his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who when he was reviled, reviled not again, and when he suffered, threatened not," I Peter 2:21-23. And Paul traversing the same path, said: "Bless them that persecute you; bless and curse not," Romans 12:14. This doctrine the other saints also followed, who, in the time of persecution did not fulminate excommunication or suspension or impose the interdict, but when more serious persecution came, the more urgent were they in performing divine ministries.
But after the thousand years, when Satan was loosed and the clergy was fat with the refuse[1] of this world and lifted up in pleasure, pride, and ease, the interdict had its origin. For Pope Hadrian, who began to reign 1153, for a wound which one cardinal had received, placed all Rome under the interdict. Oh, how patient under trial was that pope — not, indeed, as Christ, Peter, or Paul, or the apostle Andrew! Later Alexander III also, who began to rule 1159, placed the interdict on the kingdom of England,[2] de Sponsalibus, cap. 2, Non est vobis[[Friedberg, 2: 665]. Pope Celestine III, who began to reign A. D. 1082, says something about the interdict in chap. Quæsivit de majoritate et obedientia [Friedberg, 2: 506]. Later Innocent III, who began to rule 1199 A. D., announced the interdict in many decretals, as in chap. in concilio Lateranensi de præbendis, lib. 3 Decretalium [5: 28 sqq., Friedberg, 2: 478 sqq.]. Still later Boniface VIII, Innocent IV and Clement V imposed interdicts of this kind, in the Liber Sextus and the Clementines [Friedberg, 2: 937 sqq.]. And in this way many such interdicts have been multiplied, while the clergy were inflamed with avarice, the pomp of this world and restless ambition.
- ↑ The word used by the Vulgate, Phil. 3:8.
- ↑ Hadrian IV, the only English pope, one of whose cardinals was murdered during the excitement caused by the presence and preaching of Arnold of Brescia. Henry II of England was threatened with the interdict by Alexander III, 1173, in case he did not deliver up to his sons their wives.
