EADBALD.
EADBALD, the Son of Ethelbert by his first Wife Birtha, succeeded his * Father in the Kingdom of Kent. Being young at his entrance, he was no sooner freed from the awe of his Father, saith Bede, but he renounced the Christian Profession, whose severity was not agreeable with the licence of a Crown, and was likely to prove too great a curb to his exorbitant lusts and unnatural passions. For whether tempting for Lust, or tempted out of an ambition of Rule, he took to wife his Father's second wife, whose Name hath not had the honour of being recor∣ded; And being actually engaged in a sin, which Heathenism it self did alwaies abhor, he made it his business so much the more to discourage Christianity, by how much he knew its Doctrine condemned such Incestuous practices. And now might be seen what influence the Religion of the Prince had upon the lives of the People, for they who had embraced Christianity only, as the Religion most fashionable in the daies of the old King, now thought it as high a piece of Courtship to conform to the present way of worship, their old Idolatry, and now again revived Superstiti∣on. In vain did Lawrence, Successor to Augustine in the See of Canterbury, en∣deavour by diligent preaching to stop the tide of this Apostasie, for preferment at Court, and the Countenance of the Prince, drew more Proselites to Heathenisin, than the good lives and examples of constant Professours could keep true and sincere in the maintenance of the Gospel. But he was not long unpunished, for whether workt by the strength of Education, which suffereth, not without violence princi∣ples well grounded to be rooted up, or whether indeed, as is related, possessed with an evil Spirit, he fell into soul fits of phrenzy and distraction, the convulsions of the mind, and often torments of an evil Conscience.
And now, whilst in human appearance there seemed no hopes of amendment, it so fell out, that by extraordinary means he became penitent. The story goes, that Law∣rence, finding his labours ineffectual, was resolved to retire into France, and follow Justus and Melitus, the one expelled London, the other Rochester, (for the Aposta∣sie was now spread wide into the Country of the East-Saxons also) being at his devo∣tions, the night before his intended departure, in the Church of St. Peter, that Saint appeared to him, and to make the Vision more sensible, gave him many stripes for offering to desert his Charge, the marks of which the next morning being shewn to the King, with the cause why, and the person from whom they were received, so wrought upon his fancy already prepared, that immediately forsaking his Incestuous life, he embraced again the Christian Religion, and became as zealous a Professour, as he had been a violent Persecutor. Though it should seem by the following Epistle of Pope Boniface, that Justus, not Laurentius, was his Converter.
The Epistle of Boniface V. To Justus late Bishop of Rochester, now Successor of Melitus in the Archbishoprick of Canterbury.
To our most Beloved Brother Justus, Boniface sendeth Greeting.
WIth what devotion and watchfulness your Brotherhood hath laboured for the Gos∣pel * of Christ, not only the tenour of your Letter directed to us hath manifested, but the granted accomplishment of your undertaking. For neither hath Almighty God forsaken the Obligation of his Name, or the fruit of your Labour, in what he faithfully promised to the preachers of the Gospel; Behold I am with you even to the end of the World. Which his clemency hath particularly shewn in your ministery, opening the hearts of the Gentiles to receive the singular mystery of your preaching, for with a great Page 516 reward, and the assistance of his goodness, he hath illustrated the delightful course of your proceedings, whilst of the Talents committed unto you by a faithful improvement rendring him a plentiful increase, he hath prepared for you to lay up by multiplying the kind. And this also is conferred on you by that retribution, who constantly persisting in the ministry laid upon you with a commendable patience wait for the redemption of that Nation; and that they might be profitable to yours, their salvation is begun. The Lord saying, Whosoever shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved. Ye are saved therefore by a patient hope, and the strength of forbearance, that the hearts of unbelievers being purged from the natural disease of Superstition, might obain the mercy of their Saviour. For having received an express from King Eadbald our Son, we find with how great knowledge in holy teaching your Brotherhood hath brought his mind to a true conversion, and the belief of our undoubted faith. Upon which occasion, having a certain assurance of the continuance of the divine Clemency, we believe that by the ministry of their preaching will follow not only the full conversion of those under his command, but of the neighbouring Nations also; Since, as it is written, The recompence of your works accomplished, shall be given by the Lord, the Rewarder of all good things. And it may truly be effected, that the sound of them hath gone throughout the whole earth, and their words to the ends of the earth by an universal confession of Nations professing the Christian Faith.
Polydore Virgil relates that hereupon he was Baptized, but it seemeth strange that Ethelbert, so Religious a Prince, had neglected that pious office to his Son; and as for re-baptizing, in case of Heresie or Apostasie, it had been long before condemned in the Church.
After his conversion he re-called Melitus and Justus from banishment, and built a Chappel within the Monastery of Peter and Paul at Canterbury. He reigned twenty four years, and by Emma daughter of Theodebert, a French Prince, had two Sons, Ermenred and Ercombert. Ermenred died before his Father, and left a Daughter Dompnena, and two infant Sons behind him, Ethelred and Ethelbert; but the King∣dom required a man to govern it: Ercombert the younger Son succeeded his Father.
