Thanet; the preaching before Ethelbert; the foregone conclusion of his Queen; the adoption of the new creed by the mass of Kentish men; the baptizing of 10,000 on one Christmas-day, the re-diffusion of Christianity nominally, after this fashion, throughout the island, are well known to all readers of our ordinary histories.

The feeble light, however, of the persecuted Christianity of the native people was never quite extinguished. Their faith was not only alive, but was sufficiently vigorous to struggle for its own usages and formulas, in opposition to those brought by the Italian missionaries. For many years, efforts for the retention of their own liturgy and calendar were made by the representatives of the Romano-British Church.

These remonstrants are usually regarded as the predecessors of those who, in subsequent ages, protested against the usurpations of Rome. But the strife was respecting ritual only, and the growing power of the Papacy prevailed. Both parties held the main truths of the evangelical system as a creed; but it was in both cases overlaid with so great a burthen of human inventions, that its action, and even its true character, were lost. The pure doctrine finds no place in the monkish annals which constitute our only materials for the history of the period. Some slender hopes may be founded on the fact that Gregory sent to King Ethelbert, (together with the wretched relics and vestments on the glories of which the chroniclers love to dwell) one copy of the Bible, two Psalters, two copies of the Gospels, lives of the Apostles and Martyrs, and an exposition of the Gospels and Epistles.

Doubtless, like the diamond, these gems gave out some light in the dark.

The Anglo-Saxon Church, which subsisted for nearly five centuries, was a church protected by the government, richly endowed, possessed of all the learning and mental power of the realm. Yet, as an institution, it was a disastrous failure. It did not secure or promote the diffusion of gospel truth. Amidst the mass of AngloSaxon literature still preserved to us, it is impossible to deny that there are tokens of vital piety in fragments few and far between. As a whole, however, it is characterized by the prevalence of trivial superstitions. Pretended miracles, puerile tales, trumpery ritualisms, usurp the of place of Christ's pure and holy word. The pages Venerable Bede, who wrote in the eighth century, show that already the simplicity of the truth "as it is in Jesus" had been set aside for the dogma of many ators between God and man, and that the missionary commission, given at first to the whole race of believers, had been usurped by the priesthood exclusively. Personal religion was not unknown, but other things had far greater renown.

medi

Bede tells us of St. Oswald, King of Northumberland, interpreting to the people the preaching of Aidan. Bede himself translated, as it is said, the whole Psalter and a great part of the Bible into English.

The following verses form part of a hymn attributed to Bede. Whoever was the writer, he was not unacquainted with the communion of the heart with God.

"A hymn of glory let us sing;

New hymns throughout the world shall ring:
By a new way none ever trod,

Christ mounteth to the throne of God.

The notices of personal character which we obtain from a perusal of Anglo-Saxon literature, just suffice to assure us that the doctrine of salvation by the work of Christ was not unknown. It was, doubtless, influential in constituting the hope and happiness of many a soul otherwise benighted and forlorn. But it does not shine forth as the staple of their religious life; evangelism was not the characteristic of the age.

Indeed, the Saxons had not, at any time, the whole Bible translated into their language. We find the laity asking for it, and the clerics labouring to give it; but the work was never completely done. Whilst it was admitted that the Scriptures should be the rule of life, they used them too much as if they were a mere storehouse of marvels, as in the remarkable paraphrase of Cadmon. Faintly in this rugged, beautiful poem are the "Voice of Christian Life in Song," p. 141.

*

C

traces of the Saviour's own work of atonement recognized,

and yet the whole is intended to magnify his name.

"O let us resolve,

Throughout this world,

That we the Saviour

Seek to obey:

Fervently, through God's grace,

Remember the inspiration of the Spirit,

How the blessed there

Sit on high,

Even with the heaven-bright

Son of God." *

Theodorus, who was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury in 669, on his first visitation, amongst many directions concerning trivial things, is said to have preached the pure Gospel: he directed that every father should teach his child the Creed and the Lord's Prayer in the vulgar tongue. †

We turn with fond but vain desire to these scanty records for fuller information. The glimmering taper is not sufficient to illuminate the palace of truth, but it enables us to make out some of its foundations.

The best feature of the Anglo-Saxon Church was its missionary spirit. In the year 694, Wilfred, Abbot of Ripon, organized a mission to Friesland, which, under the leadership of Willibrod, became successful in planting the Gospel along the coasts of the German Ocean opposite to us, and whence our Saxon forefathers had emigrated. Winfred, a native of Crediton in Devonshire, became the *Thorpe's "Cadmon," 305.

+ Dr. Hook, "Lives of the Archbishops of Canterbury," vol. i.,

p. 150.

apostle of Germany. Though a strict adherent of the Papacy, yet he evinced zeal for the honour of Christ, for the conversion of souls, the spirituality of worship, and the advancement of pure religion. In 680, Kilian with twelve companions went to Franconia on the like errand.

The bishops published homilies on Scripture topics, several of which are still extant, to be read by the clergy to their flocks. The Gospels were translated from the Latin more than once. Many manuscripts of these translations still exist among the rarer treasures in our libraries.

In the year 705, "when Aldhelm became Bishop of Sherborne, he went to Canterbury to be consecrated by his old friend Berthwold. At this time, ships arrived at Dover with merchandise; and, amongst other works, a copy of the Old and New Testament was there, which he bought and placed in the church at Sherborne." It is pleasant, too, to read of the same Aldhelm, disguised as a minstrel, stationing himself on the bridge over the river Ivel, attracting a crowd by his sweet music and song, and then, having secured their attention, turning his theme from the deeds of heroes to the glad tidings of the Gospel.

In the year 780, King Offa gave a great Bible to the church at Worcester. Alfred translated portions of the Psalter, and wrote devout reflections, in his version of Boethius, for the spiritual instruction of the people. The canon of Ælfric to Wulfinus, a bishop in 970, enacts that "On Sundays and festivals, the priest ought to explain to the people the sense of the Gospel in

* Maitland, "Dark Ages."