and warmeth of diuine and heauenly faith maye inflame his vnderstandinge That it maye truly appere to be fullfilled in you which is spoken in holy scripture The infidel and vnbeleuing man shal be saued by the faithfull and beleauing woman For vnto this end you haue your selfe receiued mercye of our Lorde and fauour that you should render and yelde vnto him as your Redemer the multiplied fruyte of your fayth and other good giftes which he hath credited to you Which thinge that you may fulfill by the gratiouse healp of his goodnes we cease not to aske with our daylie prayers In these therfore our premises shewing you the deutye of our fatherly loue and charite we exhorte you that hauing the opportunitie of a bearer ye wil spedely declare vnto vs those thinges which the myghtie powre of God shall vouchesafe to worke merueylously by you in the conuersion of your husband and al your subiectes That we which carefully long and hartely looke for happy newes of the saluation of you and all yours by this your tydinges may be comforted and made glad and perfectly knowing the light and brightenes of Gods fauour and mercie to shyne amongest you we maie with ioyfull confession geaue full and whole thankes to God the geauer of all good thinges and to blessed S. Peter the chefest of his Apostles In the meane time we haue here sent you the blessing of S. Peter your patrone and heade of the apostles That is a looking glasse set in siluer and a combe of yuery gilted with golde Which we praie your goodnes as well to accept as ye vnderstand it is sent vnto you How king Edwine was prouoked to receiue the faith by a vision appearing to him in bannishment The. 12. Chap. THus much did Pope Boniface by his letters for the conuerting of king Edwine and all his countrie which king was also well holpen and almost forced to receaue the faithe and marke diligently the holesome preceptes of Christian doctrine by an oracle and vision from heauen Which the goodnes of God vowchesafed to shewe him while he laye bannished in kinge Redwaldes courte king of the east Englishmen For when bishop Pauline had well perceaued that the princes haughty courage could hardly be brought to the lowly humblenes of Christianite and that it would styfly be bowed and bent to beare the mysterie and burden of Christes crosse when he remembred also how he had nowe laboured a longe tyme bothe with preaching to the people and with praying to Gods mercie for the saluation of king Edwine and all his subiectes at the lenght hauing lerned in sprite for so it is most lykest to be what was that vision which had longe before ben shewed to the kinge from heauen he made no delayes at all but came spedely to the kinge and warned him to fulfill and accomplishe his vowe whiche in the vision that appeared to him he had promised to doe in case he were deliuered from his present miseries and restored againe to his raygne and kingdome Nowe was this vision suche as foloweth At what time king Edelfryde Edwines predecessour with greuouse pursuing put Edwine to flight and made him lye pryue and lurke in diuers places of other realmes for manie yeres space as a bannished man at the lenghth Edwine came to king Redwald besechinge him that he would saue him and defend his life from the traynes and ernest serche of this his dedly ennemie Who gladly entertained hym and promised to fullfill this his requeste and petitiō But after that king Edelfride had heard say that Edwine was seene in that prouince and vnderstood that he liued ther and dwelled familiarly with all his cōpany forthwith he sent out his Embassadours to king Redwald with a greate somme of monie to procure Edwines deathe But it preuailed nothing Thē sent he the second tyme and the thyrd tyme also offring greater gyftes and more plentifully bothe gold and syluer thretning him at the laste warres yf his request were accomplished Then king Redwald other dreading the threts or corrupted with the brybes graunted his request and promised that he would put Edwyne to death himselfe or els yealde him vp to thimbassadeurs Which thing when a certayne faythfull frend of Edwynes had marked and well vnderstoode he entred incontinent to the chamber where Edwyne purposed to take his rest For it was now an houre within nyght and calling him forth told him what the king had promised to doe against him sayeng in the end this muche I shall therfore yf it so please yowe leade yowe owt of this prouince and bryng yow into suche a place that nother king Redwald nor yet king Edelfryde shal be able to fynde yowe To whome Edwyne answered in this maner Sir I thanke yow most hartely for this your greate gentlenes But I can not folowe your counsell herin For first I must not breake my promesse which I haue made to so greate and mightie a Prince as is king Redwald especially wheras he hath done me no harme ne wronge nor hath as yet shewed anie hatred or displeasure towardes me And truly if I must of necessite dye thus I had rather he shuld put me to deathe then anie baser man or person of lesle nobilite Agayne whether I pray yow shuld I flee nowe who haue so many yeares and so long tyme walked lyke a vagabounde through all prouinces of this yle of Britannie only to auoyd and eschewe myne enemies snares and assaultes Now when this his frend was gone Edwyne remained without alone and sytting sadly before the palace begāne to be troubled with manie stormes and vexations of thoughts as a man not witting what to doe or whither to goe in this so ruefull case After he had ben longe vexed with inwarde and priuie troubles of mynde burning inwardly with close fyre of secret sorowe behold in the greate sylence and quyet of the mydde nyght he sawe a man vtterly vnknowen to him bothe for visage and countenaunce and also for his aray and apparell to approche and drawe toward him Whome bycause he had espyed thus at a blushe and so straungely desguised he was not a lytle a frayde The straunger cometh euen vnto him greteth him and asketh him wherfore he sate so soroufull on the stone abrode watching and all alone at that howre especially when other men were within at rest and in their depe sleape Then Edwyne lykewise demaundyd of him what he had to doe therwith yf he passed ouer the nyght within dore or els without To whome this mā answered and sayde Thinke ye not but that I know the cause of your heauynes and watche And also of this your solitarie syttinge with out dores For I know certainly who ye be and wherfore you are so sad and soroufull And also what myscheffe yow feare shortly shall befall you But tell me of fryndshippe what reward would you geaue him that shuld now rydde yowe quyte out of all these sorowes and trowbles and
mercie of God doe hope and beleaue that not only king Adelwaldes subiectes but also all the next dwellers and inhabitauntes abowt him shall receiue by your preching parfect saluation and life euerlasting To the entent that as it is writen the reward of your pâ—rfit and ended worke be geuen yowe from our Lorde the geauer of all good thinges And at the length the vniuersall confession of all nations receiuing the veritie of Christian fayth maye manifestly declare that their sounde hath gon for the ouer all the earth and their wordes euen to the vttermost partes of all the wordle Wherfore of our bounteousnes we haue sent yow by the bearers of our present letters a palle Which we geue yow lycence to vse only in the celebration of the moste holy mysteries graunting yow moreouer by the grace and mercye of our Lorde the ordeyning of Bishops when occasion shall require For so the gospell of Christe by the preching of manye maye the better be spredd ouer all nations that be not yet conuerted Let therefore your brotherly charite keape with a pure minde and sincere intention this authorite which it hath nowe receiued by the bountifulnes of the see Apostolique In remembrance and token whereof yowe shall here receiue to your vse as prelat there this Robe which we send you It remaineth that calling continually for the mercye and grace of our Lorde you endeuoure to be such a man as maie vse the rewarde of this our graunted and geauen autorite worthelye and not to anye daunger or losse of sowles but rather that yow maye be able to shewe and present thesame hereafter before the iudgement seate of the hiest and most assured Iudge to come with the gaine of manie sowles to God Who keape and preserue yow alwayes in healthe most derely beloued brother Of the raigne of king Edwyne and how Pauline comming thither to preche the gospell first baptised his daughter in Christian faith an others with her The. 9. Chapter ABout this time the people also of Northumberlande that is the English men which dwelled towarde the Northsyde of the fludde Humber receiued together with their king Edwyne the worde of faith by the preching of Pauline of whome I haue sumwhat spoken aboue To the which king in a good abodement of receiuing the faithe was graunted both possibilite of the kingdome of heauen and also greater poure by thincrease of his kingdome on earthe For he had subdued all the coastes of Britannie whersoeuer anie prouinces or of Englishmen or Britons were inhabited which thing no one kinge of English men had done before him Moreouer he added as we haue shewed before the Meuian yles to the Englishe kingdome Of which yles the first that is nerest the South and in situation larger and for the plentifulnes of corne more fertyle hath dwelling rome for the number of 960. families to the estimate of English men The seconde hath space of grounde but for 300. tenements or somwhat more Now the occasion that these peoples came to the faith was suche The before named king Edwine was ioyned in affinite to the kinge of kent by the marriage of Ladie Edelburge otherwise called Tate daughter to king Elbert Which Ladie when king Edwine woed sending thether his embassadours answer was geuen by her hrother Edbald then king of Kent that it was not lawfull for a Christian woman and virgin to be maried or spoused to a paynime leste the faith and sacramente of the king of heauen might be profaned by the companie of suche a king as knew not the trew worshipping of God Which answer when the embassadours brought backe to kinge Edwine he promised that in anie case he wold doe nothing that shuld be contrarie to the Christian faith which this virgin professed but rather permitte that she with all the men and women priestes or seruaÌ„ts which came with her shuld keape and obserue after the ChristiaÌ„s maner their faith and customes of their religion Neither did he denie but that himselfe also would receaue the same religion so that after the examination of wise men it were founde more holie then his and meter for God Then vppon these conditions this virgin was promised and sent also vnto kinge Edwine And according to appointment made the man of God Paulinus was ordained Bishop and chosen to goe with her to confirme her and her companie that they might not be polluted with the felowship of painimes Who did so by his daylie exhortations and ministringe the blessed sacrameÌ„te vnto theÌ„ This Paulinus was made bishop by Iustus tharchbishop of Caunterbury aboute the 21. daye of Iulie the yeare of our Lorde 625. Being ordained he is directed in company with the aboue mentioned virgin vnto king Edwine as if he had ben her bodely compagnion but the vertuous bishop entended wholly in his harte nought els then to call that countrie to which he weÌ„t to thacknowleadging of the truth that according to the sayeng of the Apostle he might exhibet and present hit as a chaste virgin to the true and only spouse which is Christe When he was now commen into this countrie with the healpe and ayde of God he laboured ernestly to keape them which came with him from falling froÌ„ their faith And sought also how he might possibly conuert by preching some of those painims to faith and grace But as the Apostle saith Although he loÌ„g laboured in preching the word of our Lord to them yet the God of this worlde so blinded the hartes of thâ—sâ— infidels that the light of the gospell and the glorie of Christe could not shyne before them The yeare folowing there came into this cuntrie a desperate ruffian named Ewmere sent thither by Euichelme kinge of the west Saxons Who entending to dispatche kinge Edwine both of his kingdome and life to brought priuely vnder his garment a double egged short swerd to this entent dipped in poyson that if the stroke of the swerde were not forceable enough to kill the king out of hand yet it might be healped forward with the infection of the poison He came therfore on Ester Sondaye vnto the king who laye at the ryuer Deruent where was the courte then He entred ther into the palace as an embassadour which had earnest message from his prince and when with craftie speache he had a litle made the prince attent to his fained embassaye he steppeth forth sodenly and drawing his swerd from vnder his garment flew to the kinge Which when Lilla the kinges moste faithful seruant sawe and hauing no buckler readie at hand wherewith he might defend the king from present deathe stept straightwaie with his owne bodie betwen the kinge and the stroke But this murderer strooke his swerd so farre and feercely in them bothe that through the bodie of this seruaunt now quight slayne he wounded the king himselfe greuously Which thing when he had thus donne being straightwaye besette with the weapons of the kinges garde
euen in that tumult to with the same bluddy swerd he slewe an other whose name was Fordhere Now it happened that the same night of holye Ester Sonday the Quene brought furth and was deliuered of a daughter whose name was Eanfled For the which childe when the king in presence of the bishop Pauline gaue thankes to his Goddes the bishop contraâ—ie wise began to praise and geaue thankes to our Lorde Christe and sayde to the kinge certainly that he had obtained by his prayers of Christe that the Quene might be deliuered safely and without greate griefe With which his wordes the king being much delyted promised that he would renounce all idols and euer after serue Christe if so be that Christe would nowe graunte him his life and health and victorie also in his warres whiche he purposed to haue against this king Euichelme who had sent in such sorte this Ruffian and manqueller that had wounded him And in pledge of perfourming this his promise he assigned and graunted to bishop Pauline this his daughter to be Christened Who was baptised first of all the Northumberlannes with xij other of the kinges familie vpon whitsondaye folowing At which time the king also being recouered of his wounde that he had lately taken made an armie and marched forth against the West Saxons at the whiche battayle he slewe or els tooke presonners all them whome he vnderstoode to haue conspired to his deathe So retourning home to his countrie victour and conquerour yet would he not by and by or without farder counsell receiue the Christian faithe although truly he worshipped not idols from that daye that he promised he would serue Christe But sought euer after diligently of the right reuerend father Pauline the reason and trade of faithe and conferred with his counsellers and nobles whom he knew to be wisest what were best as they thought to be done in these matters And moreouer as he was by nature a very wyse man sitting oftentymes alone for a great space in muche sylence of outward voyce but in his inward thought commoning with himselfe he discussed and debated in his mind dyuersly what he should doe in this case and what religion were best to be folowed How Pope Boniface exorted this king with his letters to the faythe The. 10. Chap. ANd beholde in the middest of these cogitations he happely receiued from Boniface bishop of the see Apostolique letters exhorting him to the faith The copie of which is suche To the most puissant prince Edwine king of the Englishmen Boniface Bishop and seruant to them that serue God c. Althowgh the hye secret powre of Gods diuinitie can not be expressed by wordes or speache of man for it consisteth by the greatnes therof of so vnspeakable and so vnserchable an eternitie that no force nor strength of wytte is able to comprise or compasse how great it is Yet for as muche as the goodnes of God opening the gates of our hartes to the knowlege of him dothe mercifully poore into mens myndes by secret inspiration suche thinges as he will shal be spoken of himselfe we haue thought good to exteÌ„de our priestly care and deutie in vttering vnto yow the riche store of our ChristeÌ„ belefe that bringing lykewyse vnto your vnderstanding the gospell of Christe which he commaunded to be preched to all nations we myght brinche vnto you the cuppe of life and saluatioÌ„ The goodnes therfore of the hyghest maiestie of God who with his only worde and commaundement hath made and created all thinges the heauen the earthe the sea and all that in them is setting a decent order wherin they shuld consiste by the counsell of his coeternall worde and the vnitie of the holie ghoste made man of a peece of earth to his owne image and lyknes and gaue him moreouer suche a prerogatiue of excellencie that he preferred him and set him ruler ouer all his other creatures assuring him beside of an euerlasting perpetuite so that he kept the bounde of his commaundements This God the father the sonne and the holie ghoste which is the inseparable Trinite all mankind from the Este to the weste worsshippeth with holsome confession and adoreth with a sure faythe as the creator of all thinges and their maker To the which God yea the hye honours of Empire and the puissant powres on earth are lowly subiecte bycause by his only ordenance and disposing all kingdoms be geauen and graunted Whose mercifull goodnes encreasing alwayes and ayding eche his creatures hath vouche safed most merueylously to enkendle with the heate aud feruour of the holie ghost the cold hartes of those nations which enhabite the vttermost partes of the earthe that they also mought knowe him and beleaue in him For we thinke your hyghnes hath fully heard and vnderstandeth by this tyme the cuntrie lyeng so nere howe our Redemer of his mercie hath wrought wonderfully in the illumining of the most excellent Prince our dere sonne kinge Audubald and all his subiectes And we with a certaine longlooking of heauenly hoope trust that the lyke miracle and gratiouse gyfte shal be geauen to yowe also from God aboue and specially wheras we vnderstande the Souerayne Ladie your wyfe who is a parte of your bodie to be illumenyd with the hope of eternall lyfe by the regeneration of holie baptisme Wherfore we haue thought it good to exhorte yowe in these our present letters most ernestly and with all affection of inward charite that abandoning all idoles detesting the worsshipp and honour of them forsaking the fond foolishnes of your Goddes temples and despising the deceytfull entisementes of your false sothsayinges ye wyll now beleue in God the father Almyghtie and his sonne Iesus Christe and in the holie ghoste that beleuing so ye maye be absolued and loosed by the working powre of this blessed and inseparable Trinite from the bondes and captiuite of the dyuel and herafter be made partakener of lyfe euerlastinge Now yf ye long to knowe in how great fault and offence they are which worshyppe idols and embrace the wicked superstition of them thexamples of their destroying and perditioÌ„ which are estemed as Gods can sufficiently informe yow of whome king Dauid in his psalmes sayth thus All the Godes of the gentyles are dyuels but our Lorde hath made the heauens And agayne They haue eyes and see not they haue eares and heare not they haue noses and smell not they haue handes ans feele not they haue feete and walke not Therfore all suche are made like vnto them as do put anie hope or confidence in them For how can they haue vertue or powre to healpe anie man which are made of a corruptible matter and wrowght by the haÌ„des of your inferiours and subiectes And how culd thei get anie abilite to hurt or healpe wheras mans arte and crafte only hath applyed a deadly similitude and lykenes of a bodie to theÌ„ who were they not moued by yowe themselfe coulde neuer
was But as sone as he had heard that for his owne healthes sake and saluation this bysshop had suffred so greueouse beatinges yea and that of the Apostle of Christe he feared much And afterward abandoning all worship and honour of ydols renouncinge also his vnlauful mariage he embraced the fayth of Christe and being baptised he endeuored to keape and mayntaine the state of the churche in all pointes to his vttermoste power Moreover he sent into Fraunce and called home Mellite and Iustus commaunding them to returne to their churches and freely instructe their flock Thus the yeare after their departure they returned againe Iustus to Rochester where he was bishop But as for Mellite the LoÌ„doners wold not receaue although he was their bysshop chosing rather to obey idolatrouse bysshops then him And truly king Edbald was not a Prince of so greate power and strenght as was his father that he might restore this bysshopp to his churche notwithstanding the paynim Londiners resistaunce but for his owne part and all his subiectes froÌ„ the daye that he was conuerted to our Lord he submitted himselfe to the precepts of God Moreouer he buylt a chappell in the honour of our ladie the blessed mother of God within the monasterie of S. Peter head of thappostles Which chappell Mellite the Archebisshop consecrated How bishop Mellite quenched with his prayer the fyre burning the citie of Caunterbury The. 7. Chap. FOr in the raygne of this king Edbald the holye Archebishop Laurence departing hence to the kyngdome of heauen and being buryed the seuenth daye of Februarie in the churche and monasterie of S. Peter thappostle fast by his predecessour Austin Mellite who was bishopp of London sate in the See of Caunterbury churche third Archebysshopp after S. Austin when as Iustus was yet a lyue and bishopp of Rochester Which ij Prelates because they dyd rule and gouerne the English churche with greate labour and diligence receiued eftsoones exhorting epistles from Boniface Bysshop of the Roman and Apostolique see Who after Dersdâ—dit otherwise wise called Theodatus gouuerned the Church in the yeare of our lord 618. Mellite was often troubled with infirmities of the bodie and muche greaued with the gowte yet notwithstanding euer hole and sounde of mynde Who passing ouer spedely all erthly thinges hyed him fast to the blysse of heauen which is euer to be beleued euer to be wysshed for and euer to be sowght for He was also noble by byrth but muche more noble for the excellencie of his mynde I will reherse one token of his vertue by which a man maye easely gesse the rest When vppon a certaine tyme the citie of Caunterbury by negligence was takeÌ„ with fyre and began to waste and consume awaye by muche encreasing of the flames so that no helpe of man no castinges of water theron was able to queÌ„che or staye it the greatest parte of the citie being at length nere burnt and the furiouse flashes extending them selues euen to the Bysshops place this good bysshop seing mans healpe now to fayle and trusting only in the ayde and succoure of God commaundyd that the myght be carryed out of his howse and sette against these fierce flawes of fyre percing and flyeng all rounde aboute Now where the greatest rage of this burning was there was the place of martyrdome of the. 4. hollie crouned Saintes Whan then the byshop by his seruantes was brought forth and sette in this place here he began withe prayer sycke as he was to dryue awaye the peryll of fyre which the stowght strength of stronge men with muche labour could not before bryng to passe And beholde the wynde that blew froÌ„ the Southe wherby this fire was first kendled and blasted abrode now sodenly bent against the Southe first teÌ„pered his blastes for feare of hurting the places ouerryght in thother side and after quyte quenching the flames ceasing and extinguisshing the fyre made all calme and wel againe And truly this good man of God which dyd feruently alwaye burne with the fyre of inwarde charite and was wont with his often prayers and hollie exhortations to dryue from himselfe and al his the daunger of ghostly temtations and trowble by spryghtes of the ayre might now iustly preuaile against the wynde and easely cease these worldy flames and obtayne that they hurted nor him nor his Who after he had ruled the churche v. yeares deceased hence to heauen in the raygne of king Edbald and is buryed with his predecessours in the oftmentioned monasterie and churche of S. Peter the yeare of our Lord. 624. and the. 22. daye of Februarie How Pope Boniface sent Iustus Mellites successor a palle and an epistle The. 8. Chapter TO whome Iustus succeded inmediatly in the Byshoprike who was Bysshopp of Rotchester Ouer whiche church he appointed for him Romanus and consecrated him Byshop For nowe had Iustus receyued authoritie to ordeyne Byshops from the hygh Byshop Boniface successour of Deusdedit as we saied before The forme of which authorite is as foloweth To our derest beloued brother Iustus Boniface sendeth greating How godly and how ernestly yow haue dere brother laboured for the Gospell of Christ not only the tenour of your epistle directed vnto vs but also the perfection and end of your doinges haue well and fully declared For almightie God hath not forsaken eyther the glorie of his name or the fruyte of your labour Wheras himselfe faythfully haâ—h promised the prechers of his Gospell sayng Behold I am with yow alwayes euen vnto the end of the wordle Which thing especially his clemencie hath shewed in this your ministerie opening the hartes of the gentiles to receyue the singular mysterie of your preching For he hath made moste honorable the state of your dignitie by his grace and goodnes while that himselfe hath prepared you so fertell fruytes vsing moste prouidently his talentes committed to yowe geauing yowe this gyfte that yowe may now assigne and shewe whole countries plentifully multiplyed in the fayth by yow And this is geauen you in recompence bycause you persisted continually in this ministerie of preching appointed to yowe looking with lawdable pacience for the redemption of that people to whome yow were sent and that they might geate some good by your merytes and labour whose saluation is nowe begonne wytnessing our Lord sayeng He that shall stand and perseuere to the end he it is that shal be saued Ye are therfore saued by the hope of patience and by the vertue of longe suffring so that now the hartes of infidels being purged and healed from their naturall and superstitiouse desease may receyue the mercye of their Sauiour For after we had read the letters of oure dere son king Adelwald we vnderstode with what greate lerning and instruction of holy scrypture yow haue browght him to the belefe of thundowbted faithe and trewly conuerted him to Christe Wheruppon we presuming and putting sure affiaunce in the greate
waggene walke but lyke a stone set fast in one place so are they buylded vpp hauing no vnderstanding in the wordle but be dull with insensiblenes hitselfe and starcke deade Therfore we can not by any discretion and iugement finde owte vppon what blindnes and deceite of minde ye worshipp and obey those Godes to whome your owne selues haue geauen the image and representance of a bodie Yt behoueth you then to receiue nowe the signe of that holie crosse by which mankinde was redemed and execrating all dangerous deceites of the dyuell shake from your hart his subtiltie and guyle who euer maliceth and enuyeth at the workes of Godes goodnes Yt behoueth yowe also to set handes on these Godes which hetherto ye haue made your selfe of one metal or other Ye must I saye teare thē rent them and squasshe them to peeces For the verie dissoluing and breaking of them that neuer had lyue sprite or breathe in them nor could not by any meanes take of their makers sense and feeling the breaking I saye of them shall playnly shew yow that in deade it was nothing at all which yow haue hitherto so reuerently worshipped Wheras yow are your selfe far better then they be For yow haue receiued of our Lorde a lyue sprite and Almightie God hath browght yow althowgh by manie ages and diuers degrees and kindreds from the stocke of the first man Adam Whome God himselfe made and gaue life vnto Come yow therfore to the acknowleging of him that hath created yow that hath breathed into yow the sprite of life that for your redēption hath sent his only begotten sonne who should take yow owt of originall sinne and reward yow after with the ioyes of heauen being now delyuered from the diuels powre and malice Receiue ye therfore the wordes of the prechers and harken to the gospell of God whiche they shew yow that beleuing as we haue alredie sayde in God the father and Iesus Christ his sonne and in the holie Ghost that blessed and inseparable Trinite forsaking al honour and worshipp to diuels and expelling from yow the ernest entising of that poysoned and your most deceytfull enemie ye maye be borne againe by water and the holie ghost and by the only healpe and bountifulnes of God dwell with God in whome ye shall beleaue in all brightnes of euerlasting glorie And here we haue sent yow the blessing of S. Peter heade of thapostels and your good guide and gouernour that is a sherte laide with gold and a cloke of the finest sorte we haue from Ancyra Which we beseche your hyghnes to acept with so good a hart and will as ye vnderstande it is sent from vs. How this Pope exhorted the Quene also that she shuld diligently and ernestly seeke for the kinges saluation The. 11. Chap. THis bishop sent also letters to the Quene And the transcript of that epistle which this holie and Apostolike Pope Boniface directed from Rome to Quene Edelburge wyfe to kinge Edwyne was suche To the most high and veriuous Princesse Quene Edelburge his dere daughter bishop Boniface seruant to thē that serue God The boūtifulnes of our redemer by his greate prouidence hath offred mankinde whome by the shedding of his owne pretiouse bloude he hath deliuered from the bonde and captiuite of the dyuel sundry waies and manie healpes by which they might be saued insinuating by diuers meanes into the mindes of gentiles the knowledge of his name that therby they might be Christened and acknowledge their creatour Which thinge that it hath ben by the gifte of God bestowed on your honour the mysticall regeneration of your purifying in baptisme doth plainly declare And truly our hart hath ioyfully reioysed for this greate benefite of our Lordes bountefulnes to yow who hath vouchesafed to enkendle a sparke of right religiō in you being now cōuerted to him that therby he might after easely enflame with the loue and knowleadg of him self the harte and mindes not only of your most renomed and dere husbād but also of al your subiectes For we haue lerned by thē which came to declare vnto vs the laudable conuersion of our most gratious and wel beloued son kinge Audubald that your honour also after ye had receiued the wōderful sacramēt and veryte of Christiā faith do shyne and excel in good workes and such as be euer pleasaūt in the sight of God Therfore let your highnes refraine alwaies and diligētly kepe you self from worshipping of idols frō thalluremēte of tēples and from fond south saynges And so persisting with a sure and vnchāgeable deuotiō in the loue of your redemer watch ye and labour neuer ceassing to bestow your paines cōtinually to thēcrease and enlarging of Christiā faith For when as for our fatherly charite we had enquired sumwhat of the state of youre derely beloued husband we vnderstoode that he serued and obeyed so far furth to the abomination of idolatrie that he wold not yet shewe anie obedience or geue eare to the voice and counsell of Gods preachers which newes was vnto vs no small griefe that a parte of your owne bodie shulde remaine in this sorte alienated from knowledge of the highest and the inseparable holy Trinite wherefore as becometh a father to doe we haue differred no lenger to send vnto you our daughter in Christe Iesu our good counsell and frendfull warninge Exhorting you that whereas ye are now your selfe endued with Gods grace and diuine inspiration ye differ not henceforth to be instant at all times warning him in season or out of season and still calling on him vntill he also by the healping hand of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christe may be coupled with you in the number of Christians that you may so much the better and with a surer bond of societe accōpany him and hold the lawes and rightes of wedlock with him For it is writē They shal be ij in one fleshe and how can it be sayd that there is vnite of coniunction betwene yowe yf your husband by the darknes of detestable errour shall abide still alienated from the brightnes of your faith Ceasse not therfore to aske with continuall prayer of the greate mercie and longe suffringe of our Lorde the benefite of his illumining and conuersion that whom the knotte of carnall affection hath made now as one bodie those also the vnitie of faith may preserue in perpetuall societe after their dedeparture out of this life Be you then instant most vertuous daughter and with endeuour hasten spedely to mollefie the hardnes of his harte with godly remembraunces and diuine precepts Shew him plainly how excellēt a misterie it is that you by beleuing haue your self obtained And how meruailous a rewarde you shall haue hereafter bicause yow are nowe regenerat by baptisme Enflame his colde stony harte with ofte expressing the manyfolde graces of the holy ghost That he settinge a side by suche often exhortations this bodely and earthly worshipping of Idols the heate