34 to Sacred Scripture , he offered money to St . Peter in exchange for the powers imparted by the Holy Spirit .
Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles ’ hands , he offered them money , saying , “ Give me also this power , that any one on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit .” But Peter said to him , “ Your silver perish with you , because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money ! You have neither part nor lot in this matter , for your heart is not right before God ” [ Acts 8:18-24 ].
Over the course of centuries the term as defined by Gregory the Great encompassed either the sale or the purchase of ecclesiastical estates , offices , or sacraments . It also applied to their procurement via services , favors , or intercession . 70
The practice of simony had been condemned by past councils that were both ecumenical and regional beginning with Chalcedon in 451 . It was mid-eleventh century when the issue was critical , having reached an unprecedented state . Payment or favors promised effectively obliged recipients to the lord who granted the office . For the reformers , this division of loyalty was unacceptable in an age where it had become urgent that both bishops and priests remain free and impartial mediators . 71
Simony was undeniably compatible with feudalism . In a feudal system where it was common for temporal offices to be bought and sold the practice was additionally acceptable for spiritual offices . Successful reform depended upon the ability of those
70 Blumenthal , The Investiture Controversy , 75 .
71 Cushing , 96 .