The history of the Church of Englande. Compiled by Venerable Bede, Englishman. Translated out of Latin in to English by Thomas Stapleton student in diuinite

The copy of a letter sente by S. Gregory to Mellitus the Abbat going to Britanny.

The. 30. Chap.

AFter the sayd legates wer gon, and wer now in their iourney toward Britāny, the holy father Gregorius sent letters after them worthy memory, in the which he o∣pēly declared, how earnestly he tēdered the helth of our coun∣try. Writing thus. Vnto his deare beloued son Mellitus abbat, Gregorius the seruaunt of the seruauntes of God. After the de∣parture of you and the company which was with you, we wer in dought what becam of you, for that we could heare no∣thing how you sped in yower iourny. When then God shall bring you vnto our reuerend brother Augustine bishop tell him, what I haue of longe time deuised with my selfe of the cause of the English men.* 1.1 That is to with that not the temples of the Idols, but the Idoles which be in them be broken, that holy water be made and sprinkled about the same temples, al∣tars buylded, relikes placed. For if the sayd churches be well made, it is nedefull that they be altered frō the worshipping of diuels in to the seruice of God: that whiles the people doth not see their temples spoiled, they may (forsaking their error) be moued the more ofte to haunt their wont place to the ho∣nor and seruice of God. And for that they are wōte to kill oxē in sacrifice to the diuells, they shal vse the same slaughter now, but chaunged to a better purpose. It may therefore be permit∣ted them, that in the dedication dayes or other solemne daies of martyrs, they maketh them bowers about their churches, and feasting together after a good religious sorte, kill their ox∣en now to the refreshing of them selues, to the praise of God, and encrease of charite, which before they wer wont to offer vp in sacrifice to the diuells: that whiles sum outward comfor∣tes ar reserued vnto them, they may thereby be brought the rather to the inward comfortes of grace in God. For it is dout∣lesse impossible from men being so rooted in euell customes, to cut of all their abuses vppon the sodaine. He that laboreth to clim vpp vnto a highe place, he goeth vpward by steppes

and pases, not by leapes. So vnto the childrē of Israel being in Aegipt our Lord was wel knowē. But yet he suffered them to doe sacrifice vnto him still in offring vp of beastes vnto him, which otherwise they wold haue offered vpp vnto the diuels, as they wer wont to doe in the land of Egypt, that altering their intente, they should leue sum, and also kepe sum of their ould sacrifices: that is, that the beastes which they offred be∣fore, they should now offer still. But yet in offring them vnto the true God, and not vnto the diuels they should not be the same sacrifices in all pointes as they wer before. These be the thinges which I think expedient you declare vnto our sayd brother: to thentent that he being there may consider with him selfe, how ech thing is to be disposed. God kepe you in helth dearly beloued son in Christ. Geuen the xv. day of Iune The xix. yere of the raigne of our soueraine Lord, Mauricius Tyberius emperour: and the xvij. yere after his consulship. In∣dictione quarta.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Holy wa∣ter, aultars and re∣likes.