which must reporte the faith first planted amongevs shal be no story of our owne deuising no late compiled matter where bothe for vncertainte of thinges so longe paste we might be much to seke and for the case of controuersies now moued partialite might iustly be suspected but it shal be an history writen in the fresh remeÌ„braunce of our first Apostles writen aboue 800. yeres past writen of a right lerned and holy Father of Christes churche of a countreman of oures liuing and flourishing shortly after the faith so planted amonge vs. Of the Author of this History and of the matter thereof we shall presently speake if we first admonish thee gentle Reader that touching the treatise to fortifie this faith and therefore called A Fortresse of the faith first planted among vs englishmen c and coÌ„cerning al that therin shall be treated you take the paines to readethe IntroductioÌ„ or first chapter therof In it you shal see what the whole coÌ„taineth what is of you to be looked for and of me to be perfourmed Touching the Author of this History he was a countremaÌ„ of oures borne in the Northe countre by Weimouth not farre froÌ„ DyrrhaÌ„ He flourished in the yere 730. He was a maÌ„ of great lerning and vertu much reuereÌ„ced not only at home but also through out al ChristendoÌ„ eueÌ„ in his life time and much more after his death Of his rare lerning and knowleadg his writinges yett extant are a clere and sufficient testimony The protestants of Basill haue of late yeares sett forthe his whole workes now extant in eight tomes contayning four great volumes In them it appeareth that S. Bede was a man vniuersally sene in all good lerning as well of humanite and philosophie as of diuinite expert off the tounges ready in holy scriptures perfectly conuersant in the olde fathers He was so great a folower of S. Augustin the worthyest piller of the churche sence the Apostles time that his commentaries vpon holy Scriptures bothe of the olde and newe Testament are allmost worde for worde out of S. Augustin He was so diligent a reader of that lerned Father that whereas in the wordes of S. Augustin no perpetuall commentary vpon the epistles of S. Paule being extant and yet that worthy Fathers in diuers places of his lerned workes hauing by occasion touched and expounded euery text of those epistles Venerable Bede for the great profit of his posterite as a man borne to edifie Christes Church hath so gathered those scattered places out of the mayne sea off S. Augustins workes that placing them in order and facion he made a iust and full commentary vpon all the epistles of S. Paul with S. Augustins owne wordes noting to the reader allwaies the booke and chapter of S. Augustin from whence he had taken those places This worke is intituled Collectanea Bedae In which worthy worke we may doubte whom to maruaile more at or commend S. Augustin which had so ofte in his workes treated of S. Paul and omitted no one senteÌ„ce vnexpounded or S. Bede which so gathered into a iust commentary the sayinges of S. Augustin meaning no such thinge As S. Bede was a great writer so he was a continuall preacher His homelies yet extant do testifie made not only vpon the ghospells and epistles of the Sondaies through out the yeare but also vpon the festiuall daies of Saintes They are to be read in the seuenth tome of his workes These homilies of his were so highly estemed that as Trithemius reporteth they were openly read in churches while he yet lyued through out our countre Euen as we reade of holy Ephrem that lerned deacon of Edessa that his writinges also were openly read in churches next after holy scripture After his death they were receiued of other partes of Christendom Fraunce especially as Platin noteth and are to this daye read in principall festes with no lesse authorite and reuerence then the homilies of S. Ambrose S. Augustin S. Gregory and other Briefely the whole occupation and businesse of this lerned man was to lerne to teache and to write as in his owne wordes placed after the ende of this history he recordeth him selfe Againe for the more commendation of his lerning it is to be remeÌ„bred what lerned scholers he had Amonge the rest the most famous were as Polidore specifieth Rabanus Alcuinus Claudius and Ioannes Scotus not the scholeman but an other of S. Benets order These were all famous and lerned writers as in Trithemius who hath writeÌ„ their liues the lerned may reade Alcuinus S. Bedes scholer beinge sent of Offa kinge of the middleenglishmen in embassage to Charlemain the first and most glorious Emperour of the Germans was for his vertu and lerning retained with the Emperour and became his scholemaster and instructer in all kinde of good lerning He taught after at Paris and persuaded the Emperour Charlemain to erect there an vniuersite which beginning with that vertuous fountaine S. Bedes scholer and our countre man we see now to what a great riuer it hath multiplied and how many lerned men these vij hundred yeares and vpwarde haue from thence ben deriued To returne to S. Bede he had two lerned brothers Strabo and Haymo bothe famous writers and lightes of the church as in Honorius Trithemius Platin and other ecclesiasticall writers it may be sene And thus much of his lerning which who list farder to trie he may reade his lerned workes lately sett forth as I saied and much commended by the protestants theÌ„ selues of Basill For more satisfying the english reader I will after the preface place his whole life shortly writen by Trithemius with the enumeration of certain of his workes in his time knowen As touching the vertu of holy S. Bede which properly coÌ„mendeth an historiographer and dischargeth him from all surmises and suspicions of false reporting or poeticall fayning yt may be to any well meaning man a sufficient argument that euen from the age of seuen yeares as he writeth him selfe he liued in cloyster and serued allmighty God day and night in religion to the last houre of his life which was the continuaunce of lxv yeares All which time he so attended to praier to daily and howrely seruing of God in the church to priuat meditations that as one writeth if ye consider his life ye would thinke he had studied nothing and againe if ye beholde his study ye would suppose he had spent no time in praier For his great vertu and modesty he was in his life time called Venerable Bede as Trithemius noteth of whom also Platina in that sence speaketh saying Beda praeter graecae atque latinae linguae doctrinam quaÌ„ non mediocriter tenuit ob religionem eâ—iam atque modestiam Venerabilis cognomentum adeptus est Bede was surnamed the Venerable for his religion and modesty beside that he was lerned in the Graeke and Latin tounge Polydore alleaging Bede in
the master The holy bishop Saint Germane at the beginning hereof was a sleepe theÌ„ Lupus and the other wakeneth and calleth vpon him as in whose prayers they had a speciall trust Who seing the present perill they wer in commaunded them all to fall to prayer He him selfe hauing a greater trust in God then he had feare of the tempest calleth vpon Christ and taking in the name of the Trinite of a few sprinkles of water casteth it in to the sea And forthwith the rage of the stormes breketh the surges falleth God being called vppon differreth not his help the euill sprits ar chaced away the ayer returneth to his naturall course and the wind which of late blustered all against them now with a mery gale blowing all together with them sett them shortly after a lande in the place where they them selues desired Thether a great multitude of people being assembled receiued the priestes of God of whose cumming the wicked spirites gaue warning long before they landed which afterward when they wer expelled out of the obsessed bodies by the commaundement of these holy seruauntes of God they declared bothe the whole order of the tempest whiche they had raysed and the great daunger which they had wrought the sayd good bishops and did not denye but they wer ouercomed by their merites and commaundement In short time after their ariuall they filled the Ilande with their good name their preaching and their vertues And the worde of God was preached by them not only in their churches but also in the open stretes and in the country in such sort that in all places both the sound and faithfull catholikes wer confirmed and they that before swarued out of the right faith wer amended And in short time thourough their authoritie vertue and learning they brought all the whole country vnder obedience to their doctrine The authors and head professours of hereticall errour lay lurking all this while and like the wicked sprites much spighted to see the people daily to fal from theÌ„ At lenght after longe aduisement vsed they taketh vpon them to trye the matter by open disputation which being agreed vpon they come forth richely appointed gorgiously apparailed accompained with a number of flattering fauoures hauing leifer to committ their cause to open disputing theÌ„ to seeme to the people whom they had subuerted to haue nothing to sayin defence thereof Thether resorted a great multitude of people with their wynes and children The people was present both to se and iudge the matter the parties therewer farre vnleke of coÌ„ditioÌ„ In the one side was the faith on the other maÌ„s presumptioÌ„ on the one side meekenes on the other pride on the one side Pelagius on the other Christ. First of all the blessed priest Germanus and Lupus gaue their aduersaries leaue to speake which vainly occupied both the time and eares of the people with naked wordes But after the Reuerend bishops poored out their flowing wordes confirmed with scriptures out of the gospelles and Apostles they ioyned with their owne wordes the wordes of god and after they had said their owne minde they read other mens mindes vppon the same Thus the Vanite of heretikes is conuicted and falsehed is confuted so that at euery obiection they were forced in effecte to confesse their errour not being able to answer them The people had much to doe to kepe their handes from them yet shewed their iudgement by their clamours How Germanus restored the blinde daughter of the Tribune to her sight and after cumming to Saint Albanes shrine did both from thence take sum relikes and left other of the Apostles or other Martyres there The. 18. Chap. THis don sodainly a certaine man of the dignitie of the Tribunes commeth forth among them offeringe them his daughter of x. yeres oulde to be cured which was blinde They bidâ—e them haue her to the aduersaries But they their oune conscience fearing them to take such an enterprise in hand ioyneth their praiers together with their parentes desiring the priestes to doe their cure vppon the gyrle Which seing their aduersaries to yelde maketh their praiers for her And after Germanus full of the holy goste calleth vppon the Trinite and strayte loseth from his nek a litle bugget whiche he had by his side full of the relliques of the martyres and in the sight of them all putteth it to the eyes of the mayden which done she strait receiued her sight The parents much ioyeth ther at the people ar all amased at the sight of the miracle After that day the saied errors were so pulled out of the mindes of all men that with all hart and desire they embraced the doctrine of the bishops Thus these damnable heresies being suppressed and the authors thereof vtterly confuted and all mens myndes instructed with the purite of the faith they went vnto saint Albanes to geue god the praise and thankes by him Wher Germanus hauing reliques of the Apostles and of diuers Martyres making his prayer coÌ„maunded the toumbe to be opened entending their to leaue those precious treasures Thinking good that the members of the Sainctes gotten in diuers countries shoulde be buried together in one tumbe as being like of merites they reioyced together with god in heauenâ— which being there lefte with much honour he toke of the dust of the place where the holy Martyrs bloud was shead and caried it away with him Which thinges being thus disposed a very great multitude of people was that day conuerted vnto our Lord. How he being driuen through sycknes to remaine there did both quench a great fire with his prayer and was by a vision him selfe healed of his infirmitie The 19. Chap. AS they were cumming back it happened by the diuells procurement that Saint Germane by meanes of a sore fall he had brake his legge Litle knew the diuell that by the affliction of the bodye as it was in Iob the merites of the holy man should be thereby the more encreased Whiles for the time by the reason of his weaknes he was faine to tarry stil in one place the next house he lodged in was by chaunce set on fire so that after it had quickly consumed the houses about thetched with reede it was now coming through the blowing of the winde to the house where this good man was harboured Many came running in great haste to the Bishop willing him to make awaye and saue him selfe WhoÌ„ he rebuking through coÌ„fidence in his faith would not remoue out of the place he was in The people al frighted with feare and dispaire came running to quench the fire But that the power of god might appeare the playner the fire still consumed what so euer the people sought to saue but what the sick man lying in his bed did keepe that the fire as being a feared of the holy mans lodging skipped both aboue and beneth fearcely burning without stay so that in the middle of the raging flakes and
He also shall make your memory the more famous vnto your posterite whose honour you seke and maintaine among your people For so Constantinus being sometimes a most vertuous Emperour him selfe and calling his subiectes from the wicked worshipping of Idoles brought them all with him selfe vnder the obeysance of God almighty our Lord Iesus Christe Whereby it was brought to passe that his name was of higher renoune then any of the princes that went before him and so much in glorie excelled all his auncetours howe much also he passed them in well doing Wherfore let your highnes also seeke now to publish vnto the kinges and countries subiecte to your dominion the knowledg of one god the Father the Son and the holy Goste to th entent thereby you may passe in honorable fame the aūcient kinges of your natiō and how much the more you trauail to do away sinne in your subiectes you may haue so much the lesse fear of your own sinnes before the dreadful bench of Gods iustice Our right reuerend brother Augustine bishop being brought vp in rule of religiō hauing good knowledg in the holy scriptures and a man through the grace of god of much vertue what so euer he shall aduertise you to doe gladly heare it deuoutly doe it diligently remember it For if you will heare him in that he speaketh vnto yow in Gods behalfe God also shall the soner heare him speaking and entreating for yow If otherwise as God forbid yow refuse to geue eare and heede to his wordes how can God heare him praying for yow whom yow despise to heare speaking to yow from god Wherfor with all yowr harte ioyne yower selfe with him and assiste him in gods busynes with all such authorite that God hath geuen yow that he may make yow partaker of his kyngdom whose fayth yow in your kyngdom cause to be receiued and obserued We will also yower highnes to know that according as we ar taught in the holy scriptures by the very wordes of God the end of this world draweth onward and the kyngdom of the sayntes of God shall follow which neuer shall haue ende And the ende of the world approching many thinges shall fall vppon vs which haue not ben heard of before that is to witt chaunge of the ayer terrible sightes from heauen tempestes contrary to the order of the times All which shall not yet fall in ower dayes Wherfor if yow shall know any of these to happen in your land let not yower mynd be dismayed therwyth For therfor shall there be signes sent before the end of the world to th entent we should the more diligently tender the helth of ower soules liue euer in dowte and feare of death ready prepared by good workes for the cumming of Criste our Iudge Thus much haue I sayd in few wordes right honorable Son intending to speak more at large as I shall heare the fayth to be enlarged in your kyngdom Then shall I be so much the more encouraged to speake how much the greater comfort I shall conceiue by the conuersion of your country I haue sent yow small presentes which yet shall not seme small vnto yow if yow shall accepte them as halowed wyth the blessing of S. Peter All mighty god make perfecte in yow his grace according as he hath begonne And send yow both longe life here vppon the earthe and that ended eternall life in his kyngdom of heauen The grace of God kepe yower highnes in safte my dere Son Datum vt supra How Augustine repayred the church of our Sauiour and buylded the abbay of S. Peter the Apostle The. 32. Chap. AVgustine after he had obtayned to haue a bishops see appoynted him in the kinges citty as is aboue sayd through the ayd of the kyng he recouered there a churche which was there of owld buylt by the Romans which wer Christianes and did dedicate it to the name of our Sauiour Iesus Christ and there made a house for him and his successors And not far eastward from the citty he buylded a monastery in the which kyng Ethelbert through his aduise buylded a new church in the honor of Saynt Peter and Paule and enriched it with sundry gyftes in which both the body of Augustine him selfe and of all the bishops of Cātorbury and of all the kinges of kent wer wont to be enterred Which church yet not Augustine him selfe but Laurentius his successor did consecrat The first Abbat of that monastery was one Petrus a priest which being legat vnto Fraunce was drowned in a creake called Amflete and burned after a homly maner of the inhabitours of the same place But ower Lord entending to haue it knowen how worthy a man he was made that euery night there appeared a light from heauen vppon the place where he lay buried which when the neyghbours about had espyed gathering therby that he was some good and holy man and searching out what and from whence he was remoued his body from thence and buried it honorablye in the towne of Bulleyne in a place of the churche conuenient sor so worthy a person How Edilfrith kyng of the Northumbers wasted Britanny and conquered the Scottes The. 33. Chap. ABout this time Edilfrith a man very valiaunt and much desirous of renowne was king of Northumberland one that more wasted the Land of Brytanny then any of the English Princes So that it semed he might be cōpared vnto Saul kyng of the Iraelites saue only in that he was voide and ignorant of Gods religion For none of all the coronells none of all the kinges did conquer more of the lande of Britanny ether makyng them tributary ether dreuing them cleane owt of the countrye and planting the Englsh in their places then did this Edilfrith To whom that might be wel applyed that the Patriarke Iacob sayd when he gaue his sonne Beniamin his blessing in the person of Saul Beniamin like a rauening wolfe in the morning shall eate his pray and at night shall diuide the spoyle Wherby Edanaden kyng of Skottes much grudging to see him goe forward after this sorte assembled a mayne and a strong army agaynste him But the sayd Edelfrith encountering him in the field with a few men gaue him the ouerthrow and in that famous place of Degsastone disconfited his great army In which field Theobald brother to Edilfrith was slayne with that parte of the army wherof he was generall This battell was foughtē in the yere of our lorde 603. and the xj yere of his raygne which lasted xxiiij yeres and the first yere of the raigne of Phocas then Emperour of Rome From that time forward vnto this present neuer was there king of Scottes which durst meete the English men in the field THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE HISTORIE OF the churche of Englande Of the life lerning and death of blessed Pope Gregory The. 1. Chapter IN the yeare of the incarnation of our Lord 605. the hollie pope Gregory when he had most
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
named Begu which had serued our Lord in monasticall conuersation and blessed virginitie xxx yeres and more This Nonne taking her reast at that time in the dortour howse heard sodainly in the ayer the knowen sound of the bell wherewith they were wonte to be called vp to prayers when as any of them was called out of the worlde And opening her eyes as she thought she sawe the roofe and top of the house vncouered and all aboue full of light Which light as she earnestly marked and looked on she sawe the soule of the foresayd handmaid of God in that light caried vnto heaueÌ„ accompained and lead by Angells And as she then started out of her sleape and sawe other systers taking their reast about her she knewe and perceaued that that which she sawe was shewen her either in a dreame or in some vision of minde And by and by she rose vp for ouermuch feare that she had and ranne to the virgin which was then gouernesse of the monasterie in the Abbesse stede whose name was Frigit and with much weping and teares and drawing long sigthes told her that the mother of them al Abbesse Hilda was nowe departed this worlde and with a meruailouse great light which she sawe and company of Angells leading her ascended vp to the gates of euerlasting lighte and felowship of the heauenly citisens Which when she had heard she raised vp all the sisters and called them to churche willing them to be occupied in prayers and psalmes for the soule of their mother Which thing as they diligently did the rest of of the nighte at the breake of the day there came certaine bretherne from the place where she died to bring worde of her departing Which the other aunswered that they knewe of before And when they had declared in order howe and when they had learned the same it was found that her passing was shewed them by the vision at the very same houre that they reported her to passe out of the world And with a goodly consent and agreement herein it was by the worke of God so disposed that when the one sawe presently her departing out of this lyfe at the same time the other did knowe her entring into the perpetuall lyfe of soules These two monasteries are distant a sonder almost xiij myles It is also reported that in the same monasterie to where the foresayd handmayde of God died one of those vowed virgins to God that loued her more then the rest had her departing shewed vnto her the same night in a vision and sawe her soule go to heauen with angells which thing the very same houre it was done she opened and declared to those handmaydes of Christ that were with her and called them vp to pray for her soule and that before the reast of the company knewe of her departing which thing to be so was anon after declared to the hole company when morninge came For at that houre this Nonne was alone seuerally with certaine other handmaydes of Christe in the outmost places of the monasterie wher such as were such wemen as were newely come to religion were wonte to be tried and abide the time of probation vntill they were instructed in the rule and order and then taken into the felowship of the reast and professed Howe the gyfte of synging was miraculowsly giuen to a certaine brother in the monasterie of this Abbesse The. 24. Chap. IN the monasterie of this Abbesse there was a certaine brother notably endewed with the speciall grace of God whiche was wont to make songes and meters fit for religioÌ„ and godly meditation in so much that what so euer he learned of the holy scriptures by other mens expounding he tourned and made the same anon after with poeticall and musicall wordes set together withe wonderfull swetenesse and melodie in his owne mother tonge With whose verses and songes the mindes of many men were ofte enflamed to the contempt and despysing of the world and desire of the euerlasting lyfe of heauen After whome diuerse other among the english men assayed to make godly and deuowt meters but noman cowlde matche his connyng therein For he learned this arte of singing and making not towght of men nor by any mans helpe but he receaued the gyfte therof freely by the only ayde and grace of God And therefore he cowld neuer make any fond or vayne balade but such things as belonged to religion and godly meditation were only mete to come owt of his religiowse and godly mowth For as long as he was a secular man which was tyll he was well striken in age he neuer had learned any such matter of singinge In so much that sometimes at the table when the company was set to be mery and agreed for the nonse that eche man showld syng in order at his cowrse â—he when he sawe the harpe to come nere him rose vp at myds of supper and gat him owt of doores home to his owne howse And as he so dyd on a certaine time getting him owt of the place where they were drinking and making mery together to the stable among the beastes which he had appoynted him to kepe and looke to that nighte and when the howre of slepe came was gone his way quietly to bed as he laye he dreamed that acertaine man stoode by him and bad him God spede and calling him by his name sayd to him Cednom I pray thee singe me a songe Whereto he made awnswere and sayd I can not synge For that is the matter why I came owt from the table to this place here bicause I cowld not singe But yet quoth he againe that spake with him thow hast somewhat to syng to me What shall I syng quoth he Sing quoth the other the begynning of al creatures At which awnswere he began by and by to singe in the lawde and prayse of God the creatour verses which he had neuer heard before of which the sense and meaning is thys Nowe must we prayse the maker of the beauenly kingdome the power of the creatour his cownsell and deuyse the workes and actes of the father of glorie Howe he being God eternall was the maker and author of all miracles whiche first vnto the children of men created heauen for the top of their dwelling place and after the omnipotent keper of mankinde created the earthe for the flowre thereof This is the meaning but not the order of the wordes which he sange in his sleape For verses be they neuer so wel made can not be tourned out of one tonge into an other word for worde without leasing a great pece of their grace and worthynesse Now when he awooke and rose vp he remembred stil by harte all the thinges that he had songe in his slepe and dyd straight way ioyne thereto mo wordes in the same maner and forme of meter and made vp a song fytte to be songe and applyed to God And on the morowe he came to the farmar or
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