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JOHN the First, Bishop of Rome. * 1.1
JOHN, sirnamed Catelin, a Tuscan by Nation, and the Son of Constantius, was promoted to the See of Rome in the Month of August of the Year 523, which was the 31th of the Reign of Theodoric in Italy, and the sixth of the Empire of Justinus. This Emperor having a desire to extir∣pate Arianism in the East, order'd that the Churches which the Arians possess'd should be taken from them, and given to the Catholick Bishops who consecrated them. The Arians having complain'd to King Theodoric, who was of their Sect, threatned that he would treat the Catholicks of Italy after the same manner, if Justinus did not recal his Order. He thought that the best way to make these Threatnings successful, was to send the Bishop of Rome to desire this Favour of the Emperor, that so the Catholick Churches of Italy might be preserv'd from Ruin. John went thither, tho much against his Will, with some Senators of Rome; and Anastasius the Library-keeper says, That he was receiv'd at Constantinople very honourably, and obtain'd of the Emperor the Revocation of this Or∣der in favour of the Churches of Italy. Nevertheless there is a Letter attributed to this Pope, which supposes that he was so far from making this Request to the Emperor, that he himself contributed to the Execution of the Order, which this Prince had publish'd, and Consecrated some Churches of the Arians for the Catholicks; and Gregory of Tours says, That he was imprison'd for having consecrated some Churches of the Arians. This makes Baronius believe, that John advised the Emperor Justinus not to agree to that which he came to desire of him in the Name of the King of Italy, and that in imitation of the famous Regulus, he sacrific'd himself, and expos'd his Church to the danger of de∣struction, rather then he would desire any thing which was contrary to the Welfare of the Universal Church. I cannot tell whether such a Zeal is not indiscreet; but this I know, that there is no proof that John us'd it after this manner: For the Letter just now mention'd is supposititious, as we shall show; and Gregory of Tours does not say, that John fell into disgrace with Theodoric, for having con∣secrated the Churches of the Arians in the East, but for doing it in the West. However this be, John and his Collegues having return'd, were very ill receiv'd by King Theodoric, who cast them in∣to Prison at Ravenna, where John died the 27th day of May in the Year 526.
The two Letters attributed to this Pope are both supposititious: The first, which is said to be ad∣dress'd to an Archbishop call'd Zacharias, is compos'd of the words of the Letters of Innocent, Zo∣simus, Symmachus and Theodoric. The Date of the Consuls in it is false; It is the Style and the Work of Mercator.
The second, address'd to the Bishops of Italy, exhorting them to Consecrate the Churches of the Arians, as was done in the East, has the same marks of Falshood. The Date of the Consuls is false. It begins with some Scraps of the Letters of St. Leo, and the rest is a hotch-potch of passages out of the second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, according to the Vulgar Version. In fine, this Letter is contrary to History, to Ingenuity and good Sense: To History, because Anastasius as∣sures us, that John perform'd this Embassy; to Ingenuity, because John should not have undertaken this Negotiation, if he had a mind to desire of Justinus that which was contrary to his Trust. In fine, It is contrary to good Sense; for nothing can be more ridiculous then this Inference, I have consecrated the Churches of the Arians in the East under a Christian Emperor who desir'd it; There∣fore you ought to consecrate them in Italy in spite of an Arian Prince, who will be provok'd by so do∣ing utterly to destroy the Catholick Churches. A delicate Consequence!