Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

194 RETURN OF ST. THOMAS.
the ceremony, were slights which neither the Pope
nor the King of France could overlook.
In the preceding spring Thomas had excommunicated
Gilbert, Bishop of London, the Bishop of
Salisbury, and other nobles and clerics who had
taken part against the liberties of the Church, or
held Church lands, and now he threatened the kingdom
with an interdict. It was time, therefore, for
the King to come to terms. No sovereign willingly
encountered those spiritual weapons, which placed
countries and persons beyond the law of the Church.
Henry withdrew all his restrictions, promised to restore
Church lands, and no longer to insist on the
oath of fidelity to his customs. The kiss of peace
alone he refused to give. The royal Louis, who
augured ill of the omission, could not prevail on
Thomas to delay his return to England until he had
received this personal pledge from his master.
Meanwhile, the Archbishop's combat had borne
spiritual fruit in the English hierarchy. At the
king's instigation they were summoned to London,
and required to give their episcopal word that they
would obey the king rather than the Pope in matters
spiritual. They one and all refused; and Henry of
Winchester at their head declared that he was resolved
to obey the Apostolic decrees at any cost.1
The change was due to the confessorship of one man,
who returned in December, 1170, to crown it by a
martyr's death.
1 Morris, p. 341.