How, when the Pelagian heresy began to spring up afresh, Germanus, returning to Britain with Severus, first restored bodily strength to a lame youth, then spiritual health to the people of God, having condemned or converted the Heretics [447 A.D.] | Book 1 | Chapter 20
NOT long after, news was brought from the same island, that certain persons were again attempting to teach and spread abroad the Pelagian heresy, and again the holy Germanus was entreated by all the priests, that he would defend the cause of God, which he had before...
How the Britons, being for a time at rest from foreign invasions, wore themselves out by civil wars, and at the same time gave themselves up to more heinous crimes | Book 1 | Chapter 21
IN the meantime, in Britain, there was some respite from foreign, but not from civil war. The cities destroyed by the enemy and abandoned remained in ruins; and the natives, who had escaped the enemy, now fought against each other. Nevertheless, the kings, priests,...
How the holy Pope Gregory sent Augustine, with other monks, to preach to the English nation, and encouraged them by a letter of exhortation, not to desist from their labour [596 A. D.] | Book 1 | Chapter 22
IN the year of our Lord 582, Maurice, the fifty-fourth from Augustus, ascended the throne, and reigned twenty one years. In the tenth year of his reign, Gregory, a man eminent in learning and the conduct of affairs, was promoted to the Apostolic see of Rome, and...
How he wrote to the bishop of Arles to entertain them [596 A.D.] | Book 1 | Chapter 23
THE same venerable pope also sent at the same time a letter to Aetherius, archbishop of Arles,’ exhorting him to give favourable entertainment to Augustine on his way to Britain; which letter was in these words: ‘To his most reverend and holy brother and fellow bishop...
How Augustine, coming into Britain, first preached in the Isle of Thanet to the King of Kent, and having obtained licence from him, went into Kent, in order to preach therein [597 A. D.] | Book 1 | Chapter 24
Augustine, thus strengthened by the encouragement of the blessed Father Gregory, returned to the work of the Word of God, with the servants of Christ who were with him, and arrived in Britain. The powerful Ethelbert was at that time king of Kent; he had extended his...
How St. Augustine in Kent followed the doctrine and manner of life of the primitive Church, and settled his episcopal see in the royal city [597 A. D.] | Book 1 Chapter 25
AS soon as they entered the dwelling-place assigned to them, they began to imitate the Apostolic manner of life in the primitive Church; applying themselves to constant prayer, watchings, and fastings; preaching the Word of life to as many as they could; despising all...
How St. Augustine, being made a bishop, sent to acquaint Pope Gregory with what had been done in Britain, and asked and received replies, of which he stood in need [597-601 A.D.] | Book 1 | Chapter 26
IN the meantime, Augustine, the man of God, went to Aries, and, according to the orders received from the holy Father Gregory, was ordained archbishop of the English nation, (Note: Augustine was not consecrated as archbishop either of London or Canterbury, but by the...
How Pope Gregory wrote to the bishop of Aries to help Augustine in the work of God [601 A.D.] | Book 1 | Chapter 27
Thus far the answers of the holy Pope Gregory, to the questions of the most reverend prelate, Augustine. Now the letter, which he says he had written to the bishop of Aries, was directed to Vergilius, successor to Aetherius, and was in the following words: "To his...
How the same Pope sent to Augustine the Pall and a letter, along with several ministers of the Word [601 A.D.] | Book 1 | Chapter 28
Moreover, the same Pope Gregory, hearing from Bishop Augustine, that the harvest which he had was great and the labourers but few, sent to him, together with his aforesaid envoys, certain fellow labourers and ministers of the Word, of whom the chief and foremost were...
A copy of the letter which Pope Gregory sent to the Abbot Mellitus, then going into Britain [601 A.D.] | Book 1 | Chapter 29
The aforesaid envoys having departed, the blessed Father Gregory sent after them a letter worthy to be recorded, wherein he plainly shows how carefully he watched over the salvation of our country. The letter was as follows: "To his most beloved son, the Abbot...
How Pope Gregory, by letter, exhorted Augustine not to glory in his miracles [601 A.D.] | Book 1 | Chapter 30
At which time he also sent Augustine a letter concerning the miracles that he had heard had been wrought by him; wherein he admonishes him not to incur the danger of being puffed up by the number of them. The letter was in these words: "I know, dearly beloved brother,...
How Pope Gregory sent letters and gifts to King Ethelbert [601 A.D.] | Book 1 | Chapter 31
The same blessed Pope Gregory, at the same time, sent a letter to King Ethelbert, with many gifts of divers sorts; being desirous to glorify the king with temporal honours, at the same. time that he rejoiced that through his own labour and zeal he had attained to the...
How Augustine repaired the church of our Saviour, and built the monastery of the blessed Peter the Apostle; and concerning Peter the first abbot of the same | Book 1 | Chapter 32
Augustine having had his episcopal see granted him in the royal city, as has been said, recovered therein, with the support of the king, a church, which he was informed had been built of old by the faithful among the Romans, and consecrated it in the name of the Holy...
How Ethelfrid, king of the Northumbrians, having vanquished the nations of the Scots, expelled them from the territories of the English [603 A. D.] | Book 1 | Chapter 33
At this time, the brave and ambitious king, Ethelfrid, governed the kingdom of the Northumbrians, and ravaged the Britons more than all the chiefs of the English, insomuch that he might be compared to Saul of old, king of the Israelites, save only in this, that he was...
Of the death of the blessed Pope Gregory [604 A.D.] | Book 2 | Chapter 1
AT this time, that is, in the year of our Lord 605, the blessed Pope Gregory, after having most gloriously governed the Roman Apostolic see thirteen years, six months, and ten days, died, and was translated to an eternal abode in the kingdom of Heaven. Of whom, seeing...
How Augustine admonished the bishops of the Britons on behalf of Catholic peace, and to that end wrought a heavenly miracle in their presence; and of the vengeance that pursued them for their contempt [Circ. 603 A.D.] | Book 2 | Chapter 2
IN the meantime, Augustine, with the help of King Ethelbert, drew together to a conference the bishops and doctors of the nearest province of the Britons, at a place which is to this day called, in the English language, Augustine's Ac, that is, Augustine's Oak, on the...
How St. Augustine made Mellitus and Justus bishops; and of his death [604 A.D.] | Book 2 | Chapter 3
IN the year of our Lord 604, Augustine, Archbishop of Britain, ordained two bishops, to wit, Mellitus and Justus; Mellitus to preach to the province of the East Saxons, who are divided from Kent by the river Thames, and border on the Eastern sea. Their metropolis is...
How Laurentius and his bishops admonished the Scots to observe the unity of the Holy Church, particularly in keeping of Easter, and how Mellitus went to Rome | Book 2 | Chapter 4
LAURENTIUS succeeded Augustine in the bishopric, having been ordained thereto by the latter, in his lifetime, lest, upon his death, the Church, as yet in so unsettled a state, might begin to falter, if it should be destitute of a pastor, though but for one hour....
How, after the death of the kings Ethelbert and Sabert, their successors restored idolatry; for which reason, both Mellitus and Justus departed out of Britain [616 A.D.] | Book 2 | Chapter 5
IN the year of our Lord 616, which is the twenty-first year after Augustine and his company were sent to preach to the English nation, Ethelbert, king of Kent, having most gloriously governed his temporal kingdom fifty-six years, entered into the eternal joys of the...
How Laurentius, being reproved by the Apostole Peter, converted King Eadbald to Christ; and how the king soon recalled Mellitus and Justus to preach the Word [617-618 A.D.] | Book 2 | Chapter 6
LAURENTIUS, being about to follow Mellitus and Justus, and to quit Britain, ordered his bed to be laid that night in the church of the blessed Apostles, Peter and Paul, which has been often mentioned before; wherein having laid himself to rest, after he had with tears...
How Bishop Mellitus by prayer quenched afire in his city [619 A.D.] | Book 2 | Chapter 7
IN this king's reign, the blessed Archbishop Laurentius was taken up to the heavenly kingdom: he was buried in the church and monastery of the holy Apostle Peter, close by his predecessor Augustine, on the 2nd day of the month of February. Mellitus, who was bishop of...
How Pope Boniface sent the Pall and a letter to Justus, successor to Mellitus [624 A.D.] | Book 2 | Chapter 8
JUSTUS, bishop of the church of Rochester, immediately succeeded Mellitus in the archbishopric. He consecrated Romanus bishop of that see in his own stead, having obtained authority to ordain bishops from Pope Boniface, whom we mentioned above as successor to...
Of the reign of King Edwin, and how Paulinus, coming to preach the Gospel, first converted his daughter and others to the mysteries of the faith of Christ. [625-626 A.D.] | Book 2 | Chapter 9
AT this time the nation of the Northumbrians, that is, the English tribe dwelling on the north side of the river Humber, with their king, Edwin, received the Word of faith through the preaching of Paulinus, of whom we have before spoken. This king, as an earnest of...
How Pope Boniface, by letter, exhorted the same king to embrace the faith [Circ. 625 A.D] | Book 2 | Chapter 10
AT this time he received a letter from Pope Boniface exhorting him to embrace the faith, which was as follows: COPY OF THE LETTER OF THE MOST BLESSED AND APOSTOLIC POPE OF THE CHURCH OF THE CITY OF ROME, BONIFACE, ADDRESSED TO THE ILLUSTRIOUS EDWIN, KING OF THE...
How Pope Boniface advised the king’s consort to use her best endeavours for his salvation [Circ. 625 A.D.] | Book 2 | Chapter 11
THE same pope also wrote to King Edwin's consort, Ethelberg, to this effect: THE COPY OF THE LETTER OF THE MOST BLESSED AND APOSTOLIC BONIFACE, POPE OF THE CITY OF ROME, TO ETHELBERG, KING EDWIN'S QUEEN. "To the illustrious lady his daughter, Queen Ethelberg,...
How Edwin was persuaded to believe by a vision which he had once seen when he was in exile [Circ. 616 A.D.] | Book 2 | Chapter 12
THUS wrote the aforesaid Pope Boniface for the salvation of King Edwin and his nation. But a heavenly vision, which the Divine Goodness was pleased once to reveal to this king, when he was in banishment at the court of Redwald, king of the Angles, was of no little use...
Of the Council he held with his chief men concerning their reception of the faith of Christ, and how the high priest profaned his own altars [627 A.D.] | Book 2 | Chapter 13
THE king, hearing these words, answered, that he was both willing and bound to receive the faith which Paulinus taught; but that he would confer about it with his chief friends and counsellors, to the end that if they also were of his opinion, they might all together...
How King Edwin and his nation became Christians; and where Paulinus baptized them [627 A.D.] | Book 2 | Chapter 14
KING EDWIN, therefore, with all the nobility of the nation, and a large number of the common sort, received the faith, and the washing of holy regeneration, in the eleventh year of his reign, which is the year of our Lord 627, and about one hundred and eighty after...
How the province of the East Angles received the faith of Christ [627-628 A.D.] | Book 2 | Chapter 15
EDWIN was so zealous for the true worship, that he likewise persuaded Earpwald, king of the East Angles, and son of Redwald, to abandonhis idolatrous superstitions, and with his whole province to receive the faith and mysteries of Christ. And indeed his father Redwald...
How Paulinus preached in the province of Lindsey; and of the character of the reign of Edwin [Circ. 628 A.D.] | Book 2 | Chapter 16
PAULINUS also preached the Word to the province of Lindsey, which is the first on the south side of the river H umber, stretching as far as the sea; and he first converted to the Lord the reeve of the city of Lincoln, whose name was Blaecca, with his whole house. He...