tion was on the seventh Day of the Kalends of April, and he rul'd nine Years, four Months, and two Days; and he likewise dying, Ithamar confecrated in his Place Damian, who was of the Race of the South-Saxons. : How the Province of the Midland Angles, became Christian under King Peada. A T this Time, the Midland Angles, under their Prince Peada, the Son of King Penda, receiv'd the Faith and Sacraments of Truth. He being an excellent Youth, and most worthy of the Title and Person of a King, was by his Father preferr'd to the Throne of that Nation, and came to Ofwy, King of the Northumbrians, requesting to have his Daughter Alhfleda, given him to Wife; nor could he obtain his Desires, unless he would embrace the Faith of CHRIST, and be baptiz'd, with the Nation he govern'd. He hearing the Preaching of Truth, the Promise of the Heavenly Kingdom, and the Hope Lope of Refurrection and future Immortality, declar'd he would willingly become a Chriftian, tho' he should be refus'd the Virgin; being chiefly prevail'd on to receive the Faith, by King Ofwy's Son Alhfrid, who was his Relation and Friend, being marry'd to his Sifter Cyneburga, the Daughter of King Penda. Accordingly he was baptiz'd by Bishop Finan, with all his Companions and Soldiers, and their Servants that came along with him, at the King's famous Country House, call'da At the Wall. And having receiv'd four Priests, who for their Erudition and good Life were found proper to instruct and baptize his Nation, he return'd home with much Joy. These Priests were Cedda and Adda, and Betti and Diuma; the last of which was by Nation a Scot, the others English. Adda was Brother to Utta, a renowned Prieft, and Abbat of the Monaftery Hregebeafde, that is, b Goat's Head. The aforesaid Priests arriving in the Province with the Prince, they Preach'd the Word, and were willingly listned to; and many as well of the Nobility, as the common Sort, renouncing the Filth of Idolatry, were daily baptiz'd. Nor did King Penda obstruct the Preaching of the Word among his People, that is, the Mercians, if any were willing to hear it; but on the contrary, he hated and despis'd those whom he perceiv'd not to perform the Works of Faith, when they had receiv'd the Faith of CHRIST, saying, They were contemptible and wretched, who did not ubey their God, in whom they believ'd. This was begun two Years before the Death of King Penda. But when he was slain, Ofwy, the most Chriftian King, succeding him in the Throne, Diuma, one of the aforesaid four Priests, was made Bishop of the Midland Angles, as also of the Mercians, being ordain'd by Bishop Finan; for the fcarcity of Priefts was the Occasion ? that 3 Gates-head opposite to Newcastle, as Southwark ta London, there remains now no Footsteps of the Monastery of Urtan. that one Prelate was set over two Nations. He having in a short Time gain'd many People to our Lord, dy'd among the Midland Angles, in the Country call'd Feppingum ; and Ceolla of the Scotish Nation also succeeded him in the Bishoprick. He, not long after, leaving his Bishoprick, return'd to the Island of Hii, which among the Scots was the Chief and Head of many Monafteries. His Succeffor in the Bishoprick was Trumhere, a religious Man, and educated in Monastical Life of the English Nation, but ordain'd Bishop by the Scots; which hapned in the Days of King Wulfhere. Of whom we shall speak hereafter. How the East-Saxons again receiv'd the Faith, which they bad before cast off, under King Sigbercht, through the preaching of Cedda. T that Time also the East-Saxons, at the Instance of King Ofwy, again receiv'd the Faith, which they had formerly cast off, expelling Mellitus their Bishop. For Sigbercht, who reign'd next to Sigbercht surnam'd the Little, was then King of that Nation, and a Friend to King Ofwy; who, when he often came to him : into the Province of the Northumbrians, was wont to endeavour to give him to understand, that those could not be Gods that had been made by the Hands of Men; that a Stock or a Stone could not be proper Matter to form a God, the remains whereof were either burnt in the Fire, or fram'd into any Vessels for the ufe of Men, or elfe being contemptible were cast out, and being trampled on, or converted into Clay. That God was rather to be understood incomprehensible for his Majesty, invisible to human Eyes, Almighty, Eternal, who created Heaven and Earth, and Human Kind; who govern'd and was to judge the World in Righteousness; whose everlasting Seat was to be believ'd in Heaven, and not in vile and fading Matter; and that it ought in reason to be concluded, that all those who learnt and obey'd the Will of him by whom they were created, would receive from him eternal Rewards. King Ofwy having often, in a friendly and brotherly manner, inculcated these and many more Speeches to the like effect; at length, the Consent of his Friends forwarding the fame, he believ'd, and confulting with those about him, and exhorring them, all agreeing to and approving of the Faith, he was baptiz'd with them by Bishop Finan, in the King's Country-House above spoken of, which is call'd, At the Wall, because it is close by the Wall with which the Romans formerly divided the Island of Britain, twelve Miles diftant from the Eastern Sea. King Sigbercht being now become a Citizen of the eternal Kingdom, return'd to the Seat of his temporal Kingdom, requesting of Ofwy that he would 1 1 give him fome Teachers, who might convert his Nation to the Faith of CHRIST, and baptize them. He fending into the Province of the Midland Angles, called to him the Man of God Cedd, and giving him another Priest for his Companion, sent them to preach to the Nation of the East-Saxons. Where when travelling to all Parts, they had gather'd a numerous Church to our Lord, it hapned at a certain Time, that the fame Cedd return'd home, and came to the Church of Lindisfarn to confer with Bishop Finan; who finding how fuccefsful he had been in the Work of the Gospel, made him Bishop of the Church of the East-Saxons, calling to him two other Bishops to adminifter at the Ordination. Codd having receiv'd the Episcopal Dignity, return'd to his Province, and pursuing the Work he had begun with more ample Authority, built Churches in several Places, ordaining Priests and Deacons, to affsist him in the Work of the Faith and the Ministry of baptizing; especially in the City, which in the Language of the Saxons, is call'da Ythancestir; as also in that which is nam'd b Tillaburg; the first of which Places a Ythancestir, and in King Alfred, Yppancearten. on the River Pant in Effex; there are no Remains of the City now, for Ralph Niger long since has told us it had been before his Time swallow'd up in the River Pant, the River is now call'd Frofhwel, and a Spring near it, to this Day Pants Well, as for the Place where the City stood, it is Supposed to be on the utmost Point of Denbigh Hundred in Effex, where now stands a Village call'd St. Peters on the Wall. • Saxon Paraphrafe, Tillabuph, now Tilbury in Effex. |