faith and he made their bishop and also required his aunswer vppon certaine doubtes necessary for him to be informed of wher of with out delay he receiued aunswer Which we thought good to put in to this our history The interrogatories of Augustine bishop of the church of Cantorbury First how the bishops should behaue them selues among their clergy and how the offeringes of the faithfull vppon the aultar should be distributed And what is the bisshops office in the church Gregory the Pope aunswered The holy scripture testifieth as I am sure yow know and specially the Epistles of Saint Paule vnto Timothe in the which he goeth about to enstructe him after what sorte he ought to be conuersaunt in the house of God The maner of the see Apostolik is to geue commaundement vnto suche as be made bishops that all maner oblations that ar geuen be diuided in to iiij portions And the one therof geuen vnto the bishop towards his hospitalite thother to the clergy the third to the poore the fourth to the reparation of the churches But for so much as you being brought vp vnder regular discipline must not by the order of yower rule liue a part from yower clergâ—e in the church of the English which is as yet but newly entered in to the faith of Christ you must follow that trade and forme of lyuing which was vsed in the primatiue church among the fathers amonge whom there was none that sayd that to be his owne which he possessed but al their thinges wer coÌ„mon And if there be any amonge the clergy out of holy orders which can not liue chaste they shall take wiues and haue their stipend allowed them without For of the same partes of which we haue spoken of before we know it is written that it was diuided to euery man according as he had nede You must also think and prouide for their stipend and they ar to be kepte vnder the ecclesiasticall rule and seene vnto that they liue honestly and plye their psalmoâ—ye and kepe both hart tongue and boâ—y from all vnlaufull chinge through the grace of God As for them that liueth after the common â—ort what nede I to speake ether what portions they shall geue ether what hospitalite they shall kepe ether what worke of mercy they shall fulfill Seing it is commaunded that all which is superfluous should be employed vppon godly vses according as our Lorde the master of vs all doth teach vs Quod superest date eleemâ—sinam omnia munda erunt vobis of that which is left geue almes and all shal be cleane vnto you Augusâ—ines demaunde Where as there is but one faith why be there so many sundry customes of churches And one custome of masses is obserued in the holy church of Rome an other in Fraunce Gregorius pope answereth Yower brotherhood knoweth the custom of the church of Rome in the which you wer brought vp But it pleaseth me that if you haue founde any thing be it other in the church of Rome Fraunce or any other that may more please god that you cheuse that and plant in the English churche which as yet is but late come to the faith the best orders that you can cheuse and gather out of them all For the thinges ar not to be loued for the place but the place is to be loued for the good things thaâ— ar in it Cheuse then out of eche church and that that is most godly most religious moste best in any of them that being gathered together as it were in a boundell deliuer vnto them and inure them there vnto The question of Augustine I praye you how shall he be punished which taketh any thing away from the churche Gregorius aunswereth That you may consider by the person of the these For there be some which hauing otherwise to liue yet steleth and some other there be which are driuen thereunto by nede Whereby some must be merced with fines some must be punished with stripes and â—ome fauorably some sharply corrected And when sharpe punishement is excercised it must be done in charite not in fury For therfor the man is punished that he might not be damned in hel fire And so we must chastise our brothers offending as the good fathers doth their carnall children whom though they punish for their fawtes yet they seeke to haue them their heires whom they punish and their possessions they kepeth for them whom they seme to chasten in their anger This charite therfore is euer to be kept in mind and according to it correction is so to be measured that the minde excedeth not the rule of reason Thow shalt also tell them that they must make restitution of such thinges as ar taken from the church But god forbid that the churche should looke to receiue with encrease of gaine such earthly thinges as hath ben taken from them The question of Augustine Whether ij german brothers may marry two systers which be many degrees from them Gregorius aunswereth That may be done lawfully by all meanes for there is nothing found in the scripture to the contrary The question of Augustine Vnto what generation may the Christians mary with their kindsfolke Gregorius aunswereth It is permitted by a certaine law of the Romanes that brothers and sisters children may laufully be ioyned together in wedlock But experience sheweth that of such wedlocke their can growe no children and the holy lawe forbiddeth that we should reuele the turpitude of our kindered Wherefor it is necessary that it be the third or the fourth generation that should be permitted to marrye As for the second must in any wise forbeare one from the other To marry with our steppe mother it is a greuous offenâ—e for it is written in the law Thou shalt not reuele the tupitude of thy father The sonne can not â—euele the turpitude of his father But bycause it is written They shal be two in one fleshe he that presumeth to reuele the turpitude of his steppe mother whiche was one flesh with his father he truly reueleth the turpitude of his father It is also forebidden the to marry with thy brothers wife for that by her former mariage she was one flesh with thy brother for whiche cause Iohn Baptiste was behedded and suffered holy martyrdome To whom though it was not sayd that he should deny Christe yet was he killed for the confession of Christe For in that oure Lorde Iesus Christe sayd I am the truth for that he was killed for the truth he shed his bloud also for Christ. And whereas there be many of the English people which whiles they were yet infideles were thus vnlawfully coupled when they commeth to the faith they are to be warned that they forbeare and take it to be a right greuous offense Teache them to feare the dredfull iudgementes of God least for vnlaufull carnall loue they runne in dawnger of hell fyre And yet for this are they
the master The holy bishop Saint Germane at the beginning hereof was a sleepe theÌ„ Lupus and the other wakeneth and calleth vpon him as in whose prayers they had a speciall trust Who seing the present perill they wer in commaunded them all to fall to prayer He him selfe hauing a greater trust in God then he had feare of the tempest calleth vpon Christ and taking in the name of the Trinite of a few sprinkles of water casteth it in to the sea And forthwith the rage of the stormes breketh the surges falleth God being called vppon differreth not his help the euill sprits ar chaced away the ayer returneth to his naturall course and the wind which of late blustered all against them now with a mery gale blowing all together with them sett them shortly after a lande in the place where they them selues desired Thether a great multitude of people being assembled receiued the priestes of God of whose cumming the wicked spirites gaue warning long before they landed which afterward when they wer expelled out of the obsessed bodies by the commaundement of these holy seruauntes of God they declared bothe the whole order of the tempest whiche they had raysed and the great daunger which they had wrought the sayd good bishops and did not denye but they wer ouercomed by their merites and commaundement In short time after their ariuall they filled the Ilande with their good name their preaching and their vertues And the worde of God was preached by them not only in their churches but also in the open stretes and in the country in such sort that in all places both the sound and faithfull catholikes wer confirmed and they that before swarued out of the right faith wer amended And in short time thourough their authoritie vertue and learning they brought all the whole country vnder obedience to their doctrine The authors and head professours of hereticall errour lay lurking all this while and like the wicked sprites much spighted to see the people daily to fal from theÌ„ At lenght after longe aduisement vsed they taketh vpon them to trye the matter by open disputation which being agreed vpon they come forth richely appointed gorgiously apparailed accompained with a number of flattering fauoures hauing leifer to committ their cause to open disputing theÌ„ to seeme to the people whom they had subuerted to haue nothing to sayin defence thereof Thether resorted a great multitude of people with their wynes and children The people was present both to se and iudge the matter the parties therewer farre vnleke of coÌ„ditioÌ„ In the one side was the faith on the other maÌ„s presumptioÌ„ on the one side meekenes on the other pride on the one side Pelagius on the other Christ. First of all the blessed priest Germanus and Lupus gaue their aduersaries leaue to speake which vainly occupied both the time and eares of the people with naked wordes But after the Reuerend bishops poored out their flowing wordes confirmed with scriptures out of the gospelles and Apostles they ioyned with their owne wordes the wordes of god and after they had said their owne minde they read other mens mindes vppon the same Thus the Vanite of heretikes is conuicted and falsehed is confuted so that at euery obiection they were forced in effecte to confesse their errour not being able to answer them The people had much to doe to kepe their handes from them yet shewed their iudgement by their clamours How Germanus restored the blinde daughter of the Tribune to her sight and after cumming to Saint Albanes shrine did both from thence take sum relikes and left other of the Apostles or other Martyres there The. 18. Chap. THis don sodainly a certaine man of the dignitie of the Tribunes commeth forth among them offeringe them his daughter of x. yeres oulde to be cured which was blinde They bidâ—e them haue her to the aduersaries But they their oune conscience fearing them to take such an enterprise in hand ioyneth their praiers together with their parentes desiring the priestes to doe their cure vppon the gyrle Which seing their aduersaries to yelde maketh their praiers for her And after Germanus full of the holy goste calleth vppon the Trinite and strayte loseth from his nek a litle bugget whiche he had by his side full of the relliques of the martyres and in the sight of them all putteth it to the eyes of the mayden which done she strait receiued her sight The parents much ioyeth ther at the people ar all amased at the sight of the miracle After that day the saied errors were so pulled out of the mindes of all men that with all hart and desire they embraced the doctrine of the bishops Thus these damnable heresies being suppressed and the authors thereof vtterly confuted and all mens myndes instructed with the purite of the faith they went vnto saint Albanes to geue god the praise and thankes by him Wher Germanus hauing reliques of the Apostles and of diuers Martyres making his prayer coÌ„maunded the toumbe to be opened entending their to leaue those precious treasures Thinking good that the members of the Sainctes gotten in diuers countries shoulde be buried together in one tumbe as being like of merites they reioyced together with god in heauenâ— which being there lefte with much honour he toke of the dust of the place where the holy Martyrs bloud was shead and caried it away with him Which thinges being thus disposed a very great multitude of people was that day conuerted vnto our Lord. How he being driuen through sycknes to remaine there did both quench a great fire with his prayer and was by a vision him selfe healed of his infirmitie The 19. Chap. AS they were cumming back it happened by the diuells procurement that Saint Germane by meanes of a sore fall he had brake his legge Litle knew the diuell that by the affliction of the bodye as it was in Iob the merites of the holy man should be thereby the more encreased Whiles for the time by the reason of his weaknes he was faine to tarry stil in one place the next house he lodged in was by chaunce set on fire so that after it had quickly consumed the houses about thetched with reede it was now coming through the blowing of the winde to the house where this good man was harboured Many came running in great haste to the Bishop willing him to make awaye and saue him selfe WhoÌ„ he rebuking through coÌ„fidence in his faith would not remoue out of the place he was in The people al frighted with feare and dispaire came running to quench the fire But that the power of god might appeare the playner the fire still consumed what so euer the people sought to saue but what the sick man lying in his bed did keepe that the fire as being a feared of the holy mans lodging skipped both aboue and beneth fearcely burning without stay so that in the middle of the raging flakes and
or fornication but of laufull wedlocke which sayeth Behold I am begotten in iniquite and my mother hath conceiued me in syn He which knewe him selfe to haue ben conceiued in syn mourned to remember his synfull byrthe For the tree doth beare in his braunches the corrupte humours which he drew of the roote In the which wordes yet he dothe not call the carnall company of man and wife synne but the pleasure therein For there be many thinges whiche of them selues be lawfull and allowable and yet in the doing of them we ar sumwhat defiled As oftentimes being angry we punish other mens faultes whereby the calmnes of our mind is troubled and though it be well done that we doe yet is it not well that in doing it our minde is putt out of quiet For he was angry with the vice of the offenders which said Myne eye is troubled with anger For whereas the minde can not lift him self vp vnto the light of contemplation except it be still and quiet therefore he sorowed to see his eye distempered with anger For while he was forced to looke downeward to punish the transgressours he was forced also to be withdrawen from the contemplation of thinges which are aboue So then it is a commendable thing to be moued with anger against synne and yet is it a grief and a hinderance to the well disposed minde for in that he hath ben angry he knoweth that he hath offended Wherefore to come to the purpose the right vse of carnall company betwene man and wife is to come together for procreation of children not for lust and pleasures sake And if any man doth vse his wife not for carnall pleasure but to the ende of procreation only this man truly is to be left vnto his owne discretion both for comming vnto the church and also for receiuing of the holy sacrament of the body and bloud of our Lord. For he is not to be kept ether from the one or the other which being in the fire yet can not be burned But when on the contrary not the desire of issue but the pleasure of the body beareth the chiefest rule in the worke of copulation they haue both cause to bewaile their frailte For thoughe the worde of god did graunt them so much yet doth it not so graunt it them that they should be out of feare of offence For as saynt Paule writing to the Corinthians sayeth he that can not liue chaste let him haue his wife so he strayt sayeth farder I say this as tolerating not commaunding There is no toleration of that which is laufull of it selfe Wherfore in that he vseth this worde tolerate he sheweth it to be faulty It is well to be pondered that our Lord entending to speake vnto the people in the mounte of Sina gaue commaundement they should first abstaine from wemen And if the purite of the body were there so earnestly required where our Lord by meanes of his creature did speake vnto men that they whiche should heare the worde of God should be free from wemē how much more the wemen which receiue our Lord almighties body shall seke to preserue in thē selues the clennes of the bodie least they may take hurt by the greatnes of that vnestimable mistery Herof also is it said by the priest vnto Dauid as touching his seruaūts that if they wercleane from wemē they should eate of the sew bred which otherwise they should not be suffered to take except Dauid would say that they wer pure from wemen Thē the mā bathed in the water after the carnall knowledge of his wife may be admitted to the sacramēt whē it is tried that he may come to the church Augustines question Whether after the illusion which is wont to befall vnto a man in his dreame a lay man may receiue the body of our Lorde or a priest may say masse Gregorius answereth The testament of the ould law as we haue aboue sayd saithe him to be defiled and suffereth him not to enter the church before euening and not but first bathed Which thing the spirituall people otherwise vnderstanding shall take it in like sense as we haue aboue declared For he is deluded as it were by dreame whiche being tempted with vnclenesse is defiled with true imaginations in his thought But he washith him selfe with water that is he washeth away with teares the filth of his thoughtes And except the fire of temptation go out let him take him selfe guilty as it were vnto the euening But in this maner of elusions there is a difference to be had For a man must narrouly search and discusse him selfe of what cause this thing commeth into his minde when he is a sleape For sometimes it commeth of surfet sometimes of superfluite or weakenes of nature and somtimes also of vncleane thoughtes When it commeth of the superfluite or infirmite of nature it is nothing at all to be feared For the minde in this case more soroweth that it hath willingly suffered then that it hath any thinge wittingly committed But when it hath risen thourow inordinat excesse of diet wherby the vessels of theseminall humours ar replenished the minde thereby is not cleare and voide of fault yet it is not guilty of so great fault that the mā thereby is to be withholden ether from receiuing of the sacrament ether from saying of masse Bicause it may happē that ether it is holy day ether of necessite the partye must say masse for that there is no other priest to be gotten in that place And if there be other at hand yet the illusion comming only of surfet is no sufficient cause to make a man forbeare the receite of the holy mysteries Yet from the offering of the holy sacrifice he ought as I thinke meekely forbeare though not from receiuing◠except the minde withall be defouled with some vncleane phantasies And though the partye do not remember that in his dreame he sustayned any such phantasies yet by his owne iudgement he is not guyltles if in the dayes before he remembreth he had offended in gluttonous feding of the body But if it riseth of any foule thoughtes which he had wakyng the offence is open and manifest of it self For he doth see owt of what roote that pollution did spring For the euell that he wittingly thought vppon that vnwittingly he committed But here agayne we must consider whether that thought sprang of suggestion of delite or of consent For by these three all maner of synne is fulfilled Suggestion is by the diuel delite by the flesh consente by the spirite The diuell was the first prompter to synne Eua as it wer the flesh took delite therin Adam as it wer the spirite consented And herin is requisite great discretion that the mynde as iudge ouer him selfe should discerne betwext suggestion and delite betwext delite and consent For when the wycked fend doth rayse the first motions vnto synne in ower harte if
to the faith a Saxon borne which was taken with the same sickenesse and had kept his bed no small time And when the second day of the said fasting and praying was nowe come it happened that about vij a clocke in the morning as the boy was leafte al alone in the place where he lay sicke sodainly by the appointement of God there vowtsafed to appere vnto him the most blessed two chiefe Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul For the boy was of a very innocent and meke mind and nature and with sincere deuocion kepte the sacramente of faith which he had receaued In this vision the Apostles first saluted him with most gentle wordes saying Feare not Sonne the death for which thou art so pensife for we wil this day bring thee to the kingdom of heauen But first thou must tary til the Masses be said and after thou hast receaued thy viage prouisioÌ„ the body and bloud of our Lord being so released both of sickenes and death thou shalt be lifted vp to the euerlasting ioyes in heauen Therefore doo thou call for priest Eappa vnto thee and tell him that our Lorde hath heard your prayers and deuocion and hath mercifully looked vpon your fastinge neither shall there any one more dye of this plage either in this monasterie or in any of the possessions that adioyne to the same But as many as belonge to you any where and lye sicke shall rise againe from their sickenes and be restored to their former health saue only thow which this daye shalt be deliuered from death and be brought to heauen to the vision of our Lord Christ whome thow haste faithfully serued Which thing it hath pleased the mercy of God to doo for you through the intercession of the godly and dere seruant of God king Oswald which sometime gouerned the countre of Northumberland most nobly both with the authoritie of this temporall kingdome and also in holynesse and deuotion of Christen pietie which leadeth to the euerlasting kingdom For on this very day the same king being bodely slaine in battaile of the infidels and miscreants was straight takeÌ„ vp to heaueÌ„ to the eternal ioyes of the soule and felowship of the chosen and electe companies Let them seke in their booke that haue the notes of the departing of the dead and they shall fynd that he was takeÌ„ out of the world on this selfe day as we haue sayd And therfor let theÌ„ say Masses and geue thankes that their prayer is heard and also for the memory of the sayd king Oswald which sometime gouerned their nation For therefore did he humbly pray our Lord for them as being strauÌ„gers and exiles of his people And when all the bretherne are come together to the churche let them all be houselled and so fynish their faste and refresh their bodies with sustenaunce All the which wordes when the boy had declared to the priest being called vnto him the priest enquired of him what maner of aray and lykenes the men had which appeared vnto him He aunsweared they were very notable and goodly in their aray and countenaunces and exceding ioyfull and beautifull such as he neuer had sene before nor beleued that any men could be of so great comlynesse and beautie The one was shauen like a priest the other had a long beard And they sayd that the one of them was called Peter and thother Paul and that they were the ministers and seruantes of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ of whome they were sent from heauen for the sauing and defense of our monasterie Wherefore the priest belieued the wordes of the boye and went out by aud by and sought in his booke of Cronicles and found that king Oswald was slaine on that very day Then called he the bretherne together and commaunded dyner to be prouided and masses to be sayd and that they should all communicat after the accustomed maner And also willed a parte of the same sacrifice of our Lordes oblation to be brought to the sicke boye which thinge so done not loÌ„g after the boy died the very same day and proued by his death that the wordes were true which he had heard of Christes Apostles And this morouer gaue witnesse to his wordes that at that time no creature of the same monasterie was taken out of the world except him only By which vision many that might heare of the same were meruaylowsly styrred and enflamed both to praye and call for Gods mercy in aduersitie and also to vse the holesome helpes and medicines of fastinge And from that time not in that monasterie only but in very many other places to the birthe day of the sayd kinge and champion of Christ began yearely to be kept holy with masses and deuout seruice most reuerently Howe king Ceadwall â—lew Edilwach king of the Genisses and wasted that prouince with cruell death and ruyn The. 15. Chap. IN this meane time Ceadwall a valiant yong man of the royall blood of the Genisses being bannyshed from his countre came with an hoste of men and slewe king Edilwach of Sussex and wasted that prouince cruelly murdering and spoyling euery where But he was sone after driuen owt by two Capitaines of the kinges Berthun and Authun whiche from that tyme dyd holde and kepe the dominion of the prouince The chief of whiche two was afterward slaine of the same Ceadwall being then kinge in the west countre and the prouince subdued and browght into more greuouse subiection then it was before Againe he that raigned after Ceadwall oppressed it with lyke miserie and bondage a great many yeres Whereby it came to passe that the people of Sussex in all that time could haue no bishop of their own but were faine their first byshop VVilfride being called home againe to be vnder the diocese of the byshop of the Genisses which belongeth to the VVest Saxons as many as were in the territory of Selsee Howe the Ile of Wyght receaued christen inhabitantes in which I le two childerne of the kinges blood as sone as they were Christened were slayne The. 16. Chap. AFter that Ceadwall had thus obtayned the kingdome of the Geuisses or west Saxons he tooke the I le of Wight also which was so all giuen to the worshipping of idols that he entended vtterly to bannysh and dryue owt thence all the old natiue inhabitantes and to put people of his owne countre in their place For thowghe he was not yet at that time christened and regenerated in Christ him selfe at it is sayd yet he bownd him selfe with a vowe that if he tooke the Iland he wold giue vnto God the fourth part therof and of all the pray Which thing he so perfourmed that bishop VVilfride happening to be there at that time a man of his own countree he gaue and offred the same vnto him to the vse and seruice of our Lorde The sayd Iland conteyned as the English doo rate it M. CC. tenementes Whereof was giuen to
great and the bridge they had to passe ouer so litle that it would be toward night er they all could get ouer Albane longing much for his blessed death and hasting to his Martyrdome cumming to the riuers side and making there his prayer with lifting vp his eyes and harte to heauen sawe furth wyth the bottom to haue bin dried vp and the water geue place for him and the people to passe ouer dryshod as it were vpon euen grownde Which when among other the executioner which should haue beheddid him did see he made hast to mete him at the place appointed for his death and there not without the holy inspiration of God he fell downe flat before his feete and casting from him the sword which he held in his hande ready drawen desired rather that he might be executioned ether for him or with him rather then to do execution vpoÌ„ him Where vpoÌ„ this maÌ„ being now made a fellow of that faith wher of before he was persecutor and the swerd lying in the grouÌ„d before theÌ„ the other officers staggering and doubting all who might take it vpp and doe the execution the holy confessor of God with the people there assembled went vnto a hill almost half a mile of from that place beautifully garnished with diuers herbes and flowers not rough or vneasy to climme but smothe plaine and delectable worthy and mete to be sanctified with the blood of the blessed Martyr vnto the the top where of when he was ascended he required of God to giue him water and strayt there arose a spryng of fayer water before his feete whereby all might perceaue that the riuer before was by his meanes dried For he which left no water in the riuer would not haue required it in the topp of the mowntaine but that it was so expedient for the glory of God in his holy martyr For beholde the riuer hauing obeyed the Martyr and serued his deuotion leauing behinde a testimony of duty and obedience the Martyr hauing now suffered returned to his nature againe Here therfore this most valiaunt martyr being behedded receiued the crowne of life which God promiseth to them that loue him But he which there tooke vppon him to doe that wicked execution had short ioy of his naughty deede for his eyes fel vnto the ground with the head of the holy martyr There also was behedded the souldiour which being called of God refused to stryke the holy confessor of God of whom it is open and playne that though he was not Christened in the fount yet he was baptised iu the bath of his owne blud and so made worthy to enter in to the kingdome of heuen Now the iudge seing so many straunge and heuenly miracles wrought by this holy martyr gaue commaundement that the persecution should cease beginning to honour in the sayntes of God the constant and pacient suffering of death by the which he thought at first to bring them from the deuotion of their fayth S. Albane suffered his martyrdome the xx day of Iune nigh vnto the citte of Verolamium Where after the Christiane churche being quietly calmed and setteled againe there was a temple buylded of a meruailous rich worke and worthy for suche a martyrdome In the which place truly euen vnto this day ar syck persons cured and many miracles wrought There suffered also about that time AaroÌ„ and Iulius towne dwellers of the citty of Leicester and many other both men and wemen in sundry places which after diuerse fell and cruell torments sustayned in al partes of their bodies by perfitt victory atcheued by pacience yelded their soules vnto the ioyse of heauen How that after this persecution ceased the church of Britanny was sumwhat quiet vntill the time of the Arrians heresies The. 8. Chap. AFter that the stormes of this persecution wer ouerblowen the faithfull christians which in time of daunger lay hid in dennes and desertes cometh furth and sheweth them selues abrode reneweth their churches which before were ouerthrowen flatt to the grownd foundeth buyldeth and perfiteth new temples in honor of the holy Martyrs celebrateth holy dayse doth consecrate the holy mysteries with pure mouthâ— and harte and euery where as it wer displayeth their ensignes in signe of conqueste And this peace continued in the church of Christ in Britanny vntill the fury of the Arrians heresies which ruÌ„nyng thorough out the world corrupted also with his venemous errors this IlaÌ„d though situat out of the coÌ„passe of the world Now wheÌ„ that once by this meanes heresy had once found an open vent to passe ouer the Ocean sea in to this Iland shortly after all manner of heresies flowed in to the sayd land and was there receiued of the inhabitants as being men deliting euer to heare newe things and stedfastly retaining nothing as certaine About this time died Constantius in Britanny which in Dioclesians life time gouerned Fraunce and Spaine a man very milde and of much courtesy He left CoÌ„stantine his son by Helene his coÌ„cubine created emperour of Fraunce Eutropius writeth that CoÌ„stantine being created emperour in Britanny succeded his father in the kyngdome In whose time the heresy of the Arrians springing and being discouered and condemned in the councell of Nice did neuerthelesse infecte not only the other partes of the world but also the very churches of the Ilands with deathly doctrine and pestilent infidelite How that in the time of Gracian the Emperour Maximus being created Emperour in BritaÌ„ny returned in to France with a great army The. 9. Chap. THe yere of the incarnation of our Lord 377. Gratian the 40. Emperour after August raygned vj. yeres after the death of Valens though a litle while before he raigned also with Valens his vncle and Valentinian his brother Which seing the state of the commen welth miserably plagued and nigh altogether decayed was drouen of neceâ—site for the better repairing of the sayd decaise to choose vnto him Theodosius a Spanyard borne to be his partener in gouernance of the Empire comitting vnto him the regiment of the â—aste and also of Thracia In which time one Maximus a vahauÌ„t maÌ„ and a good and worthy of the Imperiall crowne had it not ben that contrary to his othe and allegeance he tooke vpon him by tyranny to be Emperour in Britanny half in maner against his will being created Emperour of the army passed ouer in to Fraunce Where he slewe Gratian the Emperour being circumuented by subtile wiles and sodenly stolen vppon ere he were ware as he was in minde to passe in to Italy After that also he chased ValentiniaÌ„ the other partener of the empire out of Italy Valentinian flieng for succour in to the easte and there with all fatherly piete being receiued of Theodosius was by his helpe strayt wayse restored vnto the empire Maximus the tyran being shutt vp by seige with in the walles of Aquilegia and there shortly after taken and slayne How that Aradius being Emperour Pelagius
not to be kept from the communion of the body and bloud of our Sauiour Christe least you may seeme to punish such thinges in them which they committed by ignorance before their baptisme For at this present time the holy church with a zele doth punish some thinges some other of a mekenes it doth tolerat at some other it winketh vppon consideration Yea it so beareth and dissembleth that the euill which it hateth by bearing and dissembling it redresseth All such as commeth to the faith ar to be warned that they committe no such thing and if they then doe they are to be restrained from receiuing the sacrameÌ„t For as they are sumwhat to be borne withall which of ignorance doth offend so they are sharply to be corrected which wittingly feare not to syn Augustines question If the bishops ar so far a part one from the other that they can not conueniently assemble together whether one may be ordained a bishop without the presence of other bishops Gregorius aunswereth In the church of England in which thou only art as yet a bishop thou canst ordaine none but without other bishops For when come there any bishops oute of Fraunce which might assist you in ordaining bishops We will therefore you ordaine bishops but so that they may not be one far from an other that there be no such necessitie but that they may hereafter come together at the creation of other The Curats also whose presence may do good ought easely come together When then by the helpe of god the bishops shall be so made that they shall not be far a sunder one from the other there shall be no bishop created without iij. or iiij bishops assembled together For in spirituall matters howe they may be wiselye and prouidently disposed we may take example of carnall matters We see when mariages ar solemnized in the worlde other that ar maried ar called there vnto that such as were married before should ioye with such as are married after Why then may it not be like in this spirituall ordinance in the which by spirituall ministerie a man is ioyned vnto God that such then should resort together whiche ether may reioyce of the worthines of him that is made bishop or may pray together vnto god for his continuance Augustines question How shall we deale with the bishops of Britanny and Fraunce Gregorius answereth We geue the none authorite ouer the bishops of Fraunce for that of auncient time of my predecessours the bishop of Arles receiued his palle whom we must not bereue of his authorite And if it chaunce you therfor to go to Fraunce you shall treate with the said bishop of Arles how such defaultes as ar in the bishops may be redressed Who if he be negligent in the execution of ecclesiasticall discipline you must moue him and prick him forward there vnto to whom also we haue written that ioyning with you being there present he will do his endeuoure to reforme the maners of the bishops in such thinges as ar contrary to our Lordes commaundement You by youre owne authoritie haue nothing to doe in sitting vppon the bishops matters But yet by courteously entreating them by counselling them by geuing good example for them to follow you may reforme to vertue the mindes of the euell disposed For why It is written in the law he that passeth through an other mans feilde shall not thrust his syckle in to his corne but rubbe the eares with his hande and so eate them Neither canst thou thrust the syckle of iudgment into the corne that is committed vnto an other mans charge but with the example of thy well doing thow mayst rub of the chaffe of syn from gods corne and by treating and persuading with them conuert them to the body of the church of Christ as a man doth the meate he eateth in to his owne But what so euer ther is to be don by authoriâ—e let it be don by the sayd bishop of Arles least that order should be broken which was ordayned by the auncient institution of oure forefathers As for all the bishops of Britany we commit theÌ„ vnto your charge that the vnlerned by holsom doctrine may be instructed the weake by good persuasions may be strengthened the froward by iust authorite may be corrected Augustines question Whether a woman that is great with childe may be baptised Or how long after she is brought a bed shall she tarry er she be receiued in to the church And the childe that is borne how longe shall it tarry er it be baptised lest it be preuented by death Or how long after she is brought a bed shall her husband forbeare her carnall company Or if she be in her monethly desease whether she may cum to the church or be receiued to the mystery of holy communion Or the maÌ„ after he hath carnally knowen his wife whether he may enter in to the church before he hath washed him self with water or receiue the mystery of the holy communion Of all the which the rude English nation had nede to be informed Gregorius answereth I doubt not but you haue ben required counsell in their matters and I think also I haue made you already aunswer herein Yet that which youerselfe could say and thinke herein I think you wold haue it confirmed with my aunswer The woman with child why should she not be christened seing to be teeming is no synne before the eyes of allmighty God For our first fathers when they had synned in paradise by the right iudgment of God they lost the immortalite which they had receiued And for so much as God wold not vtterly destroy mankynd for his syn in punishment of his syn he tooke from him the benefite of immortalite And yet of his mercy and goodnes he reserued vnto him the encrease of issue That then which of the gift of God is reserued vnto the nature of maÌ„ by what reason should it be restrained from the grace of baptisme For in that sacrament by the which all syn is vtterly taken away it is great folly to think any man to be restrayned from the gift of that grace which is willing to receiue it When the woman is deliuered how many daies after she shall cum to the church it is plaine to be knowen by the commaundement of the ould testament which saith thus The woman which hath borne a male childe shall remaine xxxiij daies in the blud of her purificationâ— she shall towch no holy thing nor shall enter into the sanctuary vntil the daies of her purification be fulfilled But if she haue brought fourth a femal child lxvj dayes she shall remaine in the blud of her purificatioÌ„ Which yet is to be knoweÌ„ that it is taken in mistery for if the same hower that she is deliuered she should cum to the church she should run in no danger of gods displeasure For it is the pleasure of the flesh not the paine that causeth the syn
go your waies to churche againe and speake vnto the bretherne that with their prayers they both commend vnto our Lorde my departing and remember also with fasting watching prayers and good workes to preuent their own departing the houre wherof is vncertaine And when he had spoken these and mo like wordes and that the brethern had taken his blessing and wer gone forth very heauy and sad he that only heard the heauenly song came in againe and casting himselfe flat on the ground sayed I beseke you good father may I be so bold as to aske you a question Aske what you will quod he Then quod the other I pray you tell me what was that song which I heard of that ioyfull company descending from heauen vpon this oratorie and after a time retourninge to heauen againe He aunswered and saied to him If you haue hearde the voice of the song and vnderstoode the comming of the heauenly compaines I commaund you in the name of our Lorde to tell no man herof before my death They were in dede the spirites of angelles which came to call me to the heauenly rewardes which I haue alway loued and longed for and after vij daies they haue promised to come againe and take me with them The which was in dede fullfilled euen as it was foretolde him For straight way was he taken with a feyntnes of bodye which daily grewe more greuouse vpon him and the vij daye as it had bene promised him after he had first forewarded his departing with the receiuing of the bodie and bloud of our Lord his holy soule loosed from the prison of the bodie was caried and lead as we may well beleue of the company of Angelles to the ioyes euerlastinge And it is no meruaile if he gladly behelde the day of death or rather the day of our Lorde which daye he did alwaies carefully looke for till it came For among his manifold merites of chastitie and abstinence of preaching of praier of wilfull pouertie and other vertues he was so far humbled to the feare of our Lorde so much mindful of his later end in all his workes that as a certaine brother named Trumbert was wont to tell me one of them that read the scriptures to me and was brought vp in his monasterie and gouernement if perhaps while he were reading or doing some other thing there rose any sodaine great blast of wind by and by wold he cal on the mercy of our Lord and beseke him to haue pitie on mākinde But and if there came a blast yet more vehement then wold he shut vp his booke and fall downe on his face and set him selfe more feruently to prayer And if any stronger storme or blustreing showre continewed long or that lightning and thunders did make both the earth and ayre to shake for feare then would he go to churche and earnestly set his mind to praier and saying of psalmes vntill the ayre waxed clere againe And when some of his companie asked him why he did so Haue ye not read quod he That our Lord hath thundred from heauen and the most high hath giuen his voice He hath sent out his arrowes and scattered them abrode he hath multiplied lighteninge and troubled them For our Lorde moueth the ayre reyseth vp windes shooteth out lighteninges thundreth from heauen to styrre vp the creatures of the earth to feare him to cal againe their hartes to the remembraunce of the iudgement to come to plucke downe their pride and abate their boldenes and thus to bringe to their mindes that terrible time when both heauens and earth shall burne and himselfe come vpon the clowdes with great power and maiestie to iudge both the quicke and the dead And therfore quod he it behoueth vs with dewe feare and loue to yelde and giue place to his warning from heauen that as ofte as he trowbleth the ayre and lyfteth vpp his hande as it were threatning to strike and doth not yet strike we strayght way call vpon his mercie and boulting owt the very botome of our hartes and casting owt the dregges and relikes of synne do carefully prouide that we neuer deserue to be striken at all With the reuelation and relation of the foresayd brother concerning the death of this bysshopp the wordes also of Ecgbert the most reuerend father do well agree of whome we spake before Whiche Ecgbert at the tyme whē the sayd Chadda was a youngman and himself of lyke age to dyd in Ireland strayghtly lead a monasticall lyfe both together in prayers continence and meditation of the holy scriptures But Chadda being afterward retourned to his countree Ecgbert abode there styll as a pilgrime for our Lordes sake vnto the end of his lyfe Nowe a long tyme after there came to visite him from England a certaine most holy and vertuous man named Higbalde who was an Abbot in the prouince of Lindisse And as they talked together of the lyfe of the former fathers as is the maner of such holy men to doo and gladly wold wysh to followe the same they fell vpon mention of the most reuerend byshop Chadda And than sayd Ecgbert I knowe a man yet remayning aliue in this Ilande which whē brother Chadda passed owt of the world dyd see a companye of Angelles descend from heauen and take vp his sowle withe them and retourned againe to the celestiall kingdomes Which vision whether Ecgbert meaned to be sene of himselfe or of some other it is to vs vncertaine yet while so worthy a man as he sayed that it was true the thing it self can not be vncertaine vnto vs. Thus dyed Chadda the vj. daye of Marche and was buryed first by S. Maries Churche but afterward his bones were remoued into the church of the most blessed Saint Peter chiefe of thapostles the same churche being finished In both which places in token of his vertu often miracles of healing sicke folke are wonte to be wrought And of late a certaine man that had a phrenesie and ranne vpp and downe wandring euery where came thither at an euening and by the ignorance or negligence of them that kept the place lay there all the night and the next morning came owt well in his wyt and declared to the great wonder and ioye of all men that there he had by the gyfte and goodnes of our Lorde gotten his health The place of the sepulchre is couered with a wodden tombe made like a litle howse hauing an hole in the syde at whiche they that come thither for deuocions sake are wont to put in their hand and take owt some of the dowste The whiche they put into water and than giue it to drinke to sicke beastes or men whereby the grief of their sickness is anon taken away and they restored to their ioyfull desired healthe In the place of B. Chadda Theodore consecrated and ordeyned VVinfrid a vertuowse and sober man to rule and haue the office of a byshop as his