and the secular powers, as though they were truly worthy of God. And thus having got into their own possession fields or villages, they henceforth are exempt both from the service of God and man, being obedient only to their own desires; and though they themselves are laymen, yet they have monks under their rule. Or rather, they are not monks whom they assemble there, but such as having been expelled from the true monasteries for the crime of disobedience, are found wandering up and down; or those whom they themselves have succeeded in alluring from these monasteries; or at any rate those among their own servants whom they have been able to induce to take the tonsure, and make a promise of monastic obedience to them. With these motley bands they fill the cells which they have constructed; and there is presented this disgraceful and unheard-of spectacle-the self-same men at one time engaged in conjugal duties and the procreation of children, and at another rising from their beds, and diligently performing the internal duties of the monasteries. Moreover, with equal shamelessness they seek places, as they say, for founding monasteries for their wives, who with like folly, being lay-women, suffer themselves to be the rulers. of the handmaidens of Christ. To whom aptly applies that common proverb,-"Though the wasps may indeed build cells, yet they do not treasure up in them honey, but poison.”

§13. Thus, for about thirty years, that is, from the time when king Aldfrid was removed from the world, our province has been so demented by this' mad error, that from that period scarcely has there been a single prefect, who has not, during the course of his prefectship, founded for himself a monastery of this description, and at the same time bound his wife in the guiltiness of a like injurious traffic. And since this most wretched custom has become prevalent, the ministers also and servants of the king were content to do the same. And thus, contrary to the established order, numberless persons are found who style themselves, indiscriminately, abbots, and prefects, or ministers or servants of the king: and though laymen might have been instructed in something of the monastic life, not indeed by experience, but by hearsay, yet these persons have nothing in common with the character or profession whose duty it is to give the instruction.

And, indeed, such persons at their own caprice suddenly receive, as you are aware, the tonsure; and by their own decision are made from laymen, not monks, but abbots. But since they are found to have no knowledge of the aforesaid virtue, acquired either by practice or study, what can be more applicable to them than that curse which is written in the gospel," If the blind lead the blind, do not both fall into the ditch?" [Matt. xv. 14.] But might not this blindness be restrained, at some time or other, within bounds, by regular discipline, and expelled afar off from the boundaries of holy church by the authority of the bishop and synod, if the bishops

1 How completely this was opposed to the first principles of monachism, may appear by referring to Mabillon's preface to his Acta SS. ord. S. Bened. i. § 112; ii. § 84.

2 This passage is commentated on by Thomassin, de Beneficiis, ii. 589, ed. Lugd. 1705.

themselves did not think fit to aid and countenance wickedness of this kind? For so far are they from being zealous to counteract unjust decrees of this character by just ones, that, as I have before mentioned, they are content rather to confirm them by their own subscriptions; being themselves stimulated to the confirmation of these evil charters, by the same covetousness which prompted the purchasers of them to found monasteries of this description. Many other intimations might I give you in this letter, with regard to these and such like traitors from the truth, by whom our province is harassed, did I not know that you yourself were fully cognisant of these matters. Nor have I stated these facts with any idea of teaching you that of which you were previously ignorant, but with a view of admonishing you, by a friendly exhortation, zealously and to the utmost of your ability to correct those errors, with the existence of which you are well acquainted.

§ 14. And again and again I earnestly pray and beseech you in the Lord, to protect the flock committed to your charge from the violence of invading wolves; and to remember that you are ordained to be, not a hireling, but a shepherd, proving your love for the great Shepherd by the careful feeding of his sheep, and by being prepared, if occasion so demand, to lay down your life for them with the blessed chief of the apostles. I pray you anxiously to beware, lest, when the same chief of the apostles, and the other leaders of faithful flocks, offer to Christ, in the day of judgment, the plenteous fruits of their pastoral care, some part of your sheep may justly deserve to be set apart among the goats at the left hand of the Judge, and depart with the curse into everlasting punishment ;nay, rather, may you yourself merit to be enrolled in the number of those of whom Isaiah says, "A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation." [Isai. lx. 22.] For it is your duty most diligently to inspect what good, or what evil, is carried on in every monastery of your diocese, lest either an abbot, ignorant, or a contemner, of its rules, or an unworthy abbess, be set over the servants or the handmaidens of Christ; or, on the other hand, that no undisciplined crowd of contumacious hearers despise the oversight of their spiritual rulers. And most particularly do I urge this upon you, because it is commonly reported, that you are wont to say, that the inquisition and examination of the internal affairs of every monastery devolves, not upon the kings, or any other secular rulers, but on you bishops only; unless, perchance, any one in the monastery be proved to have offended against the secular rulers themselves. It is your duty, I say, to take care that in places consecrated to God, the devil may not usurp to himself the rule; that instead of peace, discord; instead of piety, strife; instead of sobriety, drunkenness; instead of charity and chastity, fornication and homicides, may not claim for themselves a dwelling; that there may not be found among you any of whom this complaint may deservedly be made" I saw the wicked buried, who in their lifetime were in the place of the holy, and were praised in the city as though for just works." [Eccles. viii. 10.]

§ 15. It is needful, also, that you give earnest heed to those

who are still living a secular life, remembering, as I premonished you at the commencement of this letter, to provide for them sufficient teachers in the life of salvation, and causing them to learn this among other things, namely, what works are pleasing to the Lord-what sins must be abstained from by those who desire to please Him-with what sincerity they must believe in Him-with what devotional exercises they must supplicate the divine clemency -how frequently they must fortify themselves, and all that belongs to them, with the sign of the cross of our Lord against the assaults of unclean spirits-how salutary for every class of Christians is the daily' participation of the Lord's Body and Blood, according to the custom which you know is closely observed by the church of Christ throughout Italy, Gaul, Africa, Greece, and the whole of the East. For this kind of religion and devout sanctification to the Lord, is, by the negligence of their teachers, banished as far away from nearly the whole of the laity of our province, as though it were almost a stranger; and those who appear to be among the more religious, do not presume to communicate in the holy mysteries, except on the day of the Nativity of our Lord, on the Epiphany, and Easter-day, though there are numberless, innocent and chastely-living boys and girls, young men and young women, old men and old women, who, without any scruple of controversy, might partake of these heavenly mysteries every Lord's day, and also on the birthdays of the holy apostles and martyrs, as you yourself have seen done in the holy and apostolic church of Rome.* And even the married, if any one were to teach them the due measure of continence, and the virtue of chastity, might lawfully be able and gladly be willing to do the same.

§ 16. I have noted down these brief remarks, most holy bishop, both out of regard for your affection and for the sake of the public good, greatly desiring, and greatly exhorting you to strive, to free our nation from its old errors, and to bring it back to a safer and more direct path of life. And, if there be any-of whatsoever grade or order-who endeavour to thwart or impede your praiseworthy efforts, yet do you, mindful of the heavenly recompense, hold fast your holy and virtuous purpose firm unto the end. For I know that there are some who will vehemently oppose this our exhortation, and, chiefly, such as are conscious that they are entangled in the meshes of those very crimes from which we are restraining you. But remember the answer of the apostles, "We ought to obey God rather than men." [Acts v. 29.] For it

1 It was the custom of the Anglo-Saxon church, at this time, daily to receive the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Thus Beda, in his Commentary upon St. Matthew (Opp. v. 24, ed. Basil.):-"Panis quotidianus... dictus est... pro sacramento Corporis Christi quod quotidie accipimus."

2 The usage of the primitive church upon this subject is examined by Bingham (XV. ix. § 4) with his usual research, and the result of his investigation supports the accuracy of the statement here made by Beda.

3 On this communion thrice only in the year, see Bingham, as above, § 5. This statement is supported by the authority of St. Jerome, who writes (Epist. 1. contra Jovinianum, ad Pammach. cap. vi.):-"Scio Romæ hanc esse consuetudinem, ut fideles semper Christi Corpus accipiant; quod nec reprehendo nec probo, unusquisque enim in suo sensu abundet."

is a command of God, "Sell that ye have, and give alms. And, unless any one shall give up all that he has, he cannot be my disciple." [St. Luke xii. 33.] But it is a modern tradition among some who profess themselves the servants of God, not only not to sell that which they have, but to obtain that which they have not. But how dare any one have the audacity to attach himself to the service of God, while either he retains what he had during his secular life, or, under the pretext of a more holy life, heaps up riches which before he had not, and in the face, too, of that well-known apostolic censure under which Ananias and Sapphira were not allowed to expiate this crime by any penance or satisfaction, but, with speedy vengeance, were condemned to instant death? And, indeed, they did not wish to acquire the possessions of others, but improperly to retain their own. Whence it is manifest how very far from the acquisition of money was the intention of the apostles, who truly served God under this rule, "Blessed are ye poor, for your's is the kingdom of heaven," [Matt. v. 3;] and, on the other hand, they were instructed by an example of an opposite tendency, "Woe unto you that are rich, for you have received your consolation." [Luke vi. 24.] Or, perchance, we think that the apostle was in error and wrote a falsehood, when, by way of admonition, he said, "Brethren, be not deceived," and immediately subjoined, "Neither the covetous, nor drunkards, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." [1 Cor. vi. 10.] And again, "For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, nor extortioner, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." [Eph. v. 5.] When, therefore, the apostle clearly names covetousness and extortion to be idolatry, in what way can they be supposed to have erred, who have either withheld their hand from subscribing to this covetous traffic, even though the king commanded it, or who have presented themselves that they might cancel these useless charters and subscriptions?

§ 17. And truly astonishing is the rash folly, or rather the deplorable blindness, of those, who, though without any regard to the fear of heaven, everywhere think it right to rescind and nullify those things which the apostles and prophets have written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; yet, on the other hand, fear to erase and amend that which has been written by themselves, or by men like them, at the prompting of covetousness and luxury, as though this latter were sanctioned and confirmed by God. And, if I am not deceived, they in this respect resemble those heathens, who, despising the worship of God, venerate, fear, worship, adore, and supplicate those deities which are the creation and fancy of their own hearts, being most worthy of that rebuke which our Lord administered to the Pharisees when they preferred their own traditions to the law of God. "Why do ye also transgress the law of God by your tradition?" [Matt. xv. 3.] And, even if they produce charters drawn up in defence of their lusts, and confirmed by the subscription of noble persons, yet I pray you never to forget that decree pronounced by our Lord, "Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up." [Matt.xv.13.]

And, verily, I would learn of you, most holy bishop, since the Lord protests and says, " Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat; because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it," [Matt. vii. 13,] what confidence can you have in the eternal salvation of those persons, who, du ing the whole time of their life, are known to walk through the wide gate and the broad way, and who do not, even in the smallest matters, put any restraint upon their pleasures, either of body or mind, for the sake of a heavenly reward; unless, perchance, we are to believe the possibility of their being absolved from their crimes by the alms which, in the midst of their daily lusts and pleasures, they were seen to give to the poor,-though the very hand and conscience that offers a gift to God, ought to be purified and absolved from sin,-or unless we are to believe that they, who, during their lifetime, were themselves unworthy, may, now that they are dead, be redeemed by others, through the mysteries of a holy oblation. Or, perchance, the fault of concupiscence seems to them a light one. I will discuss this point a little more fully. This caused Balaam, a man filled with the spirit of prophecy, to be banished from the lot of the saints. This polluted and destroyed Achan, through his participation in the accursed thing. This deprived Saul of his kingly crown. This made Gehazi lose the merit of prophecy, and defiled him and his seed with the pest of perpetual leprosy. This rendered Ananias and Sapphira, of whom I have before spoken, unworthy of the society of the monks, and inflicted upon them the punishment of death; and, to go to higher things, this cast down the angels from heaven, and expelled the first created from a paradise of perpetual bliss. And, if you will know, this is that triple-headed dog of the infernal regions, to whom fables have given the name, Cerberus, and whose rabid teeth, John, the apostle, warns us to avoid, when he says, "Dearly beloved, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but of the world." [1 John ii. 15.] These brief remarks have I written against the poison of covetousness; and, for the rest, if we were to treat in the same manner of drunkenness, revelling, luxury, and other pests of this sort, this letter would have to be extended to an immense length.

O bishop, well-beloved in Christ, may the grace of the chief Shepherd ever preserve you in safety, for the wholesome feeding of his sheep. Amen.

END OF VOL. I.

R. CLAY, PRINTER, BREAD-STREET-HILL.