The church-history of Brittany from the beginning of Christianity to the Norman conquest under Roman governours, Brittish kings, the English-Saxon heptarchy, the English-Saxon (and Danish) monarchy ... : from all which is evidently demonstrated that the present Roman Catholick religion hath from the beginning, without interruption or change been professed in this our island, &c. / by R.F., S. Cressy of the Holy Order of S. Benedict.

XVIII. CHAP.* 1.1

1.2. A Synod assembled in Wales by Saint David.

3.4. Of S Kined.

5. S. David forbidden to consecrate again the Church of Glastonbury.

1. WHilst Cerdic was busy about the in∣vasion of the Isle of Wight,* 1.2 that vi∣gilant Pastour of soules Saint David Bishop of Menevia assembled a Provinciall Synod, call'd the Synod of Victory.* 1.3 In which, saith Giraldus Cambrensis, the Clergy of all Cambria (or Wales) mett together, and confirmed the Decrees of the former Synod at Brevy, whereto they added new ones for the Churches benefit. From these two Synods all the Churches of Cambria received their rules and Ecclesiasticall orders, which also were confirmed by the authority of the Roman Church. The Decrees of them both, which the Holy Prelat David had first publish'd by speech, he committed also to writing with his own hand, and left them to be reserved in his own Church, and Copies of them to be communicated to other Churches in that Province. All which together with many other Treasures of that Noble Library furni••••'d by him have been lost partly by age, or negligence, and principally by the incursion•• of Pirats which almost every Sommer from the Isles of Orkney in long boats were accustomed to wast the Sea coasts of Cambria.

2. The losse of this treasure deserves in∣deed to be deplored, since thereby we might have been perfectly informed of the whole state of the Brittish Churches. However we are from this ancient Historian assured that those Churches were regulated according to the Roman: So that by examining the Doctrin and Disciplin of the Roman Church in that age, we may be assured that the Brittish Churches beleived and practised the same: And consequently that S. Augustin sent afterward to convert the Saxons, brought no Novelties hither with him, as some Modern Protestants doe accuse him, since S. Gregory who sent him, was exalted to S. Peters chair not above threescore years after this Synod.

3. We read in the life of S. Kined in Cap∣grave,* 1.4 that when S. David had publish'd his Edicts for the assembling this universall Synod of Cambria, he took care humbly to invite thereto S. Kined. But his answer was; That for his sins being become distorted and crooked in his body, he was unfitt for any society, and much more to be adioyned to the company of such holy men. Be∣sides, that he had not naturall strength sufficient to enable him to undertake such a iourney. After his the same Authour relates a double Mi∣racle, how S. Kined having been restored to health and streightnes by the Prayers of Saint David, by his own prayers was reduced again to his former infirmity & crookednes.

4. But I take no pleasure in exscribing the multitude of Miracles with which the following Writers of the middle age have rather obscured then illustrated the lives of Saints. It shall suffise therefore in this place to declare that this S. Kined in the time of S. David fill'd Brittany with the same of his Sanctity. He lived a solitary Anachoreticall life in the Province now called Glamorgan∣shire, probably in the same place where yet remains a Chappell called S. Keneth his Chappell, left as a monument of his Sanctity.* 1.5 Camden in his description of that Region writeth thus, Western Gower is almost an Island by reason that the Sea encompasses it every where except in one narrow space in which it is ioynd to land. It de∣••erves, to be mentioned in story not so much for the towns in it, as the fruits, and the memory of a famous canonised Saint called S. Kined, who there lead a solitary devout life.

5. After the dissolution of the foresaid Synod S. David accompanied with severall other Bishops took a journey to the Monastery of Glastonbury, with an intention to repaire the ruines of it, & again to consecrate it. But how he was deterred from such a design by our Lord appearing to him in sleep▪ & forbid∣ding him by a second Dedication to profane the Sacred Ceremony which himself had many years before performed: in testimony whereof he with his finger peirced a hole in the Bishops hand, which remaind open to the view of all men till the end of the next days Masse: All this hath already been large∣ly related in the beginning of this History: at the year of Grace sixty four, where was treated of the first foundation of that fa∣mous and most ancient Monastery of Glaston∣bury: to which place I refer the Reader.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A. D. 529.

  XVIII. C.
• * 1.2

  A. D. 529.
• * 1.3

  Girald. in vi¦t•• S. ••avid a••. Vsher. f. ••75.
• * 1.4

  Ap. Capgr. in S 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.5

  Camden in Glamorgan.