preach. It is reported, that as they drew near to the City, after their manner, with the Holy Crofs, and the Image of the great King, our Lord JESUS CHRIST, they, in confort, fung this Litany, or Prayer. We beseech thee, O Lord, in all thy Mercy, that thy Anger and Wrath be turned away from this City, and from thy Holy Houfe, because we have finned. Hallelujah.

CHA P. XXVI.

St. Auguftin in Kent follow'd the Doctrine and manner of living of the Primitive Church, and fettled his Epifcopal See in the Royal City.

A

S foon as they enter'd into the dwelling Place affign'd them, they began to imitate the Course of Life practis'd in the Primitive Church; that is, applying themselves to frequent Prayer, Watching and Fafting; preaching the Word of Life to as many as they could; defpifing all worldly Things, as not belonging to them, receiving only what was neceflary for Food of those they taught; living themselves in all refpects conformable to what they prefcrib'd to others, and being always difpos'd to fuffer any Adverfity, and even to die for that Truth which they preach'd. In fhort, fome believ'd, and were baptiz'd, admiring the Simplicity of their innocent Life, and the Sweetnefs of their Heavenly Doctrine. There was

on the Eaft fide near the City, a Church dedicated to the Honour of St. Martin, formerly built, whilft the Romans were' ftill in the Iland, wherein the Queen, who, as has been faid before, was a Chriftian, us'd to pray. In this they at first began to meet, to fing, to pray, to fay Mafs, to preach and to baptize, till the King being converted to the Faith, they had leave granted them more freely to preach, and build or repair Churches in all Places, When he, among the reft, being taken with the unfpotted Life of thofe Holy Men, and their moft agreeable Promifes, which they prov'd to be most certain by working of many Miracles, believ'd and was baptiz'd, greater Numbers began daily to flock together to hear the Word, and forfaking their Heathen Rites, to affociate themfeves, by believing, to the Unity of the Church of CHRIST. Whofe Faith and Converfion the King fo far encourag'd, as that he compell'd none to embrace Christianity, but only fhow'd more Affection to the Believers, as to his Fellow Citizens in the Heavenly Kingdom. For he had learnt from his Inftructors, and Leaders to Salvation, that the Service of CHRIST ought to be voluntary, not by Compulfion. Nor was it long before he gave his Teachers a fettled Place in his Metropolis of Canterbury, with the neceflary Poffeffions in feveral Sorts.

c

On the Christmas-day following St. Auguftin's Arrie val, as Baronius obferves; and Pope Gregory, in a Letter to Eulogius, an Eastern Bishop, tells him, that the Success of St. Auguftin was fuch, that the Christmas-day before (598.) above 100go of the English were baptiz'd.

CHAP.

CHAP. XXVII.

St. Auguftin being made Bishop, fent to acquaint Pope Gregory with what had been done, and receiv'd his Answer to the Doubts he had propos'd to him.

N the mean Time, the Man of God, Auguftin repair'd to Arles, and was, pursuant to the Orders receiv'd from the Holy Father Gregory, ordain'd Archbishop of the English Nation, by Etherius, Archbishop of that City. Then returning into Britain, he fent Laurence, the Prieft, and Peter, the Monk, to Rome, to acquaint the Holy Pope Gregory, that the Nation of the English had receiv'd the Faith of CHRIST, and that he was himself made a Bifhop. At the fame Time defiring his Solution of fome Doubts that occurr'd to him. He foon receiv'd proper Anfwers to his Queftions, the which we have alfo thought fit to infert in this our Hiftory.

The Question of Auguftin, Bishop of the
Church of Canterbury.

Concerning Bishops, how they are to behave them-felves towards their Clergy, or into how many Por-. tions the Things given by the Faithful to the Altar are to be divided; and how the Bishop is to act in the Church.

Gregory, Pope of the City of Rome, Answers.

Holy Writ, which no doubt you are well vers'd in, teftifies, and particularly St. Paul's Epiftle to Timothy, wherein he endeavours to inftruct him how he fhould behave himself in the House of God; but it is the Cuftom of the See Apoftolick to prefcribe Rules to Bifhops newly Ordain'd, that all Emoluments which accrue, are to be divided into four Portions, one for the Bishop and his Family, because of Hospitality and Entertainments; another for the Clergy; a third for the Popr and the fourth for the repairing of Churches. But in regard that your Brotherhood being brought up under Monaftical Rules, is not to live apart from your Clergy in the English Church, which, by God's Affiftance, has been Fately brought to the Faith; you are to follow that course of Life which our Forefathers did in the beginning of the rifing Church, when none of them faid any thing that he poffefs'd was his own, but all Things were in common among them. But if there are any Clerks not receiv'd into Holy Orders, who cannot live Continent, they are to take Wives, and receive their Stipends abroad; because we know it is writ of the fame Fathers abovemention'd, that a Diftribution was made to each of them according to every one's Wants. Care is alfo to be taken of their Stipends, and Provision to be made, and they are to be kept under Ecclefiaftical Rules, that they may live orderly, and attend to finging of Pfalms, and by the help of God, preferve their Heart, and Tongue, and Body from all that is unlawful. But

as

as for those that live in common, what need we fay any thing of making Portions, or keeping Hofpitality and exhibiting Mercy; whereas all that can be fpar'd is to be spent in Pious and Religious Works, the Lord and Mafter of all, teaching, Give Alms of fuch things as you have, and behold all things are clean unto you.

Auguftin's Question.

Whereas the Faith is one and the fame, yet there are divers Cuftoms of Churches, and one Cuftom of Maffes is obferv'd in the Holy Roman Church, and another in the Gallican Church.

Pope Gregory answers.

Your Brotherhood knows the Custom of the Roman Church, in which you remember you were bred up. But it pleafes me, that if you have found any thing, either in the Roman, or the Gallican, or any other Church, which Way be more acceptable to Almighty God, you carefully make choice of the fame, and principally infufe into the Church of the English, which as yet is new in the Faith, whatfoever you can gather from many Churches. For things are not to be afferted for the fake of Places, but Places for the fake of good Things. Choose therefore from every Church thofe Things that are pious, religious and upright, and having, as it were, made them up in one Mafs, depofe them as a Custom in the Minds of the English.

Auguftin's Queftion.

I beseech you, what Punishment must be inflicted, if any one fhall take any thing by Stealth from the Church.

Gre