A new history of ecclesiastical writers containing an account of the authors of the several books of the Old and New Testament, of the lives and writings of the primitive fathers, an abridgement and catalogue of their works ... also a compendious history of the councils, with chronological tables of the whole / written in French by Lewis Ellies du Pin.

ANASTASIUS II. * 1.1

ANastasius II. Succeeded Pope Gelasius, and was Ordained Bishop of Rome, * 1.2 Nov. 28. Anno. 496. The first thing he did was to write to the † 1.3 Emperor, to endeavour the Re-union of the Church. He exhorts him therefore in the first ** 1.4 Letter, and ear∣nestly intreats him to hinder that the Name of Acacius, which gave so much offence, should not be recited in the Church, and by that means procure the Churches Peace. At the same time he advertiseth him, that this would not derogate from the validity of the Ordinations, which Acacius hath conferred, or Baptisms, which he hath administred, because the Holy Spirit works by evil Ministers; and Sinners, who administer the Sacraments, hurt none but themselves, n•…•…r do hinder the effect of the Sacraments.

Anastasius sent * 1.5 two Legats to Constantinople to Negotiate the Peace, and at the same time Festus a Senator of Rome went about some publick affairs. There was also then at Constantinople a Priest and another Clergy-man, Deputies for the Church of Alexandria, who being desirous of a Re-union with the Church of Rome, presented a † 1.6 Memoir to the Pope's Legats and Festus, wherein they deliver themselves to this Effect; That the Churches of Rome founded by St. Peter, and of Alexandria planted by St. Mark, have always had the same Faith and Doctrine, and were so firmly united, that when any Councils were held in the East, the Bishop of Rome made choice of the Bishop of Alexandria to act in his stead, and hold his place in them; but there be∣gan a Division between these two Churches in the time of St. Leo, because his Letter against the Impious Heretick Eutyches being falsified by Theodoret, and some other Bishops of the Nestorian Party, who Translated it into Greek, and by the Authority of that Corrupt Translation, had

maintained the Doctrine of Nestorius, had given the Church of Alexandria occasion to think, that the Church of Rome was of that Opinion, and upon that account to separate from her Commu∣nion; On the other side the Bishop of Rome being persuaded that the Aegyptians opposed the Do∣ctrine, which he had received from the Apostles, had also separated them from his Communion; That they had sent Deputies to Rome to justifie, that their Church had no other Sentiments than those of the Fathers of the Council of Nice; but there was then at Rome a certain Man of their Countrey, an •…•…my to the truth, by whose means they were denied Reception and Audience; Insomuch that they returned without effecting any thing, but they understood since by Photinus a Deacon of the Church of Thessalonica, who was sent by his Bishop to Pope Anastasius, that this Pope did not approve of the Additions and Alterations, which had been made in the Version of St. Leo's Letter; That the Legats of this Pope, sent to Constantinople, having assured them of the same thing, they implored them to receive their Confession of Faith; that if it were found a∣greeable to the Doctrine of the Church of Rome, these two Churches might be Re-united. In this Confession of Faith, having asserted with most serious Protestations, that they did receive the Doctrine of the three first General Councils, and the Anathema's of St. Cyril, without menti∣oning the fourth Council: They confess, that Jesus Christ is consubstantial with the Father ac∣cording to the Divine Nature, and with us according to the Humane; that there is but one Son; that the Actions and Sufferings of Jesus Christ are proper to one Son only. They con∣demn those that divide or confound the Natures, or introduce a mere Phantom, because in the Incarnation there is no multiplication of Sons, and the Trinity of the Persons in the Godhead still remains, although one of the Divine Persons be Incarnate. They pronounce an Anathema against Nestorius and Eutyches. But they declare, that the Doctrine of Dioscorus, Timotheus, and Petrus, their Patriarchs was such, as that they do still follow it, and are ready to justifie it. Lastly, They conjure the Popes Legats to present this Confession of Faith to him, that he may approve it, and receive them into his Communion. Festus also was Commissioned by the Emperor to ne∣gotiate the Re-union of the Church of Constantinople; and he promised to sway Anastasius the Pope to Subscribe Zeno's Henoticon. But when he came to Rome Anastasius was dead; having been in the See of the Church of Rome but two years wanting six days.

There is another * 1.7 Letter of Anastasius to Lewis the French King, wherein he congratulates his Conversion to Christianity. Lastly, M. Baluzius in Tom. 1. of his new Collections of Councils hath published some fragments of a Letter of Anastasius to Ursicinus upon the Incarnation. Platina says, that he wrote some Books De Trinitate, De Libero arbitrio, de Regulis Fidei adversus Pelagia∣nam Haeresin, and many Sermons, but we know not upon what grounds. The Letters of this Pope are full of Moral Observations and Applications of Texts of Holy Scripture.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Anasta∣sius II.
• * 1.2

  Sept. 15.
• † 1.3

  Anasta∣sius.
• ** 1.4

  This Letter is in Tom. 4. of Coun∣cils. p. 1278.
• * 1.5

  Germa∣nus Bi∣shop of Capua, and Cres∣conius, Bishop of Tuder.
• † 1.6

  It is ex∣tant in Tom. 4. p. 1283. of the Coun∣cils.
• * 1.7

  It is ex∣tant in Tom. 4. Council. p. 1278.