The

the result was indecisive, notwithstanding Augustine appealed to a miracle to Heptarchy. settle the question: a second conference was therefore held shortly after, which was more numerously attended.

On

56. The British deputies consisted of seven bishops, and many learned monks from the monastery of Bangor in Flintshire; the abbot of which, named Dunawd or Dinoth, acted as the chief speaker. arriving, Augustine did not deign to rise from his chair to receive them: this assumption of superiority operated strongly on the minds of the British prelates, and doubtlessly gave a tone to their arguments upon the points debated.

57. The points, which Augustine required the British Church to conform to, were these three; 1st, that they should keep Easter according to the usage of the Roman (or Western) Church; 2dly, that they should administer Baptism according to the Roman ritual; and 3dly, that they should join them in preaching to the Anglo-Saxons, and be in submission to the Pope's authority.

58. The British deputies protested against all these propositions, and emphatically refused to acknowledge him for their Archbishop who would not rise from his seat to receive them. Augustine was enraged at this reply, and hastily rising, he threatened them with his vengeance. Not long after, about twelve hundred of the monks of Bangor were cruelly put to death on the field of battle by Ethelfrid, an Anglian chief, but whether at the instance

56. Who were the British deputies at the conference with Augustine? How were the British deputies received? 57. What were the terms of union proposed by Augustine? [b. 1. e. 1.] 58. How did the British deputies receive the propositions of Augustine? What appears to have been the real cause of Augustine's failure? [e. 1.] When did this conference take place?

of Augustine is not accurately known. The conference took place A. D. 601.

The Heptarchy.

59. ANCIENT USAGES. The ancient British Church appears to have been independent of Gallican, Roman, and all other Churches, governing itself by Synods of its own, without any foreign interference, yet holding brotherly communion with every other Church. It kept its Easter according to the usages of the Eastern Churches (see par. 27. §. 111.); evidently proving that the British Church derived its origin direct from Asia, and during the Apostolic age; the rite of baptism it deferred to the eighth day, and adopted ceremonies different from those of Rome; and it submitted only to its own Metropolitan.

60. AUGUSTINE'S SUCCESSOR.-Augustine did not survive this conference many years: he consecrated three of his companions to the episcopal office; making one Justus, bishop of Rochester; Mellitus, bishop of the ancient British See of London, which was the residence of SEBERT, king of Essex, the nephew of Ethelbert and Laurentius was consecrated his successor in the See of Canterbury: and thus did Augustine lay the foundation of the Anglo-Saxon, or English Church, as distinguished from the British ; he died A. D. 604.

A. D. 605.

61. THE ENGLISH BISHOPS RETIRE. The first proceeding of Laurentius was an attempt to bring over the British Church to conform to the usages of

59. What was the state of the ancient British Church at the time of Augustine's arrival? Shew that Britain did not receive Christianity first from the Church of Rome. [M. 1.] 60. What Sees were founded in England in the Time of Augustine? [b. 1.] Who succeeded him in the See of Canterbury? From whom does the English Church as distinguished from the British take its date? [e. 1.] 61. What was the first proceeding of Laurentius? What interrupted the advance of Christianity in Kent and Essex?

The

the Roman; but it was in vain. Soon after this, his attention was directed to Heptarchy. his own position; for on the death of ETHELBERT (A. D. 613-6.), and SEBERT, those two kingdoms relapsed into paganism. Mellitus, and Justus, were forced to quit the country. Laurentius prepared to take the same step, but pretending to have been chastised by St Peter for such intention, and exhibiting a lacerated back in order to work upon the superstition of the king; he by that means gained over EADBALD, the successor of Ethelbert, to the Christian faith, who then consented to recall Mellitus and Justus from the continent; the latter of whom on the death of Laurentius succeeded him in the See of Canterbury.

A. D. 627.

62. This EADBALD had a Christian sister Ethelburga, who had married EDWIN, king of Northumbria, she had been allowed the services of Paulinus, as her chaplain, who was in consequence consecrated a bishop by Justus, now Archbishop of Canterbury; through his instrumentality Christianity was introduced into Northumbria at this period, and the king and many of his nobles converted, and baptized at York. At the death of EDWIN, however, six years after (A. D. 633.) his kingdom was invaded; and falling into the possession of his pagan neighbours, it relapsed into heathenism; and Paulinus with his queen and family fled into Kent, where he shortly after became bishop of Rochester.

A. D. 631.

63. By the influence of Edwin, Redwald, king of East Anglia embraced Christianity. He was not firm in the faith, but he died soon after, and was succeeded by his eldest son Earpwald, who was a better Christian; but he met with an early death, and was

62. How, and when was Christianity introduced into Northumbria? by whom? 63. When was Christianity established amongst the East Angles?

The

succeeded by his brother Sigebert, then in Gaul. Sigebert hastened over, and Heptarchy. brought with him Felix, a bishop of Burgundy, for whom he established an episcopal see at Dunwich, in Suffolk.

A. D. 634.

64. It was now that the kingdom of WESSEX was converted to Christianity by the preaching of Birinus, a Roman monk of Genoa, sent over by Pope Honorius. Cynegils, (or Rynegils), the ruling prince, fixed his See at Dorchester, near Oxford, (since transferred to Lincoln), of which place he was made bishop his successor was Agilbert, a Frenchman, who had long studied in Ireland.

:

A. D. 635.

65. At this period the kingdom of NORTHUMBRIA fell under the sway of Oswald, a Christian prince, who re-established Christianity throughout his dominions. Having been converted by the Scottish clergy, he sent thither for spiritual assistance, and ultimately Aidan, a monk of Iona, was despatched into Northumbria, and fixed his see at Lindisfarne or Holy Island, in preference to the see of York which had been vacant since the retirement of Paulinus.

A. D. 651.

66. The efforts of Aidan were more successful than those of St Augustine, and to him rather should be ascribed the title The Apostle of the English:' he is also said to have been the instructor of St Hilda, the cousin of king Edwin, who founded the abbey of Whitby. At his death in this year Finan, also a

64. When, and by whom was Wessex converted to Christianity? 65. When, and by whom was Christianity re-established in Northumbria? 66. Who succeeded Aidan? Who converted Mercia? When? Who re-established Christianity in Essex? and who at this time filled the See of Canterbury?

The

Heptarchy.

monk of Iona, was appointed his successor in Northumbria. Through the instrumentality of the latter, Mercia (Cheshire) was added to the Church by the conversion of Peuda, its king. Diuma was consecrated its bishop, who came into the kingdom with three Saxon priests, one of whom named Cedda or Chad was sent into Essex to attempt the restoration of Christianity in that kingdom, in which he was very successful; this was about A. D. 654-6. Some authorities consider Diuma a Scot by birth.

It is to Diuma and his three successors that the whole of the inidland parts of England owe their conversion to Christianity. At this period Frithona, a Saxon priest, held the See of Canterbury under the name of Deusdedit (or God's gift.).

A. D. 664.

67. On the death of Finan, Colman obtained the diocese of Northumbria; and the successor of king Oswald was Oswy, who had married Eanfleda the daughter of Edwin. Oswy being a member of the ancient British Church, and Eanfleda of the AngloSaxon Church founded by the Roman missionaries, a difference of practice prevailed with the king and queen in the keeping of Easter, and other religious observances, which created much dissension and inconvenience. On this account, Oswy consented to call a council at Whitby at this period to effect if possible a uniformity in the two Churches. Colman, bishop of Northumbria, and Chad, bishop of Essex, advocated the British usages, and Wilfrid was deputed by Agilbert, the bishop of the West Saxons, to advocate those of the Roman: numbers of the clergy

67. Who succeeded Finan in Northumbria? by whom, and for what purpose was the council at Whitby convened and when? Who represented the British Church? and who, the Roman? What was the result of the discussion?