lafting Kingdom in Heaven. That King govern'd the Nation of the Mercians feventeen Years, and had for his firft Bishop Trumhere, above fpoken of; the fecond Faruman; the third Ceadda; the fourth Winifrid. All thefe fucceeding each other regularly under King Wulfhere, perform'd the Function of Bishops of the Mercian Nation.

CHAP. XXV.

The Controversy started about the due Time of keeping Eafter, with those that came out of Scotland.

N the mean Time, Bishop Aidan being departed this Life, Finan fent and ordain'd by the Scots, had fucceeded him in the Bishoprick, and built a Church in the Ifle of Lindiffarn, becoming the Epifcopal See; the which nevertheless, after the manner of the Scots, he made not of Stone, but of hew'd Oak, and cover'd it with Reeds; and the fame was afterwards dedicated in Honour of St. Peter the Apostle, by the Reverend Archbishop Theodorus. Eadberht, alfo Bishop of that Place, taking off the Thatch, cover'd it with Plates of Lead, that is, the Roof and the very Walls. At this Time a great and frequent a Controverfy hap

а

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ned about the Obfervation of Eafter, those that came from Kent or France, affirming, that the Scots kept Eafter-Sunday contrary to the Cuftom of the univerfal Church. Among them was a moft zealous Defender of the true Eafter, whofe Names was Reman, a Scot by Nation, but inftructed in the Rule of Ecclefiaftical Truth, either in France or Italy, who difputing with Finan, convinc'd many, or at leaft mov'd them to make a more ftrict Enquiry after the Truth; but he could not prevail upon Finan, but on the contrary made him the more inveterate by Reproof, and a profefs'd Oppofer of the Truth, as being of a hot Temper. James, formerly the Deacon of the venerable Archbishop Paulinus, as has been faid above, kept the True and Catholick Eafter, with all thofe that he could reduce to the more corre& Way. Queen Eanfleda and her Followers obferv'd the fame, purfuant to what fhe had feen practis'd in Kent, having with her a Kentish Priest that kept the Catholick Obfervation, whofe Name was Romanus. Thus it is reported to have hapned in those Times that Eafter was twice kept in one Year; and that when the King having ended the Time of Fafting, kept his Eafter, the Queen and her Followers ftill fafting, celebrated Palm-Sunday. This Difference about the Obfervation of Eafter, whilft Aidan liv'd, was patiently tolerated by all Men; as being fenfible, that tho' he could nor keep Eafter contrary to the Custom of those who had fent him, yet he industriously labour'd to practice all Works of Faith, Piety and Love, according to the Cuftom us'd by all Holy Men; for which Reafon he was defervedly belov'd

by all, even those who differ'd in Opinion concerning Eafter, and was held in Veneration not only by indifferent Perfons, but even by the Bifhops, Honorius of Canterbury, and Felix of the Eaft Angles. But Finan, who fucceeded him, dying, when Colman, who was alfo fent out of Scotland, came to be Bishop, a greater Controverfy arofe about the Obfervation of Eafter, as alfo about the Rules of Ecclefiaftical Life. Whereupon this Difpute touch'd the Thoughts and Hearts of many, as fearing, left having receiv'd the Name of Chriftians, they might happen to run, or to have run in vain. This fame alfo reach'd the Ears of the Princes, viz. of King Ofwy and his Son Alchfrid; for Ofwy having been inftructed and baptiz'd by the Scots, and being very perfectly skill'd in their Language, thought nothing better than what they taught. But Alchfrid having been inftructed in Chriftianity by Wilfrid, a moft learned Man, who had first gone to Rome to learn the Ecclefiaftical Doctrine, and spent much Time at Lions with Dalfin, Archbishop of France, from whom alfo he had receiv'd the Ecclefiaftical Tonfure, rightly thought this Man's Doctrine ought to be preferr'd before all the Traditions of the Scots. For this Reafon he had alfo given him a Monaftery of forty Families at the Place call'd Hrypum; the which Place, not long before, he had given thofe that follow'd the Scots for a Monaftery; but for as much as they afterwards, being left to their Choice, would rather quit the Place, than alter their Opinion, he gave it to him, whofe Life and Doctrine were worthy of the Place. Agilbercht, Bishop of the

Weft

Weft Saxons, abovemention'd, a Friend to King Alchfrid, and to Abbat Wilfrid, was at that Time come into the Province of the Northumbrians, and made fome Stay among them; and at the Request of Alchfrid, he made Wilfrid a Prieft in his Monaftery, and had in his Company a Prieft, whofe Name was Agatho. The Controverfy being there ftarted, concerning Eafter, or Tonfure, or other Ecclefiaftical Affairs, it was agreed, that a Synod fhould be held in the Monaftery that is call'd Streanefbach, fignifying the Bay of Lighthouse, where then the Abbefs Hilda, a Woman devoted to God, prefided; and there this Controverfy decided. Both the Kings, Father and Son, came thither, the Bishops Colman, with his Scotish Clerks, and Agilbercht, with the Priefts Agatho and Wilfrid, and James, and Romanus were on their fide; the Abbefs Hilda, and her Followers for the Scots, as was alfo the venerable Biz fhop Cedd, long before ordain'd by the Scots, as has been faid above, and he was in that Council the most careful Interpreter for both Parties. King Ofwy having firft difcours'd, that it behov'd them who ferv'd one God, to obferve the fame Rule of Life; and as they all expected the fame Kingdom in Heaven, not to differ in the Celebration of the Divine Myfteries; but rather to enquire which was the trueft Tradition, that the fame might be follow'd by all; commanded his Bishop Colman first to declare what the Custom was, which he obferv'd, and whence it deriv'd its Original. Then Colman faid, The Eafter I keep, I receiv'd from my Elders, who fent me Bishop hither; the which all our Forefathers, Men beloved of God,

are

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are known to have kept after the Same manner; and that the fame may not feem to any contemptible or worthy to be rejected, it is the fame which St. John the Evangelift, the Disciple beloved of our Lord, with all the Churches over which he prefided, is read to have obferv'd. He having faid thus much, and more to the like effect, the King commanded Agilberht to show whence his Cuftom of keeping Eafter was deriv'd, or on what Authority grounded. Agilberht anfwer'd, I defire that my Difciple the Priest Wilfrid may Speak in my ftead; because we both concur with the other Followers of the Ecclefiaftical Tradition, that are here prefent, and he can better explain our Opinion in the English Language, than I can by an Interpreter. Then Wilfrid being order'd by the King to fpeak, deliver'd himfelf thus. The Eafter we obferve, we faw celebrated by all at Rome, where the Bleed Apofiles, Peter and Paul liv'd, taught and fuffer'd, and were bury'd; this we beheld perform'd by all in Italy and in France, which we travell❜d through, either to learn or pray. This we have found to be practis'd in Africk, Afia, and Egypt, Greece, and all the World, wherefoever the Church of CHRIST is fpread abroad, through several Nations and Tongues, at one and the fame Time; excepting only thefe and their Accomplices in Obftinacy, I mean the Picts and the Britons, who foolishly in these two remotest Islands of the World, and not the whole of them neither oppofe all the rest of the Univerfe. When he had so faid, Colman anfwer'd, It is ftrange that you will call our Labours foolish, wherein we follow the Example of fo great an Apoftle, who was thought worthy to lay his Head on our Lord's Bofom, when all the World knows