Page:The history of medieval Europe.djvu/332

284 THE HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL EUROPE of long standing. The term is derived from the name of Simon the magician who tried to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit from the apostles. It meant in particular the purchase and sale of church offices, and might more broadly refer to the acquisition of such offices by unworthy persons or by any improper methods, and to almost any corruption or "graft" in the Church. Purchas- ing an office was nevertheless quite a usual occurrence in the Middle Ages, and outside the Church was often not regarded as illegal, while even within the Church we have instances of good men buying offices to keep bad men from getting them. But this last fact only illustrates how much corruption there must have been in the Church. Lay investiture was the power exercised by kings and feudal lords of investing with his office and fiefs the new Lay incumbent of a bishopric or abbey. By this investiture method the rulers kept somewhat under their control the clergy and church property within their borders. A large part of the church lands had been royal or ducal grants, and kings were supposed to be protectors and de- fenders of the Church; in return they claimed that all the higher clergy within their territories were their vassals. The new bishop or abbot must do homage to his king or feudal lord and receive from him, not only the church lands as a fief, but also the symbols of his religious functions, the ring and the staff, with the words, " Accipe ecclesiam" — "Take this church." The lay lords were also accustomed to seize for their own use the goods and lands of bishoprics and monasteries during the vacancies between the death of one incumbent and the selection of his successor. The theory of the Church, on the other hand, was that monks should elect their abbot; and the clergy and people of the diocese, their bishop; and that the feudal lord should unquestion- ingly accept such choices. In practice, however, the latter not only did the investing, but usually let it be known be- forehand whom he wished chosen, and might refuse to invest any one else with the office and the property. This power the Church wished to take away from the feudal lords