back again to them, or if they had rather, to permit them to Ordain the Archdeacon Pelagius. They pray'd him to send them Vigilius, pro•…•…g to him that they would choose Pelagius after his Death. Justinian granted him to them. Vigilius •…•…ed in Sicily in 555; Pelagius his Successor was suspected to have contributed to his Death, but he purg'd himself by Oath upon the holy Gospels and the Cross.
We have already observ'd, that Vigilius, to get •…•…rius into his hands, had consented to all that the Empress desir'd by receiving into his Co•…•… the Bishops of the Faction of the Acephali, and approving their Doctrine, Liberatus relates the Letter which he wrote to them, and assures us, that it was accompanied with a Confession of Faith, wherein he condemns those who distinguish'd, the two Natures in Jesus Christ, and made Profession of believing one Christ only compos'd of two Natures; pronouncing an Anathema against •…•…se who admit two Forms in Jesus Christ, who did not acknowledge, that the Miracles and Sufferings belong'd to one and the same Christ, and did not own that the Word suffer'd, and particularly against Paulus of Samosata, Dioscorus, Theodorus and Theodoret. Baronius and Binius endeavour to make incredible, that this was not Vigilius's; but Li∣beratus is more to be believ'd then they, and Vigilius was certainly capable of doing it.
The second Letter of Vigilius address'd to Eucherius, is that of the first day of March in the Year 538. He answers this Bishop about certain A•…•…es concerning which he had consulted him. 1. He condemns those who under pretence of Ab•…•…ence superstitiously refrain from eating any Meat, think∣ing it forbidden, and evil in it self. 2. He orders the Canons of the H. See to be observ'd, concerning the solemn Administration of Baptism; and reproves those who cut off the Particle, And, in the Gloria Patri, between the Son and the H. Spirit, singing, Gloria Patri & Filio Spiritus Sancto, instead of, & Spiritus Sancto. 3. He says that he had sent to him who writes the Ecclesiastical Canons taken out of the Archives of the Church of Rome, made with respect to those, who having been baptiz'd in the Church, were re-baptiz'd by the Arians when they return'd to the Church. He adds, that nevertheless, their Pe∣nance may be diminish'd, in proportion to their fervor; but that they must not be receiv'd by that Im∣position of Hands, which is us'd to cause the Holy Spirit to descend, but by that which is us'd to re∣concile Penitents. 4. He thinks that a Church must not be Consecrated anew, which is rebuilt upon the same Foundations, but that it is sufficient to celebrate Mess in it. This Consecration was made by throwing Holy Water upon it; for to show that it was not necessary to consecrate it anew, he u∣ses this Expression, Nihil Judicamus officere, si per eam minime aqua benedicta jactetur. 5. He fixes the Day of the Feast of Easter approaching; he says that Divine Service is perform'd after the same manner in all the Feasts, that some Chapters only are added, which agree either to the Mysteries, or to the Saint whose Feast it is: He sends Reliques to him to whom he writes. Here this Letter should end, for he declares that he had answer'd all the Demands of this Bishop, and makes him a Complement wherewith it was usual to conclude a Letter: Yet there are in it two other Articles, which have no relation to the preceding, nor any connexion with the remainder of the Letter. The first condemns the Priests who name not the three Persons in administring Baptism; the second is a∣bout the Primacy of the Church of Rome. It affirms, that there is no doubt but the Roman Church is the Foundation, Form and Principle of all the Churches, because tho all the Apostles were chosen after the same manner, yet St. Peter had the Pre-eminence above the other; which made him be call'd Cephas, because he is the Head and Prince of the other Apostles; that therefore the Church of Rome has the Primacy among all the Churches, and that 'tis necessary, that the Causes which con∣cern the Persons of Bishops, or the important Affairs of the Church, should be communicated to him, and that the Appeals of these Causes should be reserv'd to him. 'Tis very probable that these two Articles are added.
In the third Letter Vigilius makes Answer to Caesarius Bishop of Arles, about King Theodebert's Consulting him concerning the Penance which should be impos'd upon one who had married his Bro∣ther's Wife. Vigilius had already written to the King, that this Crime could not be expiated but by a great Penance: But because 'tis convenient that the Penance should be regulated by the Bishops upon the place, since none but they can know the condition of the Penitent, he commits this care to Caesarius, with whom he leaves full power to regulate the Time and Order of this Penance: But he admonishes him to require, that he commit no more such things for the future, and to hinder him and her, who were thus married, from dwelling together.
The fourth Letter is address'd to Justinian; There he praises the Piety and Faith of this Empe∣ror, who had written to him, that he would inviolably adhere to the Faith establish'd in the four Ge∣neral Councils, and in the Letters of St. Celestin and St. Leo. He testifies to him that he is of the same Judgment, and that he approves what his Predecessors Hormisdas, John and Agapetus had done against the Hereticks, and that he condemns the Persons whom they had condemn'd. He recom∣mends it to this Prince, that he would maintain the Priviledges of the See of Rome, which could not be attack'd without violating, as one may say, the Faith.
In the following Letter he congratulates Mennas for being of the same Judgment: This is dated Sept. 17th, 540.
The sixth, seventh and eighth Letters are address'd to Auxanius Bishop of Arles. In the first he grants him the Pallium: In the second he makes him his Vicar in the Kingdom of Childebert, and annexes two Prerogatives to this Title. The first is to examine and judge the Causes of the Bi∣shops of this Kingdom, provided notwithstanding, that if any Causes of Faith or of difficult Mat∣ters