XLIX. vigorously defended, by the independent zeal of CHAP the Italians. In ecclefiaftical rank and jurifdiction, the patriarch of Conftantinople and the pope of Rome were nearly equal. But the Greek prelate was a domeftic flave under the eye of his mafter, at whose nod he alternately paffed from the convent to the throne, and from the throne to the convent. A diftant and dangerous ftation, amidst the Barbarians of the Weft, excited the fpirit and freedom of the Latin bishops. Their popular election endeared them to the Romans : the public and private indigence was relieved by their ample revenue; and the weakness or neglect of the emperors compelled them to confult, both in peace and war, the temporal fafety of the city. In the school of adverfity the priest infenfibly imbibed the virtues and the ambition of a prince; the fame character was affumed, the fame policy was adopted, by the Italian, the Greek, or the Syrian, who afcended the chair of St. Peter; and, after the lofs of her legions and provinces, the genius and fortune of the popes again restored the fupremacy of Rome. It is agreed, that in the eighth century their dominion was founded on rebellion, and that the rebellion was produced, and justified, by the heresy of the Iconoclafts; but the conduct of the fecond and third Gregory, in this memorable conteft, is variously interpreted by the wishes of their friends and enemies. The By. zantine writers unanimously declare, that, after a fruitless admonition, they pronounced the feparation of the Eaft and Weft, and deprived the facrilegious tyrant of the revenue and fovereignty CHAP. of Italy. XLIX. Their excommunication is ftill more clearly expreffed by the Greeks, who beheld the accomplishment of the papal triumphs; and as they are more strongly attached to their religion than to their country, they praise, instead of blaming, the zeal and orthodoxy of these apoftolical men 26. The modern champions of Rome are eager to accept the praife and the precedent : this great and glorious example of the depofition of royal heretics is celebrated by the cardinals Baronius and Bellarmine "; and if they are asked, why the fame thunders were not hurled against the Neros and Julians of antiquity? they reply, that the weakness of the primitive church was the fole caufe of her patient loyalty 28. On this occafion, the effects of love and hatred are the fame; and the zealous proteftants, who feek to kindle the indignation, and to alarm the fears, of princes 26 Και την Ρώμην τον πάση Ιταλία της βασιλειας αυτε απέτησε, fays Theophanes (Chronograph. p. 343.). For this Gregory is ftyled by Cedrenus amę aπosolinos (p. 450.). Zonaras fpecifies the thunder, avanuaтI budine (tom. ii. 1. xv. p. 104, 105.). It may be observed, that the Greeks are apt to confound the times and actions of two Gregories. 27 See Baronius, Annal. Ecclef. A. D. 730, No 4, 5. : dignum exemplum! Bellarmin, de Romano Pontifice, 1. v. c. 8.: mulctavit eum parte imperii. Sigonius, de Regno Italiæ, 1. iii. Opera, tom. ii. p. 169. Yet fuch is the change of Italy, that Sigonius is corrected by the editor of Milan, Philippus Argelatus, a Bolognese, and subject of the pope. 28 Quod fi Chriftiani olim non depofuerunt Neronem aut Julianum, id fuit quia deerant vires temporales Chriftianis (honeft Bellarmine, de Rom. Pont. 1. v. c. 7.). Cardinal Perron adds a distinction more honourable to the first Chriftians, but not more fatisfactory to modern princes-the treafon of heretics and apoftates, who break their oath, belie their coin, and renounce their allegiance to Chrift and his vicar (Perroniana, p. 89.). and . XLIX. and magiftrates, expatiate on the infolence and CHA P. treafon of the two Gregories against their lawful fovereign 29. They are defended only by the moderate Catholics, for the most part, of the Gallican church 30, who refpect the faint, without approving the sin. Thefe common advocates of the crown and the mitre circumfcribe the truth of facts by the rule of equity, fcripture, and tradition; and appeal to the evidence of the Latins 3* and the lives 3 and epiftles of the popes themfelves. 29 Take, as a specimen, the cautious Bafnage (Hift. de l'Eglife, p. 1350. 1351.) and the vehement Spanheim (Hift. Imaginum), who, with an hundred more, tread in the footsteps of the centuriators of Magdeburgh. 30 See Launoy (Opera, tom. v. pars ii. epift. vii. 7. p. 456-474.), Natalis Alexander (Hift. Nov. Teftamenti, fecul. viii. differt. i. p. 92-96.), Pagi (Critica, tom. iii. p. 215, 216.), and Giannone (Iftoria Civile di Napoli, tom. i. p. 317-320.), a disciple of the Gallican fchool. In the field of controverfy I always pity the moderate party, who ftand on the open middle ground exposed to the fire of both fides. 31 They appealed to Paul Warnefrid, or Diaconus (de Geftis Langobard. 1. vi. c. 49. p. 506, 507. in Script. Ital. Muratori, tom. i. pars i.), and the nominal Anaftafius (de Vit. Pont. in Muratori, tom. iii. pars i. Gregorius II. p. 154. Gregorius III. p. 158. Zacharias, p. 161. Stephanus III. p. 165. Paulus, p. 172. Stephanus IV. p. 174. Hadrianus, p. 179. Leo III. p. 195.). Yet I may remark, that the true Anaftafius (H.ft. Ecclef. p. 134. edit. Reg.) and the Hiftoria Miscella (1. xxi. p. 151. in tom. i. Script. Ital.), both of the ixth century, tranflate and approve the Greek text of Theophanes. 32 With some minute difference, the most learned critics, Lucas Holftenius, Scheleftrate, Ciampini, Bianchini, Muratori (Prolegomena ad tom. iii. pars i.), are agreed that the Liber Pontificalis was compofed and continued by the apoftolical librarians and notaries of the viiith and ixth centuries; and that the last and finallest part is the work of Anaftafius, whose name it bears. The ftyle is barbarous, the narrative partial, the details are trifling-yet it must be read as a curious and authentic record of the times. The epiftles of the popes are difperfed in the volumes of Councils. Two original epiftles, from Gregory the fecond to the emperor Leo, are still extant 33; and if they cannot be praised as the most perfect models of eloquence and logic, they exhibit the portrait, or at least the mafk, of the founder of the papal monarchy. "During ten pure and fortunate years," fays Gregory to the emperor, we "have tafted the annual comfort of your royal "letters, fubfcribed in purple ink, with your ❝own hand, the facred pledges of your attach"ment to the orthodox creed of our fathers. "How deplorable is the change! how tremendous "the fcandal! You now accufe the Catholics of idolatry; and, by the accufation, you betray your own impiety and ignorance. To this ig• norance we are compelled to adapt the groff"nefs of our ftyle and arguments: the first "elements of holy letters are fufficient for your "confufion; and were you to enter a grammar"fchool, and avow yourfelf the enemy of our "worship, the fimple and pious children would "be provoked to caft their horn-books at your "head." After this decent falutation, the pope attempts the ufual distinction between the idols of antiquity and the Chriftian images. The former were the fanciful reprefentations of phantoms or dæmons, at a time when the true God had not manifested his person in any visible likeness. The 33 The two epiftles of Gregory II. have been preserved in the Acts of the Nicene Council (tom. viii. p. 651-674,). They are without a date, which is variously fixed, by Baronius in the year 726, by Muratori (Annali d'Italia, tom. vi. p. 120.) in 729, and by Pagi in 730. Such is the force of prejudice, that fome papists have praised the good sense and moderation of thefe letters. latter latter 66 us, O tyrant! with a carnal and military hand: "unarmed and naked, we can only implore the Christ, the prince of the heavenly host, that "he will send unto you a devil, for the deftruc"tion of your body and the falvation of your foul. You declare, with foolish arrogance, I "will dispatch my orders to Rome: I will break K 4 6 in XLIX. |