How Edwin received letters of exhortation from Pope Honorius, who also sent the pall to Paulinus. [634 A.D.]
AT that time Honorius, successor to Boniface, was Bishop of the
Apostolic see. When he learned that the nation of the
Northumbrians, with their king, had been, by the preaching of
Paulinus, converted to the faith and confession of Christ, he
sent the pall to the said Paulinus, and with it letters of
exhortation to King Edwin, with fatherly love inflaming his zeal,
to the end that he and his people should persist in belief of the
truth which they had received. The contents of which letter were
as follow:
"To his most noble son, and excellent lord, Edwin king of
the Angles, Bishop Honorius, servant of the servants of God,
greeting. The wholeheartedness of your Christian Majesty, in the
worship of your Creator, is so inflamed with the fire of faith,
that it shines out far and wide, and, being reported throughout
the world, brings forth plentiful fruits of your labours. For the
terms of your kingship you know to be this, that taught by
orthodox preaching the knowledge of your King and Creator, you
believe and worship God, and as far as man is able, pay Him the
sincere devotion of your mind. For what else are we able to offer
to our God, but our readiness to worship Him and to pay Him our
vows, persisting in good actions, and confesssing Him the Creator
of mankind? And, therefore, most excellent son, we exhort you
with such fatherly love as is meet, to labour to preserve this
gift in every way, by earnest striving and constant prayer, in
that the Divine Mercy has vouchsafed to call you to His grace; to
the end that He, Who has been pleased to deliver you from all
errors, and bring you to the knowledge of His name in this
present world, may likewise prepare a place for you in the
heavenly country. Employing yourself, therefore, in reading
frequently the works of my lord Gregory, your Evangelist, of
apostolic memory, keep before your eyes that love of his
doctrine, which he zealously bestowed for the sake of your souls;
that his prayers may exalt your kingdom and people, and present
you faultless before Almighty God. We are preparing with a
willing mind immediately to grant those things which you hoped
would be by us ordained for your bishops, and this we do on
account of the sincerity of your faith, which has been made known
to us abundantly in terms of praise by the bearers of these
presents. We have sent two palls to the two metropolitans,
Honorius and Paulinus; to the intent, that when either of them
shall be called out of this world to his Creator, the other may,
by this authority of ours, substitute another bishop in his
place; which privilege we are induced to grant by the warmth of
our love for you, as well as by reason of the great extent of the
provinces which lie between us and you; that we may in all things
support your devotion and likewise satisfy your desires. May
God's grace preserve your Highless in safety!"