l jurisdiction on payment of a tribute to Rome.
The pope had now become "the universal bishop;" he had a concurrent
jurisdiction in all the dioceses, and could bring any cases before
his own courts. His relation to the bishops was that of an absolute
sovereign to his officials. A bishop could resign only by his
permission, and sees vacated by resignation lapsed to him. Appeals to
him were encouraged in every way for the sake of the dispensations;
thousands of processes came before the Curia, bringing a rich harvest to
Rome. Often when there were disputing claimants to benefices, the
pope would oust them all, and appoint a creature of his own. Often the
candidates had to waste years in Rome, and either died there, or carried
back a vivid impression of the dominant corruption. Germany suffered
more than other countries from these appeals and processes, and hence
of all countries was best prepared for the Reformation. During the
thirteenth and fourteenth centuries the popes made gigantic strides in
the acquisition of power. Instead of recommending their favorites for
benefices, now they issued mandates. Their Italian partisans must
be rewarded; nothing could be done to satisfy their clamors, but to
provide for them in foreign countries. Shoals of contesting claimants
died in Rome; and, when death took place in that city, the Pope claimed
the right of giving away the benefices. At length it was affirmed that
he had the right of disposing of all church-offices without distinction,
and that the oath of obedience of a bishop to him implied political as
well as ecclesiastical subjection. In countries having a dual government
this increased the power of the spiritual element prodigiously.

Rights of every kind were remorselessly overthrown to complete this
centralization. In this the mendicant orders were most efficient aids.
It was the pope and those orders on one side, the bishops and the
parochial clergy on the other. The Roman court had seized the rights
of synods, metropolitans, bishops, national churches. Incessantly
interfered with by the legates, the bishops lost all desire to
discipline their dioceses; incessantly interfered with by the begging
monks, the parish priest had become powerless in his own village; his
pastoral influence was utterly destroyed by the papal indulgences and
absolutions they sold. The money was carried off to Rome.

Pecuniary necessities urged many of the popes to resort to such petty
expedients