ENGLISH CHURCH

DURING THE

ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD.

I. AUGUSTIN, A. D. 595-604.

66

"Archiepiscopus genti Anglorum" (B. I. 27) and “ Britanniarum” (B. II. 3):—“ Episcopus" or "Frater et coepiscopus" and once Episcopus Anglorum" (S. Greg. Epistt.)—" Episcopus Cantuariorum ecclesiæ” (Augustin. Quæstt. ap. B. I. 27)—" Doruvernensis Archiepiscopus" (Epitaph. Augustini, ap. B. II. 3).

I. MISSION, A.D. 595-597.

A.D. 595. Abortive journey of Augustin, then Abbot of S. Andrew's at Rome (Jo.
Diac. V. Greg. M. I. 6, II. 33), with certain of his monks, by way of Lerins

and Marseilles to Aix, whence he returns to Rome alone (B. I. 23, II. 5:
and Chron.).

A.D. 596. He quits Rome finally July 23, and with his company winters in Gaul (B. I.
23, V. 24; A. S. C. a. 596); having commendatory letters to the Frank
Kings, and to the Bishops at Lerins, Marseilles, Aix, Arles, Vienne, Lyons,
Autun, Orleans, Metz, Saintes, Tours b.

A.D. 597. Lands at Ebbsfleet in the Isle of Thanet (B. I. 25; A. S. C. a. 597; see
Stanley's Memor. of Canterbury) with about forty persons, including Gallic
priests (Greg. M.), and “interpretes de gente Francorum” (B. I. 25, and
Hussey, ad locum); and after an interview with King Ethelbert in Thanet,
to which the missionaries came, 64
crucem pro vexillo ferentes argenteam et
imaginem Domini Salvatoris in tabula depictam, lætaniasque canentes"
(B. I. 26), enters Canterbury with the like pomp, "more suo," and obtains
possession of the church of S. Martin (B. ib.). Baptizes Ethelbert (B. I. 26,
II. 5), King of Kent A.D. 560–616, and Bretwalda c. A.D. 598–616, “ qui
ad confinium usque Humbræ fluminis imperium tetenderat” (B. I. 25),
probably upon Whitsunday (Elmham, p. 78, ed. Hardwick), June 2.

....

II. ARCHIEPISCOPATE, A.D. 597-604.

A.D. 597. Consecrated at Arles Nov. 16 (Thorn, 1760) " Archiepiscopus genti Anglorum" by (Vergilius) Bishop of Arles, “ juxta quod jussa sancti patris Gregorii acceperat" (B. I. 27), or according to Gregory himself (Epist. ad Eulog.) "a Germaniarum Episcopis, data a se (sc. Gregorio) licentia." Baptizes more than ten thousand English upon Christmas Day on his return (Greg. M. ad Eulog.), and “continuo" sends Laurentius and Peter to Rome with the tidings and with his Quæstiones addressed to Pope Gregory (B. I. 27).

A.D. 598-600. Prosecutes his mission in the kingdom of Kent, where he dedicates an

ancient Roman church in Canterbury "in nomine S. Salvatoris" (B. I. 33), now the Cathedral, and assists in founding, but does not live to consecrate, the church of the monastery of SS. Peter and Paul, afterwards S. Augustin's (B. ib.).

A.D. 601. Second mission to England, June 22, of Mellitus, Justus, Paulinus (A. S. C.
a. 601), and others, with Laurentius and Peter; bearing to Augustin a pall,
directions respecting the future sees of England, the replies to the Quæstiones
&c. (B. II. 29, V. 24), and having commendatory letters to the Frank Kings
and to the Bishops at Toulon, Marseilles, Gap, Vienne, Lyons, Paris, Orleans,
Angers, Soissons, Rouen.

A.D. 602 or 603. Claim of superiority over the British Bishops rejected at the synod of
Augustin's Oak.

A.D. 604. Consecrates (alone) Mellitus to the see of London amongst the East Saxons,
and Justus to that of Rochester; and afterwards, but prior to April 28,
Laurentius to be his own successor (B. II. 4; and Kemble, C. D. I.). Dies
May 26, and is buried in the porch of S. Peter's, afterwards S. Augustin's,
Canterbury (B. II. 3).

a Gregory's own attempted mission dates before King Ella's death (B. II. 1; and Stanley's Memorials of Canterbury), i. e. before 589 or 590. His attempt when Pope to purchase Angle slaves for the purpose of conversion and mission, 590 x 595. Liudhardus, Bishop of Senlis (Thorn, 1767), was already in Canterbury (B. I. 25) before 595.

b Goscelin (V. Min. S. Augustini, III.-VI., of the 11th century; ap. Wharton, Anglia Sacra, II. 57, 58) takes Augustin to Anjou at this time.

• Possibly in the Kentish river Swale (Smith ad Bed. II. 14), whence Goscelin's legend of his baptizing subsequently in the Swale in Yorkshire, in which Paulinus certainly did baptize large numbers at a later time (B. II. 14). The same writer also takes him with equal absurdity to York and to Dorset: and the legend in William of Malmesbury (G. P. II.) takes him to Cerne in Dorset. S. Boniface (Vita Livini, the Scottish missionary to Germany) alleges him to have joined an Irish Archbishop in baptizing Livinus the son of a Scottish King; and that in Scotland, i. e. Ireland (he speaks of "Hibernensis Archipræsul," and of Livinus as born in Scotia of Scottish parents); and to have sent Livinus on his mission but it is altogether an impossible story.

d The day is from Augustin's epitaph (B. II. 3). For the year there is no satisfactory

evidence, except that it certainly could not have preceded 604 (B. II. 3), nor followed 610 (B. II. 4); that it was multo tempore before Ethelfrith's slaughter of the monks at Bangor, the date of that slaughter being almost certainly 613, and the authenticity of Bede's words (II. 2) being free from all reasonable doubt; and that Augustin had consecrated his own successor before April 28,604 (K.C.D.I.): neither is his own name mentioned in the charter of that date. He founded a church also between 598 and 600 which he did not live to consecrate.

The earliest direct authorities, viz. in the 12th century, Flor. Wig. and the Chronicon S. Crucis (Wharton, A. S. I. 150) give 604, to which Flor. Wig. adds the correct day of the week, "feria tertia," for May 26 of that year. The Chronologia in fin. W. Thorn (X. Scriptt. 2230) gives 605, and, correctly for that year, feria quarta;" Thorn himself, 14th century (ib. 1765), retains 605, discussing evidence for other dates, but goes back to what is upon his supposition inaccurate, feria tertia." The alleged synchronism of the years of the deaths of Augustin and Gregory the Great in a writer of Thorn's date is worthless. Elmham, p. 125, has 605: Sigebert, in an., gives 608. See Smith (ad Bed. II. 3), and Wharton (A. S. II. 89–91), arguing respectively for 605 and 604. The authorities for later dates are of no value.

LETTERS OF GREGORY THE GREAT

RELATING TO THE

MISSION OF S. AUGUSTIN.

Directing the

conversion.

1. Prior to S. Augustin's Mission, A.D. 590 x 595.

GREGORIUS Candido presbytero eunti ad patrimonium purchase of An- Galliæ.-Pergens auxiliante Domino Deo nostro Jesu gle slaves with a view to their Christo ad patrimonium quod est in Galliis gubernandum, volumus ut dilectio tua ex solidis quos acceperit, vestimenta pauperum vel pueros Anglos qui sunt ab annis decem et septem vel decem et octo, ut in Monasteriis dati Deo proficiant comparet, quatenus solidi Galliarum qui in terra nostra expendi non possunt, apud locum proprium utiliter expendantur. Si quid vero de pecuniis reddituum quæ dicuntur ablatæ recipere potueris; ex his quoque vestimenta pauperum comparare te volumus, vel sicut præfati sumus, pueros qui in Omnipotentis Dei servitio proficiant. Sed quia pagani sunt qui illic inveniri possunt, volo ut cum eis Presbyter transmittatur ne quid ægritudinis contingat in via, ut quos morituros conspexerit debeat baptizare: ita igitur tua dilectio faciat, ut hæc diligenter implere festinet. [Greg. Ep. VI. 7 (II. 795); S. I. 74; W. App. IV. 716.]

II. Letters sent with S. Augustin's Mission, July 23, A.D. 596.

Rebuking the 1. GREGORIUS ad fratres in Angliam euntes.-Gregocompanions of rius servus servorum Dei, servis Domini nostri Jesu Augustin who were then in Christi. Quia melius fuerat bona non incipere, quam Provence for ab his, quae cœpta sunt, cogitatione retrorsum rerelinquish the dire, summo studio, dilectissimi filii, oportet, ut opus

their wish to

they had start

ed.

[LETTERS OF GREGORY THE GREAT, a.d. 596.]

Mission to Eng- bonum, quod auxiliante Domino, cœpistis, compleatis. land on which Nec ergo vos labor itineris, nec maledicorum hominum linguæ deterreant, sed omni instantia omnique fervore, quæ inchoastis, Deo auctore, peragite, scientes quod laborem magnum major æternæ retributionis gloria sequitur. Remeanti autem Augustino præposito vestro, quem et abbatem vobis constituimus, in omnibus humiliter obedite, scientes hoc vestris animabus per omnia profuturum, quicquid in vobis fuerit in ejus admonitione completum. Omnipotens Deus sua vos gratia protegat, et vestri laboris fructum, in æterna me patria videre concedat; quatenus etsi vobiscum laborare nequeo, simul in gaudio retributionis inveniar, quia laborare scilicet volo.

Deus vos incolumes custodiat, dilectissimi filii. Data die decima kalendarum Augustarum, imperante domino nostro Mauricio Tiberio piissimo Augusto anno decimo quarto, post consulatum ejusdem domini nostri anno decimo tertio, indictione decima quarta. [Greg. Ep. VI. 51 (II. 829); B. I. 23 (who supplies the date); S. I. 73; W. I. 2; Smith ad Bed. App. num. VI. p. 674.]

Commendatory

GREGORIUS Palladio Episcopo de Santonibus Pelagio letter on S. Au- de Turonis et Sereno de Massilia, Episcopis Galliarum, a gustin's behalf. paribus. [Greg. Ep. VI. 52 (II. 830); S. I. 74; Smith ad Bed. App. num. VI. p. 674.]

(This letter is identical with that which follows, except the address and that it has not the final clause "Deus te incolumem custodiat reverentissime frater.")

3. GREGORIUS Etherio Episcopo Lugdunensi.—ReverentisCommendatory letter on S. Au- simo et sanctissimo fratri Etherio coepiscopo Gregorius gustin's behalf. servus servorum Dei. Licet apud sacerdotes habentes Deo placitam caritatem religiosi viri nullius commendationis indigeant; quia tamen aptum se scribendi tempus ingessit, fraternitati vestræ nostra mittere scripta curavimus: insinuantes latorem præsentium Augustinum servum Dei, de cujus certi sumus studio, cum aliis servis Dei, illuc nos pro utilitate animarum auxiliante Domino direxisse; Quem necesse est ut sacerdotali studio sanctitas vestra adjuvare et sua ei solatia præbere festinet, Cui etiam, ut promptiores ad suffragandum possitis existere, causam vobis injunximus subtiliter indicare; scientes quod ea cognita, tota vos propter Deum devotione ad solatiandum, quia res exigit, commodetis. Candidum præterea Presbyterum communem filium quem ad gubernationem patrimonioli

[LETTERS OF GREGORY THE GREAT, a.d. 596.]

Ecclesiæ nostræ transmisimus caritati vestræ in omnibus commendamus.

Deus te incolumem custodiat reverentissime frater. Data die decima kalendarum Augustarum imperante domino nostro Mauricio Tiberio piissimo Augusto, anno decimo quarto, post consulatum ejusdem domini nostri anno decimo tertio, indictione decima quarta. [B. I. 24 (wrongly imagining that it was written to the Bishop of Arles, and in consequence elsewhere miscalling that Bishop Etherius. instead of Vergilius); S. I. 73; W. App. IV. 716.]

Same with the 4. GREGORIUS Vergilio Episcopo Arelatensi metropolita. preceding. -Quamvis fraternitatem vestram bonis esse intentam operibus et sponte se exhibere in causis Deo placitis confidamus; verum tamen utile esse fraterna vos alloqui caritate credimus ut solatia quæ vos ultro decet impendere nostris quoque provocati Epistolis augeatis. Atque ideo indicamus sanctitati vestræ Augustinum servum Dei præsentium portitorem cujus zelus et studium bene est nobis cognitum cum aliis servis Dei pro animarum nos illuc compendio transmisisse, sicut ipse vobis coram positus poterit indicare. In qua re oratione vos eum et auxiliis adjuvare necesse est atque ubi opus exegerit solatiorum vestrorum ei præbere suffragia et paterna ac sacerdotali illum consolatione sicut convenit refovere: quatenus dum Sanctitatis vestræ fuerit solamina consecutus, si quid Deo nostro lucrifacere sicut optamus valuerit, et vos possitis pariter mercedem acquirere qui ad bona opera suffragii vestri devote copiam ministratis.

Candidum autem Presbyterum communem filium et patrimoniolum Ecclesiæ nostræ fraternitas vestra, quippe ut unanimis nobis, studeat habere commendatum ut aliquid inde pauperum alimoniis sanctitate vestra valeat adjuvante proficere. Quia igitur patrimoniolum ipsum per annos plurimos prædecessor vester tenuit et collectas apud se pensiones servavit; fraternitas vestra cujus sint res vel quibus erogentur consideret atque eas animæ suæ respectu suprascripto filio nostro Candido Presbytero nobis restituat dirigendas. Nam valde est execrabile ut quod a regibus gentium servatum est ab Episcopis dicatur ablatum. [Greg. Ep. VI. 53 (II. 830); S. I. 75; W. App. IV. 717; Smith ad Bed. App. num. VI. p. 675; Stevenson, App. ad Bed. p. 230.]

Same with the

5. GREGORIUS Desiderio Viennensi et Syagrio Augustopreceding. dunensi Episcopis Galliæ a paribus.—De fraternitatis vestræ sincera caritate bene confidimus quod amore beati Petri Apostolorum