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
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
sepulchre as an aulter foure-square The greater parte standeth for an other aulter in the same churche in the manner of a quadrangle couered with faire white clothe The colour of the sayd sepulchre semeth to be white and read decently mixed together VVhat he wrote of the place of Christes ascension and the patriarches sepulchres The. 18. Chapter THe Author aboue mentioned writeth also in this wyse touching the place of Christes ascension The mounte Olyuete is as hye as the mounte Syon but not so brode nor so longe There growyth no trees but vynes and olyues wheate and barlye it bryngyth forth good stoore The vayne and soyle of that grounde is not shryueled nor fleaten but grene and full of grasse In the very toppe where Christ ascendyd to heauen standyth a greate rounde church with thre porches rownde in a circuite vawtyd and coueryd ouer The ynner chapell hauing an aultar toward the east with a goodly frount in the top could not be vauted nor coueryd ouer bicause the very place of Christes ascension might be kept open In the mydle of which churche the last prynte of Christes feete left vppon earth ar to be sene where he ascendyd into heauen openinge aboue and ready to embrace hym And although the earthe be fett away dayly of the Christians yet it remayneth still and kepyth the very figure and prynte made with the steppes of his holy feete when he ascended Rounde aboute the print of those blessed feete lyeth a brasen wheele as hygh as a mans neck hauynge an entraunce and way in vppon the east side and a greate lampe hanginge aboue it in a pullye whiche burneth day and night In the weast side of the same church be eyght windowes and so many lampes hanging in cordes directly ouer them They shine thorough the glasse to Ierusalem and their light is said to stirre the hartes of all that behold and see it with a certaine feruent zeale and compunction At the day of Christes ascension euery yere when Masse is done there cometh downe from heauen a greate gale of wynde and maketh all that ar in the churche prostrate them selfes downe flatt vppon the grownd Of the situation also of Hebron and monumentes of old auncient fathers there he writeth in this sorte Hebron somtimes the chiefest cytie in al Kinge Dauids realme shewing now only by her ruines howe princely and puissaunt she was in time paste hathe towarde the east with in a furlonge the double denne where the Patriarches sepulchres ar enuironed with a fowre square walle their hedds turned toward the northe Euery tumbe hath his stone Al the thre stones of the patriarches being all whyte squared as other stones are vsed in building of great churches Adam lieth aboute the north side and vttermost parte of the walle not farr from them in an obscure tumbe nor curiously wrought nor workmanly sett There ar besides base memorialls of thre simple weemen The hill Mambre also is a mile from these monumentes ful of grasse and pleasaunt flowres towarde the north and in the top it hath a goodly champion and playne fielde In the north parte wherof Abrahams Oke which is nowe but a stumpe as hygh as ij men can reache is compassed rounde abowt with a churche I haue thought it good for the profitt of the readers to intermingle in my historie these thinges taken out of the Authors bookes and comprised here in latin after the trewe meaning of his woordes but more brieflie and in fewer woordes If any man be desirous to knowe more of this matter either lett him reade the same booke or that litle abridgment which I drew owt of him but late How the South saxons receaued Eadbert and Collan for their bysshopps the weast Saxons Daniel and Aldethelme for theirs and of certaine writinges sett foorth by the same Aldethelme The. 19. Chap. THe yere of the incarnation off Christe 705. Alfride kinge of Northumberlande dyed the xx yere of his raigne not yet fully expired After hym sucdeded Osrede his sonne a child but eyght yeres olde and raigned xj yeares In the beginning of his raygne Hedde bysshop of the weast Saxons departed from this mortall life to immortal ioye For vndoubtedly he was a iuste man one that lyued vpryghtlye in all pointes leke a good bishoppe and preached sincerely leke a trewe pastour and that more of the loue of vertue naturally graffyd in him then of any instructours by often readinge taught him Furthermore the reuerend father and worthy prelate Pechtehlme of whom we must speake hereafter in place where he shall be mentioned who being but yet a deacon and younge monke liued familiarly a longe time with his successour Aldethelme was wounte to tell vs that in the place where the said Hedde died for reward of his holy life many great miracles and cures were don and that men of the same prouince vsed commonly to carry away dust from thence and mingle it with water for such as were deseased and sicke that also the drinking and sprinckling of the same did cure many sicke men and beastes also By which occasion for often carying away of the sacred dust a great deepe pitt was made there After his death that bisshopprick was diuided into ij dioceses The one was geuen to Daniell which he keapeth at this present the other to Aldethelme where he ruled the people very painefully for iiij yeares They were borhe lerned men skilfull in holy scripture and all ecclesiastical doctrine Aldethelme when he was priest and yet but Abbot of the monastery of Mailsbury wrote by the commaundement of the whole Synode of his countrye a booke against the errour of the Britons for not keping the fest of Easter in his dewe time and doing many thinges besides contrary to the trewe obseruation and vnite of the church By reading of the same book he reduced many Brytōs subiect at that time to the Weastsaxons to the catholike solemnisation of the feast of Easter He wrote also a notable booke of virginitie bothe in longe verse and prose with doble paines folowing the example of Sedulius He set forth also many other workes For he was notably well lerned very fine and eloquent in his talke and for knowledge as well in liberall sciences as in diuinite to be had in admiration After his death Forthere was made bishop in his place a man also much conuersant in holy scripture These ij hauing the gouuernaunce and whole rule of that diocese it was determined by a decree in the Synode that the prouince of South Saxons which to that present day appertained to the diocesse of Winchester where Daniel was bisshoppe should haue a see and bishopp of their owne seuerally Whereuppon Eadberte Abbot in the monasterie off that blessed bishoppe VVilfride was made and consecrated first bisshopp of that diocese After his death Ceolla toke the bisshoppricke vppon him Who not past iij. or iiij yeares past departing this life the see to this day is vacant
of his owne countrie to Alfride kinge of the Englishmen and tarying a certain time in the countrie sawe the Canonicall rites and ceremonies of the church and besides was sharpely admonished by the lerned that he should not presume to lyue contrary to the vniuersall church nor in keping the feast of Easter nor in any other decrees what so euer they were with his countrie men fewe in number and dwelling also in one of the furmost corners of all the world he so chaunged his minde hereuppon that what so euer he had heard or sene in the english church he most gladly preferred it before the custome and manner of his owne For he was vertuous wise and very ready in the knowledge of holy scripture After his returne therefore into the countrie he-endeuoured diligently to reduce all the isle Hu to the brode beaten pathe of truethe which he knew very wel and had embraced with all his harte but he was not able to bringe it to passe Whereuppon he sayled into Ireland and preaching there and shewing them with gentill exhortations the trewe and laufull obseruation of Easter he wanne many that were not in the dominion of the saied Iland of Hu from errous to vnitie receiued vniuersally of the catholike church and taught theÌ„ to obserue the trewe time of Easter This Adamannus wheÌ„ the feast of Easter was now kept by his meanes in Ireland after the institution of Christes catholique church he returninge to his islande agayne and preaching to his bretherne in the monasteryes this generall obseruation and kepinge of Easter as he had don before and yet being not able to compasse his purpose it fortuned he fell sicke and departed out of this worlde before the yeare was complete and fully ended And that by the greate prouidence of almighty God so disposing it swetely to the ende such a vertuous man desirous of vnity and peace should be taken hence to aeternall life before easter came againe for obseruation of which feaste he should haue bene forced to much variaunce and discorde by such as wold not embrace the truthe This same vertuous man wrote a booke of holy places very profitable for the readers which he lerned at the lectures and expositions of Archwulf a bishop in Fraunce who to see holy places and monuments went to Hierusalem and when he had wandred ouer all the lande of promesse and had gone to Damascum Constantinople Alexandria and other many isles of the sea was driuen in his returne by tempest to the weast coastes of Britanny Who within fewe dayes after reforting to that worthy seruaunt of our Sauiour Christes Adamannus aboue mentioned he was receaued with all kinde of humanitie and frendefull intertainement specially when he was knowen to be lerned in scripture and skilfull in description of holy places For Adamannus so estemed him that he put in writing what soeuer notable thing worthy of remembraunce the bishop testified that he had sene in those holy places and made a booke as I said thereof profitable to many but most of all to those which lye farre from the place where the Apostles and Patriarches liued and knowe nothing of them but what they may picke oute with longe study and often reading This boke Adamanus dedicated to Alfride and by his liberality and charges it was geuen to other inferiour persons to be read the author him selfe being rewarded with many goodly giftes and sent to his country againe Out of whose writings to gather some certain thinges and place them in this our history I haue thought it good and profitable to the readers herof What thinges he mentioned in the same booke touchinge the place of the natiuitie passion and resurrection of Christe The. 17. Chapter OF the place of Christes natiuity he reporteth in this sorte Bethleem a city of Dauid situated in a narrow and streyt mounte compassed with vallies of euery side is a myle in lenght from the weast to the East very base and plaine without any toures or turrets The walles are builded flatt without any battelments In the east corner there is as it were a denne not laboured of maÌ„ but framed of nature The vtter most parte of it is saied to be the place of Christes natiuity the innermost the maunger where he lay This denne couered somwhat farre inwarde with goodly precious marble hath ouer the place where our Lorde was borne a great church of the blessed virgin Mary builded vppon it Of the place of his passion and resurrection he wrote after this sorte As ye enter into the citie of Ierusalem on the North side to come to the holy places ye must by ordre of streetes first go to the church of Constantine which is called Martyrium that is to saye the Martirdome or place where the witnesse of our redemption was founde This church the Emperour Constantine builded very gorgeously because our sauiour Christes crosse was fouÌ„de in that place by his mother Helena Going froÌ„ thence on the weast side you shall see a church builded in Golgotha where that rocke is to be sene which bore Christes crosse and his blessed Body fast nailed to the same and beareth now also a mighty crosse of siluer with a greate brasen whele hanging ouer it ful of lamps and torches Within the coÌ„passe and place where Christes crosse stode was a vaute cut out of the rocke In the which vppon an aulter there made masse is wonte to be saide for honorable men that dieth the dead corps standing with oute in the strete At the weast side of the same church was also a rownde chappel of Christes resurrection enuironned with thre walles and borne vp with xij pillers hauing betwixte euery walle a fayre brode waye which hathe with in his compasse and circuite thre aulters in three places of the midle walle south northe and weast This chappell hath eight doores and places of entreaunce directly ouer the three walles of the which iiij stande northeest and iiij weast In the midle of this chappell â—as laied the rounde tumbe of our sauiour Christ cut oute of the rocke to the toppe of which a man standing within may reach with his hande It openeth on the east side and hathe that greate stone that was layed vppon which vntil this day sheweth the print and signe of the yron tooles with which it was hewed and cut With in euen to the very toppe all is couered with marble The toppe it selfe al gilted with golde beareth a greate golden crosse vpon it In the northe parte of that monument Christes sepulchre was cut oute of the same rocke and made seuen foote longe and thre handfull higher then the pauiment The coming in is on the south side where continually day and night twelue ampes burne foure with in the sepulchre and eight aboue in the right side The stone which was put vppon the brimme of the sepulchre is nowe clouen The lesse parte notwithstanding standeth at the doore of the same
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
faith and he made their bishop and also required his aunswer vppon certaine doubtes necessary for him to be informed of wher of with out delay he receiued aunswer Which we thought good to put in to this our history The interrogatories of Augustine bishop of the church of Cantorbury First how the bishops should behaue them selues among their clergy and how the offeringes of the faithfull vppon the aultar should be distributed And what is the bisshops office in the church Gregory the Pope aunswered The holy scripture testifieth as I am sure yow know and specially the Epistles of Saint Paule vnto Timothe in the which he goeth about to enstructe him after what sorte he ought to be conuersaunt in the house of God The maner of the see Apostolik is to geue commaundement vnto suche as be made bishops that all maner oblations that ar geuen be diuided in to iiij portions And the one therof geuen vnto the bishop towards his hospitalite thother to the clergy the third to the poore the fourth to the reparation of the churches But for so much as you being brought vp vnder regular discipline must not by the order of yower rule liue a part from yower clergâ—e in the church of the English which is as yet but newly entered in to the faith of Christ you must follow that trade and forme of lyuing which was vsed in the primatiue church among the fathers amonge whom there was none that sayd that to be his owne which he possessed but al their thinges wer coÌ„mon And if there be any amonge the clergy out of holy orders which can not liue chaste they shall take wiues and haue their stipend allowed them without For of the same partes of which we haue spoken of before we know it is written that it was diuided to euery man according as he had nede You must also think and prouide for their stipend and they ar to be kepte vnder the ecclesiasticall rule and seene vnto that they liue honestly and plye their psalmoâ—ye and kepe both hart tongue and boâ—y from all vnlaufull chinge through the grace of God As for them that liueth after the common â—ort what nede I to speake ether what portions they shall geue ether what hospitalite they shall kepe ether what worke of mercy they shall fulfill Seing it is commaunded that all which is superfluous should be employed vppon godly vses according as our Lorde the master of vs all doth teach vs Quod superest date eleemâ—sinam omnia munda erunt vobis of that which is left geue almes and all shal be cleane vnto you Augusâ—ines demaunde Where as there is but one faith why be there so many sundry customes of churches And one custome of masses is obserued in the holy church of Rome an other in Fraunce Gregorius pope answereth Yower brotherhood knoweth the custom of the church of Rome in the which you wer brought vp But it pleaseth me that if you haue founde any thing be it other in the church of Rome Fraunce or any other that may more please god that you cheuse that and plant in the English churche which as yet is but late come to the faith the best orders that you can cheuse and gather out of them all For the thinges ar not to be loued for the place but the place is to be loued for the good things thaâ— ar in it Cheuse then out of eche church and that that is most godly most religious moste best in any of them that being gathered together as it were in a boundell deliuer vnto them and inure them there vnto The question of Augustine I praye you how shall he be punished which taketh any thing away from the churche Gregorius aunswereth That you may consider by the person of the these For there be some which hauing otherwise to liue yet steleth and some other there be which are driuen thereunto by nede Whereby some must be merced with fines some must be punished with stripes and â—ome fauorably some sharply corrected And when sharpe punishement is excercised it must be done in charite not in fury For therfor the man is punished that he might not be damned in hel fire And so we must chastise our brothers offending as the good fathers doth their carnall children whom though they punish for their fawtes yet they seeke to haue them their heires whom they punish and their possessions they kepeth for them whom they seme to chasten in their anger This charite therfore is euer to be kept in mind and according to it correction is so to be measured that the minde excedeth not the rule of reason Thow shalt also tell them that they must make restitution of such thinges as ar taken from the church But god forbid that the churche should looke to receiue with encrease of gaine such earthly thinges as hath ben taken from them The question of Augustine Whether ij german brothers may marry two systers which be many degrees from them Gregorius aunswereth That may be done lawfully by all meanes for there is nothing found in the scripture to the contrary The question of Augustine Vnto what generation may the Christians mary with their kindsfolke Gregorius aunswereth It is permitted by a certaine law of the Romanes that brothers and sisters children may laufully be ioyned together in wedlock But experience sheweth that of such wedlocke their can growe no children and the holy lawe forbiddeth that we should reuele the turpitude of our kindered Wherefor it is necessary that it be the third or the fourth generation that should be permitted to marrye As for the second must in any wise forbeare one from the other To marry with our steppe mother it is a greuous offenâ—e for it is written in the law Thou shalt not reuele the tupitude of thy father The sonne can not â—euele the turpitude of his father But bycause it is written They shal be two in one fleshe he that presumeth to reuele the turpitude of his steppe mother whiche was one flesh with his father he truly reueleth the turpitude of his father It is also forebidden the to marry with thy brothers wife for that by her former mariage she was one flesh with thy brother for whiche cause Iohn Baptiste was behedded and suffered holy martyrdome To whom though it was not sayd that he should deny Christe yet was he killed for the confession of Christe For in that oure Lorde Iesus Christe sayd I am the truth for that he was killed for the truth he shed his bloud also for Christ. And whereas there be many of the English people which whiles they were yet infideles were thus vnlawfully coupled when they commeth to the faith they are to be warned that they forbeare and take it to be a right greuous offense Teache them to feare the dredfull iudgementes of God least for vnlaufull carnall loue they runne in dawnger of hell fyre And yet for this are they
discretion instruct euery one of their hearers and also with how great consideration they shuld daily weigh their owne weakenes Moreouer he wrote 40. homilies vppon the Gospell which he hath diuided by equall nuÌ„ber into 2. volumes He made also 4. bookes of dialogues in which at the request of his Deacon Peter he hath gathered the vertuous dedes of holy men which him selfe could either knowe in Italie or heare of for their same to the example of good lyfe for all the posterite That like as in his bookes of Expositions he teacheth in what vertues a man must laboure so by the describing of holy mens miracles he might shewe what and how greate the excellencie of those vertues is Furdermore bicauseâ— the first and last partes of Ezechiel the prophet semed obscure and darke he hath fully shewed by 22. Homilies how much light and good matter is within them That I nede not speake of his smal booke of answers which he wrot back to the questioÌ„s of S. Austin the first bishop of Englishmen as I haue declared before placing the whole booke it self in this mine historie Neither of his other littell booke of Synodes or CouÌ„cels which he hath made moste profitably conferring with the bishops of Italie for the necessarie affaires of the church Nor of his familiar letters sent vnto diuers men Surely it is my thinke maruaile that he should write so manie and such great volumes being as he saith of him self almost in al his youth vexed with the paines of his bowells and entralles by the weakenes of his stomake euer more sickly and made faint and feble with agues though not verie feruent for the time yet with quotidians continually trubling him But in these his greate griefes counting carefully with him selfe that the scripture saithe Euerie sonne which is receiued is scourged before the harder he was kept downe with these present aduersities the more certainly did he lifte vp himselfe with the hope of euerlasting comforte And this muche haue I sayde hitherto in the praise of his excellent witte which could not no not with so greate weakenes of the bodie be any thing debated Now whereas other bishops bestowed their laboure in building of churches and decking the same with gold and siluer this man gaue him selfe all together to the gayning of soules Whatsoeuer monie he had he diligently distributed and gaue the same to poore men that his righteousnes might remayne worlde without end and his horne be exalted in glorie for euer Who might truely saye of himselfe that saying of blessed Iob The eare hearing did bring me to blesse and the eye seing did beare witnes for me bycause I had delyuered the poore man crieng out and the fatherles childe who had no helper The blessing of the perishing man came vppon me and the heauy harte of the wydowe did I comforte I haue put on iustice and decked me theer with as with a garment and pretiouse crowne in my iudgement I haue ben an eye to the blinde and a foote to the lame I was a father of poore men and the cause which I knewe not I diligently sought for I dyd breake in peaces the iawes of the vniuste man and euen out of his teath pluckt I the praye And a litle after Yf I haue denied saith Iob to poore men what they haue asked and haue made the eyen of the widowe looke longe for her healpe Yf I haue eaten my meate alone and the poore fatherles childe hath not eaten thereof with me For euen from myne infancie mercie hath growen with me and out of my mothers wombe hit was borne with me c. Moreouer to this good S. Gregories piete and perfecte righteousnes this pertaineth also that he hath made our nation by preachers which he sent hither partetaker nowe of eternall libertie taking vs from the teeth of our old ennemie the dyule For which our faith and saluation reioysing with himselfe and commending the same with worthie prayse he saith thus in his exposition of blessed Iob Beholde the tongue of Britannie which ons knew nothing but to rore rudely hath of late begonne to sing the Hebrewe Alleluya in geauing praise to God Beholde the Ocean sea on s rough and high but now milde and calme obeyeth to the feate of holie men and the furiouse fluddes thereof which earthly Princes with force could neuer fraye the same for feare of God the poore priestes doe binde with bare wordes And that Ocean sea whiche neuer feared the mightie hostes of infidels and heathen souldiers doth now treÌ„ble at the tongues of humble faithful men For wheras by good preceptes and heauenly wordes yea and with manifest miracles too the grace and knowledge of God is powred into it by the terrour of his diuinitie it is so bridled and kept lowe that now it feareth to be troublesâ—me and most ernestly desireth to come to the glorie of immortalitie By which wordes this holye father Gregory doth de clare that S. Austin and his companie brought the EnglishmeÌ„ to the knowledg of trueth not only by preaching to them in worde but also by shewing them heauenly signes and miracles This holie Pope Gregory amongest his other doinges caused that in the chappels of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paule masses should be said ouer their bodies In the celebratioÌ„ of which masses he added these three words and petitioÌ„s ful of greate goodnes and perfectioÌ„ Diesque nostros in tua pace disponas atque ab aeterna daÌ„natione nos eripi et in electoruÌ„ tuoruÌ„ iubeas grege numerari Which is to saye And dispose our dayes in thy peace coÌ„maunde vs to be takeÌ„ froÌ„ eternal daÌ„natioÌ„ and to be numbred in the flocke of thine electes He gouerned the church of Christ in the reygne of the Emperoures Morys and Phocas But in the. 2. yeare of this Phocas Empire departing owt of this life he went to the true lyfe which is in heauen His bodie was buryed in S. Peters churche before the Vesterie the xij daye of Marche With the which bodie he shall ryse agayne herafter in glorie with other Pastors of the holie church In his tuÌ„be was writen such an epitaphe as foloweth This corps o earth taken of the take now agayne to keape Vntyll the same the lord shall styrre to lyfe from deathfull sleape His spirite aboue the starres is gon where death shal not it presse VVhich rather was a waye to him the true lyfe to possesse The chefest Byshop buryd is in this sepulchre here VVhich euer and in euery place in goodnes dyd appere The hungrie man with foode he fedde the naked he arayde VVith sacred sermons Christen sowles from Satans powre he stayed He dyd in worke what thinge in word soeuer he dyd teach That he might be a sample set to men while he dyd preache The English land to Christe he turned by vertues force and guyde Making by that new nation all Christendom more wyde Toy howe thy care
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
time after the making of the monasterie she departed thence to the citie of Calcaria whiche is called of the english men Calcacester and there she appointed to abyde and continewe Now this other handmayd of Christ Hilda being placed to rule this monasterie dyd strayght procure to order and dispose the same in all pointes with regular lyfe and discipline in such wise as she could be best enstructed of them that were learned For both bishop Aydan and as many religious persons as knewe her for the great wysedome and loue to serue God that was in her were wont ofte times to visit her louingly to helpe her and diligently to instructe her Thus when she had certaine yeres gouuerned this monasterie in great obseruation and straighnes of regular lyfe and order it was her chaunce to take in hand the buylding and disposing of a monasterie in the place called Straneshalch which busynes committed vnto her she finished with all speede and diligence For she fournished and framed it with the same rules and orders of regular lyfe with which she had disposed the other monasterie before And truly she dyd there teache singularly the workes of righteousnes deuotion chastitie and other vertues but specially of peace and charitie in such wise that after the example of the primitiue church there was none riche there none poore but all thinges common to all for nothing semed peculiar and priuate to any one She was of such wysedome that not only all meane persons in their necessities but also kinges and princes dyd seke and find counsel of her Such religious men as liued vnder her gouernaÌ„ce she made to bestow their time in the reading of the holy scriptures and in the exercise of the workes of vertue that out of her monastery many might easely be founde mete and worthy meÌ„ to serue the church and the aultar And in dede we haue sene in a short space fiue bishops oute of the same monasterie all men of singular merite and holynesse whose names are these Bosa Adda Ostfor Iohn and VVilfride Of the first we haue spoken before howe he was consecrated bishop of Yorke Of the second to speake shortly he was made bishop of Dorcister Of the two last we shall speake afterwarde of which the one was consecrated bishop of Hagulstad and the other of Yorke Of the middlemost let vs nowe say somewhat When he had in both the monasteries of Abbesse Hilda diligently applied the reading and studieng of the scriptures at last desiring more perfecte exercises he came to keÌ„t to the Archebishop Theodore of blessed memorie Where hauing continewed a certaine space and spent his time in holy studies and reading he found also the meanes to go to Rome which at that time was counted a thing of great vertue and deuotion From thence retourning home againe to England he went vnto the prouince of the Victians ouer which king Osric raigned than and there he remained a long time preaching the word of faithe and also giuing himselfe for an example of life to all that knewe and heard him At which time the bishop of that prouince named Boselus being so sicke and weake that he could not himselfe fullfill the office a bishop by all mens iudgement and consent the foresaid man was elected and chosen bishop in his place and at the coÌ„maundment of king Edilred was consecrated by bishop VVilfride of blessed memorie who at that time was byshop of the Middleenglish For Theodore tharchebisshop was than dead and none other as yet made bishop for him In which prouince a litle befor that is to wytt before that foresaid man of God Boselus one Taâ—frid a man most stout couragiouse and well learned and of an excellent wyt was elected bishoppe out of the monasterie of the said Abbesse but he was taken away and died before his time ere that he might be consecrated This foresaid handmayde of Christ Abbesse Hilda whome all that knewe her were wont to call mother for her notable grace and godlinesse was not only in her owne monasterie an example of lyfe to them that were with her but also to many other that were far of the ministred occasion of saluation and amendement to whom the happy report of her doing and vertuous liuing came And so was fulfilled the dreame that her mother Bregoswid had when this was but an enfant For when her husband Heriric was out of his couÌ„tre as an outlawe vnder Cerdix kinge of the Britons where also he was att last poysonned she sawe in a dreame that he whom she sought with al diligeÌ„ce was as it wer sodainly takeÌ„ out of her sight that no signe aud token of him any where did appere But as she yet busily sought for him she fouÌ„d by and by a very pretious ouch and iewel vnder his garmeÌ„t which as she did wel marke and coÌ„sider it semed to shine and glister with brightnesse of so great a lighte that it filled all the borders of Britannie with the grace thereof The which dreame was proued true in her doughter whome we speake of Whose lyfe not to her selfe only but to many other that wold lyue well did geue examples of the workes of light But nowe when she had many yeres ruled this monasterie it pleased the mercifull worker of our saluation that her holy soule should also be examined and tried with long sicknesse of the body that after thexample of the Apostle her vertue might be made perfect in infirmitie and weakenesse For she was striken with feuers and begaÌ„ to be greuously vexed with the heate and was in the same wise sicke and deseased for the space of vj. yeres In all which time she did neuer omit and let passe both to giue thankes to her creatour and also to teache and enstructe openly and priuatly the flocke coÌ„mitted to her charge For by her owne example she warned them all both to serue our Lorde dewly when he geueth them their bodely health and also thanke him continually and faithfully in worldly aduersities or bodely infirmities and sickenesse And thus the seuenth yere of her sicknesse the grief and paine tourning toward the hart and inward partes she came to her ende and last day in this worlde and about the crowing of the cocke after she had receaued the viage prouision of holy howsell she called vnto her he handmaides of Christ that were in the same monasterie whome as she admonished and counselled to kepe the euangelicall vnite amonge them selues and with other at the very last worde and making of this her exhortatioÌ„ she gladly and willingly saw the houre of her death yea rather to speke with Christs owne wordes she passed from death vnto lyfe In which very night our almightie Lord vouchesafed to reuele her death and departing by a manifest and plaine vision in an other monasterie that was a good way of named Hacanes the which she had buylt the same yere For there was in the same monasterie a certaine Nonne