How Honorius, who succeeded Justus in the bishopric of Canterbury, received the pall and letters from Pope Honorius. [634 A.D.]
IN the meantime, Archbishop Justus was taken up to the heavenly
kingdom, on the 10th of November, and Honorius, who was elected
to the see in his stead, came to Paulinus to be ordained, and
meeting him at Lincoln was there consecrated the fifth prelate of
the Church of Canterbury from Augustine. To him also the
aforesaid Pope Honorius sent the pall, and a letter, wherein he
ordains the same that he had before ordained in his epistle to
King Edwin, to wit, that when either the Archbishop of Canterbury
or of York shall depart this life, the survivor, being of the
same degree, shall have power to ordain another bishop in the
room of him that is departed; that it might not be necessary
always to undertake the toilsome journey to Rome, at so great a
distance by sea and land, to ordain an archbishop. Which letter
we have also thought fit to insert in this our history:
"Honorius to his most beloved brother Honorius: Among the
many good gifts which the mercy of our Redeemer is pleased to
bestow on His servants He grants to us in His bounty, graciously
conferred on us by His goodness, the special blessing of
realizing by brotherly intercourse, as it were face to face, our
mutual love. For which gift we continually render thanks to His
Majesty; and we humbly beseech Him, that He will ever confirm
your labour, beloved, in preaching the Gospel, and bringing forth
fruit, and following the rule of your master and head, the holy
Gregory; and that, for the advancement of His Church, He may by
your means raise up further increase; to the end, that through
faith and works, in the fear and love of God, what you and your
predecessors have already gained from the seed sown by our lord
Gregory, may grow strong and be further extended; that so the
promises spoken by our Lord may hereafter be brought to pass in
you; and that these words may summon you to everlasting
happiness: 'Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will refresh you.' And 'Well done, good and faithful
servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make
thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy
Lord." And we, most beloved brothers, sending you first
these words of exhortation out of our enduring charity, do not
fail further to grant those things which we perceive may be
suitable for the privileges of your Churches.
"Wherefore, in accordance with your request, and that of the
kings our sons, we do hereby in the name of the blessed Peter,
chief of the Apostles, grant you authority, that when the Divine
Grace shall call either of you to Himself, the survivor shall
ordain a bishop in the room of him that is deceased. To which end
also we have sent a pall to each of you, beloved, for celebrating
the said ordination; that by the authority which we hereby commit
to you, you may make an ordination acceptable to God; because the
long distance of sea and land that lies between us and you, has
obliged us to grant you this, that no loss may happen to your
Church in any way, on any pretext whatever, but that the devotion
of the people committed to you may increase the more. God
preserve you in safety, most dear brother! Given the 11th day of
June, in the reign of these our lords and emperors, in the
twenty-fourth year of the reign of Heraclius, and the
twenty-third after his consulship; and in the twenty-third of his
son Constantine, and the third after his consulship; and in the
third year of the most prosperous Caesar, his son Heraclius, the
seventh indiction; that is, in the year of our Lord, 634."