meane tyme kinge Alcfrid sent VVilfrid his priest vnto the kinge of Fraunce that he might in his dominions be consecrated bishop Who sent him to be consecrated of Agilbert of whom we made mencion before being then bishop of Paris where he was consecrated withe great honour of him and many other bishops meting for that purpose together in a Manour of the kinge called In compendio Bishop VVilfrid making some abode in Fraunce after his consecration kinge Oswin folowing the example and diligence of his sonne kinge Alcfrid sent in to kent a holy man vertuous sufficiently lerned in holy scripture and a diligent perfourmer of that he had lerned to be created bishop of Yorke This man was a priest and called Ceadda brother to the most Reuerend bishop Ceddi of whom we haue often mencioned before and Abbat of the monastery of Lesting The king sent also withe him an other of his priestes Eadhed by name who after in the reign of kinge Ecfrid was bishop of Rhyppon But they at their arriuall to kent finding the Archebishop of Caunterbury Deusdedi◠departed and no man yet supplying his rowme stroke ouer to the west Saxons where VVini was bishop and of him this vertuous man Ceadda was consecrated bishop hauing withe him to assist and accompany him at the consecration two other bishops of the olde Britons who continewed yet in their accustomed obseruation of Easter beginning from the fourtenth daye of the chaunge contrary to the canonicall and right order as we haue often saied before There was not at this tyme beside this bishop VVini any one true bishop and rightly consecrated in all Britanny Ceadda then being thus created and consecrated bishop began seriously to sett forthe the truthe of gods word to leade his life in chastite humilite and abstinence to study and much teaching For the which intent he visited continually the cytes townes villages yea and priuat houses in his diocese and that not making his iourney on horsebacke but going allwaies on foote as the Apostles vsed All this he had lerned of the vertuous bishop Aidan and of his brother bishop Ceddi whose vertuous examples he endeuoured him selfe allwaies to folowe and to teache the same to other VVilfrid also returning to England nowe a bishop instructed much the church of England and reduced them to the Catholike vnite touching externall rites and obseruations in many pointes Whereby it came to passe that Catholike ordonaunces taking place and beginning daily to be more and more embraced the whole company of the Scottes which then liued amonge the english men either yelded to the same or els returned backe to their countre Howe Wighard priest was sent to Rome to be consecrated Archebishop of Caunterbury and how he died there according as by letters from the Pope it was specified The. 29. Chap. AT this tyme the most worthy and renouned kinges of England Oswin of the North countre and Ecgbert of kent and the places adioyning deliberating betwene them selues touching the paisible gouuernment of the church for kinge Oswin had nowe perfitly lerned though he were brought vp of the Scottes that the church of Rome was the Catholike and Apostolicall churche by the choyse and consent of the holy clergy of England called vnto them one Wighard a priest a man of great vertu and worthy to be a bishop one of the clergy vnder Deusdedit the deceased Archebishopp and sent him to Rome to be consecrated to the intent that he being made Archebishop might consecrat and order other byshops for the Catholike churches of Englishe men through out all Britanny But Wighard coming to Rome before he could be consecrated bishop departed this life whereupon the Pope sent backe to kinge Oswin these letters To our most honorable Son Oswin kinge of the Saxons Vitalianus Byshop the seruaunt of those which serue God We haue receiued your excellencies wishefull letters by the perusall whereof we perceiued your excellencies most godly deuotion and feruent zele to attaine euerlasting life hoping assuredly that as you now reigne ouer your people so in the life to come you shal reighn with Christ for as much as by his Souuerain helpe and grace you are nowe conuerted to the true right and Apostolike faith Blessed is that people ouer whom God hath placed a prince of such wisedom vertu and desire of Gods honour As the which not only serueth God him selfe incessantly but also laboureth to draw all his subiects to the right vnite of the Catholike and Apostolicke faith purchasing them thereby vndoubted saluation of their soules For who hearing this ioyefull report of such a Prince will not also reioyse thereat What Christen hart will not leape for ioye and cōceiue singular cōfort of so zelous furdering of the faith Truly cōsidering the happy cōuersion of your natiō to the seruing of almighty God I remēbre and see in you the oracles of the diuine prophets accōplished as it is written in Esay In that day the roote of Iesse standeth vp for a tokē to the people him the natiōs shal cal vpon And againe Heare o ye Ilandes and harkē ye people that dwell a farre of And within a few wordes after the prophet crieth to the church It is not enough that thou shalt serue me in restoring the tribes of Iacob and in cōuerting the dragges of Israel I haue geuen the for a light to the nations that thou be my saluation euen to the furdermost of the earth And againe Kinges shal see princes shall arise and shall adore And a litle after I haue geuen the for a leage of my people that thou shouldest raise vp the earth and possesse the scattered inheritages and saye to those which laye hounde come ye for the and to those wich sate in darcknes be ye opened And againe I the Lord haue called thee in righteousnes and haue taken thy hand and haue saued thee and haue set thee to be a light vnto nations and to be a leage betwene my people that thou maiest open the eyes of the blind and deliuer from bondes the bounde the man sitting in darckenes out of the prison Beholde most honourable Sonne by the verdit of the prophets it is most clere that not onely you but all nations shall beleue in Christ the maker of all thinges It behoueth therefor your highnes being now a parte of Christe to folow in all thinges and allwaies the sure rules and ordonnaunces of the head of the Apostles as well in obseruing your Easter as in all other thinges deliuered by the holy Apostles Peter and Paule Whose doctrine doth daily lighten the hartes of all true beleuers no lesse then the two lightes of the element geue light to the whole worlde And after many other wordes writen touching the vniforme obseruation of Easter through out the whole worlde it foloweth in the letter As touching one well furnished with lerning and other qualites mete to be your bishop according to the tenour of your letters we could
the catholique faith do hereunto subscribe with our owne handes How Iohn the Chantour of the sea Apostolique came into Englande to teache his conninge The. 18. Chap. AT this Synode there was present and also confirmed the decrees of the catholique faith a most reuerēd man named Ihon the chief Chantour of S. Peters churche and abbot of the monasterie of S. Martyns whiche was come of late from Rome by the commaundement of Pope Agatho hauing for his guyde the most reuerend Abbot Bishop surnamed Benedict of whome we spake before For when the sayed Benedict had buylt a monasterie in England in the honour of the most bessed chief of thapostles S. Peter by the mouth of the riuer Were he came to Rome as he had ofte bene wont to do before with his felowe and helper in the same worke Ceolfride who after him was abbot of the same monasterie and was receaued most honourably of Pope Agatho of worthy memorie of whome he desyred and obtained for the warrant and assurance of the libertie of the monasterie that he had erected a letter of priuilege confirmed by the authoritie Apostolique in such forme as he knewe the will and graunt of king Ecgfride to be by whose leaue and liberall gyfte of possession and land he had made the sayd monasterie He obtained also to haue with him the foresayd Abbot Ihon into England to the entente he might teache in his monasterie the yearly course and order of singing as it was in S. Peters at Rome And so the sayd Abbot Ihon did as sone as he had commaundemente by the Pope both with his owne voyce and presence teaching the chantours and singing men of the saied monastery the order and forme of singing and reading and also putting in writing those thinges that appertained to the celebration of highe feastes and holy dayes for the whole cōpasse of the yere Which things of his writing haue bene hitherto kept in the same monastery and are now euery wher copied out by diuerse And the same Ihon did not only teache the brethren of that monasterie but such as were skilled in songe came together to here him almost from all the monasteries of the same prouince And many to did earnestly desyre and entreat him in such places where he taught to come to them him selfe Beside this office and skill to teache synging and reading he had also an other charge in commaundement from the Pope Apostolike which was that he should diligently learne of what faith the churche of England was and bring worde thereof at his retourne to Rome For not longe before there had ben kepte at Rome a Synod by the holy Pope Martin of the consent of Cv. bishops against them principally that preached one only working and will in Christe Which Synode he brought with him and gaue it to be writen and copyed out in the foresayd monasterie of the moste vertuouse Abbot Benedict For such men had at that time very sore troubled the faith of the churche of Constantinople but by the goodnes and gyfte of our Lorde they were anon espied out and conuicted at the same time Wherefore Agatho the Pope minding as in other prouinces so also in England to be enformed what the Churche was and howe clere it was from the pestilent contagions of heretikes committed this charge and busynes to the most Reuerend Abbot Ihon being nowe appointed to go to England And therefore when the synode which we spake of before was called together in England for this purpose the catholike faith was in them all found clere sownd and vncorrupted And a copie of the same was geuen him to carie to Rome But in his retourning homewarde not long after he passed the sea he fell sicke by the way and died His body for the loue of S. Martin whose monasterie he gouerned was by his frendes brought vnto Tours and there buried honorably For as he went toward England he was gentelly receaued and lodged in that churche and desired earnestly of the bretherne ther that whē he retourned to Rome he wold come that way and lodge with them Finally he toke with him from thence certaine to helpe and succour him both in his iourney and also in his busynes that he was charged withall who althoughe he thus died by the way yet neuerthelesse the copie of the Catholique faith of England was brought to Rome and receaued most gladly and ioyfully of the Pope apostolike and of al that heard or read the same How quene Edildred continewed a perpetuall virgin whose body could not be corrupted nor rot in her tombe The. 19. Chapter KIng Egfride tooke to wife a woman named Edildride the doughter of Anna king of the East english of whom we haue ofte made mention a man meruailouse godly and in al pointes notable for vertu both of thought and dede This sayd woman had bene wedded to an other man before him that is to saye to the prince of the South Giruians named Tonbert But he died a litle after he had maried her and then she was geuen to wife to the foresayd kinge With whome she liued xij yeres and yet remained continually a pure and glorious virgin euen as bishop Wilfrid a man of blessed memorie did shewe me enquiring of purpose of the matter bicause many did doubte thereof and saied vnto me that he coulde of all men be a very sure witnesse of her virginitie for so much as kinge Ecgfrid promised to geue him landes and much money if he coulde persuade the quene to vse his companie though yet he knewe well that she loued no man in the world more then him And it is not to be mystrusted but that the same thinge may be done in our time also which hathe ben sometime done in times paste as trewe histories do witnesse whereas one and the same lorde geueth the grace which promiseth to abyde with vs vnto the end of the world For besyde this the signe and token of the diuine miracle in that the flesh of the same virgin buryed could not be corrupted and putrefied doth well shewe that she lyued alway vncorrupted and vntouched of any man Againe it is well knowen she besowght the king very much and a long time that she mighte forsake the cares of the world and haue leaue to go into a monasterie and ther◠only to serue Christ the true king Which when she had at last obtayned she entred into the monasterie of Abbesse Ebbe who bare a good affection to kinge Ecgfride The monasterie standeth in a towne called Coludi and the aforesayd byshop VVilfride gaue her the veale and habit of a nonne Within a yere after whiche she was herselfe made an Abbesse in the I le of Ely in which place there was built a monastery of virgins dedicated to God amonge whom she began to be a very good mother and virgin bothe in examples and also good lessons of heauenly lyfe Of her it is sayd that after the
Howe Coenrede kinge of the Marsshes and Offa king of the East Saxons ended their liues in the habitt of religion and of the lyfe and death of bisshop VVilfride The 20. Chap. THe iiij yeare of Osredes raigne king Coenrede which kept the soueraintie in the countrie of Marshes honourably for a tyme did more honourably forsake it and all his dominions For vnder Constantine the Pope he went to Rome and receiuing there the tonsure and habitt of a religious man at the Apostles toumbes continued in praying fasting and dealing of almes vntill his dying daye Vnto this noble prince Coenrede succeded kinge Edilredes son which Edildred had the gouuernement of the same realme before him There went with him also to Rome Sigheres sonn king of the east Saxons called Offa whome we mentioned before a princely and beautefull gentleman and then in his first flowres and much desired of his subiectes to remaine and rule among them But he moued with leke deuotion and zeale as the other prince was forsoke his ladye his landes his kinsfolke and countrie for Christes sake and the ghospell that in this world he might receiue an hundred folde and in the world to come life euerlasting with Christ. When he came to the holy places att Rome he also was shoren into religion in the which he passed the rest of his life and came to the vision of the blessed Apostles in heauen as he had longe desired before The very selfe same yere that these ij princes went out of Britannie a worthy prelate and notable bishopp called VVilfride died the xlv yeare after he had ben made bisshoppe in the territory called Wundale And his body well chested was caried to the monastery of Rhippon wher he had before liued and with al honour and solemnitie worthy for so noble a bishopp was buried in Saincte Peters church at Rhyppon Of whose life and behahauiour let vs brieflly make mention what things were done returning as it were backe againe to that we haue spokeÌ„ before This Wilfride being but a childe was of such towardnesse and good nature induced with so many goodly qualities of such modest and honest behauiour in all pointes that all the elders and auncients did with a speciall good loue reuerence him After he was xiiij yere olde he more estemed a monasticall and solitarie lyfe than all secular and wordly wealth The which thing when he had communicated with his father for his mother was departed to the mercy of God he gladly condescended to his holly requestes and godly desires and exhorted him to persiste in that godly purpose which he had entended Hereuppon he came to the isle Lindisfarne and there atteÌ„ding vpoÌ„ the monks he diligeÌ„tly lerned and gladly practised al pointes of chastity and godlinesse required in a solitarie and religious man And because he had a goodly pregnant witt he lerned spedely psalmes and certain other bookes of prayers being not yet shoren in or professed but well garnished with those vertues which far surmounted the outward profession to witt of humility and obedience For the which he was wel loued and estemed bothe of the elders and also of his equals When he had serued God certaine yeares in that monastery he perceaued by litle and litle being growen in iudgement as a wife younge man that could quickly fore see the waye of trewe religion and vertue taught by the Scotts not to be altogether perfecte Whereuppon he fully determined to make a voyage to Rome only to see what riâ—es and ceremonies were obserued there as well of secular priestes as of religious personnes The which determination of his after notice geuen to his Bretherne by preuy conference eche man did well commeÌ„d it and persuaded him to go forward in his good purpose Incontinent coming to Quene Eamflede who knew him wel and by whose counsell and coÌ„mendation he was receaued into that monastery declared to her hyghnesse that he had an earnest and feruent desyre to visit the monuments of the holy Apostles The Quene much delited with the younge mans good purpose and zele sent him to Caunterbury to kinge Ercombert which was her vncles sonne requiring that it might please his highnesse to send him honorably to Rome at what time Honorius one of the blessed Pope Gregories schollers a man profoundly lerned in holy scripture was Archebishop there When this younge man lackinge nor good courage nor lyuely sprite had tarried there a space and employed his diligence to lerne and commit to memory that which he ouerloked there repaired thither an other younge gentilman whose name was Bishop and Christen name Benet one of the nobles of Englande desyrours to go to Rome of whom I haue mentioned before The kinge committed VVilfride to this younge gentilman and his company with chardge that he shuld conduct him safe to Rome When they came to Lyons in Fraunce VVilfrid was stayd there by Dalphine bishop of that city The gentleman went on his iourney to Rome The delight and pleasure which the bishop had in VVilfrides wyse talke aminable continaunce ioly actituity and graue inuention was the occasion why he was staied there For that cause also he gaue him and all his company frendfull intertainement as long as they continued there and furder offred him the gouernement of a greate parte of Fraunce the mariadge of his brothers daughter whiche was yet in the flower of her virginity brefely to adopte him for his heyr if he wolde make his abode there But he rendring lowly and harty thankes for so great courtesy and gentilnesse that the bishop vouchsafed to shew vnto him being but a straunger answered that he was fully determined to an other conuersation and trade of lyffe and therfore had forsaken his country and taken this iourney to Rome The which when the bishop heard he sent him to Rome with a guide to conducte him in the waye and gaue him mony sufficient to beare his chardges desyringe that at his returne he wolde remember to take his house by the waye VVilfride with in fewe dayes after cominge to Rome and occypuing him selfe in daily contemplation of heauenly thinges according to his first determination fel acquainted with a notable holy and lerned man called Boniface who was Archedeacon and one of the Apostolike Popes counsellers By whose instruction he lerned orderly the foure bookes of the Gospell and the trewe counte of Easter and many other godly lessons commodious and profitable to vnderstande the orders and disciplines of the churche which he could not attaine vnto in his owne country And when he had passed certaine monethes there in godly exercise and study he returned to Dalfine againe in Fraunce and after he had tarried with him iij. yeares he toke the inferiour orders of the bishop and was so entierly loued of him that the bishoppe fully determined to make him his successour But by cruel death he was preuented and VVilfride reserued to a bishoprike in his owne natyue country England For Brunechild
trewe preacher and a vortuouse Byshop fol. 80. b. Vowe and habit monastical by the consâ—â—ration of bishops 138. b. S. Augustin ordeineth bishops by the appoynâ—ment of Pope Gregory folio 35. a. No bishop ordained without a number of other bishops 35. a. Blâ—ssing with the signe of the Crosse. 143. a. A dumme man brought to speache by blessing 155. a. â—58 b. Riot and euill lyfe the Brittains destruction 23. a. VVhy the olde Brittons became weake and open to forrain inuasions folio 20. b. The situation and description of Britanny 13. a. How Cesar conquered Britanny 15. a. The second conquest of Britanny 15. b. The faith receaued in britanny from Rome 16. a. Ciuill warres amonge the olde Brittons 29. a. C Christes church in Caunterbury builded by S. Augustin our Apostle and a monastery thereby 44. a. The byshopp of Canterbury created Archebishop of other bishops in britanny by Pope Gregory 35. b. The first Christening of Englishmen in Caunterbury 32. b. Catholike obseruations to be preferred 171. b. Heretikes confuâ—ed by Catholikes in open disputation 25. a. 26. b. Canonicall howers 108. b. Tâ—e vertuous first bishops of England labour to bringe the Britons and Scottes liuing in schisme to the vnite of the catholike church folio 53. a. Kinge Cedwall baptised and buried at Rome 159. b. Elbert the first christen kinge made lawes for the indemnite and quiet possession of churche goods and of the clergy 54. a. The places off Christes natiuitie passion Resurrection and Ascension described as they were a thousande yeares past 172. b. 173. a. and b. Cedda the second bishoppe of London and Essex 98. b. Dedication of Churches 15â— b. 100. a. Holy vessels altarclothes crnaments for the church priestly apparell certain reliques and church bookes sent by S. Gregory the Pope in to England at the first Christening of the same 40. b. Churchemusike first practised in the northe 75. a. The temples of idolls conuerted in to Christen churches being halowed with holy water and altered after the vse of Christen religion hauing altars sett vp and relikes placed in them 4â— b. Byshopp Chadda a man of greate humblenesse 114. The great feare of God in him 116. b. Myracles at his tombe 117. b. Cloysters of Nonnes in order fourme and proportion as to this daye folio 140. 141. a. 142. b. Such of the clergy as were out of holy Orders toke wiues 33. a. The maner of the clergy of the primitiue church of England 147. a. The people do communicat at Masse 54. b. The v. first general Councells receaued by a common consent of the church of England 131. a. Consecration of the B. Sacrament 19. a. Confession to the priest and penaunce enioyned 143. b. Our faith began with Crosse and procession 31. b. Crosse and chalice of golde 75. a. A crosse erectyd by kinge Oswald 76 b. Many restored vnto healthe by the chippes of the same crosse ibid. b. A broken arme made sownde and hole againe by the mosse of the crosse 78. a. VVhy the clergy weare shauen crownes 187. a. The life of S. Cutbert being yet a Monke 146. a. The life of S. Cutbert when he liued like an Anchoret 148. a. and. b. S. Cutberts body after xi yeres buriall founde whole and sound 151. a. Miracles and cures done thereat 151. and. 152. D. Prayer for the deade 90. b. The deuotion of owr primitiue churche 91. b. The deuotion of Christians in Hierusalem aboue a thousand yeares past in Constantins time 173. a. Memories of soules departed 52. a. Dyriges ouer night and Masse in the morninge for the dead 77. b. A necessary doctrine for this time 170. a. Dorchester in Barkeshere a bishoprick 82. b. 139. a. E. The Catholike obseruation of Easter 102. b. Item the same proued out of holy scripture 181. b. 182. 183. 184. 185. 186. The east parte of England conuerted to the faith 69. b. The english men at the first inuading of Britany by the forrain nations of the Saxons generally so called occupied all England except Sussex Essex Kent and part of the westcountre 24. a. The first spoyling of Britanny by the english men 24. a. Saint Erkenwald the. 4. bysshopp of London 120. b. Excommunication 99. a. F. The faith of our primitiue church 156. b. 157. a. 123. b. The faith and deuotion of the first 400. yeares after Christ. 26. b. Fastinge against the plage 128. a. The determinations off the holy fathers to be folowed 119. a. Friseland conuerted to be faith 163. a. VVensday and frydayes fast 80. b. G. Off the noble parentage and vertuous life off S. Gregory 45. a. S. Gregory brought vpp in a monastery after sent to Constantinople from Rome as legat quenched there by his lerning an heresie off Eutichius touching our resurrection 45. b. 46. a. b. A recitall off the lerned workes off S. Gregory 46. b. S. Gregory the pope off Rome our Apoâ—â—le 45. a. S. Gregory a great aulmes man 47. a. Letters off S. Gregory for the furderance of the faith in England to S. Augustin 29. b. to the Archebishopp off Arles 30. a. to S. Augustin againe 3â— a. to the B. off Arâ—â—s againe 40. a. to S. Augustin againe 40 b. to Mellitus the first B. off LondoÌ„ 41. b. to S. Augustin againe 42. a. to kinge Eâ—hâ—â—bert 43. a. A ioyfull reioysing off S. Gregory for the conuerting off our countre to the faith 47. a. An â—pitapâ—e vpon S. Gregory in meter 48. a. The occasion why he sent preachers to our countre 48. b. H. A trewe saying off an heathen 97. b. The heresie off the monothelites condemned 177. b. Heretikes banished the countre sett it in rest and quiet 28. b. Extirpation off heresy by counsell off forrain bisshops 25. a. The vertuous liffe off Hilda a lerned and famous Abbesse 138. 139. Howseling bâ—fore death 116. b. 142. b. I. Idols first throwen downe in Englande 83. b. Intercession off Saints 152. a. â—00 b. 128. b. Holly men worke miracles by intercession 88. b. The lyfe of S. Iohn off Bâ—â—uerlake 164. b. 165. 166. 167. The situation off Ireland 14. b. K. A rare and strange humilite off a kinge 91. a. Kinge Sigebert becommeth a monke 94. a. Reuolting from the faith in kent reuenged from God 54. a. Kent returneth to the faith 56. a. L. The first bishoppe off Lincolne 126. a. Lincolne conuerted to the faith 69. b. In the yere 60â— London receaued the faith and S. Paules church at that tyme builded Rochester also receaued the faith and S. Andrewes church at that tyme builded 51. b. Reuolting from the faithe in London plaged from God 55. a. Thr byshop off London consecrated off his owne Synod by the appointment off S. Gregory the pope 41. a. Fasting in lent vntill euening 100. a. M. VVhether in acte â—ff Mariage be any sinne 38. a. Mariage vnlaufull aboue the third degre 34. a. Our first Aposile sayed Masse 32. b. The martyrdom off ij english priestes in Saxony 163. b. Masse
Sussâ—x and HaÌ„pshere The west couÌ„trie suffolck nortfolck and CaÌ„bridgshere Temporall awes oâ— kinge 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 christen kinge of kent Reuolting from the faith in kent VengeauÌ„ce from God The people do coÌ„municat 〈◊〉 Masse The blessed sacrament bread of life Mellit the first Christen bishop of London expelled from theÌ„ce Reuoltig from the faith in Londonâ— The vengeauÌ„ce of God ensuing Kent returneth to the faith An. 618. Martyrium heat orum quatuor Coronatorum The praier of the righteous man much auaileth Iacob 5. At the Augustines â—n Caunterbury Authâ—rite fromâ— Rome to make Byshops A letter of Pope Bonâ—â—ace to Iustus the. iiij Archeb of Cauâ—â— terb Mattb. 2â— â— atth 10. Psal. 8. Hebrideâ— Insulae An. 625. 2. Cor. 11. 2. Cor. 4. A traiterous facte ExaÌ„ple of a trusty subiect The first Christening of Englishmen in Northâ—mberland A letter of Pope Boniface to kings Edwin exhorting him to the faith Matt. 28. Genes 1. 2. Psal. 95. A letter of Pope Boniface vnto Edelburge Quene of â—orthumberberland â—â— 2. 1. Cor. 7. A vision by the which Edwin the first Christen king of NorthuÌ„berland was called to the faithe A carnall reâ—pâ—ct of â—n aâ—hen Bishop occasiâ—n oâ— good The first Christendom of the English Prince in NorthuÌ„berland or in the North countre An. 627. The Cathedrall church of Yorke * In northuÌ„â—erlaÌ„d * In yorkeshere Aultar of stone The couÌ„tres of Suffolk Norfolck and of CaÌ„bridg sheres then called the East english counerted to the faith DuÌ„mocke Lincolne shere Prefectum Lindecoliâ—ae ciuitatis The epistle of Pope Honorius to Edwyn the first christen kinge of NorthuÌ„berland CoÌ„stitutions froÌ„ Rome touching the clergy The epistle of Pope Honorius to Honorius the Archebisshop of Caunterbury Matth. 11. Matth. 24. The copie of a letter froÌ„ the clergy of Rome to the clergy of Scotland Primicerâ— Against the pelagian heresie Psal. 50. An. 633. Crosse and chalice of good Churche musike first practised in the North. Apostasie from the faith punished A crosse erected by king Oswald Diriges ouer night and Masse in the morning for the dead Holy Ilond A rare zele to the preaching of Gods word in a wordly prince An. 563. Philip. 2. The exaÌ„ple of a true preacher and avertuous Bishop Siue adioÌ„si siue Laici VVensday and fridayes fast That Cite is now called BaÌ„brough The west countre of EnglaÌ„d as the dio ceses of Salisbury of Exceter of Bathe and VVelles and of HaÌ„psher The first Christening in the west countre Dorchester in Bar keshere VVinchester Apostasie from the faith punished VVinchester An. 640. Idols first threwen downe in England Virgins in Monanasteries The like is writen of S. Antony beholdiÌ„g in coÌ„pany of other the soule of Amos 2 religious eremite caried vp into heauen the Angels accoÌ„payniÌ„g with melody Hist. tri part lib. 1. cap. 11. S. Hierom also writeth the like of S. Antony in the life of Paule the Eremite Opera illo rum sequuÌ„tur illos Their workes de folow them Apoca. 14 Miracles at the place where kinge Oswald was slaine Lincoiâ—eshere Gregory B. of Nisso brother to S. Basill reporteth of miracles wrought by the duste lying vpon Martyrs tumâ—â—s In vita Theodori Martyrâ—s Paulinus a lerned bisshop of Nola in S. Augustins time reporteth sundry miracles of health restored to sick persoÌ„s at the tuÌ„be of S. Felix Natali 6. the like writeth S. Basill of the 40. Martyres S. Ambrose of the bodies of S. Geruasius and Protasius li. 10. epist. ad sororem epist. 85. et serm 19. All lerned stories arâ— full of such examples Kinge Oswalda greate praierâ— Holy men worke miracles by intercession O rare example of a Christen Prince An olde uerbe BaÌ„brough A lesson for vngodly studeÌ„ts The goodnes of God and our faithe worketh miracles by holy relikes An. 644. * Yorke shere Omnisque potestas impatiens consortis erit Lucanus lib. 1. Praier for the dead The commendatiâ— of kinge Osuuius Bishop And an â—â—ero S. Martinâ— who gaue halfe his doke to a naked poore man * A charitable saying but now more like to be mocked at then to be folowed A rare and straÌ„ge humilite of a kinge The deuotioÌ„ of our primitiue church BaÌ„brough Theodoret in his Philotheus reporteth of a great army of the PersiaÌ„s destroyed at Nisiba by the praier only of lames then a holy Bisâ—hop of that cite In vita lacâ—bi Nisibensis BaÌ„orough God whiche by the shadowe of Peter healed the sicke worketh the like in the dead relâ— kes of holy men Act. 5. Ioan. 20. Norfolck Suffolck and Cambridg shere King Sigibert becometh a monke S. Paule was comforted also by a vision from God to be stedfast in preaching the worde Act. 2â— Mat. 25. Psal. 83. Note the scâ—â—â—â— spirituall fires whiche shall burne theâ—wde Euery maÌ„ shall receiue according to the workes of his body 2. co 5. The paines of Purgatory The diuel fighteth with sinn against man Reade S. Paul Ephes. 6. b. 12. c. 16. As God is said in scripture to bende his bowe to strik with sword etc. Psal. 7 so here the writer applieth carnal termes to spiritual matters the names of fire to sinne of throwing by the diuels to the charge of sinne c. An. 653. The first Christening of the Marshes or middle-land english men An. 6â—0 By Barwick Ad Capreae Caput A true saying of an Heathen The couÌ„tre about London The persuasion of kinge Oswin vvith the heathen kinge Sigbert By Barwick Cedda the secoÌ„d Bishop of London and Essex Chemes-ford and Tilberi Vertu per secuted of the euill euen to death Enormous crimes in the righteous sooner punished Excommunication So Peter pronouÌ„ced Ananias to death Act. 5. The foundation of monasteries Esaiae 35. Fasting in Lent vntell euening Consecration of holy places IntercessioÌ„ of Saints Vowes to God The foundation of monasteries VVitby A coÌ„trouersic about theob seruatioÌ„ of Easter Gal. 2. Tonsurae ecclesiasticaecoronaÌ„ susceperaâ— Vniuersalitie prescribeth The primitiue church at the firste did not abrogat all Iuish ceremoâ—â—ies Actor 16. 21. 18. Act. 21. Eâ—â—o 12. Ioâ—n 20. This maner is obserued nowe vnifor mely in al Christendome Exod. 12. Russinus lib. 10. â—â— Eusab lib. 7. cap. 28. Hiâ—â—o Vide Eusâ—bium lib. 7 cap. 28. Hisâ— eccle Matâ—h 7. Math. 16. Note the conclusioÌ„ of the kinge An. 664. CoÌ„mendation of the Scottisâ— monkes which gouerned first the ongâ—â—â— church in the Northe couâ—tre Vertu winneth autâ—orite viceleseth Religious men in our primittiue church reuerenced The behauiour of priestes in our primitiue church An. 664. Lincolne shere Vowes in sickenesse Cononicall houres Consecration of Bisshops with a number of other Bysâ—ops The duty of a Byshop The churche of Rome A letter of Vitalianus the Pope to king Oswin Esaiâ— 11. Matth. 6. An. 668. The couÌ„tre abowt Lyons The Augustins in Caunterbury Dominus Papâ— Apostolicus The duty of a Byshop Theodore the first Primat of all England The felicite of the english churche vnâ—er Theodor the Archebishop of Canterb Singing in
people no good to the which he was sent for as much as they were folkes that might not be reclaymed of a hard capacite and fierce nature Then the elders as they say began in counsaile to treate at lōge what were best to de done being no lesse desyrous that the people should attayne the saluation whiche they sought for then sory that the preacher whom they sent was not receiued When Aidan for he also was present at the coūsaile replyed against the priest of whom I spake saying Me thinketh brother that you haue ben more rigorous then reason would with that vnlerned audience and that you haue not according to the Apostles instruction first geuen them milke of milde doctrine vntell being by litle and litle nourished and weaned with the worde of God they were able to vnderstand the more perfect misteries and fulfill the greater commaundementes of God This being saied al that were at the assemble looking vpon Aidan debated diligently his saying and concluded that he aboue the rest was worthy of that charge and bishopricke and that he shoulde be sent to instruct those vnlerned paynims For he was tried to be chiefely garnished with the grace of discretion the mother of all vertues Thus making him bishop they sent him forthe to preach Who when he had taken his time euen as before he was knowen to be endued withe discretion so did he afterward shewe him selfe to be beautified with all other vertues Of kinge Oswaldes wonderfull religion and passing piete The. 6. Chap. KInge Oswald and that parte of the Englishe nation of whome he was the Soueraine gouuernour beinge from thence forthe instructed by this right Reuerend prelats doctrine did not only learne to hope for the heauenly kingdome vnknowen to his graundfathers but also cōquered more then any of his auncetours did earthly kingdomes by the power of the same one almighty God who made heauen and earth Brefely all the nations and prouinces of Britanny which spake foure diuers languages that is to saie the Britons the Redshankes the Scottes the English became subiect vnto him And yet being aduaunced to so royall maiesty he was euer notwithstanding which is maruailous to be reported lowly to all gracious to the poore and bountifull to all pilgrimes and straungers The report is that at a certain time when on the holy day of Easter the kinge and the foresaied bishop were sitt downe to diner and a siluer dish replenished with princely deintees was sett on the table before them being now ready to saie grace sodenly entered in his seruaunt to whom was committed the charge to receiue the needy and tolde the king that a very great numbre of poore people flockinge from all places did sitt in the Courte looking for some almes from the kinge Who by and by gaue commaundement that the delicates whiche were sett before his owne person should be bestowed on the poore and the dishe of siluer broken and by peecemeale parted amonge them At the sight whereof the bishop who sate by the kinge being delited withe such a worke of mercy toke him by the right hand and saied I praie God this hande be neuer consumed Which thinge came euen so to passe as in his blessing he desired For where as after that he being slaine in battail his handes with his arme were cut of from the residew of his body so it is that his handes to this time continue vncorrupted◠and are reserued in a siluer shrine in S. Peters church wher with worthy honour they are worshipped of all men in the kinges cyte whiche hathe his name of a lady sometime Quene called Bebba By this kinges trauail the prouinces of the Deirans and the Bernicians which did so deadly hate one the other were reconciled and ioyned together in one allegeaunce and amitie like as they were one people This kinge Oswald was kinge Edwines nephew by his sister Achas side And it was mete that so noble a predecessour shuld haue so worthy an heyre as wel of his religion as of his realme and that of his owne kinred How the cuntry of west Saxons receiued the worde of God by Berinus preaching and Agilbertus and Eleutherius his successour The. 7. Chapter THe west Saxons who of old time were called Genisse receiued the faith of Christ in the raign of Cynigilsus Berinus the bishop preaching to them the worde who came into Britanie by Pope Honorius appointment promising in his presence that he wold sowe the seedes of the holy faith in the hart of the vttermost coastes of England whether no teacher had of any time gone before him In consideration wherof at the commaundement of the same Pope Asterius the bishop of Geane did consecrat him bishop But at his arriuall into Britany and first entering into Geuisse finding that al the inhabitants there were very paynims he thought it more expedient to preach the word of God among them rather then in trauailing further to serche for such as he shuld preach vnto And thus at his preaching of the gospell in the forsaid prouince when the king him selfe being newly taught the faith was Christened with his nation it happened at that tyme that Oswald the most holy and very victorious king of Northumberland was present Who coming then to take his daughter to wife toke him first out of the holy font for his godson not without the meruailous and swete prouisiō of almighty God After this solemnitie both the kinges gaue the same bishop the citie of Dorcinca for his bishoprike where after that he had builded and dedicated churches and by his paines brought much people to our Lord he went to God and was buried in the same citie Many yeares after when Hedde was bishop he was translated from thens to the citee of Venta and laid in the churche of the blessed Apostles S. Peter and Paule After the death of this kinge his sonne Senwalch succeded him in his kingdome who refused to receiue the faith and sacramentes of the kingdome of heauen and shortly after lost the greate rule of his wordly kingdome also For taking an other wife and casting of the sister of Penda kinge of the Marshes his true wedded wif he was by Penda assauted with battaile deposed from his kingdome and constrained to flye to the king of the east English men who was called Anna with whom liuing in banishment by the space of three yeres he learned the faith For this kinge with whom he lyued in banishment was a vertuous man and blessed of God with plentifull and holy issue as we shall declare hereafter But when Senwalch was restored to his kingdome there came out of Irelande into his prouince a certaine prelate named Agilbertus a frenche man borne yet hauing made long abode in Ireland because he read there the scriptures This bishop of his owne accorde came to serue the prince and to preach him the word of life Such was his lerning and industry that the
at Tarsus in Cilicia a maÌ„ bothe in prophane and diuine knowleadg and in the greke and latin tounge excellently lerned in maners and conuersation vertuous and for age reuerend being then lxvj yeres olde Him Adrian offered and presented to the pope and obtained that he was created bishop Yet with these conditions that Adrian should accompany him in to England bicause hauing twise before trauailed in to Fraunce for diuers matters he had therefore more experience in that iourney as also for that he was sufficiently fournished with men of his owne But chiefely that assisting him alwaies in preaching the ghospell he should geue diligent eye and waite that t is Theodore being a greke borne enduced not after the maner of the grekes any doctrine coÌ„trary to the true faith receaued in to the english church now subiect vnto him This man therfore being made subdeacon taried yet in Rome iiij moneths vnte â—l his heare was full growen to take the ecclesiasticall tonsure rounde which before he had taken like vnto the Last church after the maner of S. Paule whereof we shall hereafter treate more at large He was consecrated bishop of Vitalianus then Pope in the yeare of our Lorde 668. the xxvj daie of Marche vpon a Sonday After the xvij of May in the company of Adrian the Abbat he was directed to England Their iourney commenced first by see they arriued to Marsilia and so by lande to Arles where deliuering to Iohn the Archebishop letters of commendation from Vitalian the Pope they were receaued and enterteyned of him vntill that Ebroinus chief of the kinges Courte gaue them saulfeconduit to passe and go whither they entended and woulde Which being graunted them Theodore tooke his iourney to Agilbert bishop of Paris of whome we haue spoken before and was very frindly receaued of him and kept there a longe tyme. But Adrian went first to Emmeson and after to Faron bishop of Meldes and there continewed and rested withe them a good space For wynter was at hand and draue them to abyde quietly in such conuenient place as they could gett Now wheÌ„ word was browght to king Ecgbert that the bishop whom they had desired of the Pope of Rome was come and rested in Fraunce he sent thither straight waye Redfride his lieutenant to bringe and conducte him Who when he came thither tooke Theodore with the license of Ebroinus and browght him to the porte that is named Quentauic Where they continewed a space bicause Theodore was weake sicke and wery And as sone as he began to recouer health againe they sayled to England But Ebroinus with helde backe Adrian suspecting he had some embassie of the Emperours to the kinges of England against the realme of Fraunce wherof at that time he had speciall care and chardge But when he founde in dede that he had no such thinge he dimissed him and suffred him to go after Theodore Who as soone as Adrian came to him gaue him the monasterie of S. Peter thapostle where as I haue mentioned before the Archebishops of Cauntourbury are wonte to be buried For the Pope Apostolâ—que had required Theodore at his departinge to prouide and geane Adrian some place in his diocese where he and his company might commodiously continewe and liue together Howe Theodore visited the countree and howe the churches of England receaued the true Catholique faith and began also to studie the holy scriptures and how Putta was made bishop of Rochester for Damian The 2. Chap. THeodore came to his churche the 2. yere after his consecration the xxvij day of may being sonday and continewed in the same xxi yeres three moneths and xxvj daies And straight way he visyted all the countree ouer where soeuer any english people dwelled for all men did most gladly receaue him and heare him and hauing still with him the coÌ„panie and helpe of Adrian in all thinges dyd sowe abrode and teache the right wayes and pathes of good liuing and the canonical rite and order of keping the feast of Easter For he was the first Archebishop vnto whome all the whole churche of the English nation dyd consent to submit them selues And bicause both he and Adrian as we haue sayd were exceding well learned both in profane and holy literature they gathered a company of disciples or scholers vnto them into whose breastes they dayly dyd powre the flowing waters of holesome knowledge So that beside the expounding of holy scripture vnto them they dyd with al instructe their hearers in the sciences of musick Astronomie and Algorisme In the tounges they so brought vp their scholers that euen to this day some of theÌ„ yet liuing can speake both the Latin and Greeke tonge as well as their owne in which they were borne Neither was there euer since the English meÌ„ came first to Britaine any tyme more happie than at that present For England then had most valiant and Christian princes It was feared of all barbarowse and forrain nations The people at home was all wholly bent to the late ioyfull tydinges of the kingdome of heauen And if any man desired to be instructed in the reading of holy scriptures there lacked not men expert and cunning ready to teache him Againe at this time the tunes and notes of singing in the Churche whiche vntill than were only vsed and knowen in Kent began to be learned throwgh all the churches of EnglaÌ„d The first master of songe in the churches of Northumberland except Iames whome we spake of before was Eddi surnamed Stephen who was called and browght from kent by Wilfride a man most reuerend whiche first among all the byshops that were of the English nation dyd learne and deliuer the Catholique trade of life to the English Churches Thus Theodore vewing ouer and visiting eche where dyd in conuenient places appoynt bishops and with their helpe and assistance together amended such thinges as he found not well and perfecte And among all other when he reproued bisshopp Chaddâ— for that he was not rightly consecrated he made moste humble awnswer and sayde If yow thinke that I haue taken the office of a byshop not in dewe order and maner I am ready withe all my hart to giue vp the same for I did not thinke my selfe euer worthy therof but for obedience sake being so commaunded I dyd agree althowgh vnworthy to take it vpon me Whiche humble awnswere of his Theodore hearing sayd that he should not leaue his bisshopricque but dyd himselfe supplye and complete his consecration after the right and dewe Catholique maner The very same tyme in whiche after the death of Deusdedit an Archebysshopp of Caunterbury was sewed for consecrated and sent from Rome Wilfrid also was sent from England to Fraunce there to be consecrated Who bycause he retourned into kent before Theodore did make priestes and deacons vntill the time that the Archebisshop himselfe came to his see Who at his comming to the
predecessours had before him ouer the prouinces of the Marshes and myddle english and also of Lindisfar dioecese In all whiche countrees VVulpher who yet lyued dyd holde the crowne and scepter This VVinfrid was of the clergy of the same byshop whome he succeded and had executed the office of deacon vnder him no small tyme. Howe by shopp Colman leauing England made two monasteries in Scotland one for Scottes and an other for the English men that he had browght with him The. 4. Chap. IN the meane tyme byshop Colman who was a Scottish byshop lefte England and tooke with him all the Scottes that he had gathered together in the I le of Lindisfar and abowt xxx englysh men also which were all browght vp in the orders of monasticall lyfe and conuersation And leauing in his owne churche certaine bretherne he came first to the I le of Hij from whence he was first sent to preache the word of God to the English men Afterward he went to a certaine litle I le which lieth on the west syde cut of a good way from Ireland and is called in the Scottysh tonge Inhisbowinde that is to saye VVhitecalfe I le In to whiche he came and buylte a monasterie and placed the monkes in the same which he had browght with him and gathered of bothe nations Whiche bicawse they cowld not agree together for that the Scottes in somer tyme when haruest was getting in wold leaue the monasteries and go wander abrode in places of their acquayntaunce and than at winter wold come againe and require to enioy in cōmon such thinges as the english mē had prouided and layed vp Colman seking remedie for this discorde and vewing all places far and nere found at length in Ireland a mete place for his purpose called in the Scottish tonge Magio Of that grounde he bought a small parcell to buyld a monasterie therein of the Erle that possessed the same vppon this condition with all that the monkes there abydinge shoulde remembre in their praiers the Lorde of the soile who lett them haue that place Thus the monasterie being spedely erected by the helpe of the Erle and of all such as dwelled thereby he placed the Englishmen alone therein the Scottes being leafte in the foresaid Iland The which monasterie vnto this day is holden of Englishmen and is the same which is commonly called Iniugeo being nowe much enlarged and amplified of that it was at first This monastery also all thinges being since brought to a better order hath in it at this present a notable company of vertuous monkes that come thither out of England and liue after the example of the worthy olde fathers vnder their rule and appointed Abbat in great continencie and synceritie getting their lyuing with the labour of their owne handes Of the death of king Oswin aud king Egbert and of the Synode made at Hereford at which the Archebishop Theodore was chiefe and president The. 5. Chap. THe yere of the incarnation of our Lorde 670. whiche was the second yere after that Theodore came to England Oswy king of Northumberland was taken with a greuous sickenesse whereof he dyed the yere of his age lviij Who at that time bare such loue and affection to the Apostolike see of Rome that if he might haue scaped his sicknes he purposed to go to Rome and to end his lyfe in those holy places there hauing for that purpose intreated bishop Wilfride to be his guyde in his iourney and promised him a greate somme of mony to cōduct him thither But he departed this life in that sickenesse the xv day of Februarie and leafte Egfride his sonne enheritour of the realme In the third yeare of whose raigne Theodore gathered a Councell of bishops with many other doctours and prelates of the churche suche as diligently studied and knewe the canonicall statutes and ordinances of the fathers Who being assembled together he began with such minde and zeale as became a bishop to teache diligently to obserue those thinges that were conuenient for the vnitie and peace of the churche The forme and tenour of whiche Synode is this In the name of our Lorde God and Sauiour Christ Iesus who raigneth and gouuerneth his church for euer it semed good vnto vs to assemble our selues together according to the custome prescribed in the ecclesiasticall Canons to treate of necessarie affaires of the church we the bishops vndernamed that is I Theodore although vnworthy appointed by the See Apostolike Archebishop of Caunterbury our felowe priest and brother the most reuerend bishop of the Eastenglish B. Bisi our felow priest and brother VVilfrid bishop of the Northumbrians by his deputed legates present Also our felowe priestes and brethern Putta bishop of Rochester Leutherius bishop of the West Saxons and VVinfrid bishop of the Marshes or Middleenglish men we all being assembled together and placed euery one in order in the church of Hereforde the xxiiij of September in the first Indiction I beseke you saied I most derely beloued brethern for the feare and loue of our Redemer let vs all in common treate and debate such thinges as appertaine to the right faith keging vprightly and straighly the decrees and determinations of our lerned auncetours and holy fathers These and such like thinges for the preseruation of charite and vnite amonge vs and in the church when I had saied and made an end of that exhortation and preface I demaunded of eche of them in order whether they agreed to kepe those thinges which are canonically decreed of the auncient fathers of old time Whereto al our fellow priestes aunsweared and saied It pleaseth vs all very well that those things which the canons of the holy fathers haue defined and appointed we all do kepe and obserue the same And then straight way did I bringe furth vnto them the booke of canons and out of the same booke I shewed before them ten articles which I had noted out of diuerse places bycause I knew them to be most necessarie for vs and I besought them that the same mougthe be receaued and kepte diligently of all men The first article was that we al in common do kepe the holy feast of Ester on the sonday after the xiiij day of the moone in the moneth of Marche The second that no bishop should haue ought to do in an others diocese but be contented with the chardge of the people committed vnto him The third that no bishop should moleste or anye wise troble such monasteries as were consecrated and giuen to God nor violently take from thē ought that was theirs The fourth that monks shuld not go from place to place that is to say from one monasterie to an other onlesse by the leaue of their own abbot but should continew in the obedience which they promised at the time of their cōuersiō and entring into religiō The fift that none of the clergy forsaking his own bishop shuld runne vp
sayed that a man of such authoritie which had bene bisshoppe xl yeares ought not to be condemned but once agayne dischardged and quitted from the false accusations and malicious surmises of his enemies and sent home againe with honour to his countrie With this iudgement returning towardes England he fell sodainly sicke when he came to Fraunce and was so weakened the desease growing vppon him more and more that he could not ryde nor kepe his horse but was caried in a bed by strength of his seruauntes Being thus brought to Meldune a citye in Fraunce he lay iiij dayes and iiij nights as though he had byn dead Only declaring by a litle breath which he drewe very fayntly and short that he was a lyue Thus continuing iiij dayes without meate and drinke as speachelesse and past hearing he rose the fifte daye and sate vppe in his bed as a man awaked out of a deape sleepe and when his eyes were open he sawe a company of his brethern aboute him some singing some weaping and fetting a litle sigthe asked for his chaplyn Acca By and by he was called Who entring into the chambre and seing his bishoppe somewhat better amended and able to speake he fell downe vpon his knees and gaue thankes to God with all the company that was present And when they had sate together a litle while and entred talke fearefully of the high iudgements of God the bishop commaunded al to auoide the chambre for an houre and beganne to talke after this manner to his chaplin Acca There appeared vnto me euen now a terrible vision the which I wil haue thee heare and concele withal vntill I know knowe furder the pleasure of almighty God what shal become of me A certaine man clothed all in white stode by me saying I am Michael the Archangell sent hither for this only purpose to deliuer thee from daunger of death For our Lord hathe geuen the longer tyme to lyue for the earnest prayers and lamentations which thy scholars and bretherne here haue made and also for the intercession of the blessed virgin Marie his mother Wherefore I say vnto the that presently thou shalt be healed of this infirmitie and sickenesse but yet be in a readynesse for after iiij yeares I will returne againe and visit the. Agayne as sone as thou art returned to thy countrye the greatest part of thy possessions that haue ben taken away from the thou shalt receiue againe and ende thy life in tranquillitie and peace Vppon which comfortable wordes the bisshoppe recouered to the greate ioye of all men reioysing and praysing God for him Thus going forward on his iourney he came to England When the letters brought from the see Apostolique were reade Berechtwald archebisshop and Edilrede sometimes kinge but then made an Abbot receiued him gladly in fauour againe Edilred also entreating Coenrede whom he had made kinge in his place to come and speake with him requested him to be a good and gratious Lord to the saied bisshopp which also he obtained But Aldfride king of Northumberland which would not receiue him died within a while after By which occasion it fel out in the raigne of kinge Osred his sonne that in a Synode assembled by the riuer Nid after greate contention and reasoning in both partes he was receiued into his church and bisshopprike againe with all fauour they coulde shewe him So iiij yeres space to witt to his dying daye he liued in peace and died the xij daye of October in a monasterie which he had in the prouince of Wundale vnder the gouuernement of Abbot Cudbalde From whence by the handes of the couent he was caried to his owne monasterie in Rhyppon and interred in the blessed Apostle S. Peter his churche harde by the aultar towarde the Sowth side as we signified before and ouer him is written this epitaphe An Epitaphe vppon Bisshop VVilfride VVilfrid that worthy prelat lyeth bodely in this graue VVho moued with godly zeale to Christ this temple gaue And of the Apostle Peters name S. Peters church did it call To whom the kayes of heauen Christ gaue cheaf gouernour of all He guilted it with golde most fyne and hanged it with scarlat rouÌ„d And sett vp there a Crucifix of golde euen from the ground The foure bookes of Christes ghospell in golden letters are wrote At his coÌ„maundmeÌ„t and charges eke right worthy to read and note A couer for the same also of beaten golde he did fitt The price and valew was great but his hart surmounted it Touching the course of Easter in dew time to be kept Bicause by wronge tradition many it ouerlept He taught the catholike order all England thourough out Extirping the contrary errour by authorite most stoute A numbre of religious men he assembled in this place Instructing them vertuously in the holy Fathers race VVith miseries and perills eke much vexed of longe time And of his owne dere countremen charged with many a crime But when fiue and fourty yeares he had kept a bishops state To heauen be past his bretherns cause with Christ for to debate And that with all alacrite with mirth and ioyfull hart Now graunto Christ that after his trace we folowe thee on our part How Albine succeded the holy Abbot Adrian and Acca the good bishop VVilfride The 21. Chapter THE next yere after the death of that forsaid holy father which was the fifte of king Oâ—rede his raigne the Reuerend and worthy father Adrian Abbot and coadiutour to Theodore Bishop of most blessed memory in preachinge the worde of God passed oute of this transitory lyff and was interred in his owne monastery in our ladyes church the one and fourtith yeare after he was directed from Pope Vitalian and made coadiutor to Theodore and the 39. after he came to Englande Of whose profounde knowledge and lerninge amongest other thinges this may be a sufficient testimony that Albine his schollar who had the gouernaunce of the Abbay after his decesse was so well practised in exercise of holy scripture that he had greate knowledge in the greeke tounge and did speake latin as eloquently withoute staggering or staying as he did english which was his naturall language After the death of bishop VVilfride Acca his priest succeded in the bishoprik of Hagulstad a man of a ioly courage and honorable in the sight of God and of men who enlarged his Cathedrall church dedicated in the honour of saincte Andrewe and set forth the buildinges with diuers comely and sightfull workes and moreouer imployed all his diligence and endeuour to gather together oute of all places the holy Apostles and Martirs reliques to the ende he might in honour of them builde certaine aultars a parte by them selues in litle chapels made for the same purpose within the precincte and walles of the same churche Besides he sought with al possible diligence the histories of their martyrdome and other ecclesiastical writers and made vp a very large and worthy library Moreouer he zelously
Les annalâ—s de FiaÌ„â— Lib. 12. Cromerus iâ— eâ—ist ad Proceres Poloniae â— Cor. 12. Act. 4. 10. 〈◊〉 20. Act. 5. Heb. 11. Rom. 1. Hebr. 7. In postilla magna in Dom. â— Ad. Li. 2. ca. 3. lib. 4. ca. 3. 16. Li. 2. ca. 4. li. 3. ca. 25. Matt. 13. Act. 14. 1. Cor. 16. 1. Tim. 6. Colos. 1. Of the Author of this History Of his lerning Lib. de scri ecclesiasti Hieron in Cata. vir illust In Ioan. 6. Lib. 5. Histor. In Ioan. 6. Of his vertu In vitae Bedae In Ioan. 6. Lib. 1. Tripartâ— hist. lib. 1. cap. 1. In Epist. In Ioanne vj. 〈◊〉 VVhy the Author of this historyâ—s to be credited Of the matter of the history 〈◊〉 16. Sueton in Neronâ— â— Cor. 13. Of the miracles reported in this History Tobi. 12. Cap. 3. That the History ought not to seâ—e 〈…〉 Li. 6. câ— 9 Li. 7. ca. 18 Lib. 1. c. 5. Liâ— c. 8. 10. Lib. 2. cap. 8. Hist. tripart li. 1. c. 5. 10. 11. lib. 7 â— cap. 5. â—ozâ—m lib. 6. ca. 29. Lib. 7. c. 5. 〈◊〉 22. Li. 4. et in Philotheo The most lerned â—athers of the first â— â— yeres haâ—e wâ—â—ten Saints liues Tom. 3. Li. 1. 3. de virg Item inexhortat ad virgines In hom so 126. Li. 1. ca. 7. Li. 2. c. 30 Li. 4. c. 25 27. Li. 22. c. 8 In praefat ad Philotheum An admonition out of Theodoret touching miracles An other out of S. Augustin Lib. dâ— cura pro mor tuis gereÌ„da cap. 16. Cap. 17. Act. 9. 1. Cor. 12. Eccles. 3. Note Lib. eodem Cap. 16. 2. Cor. 10. 1. Cor. 13. Heretikes will not beleue miracles Confes. lib. Serm. 91. ProtestaÌ„ts pretende miracles Pag. 1677. Pag. 520. Pa. 444. Pag. 355. Pa 1670. * At VVei mouth at the riuer VVere whiche runneth by Dyrtham a Essex b Salisbury Exceter VVelles c Suffolck Norfolck and Cambrigd shere Northumbers are called in this stistory al. that dwel beyoÌ„d the riuer HuÌ„bre North ward d Sussex and Hapshere e Mercia or Marshland containeth the dioceses of Lâ—hfield and CoueÌ„try Lincolne and VVorcet f Essex g The countre of NorthuÌ„berland properly * That is 1800. miles * This hauen is now loste by the irruption of the sea * The Redshankes A description of Ireland * Colchester The yeare of our Lord 46. Actor 11. An. 156. An. 189. An. 286. The Martyrdom of saint Albane the firste Martyr of Britanny * â— which we call now dorsuolde â—odde Temples of Martyres holy daies CoÌ„secration of the B. sacrameÌ„t Heresies in BritaÌ„ny The Arrians heresie prospereth not with standing thâ— generall councell of Nice An. 377. An. 394. The propery of heretâ—kes An. 407. The first destruction of Rome The cause why the olde Brittons became weake and open to forain inuasioÌ„s * RedshaÌ„kes An. 403. Palladius the first bishop of Scotland An. 411. Ryâ— and euil life the Britains destructioÌ„ An. 429. The first arriuall of English meÌ„ in to Britanny Saxons English and Vites * The people of Essex of Sussex and of the westcountre The English meÌ„ occupied at the first all England except kent Essex Sussex and parte of the westcountre * The Redshankes The first spoilyng of BritaÌ„ny by the English men Counsell of the catholike bishops in Fraunce for extirping of Pelagianâ— heresy Tempest ceased by prayer and holy water An open disputatioÌ„ betwene Catholikes and heretikes of the pelagian secte in the yeare of our lorde 400. Relikes of holy Martirs The faith and deuotion of Christen bishops about the yere of our Lord. 400. The like Seuerâ— Sul piâ—ius writeth of S. Martin In epist. 2. presixa prologo in vitaÌ„ B. Martini The xl daies of LeÌ„t S. Germain putteth to flight an lioÌ„siâ—â— of insidels by singiÌ„g of lleluia Heretikes banished the countre sett it in rest and quiet S. Gregory sendeth S. Augustin to preache the faith to English men An. â— 96. A letter of S. Gregory exhorting S. Augustin to pursue his iourney to England An other letter of S. Gregory to the Archebishop of Aerls The I le of Tenet Our faith begann with Crosse and procession The life of our Apostles and first preacâ—ers Our first Apostle sayed masse The first Christening of Englishemen in Caunterbury This chapter is ful of much good lerning and godly instructioÌ„s The Sea Apostolike S. Augustin our Apostle was a moÌ„ke The clergy ouâ— of holy orders taketh wiues Luc. 11. The order of the English seruice choseÌ„ out of other diuers countres for the best Of church â—obberies Leuit. 18. Gen. 2. Of creatiÌ„g of bisshops The See of Rome The primacy of Caunterbury in England Leuit. 12. Oâ—â— 3. Luc. 8. Of natural infirmities Note DiffereÌ„ce betwene the new testament and the old lawe Math. 15. Ad TituÌ„ 1. Leuit. 15. VVhether in the acte of mariage be any sinne Psal. 50. Psal. 30. 1. Coâ— 7. Exod 19. â—â— ReguÌ„ 21. Of nightly pollutioÌ„s or iâ—lusions SuggestioÌ„ Delight Consent How sin bredeth in the hartes of meÌ„ Rom. 7. A palle from the Pope to Augustin the first Bishop of Caunterbury The priuilâ—ges of the Bysshops of yorke and London Holy water aultars and relikes Lucae 10. A godly letter of S. Gregory to Ethelbert the first Christen kinge of english men Christes church in Caunterbury * That monastery is now called the Augustines if itâ— stande yet An. 605. S. Gregory Bishop ouer the whole worlde 1. as head thereof S. Gregory our Apostle 1. Cor. 9. S. Gregory a religious maÌ„ S. Gregory the popes legat at Constantinople S. Gregory represseth an heresy riâ—ing in Constantinople Luc. 24. The workes of S. Gregory Lib. 1. cap. 27. Heb. 12. S. Gregory a great almes maÌ„ Psal. 111. Iob. 29â— A ioyfull â—eioysing of S. Gregory touching the conuersioÌ„ of EnglaÌ„d to the faith Masse said at the shrines of S. Peter and Paule in Rome An Epitaphe apon S. Gregory our Apostle The occasion why S. Gregory sent preachers vnto our countre * Angli * Angelicam * Of yorkeshere * Deiri * Deira eruâ—i Siclegit Polya lib. 1. Hist. Augl About South HamptoÌ„ Psal. 67. Our Apostles Faith coÌ„firmed by a miracle Matth. â—1 The generalâ— rule of our Sauiour euil construed in a particular case Thre 〈◊〉 proposed to the Bâ—tâ—n or wâ—â—ch bishopâ— A wrongâ— and 〈◊〉 te surmise A true prophecy of S. Augustin out Apostle The monastery of Bâ—gor in wales Fasting and praying in schismatikes auaileth not An. 604. Essex and the countre about London Memories of soules departed Agendae eorum The epitaphe vpoÌ„ S. Augustine touÌ„be in Caunteâ—bury Laurence the secoÌ„d Archebisshop of Caunterbury Our first Christen Bishops labour to reconcile the Scotts from their schisme to the Catholike vnitâ— The see Apostolike Mellite the first B. of London trauaileth to the Pope for instructioÌ„s c. This church stanâ—eth in Rome at this daye and is called S. Maâ—ia rotunda An. 613. The first English kinges of Britanny
churches through out all England Byshop Chadd a man of great huÌ„blenesse Lincolne diocese and Lichfield and VVorceter * Lincolne shere Eccles. 3. How seling before death The great feare of God in B. Chadd Psal. 17. Lincolne shere Charite beleueth all things 1. Cor. 13. Miracles at the tombe of S. Chead Lincolne dyocese Holy IloÌ„d An. 670. The first Synode or Conuocation of the english church The determinations of the holy fathers to be folowed Vowe of obedience â— religioÌ„ An. 673. Theodore the Archebishop of Caunterbury deposeth VVinfride bishop of Lichefilde c. Essex Saint Erkenwalde the 4. bishop of London Berking in Essex Children browght vp in NoÌ„â—eries 2. Câ— 1â— Sinne purged by paine in this lyfe Good workes * The like maner of deuotion vsed Constantia a holy woman at the â—â—mbe of Hilarion the monk as S. Hierom recordeth in the life of Hilarion writen by him Tom. 1. Beholde how farre differeÌ„t the faith of our primitiue church is from the false faith of protestants Note the iudgemeÌ„t of S. Bede An. 677. An. 678. The dioceâ—es of Yorke Carlele and Dyrham Holy â—â—nd Lincolne shere The first bishops of Lincolne The CoÌ„uersion of Sussex to the faith Sussex In Bosam a monasterie before the faith openly receiued in Sussex A miserable famine in Sussex before the faith receaued The first christeniÌ„g in Sussex miraculous Selsee Selsee the first monasterie in Sussex now brought to the faith Miracles in the monasterie of Sâ—â—â—ee in Sussex Fasting against the plage Intercession of Saintes Masse in the memory of Saints That is of Hampshere The Vites inhabited HaÌ„pshere as the Saxons Sussex Sussex and HaÌ„psphere The secoÌ„d Synode of the church of EnglaÌ„de The v. firste general councels receaued by a coÌ„moÌ„ consent of the church of EnglaÌ„d about 800 yeares past The 5â— In this monasterie S. Bede was brought vp Priuilege from Rome for the libertie of monasteries Order of singing and churche seruice from Rome The heresy of the Monotholite The Pope is informed of the state of the church Lege Cipr. lib. 1. epist 3. et Aug. ep 92. 93. VVhy the miracles here reported ought not to be mistrusted Luc. 22. Nonnes coÌ„secrated of bishops The I le of Eelye VVhat burdens are borne now a dayes of lesse then kinges children and yet no grief felt at all * The napkins and partlets taken from S. Paules body healed the sicke and expelled diuels Act. cap. 19. c. In Cambridge shere An example for the coÌ„firmatioÌ„ of purgatory The sacrifice of the Masse propitiatory An. 680â— Vow and habit monasticall Colchester Dorchester in Barkeshere In holy Ilond Going to Rome accompted a matter of deuotion in our primitiue church 2. Cor. 22. The ferâ—â—ry Reseruation of the blessed Sacrament Howseling befoer death Blessing with the signe of the crosse A Nunnerie burned for the sinnes of the inhabitaÌ„s CoÌ„fessioÌ„ to the priest Psal. 94. Penaunce enioyned Abuses of religious persons punished by God from heauen An. 684. The welâ—hmen An. 635. Holy IloÌ„de The I le of Cochette The life of S. Cutbert being yet a monke In the first booke the. 27. chap. The life of S. Cutbert writen by S. Bede is ex tant in the. 3. tome of his workes The third Synod of the english church CoÌ„secration of bishops with a number of bisshops S. Cutbert the example of a good Bisshoppe S. Cutberts deuotion at masse time Quomodo in vâ—â—asua dilexerunt se iâ—a in merâ—e noÌ„ sunt separati As they loued in their lyfe so in their death they were not seuered Holy Ilond The deuotion of bisshops in times past In the third tome of S. Bedes workes If they which now preach only faith had such faith they should see such miracles now Holy Ilond Of S. Iohn of Beuerlake Act. cap. 3. Dedication of churches The faith of our primitiue church An. 689. Pilgrimage to Rome a woÌ„t matter in our primitiue church An. 690. An. 692. * People of high Allemaigne about the cyte of Camin * People of the higher part of â—â—iseland VVe reade in the Actes of the Apostles that S. Paul and Stlas were forbidden of the holy Ghost which was by reuelatioÌ„ to preache the worde in Asia and in Bithinia Act. cap. 16. The Redshankes Friseland conuerted to the faithe The gouuernemeÌ„t of the old Saxons The martyrâ—ome o◠〈◊〉 english priests in Saxony * People of the higher Frisia An. 696. VVilbrord an english man the first Archebishop of Vltraict in FrisselaÌ„d Let the Christian reader here aduise him self whether he may scorne at this vision bicause in heathen writers as in the Menippus of Lucian and other such fonde tales are fained or rather to beleue it bicause so lerned and holy a man râ—porteth it the time also of our first coming to the faith considered Truly I thinke therefore the heathen and infidell faineth such thinges in his false religion bycause he knoweth thaâ— God reueleth the lâ—ke to such as serue him in true religion Euen as S. Augustin noteth that therefore the diuell is delighted with externall sacrifice of man bicause he knoweth that kinde of worship to be due and proper to God him selfe Lib. 10. de Ciuit. dei Cap. 19. Holy Ilond A true and necessary doctrine for this wicked time Psal. 13. A old prouerbe Actor 7. In Northumberland Catholike â—osâ—ruations to be preferrâ—d The place of Christes natiuite * Of this church erected by Helena mother of Constantin Paulinus Nolensis maketh mention Epist. 11. ad Seuerum The deuotion of the Christians in Ierusalem aboue a thousand yeres past Et erit sepulchrum eius glorisum And the place of his buriall shall be glorious sayth the prophet Esaie Cap. 11. * VVho thinketh this incredible lett him geue a reason of the pathe way by Salisbury called S. Thomas pathe by Clarengdon parke * This abridgement is extant in the 3. tome of S. Bedes workes An. 705. * In the borders of VVilshere The dioceses of Sussex and HaÌ„pshere diuided Celse fouÌ„ded by Eadbert the first bishop of Celse in Sussex by Chichester Lib. 3. cap. 52. The lyfe of bishop VVilfrid the Apostle of Sussex Holy Ilond * The countre about Salisbury Lib. 3. cap. 28. Lib. 4. cap. 12. The heresie of the monothelites condemned The See Apostolique Bishopp VVilfride the Apostle of Sussex * Now called weimouth in which Abâ—by vnder this Ceolfrid S. Bede was brought vp and liued al daies of his life A lerned letter of the Abbat Ceolfridâ— vnto Naitan kinge of the Peyghtes or Redshankes A proufe out of holy Scripture of the Catholique obseruation off Easter Exodi 12. a. 2 c. 18. This first moneth beginneth in the first moone after the Aequiuâ—ctium Exodi 12. a. 2. Exod. 12. c. 15. Nume 33. a. 3. Exod. 12. c. 17. It is so called Act. 20. and Ioan. 20. The B. Sacrament is offred vp to god the father Leuit. 23. a. 5. Leuit. 23. The contrary opinion is refuted * The xxj daie of marche Gene. 1. * The moneth of Aprill * Dies Dominicâ— He meaneth the Pelagians The inuention of the golden number Matt. 16. Act. 8. They did beare the signe of the crossâ— in their so rehead which vsed to bleâ—se them selues therewith This accompt is now called the golden numbre An. 716. Rom. 10. An. 728. An. 725. An. 729. An. 731. * Of Yorke * Of holy Iland and al NorthuÌ„berland
of Amos and Antony the eremites also of Piammon the monk of the miraculous cures and prophecies by Ioannes a monke also of the visions and miraculous cures wrought at CoÌ„statinople in the Catholike oratory of Gregory Nazianzen if I should againe touche the miracles wrought by Symeones that famous Anchoret and of a number of other out of the History of Euagrius and Theodoret I should passe the bondes and measure of a preface It shall be sufficieÌ„t generally as I saied to note that al ecclesiasticall Histories such as this History of Venerable Bede is do alwaies by occasion intermingle miracles in the liues of holy men and lightes of Christes church Yea this kinde of write hath beÌ„ thought so profitable and necessary for the church of Christ for coÌ„firmation of the faith for exaÌ„ple of good life for the glory of God that the best and most lerned writers in Christes church haue occupied their studies therein Athanasius wrote the life of S. Antony the Abbat and so much commendeth the knowleadg thereof that in the preface he saieth Perfectaest ad virtutem via Antonium scire quid fuerit It is a perfect waie to vertu to know what a man Antony was Gregory bishop of Nissa brother to S. Basill wrote the liues of holy Ephrem and Theodorus the Martyr S. Hierom wrote the liues of Paulus Hilarion and Antony monkes S. Ambrose wrote the liues of S. Agnes S. Thecla S. Soter and Pelagia all Martyrs and virgins of Christes church Eusebius Emissenus wrote the liues of Genesius Epiphodius Alexander Martyrs of Christes church also Prudentius wrote in verse the liues and miracles of many Saints Theodoret that lerned bishop of Cyrrha wrote a great book of Saints liues intituled Philotheus whereof he maketh ofteÌ„ mention in his ecclesiastical history Seuerus Sulpitius an eloquent writer of more then twelue hundred yeares paste wrote the miraculous life off Saint Martine Saint Augustine in his bookes De ciuiDei among other arguments and tokens of the Christen faith reakoneth vp in a sette chapter sondry miracles wrought at the toumbes and relikes of holy Martyrs especially of S. Steuen Brefely if we will haue an eye to holy scripture it selfe we finde in the foure euangelistes beside the heauenly doctrine beside the tydinges of our saluation beside the mysteries of oure redemption the miracles also wrought by our Sauiour moste diligently expressed and of the three which first wrote particularly repeted we finde in in the Actes of the Apostles many miraculous cures and expulsions of wicked spirits wrought by the Apostles In the bookes of the kinges likewise manifolde miracles and thinges otherwise vncredibâ—e are reported to be done by Elias and Heliseus the prophets To conclude therefore this present history of Venerable Bede this history of the church of England our dere countre containing in it beside the historical narratioÌ„ of the coming in of vs englishmen into this lande and of attaining to the faith off Christ in the same manifold miracles and particular liues of holy men as of saint Augustin Paulinus Mellitus and other our first Apostles off lerned Theodoret and Wilfrid of the holy bishops Aidan of Scotland S. Cutbert S. Iohn of Beuerlake S. Chadde S. Erkenwald of England of S. Oswald of S. Audery and diuers other religious virgins in the very springe and first frutes of our Christen faith ought not to any Christen man seme a vaine fabulous or incredible narration more then the histories of other Saintes liues no lesse miraculous and different from the common trade of men especially in the lewde loose liberty of this wicked time than are the liues and doinges mentioned in this history ought to seme being yet writen of the most lerned fathers in Christes church aboue named and in the purest time of Christianite by the aduersaries owne confession to witt all within the compasse off the first V. C. yeares And as Theodoret in the preface of his Philotheus warneth the Christen Readers not to discredit any thinge by him to be mentioned in that history of saintes liues so will I with his wordes warne the studious Reader hereof such as esteme the iudgement of the holy and lerned Fathers Theodoret saieth and I in the name of Venerable Bede saie the same Eos qui in huius historiae lectionem inciderint oro atque obsecro c Those whiche shall happen to reade this history saieth Theodoret I praye and beseche that if they finde any thing writen which passeth their power they do yet beleue it not measuring the vertu and power of holy men with their owne vertu or power For God geueth giftes of the holy Ghoste to the godly and more excellent to such as excell in godlynes And this I speake to them which are not acquainted with the secret works of God For suche as haue wel serched and tried the secrets of the holy Ghost they knowe and feele his bountifulnes and do wel vnderstand what God among men worketh by meÌ„ when by the mighty power of miracles he draweth the vnbeleuers to the knowleadg of him Truly whosoeuer will sticke to credit such thinges as we shal report no doubt but he will also sticke and stagger to beleue the miraculous workes of Moyses of Iosue of Elias and of Elizeus Yea the miraculous workes of the Apostles he will accompt for very fables Otherwise if he wil beleue those other thinges to be al true why wil he mistrust these for false For the same grace of god which wrought in the other hath also wrought in these holy men all such thinges as they did For this grace being continual and euer running tendring alwaies such as make them selues worthy thereof by suche men as by certain riuers kepeth her mayne course and floweth most plentifully Thus farre Theodoret. For in dede as S. Augustin saieth serching out the reason how we that liue are visited of holy men departed this worlde A lij sunt humaâ—arum limites rerum alia diuinaerum signa virtutum alia sunt quae naturaliter alia mirabiliter fiunt quamuis naturae Deus assit vt sit miraculis natura non desit The bondes of mans abilite and the signes off Gods power be diuerse Some thinges are done naturally some miraculously though yet bothe God helpeth nature and nature concurreth in miracles And therefore S. Augustin though being yet so excellently lerned he could by no reason finde out how holy men departed this worlde miraculously worke here on earth as in the same place he expressely confesseth yet he reporting how that Iohn that holy Monke appeared in a vision by night to a godly woman feruently desiring to see and talke with him and how he heard it by the mouth of one which lerned it of the party her selfe and of her husband he saieth Qui hoc ab eis comperit retulit mihi vir grauis nohilis dignissimus credidi One which vnderstode this of
bearing the name of the Author as the maner is were intituled The homelies of the venerable priest Bede not being able to call him with a more honourable name while he yet lyued the same title hath remained euen to this daye Whereby he is rather called Venerable Bede then S. Bede For it was not lawfull to call any a Saint yet liuing Some do faine other causes why he should be surnamed Venerable As that being blind he preached to stones and of an epitaphe writen by an Angel But these men are deceiued For neither Bede was blinde neither it is knowen that any such epitaphe was writen vpon his sepulchre And truly were it not to auoide prolixite I coulde easely confute these folies He departed this worlde vnder Leo the Emperour In the yere of our Lorde 732. In the yere of his age 72. the last daie of Maie Indictione 15. BEDE TO THE READER All vnto whom this storie of our nation shall come either hearing it or reading it I humbly beseche that for my infirmites as well of body as of minde they wil be intercessours before the heauenly clemencie And that euery one in his countre will so awnswere my labour with mutuall charite that whereas I haue noted in euery prouince shere or countie and in the most notable places thereof such thinges as I thought worth the remembraunce and pleasaunt to the inhabitants of eche one that I may for al reward haue the helpe of their godly praiers FARE WELL. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE KING CEOLVLPHE BEDA THE SERAVNT of Christe and Priest THE History of thinges don in the church of the Englishe nation which of late I had set fourth I did both first very gladly send your grace desiring then to haue a sight and proufe therof and now againe do send it you to the entent you may both coppy it out and more fully at your lesure consider it I can not but highly commend this yower zele and good desyre you haue not only to geue good eare to the holyscriptures but also to know of things both don and spokē by worthy men before your time and specially of our owne country For whither an history containeth good thinges don by good men the wise hearer is therby prouoked to wel doing ether reporteth euill things don by euil men the vertuous and wel disposed reader neuerthelesse is moued therby both to flye that is euill and noisom to his soule and embrace the thinge he knoweth to be good and acceptable vnto God Which thing you wisely pondering desire to haue the sayd history published both to the instruction of your selfe and also to the edifieng of such other whom God hath committed vnto your gouernance And to th entent I may put both your grace and all other that shall heare or reade it out of all doubt of the verite of the sayd History I will briefly shew you what authours I haue chiefely folowed in the making therof The chiefest authour and aider I had in compiling this worke was the right reuerent abbat Albinus a mā of great learning which being brought vp in the church of Canterbury vnder Theodorus Archebishop of blessed memory and Adrianus abbat both mē of great worship and learning hath procured and sent vnto me al such thinges as wer don by Saint Gregory the Popes disciples ether in the prouince of kēt ether other places adioyning and bordering vpon the same Which thinges the said Abbate hath learned partly by writinges partly also by tradition of elders and such things as he hath in such sorte learned he hath sent vnto me by the handes of Nothelmus priest of the church of Londō to be receiued ether in writting ether by mouth and relatiō of the said Nothelmus Which also going after vnto Rome was permitted by Gregorie bishop which is now head of that church to search the closettes of the saied holy church of Rome where he founde out certaine epistles of saint Gregorie and other bishops there and at his returne hath deliuered vnto vs the sayd epistles to be put in to our history with the counsell and aduise of the reuerent father Albine aboue mencioned So that from the beginning of this booke vnto the time that the countrye of England receiued the faith of Christe we learned such thinges as we bring gathered out of the workes of such as had wrote thereof before our time And from thence vnto this present such thinges as hath ben don in the church and diocese of Canterbury by the disciples of Saint Gregory or their successors or vnder what kinge they haue ben done we haue knowen by the industrie of the sayd Abbate Albine at the reporte of Nothelmus who also hath brought me in sum parte of knowledge of such things as wer don in the prouinces of the east and west saxons and also of the east english and of the Northūbers that is to wit by what bishops preaching and vnder what king ech of the said prouinces wer conuerted vnto the faith of Christ. And to be shorte by the exhortation of the sayd Albine I was chiefly prouoked and enboldened to set vpō this enterprise Daniel also the most reuerent bishop of the west saxons which is yet a liue hath instructed me in certaine pointes of the ecclesiastical history both of his prouince of the South Saxōs and of the I le of Wite Now in what sort the prouince of Mercia recerued the saith which they knew not before and the prouince of the easte Saxons recouered the faith which they had lost before both by the ministery of Ceddi and Ceadda priests of great deuotion and how the ij◠saied fathers both liued and died we haue diligently lerned of the brothers of the monastery of Laestinge by them erected Again of things don appertaining to the church in the prouince of the easte english we haue found out partly by monuments of writting and traditions of the foreliuers and partly by the information of the reuerend Abbot Esius As for such things as wer don in the territory of Lindissig that is holy Ilond touching the furderance of the faith of Christ and what priests there succeded from time to time we haue learned ether by the writinges of the reuerent bishop Cynebertus ether by the liuely voice of other men of good creditt The history of the prouince of the Northumbers from the time they receiued the faith of Christ vnto this present we haue gotten not by any one author but by relation of many faithful witnesses which might know and remēber the same beside such things as by my owne experience I knew Among which you shal note that such thinges as I haue wrote of the most holy father and bishop Cutbert ether in this book ether in the treatice that I haue made of his life I haue takē partly out of those things which I found befor writē of him by the brothers of the church of Lindisfarnū folowing simplely the faith
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
to Britanie when the most puissaunt king Bride Meilocheus sonne raigned ouer the Redshanks in the ninth yere of his raigne and did by his learning and example of life conuert that nacion to the faith of Christ. In consideration whereof the aforsay de yle was geuen him in possessioÌ„ to make a monasterie For the yle is not greate but as though it wer of fiue families by estimatioÌ„ His successours kepe it vntil this day wher also he lieth buried dying at the age of lxxvij yeres about xxxij yeres after that he cam into Britain to preach But befor that he trauailed to Britaine he made a famous monasterie in IrelaÌ„d whiche for the great store of okes is in the Scottish tong called Dearmach that is to say a fild of okes of both the which monasteries very many mo religious houses were afterward erected by his scholars both in Britaine and also in Ireland Of all the which the same abbey that is in the yle where in his bodye lieth buried is the head house This yle is alwayes wont to haue an Abbat that is a priest to be the ruler to whoÌ„ both the wholle countrey and also the bishops them selfes ought after a strauÌ„ge and vncustomed order to be subiect according to the example of the first teacher who was no bishop but a priest and a monke The report is that some things ar written by his scholars coÌ„cerning his lyfe and sayings but yet what maner of man so euer he was we know this of him for a surety that he left successours men that excelled in great continence in passing charite and vertuous trade of religious lyfe In obseruing the high feast of Easter they trusted to vncertaine compasses and no maruaile consydering that no man sent vnto them the decrees made in generall counsayles for the keping thereof Yet they diligently obserued all such workes of deuotion and chast conuersation as they could learne in the prophets in the ghospels and the Apostles writings This keping of Easter continued no small time with them that is to witt vntill the seuen hundreth and sixteneth yere of our Lordes incarnation by the space of an hundreth and fiftie yeres after they receiued the faith But when the right reuerend and holy father and priest Egbert came to them from England liuing in Christes quarell in exile in Ireland being a man very well learned in the holy scripture and singular for the perfett lyfe which he had lead many yeres together they were reformed by him and brought to kepe Easter on the true right and laufull day Neuerthelesse they did not alway before that time solemnise and keepe the feast of Easter vppon the fourtenth daye after the chaunge of the moone according to the Iewes custome as some men supposed but on the same day though in an other weke then it was conuenient For they knewe as Christen men do that the resurrection of our Lorde whiche was on the firste daye of the weke ought allwayes to be celebrated on the first daye of the weke also but as ignoraunt and highvplandysh men they had not learned when the same first daye of the weke whiche nowe is named Sounday shoulde come Yet for as muche as they continued in perfecte charitye they deserued to attaine the perfitte knowledg of this thing according as the Apostle promiseth saying And yff ye be off an other mynds God will reueile that also vnto yowe But hereof we shall treate more at large hereafter in a place conuenient Of the lyfe of Aidan the bishop The 5. Chap. FROM this yle therefore and from this couent of monkes founded by holy Columban Aidan was sent and consecrated bishop to instructe Englande in the fayth of CHRISTE at what tyme Segenius abbot and priest was head of the same monasterie Wherein among other lessons of liuing he left the Clerkes a most holsome example of abstinence and continence This thing did chiefely commend his doctrine to all men that the learning whiche he taught was correspondent to the life that he lead And why He was not desyrous after wordly goods he was not enamoured with present Vanitees His ioye and comforte was foorthwyth to distribute to the poore that mette him all that was geuen him of kinges or other wealthy men of the worlde He vsed to trauayle continually bothe in the citye and in the countrey neuer on horse backe but allwayes on foote except peraduenture greate neede had forced him to ryde And in his trauaile what dyd he Forsoothe whome so euer he mette riche or poore incontinent abyding for a time with them either he allured them to receiue the faythe if they were out of the faythe or strengthened them in the faythe if they were in it exhorting them eftsoones no lesse in workes then wordes to almesse geuing and other good deedes And his religious lyfe so farre passed the slackenes and key colde deuotion of oure time that all they whiche went with him were they professed into religion or were they laye brethern gaue them selfes continually to contemplation that is to saye bestowed all their tyme either in reading scripture or in learning the psalter This was the dayly exercise of him and his brethren to what place so euer they came And if by chaunce it had happenned whiche yet happened seldome that he were bidden to the kinges banket he went in accompained with one or two clerkes and taking a shorte repast he made spedely hast to read with his brethren or els weÌ„t other where forth to pray Euery deuout maÌ„ and womaÌ„ being at that time taught by his ensamples tooke vp a custome al the whole yere through sauing betwene Easter and whitsontyâ—e apon wensday and friday to continew in fasting vntill three of the clocke in the after none If rych men had done any thing amysse he neuer for hope of honour or feare of displeasure spared to tel them of it but with sharpe rebuking amended them If any gesse or straunger had come vnto him were he neuer so worshipful he neuer gaue mony but only made them good chere As for suche gyftes as in monye were liberally geuen him by ryche men he dyd eyther as we haue sayed geue them in a dole for the reliefe of the poore or els he layed it out for the raunsomyng of those that had been wrongfully solde finally many of such as by mony he had redemed he made after his scholers bringing them vpp in learning and vertue and exalting them to the highe dignite of priesthod The report is that when kynge Oswald desired first to haue a Prelate out of Scotland who might preach the fayth to him and his people an other man of a more austere stomacke was first sent Who when after a lyttell while preaching to the Englishe nacion he did nothing preuaile ne yet was wyllingly heard of the people he returned into his country and in the assemble of the elders he made relacion how that in teaching he could do the
the porche of his church vntell the church it selfe was consecrated in Perone Which being solemnely done within six and twēty daies after the body was brought thither and being remoued from the porche to be layed by the high aultar it was founde as whole and vncorrupted as if the man had but that houre departed Foure yeares after a litle chappell being erected at the east syde of the aultar wher the body shuld more honourably betoumed being takē vp againe to be transposed thither it was founde in like maner without any blemish of corruption In the which place it is well knowen that his merites haue much ben renowned by sundry miracles wrought by the allmighty power of God Thus much of the incorruption of his body we haue brefely touched that the reader might more clerely vnderstande of what excellency and vertu this man was All which thinges and of other his vertuous companyons in the booke writen of his life he that readeth shall finde more ample mencion made How after the death of Honorius Deusdedit succeded and who in that time were bishops of Rochester and in the east partes of England The. 20. Chap. IN this meane Felix the bishop of the east englishmen departing this worlde hauing ben their bishop 17. yeares Honorius the Archebishopp of Caunterbury created in his place Thomas one of his deacons borne in the prouince of Giruij after whose death liuing in that bishoprick fyue yeares he substituded in his roome Beretgilsus surnamed Bonifacius a kentishman borne Honorius also the Archebishop the measure of his life expired passed to a better in the yeare of our Lord 653. the last daye of October Whom Deusdedit a west Saxon borne succeded after a yeare and a halfe the see being vacant all that tyme. For whose creation and consecration Ithamar byshop of Rochester came to Cannterbury He was consecrated the. xxiiij of Marche and gouuerned that see ix yeares iiij moneths and two dayes After whose departure Ithamar consecrated in his place Damianus a Sussex man borne Howe the Marshes or vplandish englishmen that is the sheres of Lincolne Couentry Lichefield and worceter receaued the Christen faith vnder Penda their kinge The. 21. Chapter AT this time the Middelenglishmē that is of the sheres aboue named receiued the Christen faith and the sacramentes thereof vnder Penda their kinge sonne to Pendam that cruell and vnmercifull hethen This being a vertuous young man worthy of the name and person of a kinge was of his father put in gouuernement of that countre Who coming after to Oswin kinge of Northumberland requiring Alcfled his daughter to wife could in no other wise obtaine his suite vnlesse he would as that countre was receiue the Christen faith and be baptised Hereupon the ghospell was preached vnto him Who hearing the promis of euerlasting life the hope of resurrection and immortalite of the soule yelded him self gladly to be Christned though he shoulde not spede of his suite To this he was muche persuaded by Alcfrid king Oswins son who had maried his sister Cymburg kinge Pendan his daughter Thus then he with the Erles and kinghtes that waited vpon him and all their seruauntes were baptised of Finanus the bishopp in a famous towne of the kinges called Admurum From whence he returned home with much ioye and comfort accompained with foure priestes notable bothe for lerning and for vertue whiche shoulde instruct and baptise his people These priestes were called Cedda Adda Betti and Diuna who was a scottesman borne the other thre english Adda was brother to Vtta that holy and vertuous priest that we mencioned before and Abbot of the monastery called Cubeshead These foresaied priestes entring the prouince of the middleland with the Prince preached the worde of God and were gladly heard Whereby many daily as well noble as of the base forte renouncing the filth of idolatry were clensed in the fonte of life Neither king Pendam father to this young prince did withstande or gainsaie the preaching of the ghospell in his dominions yf any would heare it But hated in dede and persecuted all such as bearing the name of Christians liued not according to the faithe they professed saying commonly that suche men were wretched and worthely to be spited whiche regarded not to please their God in whom they beleued These thinges began two yeares before the death of kinge Penda the younger who being after slayne and Oswin a moste Christen kinge succeding him in the crowne Diuna one of the foure foresaied priestes was consecrated of Finanus and created bishop of all the middle or vplandish english men For the scarcety of priestes made that ouer all that people one Bishop was sett Who winning to the faith in short time a great multitude of people in Fepping died leauing for his successour Ceollach a Scottish man also borne Who not longe after leauing the bishoprike returned to his countre the Iland of Hij where the chief and principall monasteries of Scotland were To him succeded Trumher a vertuous man and brought vpp in religion an Englishman borne but consecrated byshopp of the Scottes in the raigne of kinge VVillher as we shall hereafter more at larg declare How the East Saxons at the preaching of Cedda receiued again the faith◠which vnder kinge Sigibert they had loste The 22. Chapter AT this very time the east Saxōs by the meanes of kinge Oswin receiued againe the faith which before expelling Melitus the first bishop of Londō out of the coūtre they abandonned Their kinge then was Sigbert succeding to Sigibert surnamed the litle This Sigbert being a nere and familiar frende of kinge Oswin then king of the Northumbrians came by that occasion oftentimes to Northumberland At which metinges the vertuous kinge Oswin vsed eftsoones to persuade with him that such could not be Gods which were made with mens handes that wodde or stone coulde not be any quicke matter to make a liuing God the pieces and remnants whereof either were wasted with fire or serued to make vessels for the vse of man or otherwise being naught worthe were caste forth troden vnder foote and turned into earth God rather saied he must be vnderstanded to be of maiesty incomprehensible to mens eyes vnuisible almighty and euerlasting who made bothe heauen and earth and all mankinde gouerned them also and should iugde the whole worlde in equite whose mansion place is euerlastinge Finally that al such as would lerne and perfourme the will of their Creatour should vndoubtedly receiue of him euerlasting rewarde therefore These and such other godly aduertissemtēs being frendly and brotherly from time to time made and repeted to king Sigbert by Oswin he began at lenght his other frendes agreing therunto to sauour them and beleue them Whereupon aduise being taken with his company and all bothe consenting and pricking him fore ward he was baptised of Finanus the bisshop in the cite of Admurum nigh vnto the walle wherewith the
successours vertuous and godly men who after the same maner kept their Easter either beleued or liued contrary to holy Scripture especially their holynesse being such that God hath confirmed it with miracles Truly as I doubt not but they were holy men so I wil not feare to folow allwaies their life maners and trade of discipline In good sothe quoth VVillfrid It is well knowen that Anatholius was a right holy man very well lerned and worthy of much praise But what is that to you who vary also from his decrees and doctrine For Anatholius in his Easter according to the truth accompted the vsuall compasse of xix yeres whiche you either vtterly are ignorant of or if ye know it yet though it be through all Christendom obserued ye sett light by it Againe thoughe he obserued the Easter Sonday sometime vpon the xiiij daye of the moone yet he accompted the same daye at euening to be the fiftenth of the chaunge after the accompt of the Aegyptians So vpon the xx daye he kept the Easter that at the sonne setting he reaconed it for the xxj Which his rule and distinction that ye be ignorant of it is manifest by this that same time ye kepe your Easter cleane before the full of the moone euen the xiij daye of the chaunge As touching your father Columba and those whiche folowed him whose holy steppes ye pretend to folow as the which haue ben confirmed by miracles to this I may answer that in the daye of iudgment whereas many shall saie vnto Christ that they haue prophecyed cast out diuells and wrought miracles in his name our Lord wil answer that he knoweth them not But God forbidd that I shoulde so iudge of your fathers For it is our duty of such as we knowe not to deme the best Therefore I deme not but they were men of God and acceptable in his sight as the whiche loued God though in rude simplicite yet withe a godly intention Neither do I thinke that the maner of their obseruation coulde be much preiudiciall against them as longe as they had yet receiued no instructions to the contrary But rather I verely suppose seing such cōmaundemēts of God as they knew they willingly folowed they would also haue conformed thēselues to the Catholik iudgemēt if they had ben so informed But nowe Sir you and your cōpanions if hearing the decrees of the Apostolike see or rather of the vniuersall church and that also confirmed in holy write you folow not the same you offend and sinne herein vndoubtedly For though your fathers were holy mē could yet those few of one so smal corner of the vttermost ilond of the earth preiudicat the whole church of Christ dispersed through the vniuersall worlde And if your father Columba yea and our father if he were the true seruaunt of Christe were holye and mightye in miracles yet can he by any meanes be preferred to the moste blessed prince of the Apostles to whom our Lorde sayed Thou arte Peter and vppon this rocke I will builde my churche and hell gates shall neuer preuaile against her and to thee I will geue the kayes off the kingdome of heauen Thus when VVilfrid concluded the kinge saied vnto bishop Colman Were these thinges in dede spoken to Peter of our Lorde To whom the bishop answered yea Can you then saieth the kinge geue euidence of so speciall authoritie geuen to your father Columba The bishop answering No the kinge spake vnto bothe parties and sayed Agree ye bothe in this without any controuersy that these wordes were principally spoken vnto Peter and that vnto him the kayes of the kingdome of heauen were geuen When bothe had answered yea the kinge concluded and saied Then I saye vnto you that I will not gainsaie such a porter as this is but as farre as I knowe and am able I will couet all pointes to obey his ordinaunces lest perhaps when I come to the dores of the kingdome of heauen I finde none to open vnto me hauing his displeasure whiche is so clerely proued to beare the kayes thereof Thus when the kinge had sayed all that sate and stode by of all sortes and degrees abandonning their former vnperfectenesse confourmed them selues to the better instructions whiche they had nowe lerned How bishop Colman being ouercomed retourned home and Tuda succeded in the bishopricke Also what trade of life those gouernours of the church lead The. 26. Chap. THe controuersy being thus ended and the assemble dissolued bishop Agilbert returned home Bishop Colman also seing his doctrine and secte reprouued taking with him such as would folow him that is such as refused to accept the Catholike obseruation of Easter and the bearing of a rounde shauen crowne for of that matter also much disputation then was had returned vnto Scotland minding to deliberat there with his countremen what to folow herein Bisshop Cedda forsaking the Scottes embraced the catholike tradition and returned to his bishoprick This controuersie was moued in the yeare of our Lorde 664. in the 22. yeare of kinge Oswin and in the xxx yeare after the Scottes had ben bisshops ouer the englishmen For Aidan gouuerned the churche 17. yeares Finanus ten and Colman thre After the departure of Colman in to his countre Tuda was sett bishop ouer the Northumberlandmen instructed and created bishop amonge the South Scottes bearing after the maner of that countre a rounde shauen crowne and obseruing the Easter after the Catholike maner He was a man of great vertu and holynesse but he gouuerned the church a small time For he came out of Scotland whiles Colman was yet bishop teaching bothe in worde and with example diligently the true faith in Christ. In holy Ilond at the departure of the Scottes Eata a reuerend father and most meke person was made Abbat ouer the rest of the monkes which remained Who before had ben Abbat of Mailros at the suite of bishop Colman obtaining it of kinge Oswin at his departure bicause the same Eata had ben one of the xij scholers of bishop Aidan which at his first coming in to England he brought vp For this bishop Colman was derely loued of kinge Oswin for his rare wisedome and vertu This Eata not longe after was made bishop of holy Ilond Bishop Colman at his departing toke with him certain of the bones off bishop Aidan Part also he lefte in the church which he was bishop of laying them vp in the vestry thereof But how sparefull personnes he and his predecessours were and how greatly they absteined from all pleasures euen the place where he bare rule did witnesse In the whiche at their departure fewe houses were founde beside the church that is to saye those houses only without the which ciuill conuersation could no wise be maintained They had no mony but cattaill For if they tooke anye mony of riche men by and by they gaue it to poore people Neither was it nedefull that either mony
should be gathered or houses prouided for the receiuing and intertainement of the worshipfull and welthy Who neuer came then to church but onely to praye and to heare the worde of God The kinge him selfe when occasion serued to resort thither came accompayned only with fyue or six persons and after praier ended departed But if by chaunce it fortuned that anye of the nobilite or of the worshipfull refreshed them selues in the monasteries they contented them selues with the religious mens simple fare and poore pittens looking for no other cates aboue the ordinary and daily diett For then those lerned men and rulers of the churche sought not to pamper the panche but to saue the soule not to please the worlde butt to serue God Whereof it came then to passe that euen the habite of religious men was at that time had in greate reuerence So that where anye of the clergye or religious person came he shoulde be ioyefully receiued of all men like the seruaunt of God Againe if any were mett going on iourney they ranne vnto him and making lowe obeissaunce desyred gladly to haue their benediction either by hand or by mouth Also if it pleased them to make any exhortation as they passed by euery man gladly and desirously harkened vnto them Vpon the Sondayes ordinarely the people flocked to the church or to monasteries not for bely chere but to heare the worde of God And if any priest came by chaunce abrode into the village the inhabitaunts thereof would gather about him and desire to haue some good lesson or collation made vnto them For the priestes and other of the clergy in those daies vsed not to come abrode in to villages but only to preache to baptise to visit the sicke or to speake all in one worde for the cure of soules Who also at that time were so farre from the infection of couetousnes and ambition that they would not take territories and possessions toward the building of monasteries and erecting of churches but through the ernest suite and almost forced of noble and welthy men of the worlde Which custome in all pointes hath remained a longe time after in the clergy of Northumberland And thus much of these matters How Egberecht a holy man english borne lead a religious solitary life in Ireland The. 27. Chapter THis very yeare of our Lorde 664. a great eclipse of the Son happened the third daye of Maye about ten of the clocke In the which yeare also a sodain great plague consuming first the south partes of Britanny taking holde also in Northumberland with longe and much continuance wasted away an infinit number of men In the which mortalite the foresaied bishop Tuda was taken out of the worlde and honourably buried in a monastery called Pegnalech This plague perced also euen to Ireland There were at that time in the Iland diuers young gentle men and other of England which vnder Finanus and Colmanus their bishops had departed a side thither partly to study partly to liue more straightly And some of those forthwith bounde them selues to the religious habit some other wandering rather about the celles and closets of such as taught folowed more their study and lerning All these the Scottes entertained gladly and cherefully geuing them not only their borde and their lerning free but bookes also to lerne in AmoÌ„ge these two young gentlemen of England were of great to wardnesse aboue the rest Edelhum and Ecgbert Of the which two the former was brother vnto Edelhum that blessed man who in the age folowing liued also in Ireland for studies sake from whence with great lerning and knowleadg returning home to his countre he was made bisshop of Lindisse and ruled the church honourably a longe time These younge gentlemen liuing in the monastery which in the Scottish tounge is called Rathmelfig all their companyons being other taken away by the mortalite or otherwise gone abrode remained bothe of them behinde lying sicke of the plage Ecgbert one of the two when he thought his time was come to die as I lerned by the report of a most trusty and reuerent olde maÌ„ which tolde me he heard the whole story at Ecgberts owne mouthe departed very erly out of his chamber where the sicke were wonte to lye and getting him to a secret commodious place sate downe all alone began diligently to thinke on his former life and being pricked with the remembraunce of his sinnes washed his face with teares beseching God from the bottom of his hart to lende him life and time of repentaunce to bewaile and recompence with amendment of life his former negligences and offences He vowed also neuer to returne home to his countre where he was borne but to liue as a pilgrim all daies of his life Againe beside the ordinary seruice of the canonicall houres if sicknes or weakenesse of body letted him not to say euery daye the whole psalter to the honour and praise of almighty God Last of all to faste ones euery weke one whole daye and night His vowes praiers and lamentinges thus being ended he returned to his chaÌ„ber and finding his felow a slepe went also to bedde to take some reste Which after he had a litle done his felowe waking looked vpon him and saied O brother Ecgbert what haue ye done I had hoped we should bothe haue passed together to life euerlasting But now vnderstand ye ye shall haue your request For by a vision it was reueled vnto him bothe what the others petition was and that he had obtained it What nede many wordes Edilhum the night folowing departed Ecgbert recouered and liuing many yeres after being made priest leading a life worthy of that vocatioÌ„ after great ameÌ„dmeÌ„t of life as he desired departed this worlde of late to witt in the yeare of our Lorde 729. in the xc yere of his age He lead his life in great perfection of humilite mekenes continency innoceÌ„cy and of righteousnes Whereby he profited much bothe his owne countre and the place where he liued in voluntary banishment the scottes and the pictes in example of liuing in diligence of teaching in authorite of correcting in bountifulnesse of bestowing that which the riche gaue aboundantly vnto him Beside his vowes mencioned before he made and kept other as that thourough out the whole lent he neuer eate more then ones in the daye eating also then nothing els but bread and thinne milke and that with a certain measure His milke was of one day olde which the day before he would eate it he was wont to put and kepe it in a viole and the night folowing skimming away the creme with a litle bread to drinke it vp This kind of faste he vsed to kepe xl dayes before Christmas and as longe after whitâ—â—ntyde all his life tyme. How after the death of bishop â—da VVilfrid in Fraunce and Ceadda amonge the west Saxons were made bishops of Northumberland prouince The. 28. Chapter IN this
yet so sodenly finde none ready the iourney being so longe to you Truly as soone as we shall espie out a mete person and and worthy of that vocation we shall direct him spedely to your countre That by his preaching and holy scripture he may thouroughly roote oute all the wicked darnel of the enemy out of your Ilond by the helpe and grace of allmighty God The presents which your highnes directed to the blessed prince of the Apostles for his perpetuall memory we haue receiued thanking therefore your highnes beseching with all our clergy incessantly the goodnes of God for your highnes preseruatiō and good estat The bringer of your presents is departed this life and is laied at the entry of the blessed Apostles towmes we much lamenting and bewailing at his departure here Notwithstanding by the bearers of these our presents we haue sent the iewels of holy Martyrs that is the relikes of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paule and of the holy Martyrs S. Laurens Iohn and Paule of S. Gregory and of Pancratius all to be deliuered to your highnes To your Lady and bedfelowe our spiritual daughter we haue sent by the saied bearers a crosse of golde hauing in it a nayle taken out of the most holy chaines of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paule Of whose godly behauiour we vnderstanding haue all as farre reioysed as her vertuous dedes are before God pleasaunt and acceptable We beseche therefore your highnes to furder and sett forward the conuersation of your whole Ilond to the faith of Christ. You shall not vndoubtedly lacke herein the speciall protection of our Lorde Iesus Christ the redemer of all mankinde who will prosper you in all thinges to the encreasing of his true beleuers and planting of the catholike and Apostolike faith For it is written Seke ye first the kingdome of God and the righteousnes thereof and all these thinges shall be cast vnto you Truly your highnes seketh and shall no doubt obtaine and all partes of your Ilond as we wish and desire shall be brought vnder your allegeaunce We salute your highnes with most fatherly affection beseching continually the mercy of God that it will vouchesafe to assist you and all yours in the perfourmance of all good workes that in the worlde to come ye may all liue and raigne with Chrst. The heauenly grace frō aboue preserue alwaies your highnes In the next booke folowing we shall haue occasion to declare who was founde and appointed bishop in place of Wighard that died at Rome How the people of Essex and London in a time of plage retourning to Idolatry by the diligence of Iarumanus their bishop were soone brought home againe The 30. Chap. AT this time Sigher and Sebbi kinges ruled ouer the people of Essex and London after the death of Guidhelme of whom we haue spoken before althoughe these were also vnder the allegeannce of Wulfher king of the Middlelād englishmen This prouince being visited with that greate plague and mortalite which we mencioned before Sigher with the people ouer whom he ruled forsaking the sacramentes of Christes religion fell to Apostasie For bothe the kinge him selfe and many as well of the people as of the nobles louing this present life and not seking after the life to come or els not beleuing any such life at al begā to renew their temples which stode desolat and to worship idols as though they could therby escape the mortalite But Sebbi his cōpanion with al vnder him perseuered deuoutly in the faith and ended his life in great felicite as we shal herafter declare Wulfher the king vnderstanding parte of his dominions to fal from the faith for to call thembacke againe sent vnto them bishop Iarumannus the successor of Trumher who by much labour and diligence being a man of great vertu painfull and zelous as a certain priest waiting then vpō him and helping him in preaching the ghospell reported vnto me brought them to the faith againe bothe the kinge and all his people So that abandoning and throwing downe their tēples and altars they opened againe the churches confessed gladly the name of Christ and chose rather in hope of resurrection to dye then in the filth of idolatry to liue Which being so brought to passe their priestes and instructers returned home withe muche ioye and comfort THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF THE HISTORIE OF THE CHVRCH OF ENGLAND How after the death of Deusdedit Wighart being sent to be made bishop and dying there Theodore was consecrated Archebishop and sent in to England with a certain Abbat named Adrian The. 1. Chapter THe same yeare of the foresaied eclipse and pestilence that soone after folowed in which also bishop Colman ouercommed by the generall and vniforme sentence of the Catholikes returned home to his countre Deusdedit the sixt Archebishop of Caunterbury died the xiiij daye of Iuly Ercombert also kinke of kent departed this world the very same moneth and day and left to his sonne Ecgbert the Crowne and kingdom which he receiued and held by the space of ix yeres At that time the See of Caunterbury being vacant a great while and the diocese desirous of a bishop VVighart a vertuous priest a man very well lerned skilfull of the Canons rules and disciplines of the church and an english man borne was sent to Rome bothe by Ecgbert and also Oswin kinge of Northumberland as we haue mencioned before and with him certain presents to the Pope Apostolike as great store of plate bothe siluer and golde Being arriued to Rome in the time that Vitalianus gouuerned the Apostolike see and hauing declared the cause of his coming to the saied Pope within short space he and almost all his company were taken with the pestilence and died Whereupon the Pope with aduise and counsell enquired diligently whom he might direct for Archebishop ouer the churches of England In the monasterie of Niridan not farre from Naples in Campania there was an Abbat named Adrian an African borne a man very well lerned in the scriptures thouroughly instructed bothe in monasticall discipline and in ecclesiasticall gouuernement very skilfull of the greke and latin tounges This man being called to the Pope was willed of him to take the bishoprike vpon him and trauail vnto England But he answering that he was no mete man for so high a degree promised yet to bringe forth one which bothe for his lerning and for his age were more worthy of that vocation And offred to the Pope a certain monke liuing in a Nunnery there by called Andrew who though he were of all that knewe him estemed worthy of tke bishoprike yet for the impediment of his weake and sickely body it was not thought good to sende him Then Adrian being required againe to take it vpon him desired certain daies of respit if happely in the meane time he could finde any other mete to supplie that roume At this time there was in Rome a certain monke of Adriās acquaintaūce named Theodore borne
the foresayd feare and shewed him moreouer on what day he shoulde ende this lyfe For he sawe as he after reported him selfe three men come to him araied in bright shining clothing and one of them while his felowes that came with him stode by and asked how the sicke man did whom they came to visite sate before his bed and sayed that his soule should departe from the bodie both without pain and also with great light and brightnesse And he farther also declared vnto him that he should die the third day after Both which things as he learned by the vision were so fulfilled in dede For the third day ensuyng when the ix houre was come sodainly as if he had fallen in to a softe slepe he gaue vp the ghoste without feeling any grief at all And whereas for the buriall of his body they had prepared a tombe of stone when they began to lay his bodie in it they found it to be longer then the tombe by the quantitie of an handbreadth They hewed therefore the stone as much as they might and made it longer than it was about two fingers breadth but yet it could not receaue the bodie not so neyther Whereupon bicause of this distresse of burying him they were minded eyther to seke an other tombe or els if they might to gather in the body by bowing of the knees that so it might be holden and receaued of the same tombe But a wonderfull case happened and not withowt the working of God from heauen the whiche kept them from doing any of those thinges For sodainly the byshopp standing by and the sayd kinges sonne a monke also Sighard by name which after him raigned with his brother Frede and also a great company of other men the very same tombestone was found to be of a fyt length for the quantitie of the bodie Yea and so much that at the head there might also a pillowe be layde betwene and at the feete there remained in the tombe bysyde the body about the quantitie of fowre fingers And thus was he buried and Layed in the Churche of the blessed doctour teacher of the gentiles S. Pawle by whose good lessons he being taught had learned to labour and longe for the ioyes of heauen Howe after Eleutherius Headd◠was made bishop of the west Saxons after Putta Quichelmus was made byshop of Rotchester and after him Gebmund and who were byshops in Northumberland at that tyme. The 12. Chap. THe fowrth byshop of the westsaxons was Eleutherius For the first was Birinus the second Agilbert the third VVini After the departure of kinge Cenwalch in whose raigne the sayd Eleutherius was made byshop certaine Lordes vsurped the kingdome and diuided it betwene them and so helde it about x. yeres In their raigne dyed this byshop and Headdy was put in his place and consecrated bishop by Theodore in the citie of London In the time of whom being byshop Ceadwalla dyd ouercome and put owt the sayd vsurpours and toke the kingdome to himselfe And when he had kept the same for the space of two yeres at last pricked and styrred with the loue of the kingdome of heauen he leafte it while the same bishop dyd yet gouerne the diocese and went vnto Rome and there ended his lyfe as it shal be tolde more at large hereafter In the yere of thincarnation of our Lorde 677. Edilred kinge of the Marshes or middleland englishmen came into kent with a terrible and fell hoste not only spoyling the countree and profaning the churches and monasteries withowt any respecte of pitie or feare of God but also ransacking with the same generall ruine the citie of Rotchester wherof Putta was byshop howebeit at that tyme he was not there Who when he heard hereof that his Churche was spoyled and all thinges taken away and ryffled he went vnto Sexwolfe byshop of the Marshes and receaued of him the possession of a certaine churche and a litle piece of grownd and there ended his lyfe in peace and reast not taking any care at all for the restoring of his byshopricke for as we haue aboue sayd he was a man more giuen to ecclesiastical and spiritual than to worldly and temporall matters And so he liued quietly and only serued God in the same church going somtimes abrode where he was desired to teache verses and hymnes of the churche In his place dyd Theodore consecrate VVilliam bishop of Rotchester Who not long after for scarcitie and lacke of thinges necessarie departed frō the bishopricke and went his way thence in whose place Theodore ordeined Gebmund byshop The yere of thincarnation of our Lord 678. which was the viij yere of the raigne of kinge Ecgfride there appered in the moneth of August a blasing star the whiche continewed three moneths rysing in the morninges and giuing forth as it were an highe piller of a glistering flame In which yere also throwgh a certaine dissension that rose betwene king Ecgfride and the moste Reuerend byshop VVilfride the sayd reuerend father was put owt of his byshoprike and two other appointed byshops in his place ouer the prouince of Northumberlande the one named Bosa to gouerne the Deires and the other named Eata for the Bernices which Eata had his see at yorke and Bosa at the Cathedral churche of Hagulstald or Lindisfarne which two men were both taken owt of the cloyster of monkes and called to this degree And with them also was Eadhed made byshop ouer the prouince of Lindesfar which king Ecgfride had very lately conquered of VVulfhere whom he ouercame in battaile and put to flight In which prouince this man was the first bishop that they had of their owne the next was Ediluine the third Eadgar the fourth Emberth who is there at this present For before Eadhed came they were in the diocese of bysshopp Sexwolfe who was byshop both of the Marshes and the myddle english but nowe being put from the gouuernement of Lindisse he remayned only bishopp of the Marshes These bysshops Eadhed Bosa and Eata were cōsecrated byshops at yorke by Theodore tharchebishop who also the third yere of VVilfrides departing thence ioyned vnto them two byshops mo Trūbert at Hagustald Eata remayning at Lindesfar and Trumuin ouer the prouince of the Pictes which at that tyme was subiect to the dominion of the english men But bycause that Edilrede kinge of the Marshes recouered the sayd countree of Lindisse againe Eadhed came away thence and was by Theodore made byshop of the diocese of Rhyppon Howe byshop Wilfride conuerted the prouince of the Sowth Saxons to Christ. The. 13. Chap. WHen VVilfride was put out of his byshoprike he went and wandred in many places a longe tyme and came to Rome and from thence retourned into England againe And thoughe bicause of the displeasure of the said kinge he could not gett into his owne diocese againe yet he could not be kept from doing the office of preaching the ghospell For he went
his chaplins archebisshop of Yorke and went to the said monasterie and there with good example and conuersation ended his lyfe Howe Cedwall kinge of the Weast Saxons came to Rome to be baptized and his successour of deuotion went to the sepulchres and monuments of the blessed Apostles The. 7. Chapter THe third yere of kinge Aldfrides raigne Cedwall kinge of the weast saxons when he had kept the souerainty in his country very stoutely for ij yeres space for Gods sake and hope of an eternall kingdome in heauen forsoke his owne vppon earthe and went to Rome He thought it to be a singular glorye and renowne for him to be regenerated at the sea Apostolique with the sacrament of baptisme by the which he lerned that all mankinde had entrye to the kingdome of heauen With all this hope he conceaued that as sone as by baptisme he was clensed from synne and made a member of Christes mysticall body he shoulde departe from this worlde to the eternall ioye the which bothe by the prouidence of God were fulfilled euen as he had secretly in his minde determined before For cominge to Rome when Sergius was Pope he was baptised on easter eue the yere after the incarnation of Christ 689. and wearing yet the white apparel and robes of innocency which were put vppon him in baptisme fell sicke and died the 20. day of Aprill Whome the Pope at his baptisme named Peter that he might beare that holy name of the Apstole whose sepulchre and tūbe he came to see with good zeale and deuotion many hundred myles and buried him honorably in his churche And at the Popes commaundement an Epitahphe was engraued vppon his toumbe◠that bothe the remembraunce of his good zeale and deuotion might continewe in admiration trough out all ages and the readers and hearers also might be stirred to the leeke godlynesse and deuotion The epitaphe was written after this sorte An Epitaphe vpon kinge Cedwall All dignities and wordly wealthe all princely ioye and mirth All palaces and castells stronge all ladies of greate birth All triumphe all princely attire all precious pearle and pride The feruent loue of heuenly blesse made Cedwalle set a syde And spedely to Peters seate and monuments at Rome His fleshly lustes and filthy synnes with baptisme to ouercome Through daungerous seas and hougely hilles a pilgrimage to make And happely the ioyfull starre to endlesse comforte take Incontinent when his repaire was knowen among the states Full courteously they met him all and brought him to their gates Pope Sergius perceauinge eke his zeale and godly minde Did ioyfully baptise him streyt and from his synnes vnbinde He altered his propre name and did him Peter calle Delyueringe him from Sathans snare from mysery and from mysery and from thral But innocent lyfe this worthy wight on earthe did not longe kepe VVithin fewe days death did approche and rocked him a slepe Vndoubtedly greate was his faith greate was the mercy of Christ VVhose iudgments who so seketh oute shall creke when he is highst From Britanny that famousisle to Rome he saffly past The monuments and Apostles tumbes he sawe al at his later cast Deathes fyery dart his hart did perce and brought him to the groūde VVhere foysteringe mans carcas lyeth vntill the trumpet sounde Here couered with marbel stone his body lyeth at ease In paradise his soule abideth Gods wrath he did appease Then euident it is that he who from his realme did range For earthly things did heauen obtaine and lost naught by exchange An other epitaphe Here Cedwall is buried otherwise named Peter kinge of the weast Saxons who died the xx of Aprill in the seconde indiction and lyued thyrty yeares or ther aboute when that noble and mighty prince Iustinian was Emperour of Rome and had raigned iiij yeres in the empire and Sergius a trewe paterne of the Apostles had sate ij yeres in Peters seate As this good kinge Cedwall was takinge his iourney to Rome Huu one of the kinges bloud suceeded into the croune of that realme who after he had raigned there 37. yeares gaue ouer his kingdome and committed the gouernaunce of it to his children and went him selfe to the tumbes and monuments of the Apostles in Rome Gregory beinge the Pope hauinge an ernest desyre to wander leeke a pilgreme here in earthe for a tyme aboute such holy places that at the lenght he mighte be more willingly receaued of the blessed saintes in heauen the which practise in those dayes many englishmen both of the nobility and commons spirituall and temporal men and women wer wonte to vse with much emulation Of the death of Archebishop Theodore The. 8. Chapter THE yere after kinge Cedwall died at Rome that is to say the yere of our Lorde 690. archebishop Theodore worthy of perpetuall remembraunce for his singular vertues beinge very olde and in those yeres to which men commonly by course of nature may come to wit foure score and eight departed out of this wordle The which number of yeres that he should lyue and see was signified vnto him by reuelation in a dreame as to his familiare fryndes he was wont to make reporte He continued in his bishoprike xxij yeres and was buried in sainct Peters church where al the other bishops of Cāterbury ar buried Of whom with the rest of his felowes equal both in dignity and degree it may be truly verified that their names shal liue in glory frō generati to generation time out of minde for that I may vse fewe woordes the church of Englande for the time he was archbisshoppe receaued so much comforte and encrease in spirituall matters as they could neuer before nor after As touching his personage his lyfe his age and manner of death the epytaphe written vppon his tumbe in fowre and thirthy heroicall verses dothe manyfestly sett owte to all that haue accesse thither of the which these are the iiij off the first A woorthy prelate lyeth here fast closed in this graue To whome the name of Theodore the greekes most iustly gaue VVith tytle ryght the souerayntye hauynge of eche degree Christes flocke he fed with trewe doctrine as almen do welsee iiij of the last His sowle was sett at liberty that lumpyshe lumpe of claye Dyssolued when September had put nynetene dayes away And couetinge their feloship that lyueth a godly lyfe Is companyd with angells hie voyd off all care and stryfe Howe after the death of Theodore Berechtwalde toke the archbysshopricke vppon hym and amongst many other bysshopps consecrated and orderyd by him he made Tobye a man very well lernyd bysshopp of Rochestre The. 9. Chap. BErechtwald succedyd Theodore and was archbysshoppe of Canterburye who before was abbot of a monastery lyinge hard by the north entree of the ryuer Glade otherwise callyd Rachwulf a man dowtlesse well traueled in the knowledge of holy scripture and very skyllfull both in ecclesiasticall and Monastical ordres censures and disciplynes but nothynge to be compared to
Quene of Fraunce sent a power and commaunded the bishop to be put to death whom VVilfride his chappellain folowed to the place of execution desyring to die with him albeit the bishop did vtterly forbid him But whē the executioners knew he was a stranger and an English man borne they spared him and wold not put him to death with the bishop Wereuppon returning to England he was brought to be in frendship and amity with kinge Aldfride Who leke a good Prince had lerned to folow and reuerence the general ordinaunces and rules of the catholike church And for that he perceaued this VVilfride to be Catholique he gaue him streytwayes a Lordshippe of x. tenements in Stanford and within a while after a monastery with xxx tenements in Rhippon which he had geuē but late to build an Abbay forsuch as folowed the Scottes but because they being put to liberty and choise had rather departe thence then to receiue the trewe and Catholique celebration of the feast of Easter and other canonicall rites and ceremonies after the custome of the church of Rome and see Apostolike he gaue it to him whome he sawe better qualified both for lerninge and for vertue The same time in the very selfe same monastery he was made priest by Agilbert bishop of Geuisse of whom we spake before at the instaunce of the Kinge moste earnestly requiringe that so lerned a man shuld cōtinually follow his Courte and especially be his teacher and preacher Whome not longe after when the Scottes secte was disclosed as is a fore said and vtterly abandoned he sent to Fraunce by the counsell and aduise of his father Oswin when he was but xxx yeres of age to be consecrated and made bishop by Agilbert then bishop of Paris With whom xj other bishopps assemblinge them selfes to consecrate hym did their dewty in that behalfe very honorably with all solemnities But while he was yet beyonde the seas Ceadda a godly and vertuous man as it is aboue mentioned was consecrated byshop of yorke at the commaundement of King Oswin Who hauing gouerned the churche iij. yeares departed thence and toke the cure and charge of Lesting Abbay After him VVilfrid toke vphōim the bishoprick of al Northūberland Who afterwarde in the raigne of Kinge Ecgfride was depriued of his bisshopricke and others consecrated and put in his place of whome we made mention before But when he had taken shipp to go to Rome and pleade his cause before the Apostolike pope he was dryuen by a Sowthweast winde into Freslande where he was honorably receaued as well of the rude and barbarous people as of the Kinge Aldgiste Where he preached also vnto them Christ and his ghospell conuerting many thousandes to the faith and with baptisme wasshing away their sinnes Whereby he layed the fundation of Christes ghospell in those countries which the Reuerend father and holy byshopp VVilbrord perfited and finyshed afterward But when he had passed ouer a winter with this people newly conuerted to Christe he went forwarde his iourny to Rome When his cause was debated to and fro in the presence of Pope Agatho and many other bishopps he was founde in processe by all their iudgementes to haue bene most vniustly accused and best worthy of that bishopprick At what time the same Agatho gathering a Synode at Rome of a 125. byshopps against such heretikes as held the opinion that there was but one will and one operation in our Sauiour Christe commaunded VVilfride also to repaire thither And when he came he willed him to declare his faith and the faith of the countrie from whence he came sittinge amongest the other bishops Wherin when he and his country was founde to be Catholique it pleased them amongest other things to haue this also put in the Actes of the decrees the tenour wherof foloweth VVilfride the vertuous bishop of yorke and appealinge to the see Apostolique for his cause and by that full authoritie absolued as well from certaine complaints laied to his chardge as all other vncertaine quarels and sitting in iudgement in the felowship of a 125. bishopps in this present Synod hath confessed for al the north partes of the isles of Englande and Irelande whiche ar inhabited with Englishe men Britons Scottes and Pictes the trewe and catholike faith and confirmed the same with his subscription After his returne to Britanny againe he conuerted the South saxons frō idolatrye and superstition to Christes trewe faith and religion In the isle of Wight also he apointed certain to preach the word of God and the seconde yere of kinge Aldfrides raigne who had the soueraintye next after Ecgfride receaued his see and bishoprick againe at the instaunt request of the kinge But fyue yeres after he was accused of the same king and many other bishopps and depriued againe of his bishopricke Wherein vpon repairing againe to Rome and obtaining lycence to pleade in his owne defence before his accusers Pope Iohn and many other byshopps sittinge in iudgment it was by their diffynitiue sentence concluded that in some parte his accusers hadd falsly forged these malycious surmises against him The Pope also wrote letters to the kinges of England Edilrede and Alfride requiringe them to see him restored to his bishopricke againe because he was vniustly condemned The reading of the decrees concluded in the fore said Synod assembled by Pope Agatho of blessed memory kept but of late when he hym selfe was present in the cytie and resident amongest other bishops did much furder his cause For when the Actes of the Synode as occasion was moued were openly read ij or iij. dayes before the nobylitie and greate assembles of people by the popes commaundement the protonotarie coming to that place where it was written Wilfride the vertuous bishopp of yorke appealing to the see Apostolique for his cause and by that ful authoritie absolued as well from certaine thinges layed to his chardges as all other vncertaine quarells c. As we sayed before these wordes being read euery man was astonned and the protonotary ceasing eche man inquired off other what manner of man thys bysshopp VVilfride was Then Bonyface a counseller to the Pope and many other whiche sawe hym there in Pope Agatho his tyme made answere and sayd He is the bishop which was accused of his owne cuntry men and came to Rome to be iudged by the see Apostolik euen the very same which of late coming hither for the false accusations of his aduersaries was iudged giltlesse and innocent by◠Pope Agatho after the cause and controuersie was well examined of bothe parties and thought to haue ben depriued of his bishopricke against all lawe and more than that hadd in such honour and estimation of Pope Agatho of blessed memory that he cōmaunded him to sitt in the Synode which he assembled at Rome as a man off a trew perfect faith and syncere minde All these allegations being heard the Pope and all that were present
were iustly punished in the same countree for their spoyling The same yeare that the holy and good father Ecgbert died as we saied before on Easter streyt after Easter king Osric hauinge the Souerainte in Northumberlande departed outâ— of this lyfe the 9. off Maye after that he had appointed Ceolwulff brother to kinge Coenrede his predecessour to be his successour in the kingedome hauing raigned xj yeares The beginning and processe of whose raigne is so full of troublesâ— hath had such diuerse successe of thinges contrary one to the other that we can not yet well tell what may be written of them nor what ende euery thinge will haue The yeare of our Lorde 731. Archebisshoppe Berthwalde worne oute with olde age died the 8. of Ianuary 37. yeares 6. moneths and xiiij daies after he had ben bisshoppe In his place the same yeare Tacwine of the prouince off the Marshes was made archebisshop a longe time after he had bene prieste in the monastery of Bruiden He was consecrated in Caunterbury by the reuerend fathers Daniel bishop of Winchester Ingualde bishoppe of London Alduine bishoppe of Lichfelde and Aldwulff bishoppe of Rochester the x. of Iune beinge the soundaye a man certes notable for his godlynesse and wisedome and well conuersaunt in holy scriptures Wherefore at this present Tacwine and Aldwulff are bishoppes of kent Ingualde of the east Saxons Eadbert and Hadulac of the east english Daniel and Forthere of the Weast Saxons Aldwine of the Marshes and VValstode of them which dwell beyonde the ryuer Seuerne towarde the Weast VVilfrid of the Viccij Cymbert of Lindisfarne The isle of Wight is vnder the iurisdiction of Daniel bishop of Winchester The prouince off the Sowthsaxons continuinge certaine yeares without a bishoppe is gouuerned of the bishoppe of the Westsaxons in suche cases as the bishoppes helpe is necessarye Al these prouinces and others of the south eueÌ„ to Humber with their kinges are in subiection and owe homage to Edilbalde kinge of the Marshes But of Northumberlande where Ceolwulff is kinge there ar but iiij bishops Wilfride of Yorke Edilwalde of Lindisfarne Acca of Hagulstalde Pethchelme of Whitchurch which being made a bishopps see of late when the faithfull people beganne to multiplie hath now this Pechthelme for their first bishop The Pictes also at this time are in leage with the Englishemen and in vnite with the catholike church The Scottes which inhabitt Brytannye content to keape their owne lymittes and bordres worke no treason towardes England The Britons albeit for the most parte euen of pryuie malice and grudge they maligne the Englishmen and impugne with their lewde manner the tyme of Easter ordained by the catholique churche yet the allmightye power off God and man resistinge their malyce they can haue their purpose in neither off them For thoughe they are in some parte free yet for the more parte they are insubiection to englishmen And now all warre and tumult ceasing all thinges being brought to an vnity and concorde many in Northumberlande as well noble men as poore layinge away al armour and practise of chiualry become both they and their children religious men Which what successe it is leeke to haue al the posterity shal see Thus for this present standeth the whole state of Britanny The yere sence the English men came into Britanny 285. and 733. sence the incarnation of Christe In whose raigne let the earth alwaies reioyse And seing Britanny taketh ioye and comfort now in his faith let many ilandes be glad and sing praise to the remembraunce of his holy name THVS ENDETH THE FIFTE AND LAST BOOKE OF THE Historie of the Church of England The wordes of Venerable Bede folowing after the abridgement of this whole history in the 3. Tome of his workes which we haue thought good to place here at the ende of the History it selfe THIS much touching the ecclesiasticall history of the Britons and especially of the english nation as I could lerne by the writinges of my aunceters by the tradition of my elders or by my owne knowleadg I haue by the helpe of God brought vnto this order and issue I Bede the seruaunt of God and priest of the monasterie of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul at Weimouth Which being borne in the territorie of the same monastery when I was seuen yeares of age I was deliuered by the handes of my frendes and kinsfolkes to be brought vp of the most Reuerend Abbat Benet and afterward to Ceolfrid From the which time spending all the daies of my life in the mansion of the same monastery I applied all my study to the meditation of holy scripture and obseruing withal the regular discipline and keping the daily singing of Gods seruice in the church the rest of my time I was delighted alwaies to lerne of other to teache my selfe or els to write In the xix yere of my age I was made deacon and in the xxx yeare Priest Bothe which orders I receaued by the handes of the most Reuerend bishop Iohn of Beuerlake at the commaundement of Ceolfrid my Abbat From which time of my priesthood vntell the yere of my age lix I haue vpon holy scripture for my owne instruction and others partly brestly noted and gathered what other holy fathers haue writen partly I haue at large expounded after the maner of their interpration and meaning FINIS A TABLE OF THE SPECIAL MATTERS The figure signifieth the leafe A. B. the first and second side A A Buses of religious persons punished by God from heauen 144. b An army of infidels put to flight by singing Alleluia 27. b. The martyrdom of S. Alban and miracles thereat befalling 17. b. 18. Apostafie from the faith punished 76. a. 82. b. The life of our Apostles and first preachers 32. a. Arrian heresies in Britanny 19â— a. S. Augustin sent by S. Gregory to preach the faith to englishmen 29. b. S. Augustin preacheth the faith to Ethelbert or Elbert kinge of kent 31. a. b. he was a monke 33. a. made bishop in Fraunce 32. b. he prophecieth the destruction of the Britons 50. b. S. Augustin the first bishop of CaÌ„terbury created of the bishops of Fraunce by the commaundement of Pope Gregory 32. b. The death of S. Augustin our Apostle 51. b. An Epitaphe vpon him 52. a. The life and vertu of S. Edilrede now called S. Audery 133. a. Miracles and cures doâ—e at her tombe 134. b. A songin the praise of virginite and in the honour of S. Audery 135. a Aultar of stone 68. b. B Of the Author of this History Venerable Bede reade the preface to the Reader Berkinge abbay in Essex 120. b King Elbert the first Christen kinge of englishmen endued the Bisshoprikes of Caunterbury of London and Rochester with landes and possâ—ssions 51. b Consecration of bishops with a number of bishops 910. a. 149. a. The deuotioÌ„ of bishops in the primitiue church of englaÌ„d 151. a. 109. 113. b The example of a
in the memory off saintes 128. a. The sacrifice off the Masse propitiatory 137. a. S. Cutberts deuotion at Masse tyme. 149. a. The first chrysteninge off the Marshes or middleland englishemen anno Domini 650. 97. a. S. Augustin conuinceth the schismaticall traditions off the Britoâ—s by miracle 49. b. Why miracles reported in the history ought not to be mistrusted 133. a. Miracles at the place where kinge Oswald was slaine 85. b. Off miracles mentioned in the historye reade the preface to the Reader The foundation off monasterys 99. b. 101. b. N. Nonnes consecrated off bishops 133. a. A Nunnerie burned for the sinne off the inhabitans 143. a. The first christeninge in the Northe countre 59. b. The first christendome off the english Prince in the Northe 68. a. Children brought vp in Nonneries 121. b. Off nightly pollutions how and when they restraine from the blissed sacrament 39. a. The inuention off the golden Numbre 186. a. O. The commendation of king Osuuius 90. b. Oblations of the people distributed by Bishops 33. a. S. Of waldes day kept holy with Masses and seruice 129. a. The persuasion off kinge Oswine withe the heathen kinge Sigberte 93. a. Kinge Oswald a great prayer 88. b. P. Pelagians heresies in Britanny 20. a. The pope is informed of the state of the church 132. a. Letters from the popes off Rome for the increasing of the Faith in England 57. a. 60. a. 62. a. 70. b. 71. b. The letters off S. Gregory see in the letter G. Fire quenched by praiers 27. a. Mellitus quenched a great fire by prayer 56. b. S. Gregory pope off Rome the chiefest bishoppe off the whole worlde 45. a. A tempest on the sea alayed by the praier 154. a. A great desease sodainly healed by prayer 165. a. 1â—7 a. The behauiour of priestes in our primitiue church 107. b. The primitiue churche att the first dyd not abrogate all Iuysshe ceremonies 104. a. A rare zele to the preaching of Gods worde in a worldly prince folio 78. b. 88. a. An olde prouerbe 88. b. 17. b. An example for the confirmation off purgatory 136. b. The paynes off Purgatory 95. b. R. Religouse men our primitiue church reuerenced 107. b. Reseruation of the blessed sacrament 142. b. The goodnes of God and our faithe worketh miracles by holy relikes 89. b. Enormouse crimes in the rightuouse sooner punished 99. a. Relikes of holy maâ—tyrs 26. a. The Pantheon or temple of all idolls in Rome conuerted by pope Boniface into the church of our Lady and all Saincts 53. b. Mellitus the first bishop of London goeth to Rome and counselleth pope Boniface aboute matters touching the english church 53. a. The see Apostolike off Rome 177. b. 109. b. Priuilege from Rome for the liberty off monasteries 131. b. Authorite from Rome to make bishops 57. a. Constitutions from Rome touching the clergy 71. a. The See of Rome 33. a. 35. a. Going to Rome accompted a matter of great deuotion in our primitiue church 139. a. 160. b. The first destruction of Rome and decaie of that empire 20. b. S. The arriual of the Saxons in to Britanny 23. b. Discipline of the church vpon such as committed sacrilege 33. b. The gouernement off the olde Saxons 163. a. The sacrifice off the Masse 183. a. The blessed sacrament bread off life 55â— a The praier and fasting of schismatikes auaile not 5â— a. Commendation off the scottishe monks which gouerned first the english church in the northe country 10â— a. Palladius the first bishop off ScotlaÌ„d sent froÌ„ Caelestinus the Pope 22. a. The order of english seruice chose of the bâ—st orders of other couÌ„tres 33. b. The deuill fighteth with synne against man 95. b. Synne purged by paine in this life 122. b. How sinne bredeth in the hart of man 39. a. Singing in churches thorought out all Englande 114. a. Order off singing and church seruice from Rome 132. a. The gifte off singing off holy thinges only geuen miraculously to a simple laie man 141. and. 142. A lesson for vngodly studentes 89. a. Example off a trusty subiect 59. a. The conuersion off Sussex to the faith 126. Miracles in the monastery of â—â—lâ—ee in Sussex 127. b. Selsee the first monastery in Sussex now brought to the faith ibidem In Bosam a monastery before the faith openly receiued in Sussex 126. b A miserable famine in Sussex before the faith receiued 127. a. The first Christeninge in Sussex miraculouse ibdem. The dioceses off Sussex and Hampshere diuided 175. a. The first Synod off the English Church 118. b. The second 130. b. The third 148. b. T. Difference betwene the new Testament and the old 37. b. Temples in the honour of Martirs 19. a. Theodore a greke borne the first Primat of all England 113. b. He deposeth VVinfride bishop of Litchfield 120. a. The felicite of the english church vnder him 113. b. Sickenesse and tribulation sent of God for triall of vertu 139. b. V. Vertu persecuted of the euill euen to death 99. a. Virgins in monasteries 84. a. Edwine the first Christen king of the North brought to the faith by a vision 63. b. Vniuersalite prescribeth 104. a. Vowe of obedience in religion 119. b Vowes in sykenesse 108. b. Vowes to godde 101. a. The first Christeninge in the west contry 82. b. A tempest ceased by holy water 25. a. Sicknesse healed by holy water 156. b. Vniust warres reuenged from God 145. The life of bishop VVilfrid the Apostle of Sussex 175. b. The faith first preached and receiued in the I le of wight 139. b. The situation of the I le off wight 130. a. VVilbrorde an englishman the Apostle off Friseland 164. a. Good workes 122. b. Yâ— The bishop of Yorke made archebishop by the Pope 41. Faultes escaped in Printing Leafe Side Line Faulte Correction 27. b. Margen Hósius Hoste 25.   Insidels Infidels    lleluya Alleluya 29. a 25 aut and. 30. a. â— vvoÌ„h vvhoÌ„ 41. a. â—8 consuship consulship 74. b. 3. Oure Ouer. 75. a. Mar. good golde 88. b. 16. recei receined   6. isis â—â— Â Â Mar. verbe prouerbe 90. a. 30. by by by 95. a. Mar. vvde vvorlde 99. a. 10. elemency elemency 104. b. 15. out on 106. a. 20. can he can he not 112. b. 27. tis this 129. a. 1. sor for 134. a. 24. lymnes lymmes 151. b. 23. to do 160. b. 23. generati generation 177. a. 9. for such for such FINIS Coloss. 1â— Esaiae 49. Niceph. li. â— cap. 12. Cap. 13. In praefat Nic. Con. Nicep lib. 8. cap. 14. Idem li. 7. cap. 42. Hist. tripart libr. 8. c. 13. 2. par 19â— 25. L. Omnes Vetâ—â—ae cod de he et Manich. Socrates li. 5. c. 10. Sâ—zomenus lib. 1. c. 17. Niceph. li. 13. c. 5. Tom. 7. Niceph. li. 17. c. 2â— Cap. 9. Cap. 27. De â—ello vandalico lib. 4. Act. 13. Prâ—copius lib. 1. 2. 3. 4. Michael Ritiuâ— Nâ—a politanus