The-papacy-its-history-dogmas-genius-and-prospects-wylie

;THE POPE VERSUS KINGS. 103" For the dignity and defence of God's holy Church,"" saysGregory VII. (Hihlebrand), " in the name of the omnipotentGod, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I depose from imperialand royal administration, Henry the king, the sonof Henry, formerly emperor, who, too boldly and rashly,has laid hands on thy Church ; and I absolve all Christianssubject to the empire from that oath by which theywere wont to plight their faith unto true kings ; for it isright that he should be deprived of dignity who doth endeavourto diminish the majesty of the Church." Go to, therefore, most holy princes of the apostles, andw^hat I said, by interposing your authority, confirm ; that allmen may now at length understand, if ye can bind andloose in heaven, that ye also can upon earth take away andgive empires, kingdoms, and whatsoever mortals can havefor if ye can judge things belonging unto God, what is to bedeemed concerning these inferior and profane things I Andif itis your part to judge angels who govern proud princes,what becometh it you to do towards their servants ? Letkings now, and all secular princes, learn by this man'sexample what ye can do in heaven, and in what esteem yeare with God ; and let them henceforth fear to slight thecommands of holy Church, but put forth suddenly thisjudgment, that all men may understand, thatnot casually,but by your means, this son of iniquity doth fall from hiskingdom.""" We therefore," says Innocent IV. in the Council ofLyons (1245), when pronouncing sentence of excommunicationupon the Emperor Frederick II.,f "having had previousand careful deliberation with our brethren and the holycouncil respecting the preceding and many other of hiswicked miscarriages, do show, denounce, and accordinglydeprive of all honour and dignity, the said prince, who hathrendered himself unworthy of empire and kingdoms, and of* Concil. Rom. vii. apiid Bin. torn. vii. p. 491. (Barrow),t Du Pin, Eccles. Hist. vol. ii. p. 400.