The Golden Bull

The term bull, as applied to official documents, is derived from a mediaeval Latin word bulla, a seal. The term is generally used to denote a decree of the Pope, written on parchment, having a leaden seal attached, hence the name. If a bull is a gracious one the seal is attached by a silken cord; if otherwise, by a gray hemp cord. But the term bull has also been applied to certain ordinances of the German Emperors, as the celebrated Golden Bull of the Emperor Charles IV., the seal appended to it being in a gold capsule. This bull issued in 1356 A. D., established the laws governing the election of an Emperor. It is preserved at Frankfort-on-the-Main. Another "golden bull" of Andrew II. of Hungary, in 1222, fixed the privileges of the nobles and was regarded as a national constitution. The name bull is now exclusively applied to documents issued in the name of the Pope. To every bull the leaden seal of the Roman Church is appended, bearing on its obverse the arms of the Pope, and on the reverse his name. A bullarium is a collection of papal bulls; as the Bullarium Romanium (28 Vols., 1737-1744). From the same mediaeval Latin word bulla, is derived the modern word bulletin.

"The Truce of God" was a law enacted by the Church in 1040, the time of Henry I., son of Hugh Capet, of France. It was introduced at different times into England and other European countries. This law prohibited all private combats between Wednesday at sunset and Monday at sunrise, also during the season of Advent and Lent, and on all ecclesiastical fast or feast days. The object of the law was to restrain the attacks of baron upon baron, and to diminish the number of petty quarrels and combats, which neither the authority of the Church nor the government had been able to wholly prevent; all Crusaders came under the protection of this law. The Truce of God provided, also, that no man was to molest a laborer, or to lay hands upon his implements; this was all the mitigation of internecine strife that the clergy could effect in that barbarous age. "The Peace of God" was a still earlier attempt of the Church to restrain lawlessness; in 1035 the clergy commanded all men to lay down their arms on pain of excommunication. The command was read daily from the pulpits by the officiating priests, with the following malediction: "May the who refuse to obey be accursed, and have their portion with Cain, the first murderer; with Judas, the arch traitor, and with Dathan and Abiram, who went down alive into the pit. May they be accursed in the life that now is, and in that which is to come; may their light be put out as a candle." So saying, all the lights were instantly extinguished, and the congregation had to make their way out of the church as best they could.