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BONIFACE the Second, Bishop of Rome. * 1.1
BOniface the second of that Name, the first Pope of the Nation of the Goths, was promoted to the Holy See under the Reign of King Alaricus on the fourteenth day of October in the Year 529. At the same time one part of the Clergy chose Dioscorus, who was formerly one of the De∣puties sent into the East by Hormisdas. Boniface was Ordain'd in the Church of Julius, and Diosco∣rus in that of Constantine. But this last died the twelfth day of November. Boniface seeing himself left in sole possession, us'd his utmost endeavours to bring over those who had been of the other Par∣ty; he threatned them with an Anathema, and forc'd them to subscribe. He call'd together the Clergy, and condemn'd the Memory of Dioscorus, accusing him of Simony. He proceeded yet fur∣ther, and, as if it were not enough for him to be secur'd of the Holy See for himself, he would al∣so appoint himself a Successor; and having call'd a Synod, he engag'd the Bishops and Clergy by Oath, and under their Hands, that they should choose and ordain in his room the Deacon Vigilius after his Death. This being against the Canons, he himself acknowledg'd publickly his Fault, and burnt the Writing which he extorted from them.
To this Pope there is attributed a Letter to Eulalius Bishop of Alexandria, wherein he writes to him, that the Bishop of Carthage was re-united to the Church of Rome, supposing that he had been separated from it ever since the time of Aurelius. But, as little as is known of the History of these times, this Piece appears to be supposititious: For every one knows, that Aurelius and his Collegues were always closely united to the Church of Rome, and that their Successors did never separate from it. Besides that there never was any Eulalius Bishop of Alexandria, and that the Impost or who con∣triv'd this Letter, supposes it written under the Empire of Justin, who was dead before Boniface was promoted to the Holy See. But tho he had not so plainly fail'd in History, it were easie to disco∣ver his Imposture, by observing that this Letter is compos'd of Passages taken out of the Letters of St. Leo, Hormisdas, and even out of the Letter of St. Gregory, who was not promoted to the See of Rome, till many years after Boniface.
This Letter therefore is the Work of an Impostor, as well as that Libel of this Eulalius, wherein he Excommunicates all his Predecessors, and all his Successors, and all those who shall infringe the Priviledges of the Roman Church: For excepting this impertinent passage, the rest of this Writing is taken out of St. Gregory and Hormisdas. The Date of the Consuls agrees to a year wherein Boni∣face was dead.
The only true Letter of Boniface is that which is address'd to Caesarius of Arles, who had written to his Predecessor against the Opinion of some Bishops of the Gauls, who said that the beginning of Faith should be attributed to Nature and not to Grace, and at the same time had pray'd, for the removing of all difficulties, that it might be confirm'd by the Authority of the Holy See, That Faith and the first Motions of the Will to that which is good, were inspir'd by preventing Grace. Boniface an∣swers him, That it is a manifest Truth, that we can neither desire, nor begin any Good, nor have Faith, but by the Grace of Jesus Christ. He commends the Bishops of France who had ap∣proved this Doctrine, and hopes that others would submit to it. This Letter is dated the 25th of January, under the Consulship of Lampadius and Orestes, in the Year 530. The Date of it shews that Boniface was promoted to the Holy See in the Year 529, and that Felix had the Pontificat a year less then is noted in Anastasius. In the Year 531, Boniface held a Council about the Petition of Stephen Bishop of Larissa, concerning the Rights of the Popes of Illyricum. We shall speak of it hereafter in the Acts of this Council. [His Epistles are printed Concil. Tom. 4. p. 1684. Cave p. 402.]