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.

STEVEN II.

AFter ZACHARY's decease, the Romans elected a Presbyter, named, Steven, in his his room; but this dying 3 days after his Election, they preferred to the Pontificate, the 27th. of March, 752. Pope Constantin's Son, named Steven II. In the beginning of his Pon∣tificate, * 1.1 he repaired and built Hospitals. Astulphus, who was then King of Lombardy, threat∣ned the City of Rome. Stev••••, to appease his Fury, sent Deputies with Presents to him, and concluded a Peace with him 40 Years; but Astulphus, intending to make himself Master of Rome, did soon break it. The Pope sent some Religious Persons to him to pacifie him; but he did not at all regard their Entreaties or Arguments. In this Conjuncture, John, the chief Silentiary of the Emperor of Greece, came to Rome with some Letters from the Empe∣ror to the Pope, and to King Astulphus, whom he did exhort to restore the Places he had usurped. He brought these Orders to Astulphus, who slighted them, and sent him back again, without any favourable Answer. The Pope seeing the danger he was in, sent some Deputies to the Emperor, to let him know, That it was high time for him to come with an Army to defend the Provinces he had yet in Italy, if he had a mind to preserve them; and for his part, he imployed publick Prayers, to obtain from God the Peace of Italy, and endeavoured, with Entreaties, to still the Anger of the King of Lombardy. But seeing, at last, there was no hope left of any assistance from the Greek Emperor, he applied himself to Pepin, King of France, who did voluntarily offer himself to help the Pope and the Romans. He judged it fit to bring the Pope into France, where he received him favourably, and promised him, That he would force the Lombard to restore him the Exarchy of Ravenna, and all the Territories belonging to the Romans. Astulphus, to avert this Storm, sent Carloman, Pepin's Brother, who was a Monk in Mount-Cassin, to oppose this Design; but he could not dissuade Pepin from his Enterprize, wherefore he retreated into a Monastery in France. Pepin did immediately send Ambassadors to the King of the Lombards, to oblige him to make Peace, and to restore to the Romans the Towns and Lands he had taken from them. The Pope likewise urged him by Letters, but all in vain; so Pepin came with an Army to attack him. The Lombard, having assay'd to force Pepin's Troops in a Passage of the Alps, was routed, put to flight, and forced to fly into Pavia, which was presently besieg'd by Pepin's Army. Astulphus was forced to sue for Peace, which was granted him, upon condition, he should restore the Exarchy of Ravenna, and what he had taken. But instead of performing this Treaty, as soon as he was delivered, he marched towards Rome, with an intent to take it. Pepin having notice of it, returned again with his Army, besieg'd Astulphus, and forced him to perform the Articles of the Treaty. The Greek Emperor's Envoy re-demanded the Exarchy of Ravenna; but Pepin looking upon that Country as an Estate which he had acquired by the right of Arms, gave it to the Church of Rome, and sent Fulradus, Abbot of S. Denys, to receive the Towns of the Pantapolis and Aemilia, which the Lombard was bound to restore. After Astulphus's death, Desiderius, who had possessed himself of the Kingdom of the Lombards, confirmed this Treaty, and rendred to the Pope all the Places agreed on. All this was done under Steven II's Pontificate, which lasted 5 Years. He died Apr. 24. 757.

This Pope's Letters are concerning all those Affairs. In the 1st. he thanks Pepin for the assistance he had promised by Chrodegand. In the 2d. he desires the great French Lords to help forward his Request to their King. In the 3d. directed to King Pepin, whom he calls his Godfather, and to his Sons Charles and Carloman, whom he stiles Kings and Nobles of Rome, he entreats them to cause Astulphus to perform the Treaty he had made. In the 4th. he begs Pepin's help against Astulphus, who was come to besiege the City of Rome. The 5th. is a Letter in S. Peter and Steven's Name, to implore Aid against the Lombards. It seems

to be Supposititious and of a quite different Stile from the rest. The 6th. is a Letter of Thanks to Pepin, for setting at liberty the City and Church of Rome. He inform him, withal, of the death of Astulphus, and that Desiderius succeeded him, and entreats him to cause him to restore the rest of the Towns of the Exarchate and the Pantopolis, which were to be restored to him by the agreement. There is a 7th. Letter, wherein he requests Pepin and his Sons to force Astulphus, to restore him the Towns and Lands which they had bestowed upon the Holy See.

To those Letters are joined 4 Privileges granted by Steven to Fulradus, Abbot of S. Denys, and a Relation of a Revelation which they pretend this Pope had, being extream sick in the Abby of S. Denys; but these last Monuments are of small Authority and good for little. This Pope's Letters are eloquent and powerful: We have moreover, under his Name, a Collection of some Canonical Constitutions which he made at Cressy, to answer the Questions propounded to him by the Monks of the Monastery of Bretigny. It contains 19 Constitutions, for the most part, drawn out of Popes Decrees, and the proceeding Councils; but there be some upon Bap∣tism somewhat singular: For in the 11th. he excuses a Priest, who in case of necessity had baptized with Wine for want of Water, and he intimates that Baptism, to be valid, in these words: Infantes sic permaneant in ipso Baptismo. I know very well that some have believed, That this Parenthesis is a gloss impertinently crept into the Text, and that some others have pretended, that of these 19 Articles 10 are Supposititious, whereof this is one; but all this is said without any Ground against the Faith of the ancient Manuscript, from which they were taken. Walafrid reports, That this Pope brought the Roman way of singing into France, which appears plainly by Charlemagne's Capitularies.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Steven II.