The historie of the holy vvarre; by Thomas Fuller, B.D. prebendarie of Sarum, late of Sidney Colledge in Cambridge

Chap. 44. Church-affairs: Of Haymericus Patriarch of Antioch; Of the Grecian Anti-patriarchs; and of the learned Theodorus Balsamon.

WHilest Heraclius did Patriarch it in Jerusalem, one Haymericus had the same honour at Antioch. He wrote to Henry the second King of England, a bemoning let∣ter of the Christians in the East, and from him received ano∣ther, fraught with never-performed fair promises. This man must needs be different from that Haymericus who began his Patriarchship in Antioch anno 1143, and sat but twelve yeares, say the Centuriatours: But Baronius, as different from them sometimes in Chronologie as Divinitie, ma∣keth them the same. Then must he be a through-old man, enjoying his place above fourtie yeares; being probably be∣fore he wore the style of Patriarch, well worn in yeares him∣self. I must confesse, it passeth my Chymistrie to extract any agreement herein out of the contrariety of writers. We must also take notice, that besides the Latine Patriarchs in Jerusalem and Antioch, there were also Grecian Anti-patriarchs ap∣pointed by the Emperour of Constantinople: who having no temporall power nor profit by Church-lands, had onely juris∣diction over those of the Greek Church. We find not the chain of their succession, but here and there light on a link▪ and at this time in Jerusalem on three successively: 1. Atha∣nasius; whom though one out of his abundant charitie is pleased to style a Schismatick, yet was he both pious and learn∣ed, as appeareth by his epistles. 2. Leontius, commended like∣wise to posteritie for a good Clerk and an honest man. 3. Dositheus, inferiour to the former in both respects: Isaac the Grecian Emperour sent to make him Patriarch of Con∣stantinople▪ and Dositheus catching at both, held neither, but betwixt two Patriarchs chairs fell to the ground.

Antioch also had her Greek Patriarchs: As one Sotericus, displaced for maintaining some unsound tenets about our Sa∣viour: After him Theodorus Balsamon, the oracle of the learned Law in his age. He compiled and commented on the ancient Canons; and principally set forth the priviledges of

Constantinople; listening, say the Romanists, to the least noise that soundeth to the advancing of the Eastern Churches, and knocking down Rome wheresoever it peepeth above Constan∣tinople. This maketh Bellarmine except against him as a par∣tiall writer; because a true Historian should be neither partie, advocate, nor judge, but a bare witnesse.

By Isaac the Grecian Emperour this Balsamon was also de∣ceived: he pretended to remove him to Constantinople, on condition he would prove the translation of the Patriarch to be legall, which is forbidden by the Canons. Balsamon took upon him to prove it: and a Lawyers brains will beat to purpose when his own preferment is the fee. But herein he did but crack the nut for another to eat the kernel: For the Emperour mutable in his mind, changing his favourites as well as his clothes before they were old, when the legality of the translation was avowed, bestowed the Patriarchship of Constantinople on another; and Theodorus was still staked down at Antioch in a true spirituall preferment, affording him little bodily maintenance.

Notes

• Centur. 12. in Episcop.
• Annal. Eccl. in Haymeri∣co.
• Baronius, in anno 1180.
• Nicet•••• Choniates, in Isa••cio An∣gelo, p. 438.
• Idem ibi∣dem.
• Nicetas Chon. in Isa∣acio, pag. 440.