X. 20). Christ offered tribute to Caesar for himself and for Peter. Also Peter saith, " Be ye sub-

ject to every human creature ;" and it followetb, " whether it be to the king as to the chief," &c. Also Pope Leo submitted himself to Ludovicus, the emperor, with these words: " And if we do any thing incompetently, and do swerve from the path of righteousness, we will stand to your reformation, or of them whom you shall send." (Causa ii. quajst. 7. " Nos.")
4. Notwithstanding, the said Constantine, writing to the bishops congregated at Tjre, first chideth them, then commandeth them to resort unto his presence, to have their cause judged and decided. (Trip. Hist. lib. iii. cap, 7.)
224 LETTER TO KING HENKY.
Henry II. of the clcrgv w.is broupht to him, " You," said he, " can be judged by no secular
judge, wlio'are reserved to the only judgment of God." And forsonnich as we
A- p. (h) read tliat tin- holv apostles and tfieir successors, appointed by the testimony of ^1*'*'- Cod, counnauded that no persecution nor troubles ought to be made, nor to envy those which labour in the field of the Lord, and that the stewards of tJie Eternal King should not be expelled and put out of their seats; who then doubteth, but that the jiriests of Christ ought to be called the fathers and masters of all other faithful princes? Is it not a miserable madness, then, if the son should and by wicked bonds'' to bring him in subjection, by whom he ought to believe that he may be bomul and loosed, not only in earth, but also in heaven ? If you be a be (be it spoken under your license), you are the child of the church, and not the ruler of the church. You ought to learn of the priests, and not to teach them ; you ought to Ibllow the priests in ecclesiastical matters,^ and not to go before them, having the privilege of your power given you of God to make public laws, that, by his benefits, you should not be imthankftil against the dispen- sation of the he.ivenly order, and that 3'ou should usurp notliiiig, but use them with a wholesome disposition.
Wherefore, in those things which, contrary unto that, you have, through your malicious counsel, rather than by your own mind wickedly usurped; witli all humility and satisfaction s])eedily give place, that the hand of the Most Highest be not stretched out against you, as an arrow against the mark. For the Most Highest hath bended his bow openly to shoot against him that will not confess his offences. Be not ashamed, whatsoever wicked men say to you, or that traitors do whis})er in yoxn- ear, to lunnble yourself under the mighty hand of God ; for it is he who exalteth the humble, and throweth down the proud ; who also revengeth himself upon princes ; he is terrible, and who shall resist him ? You ought not to have let slip out of your memory, in what state God did find you ; how he hath preferred, honoured, and exalted you ; blessed you witli children, enlarged your kingdom, and established the same in despite of your enemies ; insomuch that hitherto, in a manner, all men have said \vith great admiration, that this is he whom (Jod hath chosen. And how will you reward, or can you reward him for all these things which he hath done unto you ? Will you, — at the provocation and instance of those who arc about you, that persecute the church, and the ecclesiastical ministers,* and always have according to their power persecuted them, rendering evil for good, bringing oppressions, tribulations, injuries, and afflictions upon the church and church- men,— do the like? Are not these they of whom the Lord speaketh : " He that heareth you, heareth me ; he that dcspiscth you, despiseth me ; and he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye." A'^erily, forsaking iiU that tliou hast, take up thy ci'oss, that thou mayest follow thy God, our Lord Jesus Christ. Yet will it scarcely be, or not at all, tliat thou slialt apj)ear a tliankftd recom- penser of the benefits received at his hand. Search tJie Scriptures A\-itli such as are learned, and you shall understand that Saul, albeit he was die elect of the Lord, perished with his whole house, because he departed fi'om the ways of the Lord. 3
Uzziah also, king of Judah, whose name is spoken of and spread over all, through the manifold victories given him of God, his heart was so puffed up to Ills destruction, because the Lord did help and strengthen him in every place,
5. " The father under obedience," &c. If fatherhood go by age, I suppose that King Henry was older than Recket. If fatherhood consist in authority, I judge the authority of a king to be above the authority of an archliisliop. If tlie see of Canterbury make the fatherhood, yet had Becket no cause to claim fatherliood over the king, seeing the son ordained the £atlier; tliat is, seeing the king made him his archbishop, and he made not him his king.
fi. " By wicked bonds." All is wicked with the papists, that bringeth them in subjection to their princes.
7 Ecclesia.stical matters be such, as properly belong to doctrine and divine knowledge, for the institution of the soul, and information of conscience. In which both princes and subjects ought to follow the pastors, so long as they go truly before them without error or else not. But what mnketh this for the lands and liberties of churchmen ?
.S. Punishment due to malefactors and rebels is not to be called persecution, but due correction.
■J. Saul l)rake the commandment of God and was rejected. Ozias, contrary to the commandment of God, took tbeolliceof a priest, and was stricken. Oza, against the express word of the law, put his hand to the ark, and was punished. But what express word had King Henry, why he should not correct and punish rebellions bishops, and wicked priests, within !iis own realm ? wherefore these similitudes accord not. As for Aclias,he was not so much punished for taking the priesfs office, as for spoiling the temple of the Lord, and oiJering to idols.
ox KXCOMMUNICATIXG sov'p:reigns. 225
that lie, contemning tlie fear and reverence of the Lord, wouhl nsurp unto iiennjii.
liiniself that wliicli was not liis olllee, that is to say, tlie jiriesthood, and offer
incense upon the altar of the Lord, for the which he was stricken with a leprosy, ^- 1-^- and cast out of the house of the Lord. Many other kings and holy men of ^^G^- great suhstance, hecause they have walked above their estate in the marvels of the world, presuming to rebel against (iod in his ministries, have perished, and, at the last, have found nothing of their substance in their power. Also King Ahax, because he did usurp the ofiice of priesthood, was likewise stricken with a leprosy by God.
Oza also, albeit he was not king, yet forasmuch as he touched the ark and held it, when it would have fallen by the unruliness of the oxen, wiii'ih thing pertained not unto him, but unto the ministers of the church, was stricken by the wrath of God, and fell down dead by the ark. O king ! it is a famous proverb, "That a man, forewarned by another man's misfortune, will take the better heed unto himself." For every man hath his own business in hand wh -n his neighbour's house is on fire.
Dearly beloved king, God would have the disposing of those things which pertain unto the chm-ch, to belong only unto priests, and not unto the SL'ciilar power. Do not challenge unto tliyself therefore another man's right, neither strive against him by whom all things are ordained, lest thou seem to strive against his benefits from wliom thou hast received thy power. For not by the connnon laws,'" and by the secular power, but by the bishops and ]>riests. Almighty God would have the clergy of the christian religion to be ordered and ruled. And christian kings ought to submit all their doings unto ecclesias- tical rulers, and not to prefer themselves ; for it is written, that none ought to judge the bisliops but only the church, neither doth it pertain unto man's law to give sentence upon any such. Christian princes are accustomed to be obedient unto the statutes and ordinances of the church, and not to prefer their own power. A prince ought to submit himself unto the bishops, and not to judge the bisliops ; for there are two things wherewith the world is chiefly governed, that is to say, the sacred authority of bishops, and royal power," in the which the bishops' charge is so much the more weighty, in tliat they shall at the latter judgment render account even of the kings themselves. Truly you ought to understand, that you depend upon their judgment, and cannot reduce them unto your own will ; for many bishops liave excommunicated both kings and emperors. And if you require an especial example thereof. Innocent, the pope, did excommunicate Arcadius, the emperor, because he did consent that John Chrysostome should be expulsed from his seat ; and St. Ambrose also did excommunicate Theodosius, the great emperor,'^ for a fault which seemed not so weighty unto other priests, and shut him out of the church, who, afterwards, by condign satisfaction was absolved.
There are many other like examples. For David, when he had committed adultery and murder, the prophet Nathan was sent unto him by God to reprove him, and he was soon corrected : and the king (laying aside his sceptre and diadem, and setting apart all princely majesty) was not ashamed to humble himself before the face of the prophet, to confess his fault, and to require forgiveness for his ofience. What will you more? He, being stricken with repentance, asked mercy, and obtained forgiveness. So likewise you, most beloved king and reverend lord ! after the example of this good king David, of whom it is said, " I have found a man after mine own heart," with a contrite and humble heart turn to tlie Lord your God, and take hold of repentance for yoiu- transgressions. For you have fallen and erred in many things, which yet I keep in store still, if (peradventure) God shall inspire you to say with the
10. " Common laws." St. Austin, writLiig to Boniface, saitli thus : " Wliosoever obeyetli not the laws of llie emperor, being made for the verity of God, procureth to himself great punishment. For in tlie time of the prophets, all the kings which did not forbid and subvert all such things as were used of the people agains'. the law of God, are rebuked. And such as did withstand them, are commended above the rest."
11. Isidorus hath these words : " Let temporal princes know that they must render account to God for the church, which they have at the hands of God to govern," &c.
12. The cases of Arcadius, Theodosius, David, and of this king, as touching this matter, have no similitude. In them was murder : this king doth nothing but claim that which is his due. And though by the spiritual sword those kings were resisted, yet it agreeth not therefore that the persons of those who have the use of the spiritual sword are above tlie persons of those who Iiave the temporal sword.
VOL. 11. a
226 LKTTLK OK TIIK rOPK TO IClXc; IlKXUV.
Jfenrylf. proplief, " Have iiu-rcy on mv, () (lod, according to thj' great mevcy, for I linvo
sinned much against theo, and done evil in thy sight." Thus nuicli I liave
^* J • thought got)d to' write to you, my dear h>rd, at this present, passing other things
^'^^- ill silence, till I may see "whether my words take place in you, and bring forth
fruits worthy of repentance ; and that I may hear and rejoice with thein that
shall bring ine word and say, " () king! thy son was dead, and is alive agiiii ; was
lost, and is found again.' " 15ut if you will not hear me, look where I was wont
Note tho before the majesty of the body of Clu-ist to pray for you in abundance of tears
Judifmeiit ,j,„i sj.rlis ; there in the same place I will cry against you, and say. Rise up,
a(t;iiii'st Lord,'^m(l judge my cause; forget not the rebukes and injuries which the king
this of Kn(rlaii(l (loth to thee and tliine ; forget not the ignominy of thy clun-ch,
wh^'^w ' which thou hast buildcd in thy blood. Revenge the blood of tliy saints which is
slain .It spilt ; revenge, O Lord, the afHictions of thy servants, of which there is an
his iii.i.s, i„(i|iite number. For the pride of them which hate and persecute thee is gone
the h"t\Y lip so high, that we are not able to bear them anj' longer. Whatsoever your
ofChiist. servants shall do, all those things shall be required at yoiu* hands: for he
seenieth to have done the harm, wlio hath given the cause thereof. Doubtless,
the Son of the Most Highest, except j'ou amend and cease from the oppressing of
the church and clergy, and keep your hand from troubling of them, will come
in the rod of his fury, at the voices of such as cry to him, and at the sighs of them
that be in bands ; when the time shall come for him to judge the unrighteousness
of men in equity and seventy of the Holy Ghost. For he knoweth how to take
away the breath of princes, and is temble among kings of the earth. Your dear
and loving grace, I wish well to fare. Thus fare ye well again and ever.
Besides these letters of the arclibisliop sent to the kini^,' the pope also, in the same cause, Avritctli to the king:^ the whole tenor of whose letter I would here express, but for protracting of the time and for straitness of room, having so many things else in this story (by the grace of Christ) to be comprehended. But the letter tciuleth to this cflcct : to exhort and cliargc the king to show favour to Thomas Becket ; where, in the process of the epistle, it followeth to this effect : " Therefore we do desire, admonish, and exhort your honour, by these our apostolical wi-itings, and also enjoin you upon the remission of your sins, in the behalf of Almighty God, and of St. Peter, prince of the apostles, by our authority, that you receive again the aforesaid archbishop into your favour and grace, for the honour of God, his church, and of your own realm,'"' &c. Thus have you heard the pope"'s entreating letter. Now here is anothci letter sent unto the aforesaid king, wherein he doth menace him, as in the tenor thereof here followeth.
Bishop Alexander, servant of the servants of God, to Henry, king of England, health and blessing apostolical.*
How fatherly and gently we have ofttimes entreated and exhorted, both by legates and letters, your princely honour to be reconciled again with our reve- rend brother, Thomas, archbishop of Canterbiuy, so that he and his may be restored again to their churches and other possessions to them appertaining, your wisdom is not ignorant, seeing it is notified and spread almost throughout all Christendom. Foi-somuch therefore as hitherto we have not been able to prevail with you, nor mollify your mind by fair and gentle words, it grieveth us not a
(1) The pope's letter bcginneth after this sort: " Alexander papa ail Ilenricum rcgem. Et DBiurali ratiune, ct fomia juris dictante, providentiam tuam credimus edoctam fuisse, quod quatito quis ab aliquo mnjora suscepisse dignoscitur, taiito ei obnoxior et magis obligafus teiictur," &c.
(2) " Ea propter severitatetn tuain per apostolica scripta roganms, monemtis, et exhortamur in Domino; necnon in remissioncm peccatorum ex parte Dei omnipotentis, et lioati Petri principis apostulorum, auctoritate nostra injungimus, ut mcmoratum archiepiscopum pro Deo et ecclesiasua. et honore tuo, necnon et totius rcpni tui, in Rratiam et favorum tuum recipias," &c.
(3) The Latin copy is in the Edition of 1563, p. 57.— Ed.
AN AKSWEll TO THE TOPE. 2:27
little, so to be frustrated and deceived of the hope and expectation which we had Ucnryli.
conceived of you : especially seeing we love you so dearly, as our own dearly
beloved son in the Lord, and understand such great jeopardy to hang over you. ^' ^•
But forsomuch as it is written, " Cry out, and cease not; lift up thy voice like ^ ^^G- a trumpet, and declare to my people their wickedness, and their sins to the house of Jacob;" also forsomuch as it is by Solomon commanded, that the sluggish person should be stoned with the dung of oxen ; therefore we have thought good not to forbear or support your stubbornness any longer against justice and our own salvation, neitlier that tlie mouth of the aforesaid archbishop should be stopped from henceforth any more, but that he may freely prosecute the charge of his office and duty, and revenge with the sword of ecclesiastical discipline the injuries done botli to himself and to the church committed to his charge.
And here I have sent unto you two legates, the prior of IMontdieu, & Bernar- dus de Corilo, to admonish you of the same. But if ye will neither by us be advised, nor give ear unto them in obeying, it is to be feared, doubtless, lest such things- as they shall declare to you from us in our behalf may happen and fall upon you. — Given at Benevento, the ninth day before the kalends of June.
To answer tliese letters again, there was a certain other writing drawn out and directed to the pope, made by some of the clergy, as it seemeth, but not without consent of the king, as by the title may appear, inveighing and disproving the misbehaviour of the archbishop. The tenor thereof here followeth, and beginneth thus : —
An Answer to the Pope.'
Time now requireth more to seek help than to make complaints. For so it is now, that the holy mother church (our sins deserving the same) lieth in a dangerous case of great decay, which is like to ensue, excejDt the compassion of the Lord speedily support her.
Such is the wickedness now of schismatics, that the father of fathers, Pope NaJ^ ra- Alexander, for the defence of his faith and for the love of righteousness is ^^'^^ ^"'' banished out of his country, and is denied the liberty of returning to his own treason proper see, by reason of the obdurate heart of that Pharaoh, Frederic. against
Further and besides, the church also of Canterbury is miserably impaired and "'^ ^™P«- blemished, as well in the spiritual as in the temporal estate : much like a ship in prince. the sea, destitute of her guide, tossed in the floods, end wrestling with the winds. Frederic The pastor, being absent from his country, is prevented returning thither through compared the power of the king, and being over wise (to the jeopardy of himself, his church, to Pha- and us also) hath brought and entangled us with himself in the same partaking ™''4^"' of his punishments and labours, not considering how we ought gently to entreat to claw and not to resist superior powers. And also he showeth himself to us ungrate- ^^f P^P^ ful, who with all our affections sympathize with him in his afflictions, not ceas- ^^"^" ing yet to persecute us who stand in the same condemnation with him. For, betwixt him and our sovereign pi'ince, the king of England, arose a certain matter of contention, whereupon they were both agreed, that a day should be appointed to have the controversy determined according to equity and justice.
The king commanded all the archbishops, bishops, and other prelates of the church, to be called against the day aforesaid to a great and solemn frequency : so that the greater and more general this council was, the more manifest might be the detection of any fraud and wickedness.
At the day therefore above mentioned, this troubler of the realm and of the church presenteth himself in the sight of our catholic king ; and, not trusting the quality and condition of his cause, armeth himself with the standard of the cross, as though he were about coming into tlie presence of a tyrant. By reason whereof the king's majesty being somewhat aggrieved, yet, because he would be delivered from all suspicion, committeth the matter to the hearing of the bishops. This done, it rested with the bishops to decide and cease this contention, and to set agreement between them, removing all occasion of dissension. Which thing they going about, this aforesaid archbishop cometh in, forbidding and commanding, that no sentence whatever should be passed upon him before the king.
(1) The Latin copy is in tlie Edition of 1563, p. 57, whence the translation is revised. — Ed.
a
o
i28
HECKKTS LKTTKR TO THE BISIIOI' OF KORWICII.
A.D. 1166.
Ilerkit ■
sltibliurii
trfs-
passrr;
ergo, no
niartyr.
H-i-wyli. 'Iliis being signified in the king's hearing, his mind was grievously provoked thereby to anger : wliose anger vet notwithstanding liad been easily assuaged, if the otlier would have submitted himself and acknowledged his default. But he adding stubbornness to his trespass, such is tlie amount of his excess that he alone, as the guilty author, ought to bear the brunt of the vengeance of the civil power, ashamed as he is to crave pardon for his desert at the king's hand; whose ansrer he feared nut to stir up in such a troublesome time of the perse- cution of the (bureh, greatly against the profit of the same; augmenting and increasing thereby the ])ersecution wliich now the church lieth under. .Much better it iiad been for him to have tempered himself with tlic bridle of mode- ration, in the high estate of his dignity ; lest in exceeding too far in straining ambitiou.^ly to attain the sunnuit of affairs, peradventure (as his presumption descrveth) he should fall the lower. And if tlie detriment of the church wovUd not move him, yet tlie great preferments of riches and honours bestowed upon him ought to persuade liim not to be so stubborn against the king. But here our adversary objecteth, that his standing to tiie king's judgment in this behalf were })rejudicial against the authority of tiie see apostolical. As though he did not or might not uiulerstand, that although the dignity of the ehurcii should suffer a little detriment in that judgment, yet lie might and ought to have dis- seniLled for the time, for the sake of restoring peace. He objecteth again, assuming the name of father, that it soniideth like a point of arrogancy for children to proceed in judgment of the father, and tliat such a thing ought not to be. But he must understand again, that it was necessary that the obedience and humility of the children should temper the jiride of the father ; lest, afterward, the hatred of the father niiglit redound upon the children. Where- fore, b)^ these premises your fatherhood may understand, that our adversary ouglit to drop his action as void and of none effect, who onl}' upon the affec- tion of malice hath proceeded thus against us, having no just cause or reason to ground his attack upon.
And, forsomuch as the care and charge of all the churches fas ye know) lieth upon us, it standeth u])on us to provide, by our diligence and circumspection, concerning the state of the church of Canterbury, that the said church of Canterbury be not brought to shipwreck through the excess of its pastor.
By tliis epistle it may appear to tltc reader thereof, tliat Bcckct, being absent from En^yland, went about to work some trouble aj^ainst eertain of the clergy and the laity, belike in e.xeominunicating such as he took to be his evil willers.
Now to understand further what his working wn?, or wlio they were whom he did excommunicate, this letter, sent to William, bishop of Norwich, shall better declare the matter.
A Letter of Becket, to William, bishop of Norwich, wherein arc con- tained the names of those whom he did excommunicate.'
lie is clearly liable to the punishment of a ciiminal, who receiving power and authority of God useth and e.xerciseth not ihe same with due severity in ))unishing vice, but winking and dissemblint; doth minister boldness to wicked doers, maintaining them in their sin. Fcr the blood of the wicked is required at the hand of the priest, who is negligent or dissemblelh. And, as the Scripture saith, "Thorns and brambles grow in the hands of the idle drunkard." Wherefore, lest through our too much sufitrance and dissembling, we should become involved in the guilt of manifest evildoers, and be convicted of procuring the injury of the church through our guilty silence ; we, therefore, follow- ing the authority of the pope's commandment, have laid our sentence of curse and excommunication upon the Earl Hugli ; commanding you throughout all your diocese publicly to denounce the said earl as accursed; so that, according to the discipline of the church, he be sequestered from the fellowship of all faithful j)coj)lc. Also, it is not unknown to your brotherhood, how long we have borne with the transgressions of the bishop of London ; who, amongst his other
(1) For tlie Latin, see Edition 1563, p. 58.— F.d.
AND AXOTIIER TO POPE ALEXANDER. 229
acts, I would to God were not a great doer, and fautour of this ochisii), and n,uijii.
subvcrter of tlic rights and liberties of holy ciiurch. Wherefore we, being snp
ported with the authority of the apostolic see, have also excommunicated him; A.D. besides also the bishop of Salisbiu-y, because of his disobedience and contempt, 1160. and others likewise, upon divers and sundry causes, whose names here follow -ph^ subscribed: 'I'honuis Fitz-Bernard ; Rodulpli of lirock; Robert of Brock, a clerk; bisliopof Hugh of St. Clair, and Letard, cleik of Northfleet; Nigel of Sackville, and ^^^""J'"" Richard, a clerk, brother to William of Hastings, who possesseth my church of muni- Monkton. We therefore charge and command yon, by the authority aposto- i:3.ie^ ; lical and ours, and by the virtue of obedience, and by the peril of salvation and ^[' \^^' of your order, that ye cause these openly to be proclaimed excommunicate cause he throughout all your diocese, and command all the faithful to avoid their com- '^^'^ '" "'^ pany. Fare ye well in the Lord,- Let not your heart be troubled, nor fear; for witliout we stand sure through the assistance of the apostolic see, God being our defence "le li- against the pretensed shifts of the malignant sort, and against all their appella- htm\e- tions. F'urthermore, all such as have l)een solemnly cited of us shall sustain in^ then the like sentence of excommunication, if God will, on Ascension-day, indess •'^yond meanwhile they satisfy for their offences ; to wit, Geoffrey, archdeacon of Can- terbury, and Robert his vicar; Richard of Ilchester, Richard of Lucy, William Giffard, Adam of Cherings, with such oiliers more, who either at the conuiiand- ment of the king, or upon their proper temerity, have invaded the goods and possessions either appertaining to us, or to our clerks about us. With these also we do excommunicate all such as be known, either with their aid or counsel to have incensed or set forward the proceeding of our king against the liberties of the church in the exiling and spoiling of the innocent, and such also as be known to impeach or hinder, by any manner of way, the messengers sent either by the lord pope or by us, from prosecuting the necessities of the church. Fare you well again, and ever.
Hitlierto hast thou seen, gentle reader, divers and sundry letters of Thomas Becket, whereby thou niayest collect a sufficient history of his doings and demeanour, though nothing else were said further of him, concerning his lusty and haughty stomach, above that beseemed either his degree or cause which he took in hand. And here peradventure I may seem in the story of this one man to taiTy too long, having to write of so many others better than it : yet for the weaker sort, who have counted him, and yet do count him, for a saint, having in themselves little understanding to judge or discern in the causes of men, I thought to add this letter more, wherein he complaineth of his king to a foreign power, doing what in him did lie to stir for his own cause mortal war to the destruction of many. For suppose wrong had been offered him of his prince, was it not enough for him to fly "^ What cause had he, for his own private revenge to set potentates in ptiblic discord .'' Now having no just cause, but rather offering injury in a false quarrel, so to com- plain of his prince, what is to be said of this, let every man judge who seeth this letter.
An Epistle of Thomas, archbishop of Canterbury, to Pope Alexander.'
To our most loving father and lord, Alexander, by the grace of God supreme A sediti- pontiff, Thomas, the humble minister of the church of Canterbury, due and p".,^j|^j"f" devoted obedience. Long enough and too long, most loving father, have I Becket to forborne, still looking after amendment of the king of England, but no fruit have the pope I reaped of this my long patience : nay rather, whilst that unwisely I do thus jJfj^'kinfT. forbear, I augment the detriment and ruin of mine authority, as also of the liberty of the church of God : for oftentimes have I by religious and suitable
(1) " Amantissimo patri at Dom. Alexandre, Dei pratia summo pont, Thomas, Cant, ecclesiae humilis minister, debitam et devotam obedientiam," &c. [The whole of this letter in Latin is given in the Edition of 1563, p. j'J, whence the above translation is revised.— Ed.]
230 kfckkt's i.ktteu to I'oi'ii alkxaxdkr.
Ucnryll. nicssen
^ copies wliereof I have sent yon, I have intimated the divine severity and
A.I), vengeance against him, unless he repented. But he, that notwitlistanding, HCfi- proceedeth from evil to worse, oppressing and ravaging the church and sanctuary of CJod ; persecuting both me and tliose wlio take part with me, and doing all his endeavour by threatening words to terrify such as, for God's cause and mine own, seek any way to relieve and help me. He wrote also letters unto the abbot of the Cistercian order, ihat, as he favoured the abbies of that his order which were in his [the king's] power, he should not accept me into the fellowship tiiereof, nor do any thing else for me. Why should I use manv words? So njuch hath the rigour and severity, as well of the king as of his oiiicers, under our patience and sufferance, showed itself, that if a great immber of men, yea, and that of the most religious sort, should show unto you the matter as it is indeed, and that upon their oath taken, I partly doubt whether your holiness would give credit to them or not. With anxiety of mind, therefore, I considering these things, and beholding as well the jieril of the king as of ourself, have publicly condemned those pernicious — " customs" they are not to bo called, so much as — perversities and pravities, whereby the church of England is disturbed and brought into confusion, as also the writing whereby they were confirmed; excomnuinicatinggenerall)-, as well the observers thereof, as also the exactors and patrons of the same, with all their favourers, counsellors, and coadjutors wiiatsoever they be, whether of the clergy or laity : absolving also our bishops from their oath, whereby they were so strictly enjoined to the observation of the same. These are the articles which in Oddly that writing I have principally condemned : — That it is inhibited to appeal unto articles tJig gee apostolical for any cause, but by the king's license : That a bishop may d'ti'iined ^^^ punish any man for perjury, or for breaking of his troth : That a bishop may byBecket. not excommunicate any man that holdeth of the king in capite, or else interdict either their lands or offices without tlie king's license : Tiiat clerks and reli- gious men may be taken from us to secular judgment : That the king or any other judge may hear and decide the causes of the church and tithes: That it shall not be lawful for any archbishop or bishop to go out of the realm, and to come at the pope's call without the king's license : and divers others such aa these. Ikit I ha\e by name excommunicated John of Oxford, who hath communicated with the schismatic and excommunicate ])erson, Reginald of Cologne, .who also, contrary to the commandment of the lord pope and ours, hath usurj)ed the deanery of the church of Salisbury, and hath, to renew his schism, taken an oath in the emperor's court. Likewise I have denounced and excommunicated Richard of lichester, because he is fallen into the same damnable heresy, and has communicated with that infamous schismatic of Cologne; devising and forging all mischief possible with the schismatics and CJermans, to the destruction of the church of (iod and especially of the church of Rome, by composition made between the king of England and them : also Richard de Lucy and Jocelin de Baliol, who have been favourers of the king's tyranny and fabricators of those heretical pravities. Also Ranulph de Rroc, and Hugo de Sancto Claro, and Thomas Fitz-Rernard, who have usurped the pos- sessions and goods of the church of Canterbury without our license and consent. We have also excommunicated all those who, contrary to our will, do stretch out their hands to the possessions and goods of the church of Canterbury. The king himself we have not yet excommunicated personally, still waiting for his amendment: whom, notwithstanding, we will not defer to excommunicate, unless he cjuickly amend, and be warned by that he hath done. And therefore, that the authority of the see apostolic and the liberty of the church of God, which in these parts are almost utterly lost, may by some means be restored, it is meet and very necessary that what we have herein done, the same be of your lioliness ratified, and by your letters confirmed. Thus 1 wish your holiness long to prosper and flourish.
nccVct
ri'pri
By litis epistle, lie that listeth to understand of the doings and he'nckd quarrels of licckct, iiiav partly iudjie what is to be thought thereof:
for com- i-ii- 1- I'll-'' 1 1 ■ 1
iiiaiiiing wliicli nis tloing;;, aitliou king* tilher lo ignorance of mind, or blindness of zeal, or human frailty.
LKTTER or THE SUFfllAG ANS Ol' CANTERBUKV. 231
yet, in tills point, so vilely to complain of his natural prince, for tlie irenryu zeal of the jxiju', lie can in no wise be defended. Bnt sucli Avas the "aTdT blindness of the prelates in those days, Avho measured and esteemed llGG. the dignity and liberty of Christ's church by no other thing, than only by goods and possessions flowing unto and abounding among the clei'gy ; and who thought no greater point of religion to be in the church, than to maintain the same. For this cause they did Excom most abominably abuse Christian discipline and excommunication of tion the church at that time ; as by this aforesaid epistle may appear, ^^''^s'-"^' And what marvel if the acts and doings of this archbishop seem now to us in these days both fond and strange, seeing the suffi-agans of his own church and clergy, writing to him, could not but reprehend him, as in this their epistle, translated out of Latin into English, may be seen.
An effectual and pithy Letter, full of reason and persuasion, sent from all the suffragans of the church of Canterbury to Thomas Becket, their archbishop.^
Such troubles and perturbations as happened through the strangeness of your departure out of the reahii, we hoped by your humility and prudence should have been reduced again (God's grace working withal) into a peaceable tranquiUity. And it was no little joy to us, to hear so of you in those parts where you are conversant, how humbly you there behaved yourself, nothing vaunting yourself against your prince and king, and that you attempt no risings or wrestlings against his kingdom, but that you bore with much patience the burden of poverty, and gave yourself to reading and prayer, and to redeem the loss of your time spent, with fasting, watchings, and tears; and so, being occupied with spiritual studies, to tend and rise up to the perfection of virtue, &c. But now, through the secret relation of certain, we hear (that we are sorry of) that you have sent unto him a threatening letter, wherein there is no salvation premised; in the which also ye pretend no entreating nor prayers for the obtaining of favour, neither do use any friendly manner in declaring what you write, but, menacing with much austerity, threaten to interdict him, and to cut him from the society of the church. Which thing if you shall accomplish with like severity as in words ye threaten to do, you shall not only put us out of all hope of any peace, but also put us in fear of hatred and discord without measure, and without all redress amongst us. But wisdom will consider before the end of things, labouiing and endeavouring to finish that which she wisely beginneth. Therefore your discretion shall do well diligently to forecast and consider whereto ye tend ; what end may ensue thereof, and whereabout ye go. Certes, we, for our parts, hearing what we do hear, are discouraged from that we hoped for, who, having before some good comfort of tranquillity to come, are cast from hope to despair, so that while one is drawn thus against another, almost there is no hope or place left to make entreaty or supplication. Where- fore, writing to your fatherhood, we exhort and counsel you by way of charity, that you add not trouble to trouble, and heap injmy upon injury ; but that you so behave yourself, that, all menaces set aside, ye rather give yourself to patience and humility, and yield your cause to the clemency of God, and to tlie mercy of your prince ; and in so doing you shall heap coals of charity upon the heads of many. Thus charity shall be kindled, and that which menacings cannot do, by God's help and good men's counsel, pity, peradventiu"e, and godluiess shall obtain. Better it were to sustain poverty with praise, than in great promotions to be a common note to all men. It is right well known unto all men, how beneficial the king hath been unto you ; from what baseness to what dignity he hath advanced you ; and also into his own familiarity hath so much preferred ywx, tliat from the North Ocean to the Mount Pyrinee he hath subdued all
(I) " Quae vestro (pater) in longinquo discefsu inopinata rei ipsius novitate turbata sunt ; vcstris sperabamus huniilitate," &.c-.
Q"2 l.KTTKU or TIIK STFl-RAGAXS OF CAXTERniUY.
iiriiniJl. tilings to your avitliority : insoimR-h lliat they were amongst all others accounted
for nu'n right fortunate, whosoever could find any favour with you.
A. L). ^,j,| I'mthennore, lest that your estimation should be over matched by any ^ '"*'• nobility, he (against the mind of his mother, and of his realm) hath placed and ratified you substantially in ecclesiastical dignity, and advanced you to this lionour wherein ye staiul ; trusting, through your help and counsel, to reign more safely and j)rospen)Usly. Now, if he shall find disquietncss, wherein he trusted to have (juietncss, what shall all nu-n say or think of you ? What recompense or retrilnition shall this be thought to be for so many and great benefits taken? Therefore, if it shall please you, ye shall do well to favour and sj)are your fame and estimation, and to overcome your lord and sovereign with humility and charity ; whereunto if our advertisement cannot move you, yet the love and fidelity you bear to the bishop and holy church of Rome ought t.) incline you thereunto, and not to attempt any such thing, whereby the troubles of the church, our mother, may increase, or whereby her dolour may be augmented in the loss of those, whose disobedience now she doth bewail : for what if it so happen through provocation, that the king, whom all his subjects and kingdoms obey, should relintpiish the pope, whieii Ciod forbid, and sliould deny all obedience to liim, as he denicth to the king help or aid against you, what inconvenience would grow thereof? And think you he hath imt great instigations, supplications, gifts, and many fair pn)mises so to do? Yet he, not- withst all that the world can otter. This one thing feareth us, lest his mind whom no worldly offers can assail, no glory, riches, nor treasure can overturn, only through indignation of unkindness, be subverted ; which tiling if it chance to happen through yo\i, then may you sit dow'n and sing the song of the Lamen- tation of Jeremy, and weep your bellyfid.
Consider therefore, if it please you, and foresee well with yourself, this pur])ose of yours, if it proceed, how hurtful and perilous it will be, not only to the pope, and to tlie hol\' church of Rome, but also to voiirsclf most especiallv. But some, ])er;idventure, about you, of haughty and high-minded stoutness, more stout perchance than wise, will not suffer you to take this way, but will give you contrary counsel, to prove rather and declare what ye are able to do against your lord and ])rince, and to practise against him and all his the utter- most of your power and authority ; which power and authority of yours, to him that oflcndeth, is fearfid, and to liim that will not amend; tciTible. Such coun- sel as this, some, peradventure, will whisper in your car. But to these again this we say and answer for our king, whom notwithstanding to be without fault we do not affirm, but yet, that he is always ready to amend and make satisfac- tion, that we s])cak confidently and protest in his behalf. The com- 'I'lie king, a])pointed for the Lord's anointed, provideth for the peace of his t^on of" subjects all that he is able : and therefore, to the intent he may conserve tliis KinK peace in his churches and anumgst his subjects committed to him, he willeth
i''^"''.' '^^ and recpiireth such ordinances as are due to kings, and have been exhibited metkncss *« them heforetime, also to be exhibited to him ; wherein if there hath any and 1110- contradiction sprung up betwixt him and us, he being thereupon convcnted, and rai.on. .,JnionLshed from the pope by the reverend bishops of London and Hereford, burst not out into any dehance, but meekly and humbly answered, That wlfc-re insoever the church or any ecclesiastical person can show himself grieved, he would therein stiind to the judgment of the church of his kingdom. This also be Is ready no less to perform indeed, thinking nothing more sweet unto him than to be admonished of his Ciult, if he have offended the Lord, and to reform tlie same ; and not only to reform and amend his fault, but also to satisf\' it to the uttermost, if the law shall so require him. Vv'herefore, seeing he is so wiliiig to recompense and satisfy the judgment of tlie church in all things appertaining to tlie church ; reiusing no order that shall he taken, but in all things submitting his neck to the yoke of ChrLst ; with what right, by what canon, or reason, can you interdict him, or use excommunication against him ? It is a thing laiftlable, and a virtue of great commendation in wise men, wisely to go with judgment and reason, and not to be carried with puffs of hasty violence. Whereupon, this is the only and common petition of us all, that your fatherly care will diligently provide i'ur your flock and slice]) committed tt you, so fliat they miscarry not, or run to any ruin through any inconsiderate or too
BKCKEt"'s reply to his SUrFKAGANS OF CAXTKRBURY. 233
much heady counsel in you; but rather, thro\iji;li yo-ar softness and sufferance, iicnnjll. tliey may obtain life, peace, and security. It dotli move us all, what we hear '~~~ — (if lute to be done by you ;\,'^ainst the bishop of Salisbury, and the dean of the •*■ _ • same chmxh, prosperously, as some men suppose ; against whom you have ^ '" *• civen out the sentence of excomnumication and condemnation, before any (juestion of their crime was ; following therein, as seemeth, more the heat of hastiness than the path of righteousness. This is a new order of judgment, unheard of yet to this day in our laws and canons, first to condemn a man, and after to inquire of the fact committed. Which order lest you shoidd hereafter attempt to exercise in like manner against our sovereign and king, or against us, and our churches and parishes committed to us, to the detriment of the ])()pe, and the holy church of Rome, and to the no little confusion of us all ; therefore, we lay here against you, for ourselves, the remedy of appellation. And as before, openly in the public face of the church, with lively voice, we appealed to the pope for fear of certain perils that might have happened, so now again, in writing, we appeal to tlie same, assigning as the term of our ap- pellation the day of the Lord's ascension : most humbly and reverently beseech- ing your goodness, that you, taking a better way with you in this matter, will let your cause fall, sparing herein both the labours and charges, as well of yourself as ours also. And thus we wish you right well to fare, reverend in the Lord.
The rescript or answer of Thomas Becket to all his suffiugans, not obeying, but confuting, the counsel sent.^
Your brotherly letters sent, albeit not by the whole assent of your wisdoms written, as I suppose, I received of late upon a sudden, the contents whereof seem to contain more sharpness than solace ; and would to God they proceeded more of sincere zeal of godliness, or afiection of charity, tlian of disobedience or froward vv^ilfulness ! for charity seeketh not the things that be her own, but which appertain to Jesus Christ. It had been your duty, if there be truth in the gospel, as most undoubtedly there is, and if you would faithfully have accomplished his business whose person you represent, rather to have feared Him, who can cast both body and soul to hell, than him whose power ex- tendeth no further than to the body ; rather to have obeyed God than man ; rather your Father than your master or lord, after the example of him who was to liis Father obedient unto the death ; who died for us, leaving us an example to follow his steps. I^et us die therefore with him, and lay down our lives for the deliverance of his church out of the yoke of bondage, and tribulation of the oppressor, which church he hath founded, and whose Uberty he hath procured with his own proper blood; lest, if we shall do otherwise, it may haply scriptures fall upon us which is written in the gospel, " Whoso loveth his own life more *",^^'°'^''^, than me, is not worthy of me." Tliis ye ought to know, that if it be right which J^^ed^ ^ your Captain conunandeth, your duty recpiireth to obey his will ; if not, ye but falsely ought then rather to obey God than men. I den^*^
One thing I will say, if I may be so bold to tell it unto you; I have your mi- now suffered and abstained a long space, waitnig if the Lord had given you to "t. Mr. take a better heart unto you, who have turned cowardly your backs in the day of battle ; or if any of you would have returned again to stand like a wall for the house of Israel, or at least if he had but showed himself in the field, making but the countenance of a warrior against those who cease not daily to infest the Lamb of God. I waited, and none came ; I suffered, and none rose up ; I held my peace, and none would speak ; I dissembled, and none w'ould stand with me in like semblance ; wherefore, seeing I see no better towai'dness in you, this remaineth only, to enter action of complaint against you, and to cry The against mine enemies; "Rise up, O Lord! and judge my cause; revenge ^''"f'^ "*^ the blood of the church, which is wasted and oppressed. Tlie pride of (.;i„„ot be tliem which hate his liberty i-iseth up ever, neither is there any that doth good, over- no, not one." Would to God, bretlu-en beloved! tliere were in you any mind ',jf,°""' or affection to defend the liberty of the church ; for she is builded upon a sure Becket rock, so that although slie be shaken, yet she cannot be overthrown. And why °"|^'," ""' tlien seek ye to confound me ? nay, rather yourselves in me, than me in you 1 sbted.
(1) " Fraternitatis vestrre scriptum (quod tamen prudentia vestrte communi consilionon facile ciediraus emauasse) nuper ex insperato suscepimus." &c.
Qr,i
HKCKETS REPLY TO
Iltmrfj II.
A.I). 11C6.
Servitude and liber- ty of the church wr(int;ly defined. Tlie
words of holy
Scriprure clerkly aiiplicd.
Turn to thee .' Nay turn thou to the Lord and thou shalt be saved.
The soul of the church is the liber- ty of the church, siiJth Becket.
Unbe- seeming; words of hij;h pre- biiinption. Christ is not
Judged Li tli3 pwson of .iny trai- tor.
Con-
Kcicnee
inude
where
there ia
none.
nm he leaveth out here the man- ner of his coming to the court and the stur- dinesi of his be- haviour.
a man wlio liath taken upon me all the peril, have sustained all the rebukes, have sustained all the iiijurii-s, have sufTered also lor you all, to very banishment.
And so it was expedit-nt, that one should sutler for that church, that there- by it niifjlit be released out of servitude. These things discuss you simply with ymn-selves, and weiudi the matter. Attend, I say, dihgently in your minds, for your parts, that God, for his part, removing from your eyes all majesty of rule imd empery, as he is no accepter of persons, may take from your hearts the veil, that ye may understand and see what ye have done, what ye intend to do, and what ye ought to do. Tell me which of you all can say, I have taken from him, since the time of my promotion, either ox or ass. If I have defrauded him of any penny, if I have misjudged the cause of any man wrongfully, or if, by the detriment" of any person, I have sought mine own gain, let him com- plain, and I will restore him fourfold. And, if I have not offended you, what then is the cause that ye thus leave and forsake me in the cause of God I Why bend ye so yourselves against me in such a cause, that there is none more special belonging to the church?
Brethren, seek not to confound yourselves and the church of God (so much as in you is), but turn to me, and you shall be safe ; for the Lord saith, " I will not the death of a sinner, but rather he should convert and live." Stand with me manfully in the war ; take your annoiu- and your shield to defend me. Take the sword of the word of the mighty God, that we altogether may with- stand more valiantly the malignant enemies, such as go about to take away the sold of the church, which is her liberty ; without which liberty she hath no power against them that seek to encroach to their inheritance, the possession of God's sanctuary. If ye will hear and follow me, know ye that the Lord will be with you, and with us all in the defence of the liberty of his church. Other- wise, if ye will not, the Lord judge betwixt me and you, and require the confusion of his church at your hands ; which church, whether the world will or no, standcth fu-mly in the word of the Lord, whereupon she is builded, and ever shall, till the htmr come that she shall ])ass from this world to the Father ; for the Lord ever doth support her with his hand.
Wherefore, to return to the matter : Brethren, remember well with your- selves (which thing ye ought not to forget) what danger I was brought unto, and the church of God also, while I was in England, at my departing out of England, and after my departure from thence ; also in what danger it stuuletli at this present day ; but especially at that time, wluui, at North- amj)ton, Christ was judged again in my person, before the judgment seat of the high president. Who ever heard the archbishop of Canterbury, being troubled for injuries done to him and to his church, and appealing to the pope of Rome, to be judged, condemned, appealed, and put to his sureties, and that of his own suffragans ? Where is this law seen, or the authority, nay rather perversity, of tliis canon heard of? And why yet shame ye not at tliis j'our enormity ? Why are ye not confounded ? Or why doth not this confiision work in you repentance, and repentitnce drive you to due satisfaction before God and men ? For these and such other injuries done to God and to his church, and to me for God's cause (which with a good conscience I ought to suffer, because that without danger of soid I ought not to dissemble them), I choose rather to absent myself for a season, and to dwell quietly in the house of my Lord, than in the tabernacle of sinners, until the time that (their iniquit\' being complete) the hearts of the wicked, and the cogitations of the same, shall be opened ; and these injuries were the cause both of my appeal from the king, and of my departure from thence, which ye term to be sudden. But if ye will speak the truth whicli ye know, it ought to be no less than sudden, lest, being fore- known, it might have been prevented and stopped ; and, as God turned the matter, it happened for the best, both for the honom* of the king, and better safety of those who, seeking my hann, should have brought slander on the kmg. If such troubles followed upon my departing as ye say, let them be im])uted to him who gave cause ; the fault is in the worker, not in the de- parter ; in him that piusueth, not in him that avcideth injui-ics. What would ye more ? I presented myself to the court, declaring both the causes of my coming and of my appeal, declaring also tlic wrongs and injuries done to me and to my chiu-ch, and yet could have no answer, neither was there any that laid any thing against me, before we came to the king. Thus, while wc stood
HIS SUFFRAGANS OF CANTKRHURY. 235
waiting in the court, wlicther any would conic against nic or no, they sent to jr,/iiyif.
my ofiicials ; charging them not to obey me in my temporahties, nor to owe
any service to me or to any of mine. After my appeUatiou made in the court, A. D. my church was spoiled; we and they about us deprived of our goods, outlawed ^^GG. both of the clergy and of the laity, men, women, and infants ; the goods of the church, that is, the patrimony of the cnicifix, confiscated, and part of the money turned to the king's use, part to your own coffers. Brother bishop of London, if this be tiiie that we hear of you, and that to the use of your own church ye convert this money, we charge you and require you forthwith, by virtue of obedience, that within forty days after the sight of these letters, all delay and excuse set aside, ye restore again within the time aforesaid, all such goods and parcels as you have taken away : for itisimmeet and contrary to all law for one church to be enriched with the spoil of another church. If ye stand upon the authority that set you to work, you must understand, that in matters concern- ing the church goods, he can give no lawfid authority, who committeth violent injury. Sec.
What authority and what Scripture giveth this prerogative to princes upon ik-cket church goods, which you would attribute to them? What? will they lay for s'^emeth them the remedy of appeal ? God forbid ! It were evil with the chm-ch of skTrf^^oT God, if, when the sacrilegious extortioner hath violently invaded other men's his mass- goods, especially the goods of the church, he should after defend him with the pf tJ^g'*^^^ title of appeal, &c. oook of
Do not, brethren, so confound altogether the right of the chiu-ch and of the ^"^Y temporal regiment, for these two are very ditferent, one borrowing its authority oUienvUe' from the other. Read the Scriptures, and you shall find what and how many he might kings have perished for taking upon them the priestly office. Therefore let '^'"'^ '\"°„ your discretion provide, lest for this your doing, God's punishment light in the upon you ; which if it come, it will be hard for you very easily to escape, l^w for Provide also and see to yotn- king, whose favour ye prefer before the deprive" wealth and profit of the church ; lest it happen, which God forbid, that priests, he doth perish with all his house, after the example of those who for ^1"^ *° the like crune were plagued. And if ye cease not otf from that ye begin, -Hhom with what conscience can I dissemble or forbear, but must needs punish they you ? Let him dissemble with you who lists, having authority so to do ; truly I Kin^s i'l will not ; there shall be no dissimulation found in me. And where you write the old in your letters concerning my promotion, that it was against the voice of tlie '^^^ ^'^_ whole realm, and that the church did exclaim against it, what should I say to meddle you, but that, which ye know right well, "The lie, which the mouth doth will- "ith the ingly speak, killeth the soul?" but especially the words of a priest's mouth JJJj^ce'in ought ever to go with verity. As touching this matter, I appeal to your own tome conscience whether the form of my election stood not fuUy with the consent of 'j""ss them all to whom tlie election belonged, having also the assent of thepruiceby fo'rbid- his son, and of those who were sent thereto. And if there were some that ^en : but repugned the same, he that was troubled and is guilty, let him speak. ^^^ere^o^^
Ye say, moreover, tliat I was exalted and promoted from a base and low fioers degree to this dignity by him. I grant that I came of no royal or kingly "'■'}'' blood ; yet, notwithstanding, I would rather be in the nvmiber of those whom {■(intct virtue of the mind, rather than birth, maketh noble. Peradventure I was born tlam in a poor cottage, of poor parentage ; and yet, through God's clemency, who thev"did knoweth how to work mercy with his servants, and who cherishetli the humble amiss. and low things, to confoimd tJie high and mighty, in this my poor and low ^^y^ estate, before I came to the king's service, I had abundantly and wealthily Adias to live withal, as ye know, amongst my neighbours and friends. And David, (i'"! Oza even from the sheepfold, was taken up and made a king; Peter, of a fisher, was oid'^es- made a prince of the church, who, for his blood being shed for the name of tament, Christ, deserved to have in heaven a crown, and in earth name and renown ; ^'i'^" ^'^ would to God we could do the Uke ! We be the successors of Peter, and not of minor, kings and emperors.
And where ye seem to charge me, by insinuation, with the blot of ingrati- tude, thus I answer: There is no offence capital or infamous, imless it proceed the s-.ic- from the heart and intention. As, if a man commit a murder unwillingly, cessors although he be called a murderer, yet he is not thereby punishable : and so, of'^aYp"^ although I owe my duty and sen-ice with reverence to my king, yet, if I have not that '
236
BECKET S KKl'l.V TO
Jliitry n.
A.D. 1166.
hold the places of saints, but that du the works of saints. — Hieromc.
If the king had been an adulterer, or tj'rant airainst till! new doctrine or preach- inj; of Christ, then might this rea- son serve, and God more to be obeyed than man. Now
where did Becket loam that the king in his temporal rijjht was not to be obeyed ; Take heed, ve mar- all, if ye o]>en that door.
Divers ways of exciini- muuica- tion.
The council s])eaketh of such as he worthily excom- muni- cated.
forborne Iiim as my lord, if I have warned liim, a i.l talked with liini fatherly and gently as with a son, and in talkintf with him co;ild not bi; heard : if therefore, I say, being enforced thereunto, and against my will, I do exercise upon him the censure of due severity, in so doing I suppose I make rather with him than against him, and rather deserve at his hand thanks for my correction, than note or suspicion of unkindncss or punislnnent for the fact. Sometimes a man, against his will, receiveth a benefit, as, when necessity causeth a man to be restrained from doing that which he ought not to do: he that doth so restrain him, though he stop him, doth not hurt him, but rather profiteth him for his soul's health. Another thing that defendeth us from ingratitude, is, our Father and Patron Christ, who, in tliat he is our Father, to whom we as children owe obedience, then are we bound, as children, by necessity, to obey his commandraent, in warning the evildoer, in correcting the disobedient, and in bridling the obsti- nate : which, if we do not, we nm into danger to have his blood required at our hands. Ye set forth likewise and show, what loss we thereby may sustain of our temporalities, but ye speak no word of the loss of our souls.
>Ioreover, as concerning the departure of the king from the homage of the church of Rome, which in your letters ye seem to pretend, or rather threaten : God forbid, I say, that the devotion or faith of our king should ever swerve awaj' from the obedience and reverence of the church of Rome, for any tem- poi'al commodity or incommodity, which thing to do is very damnable In any private subject, much more in tlie prince who draweth many others with him ; therefore, God forbid that ever any faithful man should once think so heinous a deed. And you, according to your discretion, take heed lest the words of your mouth infect any person or persons therein, occasioning to them by your words such dangers and damnable matter, like to the golden cup which is called the cup of Babylon, which for the outward gold no man will refuse to drink of, but after they have drunk thereof, they are poisoned.
And where ye lay to my charge for the suspending of the reverend father, the bishop of Salisbury, and for excommunicating of John,' dean of the same church, for a schismatic, by knowledge and process had of the matter, to this I answer, that both these are justly and condignly exconui:unicate ; and if ye understand perfectly the condition of the matter, and the right order of judg- ments, ye will say no less. For this standeth with good autliority, as ye know, that in manifest and notorious crimes, this knowledge and order of proceeding is not requisite. Perpend with yourselves diligently, what the bishop of Salisbury did concerning the deanery, after that he was prohibited of the pope and of us, under pain of excommunication ; and then shall ye better luider- stand, that upon such manifest disobedience, suspension did rightly follow, as ye read in the deci-ee of St. Clement, saying, " If they do not obey their prelates, all manner of persons, of what order soever they be, whether tliey shall be princes of high or low degree, and all other people, shall not only be infamed, but also banished from the kingdom of God and the fellowship of the fiiitliful." As concerning John of Oxford, this we sa}^, that excommunication cometli divers ways ; some are excommunicate by the law denouncing them excommunicate ; some by the sentence of the prelate ; some hy communicating with those who are excommimicate. Now he that hath fallen into this damnable heresy, of
Sarticipating with schismatics whom the pope hath excommunicated, he raweth to himself the spot and leprosy of like excommimication. "Wherefore, seeing he, contrary to the pope's express commandment and ours, being cliarged under pain of excommunication to the contrary, took upon him the deanery of Salisbury, we have denounced him, and hold him excommimicate, and all his doings we disannul by the authority of the eighth s}'nod, sapng, " If any man, either privily or apertly, shall speak, or communicate with him that is excommu- nicate, he drawetii unto himself the puni.shment of like excommunication." And now, forasmuch as you, brother, bishop of London, who ought to know that s.aying of Gregory VII.-, " If any bishop shall consent to the fornication of ])riests, deacons, &-c. within his precinct, for reward, favour, or petition, or doth not by authority of his office correct the vice, let him be suspended from his office." And again, that saying of Pope Leo which is this: " If any bishop shall insti-
(1) This John was called a schismatic, because he took part with Reginald, archbishop of Cologne, and the emperor, against Alexander, the pope.
(2) This Gregory, otherwise cilled Hildebrand, was he that first took away priests' marriage, con- demning all priests who had wives, of fornication.
HIS SUFFRAGANS OF CANTERBURY. 237
tute or consecrate such a priest as shall be unmeet and unconvenient, if he escape ijmryll. with the loss of his own proper dignity, yet he shall lose tlie power of insfituting — - — any more," &c. Therefore forasmuch, I say, as you, knowing this, have double- ' ' " wise offended against the sentence of these canons, we counnand you, and in _!___._ the virtue of obedience enjoin you, that if it be so, within three months after the receipt hereof, you will submit and offer yourself to due correction and satisfaction to the council of our fellow-bishops, for these your so great excesses, lest others, through your example, run into the like offence, and we be constrained to proceed against you with severer sentence.
Finally, in the close of your letter, wliere ye bring in for your appellation against me, a safeguard for you, which ratlier indeed is an hindrance to you, that we should not proceed against the invaders of the church goods, nor against the king, in like censiu'e as we have done against the bishop of Salisbury, as ye say, and his dean ; to this I answer, God forbid that we have, or else should hereafter proceed or do any tiling against the king or his land, or against you or your churches, inordinately or otherwise than Is convenient. But what if you shall exceed in the same or like transgression, as the bishop of Salisbury hath done ? Think ye then your appellation shall help you from the discipline of our severity, that ye shall not be suspended ? Mark ye diligently whether this be a lawftil appeal, and what is the form thereof. We know that every one that appealeth, either doth it in his own name, or in the name of anotlier ; if in his own, either it is for some grievance inferred already, or else for that he feareth after to be inferred against him. Now, concerning the first, I am sure there is no grievance that you can complain of as yet, God be thanked, that you have received at my hand, for the which you should appeal from me ; neither have you, I trust, any cause special against me so to do. If ye do it for fear of what is to come, lest I should trouble you and your churches, consider whether this be the fear that ought to happen in constant men, or whether this be the appeal which ought to suspend or stay our power and authority that we have upon you and your churches. It is thought, therefore, by wise men, and we also judge no less, that your appeal is of no force. First, for that it hath not the right form of a perfect appellation, and also because it is not consonant to reason, and lacketh order and help of the law.
Furthermore, if your appellation be in another man's name, either it is for The form the king (as most like it is) or for some other. If it be for the king, then you °^ ']gj[.'^'y ought first to understand that appellations are wont to be made to repel, and tio„ not to infer injury ; or, to release such as be oppressed, that they should not be oppressed any more, \yiierefore if any man shall enter any appellation, not trusting to the surety of his cause, but to delay the time, that sentence be not given upon him, that appellation is not to be received. For what state will there be of the church, if the liberty thereof being taken away, the goods of the chm-ch spoiled, and the bishops driven from their places, or at least not received with full restitution of their goods, the invaders and spoilers thereof may defend themselves by appealing, thereby to save themselves from the penalty of their desert ?
What a iTiin of the church will this be ? See what ye have done, and what ye say. Are you not the vicars of Christ, representing him on earth ? Is it not your office to correct and bridle ill-doers, whereby they may cease to persecute the church ? and is it not enough for them to be fierce and to rage against the church, but that you should take their part, setting yourselves against us, to the destruction of the church ? ^Vho ever heard of such monstrous doings ? Thus, it shall be heard and said of all nations and countries, that the suffi-agans of the church of Canterbury, who ought to stand with their metropolitan unto death in defence of the churcli, now go about by the king's command, so much as in them doth he, to suspend his authority, lest he should exercise his discipline of correction upon them that rebel against the church. This one thing I know, that you cannot sustain two sorts of persons at once, both to be the appeal ^''^ per makers, and to be appealed to yourselves. You be they who have made the „(,( both appellation; you be they against whom the appellation is made. Are there any be tii more churches than one, and the body of tlie same ? And how meet were it j^|!J'^'p^ then, that you, being the members of the church, should hold together with tlie and the head thereof? I am afraid, brethren, lest it may be said of us, these be the v^rty ^ priests who have said, " Where is the Lord?" and having the law, do not know ''f''*^ ■
238 A UKIEF CKNSUKK Ul'ON liliCKETS UKSCIDI'T.
Hrnryll tlic law. Furthermore, this I suppose, you, being discreet men, arc not is^norant
of, that sucli as enter any appellation there, are not wont to be lieard, unless
A..D. ^i,g matter of their appellation either belongeth to themselves, or except special *^^^- •onnnanduient force them thereunto, or else imless they tike another man's cause upon them. First, that it belongeth nothing unto you, it is i)lain, foras- much as the contrary rather pertaincth to your duty ; that is, to muiish and to correct all such as rebel against the church. And, secondly, it he who sub- verteth the liberty of the church, and invadeth the goods thereof, converting them to his own use, be not heard appealing for his own defence, much less is another to be heard appealing for hmi. Wherefore, as in this case neither he can appeal for himself, nor yet connnand you so to do; so neither may you receive the connnandment to appeal for him. Thirdly, as touching the taking of another man's cause or business upon you: to this I say and affirm, that ye ought in no maimer of wise so to do, especially seeing the matter pcrtaineth to the oppression of the church, and whereupon ensueth great damage to the same.
Wherefore, seeing it neither appertaineth to you, neither ought ye to receive any such connnandment, nor yet to take upon you any such cause as that is, your appeal is neither to be heard, nor standcth with any law. Is this the devotion and consolation of brotherly love wliich you exhibit to your metro- politan, being for you in exile? God forgive you this clemency! And how now ? will ye look for your letters and messengers to be gently received here of us.' Neither do I speak this, as though there were any thing in hand betwixt your part and ours, or that we have done any thing inordinately against the person of the king, or against his land, or against the persons of the church, or ThniiRh intend, by God's mercy, so to do. And therefore, we say briefly, and atiirm bw'w'ill ^ t^onstantly, that our lord tlie king cannot complain of any wrong or injury to be not de- done unto him, if he (being often called upon by letters and messengers [!:"'' to acknowledge his fault, neither will confess his trespass, nor yet come to any
the law satisfaction for the same) have the censure of severity by the pope and us laid of the upon him: for no man can say that he is unjustly treated, whom the law doth w'in'aild'' justly punish. And, briefly to conclude : know you this for certain, that extor- dotli. tioners, invaders, detainers of the church goods, and subverters of the liberties thereof, neither have any authority of the law to maintain them, nor doth their appealing defend them.
A brief censure upon the former rescript of Becket to liis suffragans, witli a general resolution of the reasons therein contained.'
If the king of England had been an idolater, covetous, and adulterer, an incestuous person, a murderer, with such like ; then the zeal of this archbishop, threatening the king and such as took his part, had deserved praise in this epistle, and the Scripture would have borne him out therein. For these and such causes should bishops prosecute the authority of the gospel against all persons. But, the matter stiuiding only upon church goods, liberty (or rather licentiousness) of priests, making of deans, titles of churches, superiority of crowning the king, with such other matters : to stand so stiff in these, is not to defend the church, but to rebel against the king. Again, if the principles, which he here groundetli upon, were true — to wit, that the pope were to be obeyed before princes, tliat the liberty of the church standeth upon the immunity of priests exempted from pi-inces' laws, or upon ample possessions of the church ; or that the pope's law ought to prevail in all foreign countries, and to bind all
f)rinces in their own dominions ; or that the sentence of the pope and his pope- ings (how or by what affection soever it is pronounced) may stand by the undoubted sentence of (Jod : then all the arguments of this epistle do proceed and conclude well. But, if they stand not ratified by God's word, but tottering upon man's traditions, then, whatsoever he inferreth or concludeth thereupon, liis assumption being false, cannot be true, according to the school saying : " One inconveniency being granted in the beginning, innumerable follow there- upon." So in this epistle it happeneth, as is above noted, that the major of this man is true, but the minor is clean false, and to be denied.
(1) From tlie style of this censure, it is clearly from the pen of our author, Foxe. — Ed.
A LETTER OF MATILDA, THE EMPKESS. 239
Henry II.
The letter of Matilda, tr=c empress, and mother of the king, to
Thomas Becket.' A. I).
11«7.
My lord the pope hath commanded me, and upon the forgiveness of my sms
enjoined me, that I should be a mediator and means of restoring peace and concord between my royal sou and you, by reconciling of yourself to him, whereunto, as you know, you requested me. Wherefore with the more afiection, as well for the divine honour as for holy church, I have taken the enterprise upon me. But this by the way I assure yon, that the king, with his barons and council, feel a great difficulty how far you, whom he entirely loved and honoured, and made chiefest in all his realm, and raised to the highest dignity in all his dominions, ought to be trusted for the future, seeing that you (as they assert) stirred up his people against him ; yea, and further, that, as nuich as in you lay, you went about to disinherit him, and deprive him of his crown. Where- fore, I send unto you our trusty and familiar servant. Archdeacon Lawrence, by whom I pray yim that I may understand your mind herein, and what your disposition is toward my son, and how you mean to behave yourself, if hajdy he should be disposed to grant my prayer and petition to his grace in your behalf. But this one thing I assm-e you of, that without great humility and moderation most evidently in you appearing, you cannot recover the king's favour. Herein what you mean to do, I pray you send me word, by your own letters and messenger.
But to proceed further in the order of the history. After these letters sent to and fro a.d. 11G6 (which was the twelfth year of the reig-n of King Henry IL), the king misdoubting and fearing with himself, that the archbishop would proceed, or exceed rather, in his excommunication against his own person, to prevent the mischief, made his appeal to die presence of the pope, requiring to have certain legates sent down from Rome from the pope's side, to take up the matter between the archbishop and him ; requiring, moreover, that they might also be absolved who were interdicted. Whereupon two cardinals, being sent from Alexander, the pope, with letters to the king, came to "Normandy, where they appointed the archbishop to meet them before the king upon St. Martin's day. But the arch- bishop, neither agreeing with the day nor the place, delayed his coming till the eighth day after, neither would go any further than to Nov.isth, Gisors, where the two cardinals and the archbishop, with other bishops, A-ciier. conventing together, had a certain entreaty of peace and reconcilia- tion : but it came to no conclusion. The contents of this entreaty or action, because it is sufficiently contained in the cardinals"' letter, who were called Gulielmus and Otho, written to the pope, it shall require no further labour, but to show out the words thereof, where the sum of the whole may appear : the words of the letter be these.
The copy of the epistle written and sent by two cardinals to the pope, concerning the matter of the Archbishop Becket.*
William and Otho, cardinals of the church of Rome, to Alexander, the pope, &c. On reaching the ten-itories of the king of England, we found the contro- versy betwixt him and the archbishop of Canterbury more vehemently aggra- Beckct vated than we would ; for the king, and the greater part of those about him, ^"'^,'^''," asserted that the archbishop had stirred up the French king grievously against F^endi him ; and also that he had made the earl of Flanders, his kinsman, who bare no kin? displeasure to him before, his open adversary, ready to war against him, as he j^^'^l^i'^ thought by divers evidences most certain. Proceeding to Caen, therefore, the of Kng" first time we were admitted to the king's speech we duly delivered the letters land.
(1) Revised from the Epistolae D.Thoma;, lib. ii. ep. 12.— Ed. (2) Revised. Ibid. ep. 2S.— Ed.
240 LETTER OK TWO CARDINALS TO THE POPE.
Ifenrylf. of your fiilliorliood into liis liaiuls : whicli after he had read tlirough and con- — siderc'd before tlie council, finding llicm less full, nay somewhat at variance A.U. ^yj(], otliers which he had before received from you on the same matter, he wiis '"'• moved and stirred witli no little indignation, and said he had not the least doubt tliat the archbishop, after our departure from you, had received of you other letters, by the virtue whereof he was exempted from our judgment, so that he should not be compelled to answer before us. Moreover, the said king artirmed, the bishops there present testifying the same, that what had been intimated to you concerning the ancient customs of I^ngland was for tlie most part untrue ; otfering further to us, that if any customs had been added in his time, which seemed i>rejudicial to the statutes of the church, he would willingly revoke and annul the same. Whereupon we, with tlie archbishops, bishops, and abbi)ts of his realm, laboured by all the means we might, unwilling to lose all prospect of j)cace, and in hope of inclining the king toward it, to etlect an interview with the archbishop and obtain his consent to undergo judgment. IJy reason whereof we directed our own chaplain3 unto him, with letters, ap- pointing him a place where safely he might meet us on the feast of St. ^lartin. Nevertheless he, pretending certain excuses, made his dilatories, driviiiijoff'the Nov.isth. time from the day of St. Martin to the octaves following, which thing the king
took more deeply to heart than we should have expected. A com- Still, though we offered to the archbishop a safe conduct, yet he refused to
tinn'be- '""^Pt US within the border of the king of England's territory ; so we, to satisfy tween Ids mind, condescended to meet him within the territory of the French king, in and'th' ^ pl'ice where lie himself appointed, that there should be no let in us, whereby cardinals, 'o stop his profit. After we had entered upon cominunication, we began to exhort him all tiiat we could, to submit and humble himself to his sovereign and king, who had heaped upon him such benefits and dignities ; whereby matter might be given us for the attempt at reconciling them together. He being thus moved and exhorted by us, departed aside to consult with his fol- lowers upon the matter. At length, after counsel taken, he proposed, that he Ik'ckei's should humble himself before the king, " saving the honour of God, and the I ion. j;jjg^[y qC ^]^g church ; saving also the dignity of his person, and the posses- sions of his churches ; and moreover, saving the justice of his own cause and of his followers."' After which enumeration we pressed on him the necessity of descending to particulars. When as yet he brought nothing in, which was definite or particular, we then demanded of him whether he would, on all the counts contained and comprehended in your letters, submit himself to our judgment, as the king and the bishops had before promised they would do. To the which he answered ])roniptly, that he had received trom you no command- ment on that point, but that if first of all he and his were restored fiilly to all their possessions, then he would so proceed in the matter, according as he should receive commandment from the see apostolical. Becket Thus we, breaking off" communication, seeing that he neither would stand to
nehher judgment, nor incline to concord, and that he was determined on no account to suind to enter into the cause, resolved to report thereof to the king, and so did ; de- judKincnt claring that which he had expressed to us, yet suppressing a great part, and modifying the rest. Having finished our speech, the king with his nobles affirmed that he was absolved from the time the archbishop refused judgment. After nuich agitation of the king, the archbishops, bishops, and abbots of the realm of England, and not a few of the clergy, required of us, whether we had power, by special mandate or by virtue of our legatinc commission, to compel him to submit; and finding that our authority would not serve thereunto, and fear- ing lest the aforesaid archbishop, in defiance of judicial order, would work again disquietness to some noble personages of the realm, and seeing our autiiority could not extend so far as to help them against him, they came to a unanimous iVov.iith, resolution to make their appeal to your hearing, prefixing the festival of A.D.I 168. St. Martin in the winter for the term of their appeal.
And this is tlio epistle of these two cardinals sent to the pope, wherein may sufficiently appear all the discourse and manner of that
(I) " Salvo honore Dei, et ecclcsis libertate; salvaetiam honesfate personx suse et possessioni- bns ecck-si.irum : ct amplius, sua et suorum in omnibus salva justitia."
ATTEMPT AT RECOKCILfATION. 211
assembly, althoiigli particularly every tliinof be not expressed, con- iremyir. ccrniiiq- the talk betwixt the cardinals and the archbishop. When ~\~j7~ William, who of the two cardinals was the more clotjuent, amongst 11G9. other communication, had reasoned long with him as concerning the peace of the church, which Bccket said he preferred above all things, Becket " Well then," saith the cardinal, " seeing all this contention between bTuer his the king and you riseth upon certain laws and customs to be abro- {'han"!!!!" gated, and that you regard the peace of the church so much, what ppac" "f say you ? Will you renounce your bishopric, and the king shall church, renounce his customs ? The peace of the church now lieth in your gaV'tiik!^ hands, either to retain or to let go ; then what say you ?" To whom he answereth again, that the pro])ortion was not like. " For I," saith he, " saving the honour of my church and my person, cannot renounce my bishopric. On the contrary, it standeth upon the king, for his souFs health and honour, to renounce these his ordmances and customs." Which thing he thus proved; because the pope had condemned those customs, and he, likewise, with the church oi Rome had done the same.
THE TALK BETWEE>J THE FRENCH KIXG. THE KING OF ENGLAND, AND BECKET.
After the cardinals were returned, the French king, seeing the king of England disquieted, and solicitous to have peace, or at least pretending to set an agi-eemcnt between them, brought the matter to a communication among them, in which communication the [At Mont- French king made himself as umpire between them. The king of ™^^^' England, hearing that the archbishop would commit himself to his a.d. arbitrement, was the more willing to admit his presence. Whereupon, many being there present, the archbishop, prostrating himself at the king's feet, declared unto him, kneeling upon his knees, that he would commit the whole cause, whereof the dissension arose between them, unto his own arbitrement ; adding thereunto, as he did before, "salvo honore Dei;"" that is, "saving the honom- of God." The Becket king, as is said before, being greatly offended at this word, hearing ^"/j'jfljj^" and seeinar the stiffness of the man stickinfj so much to this word, ow addi- " salvo honore Dei," Avas highly therewith displeased, rebuking him saiv'o ho- w-ith many grievous words, as a man proud and stubborn, and also B°ecke^'''" charging him with suncby and gi-eat benefits bestowed upon him, as digged a person unkind, and forgetting what he had so gently done and kindness. bestowed upon him.
And speaking to the French king there present, " See, sir, if it please you," saith the king of England, " whatsoever displeaseth this man, that he saith to be contrary to the honour of God ; and so by this means he will vindicate and challenge to himself both what is his and mine also. And yet, notwithstanding, because I will not seem to do any thing contrary or prejudicial to GocFs honour, this I offer him : There have been kings in England before, both of greater and T,,e less puissance than I am; likewise there have been bishops ofj^^^ff'^^ Canterbiu-y many, both great and holy men. What the greatest and Beckot most holy of all his predecessors, before him, hath done to the least of ritaWo my progenitors and predecessors, before me, let him do the same to f^_^^J_ me, and I am content." They that stood by, hearing these words of
VOL. II. U
2\:2 DISSIMILATION OK THE l'RE:XCIi KIXC.
Hcnryii. tlic kiiig, ciictl iill witli oiic voifc, " Tlic king hatli debased liimself
^ jj enough to the bishop/"' The arclibisliop staying a little at this in
1161). silcnee; " What!"" saith the French king to him, " my lord arch-
'^^^ bishop, will you be better than those holy men ? Will yc be
words of greater than Peter? What stand you doubting? Here now
French liavc you peace and quietness put in your own hands, if ye will
'""*'■ take it."" To this the archbishop answered ag-ain : " Truth it is,"
saith he, *" that my predecessors before me were both much better
and greater than I, and of them every one for his time, although he
did not extirpate and cut off all, yet something he did pluck up and
correct, which seemed adverse and repugnant against God's honour.
For if they had taken all together away, no such occasion then had
been left for any man to raise up this fire of temptation now against
us, as is here raised to jn'ove us withal, that we, being so proved with
them, might also be crowned with them, being likewise partakers of
praise and reward, as we are of their labour and travail. And though
some of them have been slack, or exceeded their duty, in that we are
not bound to follow their example. Peter, when he denied Christ,
we rebuke ; but Avhen he resisted the rage of Nero, therein we
This ma- commeud him. And therefore, because he could not find in his
had'been conscicuce to couscnt uuto that he ought in no wise to dissemble,
wUhi neither did he ; by reason whereof he lost his life. By such like
good mi- oppressions the church hath always groMu. Our forefathers and
madc'a prcdeccssors, because they would not dissemble the name and honour
Kuraent. of Christ, therefore they suffered. And shall I, to have the favour
of one man, suffer the honour of Christ to be suppressed ?'' The
nobles standing by, and hearing him thus speak, were greatly
grieved with him, noting in him both arrogancy and wilfulness, in
])erturbing and refusing such an honest offer of agreement. But
especially one among the rest was most grieved, who there openly
protested, that seeing the archbishop so refused the counsel and
request of both the kingdoms, he was not worthy to have the help of
cither of them, but as the kingdom of England had rejected him, so
the realm of France should not receive him.'
Alanus, Herbert, and certain other of his chaplains, who committed to story the doings of l^ecket, do record, whether truly or not I cannot say, that the French king, sending for him, as one much sorrowing and lamenting the words that he had spoken, at the coming of Becket did prostrate himself at his feet, confessing his fault in giving coimsel to him in such a cause (pertaining to the honour of God) to relent therein, and to yield to the pleasure of man ; wherefore, declaring his repentance, he desired to be absolved thereof Thus, after this, the French king and Becket Avere great friends together, insomuch that King Henrv, sending to the king to entreat and desire him that he would not support or nuiintain his enemy within his realm, the French king utterly denied the king's request, taking part rather with the archbishop than with him.
Besides these quarrels and grudges betwixt the king and the arclibisliop above mentioned, there followed yet another, Avhich was this. Shortly after this communication recited between the king and Becket, the king of England returning again from Normandy into
(I) Ex Quadrilogo.
CORONATION OK TlIK KING S SOX. 243
England, a.d. 1170, in the sixteenth year of his reign, about iienryii. Midsummer, kept his court of parliament at Westminster, in the "T", which parliament he, with the consent both of the clergy and the 1170
lords temporal, caused his son Henry to be crowned king. This
coronation was done by the hands of Roger, archbishop of York, i^^u'itiay, with the assistance of other bishops ministering to the same, as a.d. '' Gilbert of London, Jocelin of Salisbury, Hugh of Durham., anc. "'"'^ Walter of Rochester. By reason of this, Becket of Canterbury, being there neither mentioned nor called for, took no little displea- sure ; and so did Louis, the French king, hearing that Margaret, his daughter, was not also crowned Avith her husband ; whereupon he, gathering a great army, forthwith marched into Normandy. ]?ut the matter was soon composed by the king of England, who, sending his son unto him in Normandy, entreated there and concluded peace with him, promising that his son should be crowned again, and then his daughter should be crowned also. But the archbishop not ceasing his displeasure and emulation, sent unto the pope, complaining of these four bishops, especially of the archbishop of York, who dm-st be so bold in his absence, and without his knowledge or his license, to intermeddle to crown the king, being a matter proper and peculiar to his jurisdiction ; at the instance of xhc u- whom, the pope sent down the sentence of excommunication against Lon'don the bishop of London. The other three bishops, with the archbishop excom- of York, he suspended, wdiose sentence and letters thereof, for ed" with avoiding prolixity, I here omit. bishops'^'
Besides these aforesaid bishops excommunicated, divers other suspena- clerks also of the court he cited to appear before him, by virtue of his large commission which he got from the pope, whom they Avere bound to obey, by reason of their benefices ; and some he com- manded in virtue of obedience to appear, on pain of forfeiting their order and benefices; of whom when neither sort would appear, he cursed them openly. And also some laymen of the court and the kijig's familiars, as intruders and violent withholders of church goods, he accursed ; as Richard Lucy, and Jocelin Balliol, and Ralph Brock, who took the bells and goods that belonged to the church of Can- terbury ; and Hugh Sentclair, and Thomas Fitz-Bernard, and all that should hereafter take any church goods without his consent ; so that almost all the court were accursed either by name, or as partakers.
This being done, the archbishop of York, with the aforesaid bishops, resorted to the king with a grievous complaint, declaring how miserably their case stood, and what they had sustained for fulfilling his commandment. The king, hearing this, Avas highly The moved, as no marvel w^as. But what remedy .'' the time of the ruin the'idng's of the pope was not yet come, and what prince then might withstand '^'''l.^-\ the injurious violence of that Romish potestate ? ifecket.
Li the mean season the French king, for his part, his clergy and courtiers likewise, slacked no occasion to incite and solicit Alexander the pope against the king of England, to excommunicate him also, seeking thereby and thinking to have some vantage against the realm Neither was the king ignorant of this, which made him more ready to apply for some agreement of reconciliation. At length came down from the pope two legates, the archbishop of Rouen and the
112
24 1 liKCKKl's KKTL'RN TO KXC.LAXD.
HennjiJ. bishop of NcvcFS, with direction and ftdl commission eitlicr to drive
^ J) the kinj; to be reconciled, or to be interdicted by the pope's censures
1170. out of the church. The king, understanding himself to be in greater
straits tlian he could avoid, at length, tlirough the mediation of the
French king, and of otlier prelates and great princes, was content to
[At Freit- vicld to ])eace and reconciliation with the archbishop, whom he both
juiy'22d, received to his favour, and also permitted and granted him free
AD. return to his church again. Concerning his ])ossessions and lands of
the church of Canterbury, although Beckct made great labour
therefor, vet the king, being then in Normandy, would not grant
him them, before he should repair to England, to see how he would
there agree with his subjects.
Thus peace after a sort concluded between the king and him, the
arclibishop, after six years of his banishment, returned to Enirland,
retiirneth wlicrc he was right joyfully received of tlie church of Canterbury ;
nish-^*** albeit of Henry, the young king, he was not so greatly welcomed, in-
"*'-■"'■ somuch that coming up to London to the king, lie was returned back
to Canterbury, and there bid to keep his house. Roger Hovcdcn
maketh mention in his Chronicle, that the archbishop, upon Christma.s-
day, did excommunicate Robeil de Brooke for cutting off the tail
of a certain horse of his the day before. In the mean time the four
bishops before mentioned, whom the archbishop had excommunicated,
sent to him, humbly desiring to be released of their censure ; to
whom when the arclibishop would not grant clearly and simply,
without reservations and exceptions, they went over to the king,
declaring unto him and complaining of their miserable state and
uncourteous handling of the archbishop. Whereupon the king
words of conceived great sorrow in his mind, and displeasure toward the
which"^ party, insomuch that he lamented oft and sundry times to those
were the about him, that, amongst so manv that he had done for, there Avas
cause of i i i i • o\ • ti • p i • i
Beckcfs none tliat would revenge liini ot ins enemy. iJy occasion oi which words certain that were about the king, to the number of four, who hearing him thus com])lain and lament, addressed themselves in gi-eat heat of haste to satisfy the grieved mind and quarrel of their prince, If the pa- who within four days after the said Christmas-day, sailing over into needs"''' England, and having a forward and prosperous wind in their journey, TTieasure being in the deep of winter, came to Canterbury, where Becket was cess of commanded to keep. After certain advisements and consultations leLsmis ^ had among themselves, they pressed at length into the palace Avliere ther'then ^^'^ arclibisliop was sitting with his company about him ; first, to must assay him with words, to see Avhether he would relent to the king''s thatre^a- mind, and come to some conformity. They brf)uglit to him, said demn"thc they. Commandment from the king, which, whether he had rather cause of opculy tlicrc in presence, or secretly, to be declared to him, they hisadver- bade him choose. Then the company being bid to retire, as he sat having alone, they said, " You are commanded from the king beyond the such for- sen to repair to the kinfr''s son here, and to do your dutv to liim,
wardness ' . ' , . ^L ,.„ , ii*'i-
of wea- swearing to him your ndelity for your baronage and other tilings, dotnc" and to amend those things wherein you have trespassed against him." their ftaf. Wliercupon tlic arclibisliop refusing to swear, and perceiving their between iutcut, Called ill liis company again, and in multiplying of words to soTdfcre ^"'^ ^^°' ^t length they came to the bishops who were excommuni-
CONFERENCE BETWEEN BECKET AND FOUR SOLDIERS. 245
rated for tlie coronation of the l^ing, whom they comniandcrl in tlic uenryii. king's name lie should absolve and set free again. The archbishop a ^ answered, that he neither suspended nor excommunicated them, but 1170. the pope ; Avherefore, if that were the matter that grieved them, they ^^^T'JJ^ should resort to the pope ; he had nothing to do with the matter. m^s Bee- Then said Reginald, one of the four, " Although you in your own person did not excommunicate them, yet through your instigation it was done." To whom the archbishop said again, " And if the pope," said he, " tendering the injuries done unto me and my church, wrought this revenge for me, I confess it ofFendeth me nothing." " Thus then," said they, " it appeareth well by your own words, that it pleaseth you right well, in contempt and contumely of the king's majesty, to sequester his bishops from their ministry, who, at the commandment of the king, did service in the coronation of his son. And seeing you have so presumed thus to stand against the exaltation of this our sovereign, our new king, it seemeth likely that you aspired to take his cro^vn from him, and to be exalted king yourself" " I aspire not," said he, "to the crown and name of the king, but rather if I had four crowns to give him more, I would set them all upon him ; such good-will I do bear him, that, only his father, the king, excepted, there is none whose honour I more tender and love. And as concerning the sequestering of those bishops, this I give you to understand, that nothing was done in that behalf without the knowledge and assent of the king himself; to whom when I had made my complaint at the feast of Mary Magdalene, of the MTong and injury done to me and my church "therein, he gave me his good leave to obtain at the pope's hand such remedy as I could, promising, moreover, his help to me in the same." " What is this," quoth they, " that thou sayest .^ Makest thou the king a traitor, and a betrayer of the king's own son, that when he had commanded the bishops to crown his son, he would give thee leave afterward to suspend them for so doing ? Certes, it lip.d been better for you not to have accused so the king of this prodition." The archbishop said to Reginald, that he was there present at that time, and heard it himself But that Reginald denied, and swore it was not so. "And think you," said they, " that we, the king's subjects, Avill or ought to suffer this .'' " And so approaching nearer him, they said he had spoken enough against his own head, whereupon followed great exclamation and many threatening Avords. Then said the archbishop, " I have, since my coming over, sustained many injuries and rebukes, concerning both myself, my men, my cattle, my wines, and all other goods ; notwithstanding the king, AVTiting over to his son, required him that I should live in safety and peace ; and now, beside all others, you come hither to threaten me." To this Reginald answering again, said, " If there be any that worketh you any injury otherwise than right is, the law is open, why do you not complain?" "To whom," said Beekct, " should 1 complain .''" " To the young king," said they« Then said Beekct, " I have complained enough, if that would help, and have sought for remedy at the king's nands, so long as T could be suffered to come to his speech ; but now, seeing that I am stopjied from that, neither can find redress of so great vexations and injuries as I have and do daily sustain, nor can have the benefits of the law
246 BECKET SLAIN AT CANTERBURY.
Henry 11. OF rcason ; such ri^flit and l;iw as an archbishop may liavo, that will I ^ jj exercise, and let lor no man.'"' At these words one of them, burstinir 1170. out in exclamation, cried, '' He threateneth, lie llireatcnetli ! What '^ will he interdict the whole realm and lis altogether .''"'"' " Nay, tliat lie shall not," saitli another, "he hath interdicted too many already." And drawing more near to him, they protested and denounced him to have spoken words to the jeopardy of his own head. And so departing in great fury, and with many high words, they rushed out of the doors ; who, by the way returning to the monks, charged them in the king's name to keep him forthcoming, that he should not The stout escape away. " What," tpioth the archbishop, " think ye I will ilce BeckVt'.'^ away .'* Nay, neither for the king, nor any man alive, will I stir one foot from you." " No," say they, "• thou shalt not escape though thou wouldst. " And so they departing with many words, the arch- bishop foUoweth them out of the chamber door, crying after them, " Here, here, here shall you find me," laying his hand upon his crown.
The names of the four soldiers above mentioned were these : the first, Reginald Bereson ; ' the second, Hugh !Mortevil ; the third, William Thracy ; and the fourth, Richard Brito ; who, going to harness themselves, returned the same day again, but finding the hall-door of the palace of Canterbury shut against them, they went to an inward back-door leading into the orchard ; there brake they up a window, and opened the door, and so issued into the place. The monks, it being about even-song time, had got the archbishop into the church ; who, being persuaded by them, caused his cross to be borne before him, and so through the cloister, by a door which was broken up for him, he proceeded into the choir. The harnessed men following after, at length came to the church-door, which door the monks would have shut against them ; but, as the story saith, the archbishop would not suffer them. So they approacliing into the chm-ch, and the archbishop meeting them upon the stairs, there he The death was slain ; every one of the four soldiers striking him with his sword BMkc""^ into the head ; who afterward flying into the north, and at length with much ado obtaining their pardon of the pope (by the king's procure- ment, as some stories record), went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem.^ What is Thus you have heard the life and death of this Thomas Beckct, of thought whom what is to be judged, let his own acts and facts declare. And, of Thos*^*^ albeit the Scripture ought to be the only rule for us to judge all Becket. thiugs by, yct, if any shall require further testimony, partly to satisfy their minds therein, ye shall hear the judgments of certain men, in years and times almost as ancient as himself, what they write and affirm of him. Whether And first, to bcgiu Avith the testimony of one of his ovai religion, saini'or"' ^.ud also uot far, as it a])pcareth, from his own time, who, Avriting of his martpdom and miracles, thus tcstifieth of the judgment and sen- tence of divers conccming his promotion and behaviour. The chronicle being written in Latin, and having the name of the author
(1) Hume says, Reginald Fitz-urse, and Sharon Tunier, Fitrwiso. — Ed.
(2) On the eastern wall of the nave of Preston church, in Sussex, some very ancient painfinis, relics of English art, have lately been discovered ; among them is a very spirited one of the niiiMi r cf Thomas k Heckct, displaying, with great minuteness and much talent, the parliculais of liis tragical end. See the ' Archsologia,' vol. xxiii. No. 17. — Ed
notf
OI'INIOXS COXCERXIN'G HECKET. 247
cut out, thus beginncth : " Quoniam vcro imilti," &c. Ami in tlie /A'^t///. first book and eigiitli chapter it iblloweth in this manner :' — ~A D
" Divers notwithstanding there be, who, as touching his promotion, suppose
the same not to be canonical, for that it was wrought rather by the instance The pro- of the king (thinking him to be a man ready and incHiiable to his ntihty) tlian niotion of by the assent eitlier of the clergy, or of the people. Further, it is noted in him jurtVea for a point of presumption and lack of discretion, for that he, being scarce not ca- worthy to take the oar in hand and plav the boatswain, would take upon him to "o""'^'*'-
11 1 • J 1 1 • 1 • 1 1 1 1 1 liecket
Sit at helm, and guide the slup; namely, in that church, whei-e the covent, charged being in gesture and vesture religious, be wont to have their prelate taken out of with pre- the same profession. Whereas he, scant bearing the habit of a clerk, and going ^"'^3^.^" in his changes and soft apparel, is more conversant among the delicate ruftlers of discre- in the court, savouring rather ef worldly things; not refusing, moreover, without *)"",'.,. any dread, to climb up to the high preferment of such a holy dignity, but noted in rather wilhngly, of his own accord, to aspire to it. Moses we read did otherwise, Bucket, in who, being the friend of God, and sent of him to conduct his people Israel out of fusintbut Egypt, trembled at the message, and said, ' Who am I, Lord, that I should go taking his to Pnaraoh, and bring thy people Israel out of P^gypt?' And again, ' I pray l'."'"'"- tliee,' saith he, ' O Lord,' I am nothing eloquent, send him whom thou wilt send.' Likewise Jeremias also, being sent of the Lord to prophesy against Jerusalem, was abashed to take the office upon liim, answering again with much dread of heart, ' A, a, a, Lord, 1 cannot utter my mind, for I am a child.' "
After like manner we read of the saints of the New Testament, Bishops whereof many were preferred oftentimes to their bishoprics, and fhdr'wiiis functions of the church, by mere forcement and compulsion of others f^'^"** .
1 • "n
rather than by their own wills. So Avas blessed Gregory, after his flight wshop- and going away, brought back again, and placed in the see and chair of Rome. Likewise St. Ambrose, sore against his mind ; who also, of purpose accusing and confessing his own defects, because he Avould be repealed, yet by the commandment of Valentinian, the emperor, was enforced to take the burden upon him, which he could by no wise shake off. St. Martin, in like sort, not knowing of any such matter, was circumvented by a certain godly train and wile of the citizens, before he could be brought to his consecration ; which he did not so much take, as he was thrust into it with much pensiveness and sorrow of heart. By these and such other examples this chancellor likewise should have rather excused himself as unworthy and unmeet for that room, showing himself more willing to refuse than to take it : to the Avhich this archbishop is judged to do clean contrary.^
And, although scarcely any testimony is to be taken of that age, being all blinded and corrupted with superstition, yet let us hear what Neuburgensis,^ an ancient historiographer, saith ; who in the days of the son of this King Henry IL, prosecuting his history unto King Richard I., hath these words, writing of Thomas Becket.*
(1) "Normullis tamen idcirco promotionem ejus visum est fuisse minus canonicam, quod ad earn niagis operataest regis instantia. quam cleri vel populi voto. PiEesumptionis quoque vel indiscrc- tionis fuisse notatum est, quod qui renium tenere vix idoneus vidcbatur piinium guhernaculi locum suscepit," See. " Et mox, niagis etiam secularia turn sapiens, tarn sanctum tantae dignitatis fasti- giumnonhorrenstenuisse, sedullroneus ascendisse creditus," &c. " Alitor Dei amicus Moses," &:c.
(2) Ha;c ex chronico, cui titulus, ' De Passione et Miraculis beati Thomse.'
(3) " Gulielmus, Part'Ms cognomento dictus, Bridlingtoniae natus 1136: ad monasterium Neu- burgense missus obiit 1208. Scripsit de rebus Anglicis sui temporis libros 5, ab an. 1066 ad an. 1 ly7. CiuEe tradit, aut ipse suis oeulis vidit, aut a viris fide dignis accepit." Cave. — En
(t) " Sane cum plerique soleant in his quos amant et laudant afl'ectu quodam propen.'-iori, scd prudentia parciori, quicquid ab eis geritur approbare ; plane ego in viro illo venerabili, ea qua; ita ab ipso acta sunt, quum nulla exinde proveniret utilitas, sed fervor taiitum accenderetur regius, ex quo tot mala postmodum puUulasse no.scimtur, laudanda nequaquam ccnsuerim, licet ex l.iu- riabili zelo processerint : sicut nee in beatissimo aposiolorum principe, quod gentes suocxcmplo j'ldaizare coegit ; in quo eum doctor gentium reprehensibilem dcclarat fuisse, licet cum constct laudabili hoc pietate fecisse." [Neub. lib. ii. cap. 16, sub fin.— Ed.]
2i8
OPINIONS COXCKllNINC UIX'KET.
Acts of Becket dis- proved.
ilir.njU. " Whereas many bo wont, in tliciu wliom tliey love and praise, judging them
more by aliection than prudence, to allow and ajjprove whatsoever tliey do ; yet
A.u. fj,,. i^^j. tQ juJge ui)on this reverend man, verily I thinic not his doings and ^^1^- acts to be praiseworthy, t'orsomuch as thereof came no utility, but only the stirring up of the king's anger, whence, afterward, sprung so great mischiefs, although that which he did proceeded of a certain laudable zeal; like as in the blessed prince of the apostles I approve not that he taught the Gentiles by his exami)le to play the Jews ; wherein Paul, the doctor of the Gentiles, did declare him to be rebukable ; albeit, it cannot be denied, but that he did it of a good allection."
And in the same author, in another place, it followeth to the like
effect.*
" These letters which were sent before into England for the suspending of the bishops,^ he followed in ])crson, burning with zeal for righteousness; but whether according to knowledge, God knoweth. It is not for my rude and slender wit to judge of the doings of such a person. But yet this I suppose, that the most blessed Pope Gregory would have acted more gently, considering that the concord with the king as yet was but soft and tender ; and would have thought that so far as could be forborne without danger to the christian faith he should suppress liis feelings for consideration of the time and for the sake of peace, according to the saying of the propliet (Amos v. 13), 'The prudent shall keep silence in that time, for it is an evil time.' Wherefore, as the doings of that reverend prelate 1 judge in that behalf not to be commended, so neither do I presiuue to discommend them. But this I say, that if that holy man, tln-ough immoderate violence of zeal, did exceed in a part tlicrein, the same was excocted again, and ])urged by the fire of his sufiering, which afterward ensued. And so far holy men are to be loved or praised of us, who know ourselves much inferior to their virtues ; that in such things wherein they have been men, and also known to be men, therein we neither hold with them, nor commend them ; but only in such things wherein without all danger or scruple we ought to imitate them. For who is al)le to say, that they are to be imitated in all that they do? And therefore are they not to be esteemed and praised in all things generally, what- soever they do, but considerately and with advisement, wherein they deserve praise, so that the only prerogative in this behalf be reserved to God, in whose praise no man can exceed, how fervent soever he be in his praising," &c.
And hear yet more, what the said author writeth in the same cause of the king's wrath and Becket's fiiults.^
" More than a hundred murders are said to have been committed by the clergy under King Henry II., in punishing of whom the king was somewhat
( 1 ) " Literas has in Anftliam ad suspensionem episcoporum praemissas ipse sequebatur, zelo jus- titi^ fervidus ; verum an plene secundum scientiam novit Deus. Nostra; enim parvitati nequaquam conceditiir, de tanti viri actibus teraere judicarc. Puto enim quod beatissimus papa Gregorius in iiiolli adhuc teneraque regis concordia mitius egisset, et ea quae sine (idei Christiana; periculo tiilerari potuissent, ratione temporis et compensatioue pacis dissimulauda duxisset, juxta illud proplieticum : Prudens in tempore illo tacebit, quia tenipus malum e^t. Itaque quod a venerabili pontifice tunc actum est, nee laudandum esse judico, nee vituperare pra;sumo ; sed dico, si vel mo- dii-e in hujusmodi a sancto viro per zeli immoderatiorem inipetum est excessum, hoc ipsnm esse sacra;, qua; coiisec-uta noscitur, igne passionis excoctum. Ita quippe sancti viri vel amandi vel laudandi sunt a nobis, qui nos illis longe impares esse cognoscimus, ut ea, in quibus homines fue- rurit, vel fuis^e noscuntur, nequaquam vel amemus vel laurtemus : sed ea tantum, in quibus eos sine scrupulo imitari debemus. Quis enim eos dicat in omnibus, qusabipsis fmnt, esse imitabiles? Noil igitur in omnibus, qua; faciunt, sed sapienter et caute servcfur, in cujus utique laudibus nemo potest esse nimius, quantumcunque laudare conetur." [Neub. lib. ii. cap. 2.5.— ICd.I (2) See suprA, p. 243. — En.
(.i) " Plusquam centum liomicidia aclericis commissa sub Henrico secundo dicuntur. In quibus plertendis rex aliquanto vehementior. Sed hujus immoderationis regia; nostri temporis episeopos tantum respicit culpa, quantum ab eis processit et causa. Cum enim sacri praecipiunt canones, clericos non solum facinorosos, et gravioribus irretitoscriminibus, verum eti;im leviorum criminum reos degradari, et tot millia talium, tanquam inuunieras inter pauca grana paleas, ecclesia Anglicana contineat, tamcn quam paucos a multis retro annis clericos in Anglia contigit oflicio privari ! Nempe episcopi, dum defendendis magis clericorum libertatibus vel dignitatibus, quam eoruni vitiis corri- gendis resecandisque invigilant, arbilrantur obsequium se prastare Deo et ecclesi;e, si facinorosos clericos, quos pro officii dcbito canonica; vigore ccnsurae coercere vel nolunt vel negligunt, contra publicam tueantur disciplinam. Unde clerici, qui in sortem Domini vocati. tanquam stellce in firmamento cccli posita;, vila et verbo lucere debcrent super terram, habentes pro impuiiitate agendi quodcunque libuerit licentiam et bbertateni, neque Dcum, cujus judicium tardare vidctur. iieque homines poteslatem habentes reverentur, cum et episcopiilis circa cos solicitudo sit languida, et eeculari cos jurisdictione sacri eximat ordinis pra;rogativa." [Xcub. lib. ii. cap. IG, sub mcd. — Ed.]
CONTENTION ABOUT BECKEt''s SALVATION. 249
too vehement. But the fault," saith he, " of this immoderate dealing of the king //mryii.
resteth most in the bishops of our time, forasmuch as the cause tiiereof pro-
ceeded of them. For whereas it is decreed and commanded by the canon law, ^^- 1^- concerning the spiritual men of the clergy, that not only such as be notorious ^^~0- for heinous crimes, but such as be spotted with lighter crimes, should be de- graded, whereof we have now so many thousands in the Church of England, as innumerable chaff among the little good grain ; yet how few do we see, these many years iu England, deprived of their office ! For why .' The bishops, while they labour more to maintain the liberties and dignities of churchmen, than to correct their vices, think they do God and the church great service if they rescue and defend the enormities of the churchmen against public disci- pline,whom they either will not or care not to punish by the virtue of tlie censure ecclesiastical. Whereupon the chm-chmen, such as be sorted peculiarly to the Lord, and who ought like stars to shine in the earth by word and example, taking license and liberty to do what they lust, neither reverence God, whose judgment seemeth to tarry, nor men set in authority ; when both the bishops are slack in their charge doing, and also the prerogative of their order exempteth them from the secular jurisdiction."
And thus mucli out of Neuburgensis.
To this matter also pertain the words of Ccesarius/ the monk, in wiiether his eighth book of Dialogues, and sixty-ninth chapter, written about Becket be fifty years after the death of Thomas Becket, a.d. 1220: whose words, saved or in sum, come to this effect :^
" There was a question moved among the masters of Paris, whether Thomas Becket were saved or damned? To this question answereth Roger, a Norman, that he was worthy death and damnation, for that he was so obstinate against God's minister, his king. — Contrary, Peter Cantor, a Parisian, disputed, saying and affirming, that his miracles were great signs and tokensof salvation, and also of great holiness in that man ; affirming, moreover, that the cause of the church did allow and confirm his martyrdom, for the which church he died."
And thus have ye the judgment and censure of the school of Paris touching this question, for the sainting of Thomas Becket ; in which judgment, forsomuch as the greatest argument resteth in the miracles wrought by him after his death, let us therefore pause a little upon the same, to try and examine these his miracles. In the trial whereof we shall find one of these two to be true ; either that if they were true, they were not wrought by God, but by a contrary spirit, of whom Christ our Lord giveth us warning in his gospel, saying, " Whose coming shall be with lying signs and wonders, to deceive, if it were possible, the elect" (Matt, xxiv.), or else we shall find that no such were ever wrought at all, but feigned and forged of idle monks and religious bellies, for the exaltation of their churches, and the profit of their pouches ; which thing indeed seemeth rather to be true, and no less may appear by the miracles them- selves, set forth by one of his own monks, and of his own time;^ who, in five solemn books, hath comprehended all the revelations, virtues, and miracles of the archbishop ; the which books (as yet remaining in the hands of William Stephenson, citizen of London) I have seen and perused ; wherein is contained the whole sum of all his
(1) " Cffisarius, Gernianus, anno 1199, coenobii Heisterbacensis in dioecesi Coloniensi monacluis factus ord. Cisterc, tandem monasterii Vallis St. Petri prope Bonnara prior. Extant de miraculis et visionibus sui temporis libri seu dialogi 12." Cave. — Ed.
(2) " Quaestio Parisiis inter niagistros ventilata fuit, utrum damnatus an salvatus e.sset ilie Thomas. Dixerat Ro ttiraax esset in Dei ministrum regem. Protulit contra Petrus Cantor Parisiensis, quod signa salvationis et magna! sanctitatisessentejus miracula : ctquod m:.rtyrium probasset ecclesia- causa, pro qua mortem subierat." If God in these latter days giveth no miracles to glorify his own Son, much less will he give miracles to glorify Thomas Becket.
(3) Liber de Miraculis Beati Thoma-, authore monacho quodam Cantuar.
250 rOXSTUEKATION'S ON THE MIRACLES OF BECKET.
Henry II. luiraclcs, to the nuinbcr of L\vo hunilrcJ and seventy, being so fur off
~X^ from all truth and reason, some ridiculous, some monstrous, vain,
1170. absurd, some also blaspluMnous, and some so impudont, that not
Miracles onl}' tlicv dcscrve no credit (as altogether savouring of mere forgery),
con""'"'' but also'for very shame will abash an honest pen to write of them.
iicred. l^irst, if miracles serve for necessity and for infidels, what cause or
necessity was there, in a christian realm having the word of God, for
God to" work such miracles after his death, wiio never wrought any in
all his life? Then, to consider the end of these miracles: whither
do they tend, but only to bring men to Cantcrbiu-y, with their vows
and ofierings to enrich the covent ?
Jiesides the number of these miracles — which arc said to be so many, that they lose their own credit — what disease is there belonging to uian or woman in the curing whereof some miracle hath not been wrought by this Bavixarovpyog, as fevers, fistula, the gout, tootJiache, palsy, consumption, falling-sickness, leprosy, head-ache, broken arms, maimed legs, swelled throats, the raising up of the dead who have been two days departed ; with infinite others. And, as all these have been healed, for the most part, by one kind of salve, as a Aqua certain panacea, which was with the water only of Canterbury, like cnris""' as a cunning smith who should open with one key all manner of locks ; so again in reading of the story of these miracles ye shall find the matter so conveyed, that the power of this dead saint was never twice showed upon any one disease, but that every diverse disease had a diverse miracle.
To recite in order all these prodigious revelations and fantastical
miracles, falsely imagined and ascribed to this archbishop, were
nothing else but to write a legend of lies, and to occupy the people
with trifles : which because it pertaineth rather to the idle profession
of such dreaming monks and cloisterers, that have nothing else to
maintain that religion withal, 1 will not take their profession out of
their hands. Wherefore, to omit all such vain and lying apparitions
and miracles, as how this angry saint, three days after his death,
appeared by vision at the altar in his pontificalibus, commanding the
sitifring choir not to sing, but to say this office of his mass, " Exurge, quarc
maU^or- obdomiis Domiue,*" &c., Avhich vision the author himself of the book
Thomas^ dotli Say hc did see. To omit also the blasphemous lie, how in
)icckct another vision the said archbishop should say, that his blood did cry
iftcr liis i • ' J
"(loath. out of the earth to God, more than the blood of just Abel. Item, A bias- i,^ another vision it was showed to a monk of Lewes, how St. Thomas
j)ncinous ,i,., ., -i-ii ii 01
lie. had his place in heaven appomted with tlie apostles, above Steplien,
above' Laurence, Vincent, and all other martyrs ; whereof this cause is
the mar- rendered, for that St. Stephen, Laurence, and such others, suffered
heaven, only for their own cause ; but this Thomas suffered for the universal
A i.iace church. Item, how it was showed to a certain young man, Ormus
In'iitNiven by uamc, twelve years before the death of this l:Jcckct, that among
forikcket ^]^^^ aoostlcs and martvrs in heaven there was a vacant i)lace left for
years a ccrtaiii priest, as he said, of England, who was credibly su])])osed
death. "* to be tliis Tliomas Becket. Item, how a certain knight's son, being
two days dead, was revived again as soon as he had the water of
Canterbury put into his mouth, and had by his parents four pieces of
silver bended, to be offered in Canterbury in the child's behalf. All
FALSK MIRACLES ATTRIBUTED TO BECKET. 251
these, I sav, with such others omitted, the number wlicreof comcth Uenruii. to an infinite variety, only tliis one story, or another that followeth, ^ jj shall suffice to express the vanity and impudent forgery of all the 1170. rest.
In the fourth book of this fabulous author, and in the third An im- chapter, a miracle is there contained of a certain countryman of anuT' Bedfordshire, in Kings's Weston, whose name was Eihvard, which ^ll^^l^-^^ Eilward, in his drunkenness, bursting into another man's house who was his debtor, took out of his house a great whetstone and a pair of hedging-gloves. The other party, seeing this value not sufficient for his condemnation, by the counsel of the town clerk, entered an action of felony against him for other things besides, as for stealing his wimble, his axe, his net, and his clothes.^ Whereupon Eilwai-d, being had to the gaol of Bedford, and afterward condemned for the same, was judged to have both his eyes put out, and otherwise to be disgi-acefully mutilated. This punishment, by the malice of his adversary, being executed upon him, he, lying in great danger of death by bleeding, was counselled to make his prayer to this Thomas of Canterbury. Which done, (saith the miracle,) there appeared one a was- to him by night, in white apparel, bidding him to watch and pray, vj-sion?"" and put his trust in God and our Lady, and holy St. Thomas. In conclusion, the miracle thus fell out : the next day at evening, the man rubbing his eye-lids, began to feel his eyes to be restored again ; first, in a little ; after, in a greater measure ; so that one w as of a grey colour, the other was black : and here was one mii-acle rung. After this followed another miracle also upon the same person ; for, going but the space of four miles, when his eyes were restored, he chanced in like manner to rub the parts where he had been muti- a false lated, which immediately on the same (to use the words of my pudent" story) were to him by degrees restored, and this he permitted "liracie. every one to ascertain, and shamed not to deny ; insomuch that he, + first coming up to St. Thomas, at London, was received with joy of the bishop of Oo^rham ; who, then sending to the burghers of Bedford for the truth of the matter, received from them again letters testimonial, wherein the citizens there (saith this fabulous festival) confirmed, first to the bishop, then to the covent of Canter- bury, the relation of this to be as hath been told. This one miracle, gentle reader ! so shameless and impudent, I thought here to express, that by this one thou mightest judge of all the residue of his miracles; and by the residue thereof mightest judge, moreover, of the filthy wickedness of all these lying monks and cloisterers, who count it a light sport so impudently to deceive the simple souls of Christ''s church with trifling lies and dreaming fables. Wherefore, as I said, if the holy sainting of Thomas Becket standeth upon no other thing but upon his miracles, what credit is to be given thereto ? and upon what a weak ground his shrine so long hath stood, by this may easily be seen. Furthermore, another fable as notable as this, and no less worthy of the whetstone, we read in the story of Gervasius ; namely, that Thomas Becket appearing to a certain priest, named Thomas, declared to him, that he had so brought to pass, that all the names of the monks of the church of Canterbury, with the names of
(1) Ex Historia Moiiachi Cant, dc Miraculis Hecketi Tliomae.
2.32 lU.ASl'UK.MOLS ANTIir.M UK THOMAS DliCKKT.
Henry II. tlio ])rii'st.s aiul clcrks, and with tlie fliinilios biloiig'mg to tliat city A.D. '^"•^1 (.•liuivli of C'aiitcrhurv, were written in tlie liouk of Jjit'c' 1170. ]^ut wliatsocvtT is to bo tlioii^^lit of his miracles, or howsoever the testimony of the school of Paris, or of these ancient times, went with Jiim or against him ; certain it is, that this anthem or collect, lately collected and primered in his praise, is blasphemous, and deroirateth from the praise of llim, to whom only all praise and honour are due, where it is said :'^
iihomous " ^'^'' ^^^^ blood of TlioiTias, .■iiithi-m Wliich lie for thee did spend,
J'^[.[|j''"- Grant us, Christ, to climb
liccket. Where Thomas did ascend : "
wherein is a double lie contained ; fii'st, that he died for Christ ; secondly, that if he had stj done, yet that his blood coulil purchase lieaven ; which thing neither Paul nor any of the apostles diu"st ever challenge to themselves, lor if any man's blood could bring us to heaven, then the blood of Christ was shed in vain.
And thus much touching the testimony or censure of certain ancient times concerning the cause of Thomas Becket, in the expli- ciition of whose history I have now stood the longer (exceeding peradventurc in over-much prolixity), to the intent that his cause bemg fully o])ened to the world, and duly weighed on every jiart, men''s minds thereby, long deceived by ignorance, might come unto the more perfect certainty of the truth thereof, and thereby judge more surely what is to be received, and what to be refused, ^^'here. by the way, is to be noted out of the testimony of Rob. Crickc- ladensis, that Avhich in him 1 find ; namely, that the peers and nobles of this land, near about the king, gave out in straight charge, upon pain of death, and confiscating of all their goods, that no man should be so hardy as to name Thomas Becket to be a martyr, or to preach of his miracles.
After the death of Thomas Becket, the king fearing the ])ope's wrath and curse to be laid upon him (whereunto Louis, the French The king king, also helped what he could to set the matter forward), sent to Rome the archbishop of Rouen, with certain other bishops and arch- deacons, unto the pope with his excuse, which the pope would in no wise hear. And afterwards, other messengers being sent, Avhom some of the cardinals received, it was showed to them that on Good Friday (being then near at hand) the pope of custom was used to assoil, or to curse, and that it was noised, how the king of England with his bishops should be cursed, and his land interdicted, and that they shoidd be put in prison.' After this, certain of the cardinals showed the pope, that the messengers had power to swear to the pope, that the king should obey his piuiishment and jjenance, which w;is taken both of the king and the archbishop of York ; so that in the same day the pope cursed the deed-doers, with such as were of their consent, who cither aided or harboured them. Concerning these deed-doers, it is touched briefly before, how they fled unto
(1) Ex Gervas. fol. 6.
(2) " Tu per Tlinniae s.inRuineni, quern pto te impendit, Fac nos Ctiriste (.candere, quo Thomas ascendit.'
(3) Ex Libro Aiinotatioiiuni Histuricaiuin manuscripto, J. Skciiii.
fiuleth to Home.
PKXANCK KXJOIXKO OX THE KIXG. 2o3
Yorkshire, lying in Knarcsborouirli; who after having in penance to iienryii. go in linsey-wolsey barefoot (with fasting and prayer) to Jerusalem, . ^ by reason of this hard penance are said to have died a few years after, ini.
The king''s ambassadors lying, as is said, in Rome, could find no ThTpe^ grace nor favour for a long time at the pope's hands. At length, "i^"^^^/ with much ado, it was agreed that two cardinals should be sent down knigius. to inquire out the matter concerning those who were consenting to Becket's death. The king, perceiving what was preparing at Rome, neither being yet certain whereto the intent of the pope and coming down of the cardinals would tend, in the mean time addressed himself with a great power to enter into Ireland, giving in charge and commandment, as Hovedcn writeth, that no bringer of any brief or letter should come over into England, or pass out of the realm (of what degree or condition soever he were), without special license and assurance that he would bring nothing that should be prejudicial to the realm.
This order being set and ordained, the king, with four hundred Ireland great ships, taketh his journey to Ireland, where he subdued in short dued^uj' time the whole land unto him, which at that time was governed under England, divers kings to the number of five, of whom four submitted them- selves unto the said King Henry ; the fifth, who w^as the king of Con naught, denied to be subdued, keeping himself in woods and marshes.
In the mean season, while the king was thus occupied in Ireland, the two cardinals who were sent from the pope, namely, Theodine and Albert, were come to Normandy. Unto them the king the next year following resorted about the month of October, a.d. 1172. a.d.ii72. But before this (during the time of the king's being in Ireland), the bishop of London, and Joceline, bishop of Salisbury, had sent to Rome, and procured their absolution from the pope. The king returning out of Ireland, by Wales, into England, and from thence to Normandy, there made his purgation before the pope's legates, as touching the death of the aforesaid Becket ; to the which he sware he was neither aiding nor consenting, but only that he spake rigorous words against him, for that his knights would not avenge him against the said Thomas ; for the which cause this penance was enjoined him under his oath :
First, That he should send so much into the Holy Land as would Tiie _ find two hundred knights or soldiers for the defence of that land. penance
Item, That from Christmas-day next following, he should set d°eath'of forth in his own person to fight for the Holy Land, the space of Becket. three years together, unless he should be otherwise dispensed withal by the pope.
Item, That if he would make his jom-ney into Spain (as his present necessity did require), there he should fight against the Saracens, and as long as he should there abide, so long space might he take in prolonging his journey toward Jerusalem.
Item, That he should not hinder, nor cause to be hindered, any appellations made to the pope of Rome.
Item, That neither he nor his son should depart or dissever from Pope Alexander, or from his catholic successors, so long as they should account him or his son for kings catholic.
254
DESTRUCTIVK 1-IKE AT CANTKU ULTllY,
J I en ry II. Ittiii, Tluit tljc [Toods aiid posscssioiis taken from the cliurcli of
A. D. Canterbury should he restored ajrain, fully and amply, as they stood
1174. the year before Thomas Bccket departed tiie realm; and that free
" liberty should be granted, to all such as were outlawed for Beckct's
cause, to return acfain.
Item, That the aforesaid eustoms and decrees, by him established against the church, should be extinct and repealed, (such only cxcej)ted as concerned his own person, &c.) besides other secret tastings and alms enjoined him.
All these former conditions the king with his son did both agree unto, debasing himsell'in such sort of submission before the two cardinals, by the occasion whereof the cardinals took no little glory, using this verse of the Psalm : — " Which looketh upon the earth, and makcth it to tremble ; which toucheth the hills and they smoke.''' More- over, it is mentioned in histories of the said king, that a little after William, king of Scots, with his armv had made a rode into the realm, he, returning out of Normandy into England, came first to nin?!! Canterbury; who, by the way, as soon as he came to the sight of poeth or Becket's church, lighting off his horse, and putting off his shoes, i"e"uh went barefoot to his tomb, whose steps were found bloody through steps^o ^'^^ roughness of the stones. And not only that, but also he '^'•'"mas received further penance, by every monk of the cloister a certain tomb. discipline of a rod. By which so great dejection of the king (if it were true), thou maycst see the blind and lamentable superstition and ignorance of those days.^ If it were prctensed (as might so be in time of war, to get the hearts of the people), yet mayest thou, learned reader, sec what slavery kings and princes were brought into at that A.D.iir^. time under the pope's clergy. The same year (as Hoveden writeth), which was a.d. 1174, the whole city of Canterbury was almost all consumed with fire, and the said minster-church clean burnt.
The next year ensuing, which was a.d. 1175, a convocation of bishops was holden at Westminster, by Richard, archbishop of Canterbury. In that conventicle all the bishops and abbots of the A.D.1175. province of Cantcrburv and of York being present, determined, as had vcr"v°^ been done a little before in the days of King Henry I. a.d. 1113, iKtween about the obedience that York should do to Cantcrburv ; that is,
the S66 ■
of Canter- whether the archbishop of York might bear his cross in the diocese tbJ'see" of Canterbury or not ? whereof something was touched before in the ThHatVcr ^^rmcr process of this history. Also about the bishopric of Lincoln,
The city of Can- terlmry almost con- sumed with fire.
mer to the bi- shop of Home.
nppcaieth of Coveutry of Worcester, and of Hereford, whether these churches were under the jurisdiction of the see of York or not .'' &:c. Upon these and other like matters rose such controversy between these two sees, that the one appealed the other to the presence of the bishop of Rome.
In these and such like causes, how much better had it been if the supremacy had remained more near in the king's hands at home, whereby not only much labour and travail had been saved, but also the great and wasteful expenses bestowed at Rome might, with much more fruit and thank, have been converted to their cures and flocks committed unto them, and also, perchance, their cause, not less inilif- ferently heard, at least more speedilv might have been decided. But
(I) Ex Quadrilogo.
(2) lix Rosoro rioveilcno, Quadiilogo, et aliis.
EN'CJI.ANO DIVIBKD INTO SIX ClUCUITS. LOO
t of York's clergy, such as were of Gloucester, belonging to the church ^v D." of St. Oswald, were excommunicated by the archbishop of Canterbury, J^]75. because they, being sunmioncd, refused to appear before him, &c. xhe At length tiie same year, which was a.d. 1175, there was a cardinal "^l^^^l,"^ sent down from Rome by the king's procurement, who studied to warn in settle a peace between the two archbishops. Whereupon, this way crater ex- of agreement was taken, by means of the king, at Winchester, that, J,';""t"d." as touching the church of St. Oswald, at Gloucester, the archbishop of Agree- Canterbury should cease his claim thereon, molesting the see of York }]^™ een no more therein ; also, that he should absolve again the clerks thereof, |,'|^,*^jfi'f whom he had excommunicated before. And, as concerning the canttr- bearing of the cross and all other matters, it w\as referred to the yjik.*" archbishop of Rouen, and to other bishops in France, so that for five years a league or truce was taken betwixt them, till they should have a full determination of their cause.
The next vear followincr, the aforesaid King Henry IT., dividing a.t).ii7(;.
J "^ -* ^ c ^ ' c J us tires
the realm of England into six parts, ordained upon every part three oiassi-/.e justices of assize. Tlie circuit or limitation of tliese justices was thus t^^'^^ disposed — The first upon Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Hun- 'ircuUs. tingdonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire : The second upon Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Stam- flirdshire, Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire : The third upon Kent, Surrey, Southamptonshire, Sussex, Berkshire, Oxfordshire : The fourth upon Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Salopshire : The fifth upon Wiltshire, Dorsetshire, Somersetshire, Devonshire, Cornwall : The sixth upon Everikeshire;^ Richmondshire, Lancaster, Copland, Westmoreland, Northumber- land, Cumberland.
In the same year Richard, archbishop of Canterbury, made three archdeacons in his diocese, whereas before there was but one.^ About this time also it was granted by the king to the pope's legate, that a clerk should not be called before a temporal judge, except for offence in the forest, or for his lay fee that he holdeth.
Item, that no archbishopric, bishopric, or abbey, should remain in the king's hands over one year without great cause. It chanced the J^J'^'^"^:^, same year that this was done, that there was at Canterbury one tention elected to be abbot in the house of St. Austin, named Albert, who ^heTrch- made great labour and suit unto the archbishop that he would come ff^°l^ to his church, and there consecrate him abbot of St. Austin ;^ to whom abbot of the archbishop sent word again, that he was not bound to come to b^"" huu, but rather that the other should repair to the metropolitan church of Canterbury, there to receive his consecration. Whereupon, controversy arising between them, the aforesaid newly elect appealed to the audience of the pope, and so laboured up himself to Rome ; where he so handled the matter, (by what means I cannot tell, unless with his golden bottle, wherewith he quenched the pope's thirsty soul, for abbots never travel lightly without fat purses to Rome,) that with short dispatch he procured letters from Alexander the pope, to Roger, bishop of Worcester ; signifying to him, tliat he had given
(0 Ex epitome Matth. Paris, et aliarum ■historiaiuni. _
;21 Where was here the precept of the gospel, " He that will be greatest among you, ict himba an underling to others T' (3) " Everikeshire," Yorkshire, from Eboracuui.— Kd.
550 A LETTER OF I'OI'K AI-EXAXDER.
Henryii. in cluirgc aiiil coinnianiliiiciit to the archbishop of Cantcrl)iirv, in the ^ j3 behalf of his dear son Albert, that he should consecrate him within 1176. his own monastery, which monastery properly and solely, without ^.,,^. ,^.„„^ mediation, belonged to the jurisdiction of Rome ; and so likewise "^'•',« should do to his successors after him, Avithout any exaction of obedi- iTttcr'to ence of them. Which thing, further he said, if the archbishop would of wor*-'"'' refust- to do within the term appointed, that then he the aforesaid cester. l,)sho]' of Worccstcr should, by the authority committed unto him, execute the same, all manner of appellation or other decree, what- soever shovdd come, notwithstanding. This letter being obtained, the abbot that would be, returneth home, supposing with himself all things to be sure. The archbishop understanding the case, and seeing himself to be so straitly charged, and yet loth to yield and stoop to the abbot, took to him policy where authority would not serve ; and both to save himself, and yet to disappoint the abbot, he watched a time when the abbot was about the business of his house, and coming the same time to the monastery, as he was commanded to do, with all things appointed that to such a business appertained, he called for the abbot, pretending no less than to give him his consecration. The abbot, being called for, was not at home ; the archbishop, feigning himself not a little grieved at his labour and good will so lost, departed, as one in whom no ready diligence was lacking, if in case that the abbot had been at home. Whereupon the abbot being thus disappointed, was fain to fill his silver flagons afresh, and make a new course to Rome to his father, the pope, from Avhom he received his consecration, and so came home again, with as much wit as he went forth, but not with so much money, peradventure, as he went withal.
We have declared a little before, touching the acts and doings of this Pope Alexander III., how he had brought the emperor's head under his foot in St. Mark's church at Venice, at which time and place peace was concluded, and a composition made between the pope and the said Frederic the emperor ; which pacification Roger A.D.1177. Hoveden and Walter Gisburn refer to this time, a.d. 117T, bringing in two several letters sent from the said Pope, to Richard, archbishop of Canterbury, to Roger, archbishop of York, and Hugh, bishop of Durham. Out of the said letters, so much as serveth our purj)ose, I have taken and here inserted.
The Letter of Pope Alexander, sent to Roger, archbishop of York, and to the bishop of Dm-liam.^
" Alexander, servant of the servants of God, to his reverend brethren, Roger, archbishop of York, and Hugh, bishop of Durham, greeting and apostolical blessing. The obsequy and service of your kind devotion, which hitherto you are known to have given both devoutly and laudably to us and to the church, requireth that we shovdd describe to you, as to our special friends, the pro- sperous success of the church, and let you know, as spiritual children of the church, what hath happened to the same. For meet it is, convenient, and also honest, that you, whom we have had so firm and sure in our devotion, should now be cherished and made joyous in the prosperity of us, and of the cl.urjh."
(1) Tlie Latin of the two extracts here translated hv our author may be found in llie Edition of 1563, p. 08.— Ed.
CONTENTION BETWEEN THE TWO METROPOLITANS. 257
And about the end of the epistle it followcth thus : — iienniir.
"Tlie next day following, which was the feast of St. James, (the said emperor A. 1). so requesting), we came to the aforesaid church of St. Mark, there to celebrate 1177. our solemn mass ; where, as we were coming in the way, the said emperor met ^ ^^^^.^.i^ us without the church, and placing us again on his right hand, brought us so emperor, into the church. After the mass was done, placing us again on his right hand, ^'"^ ^ he brought us to the church door. And moreover, when we should take our jJopg. palfrey, he held our stin-up, exhibiting to us such honour and reverence, as his xhe progenitors were wont to exhibit to our predecessors. Wherefore these shall cmpemr be to incite your dihgence and study towards us, that you rejoice with us and the'pope's the church in these our prosperous successes, and also that you shall open the stirmp. same effect of peace to other devout children of the church ; that such as be touched with the zeal of the house of the Lord, may congratulate and rejoice also in the Lord for the great working of peace which he hath given. — Given at Venice, at the Rialto, the 2Gth cf July."
This year the contention revived again, spoken of a little before, between the two archbishops of York and Canterbury, the occasion whereof was this ; the manner and practice of the pope is, when he beginneth to lack money, he sendeth some limiting' cardinal abroad to fetch his harvest in. So there came this year into England, as lightly few years were without them, a certain cardinal from Rome, called Hugo, or, as Hoveden nameth him, Hugezim, who would needs keep a council at Westminster. To this council resorted a great confluence, about the middle of Lent, of bishops, abbots, priors, doctors, and such others of the clergy. As every one was there placed in his order, and after his degree, first conieth the archbishop of York, named Roger, who, thinking to prevent the other arch- bishop, came something sooner, and straightway placed himself on the right hand of the cardinal. Richard, the archbishop of Canter- conter.- bury, following shortly after, and seeing the first place taken up, {^""entwo refuseth to take the second, complaining of the archbishop of York, ^l*^^- as one prejudicial to his see. So, while the one woidd not rise, and who the other not sit down, there rose no small contention between sltTn'^tiie the two. The archbishop of Canterbury claimed the upper seat by J^^^^^ ^^ the pre-eminence of his church ; contrary, the archbishop of York tiie car- alleged for him the old decree of Gregory, whereof mention is made before, by which this order was taken between the two metropolitans of Canterbury and York, that whichever of them two should be fii'st in election, he should have the pre-eminence in dignity to go before the other. Thus they, contending to and fio, waxed so warm in words, that at last they turned to hot blows. How strong the archbishop of York was in reason and argument, I cannot tell, but the archbishop of Canterbury was stronger at the arm's end ; whose servants being more in number, like valiant men, not suffering their master to take such a foil, so prevailed against York (sitting on the right hand of the cardinal), that they plucked him down from the hand to the foot of the cardinal upon the ground, treading and trampling upon him with their feet, that marvel it was he escaped with life. His casule, chimer, and rochet,^ were all rent and torn fi-om his back. Here no reason would take place, no debating would serve, no praying could
(1) Chaucer uses the word ' limitour' to express a friar, who had a license to beg within certain limits, infra p. 358. See Toc'd's Johnson.— Ed.
(2) For an account of these vestments see the Appendix.— Ed. VOL. II. .S
2.')8 KNTKXSlvr. DOMINIOXS Ol K\Si. IIKN'IJV II.
jinin/n. ho lioard, siidi clamour and tumult wore there in the house among ^ 1) tliem, mucli like to the tumult which Virgil describeth : — 1177 " Ac vcluti in magno populo, cum svepe coorti est
Scditio, sanit(iue animis i
JauKiue faces et saxa volant, furor anna ministrat." »
Now, as the first part of this description doth well agree, so some pcradvonturo will look again, that, according to the latter jiart also of the same, my loril cardinal, with sagoness and gravity (after the man- ner of the old Romans standing up), should have ceased and allayed the disturbance, according to that which foUoweth in the poet : —
" Turn pietate gi-avem meritis si forte vimm quein Conspcxcre, silent, an-ectisque auribus astjint : Ille regit mcntes dictis, ct pectora mulcct."^
But what did the noble Roman cardinal ? Like a pretty man of his hands, but a prettier man of his feet, standing up in the midst, and seeing the house in such a broil, committed himself to flight, and, as lloveden writcth, " abscondit se a fjicic illorum.'''' The next day the archbishop of York bringeth to the cardinal his rochet, to bear witness what injury and violence he had sustained ; appealing and citing up the archbishop of Canterbury, Avith certain of his men, to the bishop of Rome. And thus the holy council, the same day it was l)egun, brake up and was dissolved.
Theiaiffe Under the reign of this King Henry II., the dominion and crown
of Henry of Jtiugland extended so mr as liatli not been seen in this realm before
him. Histories record that he possessed under his rule and jurisdic-
of'sTor ^'*^"' ^^^''' ^^'"tland, to whom William, king of Scots, with all the
land. lords temporal and spiritual, did homage both for them and for their
successors (the seal whereof remaincth in the king's treasury) ; as also
Ireland, England, Normandy, A quitaine, Guienne, &c. to the Pyre-
ncan mountains, which be in the uttermost parts of the great ocean
in the British Sea ; being also protector of France, to whom Philip
the French king yielded both himself and his realm whollv to his
"o"IJ't"' governance, A. D. 1181. Moreover, he was oflTcred also to "be the
of France. ]^ing of .Jerusalem, by the patriarch and master of the hospital there ;
khi°^Tf ^^'^^"' being then distressed by the soldan, brought him the keys of
jcrusa- their city, desiring his aid against the infidels ; which offer he then
reftisah refused, alleging the great charge which he had at home, and the
"• rebellion of his sons, which might happen in his absence.
And here the old histories find a groat fault with the king for his ui'be""'' refusal ; declaring that to be the cause of God's plagues, Avhich after denied ensued npon him bv his children, as the patriarch, in his oration,
to our , ^ * ' L ^ '
neiRh- being oflTondod with the king, prophesied should so happen to liini the cause f^^ ^lic samc causc ; which story, if it be true, it may be a lesson to godly. S^^^^ princes, not to deny their necessary help to their distressed neighbours, especially the cause appertaining unto God.^
(1) Virs. ;En. I. 148.
" As when in tumiilts rise the ijjnoble crowd,
Mad are their motions and llieir ton)jucs are loud: And stones and lirands in rattling vullies fly, And all the rustic arms that fury can supply."
(-) " If then some Rrave and pious man appear,
They hush their noise and lend a listening ear: He soothes with sober words their angry muod, And quenches their innate desire of blood." — Drydcn.
(3) E\- Polychro. Ex Giraldo Camhrensi.
HIS GllKAT TRKASUKKS. 359
The wisdom, discretion, manliood, and riches of this prince were JUnnyii. so spread and renowned through all qnarters, that messages came from ^ ^ " Emmanuel, emperor of Constantinople, Frederic, emperor of Rome, nsi. and William, archbishop of Treves in Almain, from the duke of Saxony, and from the earl of Flanders, and also from the French king, upon determination of great questions and strifes, to ask counsel and determination thereof of this King Henry, as of one inost wise, and schoolmaster of all wisdom and justice, to have solution of their questions and doubts. Moreover, Alphonso, king of Castile, and rienry ir. Sancho, king of Navarre, being in strife for certain castles and other ari"^,^" possessions, submitted them, of their free accord, and by their oath, ["ytwo to abide the award of this King Henry; who made award and pleased them both ; whereby it is to be presupposed, that this king, to whom other princes did so resort, as to their arbiter and deciser, did not attend either to any sloth or vicious living. Wherefore it may seem that the acts of this prince were not so vicious as some monkish writers do describe.
Among many other things in this king memorable, this one is to be noted (follow it who can), that he reigned five and thirty years, and having such wars with his enemies, yet never upon his subjects put any tribute or tax, nor yet upon the spiritualty first-fruits and appropriations of benefices. Belike they were not known, or else not used. And yet his treasure after his death, weighed by King Richard, his son, amounted to above nine hundred thousand pounds, besides jewels, precious stones, and household furniture. Of the xiie tiea- which substance eleven thousand pounds came to him by the death of kVi?k" Roger, archbishop of York, who had procured a bull of the pope, ^icnryii. that if any priest died within his province without testament, then he a covet- should have all his goods. And shortly after the archbishop died, blsVop. ' and the king had all his goods, which extended, as is said, to eleven thousand pounds, besides plate, a.d. 1181.
But as there is no felicity or wealth in this mortal M'orld so perfect, which is not darkened with some cloud of encumbrance and adversity; so it happened to this king, that among his other princely successes, this incommodity followed him withal, that his sons rebelled and stood in armour against him, taking the part of the French king against their father. First, at the coronation of Henry, his son, whom the father joined with him as king, he being both father and king, took upon him (that notwithstanding) as but a steward, and set down the first dish as sewer unto his son, renouncing the name of a king. At what time the aforesaid archbishop of York, sitting on the right hand of the young king, said, "Sir, ye have great cause this day to joy, for there is no prince in the world that hath such an officer this day,'' &c. And the young king disdaining his words, said, '' My Pride de- father is not dishonoured in this doing, for I am a king and a queen's aii"'^ ' son, and so is not he." And not only this, but afterwards he also persecuted his fiither ; and so, in his youth, when he had reigned but a few years, died, teaching us what is the price and reward of breaking the just commandment of God.
After him likewise Richard his son (who M-as called Richard Cceur de Lion) rebelled against his father; and also John, his youngest son, did not much degenerate from the steps of his brethren ; insomuch
s 2
260 DEATH OK KIXG HENRV II.
iienryii. tliat iliis ftforcsaid Richard, like an unkind child, persecuting and A rj taking part against his fother, brought him to such distress of body ilSo! 'inJ mind, tliat for thought of heart he fell into an ague, and within j7~ four davs departed, a.d. 1189, after he had reigned five and thirty Hen'ry 11. ycars ; wliosc corpsc as it was carried to be buried, Richard liis son {*ed'by"iis coiuiug by tlic Way and meeting it, and beginning for compassion to HiTdcati), weep, the blood brast incontinent out of the nose of the king at the A.D.iisy. coming of his son, giving thereby a certain demonstration how he kiiiR, be- was the only author of his death.
bied'auh'e Aftct thc rcign and death of wliich king, his cliildren after him, cnmiiiB of worthily rewarded for their unnaturalness against their father, lacking the success wliich their father had, lost all beyond the sea that their father had got before.
And thus much concerning the reign of Henry II., and the death of Thomas Becket ; whose death (as is aforesaid) happened in the days of Pope Alexander III. ; which pope, usurping the keys of ecclesiastical regiment one and twenty years, or, as Gisburn writeth, three and twenty years, governed tlie church with much tumult ; striving and contending with Frederic the emperor ; not shaming, like a most proud Lucifer, to tread with his foot upon the neck of the said emperor, as is above described.
This pope, among many other acts, had certain councils, as is partly before touched, some in France, some at Rome, in Lateran ; by whom it was decreed, that no archbishop should receive the pall, unless he should first swear obedience, a.d. 1179; concerning the solemnity of which pall, for the order and manner of giving and taking the same with obedience to the pope, as it is contained in their own words, I thought it good to set it forth unto thee, that thou mayest well consider and understand their doings therein.
The form and manner, how and by what words, the pope is wont to give the pall unto the archbishop.'
To the honour* of Ahnighly God, and of blessed Marj', tlie Virgin, and of blessed St. Peter and St. Paul, and of our lord Pope N. and of the holy church of Rome, and also of the church of N. committed to your charge, we give to you the pall taken from the body^ of St. Peter, as a fulness of the office pontifical, which you may wear within your own church, upon certain days,* which be expressed in the privileges of the said church, granted by the see apostolic.
NOTES UPON THE SAME.
1. " To the honour," &c. With what confidence durst the pope couple the honour of Almighty God, and the honour of Mary, of St. Peter, and of the pope, and of the Romish church all together, if he had not been a pre- sumptuous Lucifer, equalling himself not only with such saints, but also even with him who is God alone, to be blessed for ever ?
2. " Taken from the body," &c. If St. Peter's body be not all consumed, let him show it if he can. If he cannot show it, how then is this pall taken from the body of St. Peter? or if he mean it to be of St. Peter's own wearing, then belike St. Peter had a goodly wardrobe of palls, when every archbishop in all Christendom receiveth from the pope a divers pall.
3. " As a fulness of the office," &c. Rather he might say, the fulness of his own purse, when archbishops paid so sweetly fur it ; insomuch that Jacobus, the archbishop of Mentz (as is above touched, p. 109), a little before in the council of
(1) " Ad honorem oratiipotentis Dei, et beatje Mariae Virftinis, et beatorum Petri ct Pauli, et domini nostri A'. Papae, et sancta; RomanEe ecclesise, nccnon N. ecclesise tibi coramissse, tradimus tibi pallium de corpore bcali Petri sumptum, plenitudinem pontilicalis officii, ut utaris eo infra ecclesiani tuam certis diebus, qui c.xprimuntur in privilcfjlis tibi ab apostolica scde concessis." [Nearly verbatim iu Wilkins's Couc. ii. 199, and Antiq. lirit. an. 1501.— En.]
THE OATH TAKEN BY THE BISHOPS. 261
Basil, where the price was wont to be but ten thousand florins, coiild not obtain iienryii.
it witliout seven and twenty tliousand florins.'
4. " Upon certain days," &c. This difierence there was between tlie pope A.I). and other archbishops : the pope might wear the pall at all times, and in 1^^^- all places, at his pleasure ; archbishops might not wear it but upon certain days, and in their church only, within their province. Moreover this pall should not be asked but with great instance, and within three months ; without which pall he is not to be named archbishop, but may be deposed, having it not after three months ; and the same pall must also be buried with him when he dieth ; and when it is given, some privilege must be given withal, or the old renewed.
In like manner proceedeth the oath of every bishop swearnig obe- dience to the pope in words as followeth -J^ —
" I, N., bishop of iV., from this hour henceforth, will be faithful and obedient to blessed St. Peter, and to the holy apostolic church of Rome, and to my Lord A'., the pope. I shall be in no council, nor help either wuth my consent or deed, whereby either of them, or any member of them, may be impaired, or whereby they may be taken with any evil taking. The council which they shall commit to me, either by themselves, or by messenger, or by their letters, wittingly or willingly I shall utter to none to their hindrance and damage. To Tins was the retaining and maintaining the papacy of Rome, and the regalities of thatmade St. Peter, I shall be an aider (so mine order be saved) against all persons. Becketto The legate of the apostolic see, both in going and coming, I shall honourably betonisli- treat and help in aU necessities. Being called to a synod, I shall be ready to giain. come, unless I be let by some lawful and canonical impeachment. The palace of the apostles every third year I shall visit either by myself or my messenger, except otherw'ise being licensed by the see apostolic. All such possessions as belong to the table and diet of my bishopric, I shall neither sell, nor give, nor lay to mortgage, nor lease out, nor remove away by any manner of means, without the consent and knowledge of the bishop of Rome :* so God help me and the holy gospels of God.
A NOTE UPON THE SAME.
Hereby thou hast by the way, gentle readei", to note and consider, among other things which here may be understood, that since the time the oath began to be laid and thrust upon bishops, all general councils began to lose their liberty. For, how could any freedom remain for men to speak their knowledge in redress of things, being by their oath so bound to the pope to speak nothing but on his side, to maintain the papacy and the church of Rome in all times and places ? Conjecture by thyself, christian reader, what more is hereby to be considered.
Besides this, it was also decreed in the said council at Rome of three hundred and ten bishops, by Pope Alexander, " That no man should have any spiritual promotion, except he were of lawful age, and born in w'edlock. That no parish church should be void above six months. That none in orders should meddle with temporal business. That priests should have but one benefice, and that the bishops should be charged to find the priest a living till he be promoted. That open usiu-ers should not communicate at Easter, nor be buried within the churchyard. That nothing should be taken
(1) Ex libro gravaminum nationis Germanics!. [See Appendix, and infra vol. iv. p. 12. — Ed.J (2) "Ego.A'.. Episcopus iV.,abhac horain antea fidelis et obediens erobeato Petro, sanctteque apo- stolicas PiomanEe ecelesia?,et domino nieo,dom. jV., papee, suisque succcssoribus canonice intrantibus. Non ere in consilio, sou auxilio, consensu, vel facto, ut vitam perdant aut membrum, seu capian- tur mala captione. Consilium vero quod mihi credituri sunt, per se aut per nuncium, seu literas ad eorum damnum, me sciente nemini pandam. Papatum Romanum et regalia S. Petri adjutor eis ero ad retinendum et del'endendum, salvo meo ordine, contra omnem hominem. Legatum aposto- liCB sedis in eiindo et redeundo honorifice tractabo, et in suis necessitatibus adjuvabo. Vooatus ad synodum veniam, nisi prajpeditus fuero canonica pr;epeditione. Apostolorum limina singulis trienniis visitabo, aut per me, aut per meum nuncium, nisi apostolica absolvar licentia. Posses- sioiies vero ad mcnsam mei episcopatus pertinentes non vendam, neque donabo, neque oppigno- rabo, neque de novo infeudabo, nee aliquo modo alienabo inconsulto Rom. pontidce: sic me Deus
adjuvet, et sancta Dei evangelia." [Nearly verbatim in Wilkins's Cone. ii. lyS, an. I "93, and
Autiq. Britannica; ad an. 1501. — Ed.] (3) And how be not those bishops then perjured, who, at the death of Queen Mary, set and let
out a great part of llieir p'.ssetsions from their successors?
262 PERSECUTION AT TOULOUSE.
Jienryii. nof bc buricd within tlie cliurchyard. That nothing should be taken A.D. ^^^ ministering saeramcnts or burying. Also, that every cathedral 1189. church should have a master to teach children freely, without taking ' any thing fur the same.""
In this council the vow of chastity was obtruded and laid upon priests. Thomas Becket, also, and Bernard, were canonized for saints.
During the reign and time of this King Henry IL, the city of Norwich was destroyed and burnt by the men of Flanders. Also the towns of Leicester and Nottingham were wasted, and the bur- gesses slain by the earl of Ferrers. The town of Berwick was de- stroved by the Scots. The king of Scots was taken in war by the Engliishmen, a.b. 1174. The to^vn of Himtingdon was taken and burned. The town of Canterbury, by casualty of fire, was burnt Avith all the churches, especially the Trinity church, where Becket was worshipped, in the same year. In a.d 1170, William, king of Scots, with David, bis brother, and all the barons of the realm, did homage to the king of England. Ireland was made subject to England. Decreed in a council in Normandy, that no boys or children should possess any benefice. A council of Lateran was holden at Rome, where w'ere three and thirty articles concluded, A.D. 1179. The French king came in pilgrimage to Thomas Becket, the king of England meeting him by the way, a.d. 1184. After the death of Richard, archbishop of Canterbury, who followed after Baldwin Thomas Becket, succeeded Baldwin, who, of a Cistercian monk shop of being made a bishop, is said never to eat flesh in his life. A certain oury^^ poor womau, bare and lean, meeting him in the street, desired to know of him whether it were true that was said of him, that he never did eat flesh : which thing when he had aftiniied to be true, " Nay,'' saith she, " that is false, for you have eaten my flesh unto the bone, for I had but one cow wherewith I was sustained, and that have your deans taken fi-om me."" *■' True, true," said the bishop, " and thou shalt have another cow as good as that.""'
Moreover, in the reign of King Henry, about a.d. 1178, I find in the story of Roger Hovedcn and others, that in the city of Toulouse there was a great multitude of men and women whom the pope's commissioners, to wit, Peter, cardinal of St. Chrysogon and the pope's legate, with the archbishops of Narbonne and Bourges, Reginald, bishop of Bath, John, bishop of Poictiers, Henry, abbot ofClairvaux, &c., did persecute and condemn for heretics; of whom some were scourged naked, some chased away, some compelled to abjure : concerning whose articles and opinions I have no firm ground to make any certain relation, forasmuch as I see the papists, many times so false in their quarrelling accusations, untruly collected mt ii - sayings, not as they meant, and meaning not as they said, but wrc -i- ing and depraving simple men's assertions after such a subtle sort as they list themselves to take them. But this I find, how one of the said commissioners or inquisitors, Henry the abbot, in a certain letter of his, wrote thus of them :^ — " After a new opinion he affirmed
(1) Jomalensis.
(2) " Nam ct pancm Ranctutn vitxaetemse, sacerd' tis miristerioin verbo domiiii cor.s:cr;iti.in non esse corpus Domioi, novo dogmate contendcbat a screrc."
FOUR AllClllTI.r.AllS OF PAPISTKY. 263
that the holy bread of eternal life, consecrated by the ministry of the Henry ii. priest, was not the body of the Lord," &c. "aHd"
In the time of this Alexander sprang up the doctrine and name of 1189. those who were then called ' pauperes de Lugduno,"' ' who, fi-oni one ^,y^. Waldus, a chief senator in Lyons, were named ' Waldenses :' also ^lenses,^eu
. *^ . pauperes
'Leonista'' and 'Insabbatati f- about a.d. 1160, or, as Laziardus de luk-
•i il -11 t^n duiio,Len-
writetn, li lO. nist.e,
Not long before this time, as is expressed above, rose up Gratian, ^^^'^^atati. master of the decrees, and Peter the Lombard, master of the sen- ^'o""" tences, both arclipillars of all papistry ; after Avhom followed also two lars of as evil, or worse than they, Francis and Dominic, maintaining blind p^uy.^'^" hypocrisy, no less than the other maintained proud prelacy. As these laboured one way, by superstition and worldly advancement, to cor- rupt the sincerity of religion, so it pleased Christ, the contrary way, labouring against these, to raise up therefore the said Waldenses against the pride and hypocrisy of the others.
Thus we never see any great corruption in the church, but that some sparkle of the true and clear light of the gospel yet by God's providence doth remain ; w^hatsoever the Doctors Augustinus, Reine- rius, Sylvius, and Cranzius, with others in their popish histories, do write of them, defaming them through misreport, and accusing them to magistrates as disobedient to orders, rebels to the catholic church, and contemners of the Virgin !Mary, yet they who carry judgment indifferent, rather trusting truth than wavering with the times, in w'eighing their articles, shall find it otherwise, and that they main- tained nothing else but the same doctrine which is now defended in the church. And yet I suppose not contrary, but as the papists did
(1) Waldenses. — f^ux author has fallen into the very common error of confounding the Waldenses with the ' Pauperes de Lugduno,' or ' Poor men of Lyons,' and of deriving their origin from Waldus, or Peter Waldo, of Lyons. The earliest period assigned to Peter Waldo is the year IIGO, but there is a document of the year 1100, ' La Nobla Leyczon,' which speaks of the Waldenses, or Vaudois, under the term Vaude*. It is therefore much more probable that Peter Waldo was named after the community called Vaudes, than that the Waldenses should take their name from his. Authors who assert the greater antiquity of the Waldenses, Vallenses, or Vaudois, maintain,
1. That the Waldenses are so called from certain secluded Alpine valleys, principally in Pied- mont, where they have been settled from time immemorial.
2. That the simplest etymology is that which is deduced from a local, and not from a personal name — ' Vallis,' Latin, ' Valle,' Italian, ' Val,' Provenfal, ' Val,' pi. ' Vaux,' and 'VaUee,' French, ' Val,' Spanish. ' Val,' Celtic, • Wald," 'I'eutonic, 'Valley,' English.
3. That traces are to be found jn eany ecclesiastical history (beginning with the works of Ambrose and Jerome), of Alpine churches, which held opinions similar to those of the Waldenses of later times.
4. That the most ancient of the state records of Piedmont, in which the Waldenses are noticed as a religious community at variance with the church of Rome, call them ' Huomini delle Valli,' or ' Men of the Valleys.'
5. That the antiquity of 'La Nobla Leyczon,' which presents internal evidence of having been written in the year 1100, and contains the term Vaudes, and applies it to a religious body, not in communion with the church of Rome, is proved by Raynouard, in his ' Choix de Poesies des Troubadours, and by others, whose authority is of importance as to the period and language of that valuable document.
(3. That surnames were not in use in the twelfth century, and that Peter of Lyons had his second appellation AValdus, or Waldo, given to him to distinguish him, as one who had adopted the opinions of the Vaudes, or Waldenses.
7. That the earliest public edicts, which make mention of the Waldenses (such as, ' Statuta Synodalia Odonis Episcopi Tullensis,' in 1192 — "De hsreticis autem qui vocantur Wadoys — prsecipimus," and the edict of Ildefonsus, king of Arragon, in 1194), do not give any derivation of the term Waldenses, hut simply call certain heretics by that name.
■S. That the earliest treatises which profess to give the etjanology of the name Waldenses, derive it trom a word signifying ' Valley.' — "Thus Bernard of Fontcaud, a.d. 1185 — " Dicti sunt Valden- sis nimirura a valle densa, eo quod profundis et densis errorum tenebris involvantur ;" and Ebrard de Bethune, in the year 1200 — "Vallenses se appellant eo quod in valle lachrj-marum maneant."
9. That the first treatise which pretends to derive the Waldenses from Peter Waldus, of
Lyons, was written after these, namely, ' Petri, Vallis-Sarnen.sis monachi, Historia Albigrnsium,'
12mo, Trecis, 1615. SeeLeger's 'Histoiregeiierale des Eglises Evang^liques de Valtes
AUix's 'Churches of Piedmont;' Gilly's ' Waldeiisian Researches;' Blair's 'History of the
• Waldenses.' — Eb.
(2) " Quoddam scutum in sotularis vel zahhatae parte superior! hi qui perfect! inter eos sunt in signum deferunt.aquoeti.im 'Inzabbatati dicti sunt.'' Nich. Eymericus, " Inquisitorum Direc- torium," Rom. 1578, pais 2 qiifest. 13, p. '.!0J, pars 3, p. 294. — Ed.
2G4' HISTORY OK THK WALDKXSJiS.
lunryii. witli tlic articles of Wickliff and Huss, so they did in like manner . j> with their articles also, in gathering and wresting them otherwise liso! t^'^" they wore meant.
€t)e fji.stocp Of tlje HDalDenjSc^,
CONCERNING TllKIU OKIGIXAL AND DOCTRINE, WITH THEIR PERSECUTIONS.'
The first original of these Waldenses, came of one Waldus, a man both of great substance, and no less calling in the city of Lyons, the occasion whereof is declared of divers writers thus to come. About A.D. 1160, it chanced that divers of the best and chiefest heads of the city of Lyons, talking and walking in a certain place after their old-accustomed manner, especially in the summer-time, conferred and consulted together upon matters, either to pass over time, or to debate things to be done ; amongst whom it chanced one (the rest Jooking on) to fall down by sudden death. Li the number of whom this aforesaid Waldus, there being amongst them, was one; who, beholding the matter more earnestly than the others, and terrified with so heavy an example, being, as is said, a rich man, and God's Holy Spirit working withal, was stricken with a deep and inward repentance, whereupon followed a new alteration, with a careful study to reform his former life ; insomuch that he began, first, to minister large alms of his goods to such as needed, secondly, to instruct and admonish himself and his family, and all that resorted to him bv any occasion, concerning repentance, and the sincere worship of God, and true piety. Whereby, partly through his large giving to the poor, partly through his diligent teaching and wholesome admonitions, more resort of people daily frequented about him ; whom when he did see ready and diligent to learn, he began to give out to them certain rudiments of the Scripture, which he had translated himself into the French tongue ; for as he was a man wealthy in riches, so lie was also not unlearned.
Although Laziardus, Volatcranus, and others, note him utterly unlearned, and charge him with ignorance, as who should procure others to write and translate for him ; by others, who have seen his doings yet remaining in old parchment monuments, it appeareth he was both able to declare and to translate the books of Scripture, and also did collect the doctors' mind upon the same. The true But whatsocver lie was, lettered or unlettered, the bishops and nature of prelatcs sccinff him so to intermeddle with the Scriptures, and to
Antichrist J ^^ .... , . ,^. ' ,
neither liavc such rcsort about him, albeit it was but m ins own house, to'further uudcr private conference, could neither abide that the Scriptures the word, should bc translated and declared by any other, nor Avould thev take
nor suffer . i-i i •' .•' i-i ^i-
othermen tlic paius to do it themsclves. So, being moved with great malice against the man, they threatened to excommunicate him if he did not leave off so to do. Waldus, seeing his doing to be but godly, and their malice stirred up upon no just nor godly cause, neglecting the threatenings and frettings of the wicked, said, that " God must be obeyed more than man." To be brief, the more diligent he was in setting forth the true doctrine of Christ against the errors of Antichrist, the
(1) Edition I.'iSS, p. 42. This account of the Waldenses is taken from Illyricus (" Cat. Test." Eilit. Genev^E, IfiOR, cols. 1408— l.')2!l), and from the " Fasciculus" of Orth. Uratius. The text has been collated with the oriijiiial, and corrected in some instances. — Eo.
ARTICLES OF THE WALDENSES. 265
more maliciously their fierceness increased ; insomuch that when they iienryir. did see their excommunication to be despised, and would not serve, -^ j^ they ceased not with prison, with banishment, with fire and with nsy, sword to persecute, till at length they had driven both Waldus, and all the favourers of his true preaching, out of the city.
AVhereupon came first their name, that they were called ' Walden- ses,^ or ' Pauperes de Lugduno,' not because they would have all things common amongst them, or that they, professing any wilful poverty, would imitate to live as the apostles did, as Sylvius did falsely belie them, but because they, being thrust out both of country and goods, M'ere compelled to live poorly, whether they would or no. And thus much touching the first occasion and beginning of these men, and of the restoring and maintaining the true doctrine of Christ''s gospel, against the proud proceedings of popish errors. Now concerning their articles, which I find in order and in number to be these :' —
The Articles of the Waldenses.
T. Only the holy Scripture is to be believed in matters pertaining to salva- tion, and no man or man's writing besides.