[1] [2] The pope hauing heard his words, tooke delibera|tion in the matter, with the aduice of his cardinals, and therevpon answered the archbishop in effect as followeth:

That the lower power may not iudge the higher,The popes answer to the archbishop. and chéefelie him whome he is bound to obeie, all the lawes both of God and man doo witnesse, and the ordinances of the ancient fathers doo manifestlie declare: Herevpon we (to whome it apperteineth to reforme disorders) doo clearelie reuerse and make void the iudgement pronounced against you by the barons and bishops, whereby as well against the or|der of law, as against the customes of the church, your goods were adiudged forfeit, whereas the same goods were not yours, but the churches of Canturbu|rie, ouer which you haue the onelie cure and charge. But if those that haue violentlie entred vpon the pos|sessions and goods of your church, and haue thereby wronged either you or yours, will not vpon admoni|tion giuen to them, make restitution with sufficient amends, then may you (if you shall thinke conueni|ent) exercise ecclesiasticall iustice vpon them, and we shall allow of that which you shall reasonablie doo in that behalfe. Howbeit as touching the king himselfe we will not giue you any speciall commandement, neither yet doo we take from you any right belong|ing to your bishoplike office, which you receiued at your consecration.

But the king onlie we will spare, and exempt from your excommunications and cen|sures. After these and manie by-matters were ouer|passed,The archbish. resigneth his pall. the archbishop resigned his pall vnto the pope, but the pope gaue it him againe, and appointed him to remaine at Pountney an abbeie of moonks Ci|steaux in the diocesse of Auxerre, till the variance were brought to some good end betwixt the king and him. This was doone in the yeare of our Lord 1164.