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JOHN, Patriarch of Constantinople; and AGATHO, Deacon of the same Church.
AFTER the Death of the Emperor Constantine [commonly called Pogonatus] his Son Justinian [the Second of that Name] a Cruel Man obtained the Empire in 685, and * 1.1 was deprived os it in the Tenth year of his Reign by Leontius Patricius, who cut off his Nose, and Banished him; but he was soon after Deposed by Apsimarus Tiberius: And at length Justinian was again restored in 705, but was at last Slain in Bithynia, Anno. 712. by the Command of Bardanes, Sirnamed Philippicus, who Invaded the Empire. This Man who had been the Scholar of the Abbot Stephen, the Scholar of Macarius, caused the Picture of the Sixth Council to be Pulled down, the Names of Sergius, and Honorius to be put in the Dypticks, and the Acts of the Council, which were in his Place to be Burnt. He Persecuted the Ortho∣dox Bishops, Banished Cyrus Patriarch of Constantinople, put John in his place, and endeavoured to reverse the Definitions of the Sixth Council, and revive the Doctrine of the Monothelites. But he did not live long enough to perfect his design, for he was taken, and had his Eyes put out by certain Persons that conspired against him in 713, on the Saturday before Whitsuntide, and the next Day Fl. Anthemius was declared Emperor, Sirnamed Anastasius, and Crowned by John. He published the Sixth Council anew, put up the Picture of it, and caused the Acts to be written out again by the Deacon Agatho, who relates this whole matter in a Memoir, which he hath put at the end of the Acts of the Council.
John, Patriarch of Constantinople, declared that he was of the same Opinion, and to reconcile himself to the Western Church. He wrote a Letter to Pope Constantine, in which he excuses himself for not sending a Synodical Letter of Communion, because he was hindred by the violence of Philippicus. He then gives him an Account how he was raised to the Patriarchate; He says, That Philippicus had a design to put a Person, who was not of the Clergy and who was of his own Sentiments, but he was forced by the earnest Petitions of the Clergy of Constantinople to choose him; That he never had declared himself to be of the Erroneous Opinions of the Emperor, nor did write to the Pope in defence of them; but he owns, That he was forced to dissemble the Truth by using ambiguous terms; He endeavours to excuse his behaviour, plainly acknowledges two Natural Wills in Jesus Christ, and approves of the Council held under Martin I. and the Sixth Council. Lastly, He earnestly desired the Pope to receive him into his Communion, and to write his Synodical Letters to him, without regard to what had passed. Nevertheless Con∣stantine gave him no Answer, and he was likewise Deposed a little after, and Germanus put in his place.