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How Germanus the bishop, sayling with Lupus in to Britanny ceased first the tempest of the sea, after the stormes of the Pelagian he∣resies by the power of God.
A Few yeres before the comming of the Saxonnes in to the lande,* 1.1 the Pelagian heresies being browght in, by Agricol•• the son of Seuerian••s a Pelagian bishop, did
sore corrupte the faith of the Britannes.* 1.2 But the Britānes being neither willing to receiue their lewde doctrine as blasphemous against the grace of God, neither able to refute their wylye and wycked persuasiōs, they deuiseth this holsom coūsel, to seeke for ayde of the byshops of Fraunce, against these their spiritual ene∣mies. And they calling a cōmon counsell cōsulted among them selues, whom of them all it wer best to send to helpe their ney∣bours faith. By the assent of them all ther was chosen ij. worthy prelates Germanus Altisiodorensis, and Lupus bishop of the cite Trecassa, which should passe ouer in to Britanny to confirme them in the faith, which with reddy obedience accepting the commaundement of the Synode, tooke shipping thether ward, and had very prosperous windes vntill they were halfe way ouer betwene Fraunce and Britanny. Then sodenly as they wer sayling, the diuell much enuyeng that such men should goe to recouer the people out of their daūger and win∣ne them to the right faith of Christ, he rayseth such tempestes and stormes against them, that a mā could not know day from night. The sayles ar not able to beare the boysterous fury of the winde, the marinours being in despair gaue ouer, the ship was guided rather by the prayer of the good, thē pollice of the master. The holy bishop Saint Germane at the beginning here∣of was a sleepe,* 1.3 thē Lupus and the other wakeneth and calleth vpon him, as in whose prayers they had a speciall trust. Who se∣ing the present perill they wer in commaunded them all to fall to prayer. He him selfe hauing a greater trust in God, then he had feare of the tempest, calleth vpon Christ, and taking in the name of the Trinite of a few sprinkles of water, casteth it in to the sea. And forthwith the rage of the stormes breketh, the sur∣ges falleth, God being called vppon differreth not his help, the euill sprits ar chaced away, the ayer returneth to his naturall course, and the wind which of late blustered all against them now with a mery gale blowing all together with them sett
them shortly after a lande in the place where they them selues desired. Thether a great multitude of people being assembled receiued the priestes of God, of whose cumming the wicked spirites gaue warning long before they landed, which after∣ward when they wer expelled out of the obsessed bodies by the commaundement of these holy seruauntes of God, they declared bothe the whole order of the tempest whiche they had raysed and the great daunger which they had wrought the sayd good bishops, and did not denye but they wer ouer∣comed by their merites and commaundement. In short time after their ariuall, they filled the Ilande with their good na∣me, their preaching, and their vertues. And the worde of God was preached by them not only in their churches, but also in the open stretes and in the country, in such sort that in all places both the sound, and faithfull catholikes wer confirmed, and they that before swarued out of the right faith wer amen∣ded. And in short time thourough their authoritie; vertue, and learning, they brought all the whole country vnder obe∣dience to their doctrine. The authors and head professours of hereticall errour lay lurking all this while, and like the wicked sprites, much spighted to see the people daily to fal from thē. At lenght after longe aduisement vsed, they taketh vpon them to trye the matter by open disputation, which being agreed vpon they come forth richely appointed, gorgiously apparai∣led, accompained with a number of flattering fauoures hauing leifer to committ their cause to open disputing,* 1.4 thē to seeme to the people whom they had subuerted, to haue nothing to sayin defence thereof. Thether resorted a great multitude of people with their wynes and children. The people was present both to se and iudge the matter: the parties therewer farre vnleke of cōditiō. In the one side was the faith, on the other mās presum¦ptiō: on the one side meekenes, on the other pride: on the one side Pelagius, on the other Christ. First of all, the blessed priest
Germanus and Lupus gaue their aduersaries leaue to speake, which vainly occupied both the time and eares of the people, with naked wordes. But after the Reuerend bishops poored out their flowing wordes confirmed with scriptures out of the gospelles and Apostles: they ioyned with their owne wordes the wordes of god, and after they had said their owne minde, they read other mens mindes vppon the same. Thus the Va∣nite of heretikes is conuicted, and falsehed is confuted, so that at euery obiection they were forced in effecte to confesse their errour, not being able to answer them. The people had much to doe to kepe their handes from them, yet shewed their iudge∣ment by their clamours.
Counsell of the ca∣tholike
bishops in Fraunce for extir∣ping of Pelagian•• heresy.
Tem∣pest cea∣sed by prayer and holy water.
An open disputatiō betwene Catholi∣kes and heretikes of the pe∣lagian secte in the yeare of our lor¦de 400.