declaring himself ready to undertake that Work, by the Affiftance of God, if the Apoftolical. Pope fhould think fit to have it fo done. The which not being then able to perform, becaufe, tho' the Pope was willing to grant his Requeft, yet the Citizens of Rome could not be brought to confent, that fo noble, fo renowned, and fo learned a Man fhould depart the City; as foon as he was himself made Pope, he perfeeted the long defir'd Work, fending other Preachers, but himself by his Prayers and Exhortations affifting the Preaching, that it might be fruitful. This, as we have receiv'd it from the Ancients, we have thought fit to infert into our Ecclefiaftical Hiftory.

СНАР. ІІ.

How Auguftin admonish'd the Bishops of the Britons, for Catholick Peace and Unity, and to that Effect wrought an heavenly Miracle in their Prefence, and the Vengeance that purfu'd them for their Contempt.

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N the mean Time Auguftin, with the Affiftance of King Ethelbert, drew together to confer with him the Bifhops, or Doctors of the next Province of the Britons, at a Place

which is to this Day call'd, a Auguftin's Ac. that is, Auguftin's Oak, on the Borders of *Wiccii and Weft-Saxons; and began by Bro- Worce therly Admonitions to perfuade them, that ferire. preferving Catholick Unity with him, they Thould undertake the common Labour of Preaching the Gofpel to the Gentils. For they did not keep Eafter-Sunday at the proper Time, but from the fourteenth to the twentieth Day; the which Computation is contain'd in a Revolution of eighty four Years. Befides, they did feveral other Things which were against the Unity of the Church. They, after a long Difputation, not complying with the Intreaties, Exhortations, or Rebukes of Auguftin and his Companions; but preferring their Traditions before all the Churches in the World, which in CHRIST agree among themfelves, the Holy Father Auguftin put an End to this troublefome and tedious Contention, faying, Let us beg of God, who caufes those who are of one Mind to live in his Father's Houfe, that he will vouchsafe by his Heavenly Tokens, to declare to us, which Tradition is to be follow'd; by which means we are to haften to the Entrance of his Kingdom. Let fome infirm Perfon be brought, and let the Faith and Practice of those by whofe Prayers he fhall be heal'd. be look'd upon as acceptable to God, and to be follow'd by all. The adverfe Party unwillingly confenting, a blind I 2 Man

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a By Spelman call'd Aufrick in Worcestershire, but falfly, this Village being formerly call'd Anffrick; but Dr, Smith conceives it to have been fub dio, at some Oak, ace cording to the ancient Cullom, for the Advantage of Recourfe.

Man of the English Race was brought, who having been prefented to the Priests of the Britons, and finding no Benefit or Cure by their Ministry; at length, Auguftin, compell'd by real Neceffity, bow'd his Knees to the Father of our Lord JESUS CHRIST, praying that the loft Sight might be reftor'd to the blind Man, and by the corporeal Enlightening of one Man, the Splendor of Spiritual Grace might be kindled in the Hearts of many of the Faithful. Immediately the blind Man receiv'd Sight, and Auguftin was by all declar'd the Preacher of the fovereign Light. The Britons then confefs'd they were fenfible, that it was the true Way of Righteoufnefs which Auguftin taught; but that they could not depart from their ancient Cuftoms without the Confent and Leave of their People. They therefore defir'd, that a fecond Synod might be pointed, at which more of their Number would be present. This being decreed, there came (as is afferted) b feven Bifhops of the Britons, and many moft Learned Men, particularly from their most noble Monaftery, which in the English Tongue is call'd, c Bancornaburg, over

C

ap

which

Said by fome Writers to be the Bishops of Lhandau, or Tau. St. Afaph, or Lhan Elwi, St. Patern in Cardiganfhire, Bangor, Chefter, Hen. or Hereford, Wiccior, or Worcester, Some think the Metropol. Bifhop of Caerlegeon, or Weftcheiter. was likewife there. Dr. Smith.

e The ancient Eonium of Antoninus, it was afterwards call'd, Banco nabypig and Bonchor, from the Chair Jays Cambden, now Bangor, I-Koed, or Is-y-Coed, i. e. under a Wood, to diftinguish it from the Bangor in Caernarvonshire, it was likewife call'd Bangor Monachorum. It s

which the Abbat Dinooth is faid to have prefided at that Time. They that were to go to the aforefaid Council, repair'd first to a certain holy and difcreet Man, who was wont to lead an eremitical Life among them, advifing with him, whether they ought, at the Preaching of Auguftin, to forfake their Traditions. He answer'd, If he is a Man of God, follow him. How shall we know that, faid they. He reply'd, Our Lord faith, Take my Yoke up- Matt. 11. on you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in Heart. If therefore, that Augustin is meek and lowly of Heart, it is to be believe'd that he has taken upon him the Yoke of CHRIST, and offers the fame to you to take upon you. But if he is ftern and haughty, it appears that he is not of God, nor are we to regard his Words. They infifted again, And how shall we difcern even this? Do you contrive, said the Anchorite,

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that

in Flintshire, not far from Weftchefter, Leland fays it ftands in a Valley. The Manufcript of Mr. Robert Vaughan of Henguert tells us, that both Town and Monaftery have felt the fevere Injuries of Time, that there is fearce now any of them remaining, there being only a small Village of that Name, and no Footsteps of the old City; except the Ruins of the two Principal Gates, Porth Kleis and Porth Wgan, the former looking towards England, and the latter towards Wales, and about à Mile distant from each other, from whence may be conjectur'd the length of the City, the River Dee runs through the midst of it. The old British Triades tell us, that in the British Times, there were in the Monaftery 2400 Monks, who in their turns, viz. (100 in every Hour of the 24.) read Prayers, and fung Pfalms continually. See Gibfon's Annotations to Cambden's Britannia, Flintshire. William of Malmsbury mentions in his Time many ruin'd Churches, and vaft Heaps of Rubbish, and Windings, Paffages and Gateways,

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that he first arrive with his Company at the Place where the Synod is to be held, and if at your Ap proach he shall rise up to you, hear him fubmiffively, being affur'd that he is the Servant of CHRIST; but if he fhall defpife you, and not rife up to you, whereas you are more in Number; let him alfo be defpis'd by you. They did as he directed, and it hapned, that when they came, Auguftin was fitting on a Chair; which they obferving, were in a Paffion, and charging him with Pride, endeavour'd to. contradict all he faid. He faid to them, You alt in many Particulars contrary to ours, or rather the Custom of the Univerfal Church, and yet, if you will com ply with me in these three Points, viz. to keep Eafter at the due Time; to adminifter Baptifm, by which we are again born to God, according to the Custom of the Holy Roman and Apoftolick Church, and jointly with us to preach the Word of God to the English Nation, we will readily tolerate all the other things you do, tho' contrary to our Cuftoms. They anfwer'd they would do none of those Things, nor receive him as their Archbishop. Alledging among themselves, that if he would now rife up to us, how much more will he contemn us, as of no Worth, if we shall begin to be under his Subjection. To whom the Man of God, Auguftin is faid, in a threatning manner, to have foretold, that in cafe they would not join in Unity with their Brethren, they fhould be warr'd upon by their Enemies; and, if they would not preach the Way of Life to the English Nation, they should at their Hands undergo the Vengeance of Death. All which, through the Difpenfation of the Divine Judgment, fell out exactly, as

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