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.

* 1.1IX. CHAP.

1.2. &c. The Holy and most happy death of S. Ceadda.

1. BEcause we will not interrupt the Nar∣ration touching this Holy Bishop Ceadda, we will here adioyn the relation of his hap∣py death shortly ensuing, suitable to his pious life, which is thus at large recorded by S. Beda:

* 1.22. After he had governed the Church of the Mercians most gloriously the space of two years and a half, the time by divine dispensation ap∣proached, concerning which Ecelesiastes writeth, There is a time to scatter, and a time to gather stones: For a destroying sicknes was sent from heaven by which many living stones of Gods Church were translated from earth to the heaven∣ly building. And hereby not a few belonging to the Church of this most Reverend Prelate having been taken out of the world, the hour of his pas∣sage likewise to our Lord drew near. It hapned then on a certain day that himself accompanied only with one Monk,* 1.3 named Owin, abode in the forementioned Mansion: all the rest upon some occasion being returned to the Church. The said Owin was a Monk of great merit, who out of a pure intention for a heavenly reward had for∣saken the world: and indeed he was in all re∣spects a person esteemed by our Lord worthy to receive Divine revelations, and worthy also of beleife when he discovered them to any. He had formerly come into that Province from the Region of the East-Angles with Queen Edil∣dride, being the cheif Officer of her family. Not long after his arrivall, the fervour of his Faith encreasing, he resolved to leave the world which resolution he exe••uted diligently, insomuch as relinquishing all his possessions, and contenting himself with a simple habit, and taking in his hands onely an axe to cutt wood, he went to the Monastery of the same most Venerable Prelat, called Lestinghen: For he did not, as some have done, retire to a Monastery to live idlely there, but to labour diligently, as he gave good proof by his conversation: for the lesse proper he was to spend much time in Meditation, the more did he addict himself to manuall labour.

3. This man therefore having for his zeale and devotion been selected to abide with the Bishop in the said Mansion, commonly when the rest were busied within-dores in reading, he was abroad bu∣sy about some externall work for the common be∣nefit. Now on a certain day as he was thus employ∣ed, while the rest of the Monks, as hath been said, were returned to the Church, and the Bishop in his Oratory reading or praying, he said that on a sud∣den he heard most melodious voyces of many per∣sons singing and reioycing, which descended from heaven to the earth. These voyces he heard at first as from the South-east quarter, which by little and little approached to him, till they came to the roof of the mansion where the Bishop was, into which they entred, and filled it all about. He therefore attending solicitously to this Musick, about an hour after he heard the same voyces & songs of Ioy with unexpressible sweetnes ascending from the top of the house by the same way to hea∣ven again. After which remaining astonished a good space, and wondring what this should be, the Bishop opened the window of his Oratory, and ac∣cording to his custom made a noyse with his hand, which was to give notice that if any were with∣out, they should come to him.

Hereupon the Monk hastily entred: to whom the Bishop said, Goe pre∣sently to the Church, and bidd those seaven bre∣thren to come immediatly hither, and come thou with them.

When they were all come, he first ad∣monished them to observe Charity and peace both among themselves, and with all others: and like∣wise diligently to follow the Instituts of Regular Discipline, which they had learnt both from his tongue and practise, or had found in the instru∣ctions and actions of their precedent Fathers. Hereto he added, that the day of his death was near at hand:

For, said he, that bles∣sed and amiable Guest who was wont to visit our Brethren, did mee the grace to come

this day to mee,* 1.4 and summoned mee to depart out of this world to our Lord. Therefore goe to the Church, and desire the rest of our Brethren to com∣mend my departure to our Lord: and let them be mindfull to prevent also their own deaths, the hour of which is uncertain, with watchongs, pra∣yers and good works.

4. After he had spoken these and other words to the same purpose, and that they having recei∣ved his Benediction were returned full of sorrow, the Monk who had heard the celestiall Musick went to the Bishop: and prostrating himself to the ground before him, said, Venerable Father, may it be permitted mee to ask you a question? The Bishop answered. Ask freely whatsoever thou wilt. Then said he, I beseech you tell mee, What meant that ioyfull song which I heard sung by many with great ioy, who came from heaven to this Oratory, and after a while returned back to heaven again? The Bishop replyed, If thou hast indeed heard that Musick, and perceived the heavenly company which came hither, I command thee in the Name of our Lord, that thou acquaint none with it before my death. The truth is they were Angells and celestiall Spirits which came to call mee to receive those heavenly rewards which I always loved and desired: and they have promised mee to return seaven dayes hence, and conduct mee with them to heaven.

And indeed, thus it came to passe, as he had foretold. For pre∣sently after a languishing infirmity came upon him which dayly encreased, and on the seaventh day, as had been promised him, after he had armd himself against death by receiving devoutly the Body and blood of our Lord, his soule was freed from the prison of his body, and, as we may piously beleive, accompanied by Angells to celestiall ioyes:* 1.5 Of whose glory S. Egbert was a witnes, as we have already shewed in his Gests re∣lated by the same Authour.

* 1.65. It is no wonder if he entertained with ioy the day of his death, saith the same Authour, since through the whole course of his life his cheif soli∣citude was to prepare himself for it, insomuch as when any great wind or thunder hapned, he would presently lay aside all other busines in hand and prostrating himself on his face, pour forth his soule to God in prayer. For, as he told his Disciples, the reason why God sends forth those voyces of terrour is, to imprint his fear in mens minds: and make them mindfull of those storms and tempests which shall be raised in the last dayes before the Generall Iudgment. This S. Beda relates from the testimony of a Religious Monk called Trum∣bert his Master in Divine learning, who had been a Disciple of this Holy Bishop.

* 1.76. Now S. Ceadda dyed on the sixth day before the Nones of March, and was first buried near the Church of our Blessed Lady: But afterwards a mag∣nificent Church having been built to the honour of the Prince of the Apostles, his Sacred bones were translated thither. And in both places, for a proof of his Sanctity frequent miracles and cures were wrought.

* 1.87. The place where he was buried, was covered with a woodden tomb, built in the form of a little house, having a window in the wall, through which such as in devotion came thither, were accustomed to putt in their hand, and take thence some part of the dust: Which they mingled with water, and gave to be tasted to sick men, or cattell also, by which their infirmities were presently taken away.

8. We may with more assurance relate these Miracles, because even the Lutheran Centuriators of Magdeburg acknowledge their beleif of them:* 1.9 For thus they write, Ceadda the Brother of Ced succeeded Iarumannus in the Bishoprick of the Mercians. He received from King Wulfere his Episcopal See in a town of Lindissi, called Lichfeild, and governed the Chur∣ches of the Midland-English and Lindesfarians. After his death he was renouned for Miracles, insomuch as a man who was frantick, and slept only at his tomb, was restored to health, and others afflicted with any manner of diseases, by tasting the dust of his monument, were perfectly cured.

9. His Memory was with great devotion celebrated in all succeeding ages, insomuch as the Cathedrall Church of his Bishoprick being raised with greater magnificence took its appellation from him. This came to passe in the dayes of King Edward the second,* 1.10 at which time, saith B. Godwin, Walter Langton Bishop of that See of Lichfeild bestowed two thou∣sand pounds to enrich the Chest which contained the Body of his Predecessour S. Ceadda, or Chad: and likewise encompassed the precincts of the Church with a wall and ditch: adding thereto two gates, one very magnificently built toward the west, and a lesser one to the East.

10. To conclude this Narration, we must not omitt one late memorable example of a wonderfull iudgment of God against the professed Enemies of his Saints. In the be∣ginning of the late rebellious warr, a warr undertaken as much against Gods departed Saints,* 1.11 as living Governours, one of the most zealous Leaders of a Sacrilegious faction con∣ducting his Army to this Citty of Lichfeild, with an intention to break into the Inclosure of S. Ceadda's Church, fortified by a Royal par∣ty, whilst compleatly armed he pulled up the visour of his helmet that he might better view how to place his Ordinance against the wall, was mortally wounded in the eye, being the only part of his body exposed to danger, by a bullet short at random: Thus he perished in the heat of his fury whilst he as∣saulted the Church of S. Ceadda, and upon the very Feast day of S. Ceadda.

11. In the place of S. Ceadda the Arch-bi∣shop Theodore ordained Bishop of that See, a good and modest man, saith S. Beda, named Win∣frid, or Wilfrid: who was Deacon to his Predeces∣sour, and at that time lived in the Monastery of Athburn. Of whom we shall speak more hereafter.

Notes

• * 1.1

  IX. CHA.
• * 1.2

  ••••d. l. 4 c. 3.
• * 1.3

  A. D. 673.
• * 1.4

  A. D. 666
• * 1.5

  Sup. l.
• * 1.6

  Bed. vbi sup.
• * 1.7

  Idem ibid.
• * 1.8

  Idem ibid.
• * 1.9

  Magdebur. cent. 7. f. 534.
• * 1.10

  Godvvin. in Catal. in Gu••l••. Lang¦ton.
• * 1.11

  Lord Brook.