from his latest panegyrist to contemporary authorities, we find that the list of his miracles often grows; ie., the later writers have included a number of traditional stories in their narrative, which were not recorded by, and therefore probably not known to, his contemporaries. It is known to students of this branch of ecclesiastical literature, that certain miraculous stories are repeated in the lives of different saints; just as the same deed of valour is attributed to different heroes of romance.

But when we get back to the contemporary histories of saints, we find that, beyond question, some of them believed that they possessed supernatural power, and that their companions believed that they witnessed examples of its exercise. We must bear in mind the tendency of certain minds to regard things out of the common order as supernatural, the tendency of the persons to whom they happen or who are eye-witnesses of them, to unconscious exaggeration of the strangeness of the event, and the certainty that the story would grow as it passed from mouth to mouth. In the case of healings, we must bear in mind the undoubted fact that remarkable sudden cures, of certain classes of diseases, do occur under strong mental excitement, and that the effect of this excitement is greatly increased by the sympathy of an excited crowd, as in times of religious "revivals.” So that we may accept it as true that some of these saints did effect cures which seemed to themselves and to the recipients of the cure, and to the spectators, to be miraculous.

But when we stand face to face with this circumstantial account of the restoration of sight to the blind

man by Augustine, we feel that it cannot be explained in this way. What are we to think of it? When we examine the narrative, we note that the British bishops are said to have accepted the proposed test, and to have attempted to work the miracle by their prayers; and that they are said to have admitted the reality of the cure in answer to the prayers of Augustine. But we are most of all struck by the fact that the miracle seems somehow to have failed of its effect. The Britons were confounded by it, but practically they declined to accept its evidence. They postponed their decision to a future conference; and at that future conference the evidence of the miracle does not appear to have been alluded to on either side; somehow the Britons ignored it, and Augustine's party felt that it would not help them. What are we to say about it? We may, perhaps, most conveniently return the ambiguous verdict, which is permitted to a Scotch jury, of "Not proven."

The second conference appears to have been held within a short time and at the same place. The Britons sent messengers to summon some of their most learned and influential men, especially from the Monastery of Banchor Iscoed, so called to distinguish it from the other celebrated monastery of the same name on the Menai Strait. This Banchor Iscoed was on the right (east) side of the Dee, about twelve miles from Chester. Augustine would naturally occupy the interval in trying to make some good impression upon the South Saxon men among whom he found himself.

Both parties had thought over the situation, and had adopted a policy. Augustine had resolved to reduce his demand for an abandonment of the old

British customs to a very reasonable minimum—that they would keep the orthodox Easter, and unite with him in the conversion of the English, which included their acceptance of him as their Archbishop.

The Britons, on their side, had agreed among themselves to surrender their old customs; but the point on which they hesitated was that of putting their Church under Augustine's jurisdiction. There is much to be admired, both in the tolerance of Augustine, and the willingness of the Britons to yield on matters which, though of no real importance, were dear to them.

Augustine had tried to make the decision rest upon a miracle; the Britons made it turn upon a prognostic. Before the learned men who had been summoned from Bangor set out on their journey to the synod, they consulted "a certain holy and discreet man who had led an eremitical life among them." Both in the Celtic and Latin monasteries, it was not an unusual thing that some man of specially ascetic disposition lived the life of a recluse in a separate cell within the monastery. Not long after, we find Cuthbert living such a life at Lindisfarne. So late as the fourteenth century, the young King Richard II., before he went out to meet Wat Tyler's mob, consulted a hermit who was living this recluse life in the Monastery of Westminster.

The oracle gave them a characteristically enigmatical reply: "If Augustine is a man of God," he said, 'follow him." "But how shall we know that?" said they. He replied, "Our Lord saith, 'Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart.' It is to be believed that he has taken upon

take upon yo

him the yoke of Christ, and offers the same to you to But if he is stern and haughty, it appears that he is not of God, nor are we to regard his words." They insisted again, “And how shall we learn even this?" "Do you contrive," said the anchorite, "that he may first arrive with his company at the place where the synod is to be held; and if, at your approach, he shall rise up to you, hear him submissively, being assured that he is the servant of Christ; but if he shall despise you, and not rise up to you, whereas you are more in number, let him also be despised by you”

Let it be noted that the real point in question was the acceptance of obedience to the See of Canterbury; and that the British Church was prepared, both to conform without reserve to the customs of the continental Churches, to unite with Augustine in forming one Church, and to accept under his leadership their share in the conversion of the English. What an opportunity lost! While we admire admire the largeheartedness of the general willingness to surrender cherished customs, and to accept a novel yoke, let us not despise the practical sagacity of the "discreet and holy hermit." The inclination of straws shows which way the wind blows. The very heart of the question was the spirit in which Augustine as a ruler would exercise his authority; and the manner of his reception of them was a fair test of the spirit in which he regarded them now, and would treat them afterwards.

Alas! as they approached the place of meeting, they found Augustine seated in a chair under the shadow of the great oak tree famous in after ages as

Augustine's Oak, surrounded by his attendant priests and monks. The more numerous company which approached him consisted of seven bishops, the monks of Bangor, and others their most learned men, the formal representatives of the ancient and independent British Church. Alas! Augustine retained his seat, like a sovereign receiving a humble deputation of his subjects. The question was decided. They said among themselves, "If he would not now rise up to us, how much more will he condemn us as of no worth, if we shall put ourselves under his subjection?"

The proceedings of the conference which followed are briefly summed up by the historian. Augustine said to them: "You act in many particulars contrary to our custom, or rather the custom of the universal Church; yet if you will comply with me in these three points, viz. to keep Easter at the due time; to administer baptism, by which we are again born to God, according to the custom of the holy Roman Apostolic Church; and, jointly with us, to preach the Word of God to the English nation, we will readily tolerate all the other things you do, though contrary to our customs." They answered, "They would do none of these things, nor receive him as their Archbishop."

There is a very unpleasant sequel to the history of the synod which must not be omitted, since it reflects light upon the beliefs of the time, and introduces an important event in the history of the people. Augustine is said, in a threatening manner, to have foretold that, if they would not join in unity with their brethren, they should be warred upon by their enemies; and if they would not preach the way of