Notwithstanding the former vision, king Edwin deferred time yer he
would receiue the Christian faith, in somuch that Pauline vpon a daie
came vnto him as he sat musing what he were best to doo, and laid his
hand vpon his head, asking him if he knew that signe. Whereat when the
king would haue fallen downe at his féet, he lifted him vp, and as it
were in familiar wise thus said vnto him: "Behold, by the assistance
of Gods fauour thou hast escaped the hands of thine enimies, whome
thou stoodst in feare of: behold through his bountious liberalitie,
thou hast obteined the kingdome which thou diddest desire, remember
then that thou delaie no time to performe the third thing that thou
diddest promise, in receiuing his faith, and kéeping his
commandements, which deliuering thée from worldlie aduersities, hath
thus aduanced thée to the honor of a king: and if from henceforth thou
wilt obey his will, which by my mouth hée setteth and preacheth to
thée and others, he will deliuer thée from euerlasting torments, and
make thée partaker with him in his celestiall kingdome." It is to be
thought that the vision which the king had in times past receiued, was
in spirit reuealed vnto Pauline, wherevpon without delaie of time, he
put him in remembrance of it in maner as aboue is mentioned.
The king hauing heard his words, answered, that he would and ought to
receiue the faith which he taught, but first he would conferre with
his nobles, and if they would agrée to doo the like, then would they
be baptised altogither at one time. Pauline satisfied herewith, Edwin
[Sidenote: Edwin consulteth with his nobles.]
did as he had promised, calling togither the wisest men of his realme,
and of them asked the question what they thought of this diuinitie,
which was preached vnto them by Pauline, vnto whome his chiefe bishop
[Sidenote: The answere of an heathen bishop.]
named Coifi, incontinentlie made this answer; that Suerlie the
religion which they had hitherto followed was nothing worth. "For
saith he, there is none of thy people that hath more reuerentlie
woorshipped our gods than I haue doone, and yet be there manie that
haue receiued far greater benefits at thy hands than I haue doone: and
therefore if our gods were of anie power, then would they rather helpe
me to high honor and dignitie than others. Therefore if it maie be
found that this new religion is better & more auailable than our old,
let vs with spéed imbrace the same."
Finallie, when other of the kings councell & men of high authoritie
gaue their consents, that this doctrine which Pauline taught ought to
be receiued, if therein appeered more certeintie of saluation than
[Sidenote: Pauline licenced to preach the gospell.]
could be found in the other: at length the king gaue licence to
Pauline openlie to preach the gospell, and renouncing his worshipping
of false gods, professed the Christian faith. And when he demanded of
his bishop Coifi who should first deface the altars of their idols,
and the tabernacles wherewith they were compassed about? He answered,
that himselfe would doo it. "For what is more méet (saith he) than
that I, which thorough foolishnesse haue worshipped them, should now
for example sake destroie the same, thorough wisedome giuen me from
the true and liuing God?" And streightwaies throwing awaie the
superstition of vanitie, required armour and weapon of the king, with
a stoned horsse, vpon the which he being mounted, rode foorth to
destroie the idols.
This was a strange sight to the people: for it was not lawfull for the
bishop of their law to put on armour, or to ride on anie beast, except
it were a mare. He hauing therefore a swoord gird to him, tooke a
speare in his hand, and riding on the kings horsse, went to the place
where the idols stood. The common people that beheld him had thought
he had béene starke mad, and out of his wits: but he without longer
deliberation, incontinentlie vpon his comming to the temple, began to
deface the same, and in contempt threw his speare against it, &
reioising greatlie in the knowledge of the worshipping of the true
God, commanded his companie to destroie & burne downe the same temple
with all the altars. This place where the idols were sometime
worshipped was not farre from Yorke, towards the east part of the
riuer of Derwent, and is called Gotmundin Gaham, where the foresaid
bishop by the inspiration of God defaced and destroied those altars,
which he himselfe had hallowed.
[Sidenote: King Edwin with his people receive the christian faith.]
[Sidenote: _Beda. lib._ 2. _cap._ 14.]
[Sidenote: 627.]
King Edwin therefore with all the nobilitie, and a great number of his
people, receiued the faith and were baptised, in the yéere of our Lord
627, in the tenth yéere of his reigne, and about the 178 yéere after
the first comming of the Englishmen into this land. He was baptised at
Yorke on Easter daie (which fell that yéere the day before the Ides of
Aprill) in the church of S. Peter the apostle, which he had caused to
be erected and built vp of timber vpon the sudden for that purpose,
and afterwards began the foundation of the same church in stone-woorke
of a larger compasse, comprehending within it that oratorie which he
had first caused to be built: but before he could finish the woorke,
he was slaine (as after shall be shewed) leauing it to be performed of
his successor Oswald.
Pauline continued from thencefoorth during the kings life, which was
six yéeres after, in preaching the gospell in that prouince,
conuerting an innumerable number of people to the faith of Christ,
among whom were Osfride and Eadfride the two sonnes of Edwin, whom he
begot in time of his banishment of his wife Quinburga, the daughter of
Cearlus king of Mercia. Also afterwards he begot children on his
[Sidenote: Ediltrudis.]
second wife Ethelburga, that is to say, a sonne called Edilhimus, and
a daughter named Ediltrudis, and another sonne called Bustfrea, of the
which the two first died in their cradels, and were buried in the
church at Yorke. To be briefe: by the kings assistance & fauour shewed
vnto Pauline in the woorke of the Lord, great multitudes of people
dailie receiued the faith, and were baptised of Pauline in manie
places, but speciallie in the riuer of Gleuie within the prouince of
Bernicia, and also in Swale in the prouince of Deira: for as yet in
the beginning thus of the church in those countries, no temples or
fonts could be builded or erected in so short a time.
Of such great zeale was Edwin (as it is reported) towards the setting
[Sidenote: This chanced in the yéere 632, as _Matt. West._ saith.]
foorth of Gods truth, that he persuaded Carpwald the sonne of Redwald
king of the Eastangles to abandon the superstitious worshipping of
idols, and to receiue the faith of Christ with all his whole prouince.
[Sidenote: Redwald king of Eastangles baptised.]
His father Redwald was baptised in Kent long before this time, but in
vaine: for returning home, through counsell of his wife and other
wicked persons, he was seduced, and being turned from the sincere
puritie of faith, his last dooings were woorse than his first, so that
according to the maner of the old Samaritans, he would séeme both to
[Sidenote: Redwald would serve God and the diuell.]
serue the true God and his false gods, (whom before time he had
serued) and in one selfe church had at one time both the sacraments of
Christ ministred at one altar, and sacrifice made vnto diuels at
another.
But Carpwald within a while after he had receiued the faith, was
slaine by one of his owne countrimen that was an ethnike, called
Richbert, and then after his death, that prouince for the tearme of
[Sidenote: Sibert or Sigibert.]
thrée yeeres was wrapped eftsoones in errour, till Sibert or Sigibert,
the brother of Carpwald, a most christian prince, and verie well
learned, obteined the rule of that kingdome, who whilest he liued a
banished man in France during his brothers life time, was baptised
there, and became a christian: and when he came to be king, he caused
all his prouince to be partaker of the same fountaine of life, wherein
he had beene dipped himselfe.
Vnto this godlie purpose also, a bishop of the parties of Burgoigne
named Felix was a great furtherer, who comming ouer vnto the
archbishop of Canturburie Honorius that was successor vnto Iustus, and
declaring vnto him his earnest desire, was sent by the same archbishop
to preach the woord of life vnto the Eastangles, which he did with
such good successe, that he conuerted the whole countrie to the faith
[Sidenote: A bishop ordained at Dunwhich.]
[Sidenote: _Beda lib._ 1. _cap._ 16.]
of Iesus Christ, and placed the sée of his bishoprike at Dunwich,
ending the course of his life there in peace after he had continued in
that his bishoplike office the space of 17 yéeres. Moreouer Pauline,
after that he had conuerted the Northumbers, preached the woord of God
vnto them of Lindsey, which is a part of Lincolnshire: and first he
[Sidenote: This chanced in the yéere 628, as _Matth. West._ saith.]
persuaded one Blecca the gouernour of the citie of Lincolne to turne
vnto Christ, togither with all his familie. In that citie he also
builded a church of stone woorke. Thus Pauline trauelled in the woorke
of the Lord, the same being greatlie furthered by the helpe of Edwin,
in whose presence he baptised a great number of people in the riuer of
Trent, néere to a towne, which in the old English toong was called
_Tio vulfingacester._ This Pauline had with him a deacon named Iames,
the which shewed himselfe verie diligent in the ministerie, and
profited greatlie therein.
But now to returne to king Edwin, who was a prince verelie of woorthie
fame, and for the politike ordering of his countries and obseruing of
iustice, deserued highlie to be commended: for in his time all robbers
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
by the high waie were so banished out of his dominions, that a woman
with hir new borne child alone, without other companie, might haue
trauelled from sea to sea, and not haue incountred with anie creature
that durst once haue offered hir iniurie. He was also verie carefull
[Sidenote: _Math. West._]
[Sidenote: _Beda lib._ 2. _cap._ 16.]
for the aduancement of the commoditie & common wealth of his people,
insomuch that where there were any swéet and cleare water-springs, he
caused postes to be set vp, and iron dishes to be fastened thereto
with chaines, that waifaring men might haue the same readie at hand to
drinke with: and there was none so hardie as to touch the same but for
that vse. He vsed wheresoeuer he went within the cities or elsewhere
abroad, to haue a banner borne before him, in token of iustice to be
ministred by his roiall authoritie.
In the meane season, pope Honorius the fift, hearing that the
Northumbers had receiued the faith (as before is mentioned) at the
preaching of Pauline, sent vnto the said Pauline the pall, confirming
him archbishop in the sée of Yorke. He sent also letters of
[Sidenote: _Beda lib_ 2. _cap._ 17.]
exhortation vnto king Edwin, to kindle him the more with fatherlie
aduise to continue and procéed in the waie of vnderstanding, into the
which he was entered. At the same time also, bicause Iustus the
archbishop of Canturburie was dead, and one Honorius elected to that
sée, pope Honorius sent to the said elect archbishop of Canturburie
[Sidenote: A decrée concerning the archbishops of Canturburie
and Yorke.]
his pall, with letters, wherein was conteined a decrée by him made,
that when either the archbishop of Canturburie or Yorke chanced to
depart this life, he that suruiued should haue authoritie to ordeine
another in place of him that was deceassed, that they should not néed
to wearie themselues with going to Rome, being so farre distant from
them. The copie of which letter is registred in the ecclesiasticall
historie of Beda, bearing date the third Ides of Iune, in the yéere of
[Sidenote: 633.]
633. The same pope sent letters also to the Scotish people, exhorting
[Sidenote: The feast of Easter.]
our Lord them to celebrate the feast of Easter in such due time as
other churches of the christian world obserued. And also bicause the
[Sidenote: The heresie of the Pelagians.]
heresie of the Pelagians began to renew againe amongst them (as he was
informed) he admonished them to beware thereof, and by all meanes to
auoid it. For he knew that to the office of a pastor it is
necessarilie incident, not onelie to exhort, teach, and shew his
sheepe the waies to a christian life, but also stronglie to withstand
all such vniust meanes, as might hinder their procéeding in the truth
of religion. For as poison is vnto the bodie, that is heresie vnto
veritie. And as the bodie by poison is disabled from all naturall
faculties, and vtterlie extinguished, vnlesse by present meanes the
force thereof be vanquished: so truth and veritie by errors and
heresies is manie times choked and recouereth, but neuer strangled.
But now that the kingdome of Northumberland flourished (as before is
partlie touched) in happie state vnder the prosperous reigne of Edwin,
at length, after he had gouerned it the space of 17 yeeres,
[Sidenote: Cadwallin, or Cadwallo king of Britaine.]
Cadwalline, or Cadwallo, king of Britaine, who succeeded Cadwane, as
Gal. Mon. saith, rebelled against him. For so it commeth to passe,
that nothing can be so sure confirmed by mans power, but the same by
[Sidenote: Penda king of Mercia.]
the like power may be againe destroied. Penda king of Mercia enuieng
the prosperous procéedings of Edwin, procured Cadwallo to mooue this
rebellion against Edwin: and ioining his power with Cadwallo, they
inuaded the countrie of Northumberland iointlie togither. Edwin
heereof aduertised, gathered his people, & came to incounter them, so
that both armies met at a place called Hatfield, where was fought a
[Sidenote: King Edwin slaine.]
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
verie sore and bloudie battell. But in the end Edwin was slaine with
one of his sonnes named Osfride, and his armie beaten downe and
dispersed. Also there was slaine on Edwins part, Eodbald king of
Orkenie. Moreouer there was an other of Edwins sonnes named Eadfride
constreined of necessitie to giue himselfe into the hands of Penda,
and was after by him cruellie put to death, contrarie to his promised
faith in king Oswalds daies that succéeded Edwin. Thus did king Edwin
end his life in that battell, fought at Hatfield aforesaid, on the
fourth ides of October, in the yere of our Lord 633, he being then
about the age of 47 yéeres and vpwards.
* * * * *
_The crueltie of Penda and Cadwallo after their victorie, the Britains
make no account of religion, Archbishop Pauline with queen Ethelburga
flie out of Northumberland into Kent, honorable personages accompanie
him thither, Romanus bishop of Rochester drowned, Pauline vndertaketh
the charge of that see; Osrilie is king of Deira, and Eaufride king of
Bernicia, both kings become apostatas, and fall fr[=o] christianitie
to paganisme, then are both slaine within lesse than a yeeres space;
Oswald is created king of Northumberland, his chiefs practise in feats
of armes, Cadwallo king of Britaine hath him in contempt, Oswalds
superstitious deuotion and intercession to God against his enimies;
both kings ioine battell; Cadwallo is slaine, Penda king of Mercia his
notable vertues linked with foule vices, he maketh warre on whome he
will without exception._