interefts of the English by frequent preaching of the word, and by a diligent and useful example. I doubt not the fincerity of this prelate; though feduced by the charms of a nominal unity, he laboured, as the firft miffionary Auguftine had done, to bring the British churches to a conformity with the Church of Rome. He was actuated by the same subtil spirit of selfish ambition, of which even the best men in all ages have not been void; it operates imperceptibly, through the native energy of indwelling fin. The papift, the national churchman, and the fectary are each liable to its influence, though in truly regenerate fpirits there is likewife a diviner principle, and fordid views of fecular gain are entirely excluded. In this manner I would appreciate the characters of the Romish miffionaries in England. Their difinterested labours, just views of Christian doctrine, and holy and unblemished lives ought to have exempted them from the intemperate cenfures of writers, who seem to think an indifcriminate averfion to the Church of Rome to be one of the principal excellencies of a proteftant historian *.

Laurentius, in conjunction with Mellitus, bishop of London, and Juftus, bishop of Rochester, endeavoured to reduce the "Scots, who inhabited Ireland-" to a conformity with the English Church. The three prelates wrote to them with this view, and declared themselves to be fent by the Roman See to propagate the Gospel among the pagan na

tions.

*I advert, particularly to Bower's lives of the popes, and to Warner's ecclefiaftical hiftory of our own country. Their laborious collection of facts deferves commendation. I avail myfelf of all the helps, which offer, for the fupply of materials. -But, I mean to extol the Church of Chrift, wherever I can find her, nor does a Roman drefs, when she appears in it, convey any prejudice to my mind.

† Bede's own words, which demonftrate that the Irish were antiently called Scots.

tions. Laurentius complained of the bigotry of a certain Irish bishop, who, coming to Canterbury, refused to eat at the same table, or even in the fame houfe with him. The archbishop could not prevail either with the Britons or with the Irish to enter into his views. "Even the present times, fays our author, declare how little fuccefs he had." At the period in which Bede concludes his hiftory, the greateft part of the British churches remained ftill diftinguished from the English. The bishops of Rome continued to fuperintend the latter; and while Ethelbert lived, the Gofpel flourished. This prince died after a reign of 56 years, twenty-one years after he had embraced Christianity, and was buried by the fide of his deceased queen Bertha. Among other benefits which the English derived from him, there was a code of laws formed after the example of the Romans, which was ftill extant in Bede's time, and was particularly calculated to protect the perfons and property of the Church.

His fon and fucceffor Eadbald not only despised Christianity, but also lived in inceft with his father's wife. Whence all, who had embraced the Gofpel through motives purely fecular, were induced to relapfe into idolatry. Sabereth, king of the East Saxons, who had followed the example of Ethelbert who was his uncle, being deceased, his three fons became joint heirs of his kingdom. Immediately they refumed the idolatry, which they had intermitted a little in their father's life-time, and encouraged their fubjects to do the fame. These princes obferving the bifhop of London to diftribute the bread of the Eucharift in the church, asked why he did not give them the bread, which he had ufually given to their father, and which he diftributed at that time to the people.

Bede, Id. C. 5.

" If

you

you will be washed, replied Mellitus, in the fame laver of regeneration in which your father was, you may partake of the fame facred bread: but, if ye despise the laver of life, ye cannot partake of the bread of life." We will not, faid they, enter into that fountain; we do not know that we need it, yet we chufe to eat of that bread. In vain did the upright paftor seriously and diligently admonish them, that it was not poffible for any person remaining uncleanfed from fin to partake of the communion: in a rage they declared, "if you will not gratify us in fo fmall a matter, you shall not remain in our province." They thereupon ordered him to be gone with his affociates.

Mellitus, thus expelled, came into Kent to confult with Laurentius and Juftus. The three bishops agreed to leave the country, that they might ferve God with freedom elsewhere, rather than remain among enemies without fruit. Mellitus and Juftus retired first into France, waiting the iffue. The three princes not long after were flain in battle, but their fubjects remained ftill incorrigible.

Laurentius intending to follow the two bishops, employed himself in prayer in the church during the filent hours of the night, with much agony and many tears, intreating God to look upon the ftate of the English Church, which, after fuch promifing beginnings, feemed now on the eve of a total diffolution. Next morning he paid a vifit to the king, who ftruck at last with horror for his crimes, and relenting, when he appeared in imminent danger of lofing his Christian inftructors for ever, forbad his departure, reformed his own life and manners, was baptized, and from that time became a zealous fupporter of the faith*.

* Bede, C. 6.

Eadbald

I was unwilling to introduce into the narrative the story of

St.

Eadbald was determined to fhew the fincerity of his zeal. He recalled Mellitus and Juftus from France, after a year's exile. Juftus was reinstated in Rochefter; but Mellitus could not recover his See. The Londoners preferred idolatry, and Eadbald had not the fame power, which his father had poffeffed in that city, to oblige them to receive him. So far, however, as his influence extended, he exerted it for the caufe of Chrift, and, from the time of his converfion, adorned the Gospel and propagated it among his people.

Laurentius being deceafed, Mellitus was appointed the third archbishop of Canterbury, while Juftus ftill prefided at Rochefter. These two bishops governed the English Church with much care and labour*. Mellitus, after having given the most undoubted proofs of genuine piety, and prefided A.D. over the diocefe of Canterbury five years, died in 624. the year 624, and was fucceeded by Juftus.

England was ftill governed by the Saxon Heptarchy. Seven kingdoms, often at war with one another, and alfo with the old native Britons, exhibited in our island fcenes of the moft unpleasant nature. Nor is any portion of our history in a fecular view

lefs

St. Peter's whipping of Laurentius that night in the church and reproving of him for his cowardice; whence he was faid to have been induced to wait upon Eadbald next morning who was ftruck, it feems, with remorfe at the fight of the ftripes which the bishop had received. Stories of this fort were innumerable in thofe times. The steady perfeverance of Eadbald, and the entire change both of his private and publick conduct demonftrate the reality of his converfion. He moft probably retained an internal reverence for the religion in which he had been inftructed in his childhood, against which his grand objection feems to have been the love of a diffolute life. The Lord honoured the prayers of Laurentius with fuccefs, and recovered the English Church at the last extremity. The fubitance of the narrative remains entire, abstracted from the legend which difgraces it

* Bede, C. 7.

lefs interesting. Nevertheless in this dull period it pleafed God to fhew the power of his grace among our ancestors. Hitherto Kent almost alone had been illuminated. But the Gofpel was now introduced into the North, where reigned Edwin, king of the Northumbrians. And a woman was once more honoured as the inftrument of falvation to a king her husband, and to many of his fubjects. Edwin had fent to Eadbald to defire his fifter Ethelburg or Tate* in marriage. The Kentish prince with that Christian fincerity, which had ever distinguished him fince his conversion, answered, that it was not lawful to marry his fifter to an infidel. Edwin replied, that he would certainly grant free liberty of confcience to the princefs and to her attendants, adding that he himself would receive the fame religion, if it appeared more worthy of God. Upon this Eadbald confented, and sent his fifter into Northumberland, attended by Paulinus, who was confecrated bishop of the North of England by A.D. Juftus in the year 625. The reafon of fending 625. him was, that by daily exhortations and adminiftration of the Communion he might guard the young princess and her attendants from the infection of idolatry. But Providence had a higher and more extenfive aim, and infused into the heart of Paulinus a strong defire to propagate the Gospel in these regions. He laboured much both to preferve Ethelburg and her attendants in Chriftian fimplicity, and to draw over fome of the pagans to the faith. But though he preached a long time, "ftill (it is Bede's quotation) the God of this world blinded

* Bede, C. 9.

+ This term meant in those times all that part of England, which lies to the north of the Humber.

He was one of the Monks whom Gregory had fent into England, and poffeffed much of the pious and zealous spirit of that renowned prelate.