WRITING AUTHORITY IN LATE MEDIEVAL ... - Cornell University

deserved to be treated “aliorum christicolarum ad instar” ‘according to the image of other
Christian-tillers.’ 109
In this universalism, Etsi cunctis describes Christian charity without developing an
argument from a particular metaphor despite of using pastoral motifs:
Nos igitur illius celestis pastoris qui oves huiusmodi, ut uocem suam audirent et sub vnico pastore
vnum ouile fieret, vocare dignatus est, cupientes oues insularum predictarum, ut prefertur, a
Domino ad ouile predictum uocatas ac omnes alias quas uocari contingent in posterum, quantum
nobis ex alto conceditur, ad illud adducere et bonis moribus informare, volumus atque decernimus
et auctoritate apostolica statuimus et etiam ordinamus quod, prefati habitatores earundum
insularum iam conuersi et im posterum convertendi ad fidem catholicam et quicunque alii fideles
in eisdem insulis et aliis pro tempore moraturi, tam ecclesie, in decimis et primitiis et aliis, quam
temporalibus dominis, in fructibus, redditibus et proventibus ac serviciis et aliis spirilitualibus et
temporalibus juribus persolvendis, illos laudabiles et humaniores consuetudines atque
mores…servare non debeant.
We therefore, who are worthy to call the sheep of this manner, so that they hear his voice and
under one shepherd are made one flock of this celestial shepherd, desiring the sheep of the
aforesaid islands, so that it is carried, by the Lord to the aforesaid fold and also all others which
take to be called in the future, how much by us from on high it is conceded, to lead to that [flock]
and to shape/to educate by good customs, we wish and also pronounce and by apostolic authority
institute and even ordain that, the aforesaid inhabitants of these same islands now converted and
in the future about to be converted to the catholic faith and the other faithful whosoever in the
same islands and others about to inhabit [them] for the time, do not owe to preserve the honorable
and civilizing customs and also habits about to have been released by other spiritual and temporal
rights for the returns, products, and also services, such for the church, in the tenths and the firsts
and others, as well as for the temporal lords, in fruits [My emphasis]. 110
Eugene uses pastoral and agrarian motifs, like “oves,” “fructibus,” “redditibus,” and yet these are
not developed, like they are by Clement or Alfonse, to make an actual legal argument about his
authority as a Pope—even as there are certain allusions to his absolute power. The absence of
this metaphoric argumentation is all the more noticeable given that Etsi cunctis deals solely with
legal arguments over tithing and taxation. In protecting the tithes owed to spiritual and temporal
lords by the conquered natives, Eugene could claim that the Christian fold yields a particular
fruit owed only to the absolute power of the Papacy. As a shepherd of the Lord’s flock, he could
claim that, being “oves” ‘sheep,’ the natives must be cared for as living beings; that taxes starve
109 Ibid.
110 Ibid 5.86-87.
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