accordingly made without a
contradictory vote; and the king, to obviate all contests, endeavored
to persuade the suffragan bishops not to insist on their claim of
concurring in the election; but those prelates, persevering in their
pretensions, sent an agent to maintain their cause before Innocent;
while the king, and the convent of Christ-church, despatched twelve
monks of that order to support, before the same tribunal, the election
of the bishop of Norwich.

Thus there lay three different claims before the pope, whom all parties
allowed to be the supreme arbiter in the contest The claim of the
suffragans, being so opposite to the usual maxims of the papal court,
was soon set aside: the election of Reginald was so obviously fraudulent
and irregular, that there was no possibility of defending it: but
Innocent maintained, that though this election was null and invalid, it
ought previously to have been declared such by the sovereign pontiff,
before the monks could proceed to a new election; and that the choice
of the bishop of Norwich was of course as uncanonical as that of his
competitor.[*] Advantage was, therefore taken of this subtlety for
introducing a precedent, by which the see of Canterbury, the most
important dignity, in the church after the papal throne, should ever
after be at the disposal of the court of Rome.

While the pope maintained so many fierce contests, in order to wrest
from princes the right of granting investitures, and to exclude laymen
from all authority in conferring ecclesiastical benefices, he was
supported by the united influence of the clergy; who, aspiring to
independence, fought, with all the ardor of ambition, and all the zeal
of superstition, under his sacred banners. But no sooner was this point,
after a great effusion of blood, and the convulsions of many states,
established in some tolerable degree, than the victorious leader as is
usual, turned his arms against his own community, and aspired to centre
all power in his person. By the invention of reserves, provisions,
commendams, and other devices, the pope gradually assumed the right
of filling vacant benefices; and the plenitude of his apostolic power,
which was not subject to any limitations, supplied all defects of title
in the person on whom he bestowed preferment. The canons which regulated
elections were purposely rendered intricate and involved: frequent
disputes arose among candidates: appeals were every day carried to
Rom