_Church of St. Saviour, Canterbury_ (Vol. ii., p. 478.).--I would submit to
Sir Henry Ellis, that the church at Canterbury which is mentioned in the
charter from which he quotes, is termed _Mater et Domina_, not on account
of its greater antiquity, but by reason of its superior dignity; and that
the church referred to is clearly the cathedral church. The charter is one
of confirmation of privileges: it proceeded upon the "admonition of the
most pious Archbishop Liuingus," and "upon consideration of the liberties
_of the monasteries_ situated within Kent." It granted that the church of
the Saviour (_ecclesia Salvatoris_), situated in Canterbury, the mother and
lady of all the churches in the kingdom of England, should be free, and
that no one should have any right therein _save the archbishop and the
monks there serving God_. The whole tenor of the charter, and more
particularly the words last referred to, "archiepiscopum et monachos ibidem
deo famulantes," seem to me to indicate the cathedral church, and no other.
If it be inquired, How then came it to pass that the cathedral, which is
dedicated to Christ, should be described as _ecclesia Salvatoris?_ some
persons may answer, that this apparent blunder is an indication that the
charter is not genuine. But that is not my opinion. The charter is printed
from the register of the cathedral, and if it had been forged by the monks,
they would scarcely have made a mistake upon such a point as the dedication
of their own church. Coming out of such custody, the unusual designation,
as we now esteem it, seems clear proof that the charter is genuine. I would
suggest, either that the cathedral, or a part of it, was really dedicated
to the Saviour; or that the words are to be understood not as indicating
the church of St. Saviour, but the church of the Saviour, that is, Christ.