The history of the Church of Great Britain from the birth of Our Saviour, untill the year of Our Lord, 1667 : with an exact succession of the bishops, and the memorable acts of many of them : together with an addition of all the English cardinals, and the several orders of English monks, friars, and nuns, in former ages.

CENT. VI.

MOst miserable at this time was the British Common-wealth, crou∣ded up into barren Corners, whil'st their Enemies the Pagan Saxons possessed the East and South, if not the best part of the Island. Pen-dragon dying, the Nobles and Bishops of Britain set up his Son Ar∣thur, being about 16 years of age, to be King of Britain, in the year 516. Of whom one writeth thus, Cultum Religioni pene debitum in Civitati∣bus, & viris, & oppidis, ref••rmavit: Ecclesias à Pagana Gente destructas vel dirutas reparavit: & in eis Res & Episcopos cum Clericorum officiis, prout locorum dignitas cogebat, devoto Religionis studio ordinavit. Vigente adhuc post Germani Episcopi labores, qui ob id in Britanniam bis venerat, Pelagiana labe, ac desperato pene remedio, David ex universae Gentis Synodo Praesul constitutus An. 519. diutina praedicatione disceptationbus publicis ean∣dem profligavit, atque aream Ecclesiae purgavit. David was Un••kle to King Arthur; he privately studied the Scriptures ten years, before he would presume to Preach, and always caryed the Gospels about him. He kept a Synod against the Pelagian error (which was now revived in Britain) and confirmed many wavering Souls in the Faith. The main body of the British Church was at this time in Wales, wh••re Bangor on the North, and Caerleon (on Ʋsk in Monmouth-shire) in the South, were the two

eyes thereof for Learning and Religion. Caerleon had in it the Court of King Arthur, the See of an Archbishop, a Colledge of 200 Philoso∣phers, who threrein studied Astronomy, and was a populous place of great extent, though at this day reduced to a small Village. By leave obtained from King Arthur, David removed the Archiepiscopal seat from Caerleon to Meneva, now called St. David's in Pembrook-shire, in which exchange (saith Fuller) his devotion is rather to be admired, than his discretion to be commended, leaving a fruitful soyl for a bleach barren place; though the worse it was, the better for his purpose, being a great promoter of a Monastical life.

In those days such was the correspondency between the greater and lesser Britain, that they seemed to possess Learned Men in common be∣twixt them.

About the same time flourished Cadocus, Abbot of Llancanvan in Gla∣morgan shire, Son of the Toparch of that Countrey: He retained part of his paternal principality in his hand, whereby he daily fed 300 of Clergy-men, Widdows, and poor People, besides guests and visitants daily resorting to him. Wilful poverty then was not by vow entailed upon Monastical life.

Iltutus followed him, a profound Scholar, who at Llaniltut in Glamor∣gan shire Preached God's Word, and set up a Colledge of Scholars, himself leading a single life. Sampson, Scholar to Iltutus, succeedeth, made Bishop at large, sine titulo. In that Age all Bishops were not fixed to the Chair of a peculiar Church, but some might sit down in any va∣cant place for their Cathedral, and there exercise their Episcopal Autho∣rity, provided it were without prejudice to other Bishops: This Sampson being afterwards made Archbishop of Dole in French-Britain, Baleus saith, That he caried away with him the Monuments of British An∣tiquity.

Patern for three and twenty years was a constant Preacher at Llan∣patern in Cardigan shire.

St. Petrock comes next, one of great Piety and painfulness in that Age, Captain of the Cornish Saints. Then lived St. Teliau, who was Scholar to Dubritius, and succeeded him in the Bishoprick of Landaff, a pious Preacher, and zealous reprover of the Vices of that time. About the year 560 flourished Congel Abbot of Bangor, who much altered the discipline of that Monastery. Kentigern, the famous Bishop of Elwy in North-Wales; St. Asaph was his successor in the same place, in whose mouth this sentence was frequent; Such who are against the Preaching of God's Word, do envy the salvation of mankind.

About the year 596. Pope Gregory I. sent Augustine a Benedictine Monck, a subtil and industrious Man, into this Land, to work two ends; the one to reduce the Christians of this Isle to the Form and Service of the Romish Church; the other, to draw (if he could) some of those

Pagan Kings to the Christian Religion. Augustine with Mellitus, and forty more of his Companions, sent to Preach the Gospel in Britain, land∣eth at Thanet in Kent: Ethelbert was then King of Kent, and a Pagan, yet had he Married Bertha, Daughter to the King of France, a Christi∣an Woman, to whom he permitted the free use of her Religion, allowing her both Luidhard, a Bishop for her Chaplain, and an old Church in Canterbury (formerly dedicated by the Romans to St. Martin) to ex∣ercise her Devotion therein.

Augustine with his followers (having obtained leave from King Ethel∣bert) advanced unto Canterbury, to the foresaid Church of St. Martin: Here they lived so Piously, Prayed so fervently, Fasted fo frequently, Preached so constantly, and wrought Miracles (as it is said) so common∣ly, that Ethelbert was perswaded by Queen Bertha to embrace the Chri∣stian Religion, and was Baptized, whose example multitudes of Pagans followed: There were in one day about ten thousand Men Baptized, be∣sides Women and Children, in a River. The Water being hallowed by Augustine, he commanded the People to go in by couples, and one to Baptize the other, in the name of the Trinity. Thus Augustine carieth away the credit of all that came after him, because the Primitive planter of the Gospel among the Saxons, and Kent was converted to Christiani∣ty; yet far more than half of the Land lay some years after in the dark∣ness of Paganism, which others afterwards illightened with the beams of the Gospel. Mean time the poor Christian Britains living peaceably at home, there enjoyed God, the Gospel, and their Mountains, not caring for the Ceremonies A la mode, brought over by Augustine.

Notes

• Girald. Cambr.
• Fullers Church Hist.