* 1.1XIV. CHAP.
1.2 &c. K. Ethelberts Munificence to the Church.
4.5. Priviledge of Coyning given to S. Au∣gustin and his Successours.
9 &c. The Arch-bishop of Canterburie's Iurisdiction over all Brittany, Ireland, &c.
1. WE will now take a view of the ef∣fects which these Letters and admo∣nitions produced in the persons to whom they were directed, King Ethelbert and Saint Augustin. King Ethelbert therefore casts down all Idols, and commands the Temples accustomed to profane and impious Sacrifi∣ces, to be changed into places of pure Wor∣ship and Piety. And S. Augustin assisted by fresh labourers, purges those profane Tem∣ples, and instead of Idols erects the Sacred Crosse, the Hieroglyphick of our Faith.
2. More particularly King Ethelbert, to whom S. Gregory had proposed Constantin for a pattern,* 1.2 with a munificence like Constan∣tins, gave his Palace and whole Royal Citty of Canterbury to S. Augustin, saith Camden, and built for himself a Palace at Reculver (Regul∣bium.) Which place, Saith Parker was situated near the Sea: Where likewise he founded a Mo∣nastery, the last Abbot whereof was called Wenred. Nothing now remains of this place, by reason the Sea breaking in has cover'd it. Onely the tops of towers & other ruins of the Monastery are marks to Seamen that they may avoyd the dangerous flats there.
3. Together with the Royal Citty King Ethel∣bert conferred likewise on S. Augustin and his Successours many Regall Priviledges (Iura Regalia:) Among which one was a right of coyning Money with his own Stamp: For to this effect Selden thus Writes: The ancient Right of the Arch-bishops of Canterbury is si∣gnified by an Old Coyn,* 1.3 one side whereof is signed with the name Plegmuud Arch-bishop, and the other with the name of E••cmund the Coyner. The Prototype is preserved in the Treasure of the fa∣mily of Cotton: where I my self saw a peice of silver having imprinted on it the name & image of Celnoth Arch-bishop. And it seems the right of coyning money, generally esteemed a Regal Priviledge, did belong to the Arch-bishop as Lord of that Citty in those times.
4. This Right remained to that See till the times of King Ethelstan, about the year of Grace nine hundred twenty four: who then abrogated it, in the opinion of Selden, & publish'd a Law that not any coyn should passe but such as was stamped with the Kings Image.* 1.4 Notwithstanding it was not quite abroga∣ted, for among the same Kings Laws this is one, Let there be seaven Minters or Coyners at Canterbury: Of which four shall belong to the King, two to the Arch-bishop, and one to the Abbot. So that this prerogative remained many ages entire to the Arch-bishops, though the measure and valew of the mo∣ney coynd was restrain'd by King Athelstan, who commanded the same coyn for price and quantity to have passage through his dominions: and that none out of Citties should be permitted to stamp it. Neither can it appear from any authentick Record, but that this Priviledge continued till the time of the Norman Con∣quest.
5. To the same See of Canterbury also, by vertue of S. Gregories Rescript, did belong an Vniversall Iurisdiction over the whole Island. Forthough in a Synod shortly following the Brittish Bishops made their opposition and contradiction to this Priviledge, for which reason S. Augustin forbore to presse it. Yet the same was afterward admitted, not only by all the Churches of the Saxons, but of Brit∣tany in the largest sence, yea of the Britta∣nies in the plurall number (Britanniarum) comprehending in the language of ancient Authours (Polybius hist. l. 3. and Ptolomy Georg. l. 2.) both old Scotland, which is Ire∣land, and Albany which is Modern Scotland. For on the See of Canterbury did both those Nations depend in Ecclesiasticall matters.
6. Thus Queen Matildis call'd S. Anselm the Arch-bishop of the prime See,* 1.5 and Primar of the Northern Islands call'd Orcades. And be∣fore S. Anselms time the custom was for the Irish Bishops to receive Consecration from the Arch-bishops of Canterbury, as evidently appears from S. Lanfrancs letter to Gothric King of Ireland, extant in Baronius; as like∣wise from the letter, of Murchertac another Irish King and Dofnald a Bishop to S. Anselm Arch-bishop of Canterbury,* 1.6 in which they re∣quest him to institute a Bishop at Waterfoxd by vertue of the power of Primacy over them which was invested in him, and of the authority of Le∣gat of the Apostolick See which he exercised. This is testified by Eadmerus the Monk an eye-witnes of that transaction.
7. Next as touching Scotland in the mo∣dern acception, though anciently it was subject to the Arch-bishop of York by a De∣cree of Pope Eleutherius sent by Fugatius and Damianus: Yet now S. Gregory derogated from that Decree, and either having regard to S. Augustins sanctity, or the eminent Em∣pire of Ethelbert, who was in some sort Monarch of the whole Island, he publish'd a New Decree that all Churches of the Brittanies should be subject to the See of Canterbury.* 1.7 And this is manifest in the Controversy between Alexander King of the Scotts and the fore∣said