BECKET, Baronius affirms, the English ambassadors exceeded Abp. Cant. their instructions, in making this oath to the emperor; and His ambas that the archbishop of Rouen cleared the king of England from giving any such commission, in a letter to one of Alexander's cardinals. sadors said to exceed their commission in renouncing pope Alexander. Ibid. sect. 9, 10. Hoveden, Annal. fol. 287,288. The bishop letter to the pope. towards a tion. And now pope Alexander's interest standing firm against his competitor and the emperor, the English court did not think it proper to break with him. That the king's interest, or inclination, was brought back to a better correspondence with this pope, appears by the bishop of London's letter to his holiness, which was written by the king's direction. In this letter the bishop gives the pope to understand, of London's that he had lately waited upon the king in France: that he had laid his holiness's letter before him; that he had pressed his highness to recollect himself, to alter his measures, and treat the see of Rome with the usual deference The king's and regard. Farther, he told the pope the king expressed disposition himself upon this occasion with great temper and resignareconcilia- tion, and thanked his holiness for the discipline of his letter: declaring in the first place, that he never had any thoughts of disengaging from his holiness; that he always designed to treat him as his spiritual father, provided that relation was answered on the pope's part. Neither should he dispute submission to any of his holiness's commands, upon condition, there was nothing prejudicial to his crown and dignity required of him. "And the reason," says the bishop, "why your holiness has been lately treated with some abatement of regard is, because his highness has been discountenanced in all his late applications, and used not altogether suitably to the service your holiness has received from him. However, hoping for a fairer consideration hereafter, he has continued firm to your communion and interest. Neither has he hindered any person from waiting upon your holiness. It is true, in matters of property he does challenge it, as part of his ancient prerogative, that no clerk should depart the kingdom, and apply to a foreign jurisdiction, till he had first made trial whether he could have justice done him at home. And in case there should be no redress in the king's courts, his highness leaves all his subjects at liberty to appeal to your holiness. And if the settling the point upon this foot is any diminution to your authority, he promises to convene the clergy of his kingdom quickly, and HENRY make your holiness satisfaction as they shall direct. "As for the emperor, though the king was sensible he was a schismatick, yet he never knew he was excommunicated by you; but in case his highness has engaged in any indefensible confederacy, either with his imperial majesty, or any other person, he is willing to rectify this mistake, and refer the matter to a synod of the English clergy. "As for the archbishop of Canterbury, his highness declares he never forced him out of his dominions: and as he went voluntarily off, so he may safely return to his see whenever he pleases; upon condition, however, that the archbishop will desist from his opposition to the customs of the realm, and give no disturbance to the prerogative royal, to which himself has sworn to submit. And, lastly, if any ecclesiastick, or religious, can prove himself aggrieved, either by the king or his ministers, he is willing to refer the complaint to a synod, and submit to the award of the Church. Thus much," continues the bishop, "I was commanded to signify to your holiness, from our sovereign lord the king, and heartily wish my commission had reached farther, and come up entirely to your own desires. However, I thought it my duty to acquaint your holiness with what is offered; for, to deal clearly, the king thinks his concessions very fair, in referring the difference to the determination of the English Church, and in giving the archbishop of Canterbury leave to return upon the conditions above mentioned. "Things standing thus, I entreat your excellency to consider the seasonable application of this text, A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench.' That you would proceed by inoffensive measures, and restrain your holy zeal till a better opportunity; lest, by pushing things to extremity, you embroil the affair, and disserve the interest of Christendom. An interdict, or an excommunication is a very dangerous remedy at present: such rigours may probably prove the ruin of a great many Churches, and irrecoverably drive the king and vast numbers of his subjects from your holiness's obedience. The cutting off a member from the body is not the way to cure it. Unseasonable severities serve only to inflame a difference, and urge people to desperation. What, if your holiness's ad II. BECKET, vice is not altogether understood at present, are we to deAbp. Cant. spair of the divine assistance? Is the Lord's arm shortened, 363. that he cannot save, or his ear heavy with hearing?' Does he not frequently interpose his omnipotence for the benefit of his Church, and answer the prayers of his saints beyond human expectation? Besides, compliance and respect are the best methods to gain upon a royal temper. If you would conquer a prince, you must seem to yield to him: when he finds himself upon the higher ground, he will stoop without blushing. In short, lenity, patience, and gentle advice, are the best expedients in this case. Granting there may be some loss in secular privilege by these methods, is it not much better to relax our rigour, and resign something, than run the risk of ruining our flocks. When the ship is ready to be overset by a storm, is it not advisable to compound for our safety, and throw the cargo overboard? If, by insisting upon strict terms, the archbishop of Canterbury should be perpetually banished, and your authority renounced by the English nation, your holiness might probably repent your conduct. For, granting the majority of our order should hold out against persecution, and continue firm in our obedience to your holiness; notwithstanding this, yet somebody or other would be sure to revolt; would bow the knee to Baal, and accept of the pall from that idol, your competitor; neither will there want intruders to usurp our sees, and submit to such a pretended metropolitan. A great many people would be glad to see the Church thus unsettled, and seem prepared for such confusions. I entreat your holiness, therefore, to think upon a Hoveden, proper expedient to prevent so publick a calamity." ibid. As for archbishop Becket, he stood his ground without making any step towards a reconciliation. The king, finding him thus resolved, thought to bring him to terms by straitening him farther in his circumstances. To this purpose, he wrote a threatening letter to the general chapter of the Cistercians, letting them know they had disobliged him by entertaining archbishop Becket, and that unless they parted with him, all their estates in his dominions, both in England and elsewhere, would be seized. Upon this, Becket was forced to quit the abbey of Pontiniac, and retire to Sens, where he was honourably received; and by the recommend ation of the king of France, entertained in the abbey of HENRY St. Columba, where he continued four years. II. Chronic. 1400. et vince of ry's letter shop Becket. The bishops of the province of Canterbury were apprehensive this stiffness of archbishop Becket might prove of Gervas. col. very ill consequence; instead, therefore, of pursuing his deinc. orders, and publishing his excommunication, they write to The bishops of the prohim to quit his singularities, and submit to the king. They acquaint him, they were in hopes he would have Canterbuabated his rigidness, and corrected himself upon thought to archbiand recollection. "We were very much pleased," say they, "with the manner of your living beyond sea; it was reported there was no appearance of ambition about you; that you had undertaken a voluntary poverty, and gave no umbrage or the least disturbance to the king; that you spent your time in reading and prayer, and endeavoured to recover the loss of what was past by watching, fasting, and other spiritual exercises. This conduct we hoped might produce serviceable effects; might give the king a better opinion of you, and open the way towards recovering his favour; but now we understand, to our great dissatisfaction, that you have menaced the king with the censures of the Church. This is the ready way to widen the breach, and make an accommodation impracticable; and unless you alter your measures, we despair of any happy issue. We therefore entreat you to steer a new course, and not aggravate one provocation by another; to give over threatening, and make trial of the virtues of patience and humility. The most eligible method will be, to commit your cause to God Almighty, and resign to the king's clemency; this is the most likely means to revive charity and good humour; to bring those that are disobliged to a more placable temper; and would serve your interest much better than menacing and rugged expedients. As for your present management, it tends only to inflame and exasperate, and brands you with the character of an ungrateful person; for it is generally known how bountiful a patron the king has been to you, and to what grandeur he has promoted you, from a slender beginning. And so great a favourite you were, during your chancellorship, that you were courted by the king's subjects from one end of his dominions to the other, and it was thought but to please you would lead to preferment. And for fear a secular 364. BECKET, employment might solicit your fancy, and shake your virtue, Abp. Cant. the king was willing to put you in a safer post; but then this was only a transplanting from one rich soil to another, and removing you from an eminence in the state, to the highest station in the Church. To this post the king preferred you, notwithstanding his mother the empress, the nobility, and clergy, endeavoured to dissuade him from it. Indeed, his highness promised himself great things from your promotion, and that you would prove a considerable support to his government. If, therefore, you disappoint the king's expectations, and prove ungrateful to his bounty, what will the world say of you, and how deeply will you suffer in your reputation?" From hence they proceed to tell him, "his standing out might endanger pope Alexander's authority, and draw the king into a new communion. That the king, in referring the difference to the English Church, had made a fair overture; and that to strike with interdict or excommunication, after such an offer, was against all equity, law, and canon." They proceed to remonstrate against his cenA. D. 1167. sure upon the bishop and dean of Salisbury; that this affair was managed with great heat and precipitancy; that the discipline was imposed before the fault was proved; that this was an odd way of justice, and without precedent either in Church or state; first to punish a man, and then to try him. "Now to prevent," say they, "any farther unfortunate instances of this nature, and that you may not unhappily exert your authority upon the king and kingdom, to the disturbance of our dioceses, to the prejudice and disgrace of the Holy Church of Rome, and to make your own confusion the greater, we apply to the remedy of an appeal to the pope, which we have made use of already. This expedient we think proper to repeat, and give you notice to be ready at Hoveden. Ascension Day next ensuing." Annal. fol. 292. These prelates of the province of Canterbury wrote another letter to pope Alexander in the king's justification; the contents of it are much the same with that of the bishop of London, lately mentioned. Some passages of what they wrote to archbishop Becket were likewise inserted. Amongst other things, they acquaint him with the beginning of the dispute; that the king did not think the loss of orders a sufficient punishment for a clerk guilty of murder; that his . |