The English Church from Its Foundation to the Norman Conquest (597-1066) Volume 1 (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III THE CHURCH IN KENT Soon after Mellitus and his companions arrived in England, perhaps at the end of 601, Augustine determined to ascertain whether the British Church would acknowledge the authority over it with which Gregory had invested him; for he was anxious to obtain its help in his mission to the English. Through thelbert's influence a meeting was arranged on the borders of the lands of the West Saxons and the Hwiccas, who had settled in the present Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. The meeting- place was at an oak, long afterwards called Augustine's oak, probably a landmark, and, it may be, an ancient tree which had received superstitious reverence alike from the earlier inhabitants of Britain and from the conquering race. Where it stood is not known, probably near the southern bank of the Severn. Aust, near Chepstow, has been suggested as the place of meeting, and though it was called after the Emperor Augustus, it may nevertheless have been the scene of Augustine's conference, and if so, its name would have a twofold significance. To this oak came a party of British bishops and learned men from South Wales. They entered the land from which their countrymen had been driven to meet one who came to them as archbishop of the people whom they hated, demanding the submission of their Church, and their help in preaching the Gospel to their fierce conquerors. Augustine asked them whether they would have catholic concord with him, and would join him in his work of evangelisation. His question referred to the points on which their Church differed fromChap. in AUGUSTINE AND THE BRITONS 35 Rome?the date of Easter and the rest. The British bishops declared that they would keep their own traditions and refused to listen to the prayers and reproaches which he and ...