he, if any emperor, king, prince, &c. shall wilfully attempt to thwart, let him be deprived of the dignity of his honour and power.

But the great apostle (if not author) of this confounding doctrine was pope Gregory VII. (a man of a bold spirit and fiery temper, inured even before his entry on that see to bear sway, and drive on daring projects; possessed with resolution to use the advantages of his place and time in pushing forward the papal interest to the utmost,) who did lift up his voice like a trumpet, kindling wars and seditions thereby over Christendom. His dictates and practices are well known, being iterated in his own epistles, and in the Roman councils under him, extant yet it may be worth the while to hear him swagger in his own language.

m

For the dignity and defence of God's holy church, in the name of Almighty God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I depose from imperial and royal administration, king Henry, son of Henry sometime emperor, who too boldly and rashly hath

venire tentaverit-potestatis honorisque sui dignitate careat—. P. Urb. II. Ep. 12.

m Vide ejus dictata apud Bin. post. Ep. lib. 2. Ep. lv. Ep. iv. 2. viii. 21. et passim. Ep. i. 58. ii. 5, 12, 13, 18, 32. iii. 10. iv. 1, 2,

3, 7, 22.

" Hac itaque fiducia fretus, pro dignitate et tutela ecclesiæ suæ sanctæ, Omnipotentis Dei nomine, Patris, Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, Henricum regem, Henrici quondam imperatoris filium, qui audacter nimium et temerarie in ecclesiam tuam manus injecit, imperatoria administratione regiaque dejicio; et Christianos omnes imperio subjectos juramento illo absolvo, quo fidem veris regibus præstare consueverunt: dignum enim est, ut is honore careat, qui majestatem ecclesiæ imminuere causatur. Plat. in Greg. VII. et tom. 7. Conc. Rom. iii. apud Bin. p. 484.

laid hands on thy church; and I absolve all Christians subject to the empire from that oath whereby they were wont to plight their faith unto true kings: for it is right that he should be deprived of dignity, who doth endeavour to diminish the majesty of the church.

• Go to therefore, most holy princes of the apostles, and what I said, by interposing your authority, confirm; that all men may now at length understand, if ye can bind and loose in heaven, that ye also can upon earth take away and give empires, kingdoms, and whatsoever mortals can have: for if ye can judge things belonging unto God, what is to be deemed concerning these inferior and profane things? And if it is your part to judge angels, who govern proud princes, what becometh it you to do toward their servants? Let kings now, and all secular princes, learn by this man's example, what ye can do in heaven, and in what esteem ye are with God; and let them henceforth fear to slight the commands of holy church: but put forth suddenly this judgment, that all men may understand, that not casually, but by your means, this son of iniquity doth fall from his kingdom.

So did that pope, not unadvisedly in heat or passion, but out of settled judgment, upon cool deliberation, express himself in his synods at Rome.

This pope is indeed by many held the inventor and broacher of this strange doctrine; and even those, who about his age did oppose it, did express

Agite igitur, apostolorum sanctissimi principes, et quod dixi-. Plat. in Greg. VII. Conc. Rom. vii. apud Bin. tom. vii. p. 491. BARROW, VOL. VII.

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themselves of this mind; calling it the novel tradition, schism, heresy of Hildebrand.

Pope Hildebrand (saith the church of Liege, in their answer to the epistle to pope Paschal) is author of this new schism, and first did raise the priest's lance against the royal diadem.—Who first did girt himself, and by his example other popes, with the sword of war against the emperors.

* This only novelty, saith Sigebert, not to say heresy, had not yet sprang up in the world, that the Job xxxiv. priests of him who saith to the king, Apostate, and

18, 30.

who maketh hypocrites to reign for the sins of the people, should teach the people that they owe no subjection to bad kings; and although they have sworn allegiance to the king, they yet owe him none, and that they who take part against the king may not be said to be perjured; yea, that he who shall obey the king may be held excommunicate; he that shall oppose the king, may be absolved from the crime of injustice and perjury.

Indeed certain it is, that this man did in most

P Quod ex novella traditione Hildebrandus. Eccl. Leod. apud Bin. tom. vii. p. 521.

¶ Hildebrandus P. author est hujus novelli schismatis, et primus levavit sacerdotalem lanceam contra diadema regni. Ibid. p. 522. Qui primus se, et suo exemplo alios pontifices, contra imp. accinxit gladio belli. Ibid. p. 523.

r Hæc sola novitas, ne dicam hæresis, nondum in mundo emerserat, ut sacerdotes illius qui dicit regi, apostata, et qui regnare facit hypocritas propter peccata populi, doceant populum, quod malis regibus nullam debeant subjectionem, et licet ei sacramentum fidelitatis fecerint, nullam tamen fidelitatem debeant; nec perjuri dicantur, qui contra regem senserint; imo, qui regi paruerit pro excommunicato habeatur; qui contra regem fecerit, a noxa injustitiæ et perjurii absolvatur. Sigeb. Chron. anno 1088.

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downright strains hold the doctrine, and most smartly apply it to practice; yet did he disclaim the invention or introduction of it; professing that he followed the notions and examples of his predecessors, divers of which he allegeth in defence of his proceedings. We, saith he, holding the statutes of our holy predecessors, do by apostolical authority absolve those from their oath who are obliged by fealty or sacrament to excommunicate persons, and by all means prohibit that they observe fealty to them.

And so it is, that (although for many successions before pope Hildebrand the popes were not in condition or capacity to take so much upon them; there having been a row of persons intruded into that see, void of virtue, and of small authority, most of them very beasts, who depended upon the favour of princes for their admittance, confirmation, or support in the place; yet) we may find some popes before him, who had a great spice of those imperious conceits, and upon occasion made very bold with princes, assuming power over them, and darting menaces against them. For

Pope Leo IX. telleth us, that Constantine M. 'did think it very unbecoming, that they should be subject to an earthly empire whom the Divine Majesty had set over an heavenly and surely he was of his

* Nos, sanctorum prædecessorum statuta tenentes, eos qui excommunicatis fidelitate aut sacramento constricti sunt, apostolica auctoritate a sacramento absolvimus, et ne eis fidelitatem observent omnibus modis prohibemus. Greg. VII. Ep. viii. 21. Caus. xv. qu. 7. cap. 4.

Valde indignum fore arbitratus, terreno imperio subdi, quos Divina Majestas præfecit cœlesti. P. Leo IX. Ep. i. cap. 12.

An. 873.

An. 858.

author's mind, whom he alleged; although indeed this pope may be supposed to speak this and other sayings to that purpose, by suggestion of Hildebrand, by whom he was much governed.

u

Pope Stephanus VI. told the emperor Basilius, that he ought to be subject with all veneration to the Roman church.

* Pope John VIII. (or IX.) did pretend obedience due to him from princes; and in default thereof threatened to excommunicate them.

Pope Nicolas I. cast many imperious sayings and threats at king Lotharius: these among others. We do therefore by apostolical authority, under obtestation of the divine judgment, enjoin to thee, that in Triers and Colen thou shouldest not suffer any bishop to be chosen, before a report be made to our apostleship. (Was not this satis pro imperio?) And again, That being compelled thou mayest be able to repent, know, that very soon thou shalt be struck with the ecclesiastical sword; so that thou mayest be afraid any more to commit such things in God's holy church.

u Plat. in Vita Leon. IX. Quis te seduxit, ut pontificem œcumenicum scommatibus lacesseres, et S. Romanam ecclesiam maledictis incesseres, cui cum omni veneratione subditus esse debes ? Steph. VI. Ep. i. Baron. ann. 885. §. II.

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cuncti venire per inobedientiam neglexistis. Joh. VIII. Ep. 119. deinceps excommunicamus omnes, &c. Ibid.

y Idcirco apostolica authoritate, sub Divini judicii obtestatione, injungimus tibi, ut in Trevirensi urbe et in Agrippina Colonia nullum eligi patiaris, antequam relatum super hoc nostro apostolatui fiat. Grat. Dist. lxiii. cap. 4.

z Ut saltem compulsus resipiscere valeas, noveris, te citissime mucrone ecclesiastico feriendum; ita ut ulterius talia in S. Dei ecclesia perpetrare formides. P. Nic. I. Ep. 64.