maine byshop, and moreouer to gyue and graunt to the saide Paschalis the full possession of the citie of Rome, and the whole territorie to the same belonging. An. 821. as appeareth by the decree. MarginaliaThe decre, Ego Ludouicus dist. 63. suspected.Ego Ludouicus dist 63. But admitte that feyned decree to be vnfeynedly trew (as it may welbe suspected for many causes, as proceadynge out of the same fountaine, with the constitution of Cōstantine afore mentioned, that is, from the master of the Popes library, MarginaliaGratianus and Volateranus what groūd they haue of their recordes.
Dist 63. cap Ego Ludouicus.of whō both Gratianus, and Volaterā, by their owne confession take their grounde) yet the same decree doth not so geue away the fredome of that election, that he limiteth it onely to the Cardinals, but also requireth the whole consent of the Romaines, neyther doth he simplely and absolutly geue the same, but with condition, so that omnes Remam vno consilio, & vna concordia sine aliqua promissione ad pontifactus ordinem elegerent:
Gratian, Dist. LXIII.
omnes Romani vno consilio, & vna concordia sine aliqua promissione ad pontifactus ordinem elegerent:
whom as all the Romaines with one counsail and with one accorde, without any promise of their voices graunted before, shall chuse to be Byshop of Rome.
Actual text of Gratian Distinctio LXIII Cap. XXX [PL Vol. 187 Col. 0340B]
omnes Romani uno consilio atque concordia sine qualibet promissione ad Pontificatus ordinem elegerint
Foxe text has aliqua for qualibet and an imperfect subjunctive eligerent instead of the perfect subjunctive eligerinti
MarginaliaThe iudiciary power of the pope examined.And like as in elections, so also in power iudiciarie, in decisinge and determinyng of causes of faith, and of ecclesiastical discipline, the state of the church of Rome, now being, hath no conformitie with the old Romaine church heretofore. For the byshops debated all causes of faith onely by the scriptures, and other questions of ecclesiasticall discipline they determined by the Canōs, not of the Pope, but of the church, such as were decred by the auncient Councels, as writeth Greg. Turonensis in francorum historia. MarginaliaGregor Turonens. in Francorum hist. lib. 10. ca. 18Wher as now both the rule of scripture, & sanctions of the olde councels set a side, all thinges for the moste part are decised by certainenew decretall or rather extradecretal and extrauagant constitutions, in the Popes canon law compiled, and in his Consistories practised.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe popes iurisdiction vsurped in geuing and disposing ecclesiasticall promotions.And wher as the old ordinance and dispositiō, as wel of the common law, as of the sacred Councels, and institution of auncient fathers haue geuen to Bishops & and others prelats, also to patrons and donors of ecclesiasticall benefices euery one within his owne precincte and dominion, also to cathedral churches and other: to haue their free elections and to prosecute the same in ful effect: ordryng & disposing promotions, collations, prouisiōs & dispositions of prelacies, dignities, and al other ecclesiastical benefices whatsoeuer, after theyr own arbitrement, as appeareth by þe first generall Councel of Fraunce. 16. q. 7. cap. Omnes Basilicæ. Marginalia16 q 7 cap. omnes Basilicæby the first general councel of Nice, cap. 6. MarginaliaThe counsel of Nice cap. 6Also by the general councel of Antioche. cap. 9. MarginaliaThe general counsel of Antioch cap. 9and is to be seen in the Popes decrees. 9. q. 3. cap. Per singulas. Marginalia9. q. 3 cap. per sīgulas Pragmatica sanctio sācri LudouiciAnd also beside these auncient decrees, the same confirmed againe in more later yeares by Ludouicus the. ix. French Kyng in his constitution called pragmatica sanctio, made and prouided by full parlament againste the Popes exactions, An. 1228. in these wordes as folow. Item exactiones & onera grauissima pecuniarum, per curiam Romanam ecclesiæ regni nostri impositas vel imposita (quibus regnū miserabiliter depauperatum existit) siue etiam imponendas vel imponenda leuari aut colligi nullatenus volumus: nisi duntaxat pro rationabili, pia & vrgentissima causa, vel ineuitabili necessitate, ac etiam de expresso, & spontaneo iussu nostro, & ipsius ecclesiæ regni nostri. &c.
Item exactiones & onera grauissima pecuniarum, per curiam Romanam ecclesiæ regni nostri impositas vel imposita (quibus regnū miserabiliter depauperatum existit) siue etiam imponendas vel imponenda leuari aut colligi nullatenus volumus: nisi duntaxat pro rationabili, pia & vrgentissima causa, vel ineuitabili necessitate, ac etiam de expresso, & spontaneo iussu nostro, & ipsius ecclesiæ regni nostri. &c.
[Back to Top]Item all exactions and importable burdens of money, which the court of Rome hath layde vpon the churche of our kyngdome (wherby the said oure kyngdome hath been miserablely hetherto empoueryshed) or hereafter shall impose or lay vpon vs, we vtterly discharge and forbid to be leauied or collected hereafter for any maner of cause, vnles there come some reasonable, godly, & most vrgent, and ineuitable necessitie, and that also not to be doen without the expresse & voluntary commaundement of vs, and of the churche of the same our foresaid kyngdom. &c.
[Back to Top]Comment:
The Pragmatica Sanctio was said to have been issued by Louis IX in 1269 (not 1228 as Foxe has here) but has been shown to have been a forgery which appeared between 1438 and 1452 [Source: Catholic Encyclopedia sub Louis IX]
Again, when suche goods were geuen to the church by those auncetors, they were neyther so geuen, nor yet taken, to serue the priuate vse of certaine churche men takyng no paynes therin, but rather to serue the publique subuention of the nedy, as is conteined in the canonicall iustitutions by the Emperour Ludouicus Pius set forth. an. 830. The wordes be these: Res ecclesiæ vota sunt fidelium precia peccatorum, & patrimonia pauperum,
Res ecclesiæ vota sunt fidelium precia peccatorum, & patrimonia pauperum.
The goods of the churche be the vowes and bequestes of the faithful, prices to raunsom suche as be in captiuitie or prison, and patrimonies to succour them with hospitalitie, that be nedy.
'In the original text of Foxe (edition 1583, p. 5, col. 2) the words "Res Ecclesiæ vota sunt fidelium peccatorum, et patrimonia pauperum," which are here brought down into the note, form part of the text, and introduce the translation. "Pretia peccatorum" Foxe interprets as meaning, "prices to ransome such as be in captiuitie or prison." He was probably led to put this construction upon the words by the commentary made upon them by Jacobus Selesttadiensis in his Epistle to the Emperor Maximilian, of which a translation is given by Foxe infrà, vol. iv. Pp. 23, 24. In that translation there is nothing corresponding to the words "pretia peccatorum," though they occur in the original Epistle of Selastadiensis (see the "Fasciculus" of Orth. Grat., and Freheri Script. Germ. Tom. Ii.), and are cited here by Foxe himself in juxtaposition with his English version of them.'
[Back to Top]Cf. Julianus Pomerius, DE VITA CONTEMPLATIVA LIBRI TRES. (C) LIBER SECUNDUS.
CAPUT IX. Quod sacerdotes nihil proprii habere debeant, et ecclesiae facultates quasi communes, pro quibus Deo rationem reddituri sunt, suscipiant.
Et idcirco scientes nihil aliud esse res ecclesiae, nisi vota fidelium, pretia peccatorum, et patrimonia pauperum; non eas vindicaverunt in usus suos, ut proprias, sed ut commendatas pauperibus diviserunt. Hoc est enim possidendo contemnere, non sibi, sed aliis possidere; nec habendi cupiditate ecclesiae facultates ambire, sed eas pietate subveniendi suscipere. Quod habet ecclesia, cum omnibus nihil habentibus habet commune.
[Back to Top]A revised translation from 1563. This and the following two passages of Latin are found in the Julianus Pomerius quoted above.
Wherunto agreeth also the testimonie of Prosper, MarginaliaThe words of Prosper.whose wordes be these: Viros sanctos res ecclesiæ non
Viros sanctos res ecclesiæ non vendicasse vt proprias, sed vt commendatas pauperibus diuisisse:
good men toke the goodes of þe church not as their owne, but distributed them as geuen & bequeathed to the poore