GREG 



in which, it Hiould kv-m, he was much Intei-eftcd, though 

 what thofc diilicultii-s were we arc not informed. Upon the 

 death of Coiillaiitine, in 715, he was raifed to the uapnl 

 c^iijnitv, ami ahuull immediately upon this event, tlie Lom- 

 bards made an irruption into tlie imperial territories, and 

 took by fm-prife the city of Cumx. Gregory, in liis (luahty 

 •of Holv Father, endeavoured to prevail on tlieni to reftore 

 it, hrft iiy thrcatenings of the vengeance of heaven if they 

 Ihould prove fo wicked as to retain it, and afterwards by 

 the offer of a large fum of money, and the particidar pro- 

 -tection of St. Pe'ter, provided they withdrew their troops, 

 ■ Ihd abllained from all farther hollilities. Finding that they 

 were equally deaf to the threatening? and promiies of the 

 pope, he applied for the affillance of the king of Naples, 

 who, for a itipulated fum, undertook to recover the place, 

 and fueceeded in the enterprife. In the year 717, the em- 

 peror Theodofius, having refiRned the imperial dignity, and 

 retired to a monaftery, Leo, the Ifaurian, was, by the lenate 

 and army, railed to the throne, on which occafion he wrote 

 a letter to the pope, accompanied with a confeilion of faith, 

 and alfo with promifes to maintain the Catholic doctrine, as 

 delined by the fix general councils and the fathers. Gregory, 

 in return,' congratulated the emperor, in warm exprellions of 

 refpcct and loyalty, upon his acceflion, and allured him, that 

 lie would not only receive him for his fovereign, but would 

 ufe his influence to preferve peace and amity between him 

 and all the Chriltian princes of the Well. In 721, Gregory 

 ' lield a council at Rome, in which feveral important canons 

 were enacted on the fubjecl of unlawful marriages and 

 other points relating to ecclefiailical difcipline. While this 

 council was fitting, Winifrid, afterwards archbifliop of Mcntz, 

 and known by the name of Boniface, arrived on a pilgrimage 

 at Rome, where be was received with extraordinary marks of 

 refpect. A few years after this, Ina, king of the Well 

 Saxons, arrived at Rome, on a pilgrimage to the tomb of the 

 ApolUes, having refolved to renounce the world, and embrace 

 the moiialtic lite. During his Hay in the city, he built a 

 . college for the education of youth, and the reception of fuch 

 of his fubjefts as (hould undertake pilgrimages ; for the 

 fupport of which he impofed a tax on every houfe or family, 

 . known by the name of Rome-fcot or Peter-pence. This 

 tax, which, about the middle of the ninth century, was laid 

 on the whole kingdom of England, was originally dellined 

 folely to the charitable ufes above-mentinoed, but it was 

 afterwards converted, by the popes, to their own ufe, and 

 levied under the denomination of a tribute to St. Peter, till 

 Henry delivered the country of the burden. About the 

 year 726, Leo, determined to reftore the Chriftian worfhip to 

 its primitive ilate, forbad all kinds of image -worfhip, and 

 caufed the edict to be promulgated through the empire. 

 He gave notice of the fame to the pope, requefting his 

 affillance in carrying the refolution into eftetl, but Gregory 

 made no fcruple of a\ owing his decided oppolition to 

 the meafure, and threatened the emperor with the in- 

 dignation 01 St. Peter, fhould he pertill in his projected 

 reform. The emperor was not to be intimidated : he pub- 

 ]ilhed his edift in Italy, but the populace was lerioufly 

 againft the innovation, and infurrei'itions were immediately 

 excited, whicii the foldierv could not lipprefs without much 

 mifchief and blood filed. Luitrand, king of the Lombards, 

 joined the popular cry, and taking advantage of the dillur- 

 tance.s, made a rapid progrefs in Italy. Every where he 

 declared his readincfs to proteft image -vtorfliip, and every 

 where he wa» received by the people as one fent from heaven 

 to defend the Catholic faith. Thefe events went beyond 

 the wilhes of the pope, he was filled with the utmoft con- 

 fteruation, well knowing that if the Lombard! were fuffered 



O R Y. 



to make head Ln the Italian territoi-ies, he (liould feel tlie 

 weight of their yoke. He applied for aflillance to Urfus, 

 the doge of Venice, which was readily granted, and which 

 was ctteclual in refcuing the emperor's dominions from the 

 power of the Lombards. Gregoj-y ptirfued his deiign, and 

 urged Leo, by all the eloquence in his power, to abandon his 

 plan with regard to image worfliip ; but the determination 

 of the emperor was unalterable, and he took meafures to 

 get poflefiion of the perfon of Gregory, to prevent hiiu 

 from fomenting divifions, and even rebellion among the peo- 

 ple. Gregory obtained timely notii^e of his intention, and 

 fruftrated the defign : lie immediately thundered out a fen- 

 tence of excommunication againif the emperor's exarch, for 

 endeavouring to obey hi^ mailer ; and the people inllantly 

 took up arms, overpowered the garrifon, pulled down tlie 

 ftatues of the emperor, broke them in pieces, and openlr 

 declared that thev renounced their allegiance to him as fove- 

 reign : not fatisfied with this, they fome time afterwards 

 murdered all thofe who wei'e adherents to the emperor's 

 caufe. and among others the exarch himfelf. Notwithitand- 

 ing this oppofition, the emperor in 730 held a council of the 

 fenate, the great officers of the ilate, and the bifliops who 

 were at Conllantinople, in which it was determined, that at 

 it was found by experience that images could not be fuffered 

 to remain in churches, and idolatry prevented, they fhould 

 all be pulled down and dellroyed. I'liis being effected, he 

 made a new effort with regard to the churches in the Well : 

 he again folicited the pope, but Gregory's anfwer breathed 

 a determined fpirit of hollility, and was written in a ftyle of 

 arrogance and abufe whicli was unexampled. He went ilill 

 farther, he affembled a conned at Rome, confifting of all the 

 neighbouring bifhops, which iffued a decree, not only decla- 

 rative of the lawfulnefs of worfnipping images, but com- 

 manding them to be worlhippcd, and condemning, as here- 

 tics, all who did not worfliip them, or who fiiould prefume 

 to teach that they were not to 'ue worfiiipped. The empe- 

 ror, indignant at this alTumption of power, feized on the 

 rich patrimonies of the Roman church in Sicily and Cala- 

 bria, tore from the Roman fee the provinces of Eall Illyrium, 

 and fubjecled the whole to the patiiai-ch of Conllantinople. 

 By this conduit he inHiCted the moll fevere wound in the 

 heart of the pope, but before he had time to ripen any 

 fchemes of revenge, he died in 731, after he had fat in the 

 papal chair near feventeen years. From the details of his ac- 

 tions already given, it appears that Gregory had a zeal for 

 exalting the power and dignity of his iee ; he was befides 

 arrogant and fuperllitious. As an author there are fifteen 

 of his "Letters," and a "Memoir," tranfmitted to his le- 

 gates in Bavaria, containing inllructions for their guidance 

 in managing the ecclefiailical affairs of that country. Thefe 

 are inferted in the fixth volume of the •' ColIeCtio Concilio- 

 rum :" he was author alfo of a liturgy, which was printed, 

 with a Greek verfion, at Paris in 1595. Moreri. 



Gi!F.<50liY III , pope, was a Syrian by birth, became a 

 prelbyter of the Roman church, and was much celebrated 

 for his learning and talents as an eloquent and impreffive 

 preacher. Upon the death of Gregory II. he was unani- 

 moufly cholen his fucceffor b)- the Roman people and clergy. 

 He ieemcd determined to follow the ftepsofhis predecefior, 

 and declared himfelf a determined fupporter of the worfhip 

 of images, and he had no fooner taken pofTeffion of his fee, 

 than he wrote a letter to the emperor Leo and his fon Con- 

 ftantine, whom he had taken as a partner in the empire, ex- 

 horting them to renounce their error, and to return, like 

 dutital children, into the bofom of the church. This letter 

 he fent by Gregory, a prelbyter of the Roman church, on 

 whofe zeal and firmnef'! he thought he could depend, but 



wbeft 



