Page:Readings in European History Vol 1.djvu/488

 452 Readings in European History 190. Privi- leges granted to students by Frederick Barbarossa. Is God all-powerful, or no ? Can God be resisted, or no ? Has God free will, or no ? Was the first man persuaded to sin by the devil, or no ? Was Adam saved, or no ? Did all the apostles have wives except John, or no ? Are the flesh and blood of Christ in very truth and essence present in the sacrament of the altar, or no ? Do we sometimes sin unwillingly, or no ? Does God punish the same sin both here and in the future, or no ? Is it worse to sin openly than secretly, or no ? In the thirteenth century the rulers, both ecclesiastical and lay, vied with one another in protecting the ever- growing body of students and in granting them excep- tional privileges. The first instance of such protection is found in the following document issued by Frederick Barbarossa in 1158. After a careful consideration of this subject by the bishops, abbots, dukes, counts, judges, and other nobles of our sacred palace, we, out of our piety, have granted this privilege to all scholars who travel for the sake of study, and especially to the professors of divine and sacred laws, namely : that they may go in safety to the places in which the studies are carried on, both they themselves and their messengers, and may dwell there in security. For we think it fitting that, so long as they conduct themselves with propriety, those should enjoy our approval and protection who, by their learning, enlighten the world and mold the life of our subjects to obey God and us, his minister. By reason of our special regard we desire to defend them from all injuries. For who does not pity those who exile themselves through love for learning,'who wear themselves out in poverty in place of riches, who expose their lives to all perils and often suffer bodily injury from the vilest men, yet all these vexatious