(A.D. 619.)
[Roman and other Western Martyrologies. Authorities:--Bede, Hist.
Eccl. lib. ii. c. 4, 6, 7. Malmesbury lib. de Gest. Pontif. Angl.]
Laurence was one of the first missionaries to the Saxons, who came
over with S. Augustine; and he succeeded the Apostle of England in the
see of Canterbury, in 608, in which he sat eleven years. Bede says,
"Laurence succeeded Augustine in the bishopric, having been ordained
thereto by the latter, in his lifetime, lest, upon his death, the
state of the Church, as yet unsettled, might begin to falter, if it
were destitute of a pastor, though but for one hour. Wherein he
followed the example of the first pastor of the Church, Peter, who,
having founded the Church of Christ at Rome, is said to have
consecrated Clement his assistant in preaching the Gospel, and at the
same time, his successor. Laurence, being advanced to the degree of
archbishop, laboured indefatigably, both by frequent exhortations and
examples of piety, to raise to perfection the foundation of the
Church, which had been so nobly laid. In short, he not only took care
of the new Church formed among the English, but endeavoured also to
employ his pastoral solicitude among the ancient inhabitants of
Britain, as also among the Scots, who inhabited the island of Ireland.
For when he understood that the course of life and profession of the
Scots, as well as that of the Britons, was not truly ecclesiastical,
especially that they did not celebrate Easter at the correct time, he
wrote jointly with his fellow-bishops, an exhortatory epistle,
entreating and conjuring them to observe unity of peace, and
conformity with the Church of Christ spread throughout the world."
But soon troubles arose which obliged Archbishop Laurence to withdraw
his attention from the British bishops to the condition of his own
Kentish diocese. The pious King Ethelbert died, and his son Eadbald,
instead of following his father's example, opposed Christianity, and
caused great scandal by taking to him his step-mother to wife, his own
mother, the saintly Bertha, having died some years before. The
condition of Christianity became so hopeless in Kent, that Laurence
resolved to desert his see, and he was confirmed in his determination
by Mellitus, bishop of London, and Justus, bishop of Rochester, who
fled from the violence of the sons and successors of the Christian
Sebert, king of the East Saxons. Bede says, "Laurence, being about to
follow Mellitus and Justus, and to quit Britain, ordered his bed to be
laid, the night before, in the church of the blessed Apostles, Peter
and Paul; wherein, having laid himself to take some rest, after he had
poured out many prayers and tears to God for the state of the Church,
he fell asleep. In the dead of the night, the blessed prince of the
apostles appeared to him, and scourging him a long time with apostolic
severity, asked of him, 'Why he would forsake the flock which he had
committed to him? or to what shepherds he would commit Christ's sheep
that were in the midst of wolves? Have you,' said he, 'forgotten my
example, who, for the sake of those little ones, whom Christ
recommended to me in token of His affection, underwent at the hands of
the infidels and enemies of Christ, bonds, stripes, imprisonment,
afflictions, and lastly, the death of the cross, that I might be
crowned with Him?' Laurence being excited by these words and stripes,
the very next morning repaired to the king, and taking off his
garment, showed the scars of the stripes he had received. The king
astonished, asked, 'Who had presumed to give such blows to so great a
man?' and was much frightened when he heard that the bishop had
suffered so much at the hands of the apostle of Christ for his
salvation. Then, abjuring the worship of idols, and renouncing his
unlawful marriage, he embraced the faith of Christ, and being
baptized, promoted the affairs of the Church to the utmost of his
power."
In the reign of this same king, Archbishop Laurence died, and was
buried in the Church of S. Peter, close beside his predecessor
Augustine, and was succeeded by Mellitus.