was But as sone as he had heard that for his owne healthes sake and saluation this bysshop had suffred so greueouse beatinges yea and that of the Apostle of Christe he feared much And afterward abandoning all worship and honour of ydols renouncinge also his vnlauful mariage he embraced the fayth of Christe and being baptised he endeuored to keape and mayntaine the state of the churche in all pointes to his vttermoste power Moreover he sent into Fraunce and called home Mellite and Iustus commaunding them to returne to their churches and freely instructe their flock Thus the yeare after their departure they returned againe Iustus to Rochester where he was bishop But as for Mellite the LoÌ„doners wold not receaue although he was their bysshop chosing rather to obey idolatrouse bysshops then him And truly king Edbald was not a Prince of so greate power and strenght as was his father that he might restore this bysshopp to his churche notwithstanding the paynim Londiners resistaunce but for his owne part and all his subiectes froÌ„ the daye that he was conuerted to our Lord he submitted himselfe to the precepts of God Moreouer he buylt a chappell in the honour of our ladie the blessed mother of God within the monasterie of S. Peter head of thappostles Which chappell Mellite the Archebisshop consecrated How bishop Mellite quenched with his prayer the fyre burning the citie of Caunterbury The. 7. Chap. FOr in the raygne of this king Edbald the holye Archebishop Laurence departing hence to the kyngdome of heauen and being buryed the seuenth daye of Februarie in the churche and monasterie of S. Peter thappostle fast by his predecessour Austin Mellite who was bishopp of London sate in the See of Caunterbury churche third Archebysshopp after S. Austin when as Iustus was yet a lyue and bishopp of Rochester Which ij Prelates because they dyd rule and gouerne the English churche with greate labour and diligence receiued eftsoones exhorting epistles from Boniface Bysshop of the Roman and Apostolique see Who after Dersdâ—dit otherwise wise called Theodatus gouuerned the Church in the yeare of our lord 618. Mellite was often troubled with infirmities of the bodie and muche greaued with the gowte yet notwithstanding euer hole and sounde of mynde Who passing ouer spedely all erthly thinges hyed him fast to the blysse of heauen which is euer to be beleued euer to be wysshed for and euer to be sowght for He was also noble by byrth but muche more noble for the excellencie of his mynde I will reherse one token of his vertue by which a man maye easely gesse the rest When vppon a certaine tyme the citie of Caunterbury by negligence was takeÌ„ with fyre and began to waste and consume awaye by muche encreasing of the flames so that no helpe of man no castinges of water theron was able to queÌ„che or staye it the greatest parte of the citie being at length nere burnt and the furiouse flashes extending them selues euen to the Bysshops place this good bysshop seing mans healpe now to fayle and trusting only in the ayde and succoure of God commaundyd that the myght be carryed out of his howse and sette against these fierce flawes of fyre percing and flyeng all rounde aboute Now where the greatest rage of this burning was there was the place of martyrdome of the. 4. hollie crouned Saintes Whan then the byshop by his seruantes was brought forth and sette in this place here he began withe prayer sycke as he was to dryue awaye the peryll of fyre which the stowght strength of stronge men with muche labour could not before bryng to passe And beholde the wynde that blew froÌ„ the Southe wherby this fire was first kendled and blasted abrode now sodenly bent against the Southe first teÌ„pered his blastes for feare of hurting the places ouerryght in thother side and after quyte quenching the flames ceasing and extinguisshing the fyre made all calme and wel againe And truly this good man of God which dyd feruently alwaye burne with the fyre of inwarde charite and was wont with his often prayers and hollie exhortations to dryue from himselfe and al his the daunger of ghostly temtations and trowble by spryghtes of the ayre might now iustly preuaile against the wynde and easely cease these worldy flames and obtayne that they hurted nor him nor his Who after he had ruled the churche v. yeares deceased hence to heauen in the raygne of king Edbald and is buryed with his predecessours in the oftmentioned monasterie and churche of S. Peter the yeare of our Lord. 624. and the. 22. daye of Februarie How Pope Boniface sent Iustus Mellites successor a palle and an epistle The. 8. Chapter TO whome Iustus succeded inmediatly in the Byshoprike who was Bysshopp of Rotchester Ouer whiche church he appointed for him Romanus and consecrated him Byshop For nowe had Iustus receyued authoritie to ordeyne Byshops from the hygh Byshop Boniface successour of Deusdedit as we saied before The forme of which authorite is as foloweth To our derest beloued brother Iustus Boniface sendeth greating How godly and how ernestly yow haue dere brother laboured for the Gospell of Christ not only the tenour of your epistle directed vnto vs but also the perfection and end of your doinges haue well and fully declared For almightie God hath not forsaken eyther the glorie of his name or the fruyte of your labour Wheras himselfe faythfully haâ—h promised the prechers of his Gospell sayng Behold I am with yow alwayes euen vnto the end of the wordle Which thing especially his clemencie hath shewed in this your ministerie opening the hartes of the gentiles to receyue the singular mysterie of your preching For he hath made moste honorable the state of your dignitie by his grace and goodnes while that himselfe hath prepared you so fertell fruytes vsing moste prouidently his talentes committed to yowe geauing yowe this gyfte that yowe may now assigne and shewe whole countries plentifully multiplyed in the fayth by yow And this is geauen you in recompence bycause you persisted continually in this ministerie of preching appointed to yowe looking with lawdable pacience for the redemption of that people to whome yow were sent and that they might geate some good by your merytes and labour whose saluation is nowe begonne wytnessing our Lord sayeng He that shall stand and perseuere to the end he it is that shal be saued Ye are therfore saued by the hope of patience and by the vertue of longe suffring so that now the hartes of infidels being purged and healed from their naturall and superstitiouse desease may receyue the mercye of their Sauiour For after we had read the letters of oure dere son king Adelwald we vnderstode with what greate lerning and instruction of holy scrypture yow haue browght him to the belefe of thundowbted faithe and trewly conuerted him to Christe Wheruppon we presuming and putting sure affiaunce in the greate
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
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
was Oswy his brother keping the kingdome almost within equall boundes for a certaine time But after he cōquered for the most part the Pictes and Scotte mē which dwelled in the North quarters of Britāny and made thē tributarie But we wil speak of that here after King Elbert died the 24. day of February the 2. yere after that he had receiued the faith being ful past and is layde in S. Martins porch within the church of the blessed Apostels Peter and Paul wher also Quene Bertha is buried Which king beside other his deades that he boūtefully bestowed vpō his subiectes gaue and appointed them by the coūsel of wise mē certaine lawes and iudicial decrees according to thexāple of the Romans which being writē in the English tōgue are vntil this day kept of thē and as occasiō serueth practised In which his lawes and decrees he first and chiefly ordeined what amends he ought to make which had by thefte taken away anie thinge from the churches bishops or other orders Wherein the king prouided a safegard aud surtie for them whom and whose doctrine he had now receiued This Elbert was the son of Irminrike whose father was Octa and Octaes father Orrich called also Oiske Of whom the kinges of kēt are wont to be called Oiskinges This Orriches fathers name was Hengist who with his Oiske being sent for of Vortiger first entred into Britannie as I haue shewed before But after the death of Elbert when Eadbald his sonne had taken on him the rule of the royalme he greately hindered and dammaged there the younge springes and tender encreases of the churche For he would not only not accept and mainteyne the faith of Christ but he was also polluted and defiled with suche a fornication as the Apostle witnesseth neuer to haue ben heard of amongest the gentils which is that he had married his fathers wife With which ij heynouse factes he gaue occasion to his subiectes to returne to their former filthe and vomit which vnder his fathers raigne or for fauour or feare of the king had yelded to the lawes of Christen faith and chastite But the scourges of God and vengaunce from heauen wanted not to the punishing and correcting of this vnfaithfull kinge For he was plaged with often frensy of minde and raging fury of an vncleane sprite Nowe besides all this the death also of king Sabareth king of the Este Saxons muche encreased the trouble and persecution of the churche Who departing hence to the euerlasting kingdome of heauen left his iij. sonnes remaining yet paynims heyres of his temporall kingdome in earth After the death of their father they began straightwaie and openly to folowe idolatrie which while their father liued they semed somewhat to haue relented geuing also free licence to al their subiects to worship idols These princes on a certaine time when they sawe the bisshop in the churche after he had celebrated the solemnites of the masse geaue the people the sacrament being puffed vpp with barbarouse and rude folie saide as the common reporte is thus vnto him Why doest thou not geaue vs also some of that white breade which thou diddest geue our father Saba for so they were wont to call their father Sabareth and which thou doest not yet cease to geaue the people in the churche To whome he answered Yf ye wil be washed in that holsome font wherein your father was ye maye likewise eate of this blessed breade whereof he was partakener But if ye contemne the lauetorie of life ye can in no wise taste the breade of life We will not said they enter into this font of water for we knowe we haue no nede thereof But yet neuertheles we will eate of that breade And when they had ben often and ernestly warned off the bishop that it could not be that without holy purging and clensing by baptisme any man might communicate of this most holie oblation they at last in their furie and rage sayde to the bishop well if thou wilt not consent to vs in so smalle a matter as we aske of the thou shalt not hensforth abide in our prouince and dominions And straightway they expelled him Commaunding him and all his companie to depart their royalme Who being expelled thence went into kent to common there with Laurence and Iustus his fellow bishops what were best to be done in this case And by cōmon consent it was concluded that better it were for them all to returne into their countries and there to serue God with a free minde and quiet conscience then to abide with those barbarouse men or liue amongest such rebelles of the faith without all fruit or profit Therfore Mellite and Iustus departed first and came to the coastes of Fraunce purposing there to expecte and attende for the issue of these matters So shortly after these kinges which had driuen from them this preacher of trueth fell freely to idolatrie and worshipping of diuells But yet not without the vengeance of God For on a time waging battaile against the Genissans they with their whole armie were slaine But although the authors of this misscheffe were thus destroied yet could not the common people ons stirred to naughtynes be amended and reuoked to the simplicite of faith and charite which is in Christ. How Lawrence chastened by S. Peter conuerted king Edbald to Christe who immediatly after called backe Mellite and Iustus to preache The. 6. Chap. WHen Laurence was now ready to forsake Britannie and goe after Mellite and Iustus he commaunded the night before he went his bed to be brought forth and layed in S. Peter and Paules churche of which churche we haue oftentimes spoken Where when after manie his praiers and teares powred out to God for the state of the church reposing his body to rest and sleaping in his bedde the blessed Apostle S. Peter appeared to him who scourging him with sharp stripes a greate while in the close and secret night chalenged him with Apostolicall auctorite and asked why he would forsake the flocke which he himselfe had committed vnto him and to what shepeherd renning now awaye he would leaue the sheape of Christe besette in the middest of wolfes Hast thou quoth he forgotte myne example who for the lytle ones of Christe which he commended to me in witnes and token of his loue dyd suffer fetters strypes enprisoninges afflictions and att the laste death it selfe yea the death of the crosse by infidels and the enemies of Christe that I mought be crowned with him By these S. Peters strypes and with these his exhortations Lawrence the seruant of Iesus Christe being styrred vp and encouraged came boldly to the king erly in the morning and loosing his garment shewed him how sore he was beaten and pitifully his flesh was torne The king amased therat meruayled much with himselfe And enquyred who durst be so bold as to whyp and scourge such a man as this Lawrence
captaine generall with an hoste of men into Scotland and miserably spoyled and destroyed the harmelesse seely people which had euer bene great frindes to the english nation in so muche that the hand and force of the enemie spared not the very churches and monasteries Yet the men of the I le as far as they were able dyd both resiste and withstand force with force and also calling on the ayd of Gods mercy dyd long with continuall cursinges make supplication to be reueÌ„ged from heauen And although such as curse cannot possesse the kingdome of heauen yet it is beleued that they which for their vnmercyfulnes were worthely accursed dyd shortly suffer the punyshmentes of their wickednes by the vengeance of God For the next yere after this the same king against the aduise and counsell of his frindes and specially of Cutbert a man of blessed memorie who of late had bene consecrated bysshopp dyd rashly and vndiscretly go forth with an armie to waste the prouince of the Redshankes Who making as thowghe they sled browght him vnto the straightes of the hilles where was no passage and there with the most parte of his hoste that he had browght with him he was slayne the xl yere of his age and xv yere of his raigne and xx day of maye And in dede as I sayd his frindes and counsell would not suffer him to begyn this war but euen as the yere before he wolde not giue eare to the most Reuerend father Ecgbert for settinge vpon Scotland that dyd him no harme so was this nowe giuen him for a punyshment of that syn that he wold not harken vnto them that labowred to call and staye him from his owne destruction After which time the hope and prowesse of the dominion of the English began much to decaye and go backeward For the Redshankes recouered againe their landes and possessions whiche the English men did hold and the Scottes that were in Britaine and also a certaine part of the Britons got againe their freedome and libertie which they hitherto haue yet these xlvj yeres or thereabowt Where among many of the englishmen that were eyther slaine with the swearde or made bondmen or scaped froÌ„ the land of the Redshankes by fleeing the most reuerend man Trumwini which had bene byshop ouer them there departed with his company that were in the monasterie of Ebbercune the which standeth in the Englysh region but nighe vnto the straight that diuideth the landes of the english and the Redshankes And commending his felowes to his frendes abrode in diuerse monasteries where he best might himselfe went to the ofte mentioned monasterie of Gods seruantes and handmaydes named Streaneshalch and there chose him his abyding place where with a fewe other of his company he lead his lyfe a long time of yeres in monasticall straightnesse very profitably not to himselfe only but to many other also At which time there gouerned the same monasterie a certaine virgin of the kinges blood named Elflet and their mother Eanflede togither of whome we haue before made mention But when this byshop came thither the good and vertuouse Abbesse found thereby not only great helpe in her chardge and gouernaunce but also comforte to her owne lyfe and conuersation After king Ecgfride succeded in the kingdome Altfrit a man very well learned in the scriptures who was said to be Ecgfrides brother and sonne to king Oswine This man dyd nobly and worthely recouer the decayed and destroyed estate of the kingdome thowghe the boundes and greatenes thereof were nowe more narowe This same yere which was from thincarnarion of owr Lorde DClxxxv dyed Lothere king of kent the vj. daye of February when he had raigned xij yeres after his brother Ecgbert who raigned jx yeres For this Lother was wounded in the battaile of the South SaxoÌ„s the which Edrich the sonne of Egbert fowght against him and while he was at surgerie in curing he dyed After whome the sayd Edrich raigned one yere and an halfe Who departing without issue that kingdome was for a space throwghe vncertaine and foraine kinges sore decayed and destroyed vntyll the lawfull and legitimat king Victred who was Egberts sonne came and was quietly settled therin who both by good religion and princely prowesse deliuered his people from foraine forse and inuasion Howe Cutbert the man of God was made bisshop and howe he liued and tawght while he yet was in his monasterie and monasticall conuersation The. 27. Chapter IN that same yere that king Egbert ended his lyfe he caused as we haue sayd Cutbert an holy and reuerend man to be consecrated bishop of the church of Lindesfarre who had lyued a solitarie lyfe many yeares in great continencie bothe of body and mynde in a very smal yle called Farne whiche lyeth distant from the said churche of Lindisfarme almost ix myles a good waye in the mayne Ocean sea This man from the first beginning of his childhode was alwaies feruently desyrouse of religiouse lyfe and when he was growen somewhat toward mans state he tooke both the name and habite of a monke For he entred first into the monasterie of Mailâ—os which standeth on the banke of the riuer Tyne and was at that time gouuerned of Abbot Eata the mekest and mildest man of a thousand Afterward he was taken from thence and made bishopp of the diocese of Hagulstald or Lindisfarne as we haue a foresaide The which see was before gouuerned by Boisill a man of great vertues and graces and of a propheticall spirite Whose humble and diligent scholer Cutbert had bene and learned of him the knowledge of the holy scriptures and examples of good workes Which man after he was gone to God Cutbert was made head of the same monasterie where both by the authoritie of his master and example of his owne dooing he instructed and brought many vnto regular lyfe and discipline Neither did he only giue vnto the monasterie both admonishementes and examples of vertuouse and regular lyfe but also laboured to tourne the common people far and nere thereabout from the lyfe of their carelesse conuersation to the loue and longing of the ioyes of heauen For many folke at that time did profane and defyle the fayth that they had with wicked workes and dooinges some also in the time of the great death and plage setting at nought the sacramentes of fayth wherewith they were endewed ranne to the erroneous medicins and sorceries of idolatrie as though they wer able by enchantementes or withcrafte or any other secrete arte and coning of the deuill to staye and kepe of the plage sent from God the creatour Both which sortes of people to correcte and reproue their erroneouse and yll dooing this good father would go out of the monasterie somtime on horsebacke but moo times on fote and come to the villages lyeng thereabout and preache the way of truthe to them that were astraye Which thing also Boisill was wont to doo in
heard yt by relation of them which were present when yt was done Howe by his prayer and blessinge he relieued one of his clerkes maruelously broosed with a fall from his horse and in greate danger of deathe The. 6. Chapter NEther do I thinke yt good to passe ouer in sylence that greate myracle which a faythful seruaunt of our sauiour Christe namyd Herebalde was wonte to reporte to haue bene done and practised vppoÌ„ hym selfe who at that time was one of his clergy and is nowe abbot in a monastery that borderyth harde vppon the ryuer VVyre So farre forth said he as yt was lauful for a man to iudge I fownde all the whole state and maÌ„ners of his life correspondeÌ„t to that grauytye and holynesse which is required in a byshoppe and of that I am ryght well assuryd because I was dayly conuersant with him But touchyng his wâ—nes in the sight of God and fauour before the myghthâ— which sercheth the secrets of all mens hartes I hâ—eâ— experience in many other but specially in my felff â— whome be in a manner restoryd from deathe to lyfe â— prayer and benediction For when in my first florysâ—â—yng and lusty yowthe I lyuyd amongest his clergy and was set to schole to lerne bothe to reade and singe and had not yet abandonyd all foolysh fantasies and yowthfull panges it fortuned one day that as we rode with him we came into a goodly playne waye and fayre grene which semed a very trymme place to runne and coorse ower horses in And the yowng men that were in his company especially of the lay sorte beganne to desire the Byshop to geue theÌ„ leaue to coorse and gallop their horses But at the first he vtterly denyed and sayd them nay with this checke It is but a foolysh fonde thinge yowe desire At the last not able to withstande nor gaynesay the ernest and importune request of all the whole company he sayd do if yowe wyl mary so that Herebald refrayne and abide with me Than I entreating as suppliantly as I could to haue licence to galloppe my horse and coorse vpp and downe with the other younge men for I trusted well my horse which the bishop him selfe had before geuen me I could not preuaile at all But when I sawe them take their horses vppe with the spurres and fetch nowe this way nowe that as couragiously with stoppe and turne as could be the bisshoppe and I beholding all their pastime I strayt waies ouercomed with wanton courage could not stay my selfe but went amongest the thickest of them and ranne with the best And as I tooke my horse vppe with the spurres I heard him behynde my backe with a deape sigth to saye O mercifull God what wofull woo woorkest thou to me in ryding after thus sorte I heard those wordes notwithstanding with willful will I minded to folow my pastime And behold euen straightwaye as my horse wilde fearce and couragious with greate violence and force lept ouer a deeke by the waye downe fell I to the grounde and as one ready to dye by and by lost all my senses and was not able to moue any one ioyncte of my bodye For whereas in the same place lay a stone close to the grounde couered with a litle greene turffe and not one other could be fouÌ„de in all that plaine vally and leuell grounde it fortuned by chaunce or rather by the diuine prouidence off God to punisshe my disobedience it happened that I pitched vppon the same stone with my head and hande which in the fal I putt vnder to stay my self and so broke my thumme and sculle off my head that as I said before I lay there leeke a dead man ready for his graue And bicause I coulde not be remoued thence they stretched foorth a pauilion and made me a lodging there This was aboute seuen of clocke in the morninge from that houre vntill night I taried there with out any noyse or disquietnes euen as it had ben a dead man than I beganne to reliue and came to my selfe againe and was caried home to the bishops lodging by certaine of my fellowes where I lay speachlesse al that night casting and vomiting blud because my bulcke and ynner partes were sore broysed with the fal But the bisshop for the tender affectioÌ„ and singular good fansie he bare to me was meruailous sory for my misfortune and deadly wounde and woulde not all that night after his accustomed manner tarry with his clergy but continuing alone in watch all that night as I may well coniecture besought the goodnesse of allmighty God for my health and preseruation And cominge to my chamber early in the morninge said certaine prayers ouer me and called me by my name and when I waked as it were oute of a greate slumber he asked me if I knewe who it was that spoke to me And I casting vpp my eyes saied yea right well you ar my dere bishop and master than said he can you recouer or liue Yea quoth I by yower good prayers if it please God So streytwaies laying his hand vppon my head and repeting the worde of benediction returned again to his praiers and coming to see me againe a litle while after founde me fitting vppe in my bed and well able to speake Then moued as it were with some inspiration from heauen asked whether I knewe without all scruple and dowte whether I was baptized or no to that I aunswered yea forsothe I knowe with oute all doute I was wasshed in the holly fonte of baptisme in remission of synnes and knowe the priestes name very well that baptized me but he foorthwith replyed saying if you were christened of him doubtlesse you are not well christened for I knowe him well and am right assured that when he was made priest he coulde not for his dulheddid witt lerne nor to instructe nor to baptise And for that cause I straightly chardged him not to presume to that mynisterie which he could not do accordingly As sone as he had spoken those wordes he beganne to instructe and informe me in the faith againe and it came to passe that as he breathed in my face the payne vanished awaye and I felt my body much better than it was before Than he called for a surgion and commaunded him to sett my skull againe and knitt it vpp together as it should be and by and by with his blessing I was so well recouered that the next daye I was able to mounte to my horse and ride with him to the next place where he minded to lodge And not longe after being fully recouered I was baptized This good bisshopp continued in the see three and thirty yeres and so translated thence to the ioyfull kingdome of heauen lyeth buried in sancte Peters porche in a monastery called Inderwodde the yeare of our Lorde 721. For when he was not able for olde age to preach teache and gouuerne his bisshopprike he consecrated and made Wilfride one of
resurrection The thirde cawse is because we do then truely keepe this solemne feast if we endeuour to the vttermost of our power to make our passeouer that is to saye ower passage owte of this wordle to God the father with the triple knot of faith hope and charytie After theequalite of the daye and night we are commaunded yet to tary for the full moone of the moneth in which Easter falleth to thend that first the sonne may make the day longer then the night and afterward the moone also may appeare to the world in her full light to signifie vnto vs that the son of righteousnesse in whose beames is our saluation that is to sayour Lorde Iesus Christe by the victory and triumphe which he had in his resurrection hath ouercomed the darknesse of deathe and so ascendinge to heauen hath replenished his churche whiche is ofte signified by the moone with the inwarde light of his grace by sendinge downe the goly ghoste The which ordre of ower saluation the prophete beholdinge said Eleuatus est sol luna stetit in ordine sno The sonne is lyfted vppe and the moone stode in her ordre They therefore which contendeth that the full moone of the moneth in which Easter should fall may come before the Son maketh the daye and night of equall length as they disagree in the celebration of most high and greate misteries from the doctrine of holy scripture so they seme well to agree with them which trust to be saued with owt the preuenting grace of Christe Which in dede presume to teache that man myght haue had perfecte iustification though Christ the trewe lyght had neuer ouercomed the blyndnesse off the world with his painefull death and glorious resurrection To conclude therefore we about the equinoctiall springe when the day and night be of one length and when the full moone of the firste moneth orderly folowing the same that is to saye after the xiiij daye of the said moneth is fully expired the obseruation of all which tymes is commaunded in the lawe do expecte yet in that thirde weeke accordinge as in the ghospel we lerne the next Sonday folowing and then we keepe the solemne feaste of Ester And that to th ende we may testyfie by ower doings that we cellebrat not this solemnytie with the old fathers in remembraunce that the children off Israel had the harde yoke of bondage shaken from their neckes in Aegipte but that we woorshipp with deuoute faith and perfecte charitie the redemption of all the world prefigured in that deliuerance off gods old people owte of thrauldome and fully ended in Christes resurrection to th ende we may signifie that we reioyse in the assured hope of ower resurrection which we beleue shal be on the same Sonday also This accompte of Easter which we haue here declared vnto you to be folowed is comprised in the compasse of xix yeres which of late that is to saye in the Apostles time beganne to be obserued in the churche especially at Rome and Aegipte as I haue specified before But by the industry of Eusebius who of the blessed Martyr Pâ—amphilus hathe his surname it is more playnly and distinctly set in ordre So that where as before the bishop of Alexandria was wonte euery yeare to send abrod to euery particular church the true time of the Easter that yeare to be obserued now from hence forth the course of the full moone being brought in to this order and certainly tried out euery church by itselfe can finde it without failing This counte of Easter so distincted by Eusebius Theophilus bishop of Alexandria made to serue for one hundred yeres at the request of Theodosius the Emperour Cyril his successour made it for 95. yeres more comprising it in v. circles of the saied compasse of 19. yeares After whome Dionisius the yownger added as many circles in leeke ordre and style whiche reached euen to ouer tyme. The which now approching nigh to the date and terme prefixed there is nowe adayes such store of calculatours that in our churches through owte all England there be many which can by the olde preceptes of the Aegiptians which they haue lerned and committed to memory extende and drawe forthe the circle and course of Easter in to as many yeares as them listeth euen to the numbre of 532. yeares Which number of yeares being expired all that appertaineth to the course of the son moone moneth and weke returneth into the same ordre it did before The calculation or directory of which time we haue not at this present sent vnto you because demaunding only to be instructed of the reason and cause of this time of Easter it semeth you are allready informed of the time it selfe Hauing now hetherto brefly and compendiously spoken concerning the dew obseruation of Easter accordinge to yower highnesse requeste we exhorte you most humbly to prouide that your clergy haue the same tonsure which the church doth receiue and vse as most agreable to the Christian faith wherof you required also our letters We know right wel that the Apostles were not shauen all after one sorte Neither now the whole catholique church as it agreeth in one faith one hope and one charite towardes God so vseth also one and the self same order of tonsure Againe that we may consider the time befor vs to wit the time of the holy patriarches Iob a perfect patterne of patience when his tribulation and aduersite beganne shore his head Wherby we learne that in time of prosperity he was accustomed to lett his heare growe Yet Ioseph a trewe teacher and practiser of chastity humility piety and al other vertues is written to haue bene shauen when he came out of preson Wherby it appeareth that in prison for the tyme of his induraunce he was wounte to remaine with longe heare nor clipte nor shorne Lo here two vertuous and godly men who inwardly in hart and mind wer one shewed yet in outward behauiour some diuersite and contrariete But though we may boldly saye that the diuersite of ecclesiasticall tonsure hurteth nothing at all such as haue a pure faith in God and perfecte charitie towarde their neighbour especially seing we reade no controuersie betwene the catholike writers touching the differeÌ„ce and diuersitie of shauing as ther hathe bene for the celebration of Easter yet notwithstanding amongest all kynde off tonsures which we finde to haue ben vsed or in the church or vniuersally amongest all other men I may well saye that none is rather to be folowed and receaued of vs than the very same which he ware on his head to whom Christ saied after he had confessed him to be the sonne of God Thou arte Peter and vppon this rocke I will builde my churche and hell gates shall not preuaile against it To the will I geue the kayes of the kingdome of heauen And contrarywise we may well beleue that none is more to be abhorred and detested of all
the history of oure countre citeth him with these titles Beda homo Anglus quo nihil castius nihil melius nihil verius caet Bede an english man then whom none more chaste none off more vertu none of more truth c. With like commendation and reuerence he is alleaged of his lerned posterite in al ages In his life time not only at home with his owne countremen for his vertu and learning he was in high estimation and in greate credit with the Nobilite of our countre but also he was abrode with other Christen princes being but a monke by profession in greate estimation and muche reuerenced Therefore lyke as we reade of S. Antony S. Hierom before his tyme off S. Bernard and other after him all monkes and religious men that in their priuat celles they had yet a care of publike quyet and lyke counsellers of the whole worlde they moued princes to their duty so of holy S. Bede we reade the same For thus Platin reporteth of him Cum Africa Hispania á Sarracenis occuparetur Beda qui eisdem temporibus fuit hanc calamitatem literis ad Principes Christiani nominis scriptis lamentatus est quo bellum in hostes Dei atque hominum susciperent When Afrike and Spayne was taken and helde of the Sarrazens Bede which lyued in that time lâ—mented this calamite in letters writen to Christen Princes to the entent that they should make warres against the enemies of God and men Wherein bothe the vertuous zele and religions care of common quiet in holy S. Bede appereth and the authorite also whiche he hadd abrode with other Christen princes is signified Vnto whom also a litle before his death in familiar letters he prophecied of the great waste of Europe and the West church whiche soone after his death ensued by the Sarazens For as Afrike by their meanes lost the faith and lacketh it yet so Spayne off late only recouered the faith againe Thus muche off his learning and vertu Other especialls of his life as where he was borne howe he lyued and dyed ye maye partly reade in his lyfe written by Thrithemius which we haue translated and placed a part after the preface partly in his own words folowing after th ende of this history The Authour of this history being a man of suche lerning and vertu a countreman of oures one that writeth the history of thinges done at home done in his lyfe time or in few yeares before the memory of them being yet fresh and newe it shall not nede I trust to persuade the Reader in many words to geue credit vnto him in such thinges as he reporteth Neither may I feare to prefer his authotite before the authorite or report of any man that now liueth For beside his lerning and vertu it is to be considered that he liued in a quiet time before these controuersies which nowe so trouble Christendom were moued He is an indifferent reporter There is no suspicion of partes taking no preiudice of fauouring either side no feare of affection or misseiudgement to be gathered vpon him We haue good cause to suspect the reportes of Bale of Fox of Beacon and suche other whiche are knowen to maintaine a faction and singular opinion lately spronge vp who reporte thinges passed many hundred yeares before their daies No such suspicion can be made of S. Bede who lyued aboue eight hundred yeares paste and reporteth the planting of Christen religion among vs englishmen partly by that whiche he sawe him selfe partly by the reporte of such who either liued at the first coming in of Christendom to our countre them selues or were scholers to suchâ— Who also was no maintainer of any secte or faction but liued and died in the knowen common faith of Christendom which then was and is now but one In this history therefore vewe and consider the coming in of Christen faithe in to oure countre the heauenly tydinges brought to our Lande the course encrease and multiplying thereof The vertuous behauiour of oure forefathers the firste Christen englishmen Peruse and marke the faith which they beleued the hope wherein they continued the charite wherby they wrought Their faith taught them to submit them selues to one supreme head in Christes church the Apostolike Pope of Rome Peters successour to whom holy Scripture telleth vs the kayes of the kingdome of heauen were geuen Their faith taught them all such thinges as are now by protestants denied as for the more part we haue out of the history gathered by a numbre of differeÌ„ces placed in the second part of the Fortresse Their hope and charite so wrought that our dere countre of England hath ben more enriched with places erected to Gods honour and to the fre maintenaunce of good lerning then any one countre in all Christendome beside Gather honny lyke bees oute of this comfortable history of oure countre not venim like spiders Reade it with charitable simplicite not with suspicious curiosite with vertuous charite not with wicked malice As for example The facte of Saint Gregory described in the seconde booke the first chapter of this history reporting how that holy man seing in Rome certain of our countremen sette to be solde in the market moued with their outwarde beauty beganne to pitie and lament their inward foule infidelite holy S. Bede writeth diligently as an argument of his greate good zele and tendering of Christes religion and construeth it to the beste as no honest Reader can other wyse do But baudy Bale according to the cleanes of his sprit and holy ghospell like a venimous spider being filthy and vncleane him selfe sucketh out a poisonned sence and meaning charging that holy maÌ„ with a most outragious vice and not to be named So like an other Nero who liuing in lewde lechery woulde not be persuaded that any was honest this olde ribauld as in other stories he practised maketh this history also ministring no vnhonest suspicion at al nor geuing any colour of vncleane surmising to serue his filthy appetit and bestly humour It will better become the godly reader and Christen hart to interpret al to the best For in dede none can think euill of other which is not euill him selfe Charite saieth S. Paule thinketh no euill reoyseth not of iniquite but is delited in verite Such charite if it had ben in Bale and his felow protestants we should not now haue had so many lewde lies and malicious surmises vpon the liues of holy men as are to be sene in the workes of Bale Fox and other In this history it shal be no losse time to peruse the lerned vertuous and zelous epistles of certain Popes of Rome after S. Gregory as of Bonifacius Honorius Vitalianus and other to the kinges of our countre as wel for the encreasing of Christen faith as for the extirping of Pelagians heresy for the due obseruation of Easter which al Christendom hetherto kepeth and other like matters
encouraged wyth the comfort of S. Gregorie returned to preache the word of God with the seruauntes of Christ which wer with him and came in to Brytanny Ethelbert at that time was kyng of kent a man of greate powessance as the whiche had enlarged the fruntures of his empier as far as the greate flud Humber by the whiche the west and northe Englishe ar diuided At the easte ende of kent there is the I le of Tenet 600. miles in cumpasse according to the estimation of Englishe miles whiche Ilande is parted from the lande by the flud VVantsome whiche is of iij. furlonges bredthe and in ij places only passable for bothe the heddes of him runeth in to the sea In that Iland was Augustine set on land and his fellowes to the number of almost forty persons They tooke withe them certayne Frenche men to be theyr interpretours according as Gregorye had commaunded And sendinge vnto the kynge Ethelbert they sent him worde that they came from Rome and that they brought him very good tydinges that is to wytt that such as shoulde followe and obey his doctrine they shoulde enioye an euerlasting kyngdome in heauen with the true and liuing God Whiche hearing this commaunded that they shoulde tarry in the said Iland hauing The first face shewe and maner of preaching the ghospel to vs Englishmen by S. Augustin our Apostle in the presence of Elbert then kinge of kent c An. 596. all thinges necessary ministred vnto them vntill they shoulde heare farder of his pleasure For the brute of Christian religion had come before vnto him as the whiche had maried a Christian woman of the countrye of Fraunce named Bertha whome he maried with these conditions taken of her parents that it shoulde be laufull for her to kepe vnbroken the rites of her faythe and religion wyth her bysshope Luidharde by name whome they appoynted her to assiste and helpe her in matters of her faythe Wythin fewe dayse herof the kynge came vnto the Iland and sitting a brode he bid Augustine with his fellowes to come to common wyth him He wold not suffer him to come vnto him into any house least if they wer skilfull in sorcery they might the rather deceiue him and preuaile against him But they came not armed with the force of the diuell but endewed withe the strength of God carying before them in place of a banner a Crosse ofsyluer and the image of ower Sauiour paynted in a table and singing the letanies prayed bothe for themselues and also for them to whome and for whose sake they came thether And when they sitting downe as the kyng did byd them preached vnto him the worde of life and also to all his houshoulde there present he answered them saying yow geue vs very fayer wordes and promisses but yet for that they ar straunge and vnknowen vnto me I can not rashly assent vnto them forsakyng that auncient religion whiche this longe both I and my people haue obserued But for so much as yow ar come so far to th entent yow might part vnto vs suche knowleadge as yow take to be right true and good we will not seeke yower troble but rather wyth all courtesey receiue yow and ministre yow such thinges as ar behouefull for yower liuelioud Nether do we let but that yow may wynne vnto yower profession wythe yower preaching as many as yow canne He allowed them therfore a lodging in the cittye of Cantorbury whiche was the head cittye of his dominion and as he promised prouided them of necessaries and freely licenced them to preach It is sayd that as they approched neare the citty hauing the crosse and image of our kyng and Sauiour Iesus Christ caried as their maner was before them they songe all in one tune this letany following VVe beseche the o Lord for thy great mercy sake that thy furye and thyn angre may be taken from this citty and from thy holy house bycause we haue synned Alleluya How the sayd Austen liuing in kent did follow the primatiue church both in teaching and liuing and of CauÌ„terbury the place of the kinges abode was created Bishop The. 26. Chapter AFter they wer now entred in to their lodging they began to expresse the very Apostolik order of liuing of the primitiue church seruing God in continuall prayer watching and fasting and preaching the worde of life to as many as they could despising the commodities of the worlde as thinges none of their owne taking of them whom they instructed only so much as might serue their necessities liuing them selues according to that they taught other and being ready to suffer both troubles and death it selfe in defense of the truth they taught Wherebye many did beleue and wer baptised maruailing much at the simplicite of their innocent liuing and the sweetnes of their heauenly doctrine There was at the east ende of the citty an auncient church buylt in the honor of saint Marâ—ine made while the Romans wer yet dwelling in England in the which the quene which as we haue sayd was a Christen woman did vse commonly to pray They also resorted commonly to the sayde church and began there first to syng seruice say masse pray preache and christen vntill such time as the kyng being conuerted vnto the faith they receiued more ample licence to preach where they would and either to buylde of new or repayre owld churches But when the kyng him selfe being much delighted wyth the purite of their life and thexample of their godly conuersation as also with their swete promises which to be true thei proued by the working of many miracles did beleue and was baptised there began more and more dayly to resort vnto their sermons and renouncing the rites of their owld gentilite to ioyne them selues by the fayth to the vnitie of the holy church of Christe Of whose faith and coÌ„uersion though the king much reioyced yet he would force none to becomme Christian but only shew him selfe in outward apparance more frendly vnto the faithfull as companions of one kingdome of heauen with him For why he had learned of these his masters that the seruice of Christ must be voluntary and not forced And without any farder delay he appointed out for his sayd doctours a place and see semely for their degrees in his head citty of Cantorbury and gaue them possessions necessary for the maintenance therof How he being created bishop did aduertise Gregory the Pope of such thinges as he had don in Britanny and required his counsell vppon certaine incident cases The. 27. Chap. AFter this the seruaunt of God Augustine came to Arles where of Etherius Archebishoppe of the sayd citty he was created Archebisshop of the nation of the Enhlish men according as S. Gregory the Pope had commaunded And returning vnto Britanny he sent forthwith Laurence priest and Peter monke vnto Rome which should make relation vnto saint Gregory how that the English men had receiued the
gloriously gouerned the see of the Roman and Apostolique churche 13. yeares 6. moneths and. 10. dayes departed this lyfe and was translated to the eternall seate of the kyngdome of heauen Of whome it becometh me in this our historie of the churche of England more largely to speake bycause by his diligence he conuerted our nation that is the Engleshmen from the powre of Satan to the fayth of Christ. Whome we maye well and also must call our Apostle For as sone as he was high Bishop ouer the whole wordle and appointed gouerner of the churches lately conuerted to the belefe of the trueth he made our nation the churche of Christe which had ben euer vntill that time the bondsclaue of Idolls So that we maye lawfully pronownce of him the sayng of the Apostle That althowgh he were not an Apostle to others yet he was vnto vs. For the signet and token of his Apostleship we are in our Lorde This Gregory was a Roman borne his fathers name Gordian his pedegre of awncient stocke not only noble but also religiouse For Felix somtime bishop of that same see Apostolique a man of greate renomme in Christe and the churche was his greate grandfathers father This nobilite of religion he kept and maintayned with no lesse vertue and deuotion then his parents and auncient kinsfolke had done befor him But his woldly nobilite he forsoke alltogether and by the speciall grace of God turned the same to the purchasing of eternall glorie in heauen For changing sodenly his secular habite he wēt into a monasterie Where he began to lyue in such grace of perfection that vnto his mynde as often after he was wont to wytnes with weeping teares all transitorie things were already subiecte that he far surmounted al worldly workes that he was wont to thinke of nothing but heauenly things yea that being yet clogged with his erthly bodie he now by contemplation did passe the verie naturall bounds of his flesh and that he derely loued death also whiche to most men is a paynfull payne as an entraunce of lyfe to him and reward of his labour All which things he sayd of him selfe not craking of his encrease in vertues but rather lamenting the lacke and decaye of thē In which defecte as he was wont to saye he thought himselfe nowe to haue fallen by reason of his ecclesiasticall charge and occasion of greater care For talking on a time secretly with Peter his deacon when he had recompted the olde giftes and vertuous graces of his minde strayght way he sayde sorowfully But nowe alas by the meanes of this my ecclesiastical charges my mynde is encombred againe with secular affayres and after the good quyet and rest whiche it had is nowe defiled againe with the dust of earthly busines And when condescending to manie it wandereth and roueth aboute owtward matters after desiring inward good thowghtes it returneth therunto no dowbte the weaker Therfore I weigh with my selfe what I doe now suffer and I weigh also well what I haue forgone And when I behold what I haue lost this that I suffer wexeth more greueouse Thus sayde this holie man of a greate and passing humilitie But we must thinke that he lost none of his monasticall perfection by anye occasion or trowble of ecclesiasticall charge or office of a Bishop but rather that then he did much more good and profited more in vertue by the laboure of conuerting manye to the faythe then he hadd done before with the priuate quiet of his owne conuersation onlye For euen being bisshopp he ordered his house like a monasterye For as sone as he was taken owte of the monasterye and ordayned to the ministerye of the aulter being afterwarde sent as legate from the see Apostolike to Constantinople he for all that in the earthly princes palace liued so that he neuer intermitted his purpose of heauenly conuersation For he toke with him certaine brethern of the monasterie which for verie brotherly loue folowed him to that Imperiall citie for the better keping of his regular obseruance that alwaie by their example for so he writeth he might be fastned as with a stronge cable or anker to the pleasaunte porte of prayer when soeuer he were tossed withe the raging whaues of wordly cares and might also strengthen his minde by daylie conference and reading with them whensoeuer it shuld be shaken with secular affaires And truly he was by these mens companie not only defended from the assaultes of the worlde and earthly troubles but also more and more stirred vp to the exercises of heauenly life For they exhorted him that he would discusse and expound with some godly and misticall interpretation the booke of blessed Iob which was enwrapped with manie greate obscurities Neither could he denie them his paines which of brotherly loue moued him to this profitable laboure but hath therfore meruelously declared in 35. bookes of Expositions how this worke of Iobes historie first is to be vnderstāded according to the letter them how it may be referred to Christe and the sacramentes of the church last in what sense the same may be applied to euerie particular faithfull man Which worke he began to write while he was legate in Constantinople but he finished it afterward when he was Bisshop of Rome This blessed man being in Constantinople supressed an heresie of the state of our resurrectiō which then there arose in the very beginning by the force of catholike trueth and verite For Eutychius Bishop of Constantinople began to preache a false doctrine which was that our bodies in the glorie of the resurrection shuld be so subtile as is either the winde or ayer so that it should not be possible to feele ' or touche them Which when S. Gregory had heard he proued this opinion to be quite contrary to the right faith by the reason of truth and also by the example of the resurrection of our Lorde For the right and catholike faith beleueth that our bodies being exalted in the glorie of immortalitie shal in dede be subtile by the effect of spiritual poure but yet not withstāding able to befelt and touched for the truth of our nature according to the example of the bodie of our Lorde of which now rosen from death him selfe sayde to his disciples Touche ye and see for aspirite hath nor flesh nor bones as ye see me haue In the assertion of this faith the right reuerend father Gregory did laboure so much against this vpstert heresie quenched the same with such diligence and so vanquished it by the healp of the vertuous Emperour Tiberius Constantinus that from thence forth noman was founde which durst be a styrrer vp againe or mainteiner therof He made also an other excellent booke which is called the Pastorall Wherin he declareth plainly what manner of man he ought to be which should be chosen to rule the churche And how the rulers therof ought to lyue them selues and with what
more quiet and the companie of faithfull began a litle and litle to encrease againe set vp a schole emongest them and professed to be a master of church musyke and singinge according to the fashion and maner of the Romās and the Diocesans of Cāterbury Which thinge whē he had so don a longe time with greate profyt at the lenght that I may vse the worde of scripture being a man well strooken in age full of yeares and hauing seen manie good dayes he walked the wayes whiche his fathers went THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE HISTORIE OF THE CHVRCH OF ENGLAND How the first successours of kinge Edwin did both forsake the faith of their nacion and also lost their kingdome Moreouer how the most christen kinge Oswald restored bothe The. 1. Chapter KYnge Edwin beinge in battaile the sonne of Elfrike his vncle by his fathers syde called Osrich who after that he had hearde Paulin preache receaued the faith succeded him in the gouernance of the Deirans of the whiche prouince he had the petigree of his parentage and the firste beginninge of his kingdome But the realme of the Bernicians for the nation of Northumberland had been deuided of olde time into these two countries was ruled by Edelfrides sonne named Eanfride who had of that prouince the beginning of his kinred and kingdome For during all the time of Edwines raigne the sonnes of kinge Edelfride who as we saied before raigned before Edwin were banished with a greate numbre of noble young gentill men and so liued amonge the Scottes or Redshankes where they wer instructed accordinge to the Scottes doctrine and had receiued the grace of baptisme These younge princes after the death of their ennemie kinge Edwin retourninge in to their countrie Osrich the eldest of them toke the kingdome of the Deirans and Eanfride the seconde sonne the kingdome of the Bernicians but alas as bothe had now receiued the yles of an earthly kingdome so likewise bothe in geuing and abandoning them selfes to the diuell lost the diuine mysteries of the heauenly kingdome wherein they were instructed and yelded them selues againe to be defiled with the former olde filth of Idolatrie This apostasie remained not longe vnpunished For Kadwallader the king of Britons with wicked force but with worthy vengeaunce slew them both the next sommer ensuing sodeinly issuing out with all his host At what time he murdereth first Osrich vnprepared and his whole armie pending themselues miserably with in the suburbes of their owne citie Then afterward when by the space of a whole yere hauing possessed the prouinces of the people of Northumberland not as a king that were a conquerour but as an outragious cruell tyranne destroying them and with tragicall slaughter renting them in pieces he put Eanfride also to death coming vnto him very vnaduisedly with twelue chosen souldiers minding to intreate vppon peace That same yere continueth vntill this daye vnhappy and hatefull to all good men as well for the Apostasie of the English kinges forsaking the religion of Christe as also for the king of Britanes furiouse tyrannie Wherefor the historiographers and writers of that time haue thought it best that the memorie of those Apostate kinges being vtterly forgotten the selfe same yere should be assigned to the raigne of the king that folowed next which was Oswald a man dearely beloued of God Who after that his brother Eanfride was slaine coming vnlooked for with a small armie but fenced with the faith of Christe the Britons cursed capitaine and that victorius hoste whereof he made his auant that nothing coulde be able to withstand it was vanquished and slaine in a certain place which in the English tonge is called Denises Burna that is to say the riuer of Denise How by the signe of the Crosse which the same kinge set vp when he fought against the Barbarous Britons he cōquered thē and among diuers other miraculous cures a certaine yownge man was healed of a desease in his arme The. 2. Chap. THe place is shewed vntill this daye and is had in greate reuerence where Oswald when he should come to this battayle did set vp a signe of the holy crosse amd beseeched God humbly vppon his knees that with his heauenly helpe he would succour his seruauntes being in so great a distresse The report also is that the crosse being made with quicke spede and the hole prepared wherein it should be sette the kinge being feruent in faithe did take it in hast and did put it in the hole and held it with both his handes when it was sett vp vntill it was fastened to the earth with duste which the souldiars heaped about it Nowe when this was done he cried out a loude to his whole armie Let vs all kneele apon our knees and let vs all together pray ernestly the almighty liuing and true God mercifully to defend vs from the proude and cruell ennemy for he knoweth that we enterprise warres in a ryghtfull quarell for the saulfegard of our subiectes All did as he commaunded them And thus in the dawning of the day they marched forth encountred with their enemie and according to the merite of their faith atchieued and wonne the victorie In the place of which prayer manifold miraculous cures are knowen to be done questionlesse in token and remembraunce of the kinges faith For euen vntill this present day many men do customablye cut chyppes out of the veraye tree of that holy crosse which casting into waters and geuing thereoff to sick men and beastes to drinke or sprinckling them therwith many forthwith are restored to their helth That place is in the Englishe tongue named heauen feld and was so called long before not without a sure and a certaine fore sight of thinges to come as signifieng vndoubtedly that in the same place a heauenly memoriall was to be set vp a heauenly victorie should be gotte heauenly miracles should be wrought and remembred euen vnto our dayes This place is nere to that wal which stādeth toward the northeast wherwith the Romaines did ones in time past cōpasse all whole Britaine frō sea vnto sea to kepe of the inuasions of forenners as we haue declared before In the self same place the religious mē of Hagstalden church which is not far frō thēce haue now of long time been accustomed to come euery yere the eue and the day that the same king Oswald was afterward slaine to kepe Diriges there for his soule and in the morning after psalmes being saied solemnely to offer for him the sacrifice of holy oblation This good custome longe continuing the place was made more holy and is now much honoured of al men by the reason of the church that was lately builded and dedicated in the same place And not without a cause considering that no signe of the Christen faith no church no aultar was sett vpp in all the whole countrey of the Bernicians before that this vertuous warrier moued wyth harty deuotion of
and down wher he list nor whē he came any whither should be receaued without letters of commendation from his diocesan And if that he be ones receaued and will not retourne being warned and called both the receauer and he that is receaued shall incurre the sentence of excommunication The sixte that such bishops and clerkes as are strangers be content with such hospitalitie as is giuen them and that it be laufull for none of them to execute any office of a priest without the permission of the bishop in whose diocese they are knowen to be The seuenth that whereas by the auncient decrees a synode and conuocation ought to be assembled twise a yere yet bicause diuerse inconueniences doo happen amonge vs it hath semed good to vs all that it should be assembled onse a yere the first day of August at the place called Clofeshooh The eight that no bishop should ambitiously preferre him selfe before an other but should all acknowledge the time and order of their consecration In the ix article it was generally entreated that the nomber of bishops should be encreased the nomber of Christian folke waxing daily greater but hereof at this time we sayed no farther The x. for mariages that noman cōmit aduoutrie nor formication that noman forsake his owne wife but for only fornication as the holy ghospell teacheth And if any man put away his wif being laufully maried vnto him if he wil be a right Christian man let him be ioyned to none other but let him so continewe still sole or els be reconciled againe to his owne wife And thus these articles being in common treated of and agreed vpon that no offence of contention should ryse from any of vs hereafter or any other decrees should be published in stede of these it semed good that eche of vs should confirme these thinges that were decreed subscribing thereto with his owne hand Which sentence and somme of our appointement I gaue Titillus the notarie to write out Yeuen the moneth and Indiction aboue written Who soeuer therefore go about any wise to doo against this ordinaunce and sentence prescribed according to the decrees of the canons and confirmed also with our consent and subscribinge of our handes let him knowe himselfe in so doinge to be excluded from all charge and office of priesthood and also from our felowship and companie The grace of God kepe vs safe liuing in the vnitie of his holy churche This synode was kepte the yere from thincarnation of our Lord 673. in which yere Ecgbert king of kent died in Iulie and his brother Lother succeded him in the kingdome the which he enioyed xj yeres and vij moneths Bisi also Bishop of the East english who was present at the foresaid Synode did succede Bonifacius of whom we made mētion aboue This Bisi was a man of much holynes and deuotion and when Boniface was dead after he had bene bishop xvij yeres this man was made bishop in his place being consecrated and appointed ther to by Theodore This Bisi yet liuing but greuously vexed with sickenesse in such sort that he could not execute the office of a bishop two other for him Aecci and Badwine wer chosen and consecrated bishops from which time vnto this day that prouince hath bene wont to haue two bishoppse How VVinfride was deposed and Sexulfe made bishop in his place and Ercanwald made bishop of the East Saxons The. 6. Chapter NOt long after these thinges were done Theodore tharchebishop being off ended with VVinfrid bishop of the Marshes for a certaine crime of disobedience deposed him of his bishopprike not many yeres after that he had receaued the same and in his place appointed Sexulphe for bishop who was the builder and Abbot of the monasterie that is called Medes hansted in the countre of the Giruians Which VVinfride being deposed retourned to his monasterie which is named Artbearue and there ended his life in holy conuersation At that time also when Sebbe and Sighere of whome we spake before ruled the east Saxons tharchebishop appointed ouer them Earconwald to be their bishop in the citie of London The life and conuersation of which man both before he was bishop and after was reported and taken for most holy as also euen yet the signes and tokens of heauenly vertues and miracles do well declare For vntill this day his horselitter being kept and reserued by his scholers wherein he was wont to be caried when he was sicke and weake doth daily cure such as haue agewes or are diseased any otherwise And not only the sicke parties that are put vnder or layed by the sayd horselitter be so healed but also the chippes and pieces that are cut of from it and brought to the sicke folke are wont to bring them spedie remedie This man before he was made bishop had builded two goodly monasteries one for him selfe and an other for his syster Edilburge and had instructed and disposed thē both very well with good rules and disciplines That which was for himself was in Surry by the riuer of Thems at the place that is called Crotesee that is to say the I le of Crote And that other for his syster in the prouince of the East Saxons at the place that is called Berching where she should be a mother of Nonnes And so in dede after she had taken vpon her the rule of the sayd monasterie she behaued herselfe in all thinges as became one that had a byshop to her brother both for her owne vertuowse lyuing and also in the good and godly guyding of them that were vnder her chardge Which thing was also well proued by miracles from heauen Howe in the monasterie of Berking it was shewed by a light from heauen in what place the bodyes of the nonnes should be buried The. 7. Chapter FOr in this monasterie many wonderfull signes of vertues and miracles were shewed which for the memorie and edifieng of thaftercommers are yet kept of many men being written of them that knewe the same Some of the which we will also put in our ecclesiasticall historie When the tempest of the same plage so often mentioned storming ouer all the Ilond came to this monasterye and had entred vpon that part thereof where the men dyd lyue and dayly one or other was taken owt of the worlde to our Lorde this good mother being carefull of her companie at such tyme as also the same visitation of God towched that part of the monasterie in whiche the flocke of Goddes hand maydes dwelled by them selues from the mens companye began ofte tymes in the couent to aske the sisters in what place abowt the monasterie they wold haue their bodies to be layed against suche tyme as it showlde happen them to be taken out of this world with the same hand of Gods visitation as other were And when she could get no certaine awnswere of the systers although she often enquired the same of them she receaued both her selfe
faithfull men than that whiche he had to whom desiring to bye the grace and gifte of the holye ghoste with monie saincte Peter saied Thy mony perishe with the because thou thinkest the gifte of God may be obtained with monye There is no part nor felowship for thee in the ministerye of this worde And truly we are not shauen or clipte rounde for that consideration onely that saincte Peter was so shauen But because he was so shauen in the remembraunce of Christes passion therefore we also desiring to be saued by the merites off the same passion do beare vppon the toppe of our crowne beinge the highest parte of our bodye the signe of Christes passion as Peter dyd For as euery congregation of faithfull men which by the death of him that quickeneth and relyueth them is made in very dede a holy congregation commonly accustometh to beare the signe of the crosse in their forhead that by the diuine power of the same they may be defeÌ„ded from all assaultes of the deuill and may by often remembraunce and admonition of it be instructed howe they ought to crucifie the fleshe with all her sinne and concupiscence so in leeke manner it behoâ—eth them which either being made by vowe monks or by profession of the clergy do binde them selfes more streytly with the bridle of continency for Chistes sake to beare in their head by clipping the fourme of a crowne as our mercifull Sauiour caried vppon his precious head at the tyme of his passion a crowne of thorne to the entent he might thereby carie yea and carie awaye the thornes and briers of our sinnes To the end also they may protest vnto the worlde eâ—en by their open head that they are ready and gladde to suffer all mockery irrision and obloquy for his sake Last of all to testifie that they looke for the crowne of aeternall glorie which God hath promised to all that loue him and that for the purchasing of this they contemne all wordly shame and wanton wealthe But touching that fassion of shauinge which Symon Magus ennemye of Christes faith vsed who dothe not euen streyte at the beginning detest and abhorre it with all his magyke Which to outwarde sight semeth to haue the leeknesse of a crowne in the ouermost parte off the head but when a man cometh nere and beholdeth the hinder parte he shall finde that which semed to be a crowne to come very short thereof And truly such manner as it is voide of Christian considerations so for Symons secte it is very conuenient Who in dede by their simoniacall hypocrisie seme in this life to certain deceiued persons worthy the glorye of euerlasting ioye but in the lyfe whiche foloweth the dissolution of this bodye ar not only depryued of all hope of the crowne of glorie but which is more are condemned to euerlasting tormentes and payne And here tuly I would not your highnes shoulde thinke that I prosequute and debate this matter so largely as though I iudged them worthy to be condemned which vse this manner of shauinge yff they tender in hart and dede the vnytie of Christes catholique churche Nay I boldly protest and affirme that many of them haue bene vertuous and holy men Of the which Adamannus priest and Abbot of the Columbines is one To whom amongest all other thinges when he was sent in embasie for his owne countrie to kinge Alfride and as he passed was desyrous to see our monasterie and shewed in his behauiour and talke much wisdome humilitye and godlynesse I saied these wordes vnto him I beseke you good brother Why do you beleuing that you shall passe hence to a crowne of lyfe that hath no ende weare in your head the proportioÌ„ and fourme of a crowne which hath an ende seming in behauiour to be contrary to your faith And if you seke the felowshipp off S. Peter why do you follow that manner of shauing which he vsed whom S. Peter did ex communicate and deliuer to the deuil and do not rather shewe that you loue entierly with al your harte his habite with whom you desire to lyue in eternall blysse Knowe you for a suerty my derely beloued brother quoth he that albeit I vse the same fasshion of shauing which Symon Magus did after the custome and manner of my country yet I vtterly detest and abandone the vnfaithfulnesse and infidelyty of SymoÌ„ Magus and desire with al my hart to follow the steppes of the most blessed head of the Apostles S. Peter so farre forthe as my poore habilitie wil serue To that I replyed and saied I beleue it is so in very dede Yet it may be a more manifest declaratioÌ„ that you embrace euen froÌ„ the bottom of your hart al that the holy Apostle Peter taught if you kepe that outwardly which you knew was vsed of him generally For I thinke your wisdoÌ„ do easely iudge it most conuenient vtterly to seclude froÌ„ your presence and face dedicated to God the habit proportioÌ„ and figure of his couÌ„tinaunce whoÌ„ you abhorte with all harte and minde And contrariwise as you desyre to folow his steps and counsell whome you looke to haue as a patrone before God the father so it besemeth you to follow his outward behauiour This for that time I spoke to Adamanus Who after well declared how much he had profited by seinge the ordinaunces and rules of our churche For after his returne to Scotland he reduced by his preaching many of the same cuntry to the catholique obseruation of Easter Albeit he coulde not reduce the monkes that liued in the Iland Hij where he was Abbat thereto as yet He thought also to redresse the maÌ„ner of ecclesiasticall tonsure amongst them if his authority could haue preuailed And I nowe also most puissant prince do exhorte you to endeuour with all the country where the kinge of kinges and lorde of lordes hathe geuen you the souerainte to obserue and kepe all that agreeth with the vnity of Christes catholike and Apostolike church So it will come to passe that after you haue had dominion and rule here vpon earth the primat and head of the blessed Apostles will gladly open to you and yowers the gates of heauen to rest with the holy angells and other dere freÌ„des of God The grace of God of our Euerlasting kinge and lord preserue you most derely beloued sonne in Christe and graunte you longe prosperous raigne to our quietnesse and peace When this epistle was reade in the presence of kinge Naitane with many other lerned men besides being truly translated into the kinges natiue tounge by them which did well vnderstande it he much reioysed at that exhortation as some make reporte euen so much that rising from the place where he and many of the nobility were sate he fell downe vppon his knees and gaue God thankes that he had deserued to receiue such a benefit out of Englande And treuly saied he I knewe before that this was the trewe celebration and