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A69547	Englands old religion faithfully gathered out of the history of the Church of England, as it was written by Venerable Bede, almost a thousand years agoe (that is) in the year 698 after the passion of our Saviour : Bede saith he ended this history in the year 731 after the incarnation : we have not altered any part of this Fathers own words in any point concerning faith : only here and there is omitted what belongeth not to that purpose / by H.B.; Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum. English. Selections	Bede, the Venerable, Saint, 673-735.; Beaumont, Henry, 1611 or 12-1673.	1658 (1658)	Wing B1659; ESTC R8695	74,168	275

humble confession of their sins and repented they shall all come to Heaven at the day of Judgment Many quoth he shall come to Heaven before the day of judgement for the good Prayers Alms and Fasting of the living and especially by the holy Sacrifice of the Mass Onely they which are perfect in all their thoughts words and deeds are carried streight to Heaven The effect of this vision was the change of his life into strange Austerity When any one said unto him brother Dirthelm for that was his name It is a wonder you can endure so much cold He would answer I have seen more cold endured than this And when they said T is a wonder you can endure such austerity He answered I have seen more rigorous sufferings than this This Chapter intermingleth in this Relation how that hard by this mans Cell there lived a Monk called Genigids who was living at the very time that Bede did write this leading a solitary life in Ireland sustaining his aged body with brown bread and cold water who often entring into the foresaid Monks Cell heard him many times repeat this whole relation and from him I came to the knowledge of it saith Bede Chap. 14. There was a Lay-man in great favour with King Coenred but negligent concerning the state of his soul The King warn'd him often to confesse and forsake his former life whilest it was time But he slighting the Kings admonition said He would doe Pennance hereafter It chanced he fell sick the King coming to him exhorted him that now at least he would do Pennance nay quoth he I will not now confesse my sins but when I am recovered I will least my companions think I did it for fear of death The King after a while returning again this Courtier told him now it was too late and that he had seen all that ever he had committed written in two Books and that he should strait wayes die and be carried into Hell The first book said he shewed me by an Angel contained all the good works which ever I had done but the book was very little Then the wicked spirits brought before me a book of a mighty bigness in which I read all the sins I had committed in thought word and deed Then he related how he heard his Condemnation Thus in despair he died This I thought fit to relate as I receiv'd it from the reverend Bishop Pechtelm Chap. 15. I my self knew a Brother whom I would I had not known who being admonisht by his Brethern to amend his life brought unto desperation by a vision he had of his place in Hell said There is no time for me to amend my former life Thus he died without receiving the Sacrament None of all the Convent durst say Mass sing psalms say the least Prayer for his soul This stirred up many to do Pennance for their sins which effect God grant it may work in those who shall read this Chap. 16. About this time many of the Scots in Ireland as also of the Britans admitted of the manner of celebrating Easter taught by the Catholike Church For Adamon a vertuous Priest Abbot of the Monks and Religious in the Isle of Hue seeing the canonicall Rites and Ceremonies of England and admonisht by the learned not to live contrary to the Universal Church neither in Easter nor any other decrees chang'd his mind and preferr'd what he saw in the English before his own He wrot a ●ook of holy places as he had been inform'd by Arculfe Bishop who 〈◊〉 travelled to see them Some ●ede relates in the next Chapter Chap. 17. Relates Out of the foresaid book of holy ●laces how over the place where Christ was born there is built a Church of the blessed Virgin and how the in ward grot in which our Saviour was born is covered with precious marble C●nstantine built a Church where the Crosse of Christ was found by Helena A Church also was built in Golgotha where the rock is seen which bore Christs Crosse and his blessed body Now in that place there is a mighty Cross of silver with a brazen wheele over it full of Lamps An Altar is cut out where the Crosse stood where Sacrifice is wont to be offered for honourable men that die There is also a round Chappel of Christs Resurrection which hath three Altars In the middle of this Chappel is the Tombe of our Saviour where day and night twelve Lamps burn The top of the Chappel is guilt bearing a great golden Crosse upon it Part of Christs Gravestone standeth at the doore of the Sepulcher Altarwise the other part also makes another Altar Chap. 18. The same Author relates how in the place of our Saviours Ascension on the top of Mount Olive there standeth a great round Church The inner Chappel having an Altar towards the East could not be vaulted nor covered over by reason that it was the place by which Christs body passed to Heaven In the middle of which Church the last print of Christs feet are to be seen and although the earth be fetcht away daily by the Christians yet it remaineth and keepeth the print of his holy feet A great Lampe burneth there day and night In the West-side be eight windows and as many Lamps shining through the glasse to Jerusalem and their lights stir up the Hearts of all that behold them Upon Christs Ascension-day every year when Masse is done there cometh from Heaven a gale of winde which maketh all in the Church prostrate themselves Chap. 19. In the year of our Lord 705. Hedda Bishop of the West-Saxons dyed of whom the Reverend Prelate Pechthelm then a Monk was wont to tell us that in the place where be dyed many great Miracles and cures were done and that they used commonly to carry away dust from thence and mingle it with water for such to drink as were sick and that the sprinkling drinking thereof did cure many sick so that a great pit was made by the often carrying away the dust Chap. 20. Coenred King of the Mercians having Reigned most Nobly at last forsook his Kingdome and went to Rome where at the Tombe of the Apostles receiving the Tonsure he became a Monk continuing in Prayer Fasting and Almes untill his death There went with him Offa the Son of Sigher King of the East-Saxons a most gallant youth whose whole Kingdome much desired that he would sway the Scepter but he moved with like devotion forsooke Wife Lands Kindred and Countrey that he might receive a hundred fold in this world and life everlasting in the next coming to the Holy places at Rome he took the Tonsure and Habit of a Monk the same year Wilfrid that excellent and worthy Prelate dyed and was buried in St. Peters Church at Rippon in Yorkshire He being but fourteen years old he esteemed more

ENGLANDS OLD RELIGION Faithfully gathered out of the HISTORY OF THE CHVRCH of ENGLAND As it was written by Venerable BEDE almost a Thousand years agoe that is in the year 698. after the Passion of our SAVIOUR BEDE saith he ended this History in the year 731. after the Incarnation We have not altered any part of this Fathers own words in any Point concerning Faith only here and there is omitted what belongeth not to that purpose By H. B. It was needful for me to exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the Faith which was once delivered Jude v. 5. At Antwerp With Permission 1658. THE PREFACE TO HIS Dear COUNTREYMEN THat the faith first delivered was the true faith no man can deny but he that will accuse Christ and his Apostles of falshood All the difficulty is how assuredly to know this faith To come to know it by force of argument and disputation surpasseth the capacity of most wearieth many brings many to despair lulling them at last into a total neglect of that whereof they ought to be most diligent It would doubtlesse be a very ready and easie way even to the most unlearned to find this faith out most assuredly if it were possible with small expences and little labour by travelling into some countrey where all men confess this true faith to be still uncorruptedly practised For there without any noise of disputation we shal stand veiwing with our own eies what is practised in that happy country so that though a thousand crafty sophysters and subtile disputants should go about by words to perswade me who am unlearned that the practises of that country were not the same that my own eyes most att●ntively and frequently see again and again it wil not be possible for me prudently to give the least credit to these captious disputants but I would ever credit more my own eyes then their arguments Now then all the difficulty is how to make us witnesses of what is practised in such a country as undoubtedly holdeth and practised the true faith and to doe this with smal expence amd little labour I hope dearest country man thou canst not say that the price of this little hook can either put thee to any considerable expence or the labour of some three or at the most four howers required for the reading thereof put thee to much labour Yet if this be done by thee thou wilt be as good as an eye witnesse of the faith practised in our countrey in that age wherein it is very easie to prove the true faith to have undoubtedly flourisht in this our countrey First because this faith was confirmed by the Preachers thereof with a number of miracles related in this short book written by as worthy a man as ever was known to have handled Pen in England in a book which no man ever judgd corrupted or written by any other pen then Venerable Bedes a person not to be paralel'd by any other of our nation Secondly This faith here described as practised in England immediately upon her conversion under Pope Gregory was not found one jot differring from that faith which the Scotts before us had received by Palladius their Apostle sent by Pope Celestine Anno. 423. as we shew here out of Bede li 1. c. 13. Only the Scotts fell to celebrate Easter at a wrong time not using likewise the same manner of shaving their crowns in their clergy either Religious or Secular They differed not about any one of these points in which Protestants differ from Roman Catholicks as we note l. 4. c. 4. whence being at last brought viz. to keep Easter and to use the same manner of shaving the crowns of their Priests and Monks which the English did they disagreed from them in nothing at all as is cleer out of the three last chapters of Bede The Faith therefore which thou here seest practised in England is the very same which was held forth and practised in Scotland from the first conversion thereof which was not four hundred years after Christs passion it being but four hundred and twenty three years after his Incarnation as hath been said yea this Faith thus practised in England is the very self same which was taught the old Britans a little more then a hundred years after Christs Passion For it was in the hundred fifty sixth year after his Incarnation that holy pope Eluetherius sent those Apostolick preachers who baptized King Lucius and his people as you shall see l. 1. c. 4. The old Britans being by the English who subdued this land being as yet heathens driven into Wales still kept the faith they received and at the time that the English were converted they were not found to differ from what S. Austin taught the English in any one point in which the Protestants or any of our other Religions differ from Roman Catholicks in so much that as Bede relateth l. 2. c. 2. they were ready to joyn with Austine if he had but risen up unto them when their seven Bishops entred the synod where he was and in this synod all their controversie then was about keeping Easter at a several time and about some difference in Baptisme neither was there any point hindring Austine to hold communion with them but these two They remaining obstinate in defending these against the Roman and universal Church became Schismaticks were confuted by miracle and their ruine miraculously foretold to be at hand for this their division and schism God presently fulfilling the prophes●e The faith then which thou in this History behouldest practised in our English Church in all points now in contr●versie is the very same with that saith which the old Britans received a very little more then a hundred years after Christs passion in which Age all agree the true faith of Christ to have been uncorruptedly delivered it being not a full hundred yeares after the finishing of the Scripture Behold then according to the reach of thy capacity without carrying thee out of thy own countrey or parish I have brought thee into one in which all men must needs confesse the true faith to ●e most uncorruptedly practised as well at that time in which this History was written as at the fo●rth Age when this faith was practised in Scotland as also at the entrance of the second Age in which this faith was practised by our old Britans Begin then to travel through this countrey as it was in that Age by the benefit of this book which is no new one but written in the very words in which I give it thee For as much as concerns all points of faith therein delivered almost a thousand years agoe and when these things were but just done and even upon the place in which they were done that so thou mightst 〈◊〉 be assured that neither distance of time or place hindred our most learned and holy Historian from telling the very truth spend but a few hours I pray thee in travelling

speak in this most Ancient Authors own Words tmost faithfuly translated as often as we come to touch upon any Point of Faith Secondly Thou canst not say that the Words of this Author deserve not all credit For this were both to discredit our whole Nation which never yet from the beginning of the World is kno●n to have brought forth an Historian of greater credit For I beseech thee tell me if thou canst who that Historian was And this also were to gainsay all Antiquitie which even when Bede lived did read his Works in the Church by the Title of Venerable For they could not call him Saint ●e being yet living And hence this Title still remaines though Antiquity after death ever held him for a Saint Whence Polidore Virgil alledging Bede saith Bede an Englishman then whom none more chaste none more true And your own Cambden treating of the Bishoprick of Durham saith Here our Bede was bo●n the singular Glory and Ornament of England who for his Piety and Learning got the sirname of Venerable He bestowed all his diligence as himselfe saith in Meditation of the Scripture and amidst the surging waves of Barbarisme wrote many most Learned Volumes So He. And indeed Bede was the St. Austin of our Nation The time he lived in made him a most near borderer unto the very things which he wrote and he lived upon the very place where they were done In which place at that time no man of any Conscience or Credit wo●ld so much as venture to write things then notoriously known to be contrary to truth by all intelligent persons especially very often citing eye-witnesses still living as he doth There was then no Jesuit at his elbow to prompt him how to set forth his Historie to the advantage of such Papists as should be in their daies that is some eight or nine hundred yeares after Thirdly Thou can●t not say that the Faith of this Age was corrupted in any point in which Roman Catholicks differ from Protestants or from any of our many Religions in England For I have already shewed N. i. that the Faith of this Age in all those points agreed with the Faith not onely of the Fourth Age in which the Scots receiv'd this very Faith but also with the Faith which was not a hundred yeares after the finishing of the Scripture at which time our old Britans receiv'd this very self-same Faith That Faith was not corrupted This was that very Faith this therefore was not corrupted Fourthly That all we have taken out of Bede his Latine or English Copies is wholly conformable to the Saxon Translation of Bede made so long agoe by King Alfride and lately set forth by Abraham Welock a prime Protestant Doctor For it was in all these places diligently conferred with that Translation Lastly If thou sayest this Historie is incredible because it relates so many to thee incredible Histories I must tell thee that either all ancient Historians and Fathers who wrote any part of Ecclesiastical History did notoriously lye or else the like things happened also in all other Countreys at the times and near to the times of their first conversion St. Gregory did write a great while after the conversion of Italy and yet his Dialogues speak of great wonders Read also St. Austins most undoubted and most ●minent Work of the City of God in which l. 22. c. 28. he recounts above twenty Miracles done by the intercession of Saints and addeth that many Books would not contain their number Read St. Hierome St. Ambrose St. Greg. Nazian. St. Athanasius Read Eusebius or the Tripartite History of Socrates Sozomen and Theodoret Read Euagrius Palladius or Nicephorus and they all both in East and West tell as incredbile Histories and Miracles as any be in Bede And though possibly some of these things should be false for to many he adds such proofes as make them undeniable yet we are hence assured what kind of Stories were then held forth as probable and never rejected by any as containing a confirmation of any doctrine different from the present Faith of that Age And I would have my Reader know that I relate them so plentifully for this end and that it may appear what kind of Stories such men as Bede that is such as England cannot match believed to be true in that pure Age and related to have them believed by Posterity which Bede and the chiefest of the Fathers would not have done were they not conformable to the Faith of that Age And against this Argument thus taken from these Histories no Protestant can give so much as any thing like an Answer for it strikes them dumb I will no further detain thee Dear Countreym●n from making that short Journey through this book which may be of so great benefit unto thee a Journey of a very few hours which may bring thee to the knowledge of or ●ering thy waies so that by Gods grace which I desire thee in the beginning most earnestly to implore thou may'st be conducted safely to the never ending Jo●es of the Heavenly Countrey Dear Reader the benefit of this Preface will chiefly be found if thou readest it again after thou hast read the Book it self Book 1. Chap. 1 2 3 4. ENGLANDS old Religion FAITHFULLY Set forth by Venerable Bede in his History of the Church of England Omitting onely such things as make not to this purpose The first Book Chap. 1 2 3. In these Chapters there is nothing to our present purpose They onely contain the State of Civill affairs in Britany Chap. 4. IN the year of our Lords Incarnation 156. Lucius King of the Britans wrote to Eleutherius a holy man then Pope of the Church of Rome desiring that by his appointment he might be made a Christian Which request being granted him the Britains received the Faith and kept it sound and undefiled untill Dioclesians time In the 5. Chapter nothing to our purpose It describes onely the Wall made between England and Scotland Chap. 6. Dioclesian and Maximian raising the Tenth Persecution against the Christians caus'd the Churches to be spoil'd the Christians to be tormented and kill'd For ten years it continued burning of Churches banishing Innocents murdering of Martyrs Among other places Britany was at this time honoured with the glory of many holy Martyrs who constantly dyed in Confession of their Faith Chap. 7. Among others suffered St. Alban of whom Fortunatus Priest in his Book of the Praise of Virgins reckoning up the Martyrs which from all coasts came unto God saith The fertill Land of Britany brings forth Her Proto-Martyr Alban of great worth This Alban being yet a Pagan when the cruell Edicts of the wicked Princes were set forth against the Christians receiv'd into his house one of the Clergy who had fled from the Persecutours and observing him night and day to continue in Prayer and Watching suddenly touch'd with the grace of God he began to follow the example of his Faith