England Enslaved UNDER POPISH SUCCESSORS BEING A True HISTORY OF THE OPPRESSIONS this NATION Groaned under in Times of POPERY LONDON Printed for Jonathan Wilkins at the Star in Cheapside next Mercers Chappel MDCLXXXI ENGLAND'S Grievances in Times of POPERY SECTION 1. IT appeareth as well by the Pope's Laws delivered in Decretal Epistles which were particularly and upon sundry occasions directed to the Bishops and other Clergy-men of this Realm of England in Popish times as also by the report of our English Histories that at such time as the Bishop of Rome had his full â—way in this Realm the Authority of the King was so obscured as there was hardly left any shew of his Sword and Dignity And on the other side the Subjects destitute of succour by their Natural Prince and left to a most miserable spoil and rapine of the Pope and of such as it pleased him to give them in prey whereof these special Grievances here collected may serve for testimony besidâ—s a number of others which come not to my memory but may be easily supplied by any indifferent mans careful Reading GRIEVANCES 1. The first Grievance was The Exemption of the Clergy who being Exemption of the Clergy a considerable part of the Realm by reason that great numbers as well looking to Preferments that then were bestowed upon that State as also drawn by Priviledges and Immunities which they infinitely enjoyed above others sought to be of that number were wholly exempt or at least so took themselves to be from all Jurisdiction of the King and his Justices not in Ecclesiastical Causes only as then they were termed but even in Causes Civil and in Matters of Crime though the same touched the Prince and his Danger in the highest degree The Popes Laws to this purpose are to be seen in C. Clerici extr de Judiciâ—s C. seculares de fore compet enti in 6o. and a special Constitution Provincial of this Realm made by Boniface Archbâ—shop of Canterbury in the time of King Henry the Third in the Council of Westminster or Lambeth Anno 1270 or 1272. vid. Prynne's Exact History of Pope's Intollerable Usurpations upon the Liberties of the King and Subjects of England and Ireland Vol. 2. lib. 4. c. 3. Johan de Aton Constitut. Guil. Lindwood Touching the Practice it is recorded in the Deâ—retals that Pope Alexander III. in the timâ— of the Reign of King Stephen wrote to the Bishop of London to take Order by his Jurisdiction in a Civil Controversie of Goods left in the Custody of a Clerk c. 1. de Deposito Likewise it doth there appear that in the time of King Henry II. Pope Lucius III. wrote to the Bishops of Ely and Norwich to compel a Clerk to save his Sureties harmless And to like purpose he wrote in another Case to the Archbishop of Canterbury King Henry III. pretending Title by his Prerogative or by the Common Law to certain Lands which the Archbishop of Canterbury claimed to be parcel of the possessions of his Church was compelled to answer the Bishop in that Cause in the Court of Rome Mat. Paris fol. 494. Adam Tarlton or d'Orlâ—on Bishop of Hereford in a Parliament holden at London in the year 1324 was accused of Treason against King Edward II. as having aided the Mortimers with Men and Money against that King Being brought before the King and claiming his Priviledge to be judged by the Pope he was forthwith rescued by the rest of the Clergy After a few dayes the King caused him to be brought before him and when he should have been arraigned a thing till that time never heard of that a Bishop should be arraigned the boldness of the three Archbishops of Canterbury York and Dublin was very strange for they with ten other Bishops with their Crosses erected came to the Bar before the Kings Justices and took him from thence into their own Custody In his absence he was attainted with High Treason notwithstanding and his Temporalties were seized into the King's hand until such time as the King much by his device and machination was deposed of his Kingdom But though the King took away his goods yet he was not suffered to meddle with his Body Tho. Walsingham Hâ—st Angl. p. 98 99. SECT 2. 2. Whatsoever Laws the King in his Parliament made which in any Restraint of making Laws for Policy sort impeached the Priviledge or Liberty of the Clergy or touched their Lands or Goods were for that time holden by the Pope and his Clergy void and of no force And it helped not the King how just cause soever he pretended of any right appertaining to his Ancestors For so are the Popes Laws in precise terms save that some of the later sort reserve to the King Laws touching Services and some other rights in Church lands c. qu. Ecclesiarum de Constit c. Eccles Sanct. Alar c. Noverit c. Gravâ—m de Sententia Excommunicationis And some Popes were so jealous over Princes in the Point that they refused to allow Laws by them made to the benefit of the Church As where Basil Lieutenant to Odoacer King of the Lombards provided by Law in favour of the Church that no Prescription should make his Title good who had bought ought of the Church the Pope misâ—iking that a Lay-mâ—n should deal in those Causes disannulled the Law c. Pene quidâ—m Distinct 96. The practâ—ce of this injury is notable in the dealing of Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury with King Henry II. For whereas the King in his Parliament had made very reasonable Laws in maintainance of the Ancient Rights of the Crown against the licentious Liberties claimed by the Clergy Among which one was That Clerks in Causes of Felony and Murther should be tried by the Laws of the Realm for that it was shewed unto the Parliament that then an hundred So Nuburgensis noteth lib. 2. cap. 15. Mâ—rthers had been committed by Church-men not duly punished whereto the said Archbishop and the rest of the Prelats gave their consents and bound themselves to the observation of them by their Oaths the Archbishop afterwards grudging at these Laws departed the Realm obtained at the Pope's hand Absolution from his Oath and forced the King to answer for those Laws in the Court of Rome where the King finding no favour that Garboil insued which after fell out betwixt the King the Pope and the Archbishop and many Murthers committed upon Clerks by the Lay-subjects who greatly stomached this Indignity offered to the King The Pope fearing two such Potentates as the Kings of England and Mat. Paris Hist Angl. fol. 1â— 4 135. France determineth to labour a Reconciliation betwixt the King and the Archbishop and to make the French King a Mediator for the Archbishop This he effected and brought the two Kings together at Paris Thither also came Thomas Becket who being come into the King's presence falling down upon his knees used these words My Lord and Soveraign I do here
Ring and the Staff Also that none should be Consecrated Bishop without an Investiture from the Emperor The Pope and the Emperor reciprocally bound themselves by Oath upon the Host of the Mass which they received together But because that Oath was extorted the Pope thought not himself obliged to keep it So he brake that Agreement and excommunicated Henry and all Princes usurping Investitures This accident confirmed Henry the First King of England in a resolution to retain the Investitures of his Kingdom And that Order was held in England for a long time Only the Popes that they might not be injurious to their pretences by a long Prescription would send the Pall to some Prelats invested by the King confirming that which they could not alter and giving an Approbation which was not sought from them And further as to Elections of Bishops the great Troubles that were in the Reign of King John grew upon no other occasion than because the King refused Stephen Langton whom the Pope would have thrust into the See of Canterbury notwithstanding that Mat. Parâ— fol. 299. there had passed a former Election of another with the Kings assent and that the King justly alledged he might not trust Lâ—ngton in his Realm because he had a long time been on the part of his Enemies The King menaced the Pope and his Creatures seized the Temporalities of the Archbishop banished him his Paâ—ents and Kindred with the Monks of Canterbury as Traitors By his and the Prelats Treachery confederating with him the Kingdom was interdicted the King excommunicated his Subjects absolved from their Allegiance he and his deprived of the Crown given to the French King enforced to resign his Kingdom to the Pope become his sworn Tributary Vassal and Homager to renounce the ancient Rights of his Crown to receive Stephen and his Confederates to favour to restore them to their Bishopricks with the Profits and Damages sustained by their Exile before the King could be absolved The King is forced to humble himself before him and swear to him before he would absolve him He instigates the Nobles against the King threatens to excommunicate him and revive the interdicts if he proceeded by Arms against them He was very severe against the Clergy-men who adhered faithfully to King John He excites the Barons to take up Arms against the King for their Liberties exhorts the Great Charter from him with new additional Clauses wresteth a new Charter for the Election of Bishops and Abbots from him and of the Patronage and Royalties of the Bishoprick of Rochester as absolutely as the King enjoyed them To requite which he surrendered the Castle and Ammunition of Rochester to the Barons He refuseth to execute the Popes Excommunication though oft pressed to it by the Legat and others He is accused and suspended in the Council at Rome for confederating with the Barons against the King A just retaliatiou At length his Suspension is token off but he not to return into England till Peace made betwixt the King and his Barons Ralph Nâ—vâ—l Bishop of Chichester and Chancellour of England being chosen Archbishop by the Monks of Canterbury was approved by the King and put in Possession of the Temporalties by and by The Monks of Canterbury thereupon pressing the Pope to confirm his Election Aâ—â—o 1231 the Pope made diligent enquiry of Simon Langâ—on Brother to Stephen elected but rejected by King John and the Pope too at his request to be Archbishop of York concerning Ralphs Person and Disposition Simon told the Pope that he was an hot Fellow Stout Subtle an old Courtier and very gracious with the King and therefore that he would make variance betwixt him and the King and cause him to deny the payment of that Tribute granted unto him by King John This was enough so without any more ado he dissolved the Election never alledging any matter of Exception against him but willed the Monks to chose another Then the Monks chose one John their Sub-prior He being called to Rome and first charged with insufficiency but sufficiently cleared thereof by the testimony of certain Cardinals to whose Examination he was referred he was yet in the end compelled to give over his right to that See And after some other several Elections of Archbishops to that See made with the Kings Allowance Mat. Paris fol. 502 515. they were all one after another declared void by the Pope In the Reign of King Edward the Second Anno 1313 after the Death of Robert Winchelsey Archbishop of Canterbury the Monks of Canterbury elected for his Successour one Thomas Cobham Dean of Salisbury and Prebend of York a Man of such Vertue and Learning that he was commonly called by the Name of the Good Clerk but the Pope bestowed that place upon Walter-Reynolds SECT 14. 14. In other Promotions and Ecclesiastical Livings the Popes usurped Patronages disturbed and Benefices bestowed upon Aliens a larger liberty of bestowing them at their will upon such as they made choice of or upon themselves without regard of any Mans right to present or whether the Persons upon whom those Livings were bestowed were the Natural Subjects of the Realm or not Whereupon ensued many Mischiefs one was that a great part of the Wealth of this Realm was bestowed and spent in Forreign Parts Another that many Aliens flocking into the Realm to occupy these Promotions their presence here was dangerous to the State and the King unfurnished of fit Persons being his Liege-Subjects to imploy in necessary and secret Services of this Realm Thirdly That the Natural Subject was discouraged and sought not to make himself fit for any place of Service by diligence in Study seeing that the Rewards of Learning were carried away by Strangers Of these are many Examples in our Histories and the wrong complained of from time to time In the Reign of King Henry the Third Pope Gregory before his Death to carry on his Wars and Designs against the Emperor Frederick and throw him out of the Empire Anno 1240 intended by way of Provision to confer all the Benefices in England especially of the Clergy and Religious Persons on the Sons of Romane and other Forreigners sending his Bulls to three Bishops viz. to Edmond Archbishop of York the Bishops of Lincoln and Sarum to confer no less than 300 of the next Benefices that fell void within their Diocesses on these Aliens A dangerous Usurpation on the Kings Prerogative the Churches Priviledges and the Patrons Rights The next year the King issued Writs to the Archbishops and Bishops of sundry Diocesses by way of Opposition to inquire how many Aliens were promoted to Benefices or Prebendaries with their Values and Names In that injurious course of conferring Benefices upon Italians the Archbishop of York withstood the Pope and was constrained to leave the Realm Pope Gregory fore-mentioned in the same Kings Reign wrote to the Abbot of Bury to bestow upon him a Benefice of the yearly Mat. Paris
ductus proprio potius quam nostram vel alterius compulsionem Et â—tiamsi bene râ—colitis ad preces vestras nobâ—s specialiter inde directas sedem adiâ—t Apostolicam Vnde si memoratus Episcopus voluntatem habuerit revertend in Regno nostro commorandi bene placet nobis ipsus adventus Nec erit qui ipsum super hoc aliquatenus impediat aut cum redieri tranquilitatem ipsius perturbet licet etiam graviter versus ipsum moveremur ad Instantiam vestram conceptum rancorem siquis esset penitus eâ— remitteremus parati et expositi tanquam filius Sanctae Romanae Ecclesi â— devotissimus in hiis aliis vestris inhaerere Conciliis voluntatis vestrâ— pro viribus nostris bene placitum ad implere Teste Rege 40 die Martii Anno c. XIX The King wrote after the like manner unto the Bishop Others and those very often were called to Rome to answer Complaints or Private Mens Suits by which occasion the King lost the use of their Service and a great part of the Wealth and Substance of this Realm was spent in the Court of Rome SECT 13. 13. It is well known that the King hath special Interest in the Investiture into Bishopricks and the Kings assent in choice of Bishops taken from him Choice and Investitures of Prelates unto Bishopricks both because a great part of the good Government of his People dependeth upon the good Government of that State and also because in those times he furnished himself with Counsellours taken out of the Number and employed others in places of weighty and most necessary Services of the Realm Wherefore the Kings of England were ever by the Ancient Customs and Laws of the Land allowed their Assent and Directions in all Elections of Persons unto those places This right hath been strangely oppugned by divers Popes some of them disturbing Elections made by the Consent of the King and others bestowing Bishopricks at Pleasure without Election at all and against the Kings will The first that stirred that Quarrel in England was Anselm Arch-bishop of Canterbury For when the Kings of England needy of Moneys borrowed of the Clergy great Loans never to pay again he to exempt himself from Subjection to the King laboured to make his Archbishoprick to depend meerly on the Pope not on the King although he had acquired it by the Concession and free Gift of the King Anselm then being promoted in the year 1092 to the Archbishoprick by King William Rufus the King having franckly bestowed that rich Bishoprick upon him soon after would extort from him a great Sum of Money for the exigence of his Affairs as claiming some recompence for his Gift Anselm refused to give it and stealing away privately out of England went to Pope Vrban the second who at that time was Violently Prosecuting against the Emperour Henry IV the Quarrel of Investitute begun by his Predecessours Gregory VII This Vrban liking the Prudence and Dexterity of Anselm gave ear to his Counsel and gave him the Archbishops Pall thereby voiding the Investiture which he had received from King William and obliging Du Moulin contr Card du Perron l. 1. 7. cap. 11. him there-after to depend upon him This Anselm did so behaving himself ever after as holding his Arch-bishoprick by the Popes Ordination not by the King's Concession The King being herewith incensed Prohibited Anselm to enter into his Kingdom confiscated the Lands and Estate of the Archbishoprick and by an express Edict declared That the Bishops held their Places and Estates meerly from him and were not subject unto the Pope for the same And that he had the same rights in his Kingdom as the Emperour had in the Empire At length it was determined that all the Abbots and Bishops of England should be called together Bp. Godwins Catal. of Bps. to judge of this Controversie They met at Rockingham-Castle and the Matter being proposed by the King for fear or flattery saith Bishop Godwin they all assented unto him and forsook their Archbishop All the Bishops of England subscribed except only Gondulphus Bishop of Rochester By the Intervention of Friends Ansolm made his Peace but after his return from Rome holding a strict league with the Pope he began again soon after to disswade the Clergy from receiving Investitures from the King wherefore he was constrained to fly the second time out of the Kingdom and his Estate was again seized upon and conficated to which he was restored at his return He came then to Pope Vrban who received him honourably as a Confessor suffering for the Cause of Christ The year after Vrban kept a Council at Clermont in Avergue whereby he granted full Pardon of Sins to all that should contribute to the expedition into the Holy Land c. In the same Council he decreed that thence-forth it should not be lawful for any Prelate or Ecclesiastical Man to receive the Investiture or Collation of a Benefice or Church-dignity from the hand of any Lay Person But the Princes derided these Decrees and retained the Possession of these Investitures In the year 1099 King William and Pope Vrban died Henry the First succeded William who sought to be reconciled with Anselm and called him home again But Anselm being obliged by an Oath to the Pope prevailed with the King that a Council should be gathered at London where he declared the Order he had from the Pope That no Lay Man should have the Power to confer any Investiture and began to degrade the Bishops promoted by the Kings Nomination refusing to consecrate some Bishops named by the King King Henry being highly displeased banished him out of England presently and confiscated his Goods Whilst these things passed in England Pope Paschal prosecuted the Quarrel of his Predecessors against the Emperor Henry IV. He caused the Emperors own Son to rebel against his Father who soon after dying with Grief was so forsaken that Pope Paschal would not suffer him to be buried for his Carcass lay five years at Spire rotting without any Christian Burial The new Emperior Henry V past presently into Italy after the Death of his Father where the Pope hoping to be recompensed for helping him in his Conspiracy against his Father found himself deceived for when he press'd him to renounce the Rights of Investitures which his Ancestors as Sigebert saith had enjoyed above three hundred years the Emperor grew very Angry and laying hold of this Pope Paschal committed him to close Prison Neither would he release him till he had renounced his claim to the Investitures and Collations of Benefices saying to him in in scorn that which Jacob said to the Angel wrestling with him I will not let thee go before thou hast given me thy Blessing Then Paschal to redeem himself out of Captivity granted to Henry that doth he and the Popes after him should leave unto the Emperors the peaceable enjoying of the Investitures of Ecclesiastical Dignities by the
Paris fol. 1002. the place of the Abbot being void 1000 Marks and would not confirm the Election of the new Abbot until the Monks had promised to pay 800 Marks In the Reign of King Edward the Second Pope John XXII reserved to his See the First-fruits of all vacant Benefices for the space of three years At that time also certain Usurers set up in England called Caursins who by Usuries and strange Arts devised in Italy did eat up the poor People and the Clergy The King himself was much indebted to them The Bishop of London would have repressed them but because they were maintained by the Pope he was not able to effect it The Franciscans and Dominicans preached up the Popes Power and drew all the Confessions to themselves and every day obtained Priviledges to the prejudice of the Parochial Priests who became almost useless The State of England was deplorable for hungry Italians of the baser sort with Bulls and Warrants from the Pope came daily to fleece the People and to raise such sums of Money as they would demand upon the Clergy If any denied what they demanded he was presently Excommunicated And they that held the great Benefices were Strangers who were but the Popes Farmers This caused Matthex Paris that lived then and beheld these things to lament That the Daughter of Sion was become like a shameless Harlot that could not bâ—ush by the just Judgment saith he of him that made an Hypocrite to reign and a Tyrant to domineer Sometimes the Pope made his advantage by Grants made to other Bishops to spoil the Realm as to the Bishop of Rochester whose Name was Laurentim de Sancto Martino a Chaplain and Counsellour of King Henry the Third This Man got a Dispensation from the Pope to hold all his former Livings in Commendam with this Bishoprick And yet alledging that his Bishoprick was the poorest of England and therefore his Living yet unable to maintain the Port of a Bishop he never ceased till he had extorted from the Clergy of his Diocess a Grant of a fifth part of all their Spiritual Livings for five years and appropriated unto his See for ever the Parsonage of Friends-bury The Pope at the same time granted a Bull to the Archbishop of Mat. Paris fol. 1000. Canterbury to collect the Fruits of all vacant Benefices within his Province for one year SECT 18. The way that yielded to the Pope his greatest Harvest was by The Popes Legats Legats sent into this Realm for they coming hither under a plausible title of care to reform things that were amiss within the Realm and the presence of a Legate having an Authority little inferior to the Pope himself being terrible to the Subject they had opportinity not not only to gather to their Masters whatsoever they liked to demand but also provailed intollerably for themselves and some of them with such insolence as it is strange that any Prince could ever suffer them in his Realm I shall here speak something of the Original of these Legats and shew how by degrees the Legatâ— Ã latere were brought in Authority amongst the Nations and how they did inlarge the Popes Phylacteries At first because Rome was the chief City of the Empire from thence as from a Seminary were preachers sent to sundry Nations to preach and plant the Gospel or to confute Heresies afterwards to provide vacant Benefices and to supply the absence of the Roman Bishop in Synods in all which they did no other thing but as other Bishops might have done and also did But when the Bishops of Rome were made Patriarchs and became ambitious these Legats did the same Offices at some times but therewith they began craftily to injoyn unto Archbishops and Metropolitans to execute some things which they were commanded by the Word of God to do and they would give them power within their own Diocesses as if Bishops had been Vicars of the Roman Parriarchs or his Legat. These Primats did gladly imbrace the show of Honour that for Petrie's Church History p. 272. reverence of the Roman Church they might be the more respected in their own Jurisdiction and sometimes the more easily advance themselves above their Competitors Sometimes the Popes sent Legats into other Diocesses with such modesty that they had Authority to attempt nothing without concurrence of the Bishops or Synod of that Countrey Albeit these Legations were partly good and just and at the worst were tollerable yet they were not potestativae or imperious but charitativâ— or exhortatory nevertheless the Popes brought the Churches and Bishops into subjection by such means for afterwards they were sent only for ambitious Usurpation Covetousness and Worldly Affairs The ordinary Legats at Pisa Romandiola Bononia Ferrara Avignon and if there be any other such are Provincial Deputies Prâ—tores or Vice-Roys The Nuncio's at the Court of the Emperor or of any King Prince or State are Ambassadors or Spies for Secular Affairs The Affairs of any Church that are gainful if they be of less account are reserved unto the Judgment of the Nuncio yet not definitively but to be determined at Rome And things of greater importance are wholly reserved for the Court of Rome The Ancient Bishops of Rome did severely in joyn their Legats to acknowledge duly the inferâ—oâ— Bishops within their own Jurisdiction but now they passby the Metropolitans and draw all Actions unto themselves and the Court of Rome Likewise their Ambition and Avarice have so provoked some Nations that they will scarce admit any Legat as Sicily and France have intrâ—nched their Office These particultrs are more largely written by Antoniuâ— de Dominis Archbishop of Spalato de Republ. Ecclesiast lib. 4. cap. 12. Of these some had the Titles and Ensigns others the power of Legats or more without the Title or Badges Some were sent successively into England Wales Ireland France and elsewhere to publish Popes Excommunications Interdicts Bulls Croisados Disms Suspensions Citations Mandats c. to and against Emperors Kings Princes Bishops Abbots Priors and all sorts of Persons to exact collect Moneys Pillage Sacred Churches Monasteries Mansions founded by our devout simple Ancestors for relief of the poor of Strangers and Sustentation of Religious Persons c. It was an Ancient Priviledge of the Kings of England and Scotland that no Legat à latere should come into any of their Dominions by the Popes Mission unless at the Kings special instant request to the Pope who eluded this priviledge by sending Nuncio's Chaplains Clerks Friers Minors or Prâ—dicants sometimes into their Realm with the full power not Titles or Ensigns of Legats Some Irish Bishops without the Kings Privity endeavouring to procure a Legat to be sent into Ireland the King upon notice thereof by his Chief Justice and others writes to the Pope to send no Legat thither against his will Pope Gregory the Ninth his Legat was imprisoned for stirring up Sedition in Lombardy against the Emperor Three Legats
with sundry Archbishops and Bishops were taken by the Emperors Galleys going to a Council upon the Summons of Pope Gregory IX Gualo a Presbiter Cardinal of St. Martin crowned King Henry III causing him to do homage to the Church of Rome and Pope Innocent for England and Ireland and to swear faithfully to pay the Annual Rent for them which his Father King John had granted so long as he injoyed those Realms He deprived Simon Langton Archdeacon of Canterbury and Gervase de Habruge who obstinately adhered to Lewis and the Barons and celebrated Divine Service to them and the Londoners after their Excommunication of their Benefices for which they were compelled to go to Rome He sent Inquisitors through all Provinces of England suspending and depriving Clerks of their Benefices for very small faults and adhering to the Barons bestowing their Livings on his own Creatures Clerks inriched with others Spoils He received a thousand Marks from Hugh Bishop of Lincoln and vast sums from other Religious Persons Canons exhausting their Purses and reaping where he did not sow He bare sway in the Councils of King Henry III who sealed some Writs and Patents with his Seal before his own Seal was made and usurped on his Crown during his Minority without Opposition Bernardus de Nympha came Armed into England with the Bulls of Pope Innocent IV to collect Money from the Cruce signati for Richard Earl of Cornwall the Kings Brother Divers Blank Bulls of the Popes were found in his Chest after his Death containing manifold Machinations of the Romans to debase and oppress England John de Diva an English Frier was armed with many Papal Bulls to extort Moneys from the English for Pope Innocent IV under dreadful Penalties and Fulminations He exacts six thousand Marks out of Lincoln Diocess His Exaction at St. Albans was appealed against who demanded 300 Marks notwithstanding the Appeal to be paid within Eight days under pain of Excommunication and Interdict which the Pope upon an Appeal caused them to pay He had a Bull from the Pope to inquire of all Lands alienated from Churches and Monasteries Vexationâ— by Proviso's all Simoniacal Contracts for Livings to seize them to the Popes use and Excommunicate Interdict all Opposers without Appeal John Russin was sent with the power though not the title of a Legat into Ireland to collect Moneys there He extorted six thousand Marks from the Clergy there notwithstanding the Kings Prohibition Otto I. Pope Honorius his Nuncio was sent to King Henry III. He demandeth two Marks by way of Procuration from all Conventual Churches of England he demandeth two Dignities and two Monks portions in all Cathedrals and Monasteries Otho Cardinal Deacon of St. Nicholas in Careere Tâ—llianâ— Legat Pryn's Hist of Popes Usurpations to Pope Gregory IX was received into England with Processions and ringing of Bells He disposed of vacant Benefices to all that came with him whether worthy or unworthy the King almost did nothing without him and adored his foot-steps He was present in the Parliament at York to mediate a peace between the Kings of England and Scotland The Charter of Peace was sworn to and ratified in his Presence He desireth leave of the King of Scotâ— to enter as a Legat into Scotland to regulate Ecclesiastical Affairs there as in England who answered That neither in his Fathers time nor of any his Ancestors any Legat had Entrance into Scotland neither would he permit it whilst he was in his righe senses But if he entered at his own peril he must expect violence from his rude Subjects from which he was unable to protect him yet he knighted and bestowed some Lands on his Nephew A great Fray was occasioned at Oxford by his Porterâ— Insolence and he was assaulted by the Scholars at Osney-Abbey stiled an Usurer a Simoniack a Ravisher of Mens Rents a Thirster after Money a â—erverter of the King and Subverter of the Kingdom is forced to fly secretly from thence Both the King and he proceeded severely against the Scholars for it by Ecclesiastical Censures Excommunications Penances Imprisonments almost to the ruin of the University He was denied Entrance into Scotland by the King thereof the second time He gave a Writing under his Hand and Seal to the King of Scots that his Admission into Scotland should not be drawn into Consequence who took it away with him upon his private recess He there collected the fifteenth part of the Goods of all Prelats and Beneficed Clerks and sent it to the Pope The English Nobles send Letters of Complaint to the Pope against his confering of Benefices by Provisions upon Aliens and other Grievances Frederick the Emperor was incensed against King Henry III for this Legats collecting of Moneys in England imployed in Wars against him demanding his Expulsion out of England as the Emperors and the Kingdoms Enemy He demandeth Procurations for himself from the Clergy not exceeding the sum of four Marks for any Procuration The King sent a Prohibition to him to exact the fifth or any other part of the Benefices of his Clerks attending on his Service which he could by no means endure He joyneth with Peter Rubee in exacting a great Tax from the Prelats and Abbots to shed Christian Blood and to conquer the Emperor The Bishops and Canons except against his intollerable Demands He laboured to raise a Schism and Division among the Clergy to obtain his Exactions He demanded Procurations from the Cistercians who manfully denied them as contrary to their Priviledges which the Pope dispensed with by his Non obstante The King upon his Departure out of England by the Popes Summons feasted placed him in his own Royal Throne and at Dinner to the admiration of many Knighted his Nephew and bestowed an Annuity of Thirty pounds per Annum upon him which he presently sold He conferred above Three hundred rich Prebendaries and Benefices at his own and the Popes pleasure on their Creatures He spoiled the Church of Sarum and many other Cathedrals leaving them destitute of Consolation He is accompanied by the King and Nobles in great state to the Sea-side at his departure out of England He left not so much Money in Mat. Paris fol. 735. England behind him when he left it as he drained out of it Church-plate and Ornaments excepted He stayed three years in England great were the rewards demanded by and given unto Legats Pope Innocentius sent one Martin into England for his Legat who was Rewards given to Legats not ashamed to demand Plate Geldings and other Rewards without measure And if those things where with he was presented liked him not he would proudly send them back to their Owners Mat. Paris f. 870. and threaten them with Excommunications except they brought him better And other Examples in the same Authors there were divers Rich Presents were sent unto the Legats The Bishop of Winton presented Otho with Fifty fat Oxen One hundred Quarters of the best Wheat
and Eight Tun of the strongest Wine for his Table Others presented him with handsome Palfreys rich Vessels Furrs Vestments and divers other Provisions of Meat and Drink Again the charge of the ordinary Entertainments of a Legat was a great matter for all his Charges were born by the Realm What those Expences might grow unto may be conjectured by one demand of Procurations made by the said Otho which yet was but a piece of his Allowance for in the year 1240 giving notice to the Clergy that he must tarry in the Realm some time longer than at first was assigned unto him in which space he was not to spend of his own commanded a second Levy of Procurations to be made Mat. Paris fol. 702. wherein he made shew of some favour more than was ordinary giving to understand that he meant not to receive of any Church above four Marks and where the Churches were poor he would be content that two Churches should joyn in contributing those four Marks What benefit the Realm received for all these charges upon the The use of Legats Legats the Monuments of two of the chief of these Legats Otho and Ottobon I mean their Legantine Constitutions which were the fruits of their Reformation do well shew They contain Matter of little or no moment in the World and such as every Bishop in his Diocess might have ordered well enough viz. Triffles about Citations Proxies and other small matters Moreover their long abode and lingering in Countreys cannot Danger by the stay of Legats in the Realm Nich Machiavel History of Florence but be dangerous to the States where they come because having opportunity to know the secrets of the Realm they bestow that knowledge often times unhappily being persons imployed in more Countreys than one and often where discovery of such Secrets proveth perillous to those Realms where they have served before Nicholas Machiavel that great States Man in his History of Florence noteth of his time that the most of all the Wars and Garboiles in Christendom were kindled by the Whisperings of the Popes Legats SECT 19. 19. It is also proved by the Canon Law that any Ecclesiastical Original Suits at Rome Suit may be commenced Originally at Rome This cannot be void of great charges to the Subject and is very gainful to the See of Rome and the Charge lieth not alone in the long Travel thither and tedious Attendance upon that Court but in the Cumbersomness of many intricate Questions arising upon Commissions sometimes one crossing another and sometimes doubtfully penned sometimes again controlled by colour of wrong Suggestion and a great number of ways besides whereof the Decretals are full and most of them are directed to Bishops of this Realm which betokeneth that this Plague hath touched our English People more than any other The Subjects were constrained to follow the Popes Consistory for their right and there to waste themselves in Suit in such wise that one Case of England was thirty years depending in Rome Ante litem contestatam as Speculator writeth And the case between the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York for the Controversie whether the Archbishop of York might have a Cross born before him within the Diocess of Canterbury a goodly Matter for Bishops to contend about did hang many years in the Court of Rome And likewise the Case between the Bishop of Worcester and the Abbot of Evesham for the Vale of Evesham The Decretals are full of English Cases decreed even as the parties found favour in the Court of Rome And the poor Cause of Matrimony of Cetwood did hang in Rome and was reserved there by Act of Parliament and never was decided And that very point was the occasion that King Henry VIII did look into the Usurpation of Rome because the Pope would needs Excommunicate the King for not answering in his own Case at Rome as is notably discovered by Bellay in his Memoires who was the Ambassador for the French Bellay in Memoires King in England and was sent of purpose to Rome to stay the Excommunication and could not get six days respite and yet within these six days the Messenger came with Instructions to have appeased the Matter SECT 20. What infinite Treasure was there carried out of the Realm by the Great sums carried out of the Realm for Dispensations Pope's Collectors and by Bankers for Bulls and Dispensations no man can tell Therefore the French King hath many times made Edicts against the Carrying out of Money for Bulls out of France as of a thing that spoiled the Realm of their Treasure using the Term Epuiser les Treasors du Royaume as a man doth draw the water of a Well to dry up the Water The Sums that were yearly made of Dispensations and Absolutions in Cases reserved were infinite as also of Pardons and Indulgences and other Faculties It appeareth by the Book of Taxes made for Dispensations in the Reign of Henry VIII that there were found Two hundred and sixteen Letters of Dispensations given by the Pope and that the Taxe of some of them were Two hundred Marks of others an Hundred Pounds c. Thomas Walsingham writeth That in the time of King Richard the Tho. Walsingham fol. 257. Second one Pileus the Pope's Legate made such a Market with Sale of Faculties that his Officers that were about him in that Service grew weary of taking Silver and did not stick to say That they had Silver enough and therefore would not afterwards be paid for their Wares in any Coin but in Gold Robert Grosted Bishop of Lincoln being suspended his Bishoprick for opposing the Pope's Provisions and trampling them under his Matth. Paris fol. 1145. Anno 1252. feet caused his Clerks to take a view of all the Spiritual Livings of Aliens in this Realm and to make a diligent Inquiry to what an Annual Sum they amounted unto who found them to exceed above Seventy thousand Marks And it may be easily collected what the Pope's Share was in those Gifts What the ordinary Payments were that were yearly made to the See of Rome he that shall make the strictest Inquisition shall hardly understand SECT 21. The Kingdom of England being daily oppressed with many intollerable Grievances and divers new Devices to extort Moneys more than before in the dayes of King Henry the Third he summoneth a Parliament at London by reason of the Complaints of the English against those Grievances which they could no longer tollerate without the brand of sluggishness and their own imminent ruin Great was the Indignation of the Pope against the miserable English for that they durst complain against their daily injuries and oppressions in the Council which he so multiplied that the English were more vile in his eyes and the Court of Rome than any other even of the remotest Nations Insolently saying It is expedient for us to compound with the Emperour Frederick that we may trample the