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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.
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