the byshop the possession of the land of CCC tenementes Whiche portion the Bishop gaue and committed to one of his clerkes named Bernwini his sisters sonne and appointed there to a priest named Hildila to minister the worde and baptisme of lyfe to all that would be saued And here I thinke it not to be passed ouer in silence that for the first frutes of them that were saued throwgh beleuing in the same I le two children of the blood royall being bretherne to Aruald king of the Iland were crouned with a speciall grace of God For when the ennemies came on the Iland they â—led and scaped to the next prouince of the Vites And there they gat to a place called Stonestat hoping to hyde themselues from the face and sighte of the king that had conquered their countree but they were betrayed and fownd owt and commaunded to be put to death Which thing when a certaine abbat and priest named Cimberth had heard of whose monasterie was not far from thence at a place called Redford he came to the king which was than in the same parties lying secretly to be cured of his woundes that he had taken fighting in the I le of Wighte and desired of him that if he would nedes haue the childerne put to death yet they might first receaue the sacramentes of the Christian fayth The kinge graunted his request and than he tooke them and catechised them in the right faith of Christe and wasshing them withe the holesome fonte of baptisme made them sure and in perfyt hope to enter into the kingdome euerlasting Anon after came the hangeman to put them to death which death of this world they ioyfully toke by the which they douted not but they should passe to the eternall life of the soule When after this order all the prouince of great Britaine had receaued the faythe of Christe the I le of Wight receaued the same also in whiche notwitstanding bicause of the miserie and state of forayne subiection no man tooke the degree of the ministerie and place of a bysshopp before Daniel who nowe is bysshopp of the west Saxons and of the Geuisses The situation of this I le is ouer against the middes of the South Saxons and Geuisses the sea comming betwene of the breadth of three myles which sea is called Solent in which two armes of the Ocean sea that breake out from the maine north sea about Britanie do dayly mete and violently ronne together beyond the mouth of the riuer Homelea which ronneth along by the countree off the Vites that belong to the prouince of the Genisses and so entreth into the foresaid sea And after this meting and striuing together of the two seas they goe backe and flowe againe into the Ocean from whence they came Of the Synode made at Hetdfield Theodore the Archebishop being there president The 17. Chap. AT this time Theodore hauing worde that the faith of the church at CoÌ„stantinople was sore troubled through the heresie of Eutiches and wishing that the churches of the english nation ouer which he gouuerned might continew free and clere from such a spot gathered an assemble of Reuerend priestes and many doctours and enquired diligently of eche of them what faith they were of where he found one consent and agrement of them all in the catholique faith Which consent he procured to set forth and commende with letters sent from the whole Synode for the instruction and remembrance of the aftercommers the beginning of which letters was this In the name of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ and in the raignes of our most good and vertuouse Lordes Ecgfride king of the Humbers the x. yere of his raigne the viij yere of the Indiction and the xvij day of September and Edilrede king of the Marshes in the vj. yeare of his raigne and Aldulphe king of the Estenglish in the xvij yere of his raigne and Lothar king of kent in the vij yeare of his raigne being there president and chief Theodore by the grace of God Archebishop of the I le of Britanie and of the citie of Caunterbury and with him sitting in assemblee the other bishops of the same land most Reuerend men and prelates hauing the holy ghospelles set before them at a place called in the Saxon tong Hedtfield after commoning and conference together had thereuppon we haue expounded and set fourth the right and true catholique faith in such sort as our Lorde Iesus being incarnate in this worlde deliuered it to his disciples which presently sawe and heard his wordes and doctrine and as the crede of the holy fathers hath leaft by tradition and generally as all holy men all generall Councells and all the whole company of the authentique doctours of the catholique churche haue taught and deliuered Whome we following in good dewe godly and rightbeleuing maner according to their doctrine inspired into them from God do professe and beleue and stedfastly do confesse with the holy fathers the Father and the Sonne and the holy ghoste most verily and in true and formall proprietie the Trinitie in the vnitie of one substance and the vnitie in Trinitye that is to saye one God in three persons of one substance and of equall glorie and honour And after many like thinges pertaining to the confession of the right faith the holy Synode dyd also adde to their letters these thinges folowing We haue receaued the fiue holy and generall Synodes of the blessed and derebeloued fathers of God that is to saye of CCC xviij which wer asseÌ„bled at Nice against the most wicked and blasphemous Arrius and his opinions And of Cl. at Constantinople against the madenesse and fond secte of Macedonius and Eudoxius and their opinions And at Ephesus the first time of CC. against the most wicked Nestorius and his opinions And at ChalcedoÌ„ of CCxxx against Eutiches and Nestorius and their opinions And at Constantinople the second time where was assembled the fifte Councell in the time of the emperour Iustinian the yonger against Theodore and Theodorete and Ibe and their epistles and their opinions And a litle after against Cyrill Also we receaue and admit the Synode made at the citie of Rome in the time of the most holy and blessed Pope Martin the viij yere of the Indiction and the ix yere of the most godly and good Emperour Constantine And we worship and glorifie our Lorde Iesus Christ in such sort as these men haue done adding or diminishing nothing and we accurse with hart and mouth them whome these fathers haue accursed and whome they haue receaued we receaue glorifyeng God the father without beginning and his only begotten sonne begotten of the father before all ages and times and the holy ghost proceding of the father and the sonne in vnspeakeable wise according as these aboue mentioned holy Apostles and prohetes and doctours haue preached and taught And all we that with Theodore the Archebishop haue set forth and declared
THE HISTORY OF THE CHVRCH OF ENGLANDE Compiled by Venerable Bede Englishman Translated out of Latin in to English by Thomas Stapleton Student in Diuinite You being sometimes straungers and enemies in vnderstanding c. He hath now reconciled in the body of his fleshe through death c. If yet ye continew grounded and stedfast in the Faith and be not moued away from the hope of the ghospell which ye haue heard which hath ben preached amonge all creatures vnder heauen SPES ALIT AGRICOLAS Imprinted at Antwerp by Iohn Laet at the signe of the Rape with Priuilege Anno. 1565. E. R. God saue the Quene TO THE RIGHT EXCELLENT AND MOST GRATIOVSE PRINCESSE ELIZABETH BY THE GRACE OF God Quene of England Fraunce and Ireland Defendour of the Faith â—â— IF THE mind of man most gratiouse Souuerain in respect of vvhich vve are made after the image of the highest excelled not in passing degrees the lumpe of mortall fleshe by meanes vvhereof it vttereth his naturall functions iff the qualitees of the one surmounted not infinitly the conditions of the other neither should it seme vvorthe the vvhile to set penne to paper for defense of true religion in these perilous times of schisme and heresy neither vvould it be sitting for one of my calling to commend such labours to the vevve of your Maiesty For as in the vvriting I haue good cause to remembre that Truthe purchaseth hatred so in the commending of the same I can not forgett that a younge scholer and base subiect attempteth to talke vvith a right mighty Princesse and his lerned Souuerain Notvvithstanding considering the invvarde man and better portion off my selfe I haue to comforte me bothe in the one and in the other In the one respect of the profit vvhich may arise hereby to the deceiued consciences of my dere countremeÌ„ your highnes subiectes my regard to Gods honour and zeale to the truth do make me lesse to feare the displeasure that may ensue In the other your highnes most gratiouse Clemency and knovven good affection to be enformed of the truth enboldeth me to present particularly to your most Royall Maiesty that vvhich I publish to the vvhole Realmes commodite For as that vvhich the body receiueth the Head first vevveth and considereth so thought I most conuenient that the generall history of the realme off England shoulde first be commended to the princely head and Souuerain gouuernour of the same Againe the history in Latin being dedicated by the Author to a kinge of this realme one of your most Noble progenitours it semed no lesse then duty that the translatioÌ„ and nevv publishing of it ought to come forth vnder your highnes protection succeding in the Imperial Crovvne of the same The matter of the History is such that if it may stande vvith your Maiesties pleasure to vevve and consider the same in vvhole or in part your highnes shall clerely see as vvell the misse informations of a fevve for displacing the auncient and right Christen faith as also the vvay and meane of a spedy redresse that may be had for the same to the quietnesse of the greater part of your Maiesties most loyal and lovvly subiectes coÌ„sciences In this history it shall appeare in vvhat faith your noble Realme vvas christened and hath almost these thousaÌ„d yeres coÌ„tinevved to the glory of God the enriching of the crovvne and great vvelth and quiet of the realme In this history your highnes shall see in hovv many and vveighty pointes the preteÌ„ded refourmers of the church in your Graces dominioÌ„s haue departed froÌ„ the patern of that sounde and catholike faith planted first among Englishemen by holy S. Augustin our Apostle and his vertuous coÌ„pany described truly and sincerely by Venerable Bede so called in all Christendom for his passing vertues and rare lerning the Author of this History And to th entent your highnes intention bent to vveightier considerations and affaires may spende no longe time in espying oute the particulars I haue gathered out of the vvhole History a number of diuersities betvvene the pretended religion of Protestants and the primitiue faith of the english church and haue annexed them streight ioyning to this our simple preface Maie it please your most gracious highnes to take a short vevv of it and for more ample intelligence of euery particular if it shall so like your highnesse to haue a recourse to the booke and chapter quoted Beside the vvhole history of holy and lerned S. Bede I haue published a short and necessary discourse to mete vvith the only argument of such as vvill pronouÌ„ce this vvhole booke to be but a fardle of papistry a vvitnesse of corrupted doctrine a testimony of that age and time vvhich they haue already condeÌ„ned for the time of no true Christianite at all of such I saie as haue altered the faith vve vvere first Christened in condemning our dere forefathers of allmost these thousand yeares the Christen inhabitants of your graces dominions This I haue done principally in ijâ— partes In the firste by expresse testimonies of holy Scripture the psalmes the prophets and the nevv TestameÌ„t by remouing the obiections of the aduersaries taken out of holy Scripture by the glorious successe of these later 900. yeares in multiplying the faithe of Christ through the vvorlde last of all by clere and euident reasons I haue proued that the faith of vs Englishmen all these ix c. hundred yeares coulde not possibly be a corrupted faith traded vp in superstitions blindnesse and idolatry as it is falsely and vvickedly surmised of many but that it is the true and right Christianite no lesse then the firste vj. c. yeares and immediat succession of the Apostles In the second part vvhere vve gather a number of differences in doctrine in ecclesiasticall gouernement in the order and maner of proceding in the course and coÌ„sequeÌ„ces of both religioÌ„s that first plaÌ„ted among vs and so many hundred yeares coÌ„tinevved and this presently preached and preteÌ„ded I haue shevved by the testimonies of the moste auncient and approued Fathers of the Councels and histories of that time that in all such differences our faith first planted and hitherto continevved amonge vs agreeth and concurreth vvith the practise and bâ—elefe of the first vj. c. yeres the time approued by al mens consent for the right and pure Christianite If it may stande vvith your Maiesties pleasure to vveigh this double truthe so clerely proued first out of Gods holy vvorde and euident reason then out of the assured practise of the primitiue churche your Grace shall quickely see a ready redresse of present schismes a compendious quieting of troubled consciences and an open pathe to returne to the faith vvithoute vvhiche is no saluation As vve knovve right vvell the meaning of your gracious highnes to be already seriously bent to haue the truthe tried and to be sincerely published throughe all your Graces dominions so to the ende that this godly zeale maie in your Maiesties most
a one vvas kinge Dauid of vvhoÌ„ therfor God saied I haue fouÌ„d Dauid a maÌ„ according to my harts desire And these Emperours here specified as they teÌ„dred most the setting forth of true religioÌ„ and abolishment of the false so prospered they most of al other in vvorldly respectes For as vnder Constantin the great first by vs mencioned the empire most florished and vvas theÌ„ first placed in the East the cyte of Byzance being then magnificently enlarged and called Constantinople of that most mighty Emperours name as he had diuers and most glorious conquestes against the tyrans Maxentius Licinius and other forrain barbarous enemies so to lett passe the other Iustinian the last of vs mentioned vvas he that most gloriously restored vpp againe the Maiesty of the Romain empire then allmost fallen flatt dovvne chasing the VVandals out of Afrike cleering Italy and the vvest empire of the Gotthes extinguishing vtterly the Hunnes in Graece and hauing most noble victories against the Persians Longe it vvere particularly to discourse vpon the Princes of euery singular prouince in Christendom and to notise vnto your hignes the zeale diligence and endeuour of eche one in extirping haeresy and schismes Yet to th entent it may appeare that the one Imperiall Crovvne of Christendome being parted in to seuerall realmes and dominions the zeale of eche one in the particular prouinces vvas no lesse to maintaine the vnite off Christes church then vvhen the vvhole vvas vnder the monarchie of one Empire may it please your most gracious highnes to call to remembraunce that this Christen and godly zeale hath ben in the Princes of seuerall countrees so glorious and euident that in respect of the same most honourable titles haue ben appropriated to the royall Crovvnes of such personages To the Imperiall Crovvne of your Maiesty the Noble and glorious title of Defender of the faith hath ben of late yeares annexed and perpetually geuen by the Sâ—e Apostolike for the most godly and lerned vvorke of your highnes moste noble Father our late dread Souerain in defence of the seuen holy Sacraments of Christes Church off vvhich the scholers of Geneua haue taken avvay fiue and against the vvicked heresies of that levvde Apostata Martyn Luther To the crovvne of Spayne for the great zeale of kinge Alphonsus in extirping the Arrian heresy aboue 800. yeares past the title of Catholike vvas annexed and continueth yet hitherto vnblemished To the crovvne of the frenche kinge for the passing zeale of those princes namely of Clouis the first Chrsten kinge of Charlemain of Philippe surnamed Auguste in extirping heresies from time to time out of their dominions the title of Most Christian hath also ben appropriated from the time of Pipin and Charlemaign his Sonne hitherto Though I abstaine to auoide prolixite the farder recitall of particular Princes yet may it please your most excellent Maiesty fauorably to attend to one or tvvo examples more for the extirping of the heresies of Iohn vvicleff and the Bohems contayning in many pointes the doctrine novve preached for the very true vvorde off God In the history of Polidore vve read of that Noble prince and of most vvorthy memory Henry the fifte one of your highnes most noble lineall progenitours that hauing called a Parlement and decreed therein a voyage in to Fraunce for recouery of his right the mony being gathered souldiars pressed all thinges prepared for that enterprise yet the generall Coâ—ncell of Constance then beinge appointed he staied his priâ—at quarell for Gods cause directed his legaâ—s vnto the Councell expected the fine thereof and in the meane vvhile appeased the rebellion of Iohn Oldecastle labouring by force and disobedience against his Souuerain as the nevv VVicleffs do presently in Fraunce and Scotland to maintaine the heresy of VVicleff and pronounced traitâ—uâ—s all the adherents of that vvicked secte By this speedy diligence of that gratious Prince bothe that heresy vvas then quailed in your highnes dominions and as Polidore noteth the Noble victories of that valiaunt prince ensued God vndoubtedly prospering his affaires vvho had preferred the quarell of him before his ovvne prepared viage It is novv a hundred yeares and more sence the time that the kingdoÌ„ of Bemeland being greuously mangled and almost destroied vvith ciuill sedition through the schismes and heresies plaÌ„ted there by the same VVicleff and Huss vvas offred of the people it selfe to the king of Poole Vladislaus to haue and rule it as his ovvn setting amonge them some quiet order of gouernemeÌ„t But bicause of the heresies then praeuailing it vvas of that vertuous Prince vtterly refused Yea vvarre also vvas threatened them vnlesse they agreed and recoÌ„ciled them selues to the Catholike church If it may like your most excellent highnes after the patern and examples of these most puissaÌ„t and vertuous Princes to procede in your most gratious meaning to the publishing of the true christen faithe vvhich is but one and not nevv through your graces dominions as al Christendom hartely vvissheth the vevve and consideration of this present history a vvorthy and most authentike vvitnesse of the first and true Christen faith planted in your Graces dominions vvith that vvhich is annexed to proue it a right and vncorrupted faithe shal not a litle I trust in God in vvhose handes the hartes of Princes are moue and farder your highnes vertuous inteÌ„t to the spedy atchieuing of that it desireth For faith being one as the Apostle expressely saieth that one faithe being proued to be the same vvhich vvas firstgraffed in the harts of englishmeÌ„ and the many faithes of protestants being founde different from the same in more then fourty clere differeÌ„ces gathered out of this preseÌ„t history vvhiche reporteth not al but a fevv by occasion it must remaine vndoubted the pretended faith of proteâ—tants to be but a bastard slippe proceding of an other stocke as partly of old renevved heresies partly of nevv forged interpretations vpon the vvritten text of Gods vvorde and therefore not to be rooted in your graces dominions lest in time as heresies haue done in Grece and Afrike it ouergrovve the true braunches of the naturall tree coÌ„sume the springe of true Christianite and sucke oute the ioyse of al right religion leauing to the realme the barke and rine only to be called christians VVhich lamentable case the more euery Christen hart abhorreth and your highnes most gracious meaning especially detesteth the more it is of vs your highnes most lovvly and loyall subiectes to be vvished and daily to be praied for at the dreadful throne of Gods depe mercy that it may please his goodnesse so to direct the harte of your highnes so to inspire vvith his heauenly grace the most gracious meaning of your Maiesty that it may vvholy and perfectly be bent to the restoring of the one catholike and Apostolical faith of Christendom to the extirping of schisme and heresy and to the publishing of Gods true seruice Al to the honour of
religious eares of protestants then such deuâ—tion Of relikes of holy men of the reuerence vsed towâ—rdes them and off miracles wrought by them the history is full Namely the first booke the 29. chap. the 3. booke the 29. the iiij booke the 6. chap. Nothinge is more vile in the sight of protestants then suche reuerence of Christians Blessing with the signe of the Crosse accompted no superstition but practised for godly and good in our primitiue church witnesseth the history in the iiij booke the xxiiij chapter and in the v. booke the ij chapter In the deuotion of protestants it is estemed for magicke Solemnites of Christen buriall protestants despise and sett light by terming it a vaine of gentilite or heathen superstition The deuotion of our primitiue church was to be buried in monasteries churches and chappels as it appeareth in the history in the second booke the iij. chap. the third booke the viii chap. and otherwhere Benediction of the bishop whereby the superiorite of the spirituall pastour ouer the laie according to the reasoning of S. Paule euidently appeareth is to be read in this history of our primitiue Churche in the iiii booke the xi chap. Protestants confounding all good order do scorne at this also The seruice of the church was at the first planting of our faith in the latin and lerned tounge as it may appeare in the first booke the xxix chapter and the iiii booke the xviii chap. This protestants haue altered bothe against due orâ—er and condemning wickedly other partes of Christendom for the contrary Aultars protestants haue plucked downe contrary to the order of our primitiue faith as this history witnesseth in the first booke the xxix chap. And in the second booke the xiiij chap. Aultar clothes and holy vestements the prophane saith of protestaÌ„ts admitteth not Our primitiue church vsed them witnesseth the History in the first booke the xxix chap. Holy vessels in like maner for the due administration of Christes holy Sacraments protestans bothe diminishing the number of them and prophaning the right vse of such as they kepe knowe none Our first faith had and vsed theÌ„ The history reporteth it in the first booke the xxix chap. and in the second booke the last chapter Holy water protestants abhorre Our first faith vsed it In the history 〈◊〉 appeareth In the first booke the xxix chap. Nothinge is more reuiled of protestants then the ecclesiasticall tonsure of the clergy How after what maner and wherefore the church of Christ vseth it the history disputeth and sheweth at large in the fifte booke the xxii chapter toward the ende Our primitiue church was gouuerned by Synods of the clergy only in determining controuersies ecclesiasticall The History declareth this practise in the first booke the ii chap. the fourth booke the v. chap. the xvii chap. and xxviii chap. Protestants haue called the determination of ecclesiasticall matters from thence to the laie Courte only The spirituall rulers of our primitiue church were bishops and pastours duly consecrated It appereth in the History the first booke the 27. chap. and the second booke the 3. chap. Protestants haue no such due consecration no true bishops at all Protestants haue brought the supreme gouuernement of the church to the laie authorite In the primitiue faith of our countre the laie was subiect to the bishop in spirituall causes Peruse the xiii and xxii chapters of the third booke Last of all the finall determination of spirituall causes in our primitiue Church rested in the See Apostolike of Rome This practise appeareth in the second booke the iiii the xvii and the xx chapters Item in the fifte booke the xx chap. How farre that See is nowe detested by the sober religion of protestants all men do see To note how differently the Catholike faith of al Christendom was first planted in our countre and the parted faith of protestants hathe corrupted the same the first difference is clere herin that our first Catholik faith we receaued of the See of Rome This heresy hath begonne by first departing from that See The Apostles of our faith came from Rome the messangers of these schismes beganne first by scattering froÌ„ the See Apostolik of Rome How we receiued our faith of Rome the later chapters of the first booke and the first of the secoÌ„d do testifie Againe our faith was first preached with Crosse and procession Lib. 1. cap. 25. These heresies first raged by throwing downe the Crosse and altering the procession therewith Our first Apostles were monkes See the first booke the xxiii chap. and the third booke the iii. chap. The first preachers of protestants haue ben Apostatas Luther Oecolampadius Bucer Peter Martyr Barnes Barlow and other The first impes off our faith the first scholers off oure Apostles were holy and vertuous meÌ„ Reade the xxvj chap. of the third booke The broode of protestants in the very first issue hath ben so enormous that Luther the holy Father thereof confesseth his scholers to be vnder him farre more wicked then they were before vnder the Pope The first preaechers of our faith liued Apostolically in voluntary pouerty as the history reporteth in the first booke the xxvj chap. This Apostolicall perfection protestaÌ„ts bearing theÌ„ selues for the Apostles of England neither practise them selues neither can abide it in other As touching the effect and consequences of both religions our faith builded vp monasteries and chirches as the history reporteth in the firste booke the 32. chap. in the third booke the iij. and xxxiij chap. IteÌ„ in the fourth booke the iij. chap. Protestants haue throwen down many erected none By the first Christians off our faith God was both serued day and night as in the fourth booke the vij chap. it is expressely mencioned Protestants haue abolished al seruice off God by night and done to the deuill a most acceptable sacrifice By the deuotion of the people first embracing our catholike faithe much voluntary oblations were made to the church as in the first booke the xxvij chap. it appeareth By the rechelesse religion off protestants due oblations are denied to the church Princes endued the church with possessions and reuenues moued with deuotion and feare of God The loose lewdenes off protestants haue stirred Princes to take from the church possessions so geuen Last of all our first faith reduced the Scottishmen liuing then in schisme to the vnite of the Catholike church This late alteration hath remoued them from vnite to schisme All these differences touching doctrine and ecclesiasticall gouernement are proued to concurre with the belefe and practise of the first vj. C. yeares in the second part of the Fortresse of our first faith set forthe presently with the History ET Priuati BrabaÌ„tici Regiae Maiestatis Consilij diplomate cautum est ne quis infra quadriennium proximum Historiam ecclesiasticam gentis Anglorum Authore Venerabili Beda Presb. a Thoma Stapletono in Anglicum sermonem versam per omnes Burgundicae
successours vertuous and godly men who after the same maner kept their Easter either beleued or liued contrary to holy Scripture especially their holynesse being such that God hath confirmed it with miracles Truly as I doubt not but they were holy men so I wil not feare to folow allwaies their life maners and trade of discipline In good sothe quoth VVillfrid It is well knowen that Anatholius was a right holy man very well lerned and worthy of much praise But what is that to you who vary also from his decrees and doctrine For Anatholius in his Easter according to the truth accompted the vsuall compasse of xix yeres whiche you either vtterly are ignorant of or if ye know it yet though it be through all Christendom obserued ye sett light by it Againe thoughe he obserued the Easter Sonday sometime vpon the xiiij daye of the moone yet he accompted the same daye at euening to be the fiftenth of the chaunge after the accompt of the Aegyptians So vpon the xx daye he kept the Easter that at the sonne setting he reaconed it for the xxj Which his rule and distinction that ye be ignorant of it is manifest by this that same time ye kepe your Easter cleane before the full of the moone euen the xiij daye of the chaunge As touching your father Columba and those whiche folowed him whose holy steppes ye pretend to folow as the which haue ben confirmed by miracles to this I may answer that in the daye of iudgment whereas many shall saie vnto Christ that they haue prophecyed cast out diuells and wrought miracles in his name our Lord wil answer that he knoweth them not But God forbidd that I shoulde so iudge of your fathers For it is our duty of such as we knowe not to deme the best Therefore I deme not but they were men of God and acceptable in his sight as the whiche loued God though in rude simplicite yet withe a godly intention Neither do I thinke that the maner of their obseruation coulde be much preiudiciall against them as longe as they had yet receiued no instructions to the contrary But rather I verely suppose seing such cōmaundemēts of God as they knew they willingly folowed they would also haue conformed thēselues to the Catholik iudgemēt if they had ben so informed But nowe Sir you and your cōpanions if hearing the decrees of the Apostolike see or rather of the vniuersall church and that also confirmed in holy write you folow not the same you offend and sinne herein vndoubtedly For though your fathers were holy mē could yet those few of one so smal corner of the vttermost ilond of the earth preiudicat the whole church of Christ dispersed through the vniuersall worlde And if your father Columba yea and our father if he were the true seruaunt of Christe were holye and mightye in miracles yet can he by any meanes be preferred to the moste blessed prince of the Apostles to whom our Lorde sayed Thou arte Peter and vppon this rocke I will builde my churche and hell gates shall neuer preuaile against her and to thee I will geue the kayes off the kingdome of heauen Thus when VVilfrid concluded the kinge saied vnto bishop Colman Were these thinges in dede spoken to Peter of our Lorde To whom the bishop answered yea Can you then saieth the kinge geue euidence of so speciall authoritie geuen to your father Columba The bishop answering No the kinge spake vnto bothe parties and sayed Agree ye bothe in this without any controuersy that these wordes were principally spoken vnto Peter and that vnto him the kayes of the kingdome of heauen were geuen When bothe had answered yea the kinge concluded and saied Then I saye vnto you that I will not gainsaie such a porter as this is but as farre as I knowe and am able I will couet all pointes to obey his ordinaunces lest perhaps when I come to the dores of the kingdome of heauen I finde none to open vnto me hauing his displeasure whiche is so clerely proued to beare the kayes thereof Thus when the kinge had sayed all that sate and stode by of all sortes and degrees abandonning their former vnperfectenesse confourmed them selues to the better instructions whiche they had nowe lerned How bishop Colman being ouercomed retourned home and Tuda succeded in the bishopricke Also what trade of life those gouernours of the church lead The. 26. Chap. THe controuersy being thus ended and the assemble dissolued bishop Agilbert returned home Bishop Colman also seing his doctrine and secte reprouued taking with him such as would folow him that is such as refused to accept the Catholike obseruation of Easter and the bearing of a rounde shauen crowne for of that matter also much disputation then was had returned vnto Scotland minding to deliberat there with his countremen what to folow herein Bisshop Cedda forsaking the Scottes embraced the catholike tradition and returned to his bishoprick This controuersie was moued in the yeare of our Lorde 664. in the 22. yeare of kinge Oswin and in the xxx yeare after the Scottes had ben bisshops ouer the englishmen For Aidan gouuerned the churche 17. yeares Finanus ten and Colman thre After the departure of Colman in to his countre Tuda was sett bishop ouer the Northumberlandmen instructed and created bishop amonge the South Scottes bearing after the maner of that countre a rounde shauen crowne and obseruing the Easter after the Catholike maner He was a man of great vertu and holynesse but he gouuerned the church a small time For he came out of Scotland whiles Colman was yet bishop teaching bothe in worde and with example diligently the true faith in Christ. In holy Ilond at the departure of the Scottes Eata a reuerend father and most meke person was made Abbat ouer the rest of the monkes which remained Who before had ben Abbat of Mailros at the suite of bishop Colman obtaining it of kinge Oswin at his departure bicause the same Eata had ben one of the xij scholers of bishop Aidan which at his first coming in to England he brought vp For this bishop Colman was derely loued of kinge Oswin for his rare wisedome and vertu This Eata not longe after was made bishop of holy Ilond Bishop Colman at his departing toke with him certain of the bones off bishop Aidan Part also he lefte in the church which he was bishop of laying them vp in the vestry thereof But how sparefull personnes he and his predecessours were and how greatly they absteined from all pleasures euen the place where he bare rule did witnesse In the whiche at their departure fewe houses were founde beside the church that is to saye those houses only without the which ciuill conuersation could no wise be maintained They had no mony but cattaill For if they tooke anye mony of riche men by and by they gaue it to poore people Neither was it nedefull that either mony
at Tarsus in Cilicia a maÌ„ bothe in prophane and diuine knowleadg and in the greke and latin tounge excellently lerned in maners and conuersation vertuous and for age reuerend being then lxvj yeres olde Him Adrian offered and presented to the pope and obtained that he was created bishop Yet with these conditions that Adrian should accompany him in to England bicause hauing twise before trauailed in to Fraunce for diuers matters he had therefore more experience in that iourney as also for that he was sufficiently fournished with men of his owne But chiefely that assisting him alwaies in preaching the ghospell he should geue diligent eye and waite that t is Theodore being a greke borne enduced not after the maner of the grekes any doctrine coÌ„trary to the true faith receaued in to the english church now subiect vnto him This man therfore being made subdeacon taried yet in Rome iiij moneths vnte â—l his heare was full growen to take the ecclesiasticall tonsure rounde which before he had taken like vnto the Last church after the maner of S. Paule whereof we shall hereafter treate more at large He was consecrated bishop of Vitalianus then Pope in the yeare of our Lorde 668. the xxvj daie of Marche vpon a Sonday After the xvij of May in the company of Adrian the Abbat he was directed to England Their iourney commenced first by see they arriued to Marsilia and so by lande to Arles where deliuering to Iohn the Archebishop letters of commendation from Vitalian the Pope they were receaued and enterteyned of him vntill that Ebroinus chief of the kinges Courte gaue them saulfeconduit to passe and go whither they entended and woulde Which being graunted them Theodore tooke his iourney to Agilbert bishop of Paris of whome we haue spoken before and was very frindly receaued of him and kept there a longe tyme. But Adrian went first to Emmeson and after to Faron bishop of Meldes and there continewed and rested withe them a good space For wynter was at hand and draue them to abyde quietly in such conuenient place as they could gett Now wheÌ„ word was browght to king Ecgbert that the bishop whom they had desired of the Pope of Rome was come and rested in Fraunce he sent thither straight waye Redfride his lieutenant to bringe and conducte him Who when he came thither tooke Theodore with the license of Ebroinus and browght him to the porte that is named Quentauic Where they continewed a space bicause Theodore was weake sicke and wery And as sone as he began to recouer health againe they sayled to England But Ebroinus with helde backe Adrian suspecting he had some embassie of the Emperours to the kinges of England against the realme of Fraunce wherof at that time he had speciall care and chardge But when he founde in dede that he had no such thinge he dimissed him and suffred him to go after Theodore Who as soone as Adrian came to him gaue him the monasterie of S. Peter thapostle where as I haue mentioned before the Archebishops of Cauntourbury are wonte to be buried For the Pope Apostolâ—que had required Theodore at his departinge to prouide and geane Adrian some place in his diocese where he and his company might commodiously continewe and liue together Howe Theodore visited the countree and howe the churches of England receaued the true Catholique faith and began also to studie the holy scriptures and how Putta was made bishop of Rochester for Damian The 2. Chap. THeodore came to his churche the 2. yere after his consecration the xxvij day of may being sonday and continewed in the same xxi yeres three moneths and xxvj daies And straight way he visyted all the countree ouer where soeuer any english people dwelled for all men did most gladly receaue him and heare him and hauing still with him the coÌ„panie and helpe of Adrian in all thinges dyd sowe abrode and teache the right wayes and pathes of good liuing and the canonical rite and order of keping the feast of Easter For he was the first Archebishop vnto whome all the whole churche of the English nation dyd consent to submit them selues And bicause both he and Adrian as we haue sayd were exceding well learned both in profane and holy literature they gathered a company of disciples or scholers vnto them into whose breastes they dayly dyd powre the flowing waters of holesome knowledge So that beside the expounding of holy scripture vnto them they dyd with al instructe their hearers in the sciences of musick Astronomie and Algorisme In the tounges they so brought vp their scholers that euen to this day some of theÌ„ yet liuing can speake both the Latin and Greeke tonge as well as their owne in which they were borne Neither was there euer since the English meÌ„ came first to Britaine any tyme more happie than at that present For England then had most valiant and Christian princes It was feared of all barbarowse and forrain nations The people at home was all wholly bent to the late ioyfull tydinges of the kingdome of heauen And if any man desired to be instructed in the reading of holy scriptures there lacked not men expert and cunning ready to teache him Againe at this time the tunes and notes of singing in the Churche whiche vntill than were only vsed and knowen in Kent began to be learned throwgh all the churches of EnglaÌ„d The first master of songe in the churches of Northumberland except Iames whome we spake of before was Eddi surnamed Stephen who was called and browght from kent by Wilfride a man most reuerend whiche first among all the byshops that were of the English nation dyd learne and deliuer the Catholique trade of life to the English Churches Thus Theodore vewing ouer and visiting eche where dyd in conuenient places appoynt bishops and with their helpe and assistance together amended such thinges as he found not well and perfecte And among all other when he reproued bisshopp Chaddâ— for that he was not rightly consecrated he made moste humble awnswer and sayde If yow thinke that I haue taken the office of a byshop not in dewe order and maner I am ready withe all my hart to giue vp the same for I did not thinke my selfe euer worthy therof but for obedience sake being so commaunded I dyd agree althowgh vnworthy to take it vpon me Whiche humble awnswere of his Theodore hearing sayd that he should not leaue his bisshopricque but dyd himselfe supplye and complete his consecration after the right and dewe Catholique maner The very same tyme in whiche after the death of Deusdedit an Archebysshopp of Caunterbury was sewed for consecrated and sent from Rome Wilfrid also was sent from England to Fraunce there to be consecrated Who bycause he retourned into kent before Theodore did make priestes and deacons vntill the time that the Archebisshop himselfe came to his see Who at his comming to the
the catholique faith do hereunto subscribe with our owne handes How Iohn the Chantour of the sea Apostolique came into Englande to teache his conninge The. 18. Chap. AT this Synode there was present and also confirmed the decrees of the catholique faith a most reuerēd man named Ihon the chief Chantour of S. Peters churche and abbot of the monasterie of S. Martyns whiche was come of late from Rome by the commaundement of Pope Agatho hauing for his guyde the most reuerend Abbot Bishop surnamed Benedict of whome we spake before For when the sayed Benedict had buylt a monasterie in England in the honour of the most bessed chief of thapostles S. Peter by the mouth of the riuer Were he came to Rome as he had ofte bene wont to do before with his felowe and helper in the same worke Ceolfride who after him was abbot of the same monasterie and was receaued most honourably of Pope Agatho of worthy memorie of whome he desyred and obtained for the warrant and assurance of the libertie of the monasterie that he had erected a letter of priuilege confirmed by the authoritie Apostolique in such forme as he knewe the will and graunt of king Ecgfride to be by whose leaue and liberall gyfte of possession and land he had made the sayd monasterie He obtained also to haue with him the foresayd Abbot Ihon into England to the entente he might teache in his monasterie the yearly course and order of singing as it was in S. Peters at Rome And so the sayd Abbot Ihon did as sone as he had commaundemente by the Pope both with his owne voyce and presence teaching the chantours and singing men of the saied monastery the order and forme of singing and reading and also putting in writing those thinges that appertained to the celebration of highe feastes and holy dayes for the whole cōpasse of the yere Which things of his writing haue bene hitherto kept in the same monastery and are now euery wher copied out by diuerse And the same Ihon did not only teache the brethren of that monasterie but such as were skilled in songe came together to here him almost from all the monasteries of the same prouince And many to did earnestly desyre and entreat him in such places where he taught to come to them him selfe Beside this office and skill to teache synging and reading he had also an other charge in commaundement from the Pope Apostolike which was that he should diligently learne of what faith the churche of England was and bring worde thereof at his retourne to Rome For not longe before there had ben kepte at Rome a Synod by the holy Pope Martin of the consent of Cv. bishops against them principally that preached one only working and will in Christe Which Synode he brought with him and gaue it to be writen and copyed out in the foresayd monasterie of the moste vertuouse Abbot Benedict For such men had at that time very sore troubled the faith of the churche of Constantinople but by the goodnes and gyfte of our Lorde they were anon espied out and conuicted at the same time Wherefore Agatho the Pope minding as in other prouinces so also in England to be enformed what the Churche was and howe clere it was from the pestilent contagions of heretikes committed this charge and busynes to the most Reuerend Abbot Ihon being nowe appointed to go to England And therefore when the synode which we spake of before was called together in England for this purpose the catholike faith was in them all found clere sownd and vncorrupted And a copie of the same was geuen him to carie to Rome But in his retourning homewarde not long after he passed the sea he fell sicke by the way and died His body for the loue of S. Martin whose monasterie he gouerned was by his frendes brought vnto Tours and there buried honorably For as he went toward England he was gentelly receaued and lodged in that churche and desired earnestly of the bretherne ther that whē he retourned to Rome he wold come that way and lodge with them Finally he toke with him from thence certaine to helpe and succour him both in his iourney and also in his busynes that he was charged withall who althoughe he thus died by the way yet neuerthelesse the copie of the Catholique faith of England was brought to Rome and receaued most gladly and ioyfully of the Pope apostolike and of al that heard or read the same How quene Edildred continewed a perpetuall virgin whose body could not be corrupted nor rot in her tombe The. 19. Chapter KIng Egfride tooke to wife a woman named Edildride the doughter of Anna king of the East english of whom we haue ofte made mention a man meruailouse godly and in al pointes notable for vertu both of thought and dede This sayd woman had bene wedded to an other man before him that is to saye to the prince of the South Giruians named Tonbert But he died a litle after he had maried her and then she was geuen to wife to the foresayd kinge With whome she liued xij yeres and yet remained continually a pure and glorious virgin euen as bishop Wilfrid a man of blessed memorie did shewe me enquiring of purpose of the matter bicause many did doubte thereof and saied vnto me that he coulde of all men be a very sure witnesse of her virginitie for so much as kinge Ecgfrid promised to geue him landes and much money if he coulde persuade the quene to vse his companie though yet he knewe well that she loued no man in the world more then him And it is not to be mystrusted but that the same thinge may be done in our time also which hathe ben sometime done in times paste as trewe histories do witnesse whereas one and the same lorde geueth the grace which promiseth to abyde with vs vnto the end of the world For besyde this the signe and token of the diuine miracle in that the flesh of the same virgin buryed could not be corrupted and putrefied doth well shewe that she lyued alway vncorrupted and vntouched of any man Againe it is well knowen she besowght the king very much and a long time that she mighte forsake the cares of the world and haue leaue to go into a monasterie and ther◠only to serue Christ the true king Which when she had at last obtayned she entred into the monasterie of Abbesse Ebbe who bare a good affection to kinge Ecgfride The monasterie standeth in a towne called Coludi and the aforesayd byshop VVilfride gaue her the veale and habit of a nonne Within a yere after whiche she was herselfe made an Abbesse in the I le of Ely in which place there was built a monastery of virgins dedicated to God amonge whom she began to be a very good mother and virgin bothe in examples and also good lessons of heauenly lyfe Of her it is sayd that after the
prepared holy vessels lightes and other necessaries appertaining to the better furniture and adorninge of the church of God Againe he sent for a cunning Musician named Mabam which was taught by the successours of Pope Gregory his schollars in Canterbury to teach him and his clergy to tune and singe For the which purpose he kept him xij yeares to the ende he might partly teach them certaine verses and songes of the church which they could not yet singe partly by his singular conninge bringe in vre againe suche songes and tunes as for lacke of vse had ben quite and cleane forgotten For bishop Acca him selfe was a very cunninge Musician wel lerned in holy scripture sounde and perfect in the Catholique faith expert and skilfull in all orders rules and disciplines of the churche and so continued vntil it pleased God to rewarde him for his good zeale and deuotion He was brought vp froÌ„ a childe in the most holy and vertuous prelate Bosa his clergy then bishop of yorke and afterward comminge to VVilfride vppon hope of some better lerning spent all his time in his seruice vntil deathe arrested him He went with him also to Rome and lerned many holy and necessary ordinaunces of the church which he could not attaine vnto in his own countrye How Abbot Ceolfride sent to the kinge of Pictes or Redshankes cunninge carpenters and workemen to builde him a churche and an epistle with all touchinge the Catholique celebration of the feast of Easter and after what maner priests and religious men should be shaâ—en The. 22. Chapter THE same time Naitane kinge of the Pictes which inhabit the Northe coaste of Britanny admonished by often meditation of holy scripture abandonned the errour which he and al his country had longe kept touching the keping of Easter and brought him selfe and al his subiectes to the catholike solemnising and dewe obseruation of the time of Christes resurrection Which that he might bring to passe with lesse difficulty and more authority he required ayde of the Englishmen whome he knewe to haue framed their religion after the counterpaine and example of the holy church of Rome and sea Apostolike For he sent ambassadoures to that Reuerend father Ceolfride Abbot of the monastery dedicated to the blessed Apostles Peter and Paule situated at the mouthe of the ryuer Were and not farre from the riuer Tyne in a place called Ingiruum where he ruled with great honour and admiration next after Benedict of whome we haue made mention before desyringe to receiue from him some earnest and forceable exhortation both to persuade him self and also to confute all other which wold presume to keape the fest of easter after their owne fansye and custome and not according to the ordinaunce of Christes churche He requested farder to haue instructions by his letters what maner of tonsure the clergy should vse Notwithstandinge he was partly already informed in many points requisite for that purpose With all he desired to haue some conninge and expert woork men to builde him a churche of great stone accordinge to the manner of building in Rome promising to dedicat the same in the honour of sainct Peter head and cheif of the apostles and to folowe euermore with all his wholle realme the ordre and fasshion of the churche of Rome and see Apostolique so farre forthe as men not knowing the Romayns tounge and farre distant from them might attaine to the knowledg thereof Vpon sight of these letters Ceolfride muche tendring his godly purpose and intent sent him such cunnyng and expert artificers as he required and withall letters indighted as it foloweth To the right honourable and moste renouned Prince Naitane Ceolfride Abbat sendeth greting in our Lorde The Catholik obseruation of holy Easter wherein you desire to be instructed right godly and renowned Prince we haue gladly and diligeÌ„ly endeuoured to set forth vnto you in these presents according as of the See Apostolique we haue our selues ben informed and taught Of whiche your zeale we thanke highly allmighty God knowing well that when princes and Lordes of the earth do employ their study to lerne to teache and to obserue the truth it is a singular benefit and speciall gift of God geuen vnto his Churche And most truly spake a heathen philosopher saying that the worlde should then be happy when either kinges embraced philosoply or els philosophers might beare the Soueraynte Now if by the philosophy of this world knowleadg of the worlde might be hadd where by the worlde might be beloued how much the more ought such as are cityzens of the heauenly countre aboue and but straungers in this worlde desire labour and with all meanes possible be suppliantes to God that the higher power and charge they beare in this world the more they applie them selues to harken after and vnderstande the will and pleasure of that highe Iudge which iudgeth all and bothe them selues obey gladly the same and moue also all other committed vnto their charge by their example and authoryte to fulfill and perfourme the same To come therefore to the matter wherein you require to be instructed you shall vnderstande we haue in holy scripture iij rules sett forthe vnto vs by the which the true and iust time of solemnising the feast of Easter is appointed which by no authorite of man can be chaunged Of the which rules two were taught by God in the lawe of Moyses the third is ioyned in the ghospell by the effecte off Christes passion and resurrection For the lawe off Moyses commaunded that in the first moneth of the yeare and in the third weke of that moneth that is from the fiftenth daye vntell the one and twentith Easter should be kept And it was added by the institution of the Apostles out of the ghospell that in the same third weke we should tary for the Sonday and in it celebrat our Easter This triple rule if a man diligently note and obserue he shall neuer misse in the cownte of Easter But if it be yower pleasure to haue euery particular poynte more pitthely and largely declared it is written in Exodus where the people of Israel ar commaunded to kepe the feast of Easter when they shulde be deliuered owte of Aegipte that God said to Moyses and Aaron This moneth shal be vnto yowe the begynninge of all monethes and cheafest in the hole yere Speake to all the children of Israel and tell them The x. day of this moneth lett euerye man take a lambe accordinge to their familiee and howseholde And a litle after he saith And you shall kepe him vntill the xiiij day of the same moneth And all the whole multitude of Israel shall offer the same vp in sacrifice at the euening By the which wordes it is euideÌ„t that in the obseruation of Easter though the fourtenth day of the first moneth be mentioned yet it is not so mentioned that on that day Easter should be kept but in the
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
kepinge of Easter but nowe I do so well knowe the cause and reason why it shuld be so obserued that me thinketh I had no knowledg of it at all before wherfore I professe and openly protest before you all that ar here present that from henceforth I and all my people wil kepe the feast of Easter at the time which is here described I thinke it good also that all priests and religious men in my realme ought to receaue this kinde and manner of shauing which we haue heard to be very reasonable And without any furder delaye by his princely authority he performed that which he spoke For forthwith the accompte of xix yeres were sent abrode by a publique edicte to be copied oute lerned and obserued through out al the prouinces of the Pictes the erroneous accomptes of 84. yeres altogether blotted oute All priestes and religious men had their heads shauen rounde after the trew shape aâ—d figure of a crowne And all the whole country being well reformed was glad that they were reduced now to the discipline and ordre of saincte Peter primate and head of the Apostles and committed as though it were to his patronage and protection How the monkes of Hij with other monasteries vnder their iurisdiction beganne at the preaching of Egbert to kepe Easter after the canonical ordonaunce of Christes church The 23. Chapter NOt longe after the monkes of Scotland which inhabitt the island Hij with al other monasteries vnder their iurisdiction were brought by gods great prouidence to the canonicall obseruation of Easter and ryght manner of ecclesiasticall tonsure For the yere after Christes incarnation 716. when Coenrede toke the gouuernaunce and souerayntye off Northumberlande after Osrede was slayne the derely beloued of God and honourably of me to be named the Father and priest Ecgbert cominge vnto them owt of Irelande was honourably receiued and ioyfully intertayned of them This Ecgbert beinge diligently heard of theÌ„ as one that had a singular good grace in preachinge and that practised in lyfe with much deuotioÌ„ which he taught openly in their congregation dyd chaunge by godly exhortations and aduertisements the olde tradition of their forefathers Of whom we may verifie that saying of the Apostle Aemulationem dei habebant sed non secundum scientiam They had an earnest desyre to folow God but not accordinge to knowleadge And he taught theÌ„ by one appointed compasse which shoulde be perpetuall to kepe the chefe and princypall feast after the Catholique churches institution and manner of the Apostles The which appeareth to be done to by the great goodnesse and infinit mercy of God that because the countre which had the knowleadge of God and his holy worde dyd freely and gladly communicate the same to englishmen shoulde them selues afterward come to a more perfect trade of life then they had before by the helpe and instruction of Englishmen also now associated and allied vnto them As contrary wise the Britons which woulde not ones open their mouthe to teache the Englishmen the knowleadge of Christ which they had before receiued are nowe hardned in blindnesse and halte allwaies from the right waie of truthe neither vsing the ecclesiasticall tonsure after dew maner neither celebrating the solemne feste of Easter in the societe of the Catholike church Whereas now all Englishmen are established in the faith and perfectly instructed in all pointes of Catholike religion The monkes of the Iland Hij in Scotland receiued at the preaching of the lerned father Ecgbert the Catholike rites and customes vnder their Abbat Dumchad about 80. yeares after they sent Bishopp Aidan to preache the faith to Englishmen This man of God Ecgbert remained in that Ilande xiij yeres which he had now as though it were newly and first consecrated vnto Christ by reducing it to the Catholike vnite and societe The same good father in the yere of our Lorde 728. vpon Easter daye which then fell vpon the xxiiij of Aprill after he had that day saied Masse in remembraunce of our Lordes resurrection departed this worlde and finished that day that ioyfull festiuite with our Lorde and all the blessed company in heauen which he had begonne with his brethern euen that day by him reduced to the Catholique vnite And truly the prouidence of God herein was wonderfull that that Reuerent father should passe out of this worlde to the Father not only vpoÌ„ an Easter day but also vpoÌ„ that Easter day which was the first Easter after the Catholike order celebrated in that place The brethern therefore reioysed bothe for the certaine and Catholike obseruation of Easter then lerned and also to see their teacher and master that time also to passe to God to be there their patrone and intercessour The good father also reioysed that he liued here so longe vntell he might see presently his scholers to celebrat with him that Easter whiche euer before they shunned and abhorred So this most reuerend Father being nowe certainly assured of their vndoubted amendment reioysed to see that day of our Lorde He sawe it I saie and reioysed What is the state of EnglishmeÌ„ or of all BrytaÌ„nie at this present with a brief recapitulation of the whole worâ— and with a note of the tyme. The. 24. Chap. THE yeare of Christes incarnation 725. which was the vij off Osric kinge of Northumberlandes raygne Vicbert Ecgbertes sonne kinge of kent passed oute of this transitorie lyfe the xxiij of Aprill leauing iij. sonnes Edilbert Eadbert and Aldric heires of his kingdome whiche he hadd gouuerned 34. yeares and a halffe After his death the next yeare folowing Tobias bishoppe of Rochester died a man certainly well lerned as I mentioned before for he was scholler to ij Masters of most blessed memory Archebishoppe Theodore and Abbat Adrian By which occasion beside his knowledge in diuinitie and all other sciences he so perfectly lerned the greeke tounge and the Latyn that he had them as perfecte and familiar as his owne propre language He is buried in a litle chappel of saincte Paule whiche he builded in S. Andrewes churche for a toumbe and place of buriall after his deathe After him Aldwulff succeded in the bishoppricke and was consecrated by Berthwalde the Archebishoppe The yeare of our Lorde 729. appeared ij greate blasinge starres aboute the sonne makinge all that behelde them maruelously afraied For one went before the sonne euery morninge the other appeared in the eueninge streyt after the sonne was downe presaging as it were to the east and weast some greate destruction Or if you wil saie one appeared before daye the other before night that by bothe the saied tymes they myght signifie diuerse miseries to hange ouer mens heads They helde vp a fyer brande towarde the Northe ready as it were to set all a fyer They appeared in Ianuarye and continued almoste ij weekes At what time the Saracenes wasted and spoiled Fraunce with much murder and bloudshed Who not longe after
Princely hart the more be kindled and coÌ„firmed most humbly and lovvly I beseche the same to beholde a fevve examples of the most puissant Princes that haue ben in Christendom vvhich in that singular vertu haue principally excelled At vvhat time Princes and Emperours hauing certaine hundred yeares fought and striued all in vaine against the light of the ghospel and publishing of Christen religion beganne at length them selues to take the svvete yoke of Christe to submit their Sceptres to his holy Crosse and ioyning deuoute humilite vvith vvordly policie began to procure their soule helth and to prouide for the vvorlde to come then the prophecy of Esaie vvas in them fullfilled saying to the churche of Christ. Beholde I will stretche out mine hande to the gentils and sett vpp my token to the people They shall bringe thee thy sonnes in their lappes and cary their daughters vnto thee vppon their shoulders For kinges shall be thy nursing Fathers and Quenes shall be thy nursing mothers They shall fall downe before thee c et Then their chiefe endeuour and principall care hath ben to maintaine the only Catholike faith in their dominions and to chase eftesoones all schismes and heresies that from time to time sprange vp amonge Constantin the great vvorthely so called for sondry respects the Arrian heresy vnder him arising laboured by all meanes possible and semely to his princely vocation to queÌ„che the same For this purpose first he directed that lerned and vertuous Father Osius bisshop of Corduba in Spayne to the churches of AEgypte vvhere the terrible tragedy of that hainous heresie beganne vvith his letters of exhortation to reconcile them againe vvhich vvere diuided in matters of the faith He vvrote also to Arrius him selfe and Alexander the bisshop of Alexandria persuading vvith them to come to agreement and accorde After al this fuffising not at the motion and order of the vertuous bishops of that time and by their ordinary meanes he caused the truthe of the controuersy to be enquired examined and discussed in a full and generall Councell helde at Nice vvhere he presented him selfe bearing the charges of the bishops that dvvelled farre of After this councell according to the determination of those holy Fathers for quieting the church he banished Arrius Theognis Euâ—ebius of Nicomedia and other masters of that secte He talked also and commoned vvith Acesius a bishopp of the Nouatians labouring to vvinne him to the Catholike church againe Being troubled also vvith Donatus and his complices breding then a nevve secte in Christes church against Caecilianus their lavvfull bishop he vvrote vnto Miltiades then Pope of Rome to decide the matter and directed a commission out of his ovvne Courte for the better expedition of the same Thus laboured that vertuous and Christen Emperour Constantin the great to maintaine the vnite of Christes church and to abolish all heresies in the prouinces of the vvhole vvorld then subiect vnto him This glasse he lefte to his posterite other Christen Princes to looke on Valentinian the first the next catholike Emperour of any continuaunce after Constantin so earnestly tâ—Ì„dred the catholike religion that vvhen ValeÌ„s his brother the ArriaÌ„ Emperour of the East demaunded aide of him against the Gotthes then breaking in to the Romain empire he ansvvered that being an heretike it could not stande vvith his conscience and religion to helpe him fearing vvorthely the checke that God by the mouth of Iehu gaue to Iosaphat kinge of â—uda for aiding the Apostata and Idolater Achab kinge of Israell Theodosius successour of Valens in the East called also the great for his vvorthy and princely qualities for the maintenaunce of the catholike faith of Christes church published an edict against the Arrians and the Manichees vvherby he imbarred them all maner of assembles preaching or teaching banished theÌ„ out of cites and places of resorte commaunding also no man should company vvith them Againe the same Emperour after much disputations and conferences had vvith the Arrians perceauing at lenght by the aduise of Sisâ—nius that they agreed not amonge them selues nor approued the lerned vvriters in Christes churche before their time bothe vvhich great faultes are euident in the principal promoters of this nevv pretended religion vtterly to extinguish all heresy and for a finall extirping of schisme he vvith Gratian commaunded expressely that such doctrine and religion only shoulde take place as Damasus then Pope off Rome taughte and allovved Honorius and Arcadius sonnes to Theodosius folovved the godly steppes of the vertuous Prince their Father Thereupon Arcadius by the stoute aduise of Chrisostom vvould not graunt to Gainas a famous Scythian Captain vnder him one poore corner in all the East to practise his Arrian profession in Honorius likevvise hauing information of the horrible schismes of the Donatistes in Afrike directed in commission thither Marcellinus to be present at a general assemble in Carthage of the caholike bishops and the Donatistes as it appeareth by the conferences of that assemble yet extant in the vvorkes of S. Augustin Hovv diligent Theodosius the second next successour to the foresaied Emperours vvas in extirping the heresy of Nestorius and in setting forth the right doctrine touching the godhed of the holy Gost against Macedonius and his scholers the vvritings of Cyrillus ad Reginas and to Theodosius him selfe do euidently declare After these Marcianus the Emperour vvith that vertuous princesse Pulcheria laboured diligently to extinguish the heresy of Eutyches as it may appeare by sundry epistles of lerned Leo then Pope of Rome solliciting eftsoones the Emperour thereto and by the Actes of the fourth generall councell of Chalcedon VVhich not long after him Iustinus the Emperour vvith sâ—ch Christen zeale defended that he caused Seuerus the schismaticall bishop of Antioch to haue his touÌ„g cut out for the daily blasphemies he vttered against that councell Iustinian also his successour caused al the hereticall bookes and vvritinges of the saied Seuerus and other to be burned and made it death to any that kept or vsed any such books The Christen zeale of this Emperour tovvard the maintenaunce of Christen religioÌ„ is declaredin the fift general couÌ„cel kept at CoÌ„stantinople against sundry heresies Procopius coÌ„mending the earnest and vertuous zeale of this Emperour vvriteth that he vvould neuer admit Gelimerius a valiaunt Captain and one that had done him noble seruice ioyning vvith Belisarius in the vvarres against the VVandalls vnto the order of his Nobilite bicause he vvas infected vvith the Arrian heresy Such hath alvvaies beÌ„ most gracious Souuerain the vertuous zeale of the vvisest and most politicke Princes to extirpat heresies and false religioÌ„ out of their dominioÌ„s knovving right vvel that none are better subiects to the Prince than such as most deuoutly serue almighty God And again that nothing more highly pleaseth God thaÌ„ that a prince do farder and set forth the true seruice and vvorshipping of him Such
ditionis regiones imprimat aut alibi impressam distrahat aliter quám eidem Thomae videbitur sub poena in Diplomate constituta Datum Bruxellae 20. 23. Iunij 1565. Subsig Bourgeois Facuwez THE PREFACE TO THE READER THe kingdom of heauen is compared in holy scripture christen Reader to a marchant aduenturer whiche seking and trauailing to finde precious stones hauing at length founde out one of singular and most excellēt value goeth and selleth al that he hath to bye that one What this singular and most excellent perle is whereunto the kingdom of heauen is compared if we weigh and ponder diligently we shall finde it to be no other thing then the Faith in Christe Iesus whereby the kingdom of heauen is vndoubtedly purchased This perle is of price so singular and of value so excellent that to gett it we sell al that we haue we renounce the worlde the fleshe and the diuell with all the pompe thereoff we cleaue onely to this we professe to lyue and dye in it This precious pearle off Fayth this singular iewell of true belefe this heauenly treasure off the right knoweleadge off God and off his commaundements as all nations att one tyme receyued nott God off hys secrett and right iustice sufferring the Nations to walke on their waies but in seuerall ages and by seuerall meanes as and when it pleased God was opened and made manifest so haue al nations not only for that solde all which they had yelding and submitting them selues only and wholly thereto but also haue stedfastly and assuredly cleaued vnto it haue by longe succession preserued it and enioyed it If any haue in time vtterly lost this most excellent and rare iewell as we see alas all the Southe and all most all the East part of the worlde hath the cause thereof hath ben the alteration and new deuised furbishing of that perle from the former and natural shape thereof first and formest receiued Such nations and partes of the worlde as haue in many ages and do yet kepe and enioy this riche and princely treasure do therefore yet kepe it and enioye it bicause they continew and remaine in it after such order and maner only as they receiued it bicause they kepe it as they founde it bicause they continue it as they begonne it Of the first if we remembre the breaking in of the Wandals in to Afrike about the yeare of our Lorde 400. men soone after infected with the Arrian haeresy if we call to minde the great rage and tumult of heresies in the Greke Churche Arrians Macedonians Eutychians Monothelites and a numbre of such other if we will truste the reporte and course of Hystories thereof we shall euidently see that this inestimable iewell off the Christen faithe hath in Afrike and Grece vtterlye ben loste bicause they departed from the first paterne deliuered vnto them bicause they altered the faith first receiued amonge them brefely bicause they yelded to heresies Of the later if we haue an eye to the vniformite of the Christē faith first receiued in al such countres as yet remaine Christians with the faith first planted and graffed amonge them if we looke to Italy to Fraunce to Spaine to the catholike territories of Grece of Germany of Suicerland to the kingdomes of Poole of Portugall and of other maine landes in other places off the worlde dispersed where the precious iewell of this faith is knowen and enioyed we shall finde that all those countres haue and do therefore yet continew in the same bicause they varie not from the first faith receiued bicause they mangle not the iewell geuen vnto them neither alter the naturall shape thereof brefely bicause they beleue al one thinge and after one sorte as their first teachers and Apostles beleued and taught them For why They haue well remēbred the admonitions of S. Paule to the Corinthians conuerted by him to the faith of Christ when he wrote vnto them and saied Vigilate state in fide Wathch and stande in the faith◠Also to Timothe by him in like maner christened writing vnto him and saying O Timothee depositum custodi deuitans prophanas vocum nouitates O Timothe keape wel that is committed to thy charge auoiding prophane nouelties of wordes And again to the Colossians praising them for the faith receiued if yet saieth he ye continew stedfast and grounded in the faith if we wauer not from the hope of the gospel which ye haue heard which hath ben preached in all the worlde Al Christened Catholike countrees haue wel remembred these lessons of the Apostle And as many as haue remembred and folowed them haue remained and do yet remaine in the faith of Christ haue long enioyned and do yet enioye this rare and inestimable iewell compared to the kingdom of heauen As al other countres haue so done so haue we englishmen also these many hundred yeres kept and preserued sound and whole the precious perle of right faith and belefe as longe as we remained stedfast in the faith first plāted and graffed amōg vs as long as we kept that which was committed vnto vs as longe as we wauered not from the gospell first receaued and vniuersally preached through all the worlde as S. Paule willeth vs. But after we beganne to alter and poolish after our owne newe deuises this auncient perle so lōg kept amonge vs so vniuersally made of and estemed after we forsooke the first paterne off the Christen faith deliuered vnto vs we haue fallen in to plenty of heresies from one heresy to an other from Lutherā to sacramentary and so forth we stande also in daunger to fall as other countres haue done before vs from a false faith to no faith from heresy to paganisme The which lamentable and dreadfull state to the entent we may by the example of other countres and by the aduertisement of the Apostle beware and eschew◠to the entent we lese not vtterly in time this inestimable treasure off our Christen faith that we may remembre vnde exiderimus from whence we haue fallen I haue thought good to put thee in mind Christen Reader of this precious iewell of our faith in Christ what and of what maner it was when wefirst receiued it how and when we came by it what force and authorite it ought to beare with vs and last of all how farre and wide it varieth frō the pretended false faith of these wicked daies As touching the former pointes what the faith first planted among vs englisshmē was how and when we receiued it bicause it is a matter historicall in an History'ye shall reade it As concerning the later pointes of what authorite the faith then planted ought to be and how notoriously the false faith of this time pretended differeth from the same bicause it is a matter of doctrine a matter to be tried by lerning in a treatise by itselfe as farre as our abilite serueth it shall be proued and tried The history
While ye peruse this ye may remembre the lewde lies and slaunderous reproches of protestants daily preaching and writing that after S. Gregory al faith was lost Gods honour was trode vnder foote all right religion was ouerturned and that by the Popes them selues Better to bestowe idle houres in such vertuous lessons as this History geueth and more charitable to note the godly writinges of the Popes here also comprised then to prie out with baudy Bale the euill liues of our superiours Who were they as badde as the Pharisees or worse yett they are to be obeyed by the coÌ„maundement of our Sauiour in such thinges as they saie though not to be folowed in their doinges Truly monasteries beinge now throwen downe no examples of vertu and and perfection appering in such as now preache and teach all remembraunce of Christen deuotion would be forgotten if the helpe of stories were not As touching the manifold miracles mencioned in this history note the person that reporteth them and the time they were done in to witt in the primitiue church of the english nation At the planting of a faith miracles are wrought of God by the handes of his faithful for more euidence thereof Good life in such as newly receiue the faith is more feruent Visions and and working of miracles accompanie those as liue in such feruent goodnesse and perfection We haue therfore rather more cause to lament the corrupt state of our time and the kaye colde deuotion of this age then to miscredit the perfect behauiour of our primitiue church and the miracles wrought therein Opera dei reuelare confiteri glorio sumâ—est It is an honourable thinge to reuele and confesse the workes of God saieth the Angel to Tobias in holy scripture Such therefore as wil thinke the miracles of this history here reported either vncredible either vnprofitable and such as might haue ben left out truly either they must denie the author or enuie at Gods honour Such as denie the author we wil not force theÌ„ to beleue him We make it not a matter of such necessite or importauuce Yet this I thinke I may be bold to require them that they beleue as farre S. Bede as they do the Actes and monuments of Fox the storie of Bale and such other I thinke it no sinne to matche Venerable Bede with any of them in any respect either off lerning honesty or truthe It may rather sauour of sinne or at lest off wronge iudgement and great partialite to beleue Bale and discredit Bede the one being notoriously bent to one side the other without al suspicioÌ„ off fauouring any side the one a late knowen naughty man the other a confessed holy man of al the Latin church Last of al the one thought lerned only off a few the other accompted for excellently lerned euen of the protestants them selues namely those of Basil who haue most diligently and with much commendation published his workes But I may seme to do iniury to that holy man to coÌ„pare him with any of our daâ—es glory he neuer so much of the sprit or off the ghospell To returne therefore to the matter no indifferent Reader hath any cause to discredit the miracles reported in this History if he will haue an eie to the person that writeth and to the time in which they were wrought Nay rather it is no small argument for the confirmation of our Catholike faith planted amonge vs englishmen that at the planting therof such miracles were wrought Of this argument in the second part of the Fortresse we haue treated more at large To that place I referre the Reader If otherwise the History for the often miracles here repeted seme to any man vaine fabulous or vncredible him earnestly I require diligently to pondre and beare away that which foloweth First generally in an ecclesiasticall history in a history writen off the Churche in the Historicall narration of matters pertaining to God to faith and to religion it hath euer so fallen out in all Christen writers that of miracles much and often mencion hath ben made Who so peruseth the ecclesiasticall histories of Eusebius Pamphilus and of Ruffinus the tripartit history of Socrates Sozomenus and Theodoret the history of Euagrius and Nicephorus he shall finde in them straunge and miraculous matters in the liues of holy meÌ„ reported For example of such Eusebius reporteth of Narcissus a holy man that light lacking in the church all the oyle of the lampes being spente he made by praierwell water to serue in stede of oyle and the lampe light to burne by that Also of the same man he writeth that whereas three men had periured them selues in an accusation against him eche one wishing to him selfe diuerse plages and vengeaunce from God if their accusation was false eche one had soone after the plage that he wished falling vpon him euidently and miraculously The same writer reporteth of an herbe growing before an image of our Sauiour in Caesarea of Phaenicia where also an other image standeth of the woman cured by Christ of the bluddy flixe which herbe after that by groweth it toucheth the brasen hemme of the Images garment it cureth deseases of all sorte Ruffinus in like maner in his ecclesiasticall history reporteth miraculous things of Spiridion the holy bishop of Tremithunt in Cypres as that when certain theues would haue stolen of his shepe and came to the folde in the night time for that purpose he found them in the morning fast bounde withoutâ— any man to binde them Who finding theÌ„ in such case in the morning and vndertstanding the causeâ—therof absoluit sermone quos meritis vinxerat He loosed them by his worde which before had bound them by his merites saith the History Againe whereas a certaine fâ—ende of his had left with his daughter Irenee by name a certain pleadg and the maide minding to kepe it sure hyding it vnder the earth and dying shortly after without telling the Father any thing thereof the party came soone after to require the pleadg Spiridion the holy bishop not being able otherwise to finde it about his house and seing the poore man greuously lameÌ„ting the losse thereof went hastely to the graue where the maide lay and called her by her name Who straight answering him he asked her where she had laied the pleadg of such a man which the maide forthwith told him and he therupoÌ„ founde it and restored it to the party Thus much and more reporteth the ecclesiastical history of Ruffinus writen about the yere of our Lorde 400. If I would stand vpon the recitall of other miracles in that history reported done at the Crosse of Christ founde out by Helena done by a captiue Christian woman in Iberia done by the scholers of S. Antony the eremite Isidorus Moyses and other If I should likewise make a particular recitall of the miracles mencioned in the tripartit History wrought by the Crosse of Constantin of the visions
with Valentinian the 46. emperour after August raigned vij yeres In whose time the people of the English or Saxons being sent for of the sayd kyng in to Britanny landed there in iij. longe shipps and by the kynges commaundement is appointed to abide in the east part of the land as to defende the couÌ„try like frendes but in dede as it proued afterward as minding to destroy the country as enemies Wherefor encountring with the northen enemy the Saxons had the better Wherof they sending word home in to their country as also of the batfulnes of the lande and the cowardnes of the Britannes the Saxons sent ouer a greater nauy and number of men better appointed for the warres which being now ioyned with the former bande drew to a stronger army then all the power of the Britannes was able to ouercomme These by the Britannes wer allowed a place to dwell among them with that coÌ„dition that they should war for them against their enemies and should receiue waiges of the Britannes for their trauailes These that cam from beyond the seas wer iij. of the strongest natioÌ„s in Germany That is the SaxoÌ„s English the and the Vites Of the Vites cam the people of Kent and of the I le of Wite and they which in the prouince of the West Saxons or called vnto this day the nation of the Vites right ouer against the I le of wite Of the Saxons that is of that region which now is called of the ould Saxons desceÌ„ded the east Saxons the south Saxons and the west Saxons Of the English that is of that country which is called England and from that time to this is thought to stande in the middest betwene the Vites and the Saxons descendeth the easte English the vplandish English the Marshes and all the progeny of the Northumbers that is of that people which inhabiteth the north side of the flud Humber The chiefe capitaynes of the Saxons ar sayd to haue ben ij brothers Hengistus and Horsus Of the which Horsus being after slayne in battaill of the Britannes was buried in the east partes of kent where his tombe bearing his name is yet to shew They wer the sonnes of one Vetgissus whose father was Vecta whose father was Voden of whose ishew many kynges of sundry prouinces had their originall Now then great companies of the sayd nations dayly flocking in to this Iland they begaÌ„ to grow so stroÌ„ge that the people of the couÌ„try which sent for them stode in great feare of their powessance And sodaynly taking leage with the Pictes whom they had now dreuen farder of beganne to turne their force vppon the Brytannes And first they require of them more plenty of vittayles and pycking matter of falling owt with them threateneth them that except they wold prouide them better store they wold break of wyth them and spoyle all the country about And as much as they then promised they after in dede performed To be short the fire once kendled in the handes of the Paganes tooke iust reuenge of the wyckednesse of the people not much vnlike vnto that fire which being kendled of the Caldees consumed the citty of Ierusalem So allso this fire of vengaunce the wycked conquerour kendeling it or rather God the iuste iudge disposing it raiged first vppon the citties and countrey next vnto it after from the east sea vnto the west ouer whelmed all the whole Iland with out any resistaÌ„ce made to queÌ„ch it Both publick and priuat houses were ouerthrowne to the grownd the priestes wer slayne standing at the aultar the bisshops with their flock wer murdered without respect of their dignitie nor was there any that wold bury the slayne Sum of the miserable leuinges being taken in the hilles wer there kylled other being sterued with hungre wer fayne to creape out of their caues and buy their vittall at their enemies hands with sale of their liberte for euer if yet they wer not killed owt of hand Other fled ouer the seas with a heauy hart Other taryeng still in their country in feare of death and lack of foode liued full miserably in the mountaines woddes and cliffes How the Britannes obteyned the first victory of the English by the helpe of Ambrosius a Romane The. 16. Chapter BVt after that the English men hauing nowe dryuen owt and disperkled the lande dwellers wer come back agayne the Britannes by litle and litle begannne to take strength and couraige vnto them comyng out of their caues in which they lay hidde before and with one vniforme consent calling for heauenly helpe that they might not for euer vtterly be destroyed They had then for their capitaine a Romane called Ambrosius Aurelianus a gentle natured man which only of all the blud of the Romans remayned then a liue his parentes being slayne which bore the name of the kynge of the country This man being their Capitaine they assembled them selues together and prouokyng the victoures to the fight through gods assistance atcheiued the victory And from that day forward now the men of the country nâ—w the enemye had the victory vntill the yere that Bathe was beseiged where they gaue their enemies a great ouerthrowe which was about the xliiij yere of their comyng in to the land But of this we shall speake more here after How Germanus the bishop sayling with Lupus in to Britanny ceased first the tempest of the sea after the stormes of the Pelagian heresies by the power of God The. 17. Chapter A Few yeres before the comming of the Saxonnes in to the lande the Pelagian heresies being browght in by Agricolâ— the son of Seuerianâ—s a Pelagian bishop did sore corrupte the faith of the Britannes But the BritaÌ„nes being neither willing to receiue their lewde doctrine as blasphemous against the grace of God neither able to refute their wylye and wycked persuasioÌ„s they deuiseth this holsom couÌ„sel to seeke for ayde of the byshops of Fraunce against these their spiritual enemies And they calling a coÌ„mon counsell coÌ„sulted among them selues whom of them all it wer best to send to helpe their neybours faith By the assent of them all ther was chosen ij worthy prelates Germanus Altisiodorensis and Lupus bishop of the cite Trecassa which should passe ouer in to Britanny to confirme them in the faith which with reddy obedience accepting the commaundement of the Synode tooke shipping thether ward and had very prosperous windes vntill they were halfe way ouer betwene Fraunce and Britanny Then sodenly as they wer sayling the diuell much enuyeng that such men should goe to recouer the people out of their dauÌ„ger and winne them to the right faith of Christ he rayseth such tempestes and stormes against them that a maÌ„ could not know day from night The sayles ar not able to beare the boysterous fury of the winde the marinours being in despair gaue ouer the ship was guided rather by the prayer of the good theÌ„ pollice of
astonyd at the sight of so straunge a miracle and in all their harts the catholik fayth therby confirmed After that he preacheth to the people of the redresse of the said heresies And by the assent of them all the first authors thereof ar condemned to be banished the land and ar deliuered vnto the priestes to be coÌ„ueyed beyound the sea that by this punishement both the country might be ridd of them and they of their heresy Wherby it came to passe that in that places the fayth longe time after remayned sound and vndefiled All thinges thus ordered the holy priestes retourned with like good spede as they came Saynt Germane after this went to Rauenna to treate for peace for the people of litle Britanny in fraunce and there wyth great reuerence being receiued of Valentinian the emperour and Placidia his mother he deceased vnto Christ whose corps wyth an honorable company was conueyed vnto his owne church not wythout miracles donne by the way therby Not long after Valentinian is kylled of the souldiars of Etius patricius whom he had slayne before the syxt yere of Marcianus raygne with whom the west empire decayed and came to ruine How the Britannes being free from all foraine warres fell at warres with in them selues and to all other myscheifes The. 22. Chap. AT this time the Britannes wer at peace with all other forayne ennemies but yet at warres with in them selues Their citties and townes lay waste which the ennemies had destroyed and they which had eskaped the handes of the enemies wer slayne many of them of their owne felowes But hauing yet as freshe in mynd the late calamites and slawghters they sustayned their priestes peres and subiectes kept theÌ„ selues sumwhat in order But after their death the generation that followed litle knowing and lesse regarding the stormes paste in their fathers dayes and hauing respecte only to that present prosperous estate in the which they then liued wer so set to breake al good orders of truth and iustice that skant any tokeÌ„ or remembrance thereof remayned but only in few ant that in very few Among many other of their horrible doinges which their owne historiographer Gildas doth lamentably set forth in writing he sayeth of theÌ„ thus that they neuer tooke care to preache the gospell of Christ vnto the English and Saxons which inhabited the land among them But yet the goodnes of God did not so forsake his people whom he foreknew to be saued But prouided for the sayd nation of the English much more worthy preachers by whome they might be brought vnto his fayth How Saynt Gregory the Pope sent Saynt Augustine with certaine religious men to conuert the Englishmen and with letters of exhortation encouraged them in their enterprise The. 23. Chap. THe yere of chincarnatioÌ„ of our Lord 582. Mauritius the 54. Emperour after August raigned Emperour of Rome 21. yeres The x. yere of whose raygne Gregorius being a maÌ„ of the greatest vertu and learning of his time was theÌ„ bishop of the Romane and Apostolick see which he gouerned xiij yeres vj. monethes x. dayes Which the xiiij yere of the raygne of the sayd emperour and about the huÌ„dreth and fiftyth yere of the English meÌ„s coming in to BritaÌ„ny being moued by inspiratioÌ„ of god there vnto sent the seruaunt of God S. Augustine and certaine other moÌ„kes which feared god with him to preach the word of God vnto the nation of the English men Which obeying the bishops coÌ„maundement when they beganne to take the sayd enterprise in hand and had allready trauailed part of the way they bethought them selues it should be better for them to returne home againe then to goe vnto that barbarous and saluage countrie whose language they knew not And thus by common assent they determined to do as being the more surer way Wher vppon they sendeth Augustine backe againe to the Pope whom he had appoynted to be bishop ther if they wer receiued of the English men humbly to require him that they might not go forward in that so vncertaine so perilous and paynfull peregrination Whom he yet exhorted by letters that putting their trust in the helpe of God they should procede in their good purpose of the which letters this is the coppy Gregorius the sâ—ruaunt of the seruauntes of God c. For so much as better it wer neuer to begynne a good worke then after it is once begonne to goe from it againe yow must nedes my deare sonnes now fullfill the good worke which by the helpe of God yow haue taken in hand Let therfor neither the trauail of the iourney neither the talke of euil toÌ„gued meÌ„ dismay yow But with all force and feruour make vp that yow haue by the motioÌ„ of God begoÌ„ne assuring your selues that after your great labour eternal reward shal follow Be yow in al pointes obedieÌ„t vnto Augustine woÌ„h I haue sent back vnto yow and appoynted him to be yower Abbate knowyng that shall much profitt yower soules which yow shall do vpon obedience of his commaundement Ower almighty Lord defend yow with his grace and graunte me to see the frute of your labours in his kyngdom of heaueÌ„ and though I can not labour my selfe wyth yow yet I may enioy part of yower reward for that I haue a wil to labour God kepe yow helthy my deare beloued children dated the. 23. of Iuly ower Lord Mauricius Tiberius raigning ower most vertuous emperour in the xiiij yere of his empier the xiij yere after his Consullship Indictione 14. How he sent to the bishopp of Arells a letter to receiue them The. 24. Chap. HE sent also at the same time letters vnto Etherius archbishop of Arells that he should fauorably entertaine Augustine going in to BritaÌ„ny of the which letters this is the tenor To the Right Reuerend and most holy his brother and felowe bishop Etherius Gregory the seruaunte of the seruauntes of God Though with such priestes as loueth god religious men nedeth no commendation yet bycause oportunite to write did serue we thought it good to directe our letters to your brotherhood aduertising yow that we haue sent Augustine the bearer herof wyth other seruauntes of god accompanyeng him for the helth of soules whom it behoueth yower holines to helpe and comfort as the holy order of priesthood requireth Ant to th enteÌ„t yow may be the better willing so to doe I haue willed him to discouer vnto yow the cause of his iourney not dowting but that knowen yow wil gladly shew him what comfort you may We commend also vnto your charitie ower common son Candidus priest whom we haue sent to ouersee ower church belonging to ower patrymonye God kepe yow in safete reuereÌ„d brother Datum vt supra How that Augustine cumming in to Britanny first preached vnto the kyng of kent in the I le of Tenet and so being licenced of him cam after in to kent to preache The. 25. Chap. AVgustine being muche
gloriously gouerned the see of the Roman and Apostolique churche 13. yeares 6. moneths and. 10. dayes departed this lyfe and was translated to the eternall seate of the kyngdome of heauen Of whome it becometh me in this our historie of the churche of England more largely to speake bycause by his diligence he conuerted our nation that is the Engleshmen from the powre of Satan to the fayth of Christ. Whome we maye well and also must call our Apostle For as sone as he was high Bishop ouer the whole wordle and appointed gouerner of the churches lately conuerted to the belefe of the trueth he made our nation the churche of Christe which had ben euer vntill that time the bondsclaue of Idolls So that we maye lawfully pronownce of him the sayng of the Apostle That althowgh he were not an Apostle to others yet he was vnto vs. For the signet and token of his Apostleship we are in our Lorde This Gregory was a Roman borne his fathers name Gordian his pedegre of awncient stocke not only noble but also religiouse For Felix somtime bishop of that same see Apostolique a man of greate renomme in Christe and the churche was his greate grandfathers father This nobilite of religion he kept and maintayned with no lesse vertue and deuotion then his parents and auncient kinsfolke had done befor him But his woldly nobilite he forsoke alltogether and by the speciall grace of God turned the same to the purchasing of eternall glorie in heauen For changing sodenly his secular habite he wēt into a monasterie Where he began to lyue in such grace of perfection that vnto his mynde as often after he was wont to wytnes with weeping teares all transitorie things were already subiecte that he far surmounted al worldly workes that he was wont to thinke of nothing but heauenly things yea that being yet clogged with his erthly bodie he now by contemplation did passe the verie naturall bounds of his flesh and that he derely loued death also whiche to most men is a paynfull payne as an entraunce of lyfe to him and reward of his labour All which things he sayd of him selfe not craking of his encrease in vertues but rather lamenting the lacke and decaye of thē In which defecte as he was wont to saye he thought himselfe nowe to haue fallen by reason of his ecclesiasticall charge and occasion of greater care For talking on a time secretly with Peter his deacon when he had recompted the olde giftes and vertuous graces of his minde strayght way he sayde sorowfully But nowe alas by the meanes of this my ecclesiastical charges my mynde is encombred againe with secular affayres and after the good quyet and rest whiche it had is nowe defiled againe with the dust of earthly busines And when condescending to manie it wandereth and roueth aboute owtward matters after desiring inward good thowghtes it returneth therunto no dowbte the weaker Therfore I weigh with my selfe what I doe now suffer and I weigh also well what I haue forgone And when I behold what I haue lost this that I suffer wexeth more greueouse Thus sayde this holie man of a greate and passing humilitie But we must thinke that he lost none of his monasticall perfection by anye occasion or trowble of ecclesiasticall charge or office of a Bishop but rather that then he did much more good and profited more in vertue by the laboure of conuerting manye to the faythe then he hadd done before with the priuate quiet of his owne conuersation onlye For euen being bisshopp he ordered his house like a monasterye For as sone as he was taken owte of the monasterye and ordayned to the ministerye of the aulter being afterwarde sent as legate from the see Apostolike to Constantinople he for all that in the earthly princes palace liued so that he neuer intermitted his purpose of heauenly conuersation For he toke with him certaine brethern of the monasterie which for verie brotherly loue folowed him to that Imperiall citie for the better keping of his regular obseruance that alwaie by their example for so he writeth he might be fastned as with a stronge cable or anker to the pleasaunte porte of prayer when soeuer he were tossed withe the raging whaues of wordly cares and might also strengthen his minde by daylie conference and reading with them whensoeuer it shuld be shaken with secular affaires And truly he was by these mens companie not only defended from the assaultes of the worlde and earthly troubles but also more and more stirred vp to the exercises of heauenly life For they exhorted him that he would discusse and expound with some godly and misticall interpretation the booke of blessed Iob which was enwrapped with manie greate obscurities Neither could he denie them his paines which of brotherly loue moued him to this profitable laboure but hath therfore meruelously declared in 35. bookes of Expositions how this worke of Iobes historie first is to be vnderstāded according to the letter them how it may be referred to Christe and the sacramentes of the church last in what sense the same may be applied to euerie particular faithfull man Which worke he began to write while he was legate in Constantinople but he finished it afterward when he was Bisshop of Rome This blessed man being in Constantinople supressed an heresie of the state of our resurrectiō which then there arose in the very beginning by the force of catholike trueth and verite For Eutychius Bishop of Constantinople began to preache a false doctrine which was that our bodies in the glorie of the resurrection shuld be so subtile as is either the winde or ayer so that it should not be possible to feele ' or touche them Which when S. Gregory had heard he proued this opinion to be quite contrary to the right faith by the reason of truth and also by the example of the resurrection of our Lorde For the right and catholike faith beleueth that our bodies being exalted in the glorie of immortalitie shal in dede be subtile by the effect of spiritual poure but yet not withstāding able to befelt and touched for the truth of our nature according to the example of the bodie of our Lorde of which now rosen from death him selfe sayde to his disciples Touche ye and see for aspirite hath nor flesh nor bones as ye see me haue In the assertion of this faith the right reuerend father Gregory did laboure so much against this vpstert heresie quenched the same with such diligence and so vanquished it by the healp of the vertuous Emperour Tiberius Constantinus that from thence forth noman was founde which durst be a styrrer vp againe or mainteiner therof He made also an other excellent booke which is called the Pastorall Wherin he declareth plainly what manner of man he ought to be which should be chosen to rule the churche And how the rulers therof ought to lyue them selues and with what
meane tyme kinge Alcfrid sent VVilfrid his priest vnto the kinge of Fraunce that he might in his dominions be consecrated bishop Who sent him to be consecrated of Agilbert of whom we made mencion before being then bishop of Paris where he was consecrated withe great honour of him and many other bishops meting for that purpose together in a Manour of the kinge called In compendio Bishop VVilfrid making some abode in Fraunce after his consecration kinge Oswin folowing the example and diligence of his sonne kinge Alcfrid sent in to kent a holy man vertuous sufficiently lerned in holy scripture and a diligent perfourmer of that he had lerned to be created bishop of Yorke This man was a priest and called Ceadda brother to the most Reuerend bishop Ceddi of whom we haue often mencioned before and Abbat of the monastery of Lesting The king sent also withe him an other of his priestes Eadhed by name who after in the reign of kinge Ecfrid was bishop of Rhyppon But they at their arriuall to kent finding the Archebishop of Caunterbury Deusdedi◠departed and no man yet supplying his rowme stroke ouer to the west Saxons where VVini was bishop and of him this vertuous man Ceadda was consecrated bishop hauing withe him to assist and accompany him at the consecration two other bishops of the olde Britons who continewed yet in their accustomed obseruation of Easter beginning from the fourtenth daye of the chaunge contrary to the canonicall and right order as we haue often saied before There was not at this tyme beside this bishop VVini any one true bishop and rightly consecrated in all Britanny Ceadda then being thus created and consecrated bishop began seriously to sett forthe the truthe of gods word to leade his life in chastite humilite and abstinence to study and much teaching For the which intent he visited continually the cytes townes villages yea and priuat houses in his diocese and that not making his iourney on horsebacke but going allwaies on foote as the Apostles vsed All this he had lerned of the vertuous bishop Aidan and of his brother bishop Ceddi whose vertuous examples he endeuoured him selfe allwaies to folowe and to teache the same to other VVilfrid also returning to England nowe a bishop instructed much the church of England and reduced them to the Catholike vnite touching externall rites and obseruations in many pointes Whereby it came to passe that Catholike ordonaunces taking place and beginning daily to be more and more embraced the whole company of the Scottes which then liued amonge the english men either yelded to the same or els returned backe to their countre Howe Wighard priest was sent to Rome to be consecrated Archebishop of Caunterbury and how he died there according as by letters from the Pope it was specified The. 29. Chap. AT this tyme the most worthy and renouned kinges of England Oswin of the North countre and Ecgbert of kent and the places adioyning deliberating betwene them selues touching the paisible gouuernment of the church for kinge Oswin had nowe perfitly lerned though he were brought vp of the Scottes that the church of Rome was the Catholike and Apostolicall churche by the choyse and consent of the holy clergy of England called vnto them one Wighard a priest a man of great vertu and worthy to be a bishop one of the clergy vnder Deusdedit the deceased Archebishopp and sent him to Rome to be consecrated to the intent that he being made Archebishop might consecrat and order other byshops for the Catholike churches of Englishe men through out all Britanny But Wighard coming to Rome before he could be consecrated bishop departed this life whereupon the Pope sent backe to kinge Oswin these letters To our most honorable Son Oswin kinge of the Saxons Vitalianus Byshop the seruaunt of those which serue God We haue receiued your excellencies wishefull letters by the perusall whereof we perceiued your excellencies most godly deuotion and feruent zele to attaine euerlasting life hoping assuredly that as you now reigne ouer your people so in the life to come you shal reighn with Christ for as much as by his Souuerain helpe and grace you are nowe conuerted to the true right and Apostolike faith Blessed is that people ouer whom God hath placed a prince of such wisedom vertu and desire of Gods honour As the which not only serueth God him selfe incessantly but also laboureth to draw all his subiects to the right vnite of the Catholike and Apostolicke faith purchasing them thereby vndoubted saluation of their soules For who hearing this ioyefull report of such a Prince will not also reioyse thereat What Christen hart will not leape for ioye and cōceiue singular cōfort of so zelous furdering of the faith Truly cōsidering the happy cōuersion of your natiō to the seruing of almighty God I remēbre and see in you the oracles of the diuine prophets accōplished as it is written in Esay In that day the roote of Iesse standeth vp for a tokē to the people him the natiōs shal cal vpon And againe Heare o ye Ilandes and harkē ye people that dwell a farre of And within a few wordes after the prophet crieth to the church It is not enough that thou shalt serue me in restoring the tribes of Iacob and in cōuerting the dragges of Israel I haue geuen the for a light to the nations that thou be my saluation euen to the furdermost of the earth And againe Kinges shal see princes shall arise and shall adore And a litle after I haue geuen the for a leage of my people that thou shouldest raise vp the earth and possesse the scattered inheritages and saye to those which laye hounde come ye for the and to those wich sate in darcknes be ye opened And againe I the Lord haue called thee in righteousnes and haue taken thy hand and haue saued thee and haue set thee to be a light vnto nations and to be a leage betwene my people that thou maiest open the eyes of the blind and deliuer from bondes the bounde the man sitting in darckenes out of the prison Beholde most honourable Sonne by the verdit of the prophets it is most clere that not onely you but all nations shall beleue in Christ the maker of all thinges It behoueth therefor your highnes being now a parte of Christe to folow in all thinges and allwaies the sure rules and ordonnaunces of the head of the Apostles as well in obseruing your Easter as in all other thinges deliuered by the holy Apostles Peter and Paule Whose doctrine doth daily lighten the hartes of all true beleuers no lesse then the two lightes of the element geue light to the whole worlde And after many other wordes writen touching the vniforme obseruation of Easter through out the whole worlde it foloweth in the letter As touching one well furnished with lerning and other qualites mete to be your bishop according to the tenour of your letters we could
yet so sodenly finde none ready the iourney being so longe to you Truly as soone as we shall espie out a mete person and and worthy of that vocation we shall direct him spedely to your countre That by his preaching and holy scripture he may thouroughly roote oute all the wicked darnel of the enemy out of your Ilond by the helpe and grace of allmighty God The presents which your highnes directed to the blessed prince of the Apostles for his perpetuall memory we haue receiued thanking therefore your highnes beseching with all our clergy incessantly the goodnes of God for your highnes preseruatiō and good estat The bringer of your presents is departed this life and is laied at the entry of the blessed Apostles towmes we much lamenting and bewailing at his departure here Notwithstanding by the bearers of these our presents we haue sent the iewels of holy Martyrs that is the relikes of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paule and of the holy Martyrs S. Laurens Iohn and Paule of S. Gregory and of Pancratius all to be deliuered to your highnes To your Lady and bedfelowe our spiritual daughter we haue sent by the saied bearers a crosse of golde hauing in it a nayle taken out of the most holy chaines of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paule Of whose godly behauiour we vnderstanding haue all as farre reioysed as her vertuous dedes are before God pleasaunt and acceptable We beseche therefore your highnes to furder and sett forward the conuersation of your whole Ilond to the faith of Christ. You shall not vndoubtedly lacke herein the speciall protection of our Lorde Iesus Christ the redemer of all mankinde who will prosper you in all thinges to the encreasing of his true beleuers and planting of the catholike and Apostolike faith For it is written Seke ye first the kingdome of God and the righteousnes thereof and all these thinges shall be cast vnto you Truly your highnes seketh and shall no doubt obtaine and all partes of your Ilond as we wish and desire shall be brought vnder your allegeaunce We salute your highnes with most fatherly affection beseching continually the mercy of God that it will vouchesafe to assist you and all yours in the perfourmance of all good workes that in the worlde to come ye may all liue and raigne with Chrst. The heauenly grace frō aboue preserue alwaies your highnes In the next booke folowing we shall haue occasion to declare who was founde and appointed bishop in place of Wighard that died at Rome How the people of Essex and London in a time of plage retourning to Idolatry by the diligence of Iarumanus their bishop were soone brought home againe The 30. Chap. AT this time Sigher and Sebbi kinges ruled ouer the people of Essex and London after the death of Guidhelme of whom we haue spoken before althoughe these were also vnder the allegeannce of Wulfher king of the Middlelād englishmen This prouince being visited with that greate plague and mortalite which we mencioned before Sigher with the people ouer whom he ruled forsaking the sacramentes of Christes religion fell to Apostasie For bothe the kinge him selfe and many as well of the people as of the nobles louing this present life and not seking after the life to come or els not beleuing any such life at al begā to renew their temples which stode desolat and to worship idols as though they could therby escape the mortalite But Sebbi his cōpanion with al vnder him perseuered deuoutly in the faith and ended his life in great felicite as we shal herafter declare Wulfher the king vnderstanding parte of his dominions to fal from the faith for to call thembacke againe sent vnto them bishop Iarumannus the successor of Trumher who by much labour and diligence being a man of great vertu painfull and zelous as a certain priest waiting then vpō him and helping him in preaching the ghospell reported vnto me brought them to the faith againe bothe the kinge and all his people So that abandoning and throwing downe their tēples and altars they opened againe the churches confessed gladly the name of Christ and chose rather in hope of resurrection to dye then in the filth of idolatry to liue Which being so brought to passe their priestes and instructers returned home withe muche ioye and comfort THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF THE HISTORIE OF THE CHVRCH OF ENGLAND How after the death of Deusdedit Wighart being sent to be made bishop and dying there Theodore was consecrated Archebishop and sent in to England with a certain Abbat named Adrian The. 1. Chapter THe same yeare of the foresaied eclipse and pestilence that soone after folowed in which also bishop Colman ouercommed by the generall and vniforme sentence of the Catholikes returned home to his countre Deusdedit the sixt Archebishop of Caunterbury died the xiiij daye of Iuly Ercombert also kinke of kent departed this world the very same moneth and day and left to his sonne Ecgbert the Crowne and kingdom which he receiued and held by the space of ix yeres At that time the See of Caunterbury being vacant a great while and the diocese desirous of a bishop VVighart a vertuous priest a man very well lerned skilfull of the Canons rules and disciplines of the church and an english man borne was sent to Rome bothe by Ecgbert and also Oswin kinge of Northumberland as we haue mencioned before and with him certain presents to the Pope Apostolike as great store of plate bothe siluer and golde Being arriued to Rome in the time that Vitalianus gouuerned the Apostolike see and hauing declared the cause of his coming to the saied Pope within short space he and almost all his company were taken with the pestilence and died Whereupon the Pope with aduise and counsell enquired diligently whom he might direct for Archebishop ouer the churches of England In the monasterie of Niridan not farre from Naples in Campania there was an Abbat named Adrian an African borne a man very well lerned in the scriptures thouroughly instructed bothe in monasticall discipline and in ecclesiasticall gouuernement very skilfull of the greke and latin tounges This man being called to the Pope was willed of him to take the bishoprike vpon him and trauail vnto England But he answering that he was no mete man for so high a degree promised yet to bringe forth one which bothe for his lerning and for his age were more worthy of that vocation And offred to the Pope a certain monke liuing in a Nunnery there by called Andrew who though he were of all that knewe him estemed worthy of tke bishoprike yet for the impediment of his weake and sickely body it was not thought good to sende him Then Adrian being required againe to take it vpon him desired certain daies of respit if happely in the meane time he could finde any other mete to supplie that roume At this time there was in Rome a certain monke of Adriās acquaintaūce named Theodore borne
Quene of Fraunce sent a power and commaunded the bishop to be put to death whom VVilfride his chappellain folowed to the place of execution desyring to die with him albeit the bishop did vtterly forbid him But whē the executioners knew he was a stranger and an English man borne they spared him and wold not put him to death with the bishop Wereuppon returning to England he was brought to be in frendship and amity with kinge Aldfride Who leke a good Prince had lerned to folow and reuerence the general ordinaunces and rules of the catholike church And for that he perceaued this VVilfride to be Catholique he gaue him streytwayes a Lordshippe of x. tenements in Stanford and within a while after a monastery with xxx tenements in Rhippon which he had geuē but late to build an Abbay forsuch as folowed the Scottes but because they being put to liberty and choise had rather departe thence then to receiue the trewe and Catholique celebration of the feast of Easter and other canonicall rites and ceremonies after the custome of the church of Rome and see Apostolike he gaue it to him whome he sawe better qualified both for lerninge and for vertue The same time in the very selfe same monastery he was made priest by Agilbert bishop of Geuisse of whom we spake before at the instaunce of the Kinge moste earnestly requiringe that so lerned a man shuld cōtinually follow his Courte and especially be his teacher and preacher Whome not longe after when the Scottes secte was disclosed as is a fore said and vtterly abandoned he sent to Fraunce by the counsell and aduise of his father Oswin when he was but xxx yeres of age to be consecrated and made bishop by Agilbert then bishop of Paris With whom xj other bishopps assemblinge them selfes to consecrate hym did their dewty in that behalfe very honorably with all solemnities But while he was yet beyonde the seas Ceadda a godly and vertuous man as it is aboue mentioned was consecrated byshop of yorke at the commaundement of King Oswin Who hauing gouerned the churche iij. yeares departed thence and toke the cure and charge of Lesting Abbay After him VVilfrid toke vphōim the bishoprick of al Northūberland Who afterwarde in the raigne of Kinge Ecgfride was depriued of his bisshopricke and others consecrated and put in his place of whome we made mention before But when he had taken shipp to go to Rome and pleade his cause before the Apostolike pope he was dryuen by a Sowthweast winde into Freslande where he was honorably receaued as well of the rude and barbarous people as of the Kinge Aldgiste Where he preached also vnto them Christ and his ghospell conuerting many thousandes to the faith and with baptisme wasshing away their sinnes Whereby he layed the fundation of Christes ghospell in those countries which the Reuerend father and holy byshopp VVilbrord perfited and finyshed afterward But when he had passed ouer a winter with this people newly conuerted to Christe he went forwarde his iourny to Rome When his cause was debated to and fro in the presence of Pope Agatho and many other bishopps he was founde in processe by all their iudgementes to haue bene most vniustly accused and best worthy of that bishopprick At what time the same Agatho gathering a Synode at Rome of a 125. byshopps against such heretikes as held the opinion that there was but one will and one operation in our Sauiour Christe commaunded VVilfride also to repaire thither And when he came he willed him to declare his faith and the faith of the countrie from whence he came sittinge amongest the other bishops Wherin when he and his country was founde to be Catholique it pleased them amongest other things to haue this also put in the Actes of the decrees the tenour wherof foloweth VVilfride the vertuous bishop of yorke and appealinge to the see Apostolique for his cause and by that full authoritie absolued as well from certaine complaints laied to his chardge as all other vncertaine quarels and sitting in iudgement in the felowship of a 125. bishopps in this present Synod hath confessed for al the north partes of the isles of Englande and Irelande whiche ar inhabited with Englishe men Britons Scottes and Pictes the trewe and catholike faith and confirmed the same with his subscription After his returne to Britanny againe he conuerted the South saxons frō idolatrye and superstition to Christes trewe faith and religion In the isle of Wight also he apointed certain to preach the word of God and the seconde yere of kinge Aldfrides raigne who had the soueraintye next after Ecgfride receaued his see and bishoprick againe at the instaunt request of the kinge But fyue yeres after he was accused of the same king and many other bishopps and depriued againe of his bishopricke Wherein vpon repairing againe to Rome and obtaining lycence to pleade in his owne defence before his accusers Pope Iohn and many other byshopps sittinge in iudgment it was by their diffynitiue sentence concluded that in some parte his accusers hadd falsly forged these malycious surmises against him The Pope also wrote letters to the kinges of England Edilrede and Alfride requiringe them to see him restored to his bishopricke againe because he was vniustly condemned The reading of the decrees concluded in the fore said Synod assembled by Pope Agatho of blessed memory kept but of late when he hym selfe was present in the cytie and resident amongest other bishops did much furder his cause For when the Actes of the Synode as occasion was moued were openly read ij or iij. dayes before the nobylitie and greate assembles of people by the popes commaundement the protonotarie coming to that place where it was written Wilfride the vertuous bishopp of yorke appealing to the see Apostolique for his cause and by that ful authoritie absolued as well from certaine thinges layed to his chardges as all other vncertaine quarells c. As we sayed before these wordes being read euery man was astonned and the protonotary ceasing eche man inquired off other what manner of man thys bysshopp VVilfride was Then Bonyface a counseller to the Pope and many other whiche sawe hym there in Pope Agatho his tyme made answere and sayd He is the bishop which was accused of his owne cuntry men and came to Rome to be iudged by the see Apostolik euen the very same which of late coming hither for the false accusations of his aduersaries was iudged giltlesse and innocent by◠Pope Agatho after the cause and controuersie was well examined of bothe parties and thought to haue ben depriued of his bishopricke against all lawe and more than that hadd in such honour and estimation of Pope Agatho of blessed memory that he cōmaunded him to sitt in the Synode which he assembled at Rome as a man off a trew perfect faith and syncere minde All these allegations being heard the Pope and all that were present
trewe preacher and a vortuouse Byshop fol. 80. b. Vowe and habit monastical by the consâ—â—ration of bishops 138. b. S. Augustin ordeineth bishops by the appoynâ—ment of Pope Gregory folio 35. a. No bishop ordained without a number of other bishops 35. a. Blâ—ssing with the signe of the Crosse. 143. a. A dumme man brought to speache by blessing 155. a. â—58 b. Riot and euill lyfe the Brittains destruction 23. a. VVhy the olde Brittons became weake and open to forrain inuasions folio 20. b. The situation and description of Britanny 13. a. How Cesar conquered Britanny 15. a. The second conquest of Britanny 15. b. The faith receaued in britanny from Rome 16. a. Ciuill warres amonge the olde Brittons 29. a. C Christes church in Caunterbury builded by S. Augustin our Apostle and a monastery thereby 44. a. The byshopp of Canterbury created Archebishop of other bishops in britanny by Pope Gregory 35. b. The first Christening of Englishmen in Caunterbury 32. b. Catholike obseruations to be preferred 171. b. Heretikes confuâ—ed by Catholikes in open disputation 25. a. 26. b. Canonicall howers 108. b. Tâ—e vertuous first bishops of England labour to bringe the Britons and Scottes liuing in schisme to the vnite of the catholike church folio 53. a. Kinge Cedwall baptised and buried at Rome 159. b. Elbert the first christen kinge made lawes for the indemnite and quiet possession of churche goods and of the clergy 54. a. The places off Christes natiuitie passion Resurrection and Ascension described as they were a thousande yeares past 172. b. 173. a. and b. Cedda the second bishoppe of London and Essex 98. b. Dedication of Churches 15â— b. 100. a. Holy vessels altarclothes crnaments for the church priestly apparell certain reliques and church bookes sent by S. Gregory the Pope in to England at the first Christening of the same 40. b. Churchemusike first practised in the northe 75. a. The temples of idolls conuerted in to Christen churches being halowed with holy water and altered after the vse of Christen religion hauing altars sett vp and relikes placed in them 4â— b. Byshopp Chadda a man of greate humblenesse 114. The great feare of God in him 116. b. Myracles at his tombe 117. b. Cloysters of Nonnes in order fourme and proportion as to this daye folio 140. 141. a. 142. b. Such of the clergy as were out of holy Orders toke wiues 33. a. The maner of the clergy of the primitiue church of England 147. a. The people do communicat at Masse 54. b. The v. first general Councells receaued by a common consent of the church of England 131. a. Consecration of the B. Sacrament 19. a. Confession to the priest and penaunce enioyned 143. b. Our faith began with Crosse and procession 31. b. Crosse and chalice of golde 75. a. A crosse erectyd by kinge Oswald 76 b. Many restored vnto healthe by the chippes of the same crosse ibid. b. A broken arme made sownde and hole againe by the mosse of the crosse 78. a. VVhy the clergy weare shauen crownes 187. a. The life of S. Cutbert being yet a Monke 146. a. The life of S. Cutbert when he liued like an Anchoret 148. a. and. b. S. Cutberts body after xi yeres buriall founde whole and sound 151. a. Miracles and cures done thereat 151. and. 152. D. Prayer for the deade 90. b. The deuotion of owr primitiue churche 91. b. The deuotion of Christians in Hierusalem aboue a thousand yeares past in Constantins time 173. a. Memories of soules departed 52. a. Dyriges ouer night and Masse in the morninge for the dead 77. b. A necessary doctrine for this time 170. a. Dorchester in Barkeshere a bishoprick 82. b. 139. a. E. The Catholike obseruation of Easter 102. b. Item the same proued out of holy scripture 181. b. 182. 183. 184. 185. 186. The east parte of England conuerted to the faith 69. b. The english men at the first inuading of Britany by the forrain nations of the Saxons generally so called occupied all England except Sussex Essex Kent and part of the westcountre 24. a. The first spoyling of Britanny by the english men 24. a. Saint Erkenwald the. 4. bysshopp of London 120. b. Excommunication 99. a. F. The faith of our primitiue church 156. b. 157. a. 123. b. The faith and deuotion of the first 400. yeares after Christ. 26. b. Fastinge against the plage 128. a. The determinations off the holy fathers to be folowed 119. a. Friseland conuerted to be faith 163. a. VVensday and frydayes fast 80. b. G. Off the noble parentage and vertuous life off S. Gregory 45. a. S. Gregory brought vpp in a monastery after sent to Constantinople from Rome as legat quenched there by his lerning an heresie off Eutichius touching our resurrection 45. b. 46. a. b. A recitall off the lerned workes off S. Gregory 46. b. S. Gregory the pope off Rome our Apoâ—â—le 45. a. S. Gregory a great aulmes man 47. a. Letters off S. Gregory for the furderance of the faith in England to S. Augustin 29. b. to the Archebishopp off Arles 30. a. to S. Augustin againe 3â— a. to the B. off Arâ—â—s againe 40. a. to S. Augustin againe 40 b. to Mellitus the first B. off LondoÌ„ 41. b. to S. Augustin againe 42. a. to kinge Eâ—hâ—â—bert 43. a. A ioyfull reioysing off S. Gregory for the conuerting off our countre to the faith 47. a. An â—pitapâ—e vpon S. Gregory in meter 48. a. The occasion why he sent preachers to our countre 48. b. H. A trewe saying off an heathen 97. b. The heresie off the monothelites condemned 177. b. Heretikes banished the countre sett it in rest and quiet 28. b. Extirpation off heresy by counsell off forrain bisshops 25. a. The vertuous liffe off Hilda a lerned and famous Abbesse 138. 139. Howseling bâ—fore death 116. b. 142. b. I. Idols first throwen downe in Englande 83. b. Intercession off Saints 152. a. â—00 b. 128. b. Holly men worke miracles by intercession 88. b. The lyfe of S. Iohn off Bâ—â—uerlake 164. b. 165. 166. 167. The situation off Ireland 14. b. K. A rare and strange humilite off a kinge 91. a. Kinge Sigebert becommeth a monke 94. a. Reuolting from the faith in kent reuenged from God 54. a. Kent returneth to the faith 56. a. L. The first bishoppe off Lincolne 126. a. Lincolne conuerted to the faith 69. b. In the yere 60â— London receaued the faith and S. Paules church at that tyme builded Rochester also receaued the faith and S. Andrewes church at that tyme builded 51. b. Reuolting from the faithe in London plaged from God 55. a. Thr byshop off London consecrated off his owne Synod by the appointment off S. Gregory the pope 41. a. Fasting in lent vntill euening 100. a. M. VVhether in acte â—ff Mariage be any sinne 38. a. Mariage vnlaufull aboue the third degre 34. a. Our first Aposile sayed Masse 32. b. The martyrdom off ij english priestes in Saxony 163. b. Masse
Les annalâ—s de FiaÌ„â— Lib. 12. Cromerus iâ— eâ—ist ad Proceres Poloniae â— Cor. 12. Act. 4. 10. 〈◊〉 20. Act. 5. Heb. 11. Rom. 1. Hebr. 7. In postilla magna in Dom. â— Ad. Li. 2. ca. 3. lib. 4. ca. 3. 16. Li. 2. ca. 4. li. 3. ca. 25. Matt. 13. Act. 14. 1. Cor. 16. 1. Tim. 6. Colos. 1. Of the Author of this History Of his lerning Lib. de scri ecclesiasti Hieron in Cata. vir illust In Ioan. 6. Lib. 5. Histor. In Ioan. 6. Of his vertu In vitae Bedae In Ioan. 6. Lib. 1. Tripartâ— hist. lib. 1. cap. 1. In Epist. In Ioanne vj. 〈◊〉 VVhy the Author of this historyâ—s to be credited Of the matter of the history 〈◊〉 16. Sueton in Neronâ— â— Cor. 13. Of the miracles reported in this History Tobi. 12. Cap. 3. That the History ought not to seâ—e 〈…〉 Li. 6. câ— 9 Li. 7. ca. 18 Lib. 1. c. 5. Liâ— c. 8. 10. Lib. 2. cap. 8. Hist. tripart li. 1. c. 5. 10. 11. lib. 7 â— cap. 5. â—ozâ—m lib. 6. ca. 29. Lib. 7. c. 5. 〈◊〉 22. Li. 4. et in Philotheo The most lerned â—athers of the first â— â— yeres haâ—e wâ—â—ten Saints liues Tom. 3. Li. 1. 3. de virg Item inexhortat ad virgines In hom so 126. Li. 1. ca. 7. Li. 2. c. 30 Li. 4. c. 25 27. Li. 22. c. 8 In praefat ad Philotheum An admonition out of Theodoret touching miracles An other out of S. Augustin Lib. dâ— cura pro mor tuis gereÌ„da cap. 16. Cap. 17. Act. 9. 1. Cor. 12. Eccles. 3. Note Lib. eodem Cap. 16. 2. Cor. 10. 1. Cor. 13. Heretikes will not beleue miracles Confes. lib. Serm. 91. ProtestaÌ„ts pretende miracles Pag. 1677. Pag. 520. Pa. 444. Pag. 355. Pa 1670. * At VVei mouth at the riuer VVere whiche runneth by Dyrtham a Essex b Salisbury Exceter VVelles c Suffolck Norfolck and Cambrigd shere Northumbers are called in this stistory al. that dwel beyoÌ„d the riuer HuÌ„bre North ward d Sussex and Hapshere e Mercia or Marshland containeth the dioceses of Lâ—hfield and CoueÌ„try Lincolne and VVorcet f Essex g The countre of NorthuÌ„berland properly * That is 1800. miles * This hauen is now loste by the irruption of the sea * The Redshankes A description of Ireland * Colchester The yeare of our Lord 46. Actor 11. An. 156. An. 189. An. 286. The Martyrdom of saint Albane the firste Martyr of Britanny * â— which we call now dorsuolde â—odde Temples of Martyres holy daies CoÌ„secration of the B. sacrameÌ„t Heresies in BritaÌ„ny The Arrians heresie prospereth not with standing thâ— generall councell of Nice An. 377. An. 394. The propery of heretâ—kes An. 407. The first destruction of Rome The cause why the olde Brittons became weake and open to forain inuasioÌ„s * RedshaÌ„kes An. 403. Palladius the first bishop of Scotland An. 411. Ryâ— and euil life the Britains destructioÌ„ An. 429. The first arriuall of English meÌ„ in to Britanny Saxons English and Vites * The people of Essex of Sussex and of the westcountre The English meÌ„ occupied at the first all England except kent Essex Sussex and parte of the westcountre * The Redshankes The first spoilyng of BritaÌ„ny by the English men Counsell of the catholike bishops in Fraunce for extirping of Pelagianâ— heresy Tempest ceased by prayer and holy water An open disputatioÌ„ betwene Catholikes and heretikes of the pelagian secte in the yeare of our lorde 400. Relikes of holy Martirs The faith and deuotion of Christen bishops about the yere of our Lord. 400. The like Seuerâ— Sul piâ—ius writeth of S. Martin In epist. 2. presixa prologo in vitaÌ„ B. Martini The xl daies of LeÌ„t S. Germain putteth to flight an lioÌ„siâ—â— of insidels by singiÌ„g of lleluia Heretikes banished the countre sett it in rest and quiet S. Gregory sendeth S. Augustin to preache the faith to English men An. â— 96. A letter of S. Gregory exhorting S. Augustin to pursue his iourney to England An other letter of S. Gregory to the Archebishop of Aerls The I le of Tenet Our faith begann with Crosse and procession The life of our Apostles and first preacâ—ers Our first Apostle sayed masse The first Christening of Englishemen in Caunterbury This chapter is ful of much good lerning and godly instructioÌ„s The Sea Apostolike S. Augustin our Apostle was a moÌ„ke The clergy ouâ— of holy orders taketh wiues Luc. 11. The order of the English seruice choseÌ„ out of other diuers countres for the best Of church â—obberies Leuit. 18. Gen. 2. Of creatiÌ„g of bisshops The See of Rome The primacy of Caunterbury in England Leuit. 12. Oâ—â— 3. Luc. 8. Of natural infirmities Note DiffereÌ„ce betwene the new testament and the old lawe Math. 15. Ad TituÌ„ 1. Leuit. 15. VVhether in the acte of mariage be any sinne Psal. 50. Psal. 30. 1. Coâ— 7. Exod 19. â—â— ReguÌ„ 21. Of nightly pollutioÌ„s or iâ—lusions SuggestioÌ„ Delight Consent How sin bredeth in the hartes of meÌ„ Rom. 7. A palle from the Pope to Augustin the first Bishop of Caunterbury The priuilâ—ges of the Bysshops of yorke and London Holy water aultars and relikes Lucae 10. A godly letter of S. Gregory to Ethelbert the first Christen kinge of english men Christes church in Caunterbury * That monastery is now called the Augustines if itâ— stande yet An. 605. S. Gregory Bishop ouer the whole worlde 1. as head thereof S. Gregory our Apostle 1. Cor. 9. S. Gregory a religious maÌ„ S. Gregory the popes legat at Constantinople S. Gregory represseth an heresy riâ—ing in Constantinople Luc. 24. The workes of S. Gregory Lib. 1. cap. 27. Heb. 12. S. Gregory a great almes maÌ„ Psal. 111. Iob. 29â— A ioyfull â—eioysing of S. Gregory touching the conuersioÌ„ of EnglaÌ„d to the faith Masse said at the shrines of S. Peter and Paule in Rome An Epitaphe apon S. Gregory our Apostle The occasion why S. Gregory sent preachers vnto our countre * Angli * Angelicam * Of yorkeshere * Deiri * Deira eruâ—i Siclegit Polya lib. 1. Hist. Augl About South HamptoÌ„ Psal. 67. Our Apostles Faith coÌ„firmed by a miracle Matth. â—1 The generalâ— rule of our Sauiour euil construed in a particular case Thre 〈◊〉 proposed to the Bâ—tâ—n or wâ—â—ch bishopâ— A wrongâ— and 〈◊〉 te surmise A true prophecy of S. Augustin out Apostle The monastery of Bâ—gor in wales Fasting and praying in schismatikes auaileth not An. 604. Essex and the countre about London Memories of soules departed Agendae eorum The epitaphe vpoÌ„ S. Augustine touÌ„be in Caunteâ—bury Laurence the secoÌ„d Archebisshop of Caunterbury Our first Christen Bishops labour to reconcile the Scotts from their schisme to the Catholike vnitâ— The see Apostolike Mellite the first B. of London trauaileth to the Pope for instructioÌ„s c. This church stanâ—eth in Rome at this daye and is called S. Maâ—ia rotunda An. 613. The first English kinges of Britanny