BULL OF POPE CELESTINE III. TO FURNESS ABBEY.

A.D. 1194.

CELESTINE, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to his beloved sons the abbot of Furness, and all his brethren of the Cistercian order serving God, greeting and apostolic benediction. The holy Roman church is wont, from a sense of assured piety, to love more sincerely those devoted and humble sons, and, like a pious mother, is accustomed to cherish those, by the safeguard of her protection, whom she knows to be more devoted to the Roman church, and to cleave to her divine obsequies. On that account, O beloved sons in the Lord, knowing the sincerity of your devotion for the Roman church, and regarding the religious fervour which ye bear for the Cistercian order, we graciously accede to your just requests, and confirm to you by our apostolic authority, and strengthen it by the support of this present writing, the churches of Dalton and Ursewie, with the chapels, and all their appurtenances and liberties, with tenths and oblations in relief of the poverty of your house, and for the perpetual support of the convent for the service of God. For which it is lawful for you to present to the bishop, befitting priests, ministering in your name, who may be answerable to him for the care of souls, and who perform episcopal rights according to the custom of the province, but may faith-fully pay unto you the tenths and oblations, and provide surety [ for the same.] We expressly forbid any bishop, archdeacon, or deacon, or their officials to promulgate a sentence of excommunication, or suspension, or interdict against the churches aforesaid, or their ministers, without the judgment of the general chapter, or of the synod, and this only for faults peculiarly manifest ; or to oppress them with tallage, or any other exactions, excepting such as are determined in the Lateran council. And if any sentence, other than has been mentioned, shall be pronounced against the aforenamed churches, or their ministers, we, by the authority of these presents, decree it of no effect. And if a bishop or any of his officials shall require from you anything opposed to the liberty and custom of your order, it shall be free for you to refuse it, lest, on a like occasion, your order, which has hitherto remained free, should be bound by a tie of service. And if a bishop or his official should, on this account., promulgate any sentence against you or your monastery, or your servants, or the priests ministering in your churches, in your name, we deem that the same is not altogether valid. Moreover, in the election of a bishop for the Isles, we confirm by our apostolic authority, the liberty which their kings of good memory, namely, Olaws and Godred his son, gave to your monastery, as is contained in their authentic [writings] . And it is permitted to no man to contradict this our page of confirmation and constitution or to infringe upon it in any way. But if any one should attempt the same, let him know that he will incur the anger of Almighty God, and of the blessed Peter and Paul his apostles. Dated at Rome, at St. Peter’s, the tenth of the Kalends of June, in the fourth year of our Pontificate.

CARTÆ ANTIQUÆ.⁺

BRlT. MUSEUM.

CELESTINUS episcopus, servus servornm Dci, Dilectis fihiis Abbati de Furnesio et universis fratnibuš ejus sub ordine Cisterciensi Deo servientibus, Salutem et apostolicam benedictionem. Sacrosancta nomana ecciesia devotos et humiles filios cx assuete pietatis officio diligere propensius consuevit, et eos pro-tectionis sue munimine tanquam pia mater est solita confovere, quas enga romanam ecclesiam cetenis devotiones existere ac divinis obsequiis noverit adherere. Ea propter dilecti in ddmino flu vestre devotionis sinceritatem quam erga romanam ecclesiain habere noscimini, et Cisterciensis ordinis quem geritis religiosum fervorum attendentes vestris justis postulacionihus clementer annuimus, et ecclesias de Dalton ct de Ursewic cum capellis et omnibus pertinenciis earum, et libertatibus cum decimis et ob ventionibus ad domus vestre paupertatem relevandam, et conven tuin in servitio Dei perpetuo sustentandum, vobis auctoritate apostolica confirmamus et presentis scripti patrocinio communi mus. In quibus liceat vobis presbiteros idoneos nornine vestro ministrantes episcopo presentare, qui ci de cura animarum re spondeant et secundum consuetudinem provincie jura episcopalia reddant, vobis vero decimas et obvericiones fideliter persolvant et securitatem impendant. Prohibemus districcius ut nullus epis copus, archidiaconus, vel decanus, ant eorum officiales, in ecclesias predictas vel earum ministros excommunicationis vel suspensionis aut interdicti sententiam absqne generalis capituli vel synodi judicio et hoc non nisi pro culpis propriis clarescentibus audeat promulgare sen cas tallagiis, hospiciis, vel aliis aliquibus exac tionihus preter quod statutum est in Lateranensi concilio pregra vare. Si qua vero sententia in prenominatas ecciesias aut earum ministros aliter quam dictum est lata fuerit, earn auctoritate pre sencium decernimus non tenere. Si vero episcopus vel alius qui libet officialiurn ejus aliquid a vobis contra libertatern et consue tudinern ordinis expecierit, liberum sit vobis denegare ne tali occasione ordo vester qui hactenus liher exstitit, servitutis laqueo vinciatur. Quod Si episcopus vel ejus officialis propter hoc in vos vel monasteriurn vestrum sive in servientes vestros ant in sacerdotes nomine vestro in ecclesiis vestris ministrantes aliquam sententiarn protulit, illam omnino non valere censemus. Preterea in eligendo episcopum insularum libertatem quam reges earuin bone memoric videlicet Olaws et Godredus filius ejus monasterio vestro contulerunt, sicut in autenticis eorum continetur, auctori~ tate vobis apostolica confrmamus. Nulli ergo omnino hominurn liceat hanc paginam nostre confirmacionis et constitutionis in-fringere vel ci aliquatenus contraire. Si quis ~utem hoc attemptare presumpserit indignationern Dci omnipotentis et beatorurn Petri et Pauli apostolorum ejus se noverit incursurum. Data Rome apud Sanctum Petrum X. Kalendis Junii Pontificatus nostri anno quarto.

+ 83. A 22,

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor
HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 1999