ENGLISH Historical Reprints EDITED BY W. DAWSON JOHNSTON, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AND JEAN BROWNE JOHNSTON I THE RELATIONS BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE SHEEHAN & CO., ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN BLOOMSBURY, LONDON 1896 The general aim of the series of English Historical Reprints, like that of the German Quellenbuch, is to comprehend in a handy form the most important documents illustrative of the principles of English history; in particular to bring before the student in concrete form documents commonly referred to, other illustrative materials, an introductory essay, and an annotated bibliography. The essay it is hoped will prove suggestive, the references, to printed sources, immediately useful and those to manuscript sources and the larger literature of the subject, ultimately useful and interesting. To Mr. C. M. Burton, of Detroit, the donor of the Burton Historical Collection in English history, the editors are especially indebted. University of Michigan. Sept. 14, 1896. W. DAWSON JOHNSTON. Letter of William the Conquerer to Gregory VII, 1076, Ordinance of William Separating the Civil and Church Courts, The Compromise of Investitures, 1107, I. INTRODUCTORY OUTLINE. The history of England is first ecclesiastical and afterwards political. In the history of the transition, and of the relations between state and church in medieval England, tribal institutions gave way to feudal and the parish becomes subordinate to the see; feudal institutions give way to national, and the see becomes subordinate to the archsee. The problem in the relations between church and state in the medieval period, therefore, was, should national institutions give way to papal imperial, should the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of government in England or at Rome be supreme. The problem raised by the development of the national political constitution during the early medieval period is solved finally by the declaration of national independence in the Reformation. I. In the Anglo-Saxon period (1) the international relations between church and state are marked by union; uniformity of worship is introduced at the Whitby synod, 664, (p. 7) the universal payment of tithes is enjoined at the Chelsea synod, 787, (p. 8) and the king is recognized as head of the church in the time of Edward the Confessor (p. 8). (2) In the external relations a formal dependence upon Rome as head in spiritual affairs is acknowledged, and a tax, Peter's Pence, is paid for the support of the English college at Rome. II. In the Anglo-Norman period, (1) the internal relations between church and state are distinguished by separation and consequent conflict. The separation of the courts lay and ecclesiastical (p. 9), gives rise to (a) the theoretical question of sovereignty. This is agitated in the controversy between Henry I and Anselm over the power of investiture (p. 10), and again in the controversy between John and Stephen Langton over the power of election (p. 15). (b) The practical question of jurisdiction also arises in the controversy between Henry II and Becket (p. 11). The result is the grant of England to the Pope by John. The supremacy of church over state meant the supremacy of papacy over England. (2) Externally, |