56 disbarred and his injunctions were to be proclaimed at court and during assemblies . 119
He maintained consistency and a stubbornness that mirrored Sacred Scripture . “ Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord with slackness ; and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from bloodshed ” [ Jeremiah 48:10 ]. His covenant with God remained unbroken , no matter who he found in need of correction .
Concerning Henry IV , the pope ’ s writings are prolific . His early optimism of the potential for a healthy working relationship was evident but always on the side of caution as he reminded the king of the inability of the pope to compromise on matters of faith and morals . To Duke Godfrey of Lorraine he wrote in May of 1073 : “ It is our wish at the first available opportunity to come to an understanding with him through our legates upon the matters which we think important for the welfare of the Church and the honor of his Kingly office … for we are not free to set aside the law of God for the sake of any person .” 120
A month later he wrote to Beatrice and Matilda of Tuscany and explained that “ it is our intention to send pious men to him , by whose admonitions and the help of God we may be able to bring him back to loyalty to his mother , the Holy Church of Rome , and give him detailed instructions as to the proper form of assuming the empire .” Unwavering in his firm adherence to the duty of his office he added that “ surely it is safer for us to resist him even unto death in defense of the truth and for our own welfare than to give any way to his will by consenting to iniquity and so rush on to our own ruin .” 121 In such examples it is evident that Pope Gregory VII was hopeful and confident of
119 Cushing , 101 .
120 Ephraim Emerton , trans ., The Correspondence of Pope Gregory VII : Selected Letters from the Registrum , ( 1932 , repr ., New York : W . W . Norton & Company , Inc ., 1969 ), 8 .
121 Ibid ., 9 .