A Student's History of England, v. 1: B.C. 55-A.D. 1509: From the Earliest Times to the Death of King Edward VIIGardiner, Samuel Rawson
History
A Student's History of England, v. 1: B.C. 55-A.D. 1509: From the Earliest Times to the Death of King Edward VII
Gardiner, Samuel Rawson
Great Britain -- History; Great Britain -- History -- Outlines, syllabi, etc.
6. =The Council of Rockingham. 1095.=--To this well-meant violence
Anselm submitted unwillingly. He was, he said, a weak old sheep to be
yoked with an untamed bull to draw the plough of the English Church.
Yet, gentle as he was, he was possessed of indomitable courage in
resistance to evil. William recovered, and returned to his blasphemy
and his tyranny. In vain Anselm warned him against his sins. A fresh
object of dispute soon arose between the king and the new archbishop.
Two Popes claimed the obedience of Christendom. Urban II. was the Pope
acknowledged by the greater part of the Church. Clement III. was the
Pope supported by the Emperor. Anselm declared that Urban was the true
Pope, and that he would obey none other. William asserted that his
father had laid down a rule that no Pope should be acknowledged in
England without the king's assent, and he proposed to act upon it by
acknowledging neither Clement nor Urban. His object was, perhaps, to
prevent the enforcement of ecclesiastical discipline by temporarily
getting rid of the papal authority. Anselm wanted the authority of the
Pope to check vice and disorder. The question was set aside for a
time, but in =1095= Anselm, tired of witnessing William's wicked
actions, asked leave to go to Rome to fetch from Urban the pallium, a
kind of scarf given by the Pope to archbishops in recognition of their
office. William replied that he did not acknowledge Urban as Pope. A
Great Council was summoned to Rockingham to discuss the question. The
lay barons, who liked to see the king resisted, were on Anselm's side.
The bishops, many of whom were creatures of William, appointed from
amongst his clerks, took the side of the king. Anselm stated his case
firmly and moderately, and then, caring nothing for the angry king,
retired into the chapel and went quietly to sleep. The king, finding
that the barons would give him no support, was unable to punish
Anselm. Two years later, in =1097=, Anselm betook himself to Rome, and
William at once seized on his estates.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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