Augustine was soon able to report to Gregory considerable success in his mission, though the equivocal character of his proceedings may be understood from the fact, that, in his communications to Rome, he dwelt with especial pride and satisfaction on the baptism of ten thousand heathens in one Christmas-day. The vain-glory of the man did not altogether escape the notice of Gregory, if we may judge from the earnest ad- monition to be hiimble which he tenders in one of his earliest letters to the missionary. Along with such good advices, he sent a copy of the holy Scriptures to our island, — a rare and precious gift in those days.
The ancient Britons, however, still had their own Christian church. Neander states that " numerous clergy and monks" were connected with it. Augustine Avas anxious
102 - ANIilADVERSIONS ON A TREATISE
it pleased God graciously to use to bring the Scripture amongst tliem, — that inexliaustible fountain of light and truth, and by which those to whom he preached might be infallibly freed from any mixture of mistakes that he might offer to them. That he brought with him a doctrine of oljservances not formerly known in Britain is notorious, from the famous story of those many professors of Christianity which he caused to be murdered by Pagans for not submitting to his power, and refusing to practise according to his traditions; whose unwilling- ness to be slain, if they could have otherwise chosen, is that which, I supj)ose, our author calls their " disturbing good St Austin in his pious work." But yet neither will this conversion of the Saxons, begun by Austin the monk, at all advantage our author as to his pretensions. The religion he taught here, as well as he could, was doubtless no other than that which at those days was professed at Rome : mixtures of human traditions, worldly policies, observances trenching upon the superstitions of the Gentiles, in many things it had then revived; but, however, it was far enough from the present Romanism, if the writers and chief bishops of those days knew what was their religion. Papal supremacy and infallibility, transubstan- tiation, religious veneration of images in churches, with innumerable other prime fundamentals of Popery, were as great strangers at Rome in the days of Gregory the Great as they are at this day to the church of England.
to secure their co-operation witli him, and quite as anxious to obtain their recognition of his superiority as appointed by the see of Eome. The Britons, however, I'efused to own the supremacy of the 2)ope. " We are all prepared," said Deynock, an abbot of Bangor, " to heai-ken to the church of God, to the pope of Eome, and to every pious Christian, in such a way as to manifest to all, according to their several stations, perfect charity, and to uphold them both by word and deed. We know not what other obedience we can owe to him whom you call jjope, or father of fatliers." A public conference between the representatives of the Biitish and Eomish churches had no effect in promoting the amalgamation at which Augustine aimed, and he died in 605 without effecting his object. The stand which the Britons made against the usui-jDation of the Eoman see exerted a wide influence at the time. Ncander ascribes to it the reaction which arose about this period, and continued for centuries afterwards, against the claims of the Romish hiei'archy. The usages in which a difference existed between Eome and the earlier Christianity of the island, or the "Scotch church," to employ the designation of Keander, — so called in virtue of the fact that its ministers and missionaries wei'C chiefly educated in the institutions founded by Colimiba and his successors, — relate to the time of Easter, the iorm of tonsure, and the administration of baptism. The Britons, more- over, sturdily resisted the supi-emacy which the Eoman see arrogated over the western church. A century elapsed before the arts of Eome prevailed, with the help of Saxon ascendency, in enforcing its ritual on the Christians of this island, and supplanting the more ancient forms which they had learned, directly or indirectly, from the east.
It is said tliat, after a second conference had been without avail in securing the ad- hesion of the British Christians to the Eoman see, Augustine threatened vengeance on them for thus refusing submission to a foreign prelate. Ethelfrid, king of Northum- berland, at the head of an army, marched upon Bangor, and put nearly twelve hundred monks to the sword. 'I'o this cai'iiage Owen alludes, though there is some difficulty in ascertaining what share in the atrocity belongs to Augustine, beyond the threatening which he had uttered of some impending calamity on the l^iitons. The massacre ia dated seven years after his death. — Ed.
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After these times, the world continuing still in troubles, religion began more and more to decline, and fall off from its pristine purity ; at first, by degrees insensible and almost imperceptible, in the broach- ing of new opinions and inventing new practices in the worship of God; at length, by open, presumptuous transgressions of its whole rule and genius, in the usurpation of the pope of Rome, and imposi- tions of his authority on the necks of emperors, kings, princes, and people of aU sorts. By what means this work was carried on, what advantages were taken for, what instruments used in it, what oppo- sition by kings and learned men was made unto it, what testimony was given against it by the blood of thousands of martyrs, others have at large declared ; nor will my present design admit me to insist on particulars. What contests, debates, tumults, wars, were, by papal pretensions, raised in these nations, what shameful entreating of some of the greatest of our kings, what absolutions of subjects from their allegiance, with such like effluxes of an abundant apostolical piety, this nation, in particular, was exercised with from Rome, all our his- torians sufficiently testify. " Tanto9 molis erat E-omanam condere gentem!" The truth is, when once Romanism began to be en- throned, and had driven Catholicism out of the world, we had very few kings that passed their days in peace and quietness from contests with the pope, or such as acted for him, or were stirred ujd by him. The face, in the meantime, of Christianity was sad and deplorable. The body of the people being grown dark and profane, or else super- stitious ; the generality of the priests and votaries ignorant and vicious in their conversations ; the oppressions of the Hildebrandine faction intolerable; religion dethroned, from a free, generous obedience, ac- cording to the rule of the gospel, and thrust into cells, orders, self- invented devotions and forms of worship superstitious and unknown to Scripture and antiquity, — the whole world groaned under the apos- tasy it was fallen into, when it was almost too late, the yoke was so fastened to their necks, and prejudices so fixed in the minds of the multitude. Kings began to repine, princes to remonstrate their grievances, whole nations to murmur, some learned men to write and preach against the superstitions and oppressions of the church of Rome ; against all which complaints and attempts, what means the popes used for the safe-guarding their authority and opinions, sub- servient to their carnal, worldly interests, — deposing some, causing others to be murdered that were in supreme power, bandying princes and great men one against another, exterminating others with fire and sword, — is also known unto all who take any care to know such things, whatever our author pretends to the contraiy. This was the state, this the peace, this the condition of most nations in Europe, and these in particular where we live; when occasion was adminis-