CHAP. IV. How Laurence and his Bishops admonish'd the Scots, to obferve the Unity the Holy Church, and particularly in keeping of Eafter; and how Mellitus went to Rome. Aurence a fucceeded Auguftin in the Bifhoprick, whom he had therefore ordain'd in his Life time, left upon his Death, the State of the Church as yet fo unfettled, might begin to faulter, if it fhould be deftitute of a Paftor, tho' but for one Hour. Wherein he alfo follow'd the Example of the first Paftor of the Church, that is, of the most bleffed Prince of the Apoftles, Peter, who having founded the a The following Bishops were thefe, Laurentius, Mellitus, Juftus, Honorius, Deusdedit and Theodofius, with this Infcription in Marble, Septem funt angli Primates & Protopatres, of England Primates (even, and Patriarchs seven, the Church of CHRIST at Rome, is faid to have confecrated Clement, his Affiftant in preaching the Gospel, and at the fame time his Succeflor. Laurence being advanc'd to the Degree of an Archbishop, most indefatigably labour'd both by frequent Exhortations and Examples of Piety, to raise to the height of Perfection, the Foundations of the Church, which being nobly laid, he faw did still advance. In fhort, he not only took care of the new Church, collected among the English, but endeavour'd alfo to employ his Paftoral Solicitude among the ancient Inhabitants of Britain, as alfo the Scots, who inhabit the Island of Ireland, which is next to Britain. For when he understood that the courfe of Life and Profeffion of the Scots in their aforefaid Country, as well as of the Britons in Britain, was not truly Ecclefiaftical; especially that they did not celebrate the Solemnity of Eafter at the due Time, but thought that the Day of the Refurrection of our Lord, was, as has been faid above, to be celebrated between the 14th and the 20th of the Moon; he writ jointly with his Fellow Bishops, an Exhortatory Epiftle, intreating and conjuring them to obferve Unity of Peace, and Conformity with the Church of CHRIST fpread throughout the World. The beginning of which Epistle here follows. * To the Lords our most dear Brothers the Bishops or Abbats throughout all Scotland, Laurence, Ireland. Mellitus, and Juftus, Servants to the Servants of God. When the See Apoftolick, according to its Cuftom, as it does to all Parts of the World, Sent us to thefe Western Parts to preach to the Pagan Nations, Nations, and we happen'd to come into this Ísland, which is call'd Britain, we reverenc'd both the Britons and Scots in great efteem of Sanctity be fore we knew them, believing that they had proceeded according to the Cuftom of the univerfal Church; but coming acquainted with the Britons, we thought the Scots had been better; but we have been inform'd by Bishop Dagan, coming into this aforefaid Island,and the Abbat Columban in France that the Scots no way differ from the Britons in their Behaviour; For Bebop Dagan coming to us, not only refus'd to eat with us, but even to take his Repaft in the fame House where we were enter tain'd. The fame Laurence and his Fellow Bishops writ a Letter to the Priefts of the Britons, fuitable to his Degree, by which he endeavour'd to confirm them in Catholick Unity; but what he gain'd by fo doing the prefent Times still declare. About this Time Mellitus, Bishop of London, came to Rome, to confer with the Apoftolical Pope Boniface, about the neceflary Affairs of the English Church. And the fame moft Reverend Pope aflembling a Synod of the Bifhops of Italy, to prefcribe Orders for the Life and Peace of the Monks, Mellitus alfo fat among them, in the eighth Year of the Reign of the Emperor Focas, the thirteenth Indiction, on the third Day of the Kalends of March, to the end that he alfo Said to come from the Monastery of Banchor, in Ireland, to be Bishop to the Scots. Bale fays, he writ one Book of the British Churches. Smith. alfo by his Authoriry should confirm fuch things as fhould be regularly decreed, and at his return into Britain might carry the fame to the Churches of the English, to be prescrib'd and obferv'd; together with Letters which the fame Pope directed to the beloved of God, Archbishop Laurence, and to all the Clergy; as likewife to King Ethelbert and the English Nation. This is Boniface IV. after Blefied Gregory, Bishop of the City of Rome, who obtain'd of the Emperor Focas, that the, Temple by the Ancients call'd Pantheon, as reprefenting all the Gods, fhould be given to the Church of CHRIST. Wherein he, having turn'd out all the Filth, eftablifh'd a Church of the Holy Mother of God, and of all the Martyrs of CHRIST, to the end that a multitude of Devils being excluded, there might be a memorial of a multirude of Saints. t CHA P. V. How, after the Death of the Kings Ethelbert and Seberht, their Succeffors refor'd Idolatry; for which reafon both Mellitus and Juftus departed out of Britain. I N the Year of our Lord's Incarnation 613, which is the 21st Year after Augustin and his Companions were fent to preach to the English Nation, Ethelbert King of Kent having moft most gloriously govern'd his Temporal Kingdom 56 Years, enter'd into the eternal Joys of the Heavenly Kingdom. He was the third of the English Kings that had the Sovereignty of all the Southern Provinces that are divided from the Northern by the River Humber, and the Borders contiguous to the fame; but the first of all that afcended to the Heavenly Kingdom. The first that had the like Sovereignty was Elli, King of the South Saxons; the fecond Celin, King of the Weft Saxons, who, in their Language, is call'd Ceaulin; the third, as has been faid, Ethelbert, King of Kent; the fourth Redwald, King of the Eaft Angles, who whilst Ethelbert liv'd had been fubfervient to him. The fifth Edwin, King of the Nation of the Northumbrians, that is, of thofe who live on the North fide of the River Humber, who, with great Power, commanded all the Nations, as well of English as Britons that inhabit Britain, excepting only the People of Kent, and reduc'd under the Dominion of the English the Mevanian Islands of the Britons, lying between Ireland and Britain; the fixth Ofwald, he alfo, the most Christian King of the Northumbrians, had the fame extent under his Command; the feventh Ofwi, Brother to the former, held the fame Dominions for fome time, and for the most part fubdu'd and made Tributary the Nations of the Pits and Scots, which poffefs the Northern Parts of Britain: But of these hereafter. King Ethelbert dy'd on the 24th Day of the Month of February, 21 Years after he had receiv'd the Faith, and was bury'd in St. Mar a The Iles of Anglefey and Man, tin's |