JoannesCAPPADOX28. CAPPADOX, or the CAPPADOCIAN (2),
patriarch of Constantinople, known by the surname NESTEUJTA
(νηστεύτης), or JEJUNATOR, the
FASTER. He is Joannes IV. in the list of the patriarchs of
Constantinople. He was a deacon of the great church at Constantinople, and succeeded Eutychius
[EUTYCHIUS] in the patriarchate A. D. 582, in the reign of the
emperor Tiberius II. In a council held at Constantinople A. D. 589,
for the examination of certain charges against Gregory, patriarch of Antioch [GREGORIUS, ecclesiastical and literary, No. 5; EVAGRIUS, No. 3], John assumed the title of universal patriarch (οἰκουμενικὸς πατριάρχης), or perhaps resumed it after it had
fallen into disuse. [See above, No. 27.] Upon the intelligence of this reaching the pope,
Pelagius II., he protested against it most loudly, and annulled the acts of the council as
informal. A letter written in the most vehement manner by Pelagius to the Eastern bishops who
had been present in the council, appears among his
Epistolae in
the
Concilia (Ep. viii. vol. v. col. 948, ed. Labbe, vol. ix. col. 900, ed.
Mansi); but some doubt has been cast on its genuineness. Gregory I., or the Great, who (in
A. D. 590) succeeded Pelagius, was equally earnest in his
opposition, and wrote to the emperor Maurice and to the patriarchs of Alexandria and Antioch,
and to John himself, to protest against it. (Gregorius Papa,
Epistolae,
lib. iv. ep. 32, 36, 38, 39, apud
Concilia, vol. v. col. 1181, &c.,
ed. Labbe, vol. x. col. 1206, &c., ed. Mansi.) John, however, retained the title probably
till his death (about
A. D. 596); and far from being odious to the
Greek Christians, was and is reverenced by them as a saint.
Works
John of Cappadocia wrote:
1.
Ἀκολουθία καὶ τάζις ἐπὶ ἐζομολογουμένων
συνταγεῖσα,
Conse-quentia et Ordo erga eos qui peccata
confitentur observandacalled by Cave
Libellus Poenitentialis, and by Allatius,
Praxis Graecis praescripta in confessione peragenda. This
work, there is every reason to conclude, has been much interpolated: and Oudin (
De Scriptor. Eccles. vol. i. col. 1473, seq.) affirms is altogether the
production of a later age.
Editions
It is given by Morinus in the
Appendix (pp. 77-90) to his work,
Commentarius Historicus de Disciplina in Administratione Sacramenti
Poenitentiae, fol. Paris, 1651.
2.
Λόγος πρὸς τὸν μέλλοντα ἐξαγορεῦσαι τὺν ἑαυτοῦ
πνευματικὸν πατέρα,
Ad eos qui Peccatorum Confessionem
Patri suo Spirituali edituri sunt SermoEditions
also given by Morinus (pp. 91-97). But Morinus himself doubts the
genuineness of this work, and Oudin (l.c.) denies it altogether.
3.
Περὶ μετανοίας καὶ ἐγκρατείας καὶ παρθενίας
λόγος,
Sermo de Poenitentia, Continentia, et
Virginitate.This discourse is in some MSS. ascribed to Chrysostom.
Edition
It is printed in the editions of his works by Morell, vol. i. p. 809, and Savil,
vol. vii. p. 641.
4.
Λόγος περὶ ψευδοποφητῶν καὶ ψευδοδιδασκάλων καὶ
ἀθέων αἱρετικῶν, καὶ περὶ σημείων τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου,
Sermo de Pseudoprophetis et falsis Doctoribus et impiis Haereticis, et
de Signis Consummationis hujus Saeculi.This discourse is ascribed in some MSS. to Chrysostom but is by Vossius, Petavius, Cave,
and Assemani ascribed to John of Cappadocia.
Editions
It has been printed in some editions of his works (vol. vii. p. 221, ed. Savil,
who, however, regards it as spurious, vol. viii. ed. Montfaucon, in Spuriis, p. 72, or p. 701 in the reprint of Montfaucon's
edition, Paris, 1836).
5.
De Sacramento Baptismatis ad Leandrum
Hispalensem.This work, mentioned by Isidore of Seville (
De Scriptoril.
Eccles. 100.26), is lost: it contained only a collection of passages from older
writers on the subject of trine immersion.
6.
Epistolarum ad diversos Liber.This work, which is mentioned by Trithemius (
De Ecclesiasticis
Scriptoribus, 100.224), is also lost.
7.
Praecepta ad Monachum quendamExtant in MS. in the Vatican Library at Rome, and in the King's Library at Paris.
8.
Παργγελίαι διάφοροι τοῖς Πιστοῖς,
Admonitiones Diversae ad Fideles.Other possible works
Κανονάριον,
CanonariumBeside the above writings, there is reason to think that John of Cappadocia is the author
of a Κανονάριον,
Canonarium, describing the various depraved affections of the mind and the
penance suitable to each, given by Morinus (ibid. pp. 101-117). The work is in some MSS.
entitled
Ἰωάννου μοναχοῦ καὶ διακόνου,
μαθήτου τοῦ μεγάλου Βασιλείου, οὗτινος ἡ ἐπωνυμία Τέκνον
Ὑπακοῆς Κανονάριον,
Joannis Monachi et diaconi,
discipuli magni Basilii, cui cognomentum est Obedieientiae Filius, Canonarium :
and some writers, as Morinus, Allatius, and Fabricius, distinguish this " Joannes,
Discipulus Magni Basilii et Obedientiae Filius," from our John, but Assemani has shown that
there is every reason to identify them.
Epistola ad Caesarium MonachumNatalis Alexander (Saec. x. and xi. pars iii. p. 571, apud Fabric. Bibl.
Gr. vol. i. p. 699, not. xx.) ascribes to John of Cappadocia the
Epistola ad
Caesarium Monachum, ascribed by others to Chrysostom, and celebrated for the
testimony against transubstantiation contained in it : but his opinion appears to have been
approved by few.
Further Information
Cave, Hist. Litt. vol. i. p. 541; Fabric. Bibl.
Gr. vol. xi. p. 108,&c.; Morinus, ll. cc. ; Assemani, Biblioth. Juris Orientalis, vol. iii. pp. 479-542.