleasure the king they depressed to much the cause of the Church for one of them which was Papia obeyed his will in all thinges the other also dealing more remissely then beeseemed a man of so great expectation and hope Thus Salisbury who againe after many other things declareth how farre Oddo the Legate peruailed with the king in these wordes I was like to haue let passe what is not to bee passed ouer which is how my Lord Oddo a fewe dayes before hee departed from the king dealt more seriously with him to conclude a peace with the Archbishop wherunto hee answered that for the loue hee bore to the Pope and Cardinalls hee would permitt the Archbishop to returne in peace to his Sea and to dispose of his Church and all thinges thereunto beelonging And because there hath bin long contention about the customes hee sayde hee and his children would bee contented only with those which his Ancestors had and 〈◊〉 should bee made apparant they soe enioyed by the oathes of a hundred men of the realme of England a hundred of Normandy a hundred of Anione and his other principalityes and if this condition of peace displeased the Archbishop hee affirmed hee was prepared to stand to the arbitrement as well of the Bishoppes of England as those beyond the seas of Roane Bayon and Cenoman and if this were not enough hee would submit himselfe to the iudgment of my Lord the Pope with this reseruation that hee would not impeach his childrens right for during his owne life hee was contented my Lord the Pope should abrogate what hee listed Then demanded the Cardinall how hee would deale with the Archbishoppe and his associates concerning restitution which was due and required of him wherunto hee answered swearing with many exquisite oathes that hee had beestowed all the commodity whatsomeuer hee reaped therof vpon Churches and the poore But let the Iewe Appella beeleiue this for I will neuer The Cardinall replyed vnles hee changed his course and dealt more mildly with the Church of God as well Almighty God as his Church would sooner then hee expected require all these more seuerely at his handes and soe taking his leaue hee departed Afterwardes came William of Papia to him almost in the same manner but the seede of his wordes fell on the sandes Then making their returne by the most Christian kinge of France they recouered his fauour vpon condicions which this bearer shall reporte vnto you Hetherto Salisbury who concerning matters which afterwardes ensued signified moreouer in other letters thus Now doe I endure the first yeere of my exile and wheras I wanted heeretofore nothing now behould I finde abundance of comforte beecause the liberty of the Church seemeth euen now at hand and now hath partly set her foote in the Iland for the king hath renounced as Messingers from the Cardinalls protest certayne most wicked customes which neuertheles hee was beefore accustomed to challenge detesting with an oathe both them and their first authors agreeing withall that heereafter it shall bee lawfull to appeale to the Apostolike Sea that Clearks shall not bee drawne before the secular Tribunalles with the like which I wish hee would soe approue by deede as hee affirmed in worde Thus wryteth hee concerning these affaires And this was lastly the conclusion of this Legantine Embassage other matters ensue in the end of this present yeere Salisbury in an other Epistell hauing discoursed of the state of the Church beeing then imbroyled by Fredericke the Emperour and Paschall the Antipope Cod. Vad. lib. 2. Epist 62. descendeth to the troubles of sainct Thomas Pope Alexander beeing then at Beneuent where sayth hee the Embassadors of the king of England and the Arbishoppes agents mett together in the presence of his Holines and both partyes were gratiously and honorably entertayned and for those appertayning to the king as the iustice of their cause was lesse soe was their pompe with ostentation of their riches much greater But when they were not able with their flatterys and faire promises to winne my Lord the Pope then turned they to threates fayning that their king would rather embrace the errors of Norandinus the chiefe ringleader of the Mahometanes and bee a fellowe of that profane Secte then endure Thomas any longer to enioy the Archbishoppricke of Canterbury But the man of God could neither bee shaken with feare nor seduced with flattery and laying be● 〈◊〉 two ways the one of life the other of death 〈…〉 they might easilie as they had beegune cont●●●●● the grace and patience of God make choyse of the way of perdition but hee by our Lordes assistance would not forsake the way of righteousnes Their hope therfore in shorte tyme beegan to quayle and seeing they could not in this course preuayle against iustice they sent into Cicilie the kinges Embassadours and letters for they came armed with these to the end that by the assistance of the king and queene of Cicilie they might obtayne somewhat of my Lord the Pope against the Church But the most Christian king of France seeing this flattery of the malitious commended to the elect of Panorma the cause of the Church and of my Lord of Canterbury as his owne Meane while came the messingers of the Legates whom the king of Englād had procured disagreeing each from other for whatsomeuer one sayde in the Courte the other denyed and of these likewise is it yet vncertayne what they shall relate backe to their Lordes Supplication was therfore made on the beehalfe of the king and the Legates with the assistance of many other intercessors to my Lord the Pope for the Bishop of Salisbury and in the end they obteyned that his Holines forgaue him the iniury and offence donne to himselfe and did alsoe wryte to the Archbishop of Canterbury entreating and conselling him to remitt the wrong the Bishop had offered him and releasing him of the sentence of suspension receaue him into his fauour and freindship allwayes prouided that either in his owne person hee should giue him security for sufficient satisfaction or else disigne two beeing the cheifest of the Clergie of his
Church except the Deane and send them ouer who should sweare how ●heir Bishop had authorized them to make an oath wherby they shall protest in the name and place of their Bishop that he shall satisfy for his iniury and contumacy against the Archbishop Wherby it may bee probably gathered that my Lord the Pope did either neuer knowe of the Legates sentence for absolution of the sayd Bishoppe Cod. Vat. lib. 2. epist 7. or otherwise hee neuer estemeed it of any validity The same Bishop had obtayned before letters allmost purporting as much wherin neither hee nor his were obliged to any oathe but as yet hee hath made no vse of them either beecause they displeased the king or in regarde they were not soe effectuall What will be the successe on either side was vncertaine at the returne of the bearer heereof but my Lord the Pope hath answered the most Christian king that hee will not fayle to succor the Church of God and his frind of Canterbury as long as with iustice hee can releiue them Now let vs passe to the parlee which was beetweene our kinges c. in such sorte as was described this selfe same yeere wherby you may perceaue that both agree in tyme yeere and month being the same wherin this author wrote these letters Lastly towards the end of this yeere besides other Embassadors formerly sent the king of England addressed two more ouer to Pope Alexander which were Reynold and Iohn the Deane of Salisbury and the same tyme also Saint Thomas directed his agents to his holines their names were Alexander and Iohn whom afterwardes by letter he admonished of the trecherous falshood of Reynold saying Haue a continuall eye and watch vpon our aduersaryes and especially that Bastard of fornication the enemy of the Churches peace the sonne of a Preist Reynold of Salisbury Lib. 3. epist 66. who euery where as much as in him lyeth defameth and slaundereth our person exclayming wee are traytors and that wee gaue him our promise not any wa● 〈◊〉 lest his father And a litle after Hee affirmeth 〈◊〉 ouer if our Lord the Pope should departe this world hee would cause vs to bee blotted out of the booke 〈◊〉 life vaunting that in the court of Rome all thinges 〈◊〉 soe sett to sale as with the bounty of rewardes he could purchase any thinge Hee likewise moued the king of England to beecome sutor to our lord the Pope that his Holines would graunte authority to any Bishop in England to crowne his sonne and consecrate Bishoppes to the end hee might were it but in this deceaue the Pope and when the king answered that as hee thought hee could neuer obtayne these demandes of his holines Reynold replyed the Pope should deale like a foole if hee would condescend to your requestes Thus much of the kinges Embassador wherby you may see reader what manner of fellowes they were who accustomed to back-byte and detracte the high Bishoppes of Rome Concerning the other his associate Iohn deane of Salisbury that which hath before bin spoaken plainly declareth him to be a mā of greater villany What these the kinges demandes were and how instantly hee sued for them and how many and greate men were his mediators shall bee declared heereafter in place conuenient It is besides apparant that the king in the end of this yeere did by his Agentes solicite all the Cittys which were ioyned in league to Pope Alexander beestowing a hug● masse of money among thē and carefully endeauored to winne the king of Cicillie and the nobility of Ro●● to bee his that all might bee intercessors to the Pope to procure the accomplishment of his requestes agai●●● Saint Thomas but how Pope Alexander beehaue● himselfe you shall heare in the beeginning of the 〈◊〉 yeere Meane while the king of France The king of France laboboring a peace beetweene the king of England and Saint Thomas bringeth them to a parlee after the Legates were departed dispatching this busines taking vp the matter soe fallen to the grownde endeauored to bring the king of England and Saint Thomas to a mutuall parlee in his presence hoping by these meanes to reunite them in a league of peace What the passage of that meeting was is exactly sett forth in Quadrilogus in the end of the second booke and in regarde this seemeth to bee omitted in the epistles the Register of them beecause his epistolary history may not bee defectiue heerin hath soe placed in this volume this discourse before the epistles as they ensuing and following in order one after an other doe manifest the whole proceedinges euen to the very end by reason wherof there wanteth no assistāce of any history in the epistles but only this of the parlee written on this wise in Quadrilogus or the Quadriparte history out of Hubertus My Lord the king of France seeing his Holines carefull to conclude a peace himselfe as the sonne of peace and obedient to the Apostolike prelate interposed his endeauors with all labor and attention whervpon at diuers parlees which passed betweene him and the king of England hee brought thither with him the Archbishoppe placing himselfe as an arbiter of peace beetweene them Among all which there was one meeting where it was reported to the king of England that the Archbishop of Canterbury would referre th● whole cause to his owne will and therfore the king entertayned this his comming more gratiously Many of both sydes assembling to see the end my Lord of Canterbury fell downe at the king of Englandes feete saying I committ to your discretion the whole controuersy which hath bin the grounde of dissention betweene vs with reseruation only of the honor of God The king hearing the addition of these last wordes was offended beeyond measure abusing him 〈◊〉 ●ny reproches vpbrayding him much casti● 〈◊〉 thinges in his teeth condemning him for a 〈◊〉 insolent and vngratefull man who forgot 〈◊〉 royall bountifull liberality soe often extended to him Alanus added Hee sayde beesides to the king of France marke my Lord if it pleaseth you this man let any thing not fit his owne humor hee presently condemneth it as contrary to the honor of God wherby he will challenge not only his owne but also whatsoeuer beelongeth to mee and that it may appeare I withstand not the honor of God nor yet of him in any thing this is myne offer There haue binne kinges of England my Predecessors who haue raygned beefore mee of greater or lesser authority then my selfe and in Canterbury haue bin many Archbishops beefore him of great worth and holines what therfore the more eminent and vertuous of his Predecessors haue done to the least of my predecessors let him but giue the like to mee and the controuersy shall be concluded Wherupon followed an acclamation on all sydes that the king had sufficiently humbled himselfe The defence of Saint Thomas and his cause Here must I needes say I meruayle greately how the king
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 cā 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 yo● 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 terrib● attempts the king of England ●gainst Sai● 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
promises extenuated his credit in accomplishments and that hee was in his demandes conuinced of manifest iniquity hee receaued repulse yet what of himselfe hee was not able to procure hee assayed to extorte by the power of the king of Cycillie But neither hee allthough the Bishop of Syracusa and Robert Earle of Bassauile laboured heerin with their vttermost ability and the mediation of many intercessors was heard notwithstanding his royalty power or fauor which hee enioyed amply in the Church of Rome The kinges Embassadors were therfore dismissed and their demandes reiected this only beeing graunted that my Lord the Pope should send Nūtios anew for procuring of peace which were Gratian the Subdeacon and Master Viuian Archdeacon of the ancient Citty who was accustomed in the Courte to execute the office of an Aduocate Thus much was signifyed by secrett intelligence for without expressing any name the Inscription is thus A frind to his frind Saint Thomas vnderstanding thus much and also at what tyme hee should bee called to Rome by Pope Alexander was wonderfully troubled and wryting to Cardinall Humbald Bishop of Ostia after many complayntes speaketh thus of this matter In regarde wee will not transgresse the law of God with giuing place to the iniquity of Tyrantes hee endeauoreth without any necessity beesides all vtility and against authority to translate vs to an other Church and beecause wee refused to followe him when hee allured vs to accompany his sinne hee requireth wee should bee called vp vnto you that in our passage hee might make some bargaine whatsomeuer with the consortes of his iniquity for the effusion of blood for what other meaning can hee haue in soliciting those of Millane Cremona and Parma by corruption of bribes to our destruction Wherin haue wee offended those of Papia or other Cittys of Italy Wee neuer gaue them cause to procure our exile Wherin haue wee aggreeued the sages of Bononie who moued by prayers and promises would yeeld their consent to the cause of our ruine which only by relation they vnderstood Assuredly wee neuer banished Robert de bassauylle and yet hee was by sinister suggestions induced to bee a meane to you for our banishment neuertheles afterwardes peaceauing trechery and repenting this offence he entreated that his vniust petition might not bee admitted Richard the elect Bishop of Syracusa entised with a hopefull bayte of the Bishoppricke of Lincolne assisted our persecutors with money strengthened them with counsell and armed them with power Concerning the king of Cicillie himselfe in whose countrey you lately remayned they promised him in mariage the king of Englands daughter to make him their owne for the ouerthrowe of the Church and vs. Did not they by distributing their bread entertayne as their hirelinges the family of Lyons the nation of theeues and other the most powerfull Romanes not soe much to bowe as to breake the Church of Rome Nay they promise to purchase peace with the Emperor and Saxons and beesides with their bountifull guiftes of many to drawe all the Romanes to doe their fealty to my Lord the Pope if they will but satisfy the king of Englands desire in our ouerthrowe You see how secure a passage what abundant prouision the dilligence of man had heere prepared for vs. Vndoubtedly hee cared not greatly how our Creditors might bee satisfyed how sufficient necessaryes might bee ministred to our companions if any happily might bee found to trauaile along with vs how the charges of the iourney might bee supplyed with sufficient meanes for the banished multitude who now after fiue yeeres exile was to bee lefte poore afflicted and forsaken in the middest of soe great calamityes Truly with the same dilligence of these purueyers and harbingers because wee cannot bee perswaded to call the kinges name into question may the house hould stuffe and prouysion of our hostes bee poysoned and hardly can that man bee secure of his life whom the Commander of the family where hee lodgeth lyeth in wayte to kill And that wee may not heerin bee tedious in circumstances of wordes As long as this life lasteth we will neuer vpon any summons hazard our selues to so many and so great imminent dangers for if a man will vpon euery occasion runne desperately to death hee may with a knife or a halter more speedily finish his dayes Afterwards hee proceedeth to rehearse what in the end of the last yeere is declared concerning the endeauors of the king or England to depriue Saint Thomas of the king of Frances protection which wee may receaue from the reporte of his owne mouth for hee sayth The king of England sent lately his Embassadors the Bishop of Sagia and Archdeacon of Canterbury to the most Christian king soliciting him with entreaty to bannish vs out of his Dominion but the man replenished with God answered that hee receaued by inheritance this law from his ancestors and that it had bin euer the custome of the kingdome of France kindly to entertayne all such as were banished for iustice and afforded them due and cōuenient courtesyes and comfortes and affirmed hee would neuer vpon any occasions whatsomeuer leaue so laudable an inheritance being so acceptable to Allmighty God Adding moreouer that hee receaued vs from the handes of my Lord the Pope whom only in earth hee acknowledged his Superior and therfore hee would neuer for any Emperor king or wordly Potentate desist to fauor vs and our cause so long as necessity required in regard God was on our syde and wee sustayned iniuryes and losses in defence of his lawe With this answer hee dismissed these confounded Embassadors and beecame to vs for which God reward him more louing and liberall then before although hee hath bin euer both kind and bountifull Hee saith beesides hee will in this cause of ours make tryall of the sincerity and vigor of the Church of Rome together with the vertue of our Lord the Pope whose faith and constancy hee exceedingly commendeth beecause hee reioyceth that the king of England hath receaued at his handes a repulse in his vniust demaundes Thus saith Saint Thomas of the king of France wordes worthy to bee engrauen in greate letters of Gould But as the faith together with the constancy of Pope Alexander was hitherto well knowne to continue vnmoueable in the defence of iustice and truth soe did it heereafter perseuer euen to the very end vncorrupted which notwithstanding hee gouerned with sweetenes and temperance leauing nothing vnattempted before hee would denounce the king to bee excommunicate and subiect his realme to Interdiction which caused him to make especiall choyse of men who were most famous for eminence integrity and singular learning I meane the fore recyted Gratian nephew to Pope Eugenius that most renowned Bishop Two Nuntioes send by the Pope to the king of England Cod. Vaet lib. 3. epist 12. for soe much doth Iohn of Salisburyes epistle to the Bishop of Poytiers signify and Viuian a person of excellency as beeing a
them to absolue the Clearkes without ●endering any oath which when they resolutely denyed to doe my Lord the king hasted to horse and getting vp swoare in the presence of all there that hee would neuer dureing life harken againe to my lord the Pope or any other for your peace or restitution Whervpon all the Archbishoppes and Bishoppes there present came to the Nuntios beeseeching them for Gods loue to accomplish his requestes wherunto with great difficulty they assented which beeing graunted the king alighted and beeganne againe to consult with them and presently after calling all who were in peace together the king beegan to discourse saying Hee would haue them all vnderstand that you departed not out of England at his instance and that he had often recalled you backe againe to returne and giue him satisfaction for such matters as hee alleadged against you and you euer refused but now the case soe stood that hee vpon the entreaty and commandement of my Lord the Pope did fully restore vnto you your Archbishoppricke and peace to all those who for your sake departed his dominion This graunte of peace the king confirmed about nyne of the clocke remayning afterwardes very pleasant and causing certaine other matters to bee handled in his presence which beeing finished hee returned again to the Nuntios desiring them that the Bishoppes might goe ouer into England for absoluing them who were there excommunicate Which when they absolutely denyed the king grew angry and made a new request that at the least one of them would passe ouer while the other remayned there and if that were distastefull to them they would send but one of their Cleakes whom hee would enrich with reuenues beefore his returne all which when Gratian who as wee hope is the sonne of grace againe denyed my lord the king beeing very much inraged departed away saying in their hearing Doe what you like I weigh neither you nor your excōmunication nor prize them the value of an egge and with these wordes hee mounted on horsebacke to gett him thence but the Archbishoppes with all the Bishoppes followed telling him that hee spoake impiously Afterwardes hee alighted and consulted with them in which counsell was concluded that all the Bishoppes should wryte to my Lord the Pope certifying him how the kinge in their hearing offered you peace and was in euery point ready to obey my Lord the Popes commandement but the Nuntios were in fault wherby it was not performed Afterwardes hauing wasted a little tyme in indighting these letters and the king as one enflamed with a wonderfull fury leauing them often the Bishoppes comminge to him sayde what would these Nuntios haue And showing him my Lord the Popes Mandate inioyninge them to accomplish the Nuntios commandement the king answered I know I know they will interdict my land but cannot I who am euery day able to take a most strong Castle take one Clearke who shall interdict my land Yet when in the end they yeelded in some degree to satisfy his desire the tempest of his anger was layde and returning to himselfe hee sayde vnles yee conclude this night a peace yee shall neuer come so neere this point againe and when they had awhile trauelled in the busines assembling them all together hee vsed these wordes It is conuenient I should doe very much at the intreaty of my Lord the Pope beecause hee is our Lord and father in regarde wherof I restore to the Archbishoppe his Sea with my peace and the like to all those who for his sake haue departed the land Wherupon the Nuntios and all there present thanked his Maiestie and then the king moreouer added If I haue not as now donne sufficiently I will to morowe by your aduyse supply what is yet wanting On the morowe beeing the Kalends of September about twelue of the Clocke they assembled together ad hauing long treated aboute absoluing the Excommunicate without obligation of oath it came to that passe as G. Rydell with Nigellus de Sackeuyle and Thomas Fitz-Bernard laying their handes on the Bible there present sayde that in the word of truth they would accomplish the Nuntios commandement Then was it required of the Nuntios that all they vpon whom my Lord the king in this tyme of disturbance had beestowed your Churches might enioy them according to the tenor of his Maiesties guifte but as wee heard the conclusion was that they should bee left free to your disposition Afterwards it was determined the Bishoppes should set downe in wryting the forme of peace which the king had granted And this did the king to the end that one of the Nuntios should passe ouer into England for absoluing the excommmunicate And beeing departed vpon these termes after three howers within night the king sayde hee would haue inserted in the articles of peace these wordes with the reseruation of the dignity of his kingdome wherunto as wee heard Gratian absolutely denyed euer to yeilde and vpon this word as yet they differ determining to returne on the Natiuity of Saint Mary the Virgen to Cane there finally to conclude more fully the whole busines Thus farre concerning the meeting of the Nuntios with the king Gratian is highly commended who would neuer condescend to admitt this forme of wordes cōcerning which Iohn of Salisbury wrote in this sorte to Iohn Bishop of Poytiers Many conceaue a hope that the sonne of grace whose name agreeth with his actions the Nephew of blessed Eugenius will sincerely proceede according to the Euangelicall truth the glory of the Apostolicall Maiestie and the honor and peace of the distressed Church for hee knoweth assuredly that taking this course hee shall purchase to himselfe eternall glory beefore God and men And in regarde hee findeth but few vpon whom hee may boldly rely I beeseech you to cōfirme and strengthen in our Lord his constancy The king by Gods fauour is well able to pay and for penitents it is certayne the sinne shall not bee forgiuen vnles what is wrongfully taken away bee restored c. For wheras hee thought there was no reconciliation of peace without restitution of the goodes taken away from the Church Salisbury praysing these his proceedinges sayth The king God willing is well able to satisfy and penitents may bee assured they can neuer obtayne remission of their sinnes if what they haue taken away bee not restored when they haue ability to doe it for otherwise it is not pennance but a fayned Hypocrisy And hee againe as touching absolution giuen without promise of satisfaction and also concerning that clause with preseruation of the dignity of the kingdome beeing the wordes which Gratian reiected sayth moreouer If the king haue his will to inserte in the articles of agreement The preseruation of the dignity of his kingdome hee hath the victory for confirmation of his customes with only alteration of the wordes and hath banished cleane out of England all the Authority of the Roman Church But God forbid that euer assent should
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
fauor Cod. Vat. lib. 4. epist 4. and restore to him and his the Churches with other commodityes wrongfully taken from them beeing an iniury notoriously knowne allmost to the whole Christian world In regard wherof beecause hitherto wee cannot any way profit heerein nor allay with sweete and gentle meanes your destempered mynde wee conceaue exceeding greife and sorrowe and lament to see our selues frustrated of our hope and confidence especially since wee loue most entirely as our deerest sonne in our Lord yourselfe Isai 58. ouer whom wee beehould for this a greiuous danger to hange and for that it is wrirten Crye out and cease not as a trumpett exalte thy voyce and declare to my people their offences And an other where Vnles you shall laye open vnto the wicked his iniquity I will require his blood at your handes Eccles 22. And in an other place by Salomon The sloughthfull man shall bee stoned with the dung of Oxen Wee haue resolued no longer to tollerate as hetherto wee haue done the hardnes of your harte against iustice with the preiudice of our soule neither will wee heereafter vpon any occasions shutt vp the mouth of the aforesayde Archbishoppe but permit him freely to execute his office and with the swoarde of Ecclesiasticall seuerity to reuenge the iniuryes offered himselfe and his Church And what is not fully signifyed in these our letters concerning this and the rest our beeloued sonnes the Prior of Gods-Mount and brother Bernard of Corilo as they who dread rather God then man shall by worde of mouth declare at large to your Maiestie vnto whose admonition wee beeseech him whom to serue is to raigne and in whose hands are the hartes of kinges to incline your mynd and will that you may rather chuse to bee bowed then stiffely to continue any longer in the willfullnes of soe great an obstinacy against God and your owne saluation But if you will not harken to vs in their persons concerning those thinges which on our beehalfe they shall deliuer vnto you you may vndoubtedly feare least the reuenging wrath of God will shortly fall vpon you Now what the proceedinges of these Nuntios were their owne relation which was sent to Pope Alexander declareth at large in these wordes Ibid. Epist 8. Wee trauelled lately together with Brother Bernard of Corilo vnto the renowned king of England to perfect à peace and agreement by vertue of your Mandate beetwene him and my Lord of Canterbury and to bring our purpose more easely about wee drew my Lord of Canterbury to the place where the kinges God soe working were reconcyled one to an other Heere wee see the kinges at their late parlee in Paris departed a sunder discontented and that an other meeting was afterwards appointed which wee suppose was this Then hee proceedeth Hauing deliuered the king of England your comonitory letters and hauing done our vttermost dilligēce which wee thought most likely to preuayle with him wee admonished and counselled my Lord of Canterbury to humble himselfe to the king and endeauour to asswage the rigor of his mynd with lowely prayers and ready seruice in like sorte the most Christian king of France the Archbishoppes with other Lordes there present ioyntly perswaded him Beeing vrged with the exhortations of the king Bishoppes and Barons the Archbishoppe of Canterbury consented and in that open assembly came to the king of England and falling downe on his knees cōmended himselfe to God and the king speaking to the honor of God and his prince in these formall wordes To the honor of God soe to procure his peace and fauor But the king in regarde of those wordes to the honor of God would not receaue him into his fauor saying openly before them all least it should bee thought the Archbishop sought to conserue the honor of God and not of the king And after many wordes which would to God hee had forborne hee sayd he required nothing else of the Archbishoppe but that hee as a preist and Bishoppe should beefore them all promise him in the worde of truth to conserue without any deceypt the customes which the holy Archbishoppes of Canterbury had obserued vnto their kinges and which the Archbishop himselfe had once promised him to doe Whervnto the Archbishop answered that hee had done him fealty which hee was bound by the obligation of an oath to keepe inuiolable that is to say life lymmes and worldly honor with the preseruation of his order and all this hee was ready most faythfully to accomplish neither was any whit more exacted of his Predecessors or was to bee requyred of any But the king standing still most peremptorily on this Article my Lord of Canterbury sayd moreouer allthough none of his Predecessors had done yea or vndertaken thus much nor yet himselfe was by law tyed any way thereunto hee professed neuertheles that for obtayning the peace of the Church and regayning his fauor hee would promise that such customes as his Predecessors had obserued to their kinges hee would with reseruation of his order obserue inuiolably vnto him so far forth as hee could doe without offending God and would performe for winning his good opinion againe what soeuer could bee done with the honor of God protesting hee was neuer in his life more willing to serue him then to accomplish this if it pleased him to accept thereof Yet the king refused him vpon these termes nor would receaue him vnles hee would precisely and absolutely binde himselfe by oath to obserue his customes beecause hee required nothing else at his handes which in regarde the Archbishoppe allthough many did instantly perswade him therunto would not condescend to doe the king departed without conclusion of peace But when according to your Mandate wee exhorted the king to receaue the Archbishop againe into his fauor and restore him his Church with peace Hee answered For his Church it may bee the counsell of his freindes might soe far preuayle as in the end hee should render him the same againe but deny'd euer to restore him his fauor for then were the priuiledge voyde which your Holines granted him by vertue whereof you suspended the Archbishoppes authority vntill such tyme as hee was restored into his fauor What this suspension was wee will declare heereafter But to returne to the Nuntios letter hee thus proceedeth And beecause you commanded vs to admonish him first with the spiritt of lenity by your Comonitory letters wee deferred to another tyme the deliuery of your Cominatory Meane while wee beeseech Allmighty God in whose handes are the hartes of Princes to mitigate and asswage his mynde and reunite this peace to the diuine glory and the Churches vtility The rest of your Mandate wee will by Gods leaue in conuenient tyme execute with all dilligence and will bee carefull to signify to your Holines the euent of the busines in such sorte as God shall determine it Brother Bernard beeing desyred to certify your Holines as wee doe of the proceedinges
and successe heereof answered it was forbidden in his order that any brother should write to you or others about any affayres but promised to declare beefore your Nuntio Master Lumbard who deliuered him your letters the whole state and processe of the cause that hee may signify the same vnto you as faythfully and amply as if himselfe had bin there present And thus did Symon wryte to the Pope But what ensued afterwardes the sayde Nuntio in another relation sent also to Pope Alexander layd open in these wordes According to the commandement of your Holines wee deliuered to the renowned king of England your Comonitory letters doing our vttermost labor and dilligence to perswade him Cod. Vat. lib 4. Epist 10. according to your admonition to receaue my Lord of Canterbury into his fauor agayne to restore him his Archbishopricke with peace and suffer him freely to dispose of his Church wee long expected hoping and praying that Allmighty God would molify his harte But when by our forbearāce wee profited nothing we presēted vnto him in the next parle of the kinges your cominatory letters which hauing at the last with great difficulty receaued vpon the instant entreaty of vs and many noble personages after many wordes too lōg heere to rehearse hee answered thus I neuer banished my Lord of Canterbury out of the kingdome neuerthelesse for the reuerence I owe to my Lord the Pope if hee will performe to mee what hee ought to doe ād obserue to mee what his Predecessors haue obserued to my Progenitors yea what himselfe hath promised hee may returne into England and enioy his peace And after sundry diuersitys of answers hee lastly sayde Hee would assemble together the Bishoppes of England and take their counsell but appoynted no day nor more could wee gett at his handes wherby wee might bee assured of my Lord of Canterburys peace or the execution of your Mandate And beecause wee found him often altering in his answers wee demanded of him if my Lord of Canterbury might returne to his Archbishoppricke and vse it in peace Wherupon hee replyed That the Archbishop should neuer come within his land before hee did to him accordingly as hee ought to doe and had vndertaken to obserue what others had obserued and what himselfe had allready promised Lastly wee beesought him hee would wryte and signify by his letters patents his answer beecause wee ought to declare vnto you a certaynty which hetherto wee had not in regarde hee varyed soe often in his answers wherunto hee would not agree But the Archbishoppe when wee deliuered thus much vnto him sayd hee would bee euer ready to obey the king wherin hee ought and obserue whatsoeuer was observed by his Predecessors soe far forth as hee could with reseruation of his order but to intangle himselfe in new obligations that were neuer offered to his Predecessors and vndertake to performe any such without preseruation of his order was alltogether vnlawfull for him without my Lord the Popes authority first beecause it is pernicious to bring a new forme into Gods Church and then in regarde hee was forbidden by your Holines euer to make any such promise but with the reseruation of Gods honor and of his order And sayde moroeuer your Holines with rebuking tould him that hee ought not for safegard of his life to binde himselfe to the obseruation of such customes but with preseruation of his order Yet if the king would according to your Mandate restore to him his fauor with peace and the free inioying of his Church together with such thinges as were wrongfully taken away from him and his hee would most willingly performe at his pleasure whatsomeuer hee could possibly doe without offence of God and breach of his order and will endeauor most dilligently and deuoutly to serue him with all his power Please it therfore your Holines to succour the afflicted Church and to perseuer in that which to your great commendation you haue allready beegunne beecause as wee haue heard of many and doe certainly beelieue if you perseuer the peace and redresse of the Church is euen now at hand Thus wrote Simon of Gods-Mount after hee had worthily performed his charge and to the same purpose did the Archbishop of Senon who was there present and saint Thomas also Cod. Vat. lib. 4. Ep. 7. Ibidem Ep. 6. signify to his Holines Meane while the king of England dealt by his two agents with Pope Alexander that the authority of faint Thomas might bee suspended vntill this matter were handled by the Popes Nuntios as it appeareth by the Popes letters to the king which Roger in his Chronicles of England recyteth in this yeere beeginning thus Your Maiesties Agētes our beeloued sonne Iohn Cumin c. and written in secret as the Pope witnesseth in his owne wordes which neuerthelesse the king with great vaunting diuulged For as wee see in the first conference of the kinges the king of England protracted the peace least hee should otherwise loose the priuiledge which as hee sayd hee receaueth from the Pope to wit that the Archbishops authority should bee suspended vntill hee had obtayned the kinges peace vpon occasion of which graunt you may conceaue the Pope was hardly spoaken of by many the king of England who was the only procurrer thereof in kindling hatred and wrath against him by showing publickly with great ostentation and kingly pryde the Popes letters and causing them especially to bee read in the last royall conference whereof saint Thomas wrote thus to Conrade Archbishop of Mountes Ibidem Epist 15. The king of England publickly boasteth of our suspension by proclayming the same in the open streetes of either kingdome and for a testimony of my confusion and to make mee more burdensome and odious to the world hee layeth open the Apostolike letters Hee gloryeth also of the terme of the prerogatiue assigned him beeing vntill hee receaueth mee into fauour which if it remayneth in his power shall bee at the Grecian Kalendes I meane neuer c. Wherof hee vaunted vpō this only reason beecause Pope Alexander beeing importuned and deceaued by the king did wryte that saint Thomas should suspend his authority so long ouer the king and kingdome vntill hee purchassed the kings peace which benignity of the Pope the king abusing did of set purpose deferre the peace beecause vntill that was concluded the Archbishoppes authority was suspended by reason whereof the Pope was inueyghed against Cod. Vat. lib. 4. Epist 14. Ibidem Ep. 18.22 Ibidem Ep. 19. Ibidem Ep. 20.23 25.2 Ibidem 16 8 not only by the Archbishoppe himselfe but likewise by the king of France as also his Queene and many others beeing incensed with the zeale of iustice Pope Alexander therfore assaulted with so many and soe greate complayntes by his letters to S. Thomas excused himselfe thus Wee suppose your wisedome is not ignorant how Henry the famous king of England sent his Agents vnto vs and with what vnreasonable and
of Frances daughter being left at Cane to the reproach and contempt of her father as one reiected This childe whom wee haue named will when wee haue named bee vndoubtedly crowned vnlesse our Lord stay his intended passage by sea or restrayne the handes of yorke or the king of France represse it with some manner of prohibition For the sonne hasteneth to the sea and is expected by the father on the contrary shoare and by the kinges commandement the Bishoppes of Bay on and Segien attend his childe And concerning the Popes letters forbidding this same hee addeth thus For my Lord the Popes letters forbidding this consecratiō it was long ere they passed the seas then absolutely cast away to no purpose and perishing in the handes of him to whom they were committed they were shewed to none much lesse diuulged to all how therfore could they preuayle that were thus concealed c. But in regarde of some occasions arysing the new kinges coronation was deferred till saint Iohn Baptistes natiuity whereof William in Quadrilogus wryteth thus in the end of the second The feaste of sainct Iohn Baptist beeing now at hand the king vnder pretence of establishing his kingdome assembling together the nobility of his realme committed to his eldest sonne the raynes of his kingdome And there wanted not some who aduised him to bee very carefull vpon what conditions hee thus admitted his heire and successor others answering and affirming all this was done in hatred of the Archbishop and derogation of the Churches dignity But the Archbishop of yorke imposed handes on him in the Prouince of Canterbury beeing in sainct Peeters Church at Westminster contrary to the dignity and ancient custome of the Church of Canterbury the Bishoppes of London Salisbury and Rochester as suffraganes assisting him nor euer opening their lippes in protestation of the right of Canterbury to whose dignity and prerogatiue the coronation of the kinges of England is of ancient tymes knowne to appertayne In the celebration of the feast after the coronation the king vouchsafed to serue the king the father the sonne and protested that now hee ceased to bee a king But according as God complayneth They raigne and not by mee so how manifestly was it in the end declared that this yong king by this bastardly consecration vnlawfully acted by an excommunicated and accursed person purchassed not a benediction Wheruppon this Author addeth by and by afterwardes thus But let vs a litle consider how profane this vnction was how odious how offensiue this consecration if it may bee termed rather a consecration then an execration beeing absolutely destitute of any Apostolicall benediction yea absolutely done in transgressing against the Apostolicall man which only proceeded out of meere hatred wrath and indignation deuysed by a carnall father in despight of his spirituall father All which is proued by the lamentable euentes that beeing soe detestable to all ensuing ages sprung out of this consecration I meane the Suspension and Excommunication of Preistes the murdering of an Archbishoppe the sundry battayles between the father and sonne and lastly the notorious miserable and vntymely death of this yong Prince soe consecrated beeing cutt of in his prime and left an example for all tymes to come c. This same freind of his sent him alsoe the reporte of the Coronation in these wordes On Sunday last the king beeing at London endowed his sonne with the girdle of knighthoode Cod. Vat lib. 5. Ep. 2. 3. and yorke instantly anoynted him king There the king distributed his landes to his sonnes all men wondering what hereafter hee would doe Hee causeth his iourney into Normandy to bee cōtinually talked of to the end hee may bee the more dreaded but hee will not goe vntill hee hath decently furnished the king of France his daughter remayning now in the company of the Queene at Cane with apparell horse and family conuenient to passe the seas at his appointment and this of purpose that the king of France hearing hereof may somewhat bee pacifyed in regarde of the indignation conceaued for contempt of his daughter c. This beeing done saint Thomas hauing certayne intelligence of all matters which had passed in derogation of himselfe and his Church of Canterbury wrote as the same author reporteth vnto Pope Alexander mournfull letters replenished with complayntes intermingled also with other discontentes which is to say that the cheife Ringleader of all this Scysme together with the Bishop of Salisbury not inferior to the former beeing both excommunicated before by the Pope himselfe were to the reproach of the whole Church loosed from the bands of excommunication by the Bishop of Senon Legate of the Apostolike Sea Heereof saint Thomas especially complayned to Cardinall Albert beeginning thus in bitternes Cod. Vat. lib. 5. Ep. 20. I would my hee loued your eares were open to the tongues of our complayntes that they might then heare what is often sung in the publicke passages of Ascalon to the reproofe of the Romane Church Our last Messingers seemed to bring vs some comforte from the Sea Apostolike in my Lord the Popes letters but their authority is made absolutely voyde by letters sent from the Legate a latere for absoluing Sathan to the Churches obloquy There are now absolued by the Apostolicall Mandate the Bishoppes of London and Salisbury of whom the first is knowe to bee from the very beeginning the firebrand of this Scysme and contryuer of all this malice and to haue drawne as well Salisbury as all others whom hee could into the offence of disobedience I knowe not in what sorte our Lordes cause is handled in the Courte that Barabbas escapeth free and Christ is crucifyed Now for six whole yeeres hath our banishment and the Churches calamity bin prolonged by the Courtes authority c. But how iniustly all this was deliuered allthough to the holy man it seemed most certayne the letters of Pope Alexander to the Bishop of Senon the Apostolicall Legate declare But first let vs heere reporte what the Legate setting downe the same did wryte to that purpose vnto his Holines bIid Ep. 25. Let your excellency most holy father heare with patience what wee say beecause our soule dwelleth in bitternes and as well your devoute sonne the most Christian king of France as also the whole Church of France is troubled with the scandalls which in the days of your Apostolike authority flowe from the Apostolicall Sea For why as our country sayth Sathan is there set loose to the whole Churches destruction Christ is crucifyed againe and the sacriligious wretch and murderer let goe Wee haue laboured with your Holines on the behalfe of the Church of England and supposed in our departure shee obtayned some reliefe But when you caused the Bishop of London without our priuity to bee absolued the matter fell out cleane contrary and hornes are giuen to the sinner For loe that king whom you haue ouer much fauored hath caused his sonne to bee
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
donne by him and absolutely abolish those wicked and destable customes But if hee will not within thirty days after your commonition ratify the peace according to his appointment and promise doe yee then forbid all diuine offices beesides Baptisme of infantes and pennance at the point of death to bee ministred in all his Dominions on this syde on the seas and that without any obstacle of Appeale and cause this sentence to bee most strictly obserued vntill hee shall giue condigne satisfaction And if either of yee by reason of extreme necessity cannot bee present at the execution heereof beeing a thing if it should soe happen much against our willes let then the other neuertheles doe this our command Dated at Anagnia 7. Id. Octobris Moreouer there and then hee sent other letters to Roane and Nyuers against such as detayning possessions of the Church and would not restore them whom hee commanded to bee excommunicated vnles they made within xv days full satisfaction The Pope remouing from Anagnia to Signia a citty seauen myles thence where 3. Ibidem 32. Id. Octob. hee directed his letters to all the Prelates of the Prouinces beelonging to the king of England on this syde the seas for putting the interdiction in execution vnles the king made againe to saint Thomas together with a perfect peace restitution of his poss●ssions hee the same day at the sayd place wrote also a letter to saint Thomas in these words Wee are oppressed with greife and bitter sorrowe so often as wee recall to mynde and carrefully consider the troubles Ibid. ep 29 burdens and afflictions which for the zeale of iustice and maintenance of the Churches liberty you doe with patience and an vndaunted courage indure But in regarde you haue atcheiued the perfection of vertue you cannot bee ouercome with aduersity nor remoued from the resolution of your constancy wherin wee commend your admirable magnanimity and congratulate with you in our Lord for this your singuler patience And beecause wee haue long expected with patience and fauor our beeloued sonne in Christ Henry the famous king of England and haue often admonished him seeking sometimes by sweete and pleasing wordes otherwhiles by rough and bitter threateninges to reclayme him now if hee performeth not really as well to you as yours the peace concluded with you nor yet restore you your Churches possessions together with your depriued honors wee giue you heere ample authority to exercise your Ecclesiasticall iustice beelonging to your office notwithstanding any obstacle of Appeale vpon the persons and places subiect to your iurisdiction excepting only the king the Queene and their children wishing you euer therin to vse the wisedome and consideration beeseeming all preistly modesty Dated at Signia 3. Id. Octob. Alexander leauing Signia came to Tusculan where with longer stay hee remayned awhile which is apparant by his letters Dated there 8. Ibid. ep 68. Kalend. Decemb. wherein hee cyteth the Bishoppes of London and Salisbury to Rome for making satisfaction and this vnles the peace were absolutely in all respects concluded Hee wrote also thē by the same messinger vnto whom hee deliuered his former letters to the king of England in these words Ibid. ep 55. Vnderstanding by the letters of our reuerent brother Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury that laying asyde all disturbance and malice The Popes letters to the king of England you haue restored him to your grace and fauor wee haue conceaued therin so much the more ioy and gladnes by how much wee consider the same to bee more gratefull and acceptable to God honorable to your selfe and profitable to your soule For wee knowe the Archbishoppe soe farre to excell in Religion wisedome honesty and the vertue of fayth as wee doubte not but hee will bee faythfull and deuoted to you and your kingdome able in power and ready in mynde for your honor and augmentation and euer truly and carefully vigilant to encrease your glory and exalte your magnificence Yet beecause the offence is not remitted vnles restitution bee made of thinges wrongfully taken away allthough the Archbishop himselfe in respect of his patience and for the tender loue hee beareth you forbeareth to require the same wee neuerthelesse who couet especially your saluation ought not to bee silent therin nor yet doth it beecome your Maiestie whom God hath made soe mighty and potēt to withhould the rightes and goods beelonging to the Church of Canterbury Wherfore with all intreaty wee admonish and earnestly exhorte the clemency of your royall excellency that following the example of Zacheus who sayth in the Gospell Beehould Lord halfe of my goodes I giue to the poore and if I haue defrauded any one I restore foure-foulde you would endeauor to render to the Archbishoppe and his Church what is wrongfully taken away and speedyly to recompense the dammages and detriments they sustayned by your meanes that you may soe appease the wrath of Allmighty God wherin you haue offended him and wee forgiue you absolutely soe greate a sinne and the Archbishoppe bee for euer bound to rest most ready at your seruice and deuotion and encrease the renowne of you and your heires Moreouer that you fauorably listen to such as haue furthered and performed this peace beetweene yee not heereafter harken to them whom you knowe to haue kindled the coales of this dissention beesides that you warne and perswade your sonne to giue due satisfaction to the Archbishoppe and his Church concerning the article of his oathe omitted by him for conseruation of the priuiledge and liberty of the Church of Canterbury in such sorte as kinges and Princes of England haue heertofore sworne making him to performe what is hetherto let passe and that as well your selfe as your sonne doe freely and quietly resigne the ordinations of Churches with other matters appertayning to Ecclesiasticall persons vnto the same Archbishop and other Ecclesiasticall men That in soe doing you may offer to our Lord a worthie sacrifice of prayse ād purchasse to your selfe an eternall kingdome Thus wrote Pope Alexander to the king who added alsoe theerunto other letters to the Clergie and people of England Cod Vat. li. 5. ep 56 The meeting of S Thomas with the king at Towers admonishing them all in any case not to disturb this setled peace But how matters proceeded in the meane time beetweene the king and saint Thomas let vs heere declare out of Quadrilogus the history of saint Thomas wryting thus The king inclining to alteration yea rather denying to make restitution of the possessions taken away from the Church of Canterbury and this comming to the eare of saint Thomas by the relation of Iohn of Salisbury Quadrilogus lib. 3. cap. 3. whom together with Herbert hee sent to treate with the king The Archbishop vnderstanding that a parlee was shortly to bee held beetweene the king and a noble man called Theobald Earle of Bloys the day beefore the conference went to the king at Towers The
king hearing before of the Archbishoppes comming sent some of his Courte vnto him passiing alsoe himselfe out of the Citty towardes him and meeting together not the eyes but the countenance of the king as it may bee sayde was setled on him Wherupon a thing noted by many of the Archbishoppes trayne neither did the king nor any of his vouchsafe to visite the Archbishop that night in his lodging but rather early in the morning caused a Masse for the deade to bee celebrated in his Chappel fearing as it was reported least if the Archbishop were there present hee would otherwise offer him at Masse the kisse of peace which then to refuse were not the parte of a Christian but Christes enemy When the Masse was ended the king departed the Citty hastening to the Parlee c. The Parlee with the Earle beeing finished saint Thomas speaking with the king beesought him that before his returne into England his possessions might bee restored which the king denyed saying hee should first returne and afterwardes haue restitution of his possessions And thus much concerning this encounter at Towers Saint Thomas came afterwards to the king as Herbert continuinge this history sayth at the Balde Mountaine neere Bloys where hee could obtayne nothing of the king but only promises without any performance Wherupon saint Thomas returning to Senon and taking his leaue of the king of France trauelled to the hauen of Whitesand there to take shippe for England and there sayth Herbert the Archbishop before hee embarked himselfe sent ouer first my Lord the Popes before rehearsed letters of the generall suspension of the English Bishoppes together with the Excommunication of some certaine of which number beeing Roger of Yorke Gilbert of London and Ioceline of Salisbury comming thether for passage into England did euen in the porte receaue their letters of Suspension and accursing But allthough the Archbishoppe had warning as well by the Earle of Boleyne as also by those who arriued from England that nothing but chaynes prysons and treasons were prepared for him in England Hee neuertheles answered Neither yet if I should bee torne peece-meale in sunder would I desiste from my intended iourney no force no torture shall retayne mee dastard-like any longer it sufficeth that our Lordes flocke hath now seauen yeeres mourned for their Pastors absence And what hee professed in wordes the same did this Saint also confirme by letter wryting to his king these his last lynes worthie an Apostolike man who dreaded not to suffer death for his flocke beeing these wordes It is knowne to Christ the searcher of hartes the iudge of soules and reuenger of sinnes Chā Vat. li. 5. Ep. ●4 The last letter of saint Thomas to the kinge of England with how great purity of mynde and sincerity of affection wee concluded our peace with your Maiestie beeleiuing you would haue proceeded plainly and iustly with vs for what else most excellent Lord could wee conceaue of your wordes which either in arguing or courtesy out of your fauorable goodnes you communicated with vs The letter moreouer you directed to my Lord and king your sonne for restoring to vs and ours all the possessions wee held before our departure from England what could it pretend but good will peece and security but loe that which God knoweth wee accompt more greeuous for the edangering of your renowne then the losse of our commoditie the want of performance beareth no coulor of simple meaning or faythfull dealing for the restitution you willed to bee made to vs and ours was put of for fifteene dayes in regarde of Raynulphe with whom beeing of counsell to my Lorde your sonne they thought conuenient in the meane time to conferre about the accomplishment of this your commandement What manner of persons these are and how and with what iustice this busines is caryed you at your pleasure may examine For vs wee are perswaded all this is donne to the dommage of the Church with the danger of your saluation and renowne vnles with diligence you reforme it For the sayde Raynulphe meane while maketh hauocke of the Churches gooddes and euen now carryeth openly away in greate abundance our house-hould prouision as wee heare by their reporte who if it pleaseth you will bee ready to iustify the same and lastly hath vaunted in the presence of many that wee shall not long inioy your gratious peace beecause wee shall not eate a whole loafe in England beefore as hee threateneth hee beereaueth vs of life You knowe most excellent Lord hee is accessary of an offence who when it is in his power to correct an others sinne neglecteth to amend it And what can that Raynulphe doe but by your leaue and armed with your authority And what answer hee will make to the letter of my Lord and king your sonne wryting to him on this occasiō your wisedome will heare and iudge therof as it liketh you And beecause it is now manifed by apparant proofes that the holy Church of Canterbury mother of the Britanns perisheth for the very hatred of our life to the ēd she may not dye but be freed of dāger we will by Gods grace in her quarrell expose our life as well to the sayde Raynulphe as other his cōfederates the Churches persecutors beeing prepared not only to dye but also to suffer a thousand deathes and all tormentes whatsomeuer for Christes sake if hee of his grace wouchsafe to graunte vs the fortitude of patience I determined my Lord 〈◊〉 haue returned vnto you but that necessity draweth me a wretch to my wretched Church repayring to her with your fauor and licence and it may bee perishing least otherwise shee perisheth vnles your piety vouchsafeth to yeelde vs presently some other cōforte but whether wee dye or liue wee are and shall euer bee in our Lord yours and whatsoeuer beecommeth of vs and ours God euer blesse you and your issue And thus the good Shepheard beeing now ready to offer his life for his sheepe deliuered himselfe most Christian-like as the follower of Christ out of the purity of his conscience and the sincerity of his fayth which had bin able to haue melted Pharaos most hardened harte But in regarde as it is allready sayde beefore euer hee sett foote in England hee sent ouer the Popes letters of Excommunication and Suspension against the Bishops let none impute it to any rashnes of his for disturbing the publick peace but that whatsomeuer hee did was by the kinges counsell and approbation as hee often professed openly when his aduersaryes in England did on that occasion rise against him whose wordes soe many times recyted by Herbert in Quadrilogus are these Concerning the Bishoppes whom yee alleage to bee suspended or excommunicated by mee or thorough my procurement bee yee in your discretion without all doubt certifyed that whatsoeuer was done was by the kinges consent and counsell For when on the feast of saint Mary Magdalene a peace beeing concluded beetweene vs hee receaued mee into
openly in the Courte persecuting the Archbishop And againe thus Yea you knowe this Caiphas of our age who vnder the coulor of a Playntiffe perswaded it was conuenient that one man should dye or bee apprehended least otherwise the whole nation should perish you were in England with your vnkle my Lord of Winchester when this same Caiphas then an Archdiuell procured one Walter to bee beereaued of his eyes the beauty of whose youth hee fowly louing was vsually dilighted with the abhominable abuse of his body and this hee did beecause Walter with bitter wordes freely disgorged his stomacke of the fowle reproach hee had suffered to the shame of nature nor yet contented heerewith this Archdiuell corrupting the Iudges who decyded secular causes inforced him to bee hanged for that afterwardes hee reproued his wickednes Soe this man no lesse mercifull then chaste requyted the affection of his Doue soe hee rewarded the wonted seruice of his once beeloued as after the horrible iniury to his miserable body hee punished him more miserably beeing now penitent for consenting to this loathsome sinne with scourging and losse of eyes and lastly most miserably strangled him on the Gallowes beecause with all the clamour hee could hee protested these wronges Wee deuise not this but endeauor to recall it to your memory if perchance that may possibly slippe out of your memory which as with an iron anker vpon the reporte of many ād those of great estimation and worthie of credit hath bin more deepely fixed in your mynde For this sorrowfull history euen to this very day is sung vp and downe to the disgrace yea contempt of the Church But it may bee some will aske how hee could passe vnpunished hauing committed soe greate and manifest an offence especially since blessed Eugenius then gouerned the Catholike Church And doubtles as wee constantly beelieue hee had neuer escaped but by the industry of saint Thomas who wrought thorough the mediation of those reuerent men Hillary Bishop of Chichester and Iohn Bishoppe of Winchester that hee might receaue his purgation beefore Theobalde of worthie memory late Archbishop of Canterbury Yet perceauing afterwardes how the Church of Rome tooke in ill parte the order of this purgation thus secretly caryed as beeing only in a Chapter of Monkes and not in a solemne assembly beeing carefull of his estate hee passed ouer to Rome to that famous Marchant Gregory Cardinall of saint Angelo whom my very soule hath euer hated and by his procurement thorough the multitude of rewardes sowed in the Courte obtayned to returne home iustifyed in his house beeing reserued I knowe not by what dispensation of God to committ farre more heynous offences as wittnesseth this present day wherin the Church is dyed purple with the blood of an Innocent Thus wryteth Iohn of Salisbury of this detestable man whom in steede of an Archdeacon hee termeth an Archdiuell and beeing afterwardes preferred to bee an Archbishop hee calleth rightly an other Caiphas of this tyme the executioner of saint Thomas who perhaps had beefore fauored him too much But how these warring vessells of iniquity incensed the king against saint Thomas is thus described by Herbert in Quadrilogus The king was soe troubled ād deepely offēded by the accusatiōs of these Bishoppes against saint Thomas whom with exclamations they called the Molester of the kingdome the persecutor of Bishoppes the enemy of all good men and the Princes professed foe as outragious with fury hee fell into those most bitter wordes wherby they who guarded his person were incited to attēpt the murder of this most holy man For sayth hee beeing very often enraged with wrath breeaking out into those deadly wordes The king by his rash and vnaduised wordes giueth occasion of the murder of S. Thomas Hee cursed all whom bee had nourished who by the speciall grace of his fauour and larges of his benefittes were bound vnto him beecause they would not reuenge him of one Preist who soe disturbed his person and kingdome and sought to depriue and disinherit him of his dignities And euer breathing out these and such like speeches the king stirred all his followers extremely against him amonge whom fourre knightes more desperate then the rest combining together conspired the Archbishoppes death and passing speedily into England came to the Arch-Bishope where quarrelling with fowle reproaches and rising to contentious wordes they picked their wished occasion out of the Archbishoppes freedome in speaking And then lastly the next day after the feast of the Blessed Innocents they assaulted him in the Church with naked swoardes beeing there at Euensong First the saint reproued the Clearkes beecause they intended by shutting the Churches dores to exclude them saying The Church was not to bee kepte as a castle The whole matter with all circumstances which foreran ād succeeded the Martyrdome are at large deliuered in Quadrilogus and many thinges are there layde open which are omitted in other Authors who haue to their commendation labored in this worke all which Roger in his Chronicles of England hath breifely collected in such sorte as by liuing in that tyme hee knewe them to bee acted which hee lefte wrytten in these wordes Scarce therfore had our Father continued a full moneth in his Church when loe the fifte day after our Lordes natiuity came to Canterbury foure knightes yea rather souldiers of Sathans Guarde The Martirdome of S. Thomas whose names were William de Tracy Hughe de Moruyle Richard Bryton and Reynold Fitz-vrse men truly of eminent familyes but now instantly confounding with eternall infamy for attempting a detestable offence the glory of their knighthoode and tytles of their descents Wherefore entring into the Archbishop beecause salutation was not directed in their handes letting passe all vsuall salutations out of their conceaued malice they burst to wordes of Pride and arrogancy they receaue and retorte answers heaping threates on threates and leauing beehind them despightes and reproaches departe But instantly returning all armed and an armed troupe attending them they entred with force the Cloyster of the Monkes while with modesty and grauity th● Archbishop passed on beefore them into the Church beeing perswaded yea compelled by the Monkes in regarde of the solemne feaste to solemnize Euensonge when looking backe hee sawe them in armes persuing him amid the Cloysters The horror of the sinne ought to haue restrayned them from entring the Church but neither the reuerence of the solemnity could make thē desiste from this monstrous offence nor the innocency of the Patriarcke could terrify them from shedding his blood yea soe far forth did the impudent resolution of committing this heynous wicked acte possesse and blinde them as they neither respected the losse of their knighthoode nor had the least consideration of any ensuing danger Headlong therfore and senseles of the sinne making after the Archbishoppe with naked swoardes they rush into the Church asking with furious exclamations Where is the Taytor But no man answering redoubling againe they
day soe the fifte day of our Sauiours birth into this world of misery was his birth day vnto eternall glory Thus there The same yeere also the Church of Canterbury beeing thus depriued of saint Thomas The waueringe state of the Church of Canterbury beegan to wauer when the Cathedrall Mōkes of the sayde Church would haue elected a successor without any reguarde of the Bishops of the Prouince vnto whose office the same appertayned which their bould attempt is reproued by Peter of Bloys a man of great authority in the Church of England hauing first most amply inlarged himselfe in the high commendation of saint Thomas on this wise To his most deere brethren and freindes Cannons of Beweueiwe Master Peeter of Bloys Archdeacon of Bathe Lendeth greeting with all loue Apud Petrum Blesē Epist 27. A consolation for the death of S. Thomas The Pastor of our soules is passed hence whose decease I meant to haue lamented but hee is departed not deade arriued to life not depriued of life for death wherby our Lord hath made his Saint soe maruailous is not death but a sleepe the porte of death the porche of life an entry into the delightes of that heauenly countrey into the Powers of Allmighty God into the infinite brightnes of eternall glory For vndergoeing a long iourney hee tooke with him plenty of money intending to returne in the full of the Moone his soule I say riche in merittes leauing the body shall in the generall and last resurrection returne againe full fraught to her old habitation Hauing gathered together many vertues like sundry Marchandises into one bundell hee passed therwith to the heauenly Marte that wretch laden with dayes I meane the death of this miserable world that mischeeuous contentious wayward importunate enuious hurtefull and suttell old woeman beegan to vndoe and search precisely his carryages to see if there were any thing among those collected merittes which was subiect to her command But hee as a circumspect and discreete man would not endure ought that might endamage his life for long beefore had hee desired to bee dissolued and bee with Christ and then did hee especially thirst to departe out of the body of this death hee cast therfore into the mouth of this old wretch a litle duste as a tole or tribute heereupon the same false rumor beeganne to bee diuulged and spread among the people Genes 36. that a most cruell beast had deuoured Ioseph Indeede the coate wherof hee was dispoyled was a deceytfull messinger of his death for Ioseph liueth and raigneth throughout the whole land of Egipt Idem 45. his blessed soule disburdened of this corruptible loade and now freely discharged of the dust of his earthly conuersation hath taken her flight to heauen Shee is assumpted by him who sayd I goe to prepare a place for yee Ioan. 14. and I will returne againe and assume yee vp vnto mee beeing in breife absolutely perfect hee closed vp many tymes hee is taken away least malice should peruert his vnderstanding And to heauen now called is hee whom this world was not worthie to hould neither yet is his candell extinguished but snuffed with transitory affliction to the end it may shine more gloriously and not longer hid vnder à bushell may now giue light to all throughout the house hee appeared in the eyes of the foolish to dye but his life resteth hid with Christ in God death seemed to vanquish and swallowe him vp but deathe it selfe is swallowed vp in victory Thou hast giuen him ô Lord the desire of his harte for hee was long a souldier vnder thy banner keepeing warily seuere wayes in regarde of the wordes proceeding from thy lippes Assuredly from the very first conditions of his tender yough hee beegan to growe in the ripenes of manners grauely olde repressinge with watching disciplines haircloth and the girdle of continuall continency the motions of fleshly insolency and therfore was hee called by our Lord as an other Aaron to distribute the science of saluation vnto his people to frame a nation acceptable to our Lord a pursuer of meritorious workes and to prepare for our Lord a perfect multitude Our Lord did chuse him for a Preist to serue him that hee might hee a guide to his congregation a rule of life a forme of pennance an example of sanctity Allmighty God the Lord of all sciēces beestowed on him a learned tongue and powred into him abundantly the spirit of wisedome and vnderstanding to the end hee might be among the lerned more lerned among the wise more wise among the good far better among the hūble a cōpanion among the greatest yet greater Hee was à Preacher of the diuine worde a trumpet of the Gospell a freind of the spouse a pillar of the Clergie an eye to the blinde a foote to the lame the salte of this earth the light of his countrey the Minister of the highest the Vicar of the anoynted of our Lord. The whole conuersation of his life was a scoole of honesty a a forme of manners a frame of saluation Hee was in iudgment vpright in disposing dilligent in commanding aduised in speech modest in counsell circumspest in feeding himselfe most sparing in feeding others most bountifull in anger a peace maker in flesh an Angell in suffering iniuryes meeke in prosperity fearefull in aduersity most couragious in almes liberall in mercys wholly drowned Hee was the glory of the Religious the delighte of the Laietie the terror of Princes the God of Pharao Of this man wee may bouldly say and sing that hee strayed nor after golde nor yet trusted in the treasures of money who disdayned to bee either à receauer of brybes or an accepter of persons Other men aduanced to the heyght of Cathedrall dignity being presently to haue a speciall care of the Clearkes they looke more warily to their diett they feare no lesse a sicknes of their body then hell it selfe affecting in all thinges to prolonge their liues but this Sainte from the very first entrance into his promotion longed with a singular desire for the end of his life or to speake more truly for the beeginning of his eternall beeing For as Salomon saythe When hee endeth then beeginneth hee Soe his departure out of this transitory life was his entrance to that life which doth neither fade nor perish Eccles 18. Beeginning from his very childehoode hee laboured in euery seuerall age of his life as in the sundry deuided houres of a day like a dilligent and painefull workeman in the Vineyarde of our Lord of Sabaoth and soe concluded the course of a temporall life in the full perfection of Saintes Thus beeing a long tyme in his conseruation heauenly and trauelling from his body hee desyred exceedingly to passe thorough a shorte conclusion of an earthly life to those celestiall pleasures Catching therfore the intent and token of his perigrination hee drunke of the brooke in the way of this world and hath
relation of some to the kinges eares beecause it was vnlawfull to conceale from him what by the right of his power and sworde appertayned to him to punish who instantly in the first vttering of this deadly discourse as one changed and giuen ouer to all sortes of compassionate lamentation quite altering his royall Maiestie into haire-cloth and ashes shewed himselfe more truly a freind then a king beeing sometimes astonished and from astonishmentes falling into more greiuous sighes and bitter sorrowe then allmost three days solitary retyred in his chamber hee neither endured to receaue sustenance nor admitt consolation but seemed willfully by a more deadly greife to designe himselfe to a voluntary death Miserable was the face of our mischeifes and our inward greifes fraighted with care beecause wee who first lamented our Preist beegan now therupon to dispaire the recouery of our king and beeleiued that in the death of one both would pittifully perish But his friends and principally the Bishoppes complayninge especially that hee would not suffer himselfe to returne againe to himselfe hee answered hee was in feare least the Authors and complotters of this horrible acte vpon confidence of the olde discorde promised themselues pardon of the cryme allthough himselfe by fresh iniurys and sundry bad turnes had heaped new dissentions and therfore thought the fame and glory of his renowne might bee clowded with the slaunders of his aduersarys and so falsly bruted that this matter proceeded from his owne will But hee protested as Allmighty God should iudge his soule that this accursed deede was neither acted by his will nor consent nor wrought by any deuise of his vnles heerin were perhaps his error that as yet hee was thought too litle to affect him but in this also hee absolutely submitted himselfe to the Churches iudgment and would humbly vndergoe whatsoeuer for his soules health should bee imposed and inioyned him Consulting therfore together wee accorded all in this that his Maiestie should referre himselfe to the wisedome and authority of the Sea Apostolike which the Christian fayth professeth more amply to abound with the spiritt of sapience and fullnes of power and indeauor there by lawfull and canonicall meanes to approue his innocency Wee therfore humbly beeseech that according to the spiritt of counsell and fortitude beestowed by God on you you would with seuerity punish the Authors of soe heynous an offence according to this their enormious deserte and your Apostolike piety would with more singular affection conserue our kinges innocency in his former estate Allmighty God preserue your person very long in health to his Churches vtility Hetherto the Bishoppe of Lizieux in the name of these assembled Bishoppes With these letters were messingers allso sent to Pope Alexander from the Bishopps and others aparte from the king and some likewise beefore these from the Bishoppe of Yorke to sue for absolution from his excommunication of all which there remayneth a relation from the kinges Messinger the Archdeacon of Poytiers in these wordes Who were the first Messingers from the Bishoppes and king of Englād to Pope Alexander and who the second Embassadors of the king and what as well these as these petitioned and in what sorte they departed from the Courte I will as breifely as I can rehearse First were Iohn Cumin and Master B. sent to seeke absolution for the Bishoppes but Iohn Cumin came to the courte fifteene dayes beefore Master B. and after great importunity hauing first made a promise of 500. Marcks was admitted to audience the Clearkes of the Archbishop of Yorke ād the Nuntio of Durhame partaking with him and alleaging much in excuse of the Bishopps and they had I thinke obtayned absolution had not the rumor of the Archbishoppes death come on the heade of it which absolutely disgraced all for my Lord the Pope was therewith soe exceedingly troubled that for allmost eight dayes not so much as his owne followers could haue conference with him and it was generally conceaued that no Englishman should haue accesse vnto him and so all their busines remayned in suspence The next Messingers were the Bishoppes of Worcester and Ewreux the Abbot of Valace the Archdeacons of Salisbury and Lizieux S. Robert of Newborough Richarde Barre Master Henry Pichim and one of the Templars beeing all sent to excuse the king that Canterbury was neither killed by his commandement nor will yet was it not denyed but that the king had giuen cause of his death and spoken somewhat wherupon those Murderers tooke occasion to kill him neither did those Messingers come together to the courte nor yet were admitted by my Lord the Pope nor could appeare in his presence Afterwards vpon sute of some Cardinalls the Abbot and Archdeacon of Lizieux were receaued Thursday before Easter approaching it was generally sayde in the Courte that my Lord the Pope would that day pronounce sentēce of excōmunication against the king and kingdome Wherupon the Messingers stroaken with feare by the intercession of some Cardinalls signifyed to my Lord the Pope that they had receaued commandement from my Lord their king to make oathe in his presence that the king should obey his Mandate and that the king should in his owne person sweare as much The same Thursday about nyne of the clocke as well the kinges messingers as the messingers of the Bishoppes were called in the generall Consistory The kinges Messingers beeing the Abbot of Valace and the two afore recyted Archdeacons Henry and Richarde Barre were sworne that the king should stand to the Popes iudgment and that when his Holines should commande him hee should take thereupon his Corporall oathe Neuertheles the Pope generally excommunicated the same day the Murderers of saint Thomas and all that gaue counsell ayde or assent therunto and all who should receaue them into their land or any way abett them After Easter came the Bishoppes of Worcester and Eureux with Robert de Newboroughe The Relatiō of the Messingers proceedinges with the Pope and whether the sayde oath were required of them I knowe not but that they swore not I am certaine and when they had attended the Courte xv dayes and more they were called in to receaue their answer for they with others agreede as well in excusing the king as in accusing according as hath bin sayde And when it was supposed they should haue caryed backe a happie doome my Lord the Pope confirmed the sentence of interdiction giuen by the Bishoppe of Senon against the kinges dominions on this syde of the Seas with the sentence of suspension and excōmunication which was denounced against the Bishoppes of England adding withall that hee would send his Legates to the king to see and vnderstand his humility Afterwardes at the great instance of the Messingers by the intercession also of some Cardinalls and large sommes of money as it is sayde this was obtayned our Lord the Pope should wryte to the Archdeacon of Bitureux that if within one moneth after these Messingers
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 wōted custome God send your Maiestie lōg 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 cōmodious 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 so●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 Laurēce 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 commāded 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
finall conclusion made betwene them soe as the king very m●●dely vnder went and performed whatsomeuer the Cardinalls on their partes proposed to him But in regarde the father would haue his sonne there present that whatsomeuer the father promised the sonne should also make good the determination of the busines was deferred vntill the next Sunday following beeing the Sunday beefore our Lordes Ascention Then in an open Audience The kinges oathe the King laying his hand vpon the Euangelists made oathe that neither by his commandement nor his will the Archbishoppe of Canterbury was killed and that hearing of his death hee rather sorrowed then reioyced Hee added moroeuer on his free will that hee neuer so much greeued for the death of his father or mother as for his and lastly sware that what pennance or satisfaction someuer the Cardinalles would enioyne him hee would amply fullfill Hee sayde beesides before that great assembly that hee was not ignorant hee was the cause of the Arch-Bishoppes death and that whatsoeuer was do●●● 〈◊〉 donne for his sake not that hee commanded it but th●● his freindes and familiars seeing the disturbance of his countenance and lookes vnderstanding likewise the greife of his harte and hearing often his words breaking into complayntes against the Archbishoppe prepared to reuenge his iniury without euer acquainting him therwith And therfore hee professed hee was most ready with all humility and deuotion to accomplishe whatsomeuer the Legates should command Then the Legates declared to him that hee should maintayne vpon his coste 200. knightes for a whole yeere The conditions of the kings absolution giuing euery knighte 300. crownes in the land of Ierusalem against the Paganes in such sorte as the Templars should dispose Secundly hee should absolutely disannull the wicked statutes of Claringtonne beeing the place where they were enacted with all other ill customes which were in his raigne intruded on Gods Church and if there were any vnlawfull ordinances beefore his tyme hee should according to our Lord the Popes Mandate and by the Counsell of Religious men mitigate them Thirdly that hee should restore to the Church of Canterbury all her whole and entire right in landes and other thinges as fully as it was the yeere beefore the Archbishoppe incurred the kinges displeasure and hee should amply render his peace and loue with all their possessions to all those with whom hee was offended for the Archbishoppes sake Fourthly that if neede required and our Lord the Pope commanded him hee should goe into Spaine to deliuer that land from the Infidells They inioyned him also secretly fastes and almes and other thinges not publickly knowne To all these the king with singular meekenes gaue his assent soe as hee sayde in the hearing of all Beehoulde my Lordes and Legates my body is wholly in your handes and bee assured whatsomeuer yee command bee it either my going to Ierusalem or to Rome or to saint Iames or whatsoeuer it bee I am resolued to obey In soe much as scarce any there present seeing his humility and deuotion could abstayne from teares These thinges ended that nothing might bee wanting for the full accomplishment of his good the Legates did leade the king yeelding therunto of his owne accorde out of the dores of the Church where vpon his knees without laying asyde his garmentes and without any showe of disciplining roddes hee was absolued and soe againe brought into the Church And that some of the kingdome of Frāce might knowe their proceedinges heerin they appointed that the Archbishoppe of Towers with his Suffraganes should personally attēd on him at Cane on the nexte Wednesday after our Lordes Ascension What the king did sweare the king his sonne cōfirmed with his hād in the hād of my Lord Albert the Cardinall that hee for his owne parte would obserue ād if the king preuēted with death or other casuall meanes could not performe his pennance that hee himselfe would doe it Hetherto this relation Wherunto accordeth the Cardinalls letter concerning this matter and beeginning in these wordes That thinges now hanled may not bee called in question c. Heerunto was added That on the nexte feast of our Lordes Natiuity hee should vndertake the Crosse and for three yeeres make warre in the holy land vnles Pope Alexander or his lawfull successor thought it vnfitting Now for the Oathe it selfe made by the king and his sonne in the hands of the Legates it is reserued intirely among the actes of Pope Alexander in these very wordes I King Henry doe heere take myne oathe vpon these holy Euangelistes of our Lord God That I neither thought of nor knewe nor euer commanded the murder of Thomas Archbishoppe of Canterbury And when I vnderstood the same to bee committed I more greeued therefore then if I had heard of the slaughter of myne owne sonne But heerein I am not able to excuse my selfe that vpon occasion of my turbulency and wrath which I conceaued against that holy man hee was killed In regarde whereof for this offence beeing as it seemeth the cause of his death I will out of hand send to Ierusalem vpon myne owne charges 200. souldiers to serue there for one whole yeere in defence of Christianity or giue soe much money as may there maintaine soe many souldiers for a Twelue moneth I will alsoe vndertake till three yeeres bee expired the signe of our Lordes Crosse and in myne owne person goe thither vnlesse the Pope licence mee to stay I doe absolutely abrogate all those vnlawfull customes which I haue in my raigne ordayned thorough out my land and from this tyme forward decree that they bee neuer obserued I will likewise heereafter suffer all Appeales to bee freely made to the Apostolike Sea and heerein I will not prohibite any man These and other the like are rehearsed out of Roger saying all these matters Actes iterated in the Prouinciall Councell soe handled about our Lords Ascention were recyted in the Councell of the whole Prouince which was helde in the moneth of September where the Legates and both the kinges the father and sonne mett together with the Bishoppes For thus hee wryteth Henry king of England and king Henry his sonne Rotrude Archbishop of Roane with all the Bishoppes and Abbottes of Normandy assembled together at the Citty of Abryncke in the presence of the Cardinalles Theodine and Albert in whose hearing the king of England the father on the fifte Kalends of October beeing Wednesday and the feast of Saintes Cosmus and Damianus Martyrs in the Church of Saint Andrew the Apostle declared his innocency before the aboue named Cardinalls Clergy and people by taking his oathe on the Reliques of Saintes and only Euangelistes that hee neyther commanded nor wished the Archbishoppe of Canterburys death c. As before Adding thereunto the publicke instrument made then to that purpose beeginning with these wordes And that these may bee euer retayned in the memory of the Roman Church the king the father caused his seale