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STEPHEN III.
PAUL I. being at the point to Die, Toton, Duke of Nepi, who dwelt at Rome, brought many Arm'd Men thither, who took Constantine, his Brother, who was but a Lay-Man * 1.1 as yet, put him in possession of the Pope's Palace, the next Day caused him to be Or∣dain'd Subdeacon and Deacon, and the Sunday after to be Consecrated Bishop of Rome by Three Bishops. Two of the chief Officers of the Roman Church, viz. Christopher, Secreta∣ry, and Sergius, Chaplain, being not able to bear with this Violence, fled to the King of the Lombards, and having received his Orders, return'd to Rome with a Band of Armed Men. Being got into the Town, they were set on by Toton and his Creatures; but Toton being slain in the Conflict, Constantine was turn'd out, and one Named Philip, a Priest and Monk, was chosen to sit in the Holy See. But Christopher the Secretary, who had been head of this Enterprize, forced him to withdraw into his Monastery, and in August in the Year 768, pro∣cured the unanimous Election of Stephen, who came from Sicily to Rome, under the Pontifi∣cate of Gregory the Third, and from that time had been much esteem'd in the Church of Rome. After his Election, Constantine was shamefully deposed, those of his Party were very cruelly used; they carried their Fury so far, as to go and fetch him out of the Monastery▪ where he was shut up, to pull out his Eyes. After these Cruelties Waldip••rt, a Presbyter, who had brought the Lombards to Rome to expel Constantine, would also have apprehended Christopher the Secretary, and the chief Citizens of Rome, to deliver them up to the Lom∣bards; but they sent a Vicount against him, who heading the People, took him Prisoner, and put out his Eyes. During all those troubles, Stephen sent into France to request the King to send some Bishops to Rome, there to set things in order in a Council. Sergius, sent by the Pope, found Pepin Dead, and delivered the Letter to his Sons Charles and Carloman, who sent Twelve French Bishops to Rome, who held a Council there, with the Bishops of Italy, to which they brought Constantine blind, as he was. The first Day he beg'd the Council's for∣giveness, and to excuse himself, told them, that the People had forced him; but the next Day he vindicated himself, affirming, that it was no new thing, for Laicks to be raised to the Episcopal Dignity, that Sergius was made Bishop of Ravenna, from a Lay-Man, and Stephen Bishop of Naples. The Bishops, being provoked by this defence, caused him to be beaten, and turned out of the Church. Afterward the whole matter was examined, and the Acts of the Council, that had confirmed Constantine, were burnt. After this Pope Stephen fell down prostrate, with the Bishops, and those of the People, who had communicated with Constan∣stine, and having confessed their fault, and ask'd forgiveness with Tears, they imposed a Pe∣nance on them. The Council caused the Canons, forbidding to Elect Lay-Men, to be read, and made several Constitutions. Concerning the Bishops, Priests, and Deacons Ordain'd by Constantine, it was declared, that their Ordination was Null, and that they should remain in the same degree of the Clergy in which they were before, unless they should afterwards think it fit to Ordain them anew; and, as to the Lay-Men which had been Ordain'd Deacons and Priests by Constantine, that they should wear the Religious Habit during the rest of their Life. Lastly, All that Constantine had done was declared Null, except Baptism and Confir∣mation. Consequent to this Decree, the Bishops Ordain'd by Constantine, having got them∣selves to be chosen by the Clergy, and the People, were re-ordain'd by Stephen. The Council treated also of Images, and maintain'd the Worshipping of them against the Council holden in Greece. Things being thus ordered, Stephen remain'd in the quiet possession of the Holy See. But he had some difference with the King of the Lombards, about the Arch-Bishoprick of Ravenna, which became vacant by the Death of Sergius. The King of the Lombards had put one Named Michael in his room. Stephen would have deprived him as an intruder, and he was at last deposed and sent to Rome by the Order of Charles King of France. But Desiderius caused Christopher and Sergius to have their Eyes put out, for summoning of him in the Pope's Name, to restore to the Church what belong'd to her, yea, and put Christopher to Death.
This Pope wrote three Letters. The 1st is directed to the Queen, or to King Charles; He thanks the King there for the good Turns Itherius, his Envoy, had done him, and desires him to give him a Reward.
The 2d is to Charles and Carloman; He congratulates their Reconciliation, and desires them to force the Lombards to restore what they had taken from the Church's Patrimony.
The 3d▪ directed to the same, is to disswade them from marrying Desiderius's Daughter, or from bestowing their Sister upon his Son. This Letter is very earnest and vehement. There be two Letters more of this Pope in the Carolin Code; the 1st, which is the 46th of this Collection, is directed to Bertrade, and is written against Sergius, Christopher, and those others, who would have assassinated Stephen. The other is a Letter of Thanks to Carloman.
There is also found there two Letters of Constantine, directed to Pepin: In the 1st of which he acquaints him with Paul's Death, and promises to be obedient to him. In the 2d he assures him, He was chosen against his Will; and tells him, That he hath received a Let∣ter from the East about Images, of which he sends him a Copy. Stephen died the last Day of January, 772.