How Augustine admonished the bishops of the Britons on behalf of Catholic peace, and to that end wrought a heavenly miracle in their presence; and of the vengeance that pursued them for their contempt. [Circ. 603 A.D.]
IN the meantime, Augustine, with the help of
King Ethelbert,
drew together to a conference the bishops and doctors of the
nearest province of the Britons, at a place which is to this day
called, in the English language, Augustine's Ac, that is,
Augustine's Oak, on the borders of the Hwiccas and West Saxons;
and began by brotherly admonitions to persuade them to preserve
Catholic peace with him, and undertake the common labour of
preaching the Gospel to the heathen for the Lord's sake. For they
did not keep Easter Sunday at the proper time, but from the
fourteenth to the twentieth moon; which computation is contained
in a cycle of eighty-four years. Besides, they did many other
things which were opposed to the unity of the church. When, after
a long disputation, they did not comply With the entreaties,
exhortations, or rebukes of Augustine and his companions, but
preferred their own traditions before all the Churches which are
united in Christ throughout the world, the holy father,
Augustine, put an end to this troublesome and tedious contention,
saying, "Let us entreat God, who maketh men to be of one
mind in His Father's house, to vouchsafe, by signs from Heaven,
to declare to us which tradition is to be followed; and by what
path we are to strive to enter His kingdom. Let some sick man be
brought, and let the faith and practice of him, by whose prayers
he shall be healed, be looked upon as hallowed in God's sight and
such as should be adopted by all." His adversaries
unwillingly consenting, a blind man of the English race was
brought, who having been presented to the British bishops, found
no benefit or healing from their ministry; at length, Augustine,
compelled by strict necessity, bowed his knees to the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, praying that He would restore his lost
sight to the blind man, and by the bodily enlightenment of one
kindle the grace of spiritual light in the hearts of many of the
faithful. Immediately the blind man received sight, and Augustine
was proclaimed by all to be a true herald of the light from
Heaven. The Britons then confessed that they perceived that it
was the true way of righteousness which Augustine taught; but
that they could not depart from their ancient customs without the
consent and sanction of their people. They therefore desired that
a second time a synod might be appointed, at which more of their
number should be present.
This being decreed, there came, it is said, seven bishops
of the Britons, and many men of great learning, particularly from
their most celebrated monastery, which is called, in the English
tongue, Bancornaburg, and over which the Abbot Dinoot is said to
have presided at that time. They that were to go to the aforesaid
council, be-took themselves first to a certain holy and discreet
man, who was wont to lead the life of a hermit among them, to
consult with him, whether they ought, at the preaching of
Augustine, to forsake their traditions. He answered, "If he
is a man of God, follow him."-- "How shall we know
that?" said they. He replied, "Our Lord saith, Take My
yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart;
if therefore, Augustine is meek and lowly of heart, it is to be
believed that he bears the yoke of Christ himself, and offers it
to you to bear. But, if he is harsh and proud, it is plain that
he is not of God, nor are we to regard his words." They said
again, "And how shall we discern even this?" -
"Do you contrive," said the anchorite, "that he
first arrive with his company at the place where the synod is to
be held; and if at your approach he rises tip to you, hear him
submissively, being assured that he is the servant of Christ; but
if he despises you, and does not rise up to you, whereas you are
more in number, let him also be despised by you."
They did as he directed; and it happened, that as they
approached, Augustine was sitting on a chair. When they perceived
it, they were angry, and charging him with pride, set themselves
to contradict all he said. He said to them, "Many things ye
do which are contrary to our custom, or rather the custom of the
universal Church, and yet, if you will comply with me in these
three matters, to wit, to keep Easter at the due time; to fulfil
the ministry of Baptism, by which we are born again to God,
according to the custom of the holy Roman Apostolic Church; and
to join with us in preaching the Word of God to the English
nation, we will gladly suffer all the other things you do, though
contrary to our customs." They answered that they would do
none of those things, nor receive him as their archbishop; for
they said among themselves, "if he would not rise up to us
now, how much more will he despise us, as of no account, if we
begin to be under his subjection?" Then the man of God,
Augustine, is said to have threatened them, that if they would
not accept peace with their brethren, they should have war from
their enemies; and, if they would not preach the way of life to
the English nation, they should suffer at their hands the
vengeance of death. All which, through the dispensation of the
Divine judgement, fell out exactly as he had predicted.
For afterwards the warlike king of the English, Ethelfrid, of
whom we have spoken, having raised a mighty army, made a very
great slaughter of that heretical nation, at the city of Legions,
(Chester) which by the English is called Legacaestir, but by the
Britons more rightly Car-legion. Being about to give battle, he
observed their priests, who were come together to offer up their
prayers to God for the combatants, standing apart in a place of
greater safety; he inquired who they were, and what they came
together to do in that place. Most of them were of the monastery
of Bangor, in which, it is said, there was so great a number of
monks, that the monastery being divided into seven parts, with a
superior set over each, none of those parts contained less than
three hundred men, who all lived by the labour of their hands.
Many of these, having observed a fast of three days,. had come
together along with others to pray at the aforesaid battle,
having one Brocmail for their protector, to defend them, whilst
they were intent upon their prayers, against the swords of the
barbarians. King Ethelfrid being informed of the occasion of
their coming, said; "If then they cry to their God against
us, in truth, though they do not bear arms, yet they fight
against us, because they assail us with their curses." He,
therefore, commanded them to be attacked first, and then
destroyed the rest of the impious army, not without great loss of
his own forces. About twelve hundred of those that came to pray
are said to have been killed, and only fifty to have escaped by
flight. Brocmail, turning his back with his men, at the first
approach of the enemy, left those whom he ought to have defended
unarmed and exposed to the swords of the assailants. Thus was
fulfilled the prophecy of the holy Bishop Augustine, though he
himself had been long before taken up into the heavenly kingdom,
that the heretics should feel the vengeance of temporal death
also, because they had despised the offer of eternal salvation.