next section, the Byzantine Bishops owed the rank which they held-in opposition to the Apostolic See-toillegal grants of monarchs of the Lower Empire, and to usurpations of their own.

THE SAME

SECTION V.

INQUIRY CONTINUED DOWN TO THE SEPARATION OF THE GREEK FROM THE LATIN CHURCH-CONVERSION OF RUSSIA.

I. The history of the Eastern Church affords proofs so numerous in favour of the divine supremacy of the Pope, that to give each one in detail would be to write the whole history afresh. A summary statement of a few of them is all that we are able to give in the present section. Pope Simplicius (468-483), who, after no long interval, succeeded to the Chair of St. Leo, exerted the full extent of his supreme power against the usurpations of the heretics who were at that time disturbing the Churches of Alexandria and Antioch. His letters, addressed to the Emperors Basiliscus and Zeno, to the Patriarch Acacius, and to the clergy of Constantinople,311 clearly exhibit him as convinced of his supreme authority. Thus, he describes himself as speaking with the voice of the Apostle Peter.312 He declares that to

311

311 S. Simplicius: Epist. iv.-vii. (Labbe, t. v., pp. 96, 99, 101). 312 "Quo magis B. Petri Apostoli voce qualiscumque sedis ejus minister obtestor."—Epist. iv., cit. (l. c., p. 99).

teach the true doctrine laid down by the Apostles belongs to him as supreme pastor of the whole Church, to whom all the flock is committed, and who holds the inheritance of the promises of Christ.313 In accordance with this principle, he adopts a tone of supreme authority, and enforces on the Emperors themselves the observance of their duty.314 In spite of this language and conduct of the Pope, no protest, no objection of any kind was raised against his interference in the affairs of the Oriental Church. On the contrary, the tyrannical determination of the Emperor Basiliscus succumbed to the energetic efforts of St. Simplicius ;315 the Emperor Zeno yielded to the advice of the same Pontiff,316 and in compliance with it begged of him a dispensation from a certain disciplinary Canon of Nicæa, regarding the election and consecration of the Patriarch of Antioch.317 Finally, Acacius himself, in solemn form, acknowledged that the Pope was entrusted with the care of all the Churches.318

II. It is foreign to our present purpose to give a detailed account of the Acacian controversy under Pope Felix III., the successor of Simplicius (483-492), though it would furnish irresistible evidence of the

313 L. c., pp. 97—99.

314 Ibid., Epist. v.—viii. (l. c., pp. 99—104).

315 "Basiliscus tyrannus et hæreticus scriptis Apostolicæ Sedis vchementer infractus est et a plurimis revocatus excessibus.”—In Epist. xiii. S. Gelasii Papæ (Labbe, t. v., p. 332).

316 Evagrius: Hist., 1. iii., c. viii. Edit. Valesii, p. 309. Codex Justin 1. i., tit. ii., leg. xvi., pt. ii., p. 19. : Edit. Herrmanni, Lipsiæ, 1865. Breviculus Hist. Eccl., apud Labbe, t. v., p. 144; et Epist. x. S. Simplicii, ad Zenonem (Labbe, 1. c., p. 106).

317 See Epist. xiv., xv., S. Simplicii (Labbe, 1. c., pp. 110-11).

318 Epist. Acacii ad Simpl. Papam (Labbe, l. c., p. 104). “Sollicitudinem omnium Ecclesiarum secundum Apostolum circumferentes nos indesinenter hortamini," &c.

We see

divinely-instituted supremacy of the Popes. throughout the controversy between Pope Felix III. on the one side, and the Emperor Zeno and the Patriarch Acacius on the other, that neither the Emperor nor the Patriarch makes the least protest against the extensive power claimed by the Pope over the Patriarch. of Constantinople. No doubt of his jurisdiction over the Oriental Church is intimated by them; they never arrogate to themselves what we have seen claimed on behalf of the Anglican communion,319 "that they had a right to regulate the affairs of their own church by and for themselves, independently of the Bishop of Rome." Although Felix III., as became the true vicar of the love of Christ, in the earlier stages of the controversy, used with them the language of a tender father anxious for the salvation of his children,320 he did not forget that he had received from God the office of their superior in spiritual matters, and of judge of their usurpations. Measures of kindness and conciliation were at length exhausted, and when the Church of Alexandria had been brought to the verge of utter ruin through the protection afforded by Acacius to the heretical usurper of that see, Pope Felix deemed that the time had come for him to perform the duty of a supreme judge. Thereupon he summoned the Patriarch of Constantinople to present himself before the Apostolic See to give an account of his conduct, and to receive his sentence.321 At the same time, under sanction of the divine vengeance, he commanded the Emperor Zeno to put an end to the evils of the Church of Alexandria, and to oblige Acacius to submit obedi

319 Pusey Vindication of the Thirty-nine Articles, p. 139. 320 St. Felix III.: Epist. i., ii. (Labbe, t. v., pp. 143, 148).

321 Libellus citationis ad Acacium (Labbe, 1. c., p. 217).

ently to the summons of the Roman See.322 Neither the Emperor nor the Patriarch raised any protest against the jurisdiction exercised by the Pope over the latter. Acacius, it is true, did not obey the orders of the Pope, who on this account, and in virtue of his supreme power, pronounced against the rebel a solemn sentence of excommunication, and deposition from all ccclesiastical pre-eminence. Acknowledge," says the Pontiff in his letter, "acknowledge that you have been separated from the Catholic communion, and from the number of the faithful, that the name and the office of the priesthood has been taken away from you; that you are condemned by the judgment of the Holy Ghost, and by the authority of the Apostolic See; that you shall never be freed from the bonds of the anathema.-I, Cæcilius Felix, Bishop of the holy Catholic Church of Rome, have signed this sentence."323 At the same time he forbade the clergy and people of Constantinople to communicate with the deposed Patriarch,324 and threatened with excommunication all who should attempt to act against his orders.325 These facts imply nothing short of a divine supreme authority exercised in its fulness by the Pope, and as fully acknowledged by the Oriental Church.

322 Libellus Felicis III. ad Zenonem Imp. (Labbe, 1. c., p. 218). "Divino judicio suggerimus. ut idem frater et coepiscopus meus Acacius . ad hæc quæ de se pervidet intimari apud Beatissimum Petrum Apostolum diluere obedienter procuret, nec ullo modo existimet differendum."

323 St. Felix III.: Epist. vi., ad Acacium (Labbe, 1. c., p. 169). Breviculus Hist. Eutych. seu de nomine Acacii (Labbe, l. c., p. 177). Liberatus: Brev. Hist., c. xviii. (Gallandi, Bibl., t. xii., p. 150). Theophanes Chron. ad A.D. 480, vol. i. Edit. Bonnæ, p. 205, &c.

324 St. Felix III.: Epist. x., ad Clerum et Plebem Constantinop. (Labbe, 1. c., p. 178, seq.).

325 Edictum S. Felicis III. (Labbe, 1. c., p. 177).

III. We must be brief, and we therefore pass over the glorious Pontificates of Gelasius (492-496) and Anastasius II. (496-498); but we cannot omit those of Symmachus (498-514), and Hormisdas (514-523), under whom the whole Oriental Church sent to the Roman Pontiff a clear and solemn declaration in acknowledgment of the divine supremacy of the Pope.326 Symmachus, faithful to the duties of his ministry, failed not to notice the trials endured by the Oriental Church under the tyrannical yoke of the Emperor Anastasius. He left no means untried in his attempt to bring it back to the paths of order and grace. Anastasius remained obdurate in his impiety, but the whole episcopate and the lower clergy of the East rendered the most solemn homage to the Catholic cause and to the supreme authority of the Roman Pontiff. They addressed a letter to him openly confessing that Christ Himself had entrusted to his Holiness the Chair of St. Peter;327 that he (Symmachus) had been taught by the Prince of the Apostles to feed the sheep committed to his care throughout the habitable world; 328 that to him was the power given, not of binding only, but also of loosing.329 They declared that next to God they looked to him, in order to receive from him light and direction;330 they besought him, therefore, to enlighten

326 The title of that letter is, Ecclesia Orientalis ad Symmachum Episcopum Romanum (Labbe, t. v., pp. 433—38).

327Sicut docuit gloriosorum Apostolorum Princeps, cujus cathedram beatitudini tuæ credidit Christus optimus Pastor," &c. (1. c., p. 434).

328 "Non enim ignoras ejus ingenium qui quotidie a sacro doctore tuo Petro doceris oves Christi per totum habitabilem mundum creditas tibi pascere non vi, sed sponte coactas" (1. c.).

329 "Non in ligando tantum potestas est tibi tradita sed in solvendo quoque diu vinctos ad imitationem magistri" (l. c.).

330 "Omnes post Deum tuæ lumen visitationis et assumptionis opperimur" (1. c., p. 436).

I