_Whether_ Pipin _was created King by the_ Pope, _or by the
Authority of the_ Francogallican Council.
Having in the former Chapter given an Account, that after the Expulsion
of _Childerick_, (a stupid Prince, in whom the Line of the Merovingians
ended) _Pipin_, from being _Mayor of the Palace_, was created _King_; It
will be worth our Enquiry, to know by whose Authority the Kingdom was
conferr'd upon him. For _Pope Gelasius_ says thus, _Cap. 75. Quest. 6._
--"_A Roman Pope_, viz. _Zacharias_, deposed the King of the _Franks_,
not so much because of his evil Actions, as because he was stupid, and
unfit for the Exercise of so great a Trust; and in his Stead,
substituted _Pipin_, Father of _Charles_ the Emperor: Absolving all the
_Franks_ from the Oath of Allegiance to _Childeric_."
And there is scarce an Author who does not acquiesce in this Testimony
of one _Pope_, concerning the Power of another: Thus _Ado, Lambertus,
Rhegino, Sigibertus, Aimoinus, Landulphus_, nay, even _Venericus
Vercellensis_, (in the Book which we formerly quoted) cites these Words
out of the Epistle of _Pope Gregory_ the VIIth. to _Herman_ Bishop or
_Metz_; viz. "A certain _Pope of Rome deposed_ the _King_ of the
_Franks_ from his Kingdom, nor so much for his Wickedness, as his being
unfit for so great a Power; and after having absolved all the _Franks_
from the Oath of Fidelity they had sworn to him, placed _Pipin_ in his
Room.--Which _Otto Frisingius_, lib. Chron. 5. cap. 23. and _Godfrey_,
Chron. Part. 17. laying presently hold of, break out into this
Exclamation--From this Action, the Popes of _Rome_ derive an Authority
of changing and deposing Princes, &c."
But pray let us enquire whether the Truth of this Story, as to the
Matter of Fact, be sufficiently proved and attested. For in the first
Place, 'tis manifest, That _not one_ of all that _great Number of Kings_
of the _Franks_, which we have instanced to have been Elected or
Abdicated, was either created or abdicated by the Pope's Authority. On
the contrary we have irrefragably prov'd, that the whole Right, both of
_making_ and _deposing_ their Kings, was lodg'd in the yearly _great
Council_ of the Nation; so that it seems incredible the _Franks_ shou'd
neglect or forgo their Right, in this single Instance of _Pipin_. But to
make few Words of this Matter, _Venericus Vercellensis_ gives us the
Testimony of an ancient Historian, who has written of all the
_Francogallican_ Affairs; whereby that whole Story of the _Pope_, is
prov'd to be a Lye: And 'tis clearly demonstrated, that both
_Childerick_ was deposed, and _Pipin_ chosen in his room, according to
the _usual_ Custom of the _Franks_, and the _Institutions_ of our
Ancestors: That is to say, by a _solemn General Council of the Nation_;
in whose Power _only_ it was, to transact a Matter of so great Weight
and Moment; as we have before made it appear. The Words of that
Historian are these:--"That by the _Counsel_, and with the _Consent_ of
all the _Franks_, (a Relation of this Affair being sent to the
Apostolick See, and its Advice had) the most noble _Pipin_ was advanced
to the Throne of the Kingdom, _By the Election of the whole Nation_, the
Homage of the Nobility, with the Consecration of the Bishops, &c." From
which Words, 'tis most apparent that _Pipin_ was not appointed King by
the _Pope_, but by the _People themselves_, and the _States of the
Realm_. And _Venericus_ explains this Matter out of the same Historian.
"_Pipin, Mayor_ of the Palace (says he) having all along had the
Administration of the Regal Power in his Hands, was the first that was
appointed and elected to be King, from being _Mayor of the Palace_; the
_Opinion_ of _Pope Zachary_ being first known, because the Consent and
_Countenance_ of a Pope of _Rome_, was thought necessary in an Affair of
this Nature."--And presently after he tells us; "The Pope finding that
what the Ambassadors had deposed was just and profitable, agreed to it;
and _Pipin_ was made King by the unanimous Suffrages and Votes of the
Nobility, &c."--To the very same Purpose writes _Ado of Vienna_, Ætat.
6. _sub Anno 727._--"Ambassadors (says he) were sent to Pope
_Zacharias_, to propose this Question to him; Whether or no the Kings of
the _Franks_, who had scarce any _Power_ in their Hands, but contented
themselves with the bare _Title_, were fit to continue to be _Kings_?"
To which _Zacharias_ return'd this Answer,--"That he thought the _Person
who governed_ the Commonwealth, ought rather to have also the _Title_ of
King: Whereupon the _Franks_, after the Return of the Ambassadors, cast
out _Childeric_, who then had the Title of King; and by the _Advice_ of
the _Ambassadors_, and of Pope _Zacharias, Elected Pipin_, and made him
King."
Besides the above Proofs, we have _Aimoinus's_ Testimony to the same
Purpose, _lib. 4. cap. 61._ where he concludes thus.--"This Year _Pipin_
got the Appellation of King of the _Franks_, and according to their
ancient Customs was elevated to the Royal Throne in the City of
_Soissons_, &c." Nay, even _Godfrey of Viterbo_ himself; _Chron. part.
17. cap. 4._ "_Pipin_ (says he) was made King by Pope _Zacharias_, (_ex
electione Francorum_) through the _Election_ of the _Franks_, _Hilderic_
their slothful King being, by the _Franks_, thrust into a Monastery."
In like Manner _Sigebertus_, sub Anno 752.--The Authors of the
_Miscellany History_, lib. 22.--_Otto Frising._ lib. 5. Cap. 21, 22,
23. And the Author of the Book intituled _Fasciculus temporum_, do all
clearly agree in the Account given of this Transaction. From which we
may easily gather, that altho' the _Franks_ did _consult_ the _Pope_
before they created _Pipin_ King, yet it cannot therefore be any Ways
inferr'd from thence, that he was made King by the _Pope's Authority_;
for 'tis one Thing to make a King, and another to give Advice touching
the making him: 'Tis one Thing to have a Right of Creation, and another
that of only giving Advice; nay; no Man has a Right of so much as giving
Advice in Matters of this Nature, but he whose Advice is first ask'd.
Lastly, no Man has more clearly explain'd this whole Matter than
_Marsilius Patavinus_; who during the Reign of _Lewis_ of _Bavaria_,
writ a Book--_de translatione imperii_, in which, _Cap. 6._ he has these
Words.--"_Pipin_, a very valiant Man, and Son of _Charles Martel_, was
(as we read) raised to the Dignity of being King of the _Franks_, by
_pope Zacharias_. But _Aimoinus_ more truly informs us, in his History
of the _franks_, that _Pipin_ was _legally elected_ King by the _Franks_
themselves, and by the Nobility of the Kingdom was placed in the Throne.
At the same Time _Childeric_, a dissolute Prince, who contenting himself
with the bare Title of a King, wasted both his Time and Body in
Wantonness, was by them shaven for a Monk: So that _Zacharias_ had no
Hand in the deposing him, but consented (as some say) to those that did.
For such deposing of a King for just Causes, and electing of another,
does not belong to any Bishop or Ecclesiastick, nor to any College of
Clergymen; but to the _whole Body of citizens_ [ad universitatem civium]
inhabiting that Region, and to the Nobles of it, or to the Majority of
them both." Therefore those Pretences of the _Popes_, to a Power of
_creating_ or _abdicating_ Kings, are apparently false to every Body.
But besides this fabulous Device, which is a sufficient Instance of
their Wickedness and Malice, I think it worth my while to add a
remarkable Letter of Pope _Stephen_, adapted to the foregoing Fable; by
which we may make a judgment of the Madness and folly of that old crafty
Knave. This Letter is extant in _Rhegino_, a Benedictine Monk, and Abbot
of _Prunay_, [Footnote: _Abbot Pruniacensis_] an irrefragable Testimony
in an Affair of this Nature; 'tis in _Chron. anni_ 753.--"_Stephen_ the
Bishop, Servant of the Servants of God, &c. As no Man ought to boast of
his Merits, so neither ought the wonderful Works of God which are
wrought upon his Saints without their Desert, to be buried in Silence,
but published abroad as the Angel admonished _Tobias_. I being
constrained thro' the Oppression of the holy Church, by that most
wicked, blasphemous, and not worthy to be named Wretch, _Aistolphus_, to
fly for Refuge to that _excellent and faithful Votary of St._ Peter,
_Lord_ Pipin, the most _Christian_ King, took my Journey into _France_;
where I fell into a mortal Distemper and remained some Time in the
District of _Paris_, in the venerable Monastery of St. _Denis_ the
Martyr. And being now past Hopes of Recovery, methought I was one Day at
Prayers in the Church of the same blessed Martyr, in a Place under the
Bells: And that I saw standing before the great Altar our Master
_Peter_; and that great Master of the _Gentiles_, our Master _Paul_;
whom I knew very well by their Vestments. And a little after, I saw the
blessed _Lord Denis_, a tall and slender Man, standing at the Right Hand
of our Lord _Peter_. And then that good Pastor the Lord _Peter_
said--This good Brother of ours asks for Health. Then reply'd the
blessed _Paul_--He shall be healed presently. And thereupon approaching
to our Lord _Denis_, he amicably put his Hand upon his Breast, and
look'd back upon our Lord _Peter_, and Lord _Peter_ with a chearful
Countenance said to our Lord _Denis_, His Health shall be your
particular Act of Favour. Then presently Lord _Denis_ taking a Censer
full of Incense, and holding a Branch of Palm-tree in his Hand,
accompanied with a Presbyter and Deacon, who assisted him, came near to
me, and said, Peace be with thee, Brother, be not afraid, thou shalt not
die until thou return in Prosperity to thy own See. Rise and be healed,
and dedicate this Altar to the Honour of God, and the Apostles St.
_Peter_ and St. _Paul_, whom thou seest standing before thee, with
Masses of Thanksgiving. Whereupon I was presently made whole. And being
about to accomplish that which I was commanded to do, they that were
present said I was mad. So I related all that I had seen, to them, to
the King, and all his People, and how I had been cured; and I fulfilled
all that I was bid to do. These Things happen'd in the 753d Year, from
the Incarnation of our Lord on the Ides of _August_; at which Time being
strengthned by the Power of _Christ_, between the Celebration of the
Consecration of the above-mention'd Altar, and the Oblation of the
Sacrifice, I anointed King _Pipin_ and his two Sons, _Charles_ and
_Carloman_, Kings of the _Franks_. Moreover, I laid Hands upon, and
blessed _Bertranda_ the King's Wife, cloathed with her Royal Mantle, and
the Grace of the Sevenfold Holy Spirit: And the Nobles of the _Franks_
being sanctified by the Apostolical Benediction, and the Authority
delivered by _Christ_ to St. _Peter_, obliged themselves solemnly, and
protested, That neither they, nor any of their Posterity, wou'd at any
Time hereafter, presume to constitute any Person, as King over them, but
only such as were of the Race of King _Pipin_."
* * * * *