MetrophanSs (Mr]Tpo<pavr]q), a Greek theologian, bishop of .Smyrna, flourished in the 9th century. He is particularly known for his opposition to Photius. He was already bishop of Smyrna when his friend, the pa- triarch Ignatius, was replaced by Photius, and, although he at first recognised the new patriarch, he subsequent- ly opposed him so fiercely as to be himself deposed and cast into prison. When Ignatius was restored by emperor Basil I, Metrophanes regained his sec, and in the Coimcil of Constantinople (869) showed himself one of the most ardent of Photius's adversaries. After the death of Ignatius, in 879, Photius became again patri- arch, and INIetrophanes was again deposed. He never- theless continued to speak and to write against Photius, and was excommunicated in 880. We have no details concerning his life after that date. He wrote a letter to Manuel concerning the dispute with Photius from 858 to 870, which is preserved both in Greek and Latin in Labbe, Concilia, vol. viii, and in Raderus, A eta Con- cilii (Ingolstadt, 1604, 4to). See Fabricius, Biblioth. Grceca, xi,700; Baronius, A nnal. ad ano. 870; Hankius, Sc7-iptores Byzantini, xvii, 1 ; xviii, 66 ; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Giuerah; xxxv, 220. (.J. N. P.)
Metrophanes, Ckitopulus, a Greek theologian of tlie ITili teiiturv, was born in Bercea, and was educa- ted at the convent school at Atlios. Afterwards he served in an intimate relation to the celebrated patriarch, Cyril Lucar, who in 1616 sent him to England to be in- structed in the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England, and to continue his education at the Universi- ty of O.xford, even then a very celebrated educational institution. Lucar, in a letter to George Abbott, arch- bishop of Canterbury, at this time complained bitterly of the progress made by the Jesuits in the Eastern Church, and of the inability of his clergy to successfully resist them for want of sufficient instruction (see that letter in P. Colomesii Clarorum ver. epist. [Lond. 1687], Ep. 46; also in his 0pp. ed. Fabric. [Hamb. 1709], p. 557). INIetrophanes, on his arrival in England, was well received by archbishop Abbott and king James. In 1620 or 1621 Metrophanes went to Germany, where he visited the Protestant universities of Wittenberg, Tubingen, Altdorf, Strasburg, and Helmstadt. In the latter place he made the acquaintance of Conring, Ca- lixtus, and Conrad Hornejus, at whose suggestion he wrote, in 162.5, a confession of the tenets of the ortho- dox Greek Church, with an exposition of its principal customs. This was subsequently published, together with a Latin translation, by John Hornejus, son of Con- rad, and an introduction by Conring (see Conringii 0pp. vi, p. 391), at Helmstadt, in 1661. Among his other productions in Germany we find, De vocibus quibusdain liturgicis ejrist. ed. J. J. Crudelius (Jiiterb. 1737) : — Oratio Grceca panegyrica et dogmatica in natirifatem domini Latine versa,^Qx'M. G.Q,\.KCCi»m (Alt. \i\i<\) -.—Responsio ad qucestionem de dicto apostolico •• Spiri/ii iniilnilnte,''^ Gr. et Lat.ed.a M.Rindero, Emenda/icnrs <t aiuintidrersiones in Joh. Menrsii Gloss. Grceco -barbarian ed. Franzius (Stendal, 1787) :—De pronnnciatione literce 9, ed. Sch wen- terus (Norimb. 1625); and letters to be found in G. Richteri Ejnstolis, p. 729, and in J. Chr.Wolfii Con^pectu supell. epist. p. 26, 66, 129. He next went for some time to Venice as a teacher of Greek, and finally returned to Constantinople, in what year is uncertain. He subse- quently became patriarch of Alexandria. The most im- portant of all his works is the above-mentioned confes- sion (O/ioXoyia t^c avaroXiicrjc tKicXricing riJQ KaBo- XiKi'iQ Kai tnroaroXiKi'iQ, k.t.X.). It is a rather full, clear exposition of the doctrines and customs of the Greek Church, more in the form of a theological analy- sis than of a strictly s.vmbolic work. He shows in it great opposition to the Romish Church, but at the same time avoids all Protestant polemics. The charge that Metrophanes was Lutheran in tendency is unjust, and is ignored by all able theologians. According to Metro- phanes, the Greek doctrines can be divided into two parts, forming a " simple" and an '• economical" system
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of theology {Conf. p. 13, ed Wcissciib.\ The first treats of God and of the Trinity, leading naturally to the ex- position of the Greek doctrine concerning the Holy Ghost (Confess, p. 15 sq.). If we compare the doctrine of the author on the point with the tradition of the Greek fathers, we tind the doctrine much more complete, and somewhat similar to that of the Latin Church. Each of the three divine persons stands in a definit3 re- lation to tiic two others, and at the same time consti- tute one form of the Deity. The first person stands as the father of the second and the sender (7r|Oo/3oXfi'c), but j embraces them both in himself as i-oii!;. The second person, or son, possesses a XoyoQ, the third the TrpdiiXtifici \ of the first, as -Kviviia, an identity with both. See Weissenborn, I'rcefatio to his Appendix lilt. Symbol. Ecrks. OriimtuHs (Jena, 1850); Ditelmaier, I)e Melro- phauc Crilopule (Altenb. 1769) ; Neale, Florent. Council, p. 1C)8.
Metropolitan (M»jrpo7roX(V>jc) is the name of an ecclesiastical dignitary — an episcopal officer — who, by virtue of his residence in the capital of a countr\' or province, exercises not only the authority of a presiding officer in his own diocese, but fxerts, in some sense, ju- risdiction over the other bishops. of the same country or province; and in this respect differs from the archbishop (q. v.), who simply enjoys some additional privileges of honors and respect not common to the plain bishop (comp. Schaff, Ch. Hist, i, 270).