Anti-Mortonus or An apology in defence of the Church of Rome. Against the grand imposture of Doctor Thomas Morton, Bishop of Durham. Whereto is added in the chapter XXXIII. An answere to his late sermon printed, and preached before His Maiesty in the cathedrall church of the same citty..

SECT. II. Doctor Mortons ignorance further discouered, and his falsifying of Binius.

COming to the relation of what passed in the fifth Ge∣nerall Councell, you say(*) 1.1: Anthimij causa ab Agapeto Papa condemnata. Binius Tom. 2. p. 416. post in Synodo Constantino∣pol. ventilata. Idem Binius in Not. Conc. Constant. sub Menna. This is an egregious falsification: for Binius hath no such words, and therfore your setting them downe englished in a dif∣ferent character, as his, is another false sleight, that by fa∣thering them on him, you might ground on his authority, the Argument, which out of them immediatly you frame against the authority of the Pope, saying(k) 1.2 This argueth the no-dominion of the Pope ouer that Councell, which will take vpon them to examine that cause, which the Pope before had condemned. But these your words besides falshood, containe excessiue ignorance: for Agapetus pronounced two sentences of condemnation against Anthymus. By the one, he deposed him from the See of Constantinople: by the other, from the See of Trebizond. In the former sentence the Councell had no hand: for it was definitiue, and absolutely perfected, and put in execution. Menas being ordeined in Anthymus his place by Agapetus his owne hands, before his death. But because Anthymus was not only an vsurper of the See of Constantinople, but also guilty of heresy, Agapetus being solicited by the Eastern Bishops, ordained, that wheras v∣pon the sentence of his deposition from the See of Con∣stantinople, his owne See of Trebizond had bene reserued vnto him; if he did not cleare himselfe from the crime of he∣resy, he should also be deposed from that See, and withall excommunicated, and depriued of all Sacerdotall title, and of the very name of a Catholike. But because Agapetus dyed, before the tyme which he gaue Anthymus to purpe himselfe from the imputation of heresy. Menas the Pa∣triarke after his death assembled a Councell, not to re-exa∣mine,

mine, and ventilate the sentence of deposition, which Aga∣petus pronounced against Anthymus, as you ignorantly mistake, but to put in execution the second sentence, which he had begun, but preuented by death, could not finish.

All this is cleare out of the petition of the Regulars of Syria, reported in the Councell it selfe, when speaking of the first sentence of Agapetus, they say(l) 1.3: God sent into this Citty Agapet, truly, Agapet, that is, truly beloued of God and man, Pope of old Rome, for the deposition of Anthymus, and of the aforesayd heretikes, as heretofore he sent great Peter to the Romans, for the de∣struction of Sim••n the Magician. This reuerend person then, knowing by the requests of many of ours, the things iniustly attempted vpon the Churches, and knowing them by sight, would not so much as admit into his presence Anthymus, transgressor of the Canons, but iustly de∣posed him from the Episcopall See of this Citty. Loe here the first sentence absolutely finished by Agapet before his death. And then speaking of the second sentence, they adde(m) 1.4: Afterwards the Bishops of Palestine assembled in this Citty, and o∣thers of the East, and deputies of others, and we did againe present petitions touching Anthymus, and the other heretikes, and demanded that Anthymus should certify his beliefe by writ to the See Apostolike, and should purge himselfe from all hereticall errors; & in this case, re∣turne to the Church of Trebizond: or if he would not do it, that he should be finally condemned, and deposed from all Sacerdotall digni∣ty, and action. And a litle after(n) 1.5: These our iust requests, the same most holy personage (Agapet) preuenting, and seeing that An∣thymus had fayled to appeare, condemned him with the aforesaid he∣retikes, and despoiled him of all office, and dignity Sacerdotall, and of all title Orthodoxall, euen till the pennance of his errors.

The same is declared by all the Fathers of that Coun∣cell, who in their sentence pronounced against Anthymus, speaking of his first deposition, say(o) 1.6: The Blessed Pope Aga∣pet of most holy and happy memory, setting with God his hand to the sacred Canons deposed Anthymus from the See, which belonged not to him, pardoning those which had participated, and communicated in the act. And then passing to the second sentence, they adde:(p) 1.7 But because that euen in doctrine, Anthymus was charged with many accusations, and that many petitions were preferred against,

him, by diuers reuerend personages, to the most religious Emperor, and the most blessed Pope; the same most blessed Pope, after much paine taken with a Fatherly care to regaine his soule &c. pronounced a sentence in writing against him, full of Clemency, and seemly holy∣nesse, granting him tyme of repentance; and ordayned, that vntill he had changed his opinion, and satisfyed the doctrines canonically defi∣ned by the Fathers, be should neither haue the title of a Catholike, nor of a Priest.

This sheweth that the Councell intermedled not at all, with the first sentence of Agapet, by which Anthymus was deposed from the See of Constantinople: but because this second sentence of his deposition from the See of Tre∣bizond, was not absolute, but left depending, and subiect to reuocation, if he should appeare, and purge himselfe from heresy, the Councell taking the cause where the Pope left it, and according to the order giuen by him, cited Anthy∣mus thrice to appeare; and because he appeared not, execu∣ted the Popes sentence on him, deposing him from the Bi∣shopricke of Trebizond, and depriuing him of the title of a Priest, and the name of a Catholike. We (say they)(q) 1.8 fol∣lowing those things, which haue bene rightly examined by the most blessed Pope, ordayne, that he as an vnprofitable and rotten member be cast out of the body of the holy Churches of God, and depriued of the Bishopricke of Trebizond, and depriued of all sacred dignity, and action, and (according to the sentence of the most holy Pope) stript euen of the name of a Catholike.

Who now seeth not, how ignorantly, and vntruly you haue said(r) 1.9, that, The cause of Anthymus, which the Pope had condemned, was afterwards ventilated in the Councell of Constanti∣nople? For those Fathers neither questioned, nor any way examined either the first or the second sentence of the Pope against Anthymus, but assembled themselues to put in exe∣cution the sentence, which Agapet had pronounced, and being preuented by death, could not see executed. All which is so farre from making against the iurisdiction of the Pope ouer the Bishops of the East, that it is a strong proofe therof.

And that it may better appeare, how vnaduised you are

to vrge this history against the authority of the Roman Church, it is to be noted, that Anthymus an Eutychian he∣retike, not contenting himselfe with his owne Bishopricke of Trebizond, by the fauor of Iustinian (who as yet knew not, that he was an heretike) and chiefly by the craft of Theodora the Empresse, an Eutychian, and for that cause a great fauorer of Anthymus, intruded himselfe to the See of Constantinople. But Agapet Pope cōming thither, depo∣sed him, and with his owne hands ordayned Menas in his place; which was an admirable effect of the power of S. Peter in his Successor: for at that tyme Constantinople was the seate of Iustinian, and the Head of the Empire; wheras Rome was oppressed and made a slaue vnder the tiranny of Gothes, a barbarous and Arian people. The Church of Constantinople was most florishing, and glo∣rious; and that of Rome greatly depressed, and afflicted. Iu∣stinian the Emperor wa•• v••ctorious, and triumphant; and contrarily the Pope, brought to such straytes, that Theodat an Arian King of the Gothes, threatned to ruinate the Ro∣man Church, vnlesse he would goe to Constantinople, & solicite the Emperor for peace, and procure him to call his armies out o•• Italy: which v••••••ge therfore Agapet could not refuse, though he were so poore, that for the perfor∣mance therof, he was inforced to pawne the sacred Ves∣sells of his Church: wheras on the other side, Anthymus being exalted by the Emperor and Empresse, from the Bishoptick of Treb••zond, to the Patriarkeship of Con∣stantinople, was very powrefull in meanes, and highly fo∣uored by them both. And yet neuerthelesse, and that the Empresse threatned Agapet if he deposed Anthymus, and promised him great rewards if he would leaue him in the See of Constantinople, the holy Pope soon after his ariuall, being a stranger, and without support, deposed him, casting him out of that See, euen in the very Imperiall Citty, in the presence of the Emperor that fauoured him; and excom∣municated Theodora the Empresse that obstinatly main∣tained him; and with his owne hands ordained Menas a Priest of Constantinople in his place, and pardoned Peter

Patriarke of Hierusalem, and other Bishops of the East, that had communicated with him.

All this is accordingly reported by Marcellinus Comes(s) 1.10, Liberatus(t) 1.11, Victor of Tunes(u) 1.12, and Iustinian him∣selfe(x) 1.13: and is so cleare an euidence for the supreme au∣thority of the B. of Rome, that it admitteth no colour of answeare.

Notes

• (*) 1.1

  Pag. 122.
• (k) 1.2

  Ibid.
• (l) 1.3

  In Conc. sub Mena. Act. 1.
• (m) 1.4

  Ibid.
• (n) 1.5

  Ibid.
• (o) 1.6

  Act. 4.
• (p) 1.7

  Ibid.
• (q) 1.8

  Act. 4. in sentent. cont. Anthym.
• (r) 1.9

  Pag. 122.
• (s) 1.10

  In Chron.
• (t) 1.11

  Breu. c. 12.
• (u) 1.12

  In Chron. edit. per Ios. Scal. ad calc. Chron. Euseb.
• (x) 1.13

  Nou. 42.