How the Province of the Eaft-Angles te ceiv'd the Faith of CHRIST.

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DWIN was fo zealous for the Worship

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of Truth, that he likewife perfuaded Eorpwald, King of the Eaft-Saxons, and Son to Redwald, to abandon the Superftitions of Idols, and with his whole Province to receive the Faith and Sacraments of CHRIST. And indeed his Father Redwald had long before been admitted to the Sacrament of the Chriftian Faith in Kent, but in vain; for returning home, he was feduc'd by his Wife and certain perverfe Teachers, and turn'd away from the Sincerity of the Faith; and thus his latter Part was worse than the former; fo that like the ancient Samaritans, he feem'd to ferve CHRIST, and at the fame Time the Gods, whom he had ferv'd before; and in the fame Temple, he had an Altar to to fa facrifice to CHRIST, and another fmall one to offer Viaims to the Devils; the which Temple, Aldulf, King of that fame Province, who liv'd in our Time, teftifies had stood till his Days, and that he had feen it when he was a Boy: The aforefaid King Redwald was noble by Birth, tho' ignoble in his Actions, being the Son of Tytili, whofe Father was Vuffa, from whom the Kings of the Eaft-Angles are call'd Vuffings. But Eorpwald was, not long after he had em

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brac'd

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brac'd the Christian Faith, flain by one Richbercht, a Gentil; and from that Time the Province was under Error for three Years, till Sigbercht, Brother to the fame Eorpwald, receiv'd the Crown, a moft Chriftian and Learned Man, who being banifh'd in France, during his Brother's Life, was admitted to the Sacraments of the Faith, whereof he made it his Bufinefs to caufe all his Province to as foon as he was advanc'd to the Th the partake, His endeadours were much favour'd by the Bifhop Felix, who coming to Honorius, the Archbishop, from the Parts of Burgundy, where he had been born and ordain'd, and having told him what he defir'd, he fent him to preach the Word of Life to the aforefaid Nation of the Angles. Nor were his good Withes in vain; for the pious Husbandman reap'd much Fruit there of believing People, delivering all that Province, anfwerably to the Signification of his Name, from long Iniquity and Infelicity, and bringing it to the Faith and Works of

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licity. He and the Gifts of bett

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had the See of his Bishoprick appointed in the City a Dommoc, and having prefided over the fame Province with PontifiGal Government feventeen Years, he ended his Days there in Peace.

a Domnoc and Dumor, in the Saxon Annals, Domoc, and in King Alfred, Dommoc-caerten, now Dunwich in Suffolk. This fee Bifus, the fourth from Fælix, divided into two Parts, being old, and unable to manage fo large a Province, one be plac'd at the little Village, call'd North-Elm-ham, and the other here; it was afterward united in 955, and remov'd by Erfaftus the 22d Bishop to -Thetford, and by Lofing, the 24th Bifhop to Norwich,

CHAP.

How Paulinus preach'd in the Province of Lindley, and of the Reign of Edwin.

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AULINUS alfo preach'd the Word to the Province of Lindley, which is the first on the South fide of the River Humber, ftretching out as far as the Sea; and first converted the Governor of the City of Lincoln, with his Family to our Lord. In which City he likewife built a b Stone Church, of notable Workmanship; the Roof whereof being either fallen through Age, or thrown down by Ene mies, the Walls are ftill to be feen ftanding, and every Year fome miraculous Cures are generally wrought in that fame Place; for the Benefit of those who seek the fame Faith: In that Church, Justus departing to CHRIST, Paulinus confecrated Honorius, Bishop in his ftead, as fhall be thereafter mention'd in its Place. A certain Abbat and Priest of fingular Veracity, whofe Name was Deda, in relation

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a This is by Cambden computed to be the third Part of Lincolnshire.

b A Monaftery in Lincolnshire, whose ruin'd Walls stand hear the River Witham in that County, it was burnt down by the Danes, and afterwards rebuilt by Gilbert, (or Walter) de Gaunt, Earl of Lincoln, as Cambden writes; but it (hould feem a different Place by the Monafticon from Bradney, which Gaunt repair'd, for he granted this latter, the Church and Lordship of Partney. Mon, Aug. p. 143.

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to the Faith of this Province, told me, that one of the eldest Perfons had inform'd him, that he himself had been baptiz'd at Noon Day by the Bishop Paulinus, in the Prefence of King Edwin, with a great Number of the People in the River Trent, near the City, which in the English Tongue is call'd Tiovulfingaceftir; and he was alfo wont to defcribe the Perfon of the fame Paulinus, that he was tall of Stature, a little stooping, his Hair black,his Vifage meagre, his Nofe flender and hook'd, his Afpect both venerable and awful. He had alfo with him in the Miniftry, James, the Deacon, a Man industrious and noble in CHRIST, and in the Church; who liv'd even to our Days. It is reported, that there was then fuch perfect Peace in Britain, wherefoever the Dominion of King Edwin had extended, that, as is now proverbially faid, if a Woman with her new born Babe would walk throughout the Island, from Sea to Sea, fhe might fafely do it without receiving any harm. That King took fuch care of the good of his Nation, that in feveral Places, where he had feen clear Springs near the High-ways, he there caus'd Stakes to be fix'd, with Brafs Difhes hanging at them, for the Conveniency of Travellers; nor durft any Man touch them to other intent, than the ufe they were defign'd for, through the dread they had of him, or would offer to do it for the Affection he bore him. His Authority was fo great throughout his Dominions, that

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Said by Mr. Cambden to be Southwell in Nottingham fhire, in which Church Hiftory is related this Baptism of Paulinus, who is likewise faid to have built that Church.

the Banners were not only born before him in the Fight; but even in Time of Peace, when he rode about his Cities, Towns or Provinces, with his Officers, the Standard-Bearer was wont to go before him. As alfo when he walk'd along the Streets, that fort of Banner, which the Romans call d Tufa, and the English, Thuuf, was in like manner born before him."

AA Sign in a Banner, of which were feveral forts, as Eagles, Dragons, &c.

CHAP. XVII.

How Edwin receiv'd Letters of Exhortation from Pope Honorius, who alfo fent Paulinus the Pall.

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T that Time Honorius, Succeffor to Boniface, was Prelate of the Apoftolical See, who, when he understood, that the Nation of the Northumbrians, with their King, had been, by the Preaching of Paulinus, converted to the Faith and Confeffion of CHRIST, fent the Pall to the faid Paulinus, and with it Exhortatory Letters to King Edwin, exciting him with Fatherly Charity, always to perfift and endeavour to advance in the Faith of the Truth, which they had receiv'd. The Contents of which Letter were as follows.