218 s Church-1:10-0)y 1r3iops and outhis eyes, and cut out his tongue, and put him into an Hofpital, where he dyed of the pain. And now Pope Stephen had, no doubt, a lawful 'calling to be Pope. He fends his Legate to the King of France. He brings forth blinded PopeConftantine to, anfwer for hisCrime,who fallingflat on the earth, he lamenteth his fin as more than the Sands on theSea-fhore, and profeffeth that the People chofe and forced him to be Pope, becaufe of their fuflerings under Paul : Butat his next appearance he teli's them, that he did no more than many other Lay-men did, who, invaded Bifhopricks ; as ScrgiusArch- bifhop of Ravenna, Stephen Bifliop of 'Naples, &c. when-they heard this, all the Priefts caufed him to be buffeted, and call him out of the Church , and burnt hisPapers, be. And the moff holy Pope Stephen caft himfelf . on. the earth, with all the Priefts and People of Rome, and with ,tears lamented their fin, that they had taken the Communion from the handsof Pope Coniantine, (it Teems it is a fin to communicate with Bithops that are brought,iá irregtr lady by fecular Power without due Eleaion, and they are no Schifmaticks that refufe it.) And fo theyall performed their Pennance for it , 4naftaf. in ejus vita. § 3s. CCXXXI. On thisgreat occafion Pope Stephen (being' far unable now to call General Councils) fendsto the Kingof France, to entreat him to fend Lome wife Bithops to Council at Rome, who Lent him about a dozen, who, with fome others, agreed againif Conflantine's Eleaion, and fuch other for the time to come; and damned a Synod that Conftantine had held; and altopaffed their judgment for Images. § 3 3. But here was a great difficulty, ( filch as often after happened) Whether Conftantine's Papal A&s were valid ; and the Council decreed that they fhould all he void except hisBaptizings, and his Confecrations : And fo thofe Priefts that he Confecrated, when they wereafter duely.chofen, offiéia,. ' ted without anewConfecration. Either he was a real Pope, or noPope. If a. Pope, then by the Canons Stephen was no Pope, and fo. the Succeffion there failed. If no Pope, then, rl How come his Confecrations to, be valid ? s.: Are not Presbyter'sOrdinations better than a - Lay-mans ? 3. Then the Univerfal Church hadnaHead, and fo-was no Church ( with them) while Conftantinewas Pope. § 34 Alike Schifmfell out at Ravenna : The power of the Magiftrate made one Michael, Scrirtiarÿ of the. Church, (a Lay-man) Archbithop, the People being-for one Lèo, whom they imprifoned. He kept the placeabove a year; - but by the help of the Pope, and the French; the People rofe- and caft him out, and brought him l?rifoner to. Rome, and fèt up Leo. § 35. Chriftopher and his Son'Sergisas were the Captainsthat had wrought this great deliverance to the Church And now they:plead.with King Defi- derius for St.Peter's Rights,as ftill zealous for the Pope.. TheKing is angry with them; and jealous of their power, and feeketh to deftroy them,and, par- ticularly to -fee their ownPope againft them.- They get the Citizens to-¡land by them, and the King cometh with an Army. The Pope feeingwhichwas like to be the ftrossger fide, in great:wifdom went out to.the-King, and. after fome
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