Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 8.djvu/525

 JOHN

459

JOHN

John Cornelius and Companions, Venerables. —

John ('(iriiclius (called also Mohun) was born of Irish parent^ at rxiilmiii. in Cornwall, on the estate of Sir John Annulfll, of Lanherne, in 1.557; martyred at Dorchester, 4 July, 1.594. Sir John Arundell took an interest in the talented boy and .sent him to Oxford. Not sati-sfied with the new religion taught there, Jolm Cornelius went to the great " seminary of martyrs ", then at Reims, and a little later, on 1 April, 15S0, entered the English College, Rome, to pursue his theo- logical studies. After his ordination he was sent as missionary to England and laboured there for nearly ten years. He practised mortification, was devoted to meditation, and showed much zeal in the ministry. While acting as chaplain to Lady Arundell, he was ar- rested on 24 April, 1.594, at Chideock Castle, by the sheriff of Dorsetshire. He was met on the way by Thomas Bosgrave, a relative of the Arundell family, who offered him his own hat, as he had been dragged out bareheaded. Thereupon Bosgrave was arrested. Two servants of the castle, John (or Terence) Carey and Patrick Salmon, natives of Dublin, shared the same fate. When they reached the sheriff's house a number of Protestant clergymen heaped abuse upon the Catholic religion, but were so well answered that the sheriff stopped the disputation. The missionary was sent to London and brought before the Lord Treasurer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and others, who, by words and by torture, tried in vain to obtain the names of such as had given him shelter or assist- ance. He was brought back to Dorchester and with his three companions condemned to death, 2 July, 1 .594. He was accused of high treason, because lie was a priest and had returned to England; the others were charged with felony, for having rendered assistance to one whom they knew to be a priest; but all were assured that their lives would be spared if they em- braced Protestantism.

While in prison John CorneUus was admitted to membership in the Society of Jesus. On the way to execution none of the confessors showed signs of fear. The first to ascend the scaffold was John Carey; he kissed the rope, exclaiming "O precious col- lar", made a solemn profession of faith and died a valiant death. Before his execution Patrick Salmon, a man much admired for his virtues, exhorted the spectators to embrace the Faith, for which he and his companions were giving their Uves. Then followed Thomas Bosgrave, a man of education, who delivered a stirring address on the truth of his belief. The last to suffer was John Cornelius, who kissed the gallows with the words of St. Andrew, " O Cross, long desired ", etc. On the ladder he tried to speak to the multitude, but was prevented. After praying for his executioners and for the welfare of the queen, John Cornelius also was executed. The body was taken down and quar- tered, his head was nailed to the gibbet, but soon re- moved. The bodies were buried by the Catholics.

GiLLOW, Bibl. Diet, of Engl. Cath. (London, 1S85). s. v. Cor- nelius: The Acts of Father Cornelius, manuscript written by Dorothy, daughter of L.idy Arundell, pre-served in the Archives at Rome: Challoner, il/enwiVs, I; FoIjEY, Records of S. J., Ill, 435; Stanton. A Menology of England and Wales (London, 1892), under i July. FkaNCIS MerSHMAN.

John Damascene, Saint, b. at Damascus, about 676; d. sonic tinn' l>etween 754 and 787. The only ex- tant life of t he >aint is that bj' John, Patriarch of Jeru- salem, which dates from the tenth century (P. G., XCIV, 429-90). This life is the single source from which have been drawn the materials of all his bio- graphical notices. It is extremely unsatisfactory from the standpoint of historical critici.sm. An exas- perating lack of detail, a pronounced legendary ten- dency, and a turgid style are its chief characteristics. Mansur was probably the name of John's father. What little is known of him indicates that he was a sterling Christian whose infidel environment made no

impression on his religious fervour. Apparently his adhesion to Christian truth constituted no offence in the e3'es of his Saracen countrymen, for he seems to have enjoyed their esteem in an eminent degree, and discharged the duties of chief financial officer for the caliph, Abdul ilalek. The author of the life records the names of but two of his children, John and his half-brother Cosmas. When the future apologist had reached the age of twenty-three his father cast about for a Christian tutor capable of giving liis .sons the be.st education the age afforded. In this he was singularly fortunate. Standing one day in the market-place he discovered among the captives taken in a recent raid on the shores of Italy a Sicilian monk named Cosmas. Investigation proved him to be a man of deep and broad erudition. Through the influence of the caliph, Mansur secured the captive's liberty and appointed him tutor to his sons. Under the tutelage of Cosmas, John made such rapid progress that, in the enthusias- tic language of his biographer, he soon equalled Dio- phantus in algebra and Euclid in geometry. Equal pro- gress was made in music, astronomy, and theology.

On the death of his father, John Damascene was made protosymbulus, or chief councillor, of Damascus. It was during his incumbency of this office that the Church in the East began to be agitated by the first mutterings of the Iconoclast heresy. In 726, despite the protests of Germanus, Patriarch of Constanti- nople, Leo the Isaurian issued his first edict against the veneration of images. From his secure refuge in the caliph's court, John Damascene immediately en- tered the lists against him, in defence of this ancient usage of the Christians. Not only did he himself oppose the Byzantine monarch, but he also stirred the people to resistance. In 730 the Lsaurian issued a second edict, in which he not only forbade the veneration of images, but even inhibited their exhibition in public places. To this royal decree the Dama.scene replied with even greater vigour tlian before, and by the afloption of a simpler style brought the Christian side of the controversy within the grasp of the common people. A third letter emphasized what he had al- ready said and warned the emperor to beware of the con.sequences of his unlawful action. Naturally, these powerful apologies aroused the anger of the Byzantine emperor. L^nable to reach the writer with physical force, he sought to encompass his destruction by strategy. Having secured an autograph letter writ- ten by John Damascene, he forged a letter, exactly similar in chirography, purporting to have been writ- ten by John to the Isaurian, and offering to betray into his hands the city of Damascus. This letter he sent to the caliph. Notwithstanding his councillor's earnest avowal of iimocence, the latter accepted it as genuine and ordered that the hand that wrote it be severed at the wrist. The sentence was executed, but, according to his biographer, through the intervention of the Blessed Virgin, the amijutated hand was miracu- lously restored.

The caliph, now convinced of John's innocence, would fain have reinstated him in his former office, but the Damascene had heard a call to a higher life, and with his foster-brother entered the monastery of St. Sabas, some eighteen miles south-east of Jeru.sa- lem. After the usual probation, John V, Patriarch of Jerusalem, conferred on him the office of tlic jiriest- hood. In 754 the pseudo-Synod of Constantinople, convened at the command of Constantine Coprony- mus, the successor of Leo, confirmed the principles of the Iconoclasts and anathematized by name those who had conspicuously opposed them. But the largest measure of the council's spleen was reserved for John of Damascus. He was called a "cursed favourer of Saracens", a "traitorous worshipper of images", a "wronger of Jesus Christ", a "teacher of impiety", and a "bad interpreter of the Scriptures". At the emperor's command his name was written "Manzer"