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LAURENTIUS succeeded Augustine in the bishopric,
having been ordained thereto by the latter, in his lifetime, lest, upon his
death, the Church, as yet in so unsettled a state, might begin to falter, if it
should be destitute of a pastor, though but for one hour. Wherein he also
followed the example of the first pastor of the Church, that is, of the most
blessed Peter, chief of the Apostles, who, having founded the Church of Christ
at Rome, is said to have consecrated Clement to help him in preaching the
Gospel, and at the same time to be his successor. Laurentius, being advanced to
the rank of archbishop, laboured indefatigably, both by frequent words of holy
exhortation and constant example of good works to strengthen the foundations of
the Church, which had been so nobly laid, and to carry it on to the fitting
height of perfection. In short, he not only took charge of the new Church
formed among the English, but endeavoured also to bestow his pastoral care upon
the tribes of the ancient inhabitants of Britain, as also of the Scots, who
inhabit the island of Ireland, which is next to Britain. For when he understood
that the life and profession of the Scots in their aforesaid country, as well
as of the Britons in Britain, was not truly in accordance with the practice of
the Church in many matters, especially that they did not celebrate the festival
of Easter at the due time, but thought that the day of the Resurrection of our
Lord ought, as has been said above, to be observed between the 14th and 20th of
the moon; he wrote, jointly with his fellow bishops, a hortatory epistle,
entreating and conjuring them to keep the unity of peace and Catholic
observance with the Church of Christ spread throughout the world. The beginning
of which epistle is as follows:
"To our most dear brethren, the Lords Bishops and Abbots throughout all
the country of the Scots,' Laurentius, Mellitus, and Justus, Bishops, servants
of the servants of God. When the Apostolic see, according to the universal
custom which it has followed elsewhere, sent us to these western parts to
preach to pagan nations, and it was our lot to come into this island, which is
called Britain, before we knew them, we held both the Britons and Scots in
great esteem for sanctity, believing that they walked according to the custom
of the universal Church; but becoming acquainted with the Britons, we thought
that the Scots had been better. Now we have learnt from Bishop Dagan, who came
into this aforesaid island, and the Abbot Columban, (Note: The most famous of
the great Irish missionaries who laboured on the Continent. He was born in
Leinster about 540, went to Gaul about 574, founded three monasteries
(Annegray, Luxeuil, and Fontaines), worked for twenty years among the Franks
and Burgundians, afterwards among the Suevi and Alemanni, and finally in Italy,
where he founded a monastery at Bobbio and died there in 615. He was a
vigorous supporter of the Celtic usages and an active opponent of Arianism. He
instituted a monastic rule of great severity.) in Gaul, that the Scots in no
way differ from the Britons in their walk; for when Bishop Dagan came to us,
not only did he refuse to eat at the same table, but even to eat in the same
house where we were entertained."
Also Laurentius with his fellow bishops wrote a letter to the bishops of the
Britons, suitable to his degree, by which he endeavoured to confirm them in
Catholic unity; but what he gained by so doing the present times still show.
About this time, Mellitus, bishop of London, went to Rome, to confer with the
Apostolic Pope Boniface about the necessary affairs of the English Church. And
the same most reverend pope, assembling a synod of the bishops of Italy, to
prescribe rules for the life and peace of the monks, Mellitus also sat among
them, in the eighth year of the reign of the Emperor Phocas, the thirteenth
incliction, on the 27th of February, to the end that he also might sign and
confirm by his authority whatsoever should be regularly decreed, and on his
return into Britain might carry the decrees to the Churches of the English, to
be committed to them and observed; together with letters which the same pope
sent to the beloved of God, Archbishop Laurentius, and to all the clergy; as
likewise to King Ethelbert and the English nation. This pope was Boniface, the
fourth after the blessed Gregory, bishop of the city of Rome. He obtained for
the Church of Christ from the Emperor Phocas the gift of the temple at Rome
called by the ancients Pantheon, as representing all the gods; wherein he,
having purified, it from all defilement, dedicated a church to the holy Mother
of God, and to all Christ's martyrs, to the end that, the company of devils
being expelled, the blessed company of the saints might have therein a
perpetual memorial.
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