Church history in England ... to the period of the Reformation

Aldhelm, bishop of Sherborne. His poems. Bede. His various works.
His Ecclesiastical History. Authority of the work. Translation of
it by Alfred. His last work, a translation of St. John's Gospel.
Contemporary account of his death. Egbert, first archbishop of
York. Bede's letter to him, and its proposal to appropriate monastic
property for endowment of new sees. Mention of pretended monks.
Egbert's Penitential. His patronage of learning. Alcuin. His
school at York. He goes to the court of Charlemagne. His labours
there. His retirement to Tours. His labours in refuting heresy.
His death and writings. English and Irish missionaries. Egbert
and his disciples, Wigbert, Willibrord, the Hewalds, Swidbert,
&c. Boniface the apostle of Germany. His early life and unsuc-
cessful mission to Friesland. His mission to Bavaria, Hesse, and
Saxony. Cuts down the oak of Jupiter. His consecration by the
Pope, and the oath he took. Receives the pall, and made Papal vicar
in France and Germany. Tries to reform the French Church.
Made archbishop of Mentz. Resigns his see. His martyrdom. His
devotion to the Papacy. His monasteries at Fulda and elsewhere.
Plan for instruction of the heathen taken from Alcuin. Boni-
face's letters to Ethelbald of Mercia and Archbishop Cuthbert. State
of morals in England. Canons of Council of Mentz sent to Cuth-

bert. Letters of Pope Zachary. Council of Cloveshoo. General

character of its canons. Priests to explain Creed and Lord's Prayer

in English. Ethelbald a benefactor of the Church. Offa. Procures

Pope's consent to Lichfield being made an archiepiscopal see. Coun-

cil of Calcuith, and partition of province of Canterbury. Restoration

of its ancient jurisdiction to that province how effected. Proceedings

with respect to the archbishopric of Lichfield show an increase of

Papal power. Papal legates first at Northumbrian synod, and then at

Calcuith. Canons of that council decidedly Papal. Offa's crimes.

He founds abbey of St. Albans. His pilgrimage to Rome. Anglo-

Saxon school founded at Rome. Origin of Rome-shot or Peter-pence.

Reflections on growth of Papal authority. Controversy about image-

worship. Councils of Constantinople and Nice upon the subject.

Effect of the canons of Second Nicene Council in the countries of the

West. Epistle ascribed to Alcuin in opposition to them. Caroline

Books. Council of Frankfort. Archbishop Wulfred's Council of

Calcuith
Pages 131-159.

CHAP. VIII.

THE ANGLO-SAXON CHURCH OF THE NINTH CENTURY, FROM THE UNION

OF THE SAXON KINGDOMS UNDER ONE HEAD TO THE DEATH OF

ALFRED.

A.D. 828-901.

Egbert of Wessex first king of all England. Northmen or Danes.
Their origin, religion, and character, and first descents upon England.
Destruction of Lindisfarne, Wearmouth, and Jarrow. Settlement in
the Isle of Sheppey. Ethelwulf. Bishop Swithun. Ethelwulf's
visit to Rome and anointing of Alfred there. Ethelwulf's bounty to
foreign churches and to his own. Destruction of the monasteries of
Bardney, Croyland, Medeshamstede, and Ely by the Danes. Their
conquests. Alfred's reverses and success. Guthrum embraces Chris-
tianity, which is established within the Danish territories. Character
of Alfred. His infancy and education. General ignorance, and
Alfred's efforts to remove it. John of Saxony, Grimbald, Asser,
Plegmund, John Scotus. Alfred's writings. His school. State of
morals and religion. Alfred's code of laws grounded on Decalogue.
Omission of second commandment. His administration of justice.
Decay of monastic orders, and conversion of monks into regular
canons. Effects of Danish invasion upon these societies. Marriage
and secularisation of canons. Attempts of Alfred to restore monastic

discipline, without success. His monastery at Athelney. John of
Saxony murdered. Alfred's nunneries. His gifts to Rome. Re-
marks on his partiality for see of Rome. His private life, economy
of income, manner of computing time, bodily infirmity, and death.
His gifts to Christians in India
Pages 160-177.

CHAP. IX.

THE

ANGLO-SAXON CHURCH OF THE TENTH AND ELEVENTH CEN-
TURIES, FROM THE DEATH OF ALFRED TO THE NORMAN CONQUEST.

A.D. 901-1066.

Edward the Elder. Foundations of sees of Wells, Crediton, and St.
Germain's. Malmsbury's account of this. Reign of Athelstan. His
ordinances about tithes and other Church dues. Edmund. Revival
of monastic system. Monasteries of Fleury and Ghent. Glastonbury.
Birth of Dunstan, his education and early history. His introduction
at court, and disappointment. He becomes a monk. His manner of life.
His rise in fortune and favour. Made abbot of Glastonbury. Im-
properly called first Benedictine abbot. His favour with Edred.
Refuses the see of Crediton or Winchester. Edwy's quarrel with
Dunstan. Elfgiva. Exile of Dunstan, and circumstances which led
to his recall. Made bishop of Worcester, and afterwards of London.
Conduct of Archbishop Odo to Elfgiva. Elevation of Dunstan to
the see of Canterbury. Oswald obtains see of Worcester, and after-
wards that of York in addition. Ethelwold, bishop of Winchester.
Progress of monastic revival. Thurcytel, abbot of Croyland. Reign
of Edgar. His vices and repentance, and zeal in forwarding Dun-
stan's plans. State of secular clergy. Wulfstan, archbishop of
York. Number of monasteries founded and restored in Edgar's
reign. State of regular canons now become secular. Dunstan's
attempts to bring them under monastic rule, and to enforce celibacy.
Question, how far forced celibacy was part of the ancient discipline
of the Church. First Council of Nice. State of the law with respect
to celibacy in the Eastern Church. In the Roman. In England
from the time of Augustine to the 10th century. Measures of
Dunstan. Synodical decree in favour of celibacy. Ethelwold expels
canons from Winchester and other places. Establishes two new
abbeys at Winchester. Called the "father of monks." His liber-
ality to the ejected canons. Oswald's measures at Worcester. The
canons not disturbed at York, nor at Canterbury till much later.
Power given to monks to elect bishops. Edgar's ecclesiastical laws.
Rome-shot. Provisions in Edgar's laws for teaching elements of

Christian knowledge.

Renewal of disputes between monks and

clergy after Edgar's death. Councils of Winchester and Calne to

settle them. Accident at the latter council, and remarks thereupon.

Edward the Martyr. Ethelred. Fresh inroads of Danes. Death

and character of Dunstan. Question of revival of monachism con-

sidered. Laws against married clergy condemned. School of Ethel-

wold. Instance of Dunstan's faithfulness and independence of Pope.

Period from his death to Norman conquest. Reign of Ethelred.

Payment of tribute to the Danes, by whose advice. Origin of Dane-

gild. Massacre of Danish settlers. Destruction of Canterbury, and

martyrdom of Archbishop Elphege. Cnut. Ecclesiastical legislation

of Ethelred's and Cnut's reigns. Canons of Eanham. First sta-

tutory authority for Church rates. English missions to Sweden,

Norway, and Denmark. Cnut's munificence as a founder and

restorer of monasteries, &c. St. Edmondsbury. Cnut's pilgrimage to

Rome. His letter to the English bishops. Edward the Confessor.

The Normans. King's favour to them shown in episcopal appoint-

ments. Robert of Jumièges promoted to see of Canterbury. Banished,

and succeeded by Stigand. Question about Stigand's title to the

primacy. He is acknowledged in England notwithstanding his sus-

pension by the Pope. King Edward's devotion to the Papal See.

Circumstances which led to building of Westminster Abbey. Bull

of privileges granted to the abbey by the Pope. Foundations of Leo-

frie of Mercia, and Godiva. See of Crediton removed to Exeter,

and monks displaced by canons. Accession of Harold, and invasion

of England by William. The Pope favours William, excommuni-

cates Harold, and sends a consecrated banner to the former. Battle

of Hastings. Abbey erected in commemoration of the event.

Pages 178-205.

CHAP. X.

SUMMARY OF THE DOCTRINES TAUGHT BY THE ANGLO-SAXON

CHURCH.

State of Anglo-Saxon Church with reference to doctrine. 1 Question of
Papal supremacy. Reception of pall, how far necessary. In earlier
times sent from Rome. Afterwards the archbishops had to go for it.
Instances of Popes regulating questions of doctrine and discipline.
Creation and abolition of metropolitan see of Lichfield. Charters
of exemption to abbeys. Appointment of bishops by the sovereign.
Popular election, how far preserved. Royal mandate for consecra-
tion. Preliminaries to consecration. Declaration of faith how varied

either of bishops or clergy. Titles of sovereigns, and prerogatives in

matters ecclesiastical. Rejection of Wilfrid's appeals, and decrees of

Second Nicene Council. Visits of Papal legates. Independence of a

Church does not imply freedom from errors. Leading principle of

mediæval religion. Examples of this in Anglo-Saxon Church. 2.

State of the Church with reference to knowledge of the Scriptures.

Rulers of Church did not seek to keep the people in ignorance.

Examples of Aldhelm, Bede, and Alcuin. Use of the Psalter among

the Anglo-Saxons. Alfred a student and translator of the Scrip-

tures. Canons with respect to teaching of Creed and Lord's Prayer,

and explanation of the gospel of the day. Elfric the homilist on

the authority of Scripture. His history uncertain. His translations

from the Old Testament. His homilies. 3. Doctrine of transub-

stantiation whether held by Anglo-Saxon Church. Elfric's testi-

mony against it in his homily for Easter Day, &c. Authority of

these passages in his writings. Language of Bede and Alcuin on

the same subject. Comparison of Elfric's language with that of

confessions required of Berengarius. 4. Doctrine of Anglo-Saxon

divines with respect to prayers and masses for the dead. Extract

from Saxon homily. Bede. Foundation of churches on condition of

such services. Gilds. Practice of praying for the dead considered.

Purgatory, doctrine of, how far held by Anglo-Saxon Church.

Services for the dead, of what they consisted. Almsdeeds for their

benefit. Manumission of slaves. Canon of Second Council of Calcuith.

5. Anglo-Saxon Church not free from the error of invocation of

saints. This practice whence derived. With what limitation ac-

companied. Sanctioned by Theodore, Bede, &c. Laymen taught to

adopt it. Dr. Lingard's defence of it. How it leads to idolatry.

6. Veneration for relics among the Anglo-Saxons. Number of their

saints. Canonisation. Supposed miracles. Reasons for rejecting

them
Pages 206-223.

CHAP. XI.

STATE OF THE ANGLO-SAXON CHURCH WITH RESPECT TO CHURCH

GOVERNMENT AND DISCIPLINE.

Church government vested in bishops with certain limitations. Notion
of a bishop among the Anglo-Saxons. Extracts from old treatise as
to his duties. Knowledge of handicraft required. Eminence of some
of their bishops in the fine arts and in teaching. Parochial system of
England, whence derived. Chief minsters and priest's minsters.
Canons and mass-priests. Mass-priest not removable from parish

« Previous Continue »