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.

AGAPETUS Bishop of Rome.

AGapetus born at Rome, and the Son of Gordianus, succeeded to John the second about the end of the Year 534, but he was not a whole Year in that See, and stay'd but a little while at Rome. Immediately after his Ordination he abolish'd the Anathema, which Boniface had extorted from the Bishops and Priests against the Memory of Dioscorus, and caus'd it to be burnt. Justinian, who ma∣nag'd extremely the Holy See, wrote to him upon his Promotion, and sent his Letter by the Priest Heraclius. After he had us'd the ordinary Complements in his Letter, he declares to him that he thought it very convenient for bringing back the Arians into the Church, to maintain them in the Dignities they had in the Church, where they were among their own Sect, and not to exclude them from rising to a higher station. He writes to him also about the Cause of Stephen Bishop of Larissa, who had implor'd the Aid of the Holy See under the Pontificat of Boniface, against the Sentence past against him by Epiphanius of Constantinople, and desires him to make the Bishop of Justinianea his Vicar in Illyricum. The Pope answers the Emperor's Complements very civilly, and praises his Zeal for the Re-union of the Arians; but he does not approve, that the New-converts should be con∣tinued in their Dignities, nor that they should be permitted to rise to higher.

As to the Affair of Stephen, he says, That he takes no other part but that which is for the Defence of Innocence and Justice; that what the Holy See did about that Affair, proceeded from a Zeal it has al∣ways had to maintain its Rights, and to reserve to it self the Cognizance of the Affairs that concern the whole Church. That because the Emperor consented that this Cause should be instructed by the Legats of the Holy See, he would send them a Power; That he was willing at his desire to receive Achilles into his Com∣munion, who had been ordain'd in the room of Stephen, but that he could not allow him to exercise the Sacerdotal Function, until he had seen the Informations which the Legats should make: That altho the Em∣peror would excuse Epiphanius for Ordaining him, because he did it by his Order, yet he should acknow∣ledge that he was blame-worthy, since he ought to press him earnestly with the duty which on this occasion

belong'd to the Dignity of the Holy See, and so much the more, because he had to do with a Prince who espoused its Interests. In fine, he tells him, That he would inform him by his Legats of the Resolution he had taken about the City of Justinianea, and the Title of Vicar of the Holy See, which he would bestow upon the Bishop of that City. This Letter is dated Octob. 15. in the Year 534.

At this time Bellisarius, General of the Army to the Emperor Justinian, made great progress a∣gainst Theodatus King of Italy. He was already become Master of Dalmatia and Sicily, and was ready to pass the next Compagne in Italy. Theodatus thought that the most effectual way to put a stop to his violent Motions, was to interest the Pope, the Senate and the People of Rome in his quarrel. He threatned them therefore that they should all be put to the point of the Sword, unless they ob∣tained of Justinian a Cessation of Arms. The Pope Agapetus was intrusted with this Embassy. When he arrived at Constantinople, the Emperor sent some Persons to Complement him in his Name, and to carry him a Letter in which he had inserted the Letter and Confession of Faith which he had sent to John. The Pope's Answer was, That he commended his Piety, that he approved his Doctrine, and condemn'd those that were not of his Judgment, but then withal he signified to him, that it did not belong to Lay-men to make Confessions of Faith. Afterwards he had Audience of the Empe∣ror, and declar'd his Commission; but he could not prevail with him to stop the Course of his Vi∣ctories. But if the Embassy of Agapetus had not the Success which might be expected for the Af∣fairs of Italy, yet it did great Service to the Church. For there was then in the See of Constantino∣ple one named Anthimus, formerly Bishop of Trebizonde, whom the Empress Theodora had promoted to that Dignity: This Man in his Judgment was an Eutychian, and a Disciple of Severus, who was then the Chief of them. Agapetus having discover'd that he was of this Judgment, would not com∣municate with him, although he was press'd to do it by the Emperor and Empress. He declared also, that a Stranger as he was, being Bishop of another Church, could not continue in the See of Constantinople, and that all which he could do out of respect to the Empress, was to suffer him to return to his former Church, if he should give assurance in writing that he was Orthodox in his Judgment. Agapetus held firm to this, and neither the Threatnings nor the Promises of the Empress could move him. Anthimus on his part being unwilling to do what the Pope required, he declared him an Heretick and unworthy of the Priesthood, and Ordained Mennas in his room. This was done with the consent of the Emperor, who acknowledg'd that Anthimus was not Orthodox, and therefore abandon'd him; and he himself chose Mennas, as appears by the Letter, wherein Agapetus gives notice of this Alteration to Peter of Jerusalem, and the other Bishops of the East, related in the Acts of the Council under Mennas.

When this was done, Agapetus prepar'd to depart, resolving to leave the Deacon Pelagius as Sur∣rogate for Constantinople; but God otherwise dispos'd of him by death, for he died before his depar∣ture at the end of the Year 535.

There are also four Letters of Agapetus which have no relation to the Affairs of the East, but to those of the Churches of Afric, and the Gauls.

The first is an Answer to the Synodical Letter, which Reparatus Bishop of Carthage, and the other Bishops of Afric, in number 227, had written to John the Second, the Predecessor of Agapetus. They acquaint him in this Letter (which is found among the Letters of this Pope) that desiring to restore the ancient Custom, which the violence of Persecution had interrupted for almost a hundred years, they had assembled a General Council of Afric in the Church of Faustus at Carthage, from whence Hunnericus had formerly driven them; That in this Council they had first read the Canons of the Nicene Council, and then consider'd of the manner wherein they should receive the Arian Bishops that should be converted, whether they should continue them in their Office, or only receive them to Lay-Communion: That all thought it reasonable in the first place to consult him about this Questi∣on, being fully perswaded, that the Holy See would give them such an Answer about it, as they would approve with an unanimous Consent: That so far as they could judge by what the Bishops had already declar'd, their Opinion was, not to continue them in their Dignities at their Readmissi∣on; but yet they thought not fit to publish their Judgment, till they had known what was the Cu∣stom and Advice of the Holy See in such a Case: That they had sent the Deacon Liberatus to him, to be inform'd of the late Transactions, and at the same time to discharge the Duty they owed un∣to him. They consult him also about this other Question, Whether those should be admitted into Holy Orders, who had receiv'd Baptism when they were Infants from the hands of the Arians: And, lastly, they pray that the Bishops, Priests or Clergy-men of Afric, who should pass beyond Sea without a Letter of Credence, should be treated as Hereticks.

This Letter being deliver'd to Agapetus, the Successor of St. John, he declar'd to them in his Answer, That the Holy See had sympathiz'd with them in their Affliction, and commends them for remembring their Duty to it, and addressing to him for Counsel. After this he answers their En∣quiries, That they ought not to suffer those who return from Heresie, to continue in Ecclesiastical Dignities, or promote them to any; but he thought it convenient, that they should partake of the Revenues of the Church that were settled for the Subsistence of the Clergy. He determines also, that their desire, as to the Clergy who went out of Afric, should be observ'd, as a necessary Precau∣tion to oblige them to stay in their Churches, and to hinder them from being Vagabonds.

Before the Letter of the African Bishops was sent, Reparatus having receiv'd the News of the death of John, and the Ordination of Agapetus, wrote a Letter to him in his own Name, to con∣gratulate

his Promotion to the Pontificate, and to recommend his Concerns to him. Agapetus an∣swer'd this Letter in particular, and acknowledged the Preheminence of the Bishop of Carthage above * 1.1 all the other Bishops of Afric. Both these Letters of Agapetus are dated the ninth of September: In the last the Consulship is mark'd thus, Post Consulatum Paulini viri clarissimi; After the Consulship of Paulinus a most famous Man. This was in the Year 535, but it is more probable that this Letter was written at the beginning of the Pontificate of Agapetus, before his Journey to Constantinople, and so it must be read, Paulino V. C. Cos. which was in the Year 534.

The third of the Letters that we now speak of, is address'd to Caesarius of Arles, who had pray'd him to give some of the Revenues of his Church for Relief of the Poor. Agapetus answers him, that he was very well inclin'd to grant his Petition for the Relief of the Poor; but that the express Con∣stitutions of the Fathers did so strictly forbid Bishops to alienate the Revenues of their Churches, un∣der any pretence whatsoever, that it was impossible for him to transgress them; that he thought, he would not take it ill, that he had not violated the ancient Canons, and that he pray'd him to believe he did not refuse through Covetousness, or for his own Profit, but only because he was oblig'd, out of respect to the Judgment of God, to observe inviolably what was ordain'd by the Authority of a Council, and to convince him, he sent to him the Canon by which this was ordain'd.

The second Letter address'd to the same Caesarius, concerns the Affair of Contumeliosus. This Bi∣shop being condemn'd, had appeal'd to Rome. The Pope had appointed Judges upon the Places, yet the Bishops of the Gauls caus'd their own Judgment to be put in Execution. The Pope wrote to Caesarius, that it would be better to suspend the Execution, till his Cause were decided a-new, or at least to permit him to withdraw, and not to shut him up in a Religious House. He ordains that his Goods should be restor'd to him, but that he should not dispose of the Revenues of the Church, nor be permitted to celebrate Mess; that the Arch-deacon of his Church should be nam'd as Deputy in his room, who should have the Administration of Affairs until he was sentenc'd; on condition that the first Judgment given against him should be no wise prejudicial to him, and that no consideration should be had of it in the second. These Letters are dated the 18th day of August in the Year 535. There may be a fault in the Date of the Consulship.

I say nothing of a Letter of Agapetus to Anthimus, because it is a Piece taken out of the 97th E∣pistle of St. Leo, according to the Custom of Isidore. [All the seven Epistles are publish'd Concil. Tom. 4. p. 1789. There is also another Letter to Peter the Patriarch of Jerusalem, concerning the Depo∣sition of Anthimus, Gr. Lat. in the Act. 1. of the Council of Constantinople under Mennas, Conc. Tom. 5. p. 47. Cave p. 407.]

Notes

• * 1.1

  St. Ephrem Patriarch of Anti∣och.