kings; according to the apostle's doctrine. We therefore render all due obedience of honour unto your grace; unto whom we see the top of regal eminency hath been conferred by the divine liberality:" and towards the end of his last book concludes with this submiss and religious admonition to him: "I beseech you, O glorious king, that you would consider in yourself the largeness of the divine gift, and not diminish the power of him who bestoweth the same upon you: that he who hath given you this kingdom temporal, may give you also that which is eternal." The preamble of the council of Agatha, wherein the Catholic bishops pray for the prosperity of their Arian king, is this: "When the holy synod in the name of God and by permission of the king, had met in the city of Agatha, and we had set ourselves down in the church of St. Andrew; we there, with knees bended on the ground, did pray for his kingdom and the long continuance of his people; that as he had granted us liberty to assemble ourselves, so God would extend his kingdom with happiness, govern it with justice, and protect it with virtue." Thus stood things hitherto, and a long while after, until the following times of darkness obscured this truth; so far, that in the days of the emperor Henry III. (or IV. as others number him) that wicked innovation was brought in, whereof Sigebert maketh this mention in his chronicle : "That I may speak with the leave of all good men, this f "Quæso, gloriose rex, ut in te consideres largitatem divini muneris, et potestatem non minuas largitoris ; ut qui tibi temporale donavit regnum, donet etiam sempiternum." Fulgent. ad Thrasimundum regem, in fine lib. 3. ad eund. g" Cum in Dei nomine ex permissu regis in Agathensem civitatem sancta synodus convenisset, et in S. Andrea basilica consedissemus; ibique flexis genibus in terra, pro longævitate populi deprecaremur, ut qui nobis congregationis permiserat potestatem, regnum ejus Dominus felicitate extenderet, justitia gu. bernaret, virtute protegeret," &c. Procem. synodi Agathensis. h"Ut pace omnium bonorum dixerim, hæc sola novitas, ne dicam hæresis, necdum in mundo emerserat, ut sacerdotes illius (qui dicit regi apostata, et qui regnare facit hypocritam propter peccata populi,) doceant populum quod malis regibus nullam debeant subjectionem, et licet ei sacramentum fidelitatis fecerint, mere novelty (that I say not heresy) was not yet risen up in the world; that the priests of God (who saith to a king, remove; and who maketh an hypocrite to reign, for the sins of the people) should teach the people that they owe no subjection to wicked kings, and albeit they have given an oath of fidelity unto them, yet they owe no fidelity to them, nor are to be accounted perjured though they hold against the king: nay, he that obeyeth the king shall be held as excommunicated, and he that opposeth the king shall be absolved from the guilt of injustice and perjury." Of which schismatical novelty, introduced by Satan' newly loosed, the clergymen of Liege complain at large in their answer to the epistle of Pope Paschal II. where, among many other things pertinent to this purpose, they thus justify the continuance of their subjection to their unjustly deprived emperor; "Fork the present we say nothing in the defence of our emperor: but this we say, that although he were such as you report him to be, yet should we suffer him to rule over us; because by our sins we have deserved that such a one should rule over us. Be it let us grant against our will that he is such a one as you say he is. Even such a prince ought not to be repelled by taking arms against him, but by pouring out of our prayers to God." Which kind of weapons Bernard, not long after that, proposeth as the only lawful ones that may be used for the vindicating of the injuries offered unto God's Church: writing thus confidently unto Ludovicus Crassus, then king of France, "Indeed' we will 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." Sigebert. Chronic. ann. 1088. 1 Rev. chap. 20. ver. 7. See the book De Christianorum Ecclesiarum successione et statu, cap. 5. Works, vol. 2. pag. 144. "Nihil modo pro imperatore nostro dicimus: sed hoc dicimus, quod etiamsi talis esset, tamen eum principari nobis pateremur; quia ut talis nobis principetur, peccando meremur. Esto: concedimus vobis inviti, eum talem esse qualem dicitis. Nec talis a nobis repellendus esset armis contra eum sumptis, sed precibus ad Deum fusis." Eccles. Leodicens. in respons. ad epist. Paschalis II. Papæ, tom. 2. Concilior. edit. Colon. ann. 1551. pag. 815. "Profecto stabimus et pugnabimus usque ad mortem, si ita oportuerit, pro VOL. XI. II stand and fight even unto death, if need so require, in our mother's behalf, with such weapons as we may lawfully use not with bucklers and swords, but with prayers and tears to God;" and yet for his allegiance to the king himself he delivereth his mind as resolutely on the other side: "Ifm the whole world should conspire against me, that I should attempt any thing against the king's majesty, I would notwithstanding fear God, and not presume rashly to offend the king ordained by him. For I am not ignorant where I have read, Whosoever resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God." And thus have I laid together such testimonies of antiquity as did occur in my reading, as well touching the doctrine as the exercise of regal sovereignty and Christian subjection. Wherein however in the handling of particulars some error may have escaped me; yet my main aim and scope, I am sure, is straight and upright; which is no other but to confirm all good subjects in their dutiful obedience unto their prince, and to prevent sedition and rebellion in such, as being otherwise well minded, might perhaps for want of better information be drawn out of the way, and misguided to their own destruction. matre nostra, armis quibus licet: non scutis et gladiis, sed precibus fletibusque ad Deum." Bernard. epist. 221. ad Ludovicum regem. m"Si totus orbis adversum me conjuraret, ut quidpiam molirer adversus regiam majestatem; ego tamen Deum timerem, et ordinatum ab eo regem offendere temere non auderem. Nec enim ignoro ubi legerim, Qui potestati resistit, Dei ordinationi resistit." Bernard. epist. 170. ad eund. |