Page:The Fall of Constantinople.djvu/251

 THE riiEPARATIONS FOR A CRUSADE. 233 ty tone of the pope's letter, and the experience which the Greeks had had of the hist crusade, were not likely, however, to produce a favorable reply. The Emperor Alexis, in his answer, recalled that when Frederic, a few years earlier, had promised upon oath to pass through the empire peaceably, he had violated his promise. He had done great injury; he had fought Christians as well as Pagans, and yet, in spite of this, Alexis claimed that the Greeks, out of veneration for the object of the expedition, had furnished him with all that was necessary. Notwithstanding this just cause of complaint, Alexis concluded this part of his letter by promising that if the empire were able to preserve its tranquillity, he would favor the efforts which should be made for the delivery of the Holy Sepulchre. As to the old question of the union of the two churches, the reply was that the best union would be brought about by each giving up its own will and submitting to the divine will. If the pope wished to submit the doctrines in controversy to the examination of a council, the Orthodox Church w^ould take part in it. While admitting the zeal of the pope for the glory of God, Alexis could not conceal his astonishment at hearing the pope call the Roman Church the Universal Church, and the common mother of all the churches. That title belonged to the Church of Jerusalem. The old jealousy between the two Romes was not to be overcome, and, as usual, found vent in the religious questions which divided the two churches. Little aid was to be hoped for Constantinople ; but only little had been expected. Meanwhile in Western Europe the efforts of Innocent had met with more success. In every church a box had been placed to receive the gifts of those who had the holy cause at heart, and a mass was ordered to be said weekly for the givers. Innocent again addressed himself to Philip of France. Christ himself, he repeated, had given the signal for the crusade. Philip ought not only to permit his subjects to leave, but to force them to quit their homes on so important a mission. Innocent did all that he could in every European country, in order that the effort about to be made might prove successful.