A Manual of Church History Volume 2 (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER XIII. THIRTEENTH CENTURY. THE prominent figure at the beginning of this century is Innocent III., who uniting the boldness of Hildebrand with the astuteness of Alexander III., brings the off?pacy under ,, . it T Innocent III. Papacy to its acme of power. Innocent began an audacious policy abroad by commendable reforms at home. He abolished the ostentation and luxury of the Papal court, and even set limits on its venality. At the same time, however, he persuaded the Roman prefect, an imperial officer, to receive investiture, and the Roman citizens to swear obedience to the Pope. The heir of the Hohenstaufen family was now the infant Frederic II. Remembrance Contest for the of the nonage 01 Henry IV. suggested to Empire-PhiUp many the advisability of setting this child aside in favour of a competent emperor. Two candidates for the imperial office appeared,?Philip of Swabia, Frederic's uncle, and Otho the Saxon, nephew of Richard of England, and his viceroy in Poitou. France abetted Philip, England Otho. The latter had the sympathy of most ecclesiastics. Both however obtain archiepiscopal coronation, and Innocent isasked to adjudicate. He makes the bold assumption that to the Papacy belongs " principally and finally," the disposal of the empire, decides in favour of Otho, and summons his rival to resign. A ten years' war was the consequence, in which prelates so actively engaged that martial prowess became a qualification for the episcopal office. On the assassination of Philip in 1208, Otho Innocent mb- secured peace by marrying his young ordrv'aT daughter. After pledging himself to Frederic n. respect ecclesiastical immunities, extirpate heresy, and recover the territory of old belonging to the Papacy, he was crowned by Innocent at Rome. This is the ...