CHAP.

III.

and nuns were governed by their own abbots, abbesses, and priors, assisted, and, in some respects, controlled, by conventual chapters; subject to, yet not always submitting to the pope, and claiming an independence on the episcopal clergy. There were no friars or mendicant orders

among the Anglo-Saxons; but they encouraged hermits and pilgrims, and severe penances, and loved relics, and venerated saints, to whose number they largely contributed; and they practised excommunications.

Our limits will not allow us to give a full portraiture of the Anglo-Saxon hierarchy, and its rites and doctrines. A few points only can be mentioned here. But it may be remarked, as some excuse for visible imperfections, that our AngloSaxon ancestors had every thing to construct on these subjects. Except some valuable gleams of

and of an Anglo-Saxon churchman, on what has now become a very disputed topic, and a source of so much discord between pastors and their flocks, that some adequate substitution seems at present to be highly advisable, may be read in our Alcuin's letter to Charlemagne on this point. After praising his conversion of the continental Saxons, and noticing his victories over the Huns, “so formidable for their ancient ferocity and courage,” he advises him to send well qualified preachers to the new people, and adds : “ These things being con. sidered, you may foresee whether it will be better to impose the yoke of the tenths on the rude people in the beginning of their faith, so that the exaction may be complete through every possession. It ought to be considered whether the apostles, who were taught by Christ himself, and sent to preach to the world, did exact the exaction of the tenths, or require any thing to be given. We know that the decimation of our substance is a very good thing; but it is better to lose that, than to destroy the faith. We, indeed, born, nourished, and taught in the Catholic faith, scarcely (vix) consent to decimate fully our substance. How much more will a tender faith, and an infant mind, and a soul greedy after such things, refuse its consent to this liberality?" p. 1488.

In this July, 1836, an English tythe act has passed for a general commutation of tythes in England and Wales, which will probably end all disputes on this contested subject, to the satisfaction of both the clergy and the agriculturist. VOL. III.

K K

X.

BOOK patriarchal theism, which their poetical epithets for

the Deity, that seem to have emanated from their paganism, imply that they retained, there was nothing in the idolatry of their ancestors that could assist them in the formation of their Christian system. They had every thing to learn on this new theme of mind; and they had to begin their pupil. age in times of storm and darkness, both within

and without them. Reading of They were strongly exhorted to study the Scripthe Scrip- tures. In this essential point the Anglo-Saxon

church formed a remarkable contrast to the Roman Catholic hierarchy of the subsequent ages, and to its present conduct : instead of withholding the sacred volumes, the clergy of Anglo-Saxon England earnestly pressed their frequent perusal, and gave the example in themselves. Bede employed himself, like our Alfred, in making moral and religious selections from them, and also commented on each of their books. Alcuin repeatedly presses their perusal, especially the Gospels"; and urges the contemplation of our Saviour's life and precepts. His high and just estimate of the Psalms is very interestingly expressed.' Every priest was ordered to have the “ halzan bec," the sacred books, that “he might teach his people rightly who

6

5 To one he says,

“Scribe Evangelicum in corde tuo,” p. 1635. To another, “I wish the four Gospels, instead of the twelve Æneids, filled your breast," p. 1549.“ Read diligently, I beseech you, the Gospel of Christ,” p. 1561. “Be studious in reading the sacred Scriptures,

8

III.

looked up to him ;” and he was to take care that CHAP. they were well written. S Very ancient MSS. of Saxon translations of the Gospels, written between Alfred's times and Harold's, still exist. It was not only to gratify an Anglo-Saxon ealdorman , but also to enable the people at large to hear or read it ", that Elfric undertook his translation of the Scriptures from the Latin, about the end of the tenth century. From the different styles of the Anglo-Saxon versions of the Gospels, they must have been translated oftener than once.

It is certain that the transubstantiation of the TransubEucharist was not the established or universal belief of the Anglo-Saxons. In a MS. of Saxon Ecclesiastical Constitutions, it is declared,

" the husel (the sacrament) is Christ's body, not bodily,

stantiation,

8 Lib. Can. Eccl. Wilk.

p.
156.

The bible of Charlemagne put up for sale in London, in April, 1836, was written by Alcuin, and presented by him to the Emperor on Christmas-day, 801. It is a large folio, containing 449 vellum leaves, being the Latin version of St. Jerome, written in double columns, with a richly ornamented frontispiece in gold and colors. It has 4 large paintings, and 34 large initial letters, painted in gold and colors, besides some smaller painted capitals. It is said to have been since purchased for the British Museum. It is in fine preservation, and bound in velvet. At this time it was 1035 years old.

9 Wanley mentions, of Saxon MSS., one in the Bodleian library, p. 64.; two at Cambridge, p. 116. and 152 ; and one in the British Museum, p. 211., in Latin and Saxon, p. 81. He notices one in the Bodleian, p. 250.; and the very beautiful MSS. just before mentioned, Nero, D. 4.; as also several Latin copies written in the Saxon times. One of these is the actual copy given by king Athelstan to the church at Durham. It was in the British Museum, Otho, B. 9. 10 Elfric, in his prefatory Saxon epistle, says to him,

Thou badest me, dear one, that I should turn this book of Genesis from Latin to English.” MSS. Camb. Wan. p. 162.

11 In his Latin preface, Elfric says, he has translated the Scriptures from the Latin in the ordinary tongue,

« for the edification of the simple, who know only this speech.” — " We have therefore put it not into obscure words, but into simple English, that it may easier teach the heart of those who read or hear it.” MSS. Camb. Wan. 153.

BOOK

X.

Their relics.

but spiritually; not the body in which he suffered, but the body about which he spoke when he blessed the loaf and wine.” 12

They imbibed the well-intentioned but unwise taste for relics; a taste not only objectionable for the misplaced veneration of things not deserving of it, and fostering mysterious superstitions, which differed in name only from the magic and witchcraft which they were taught to execrate, but also reprehensible for having falsehood for its basis, and, like their legends, confounding all history and truth. The list of relics revered in one church, and stated to have been collected from abroad, and given to it by Athelstan, will afford a complete illustration of these remarks. 13

Although they used the sign of the cross and its actual representation, they were taught not to pray

Their use of the cross.

12 See it printed from a MS. at Cambridge, written about the time of the Conquest, in Wilkins, p. 159. It adds : “ Understand now, that as the Lord before his suffering might change the loaf to his body, and the wine to his blood, spiritually, so the same is daily blessed through the hands of the priest, the loaf to his body, and the wine to his blood spiritually,” p. 160. The same passage is given in Wanley, Cat. p. 111.

13 It would be too long to give the whole of this Anglo-Saxon document. Some of its chief articles are: a piece of the actual cross; a part of our Saviour's sepulchre ; of his clothes ; of the manger in which he was laid ; of the spear that wounded him ; of the table where he supped; of the mount he ascended from ; of Mount Sinai ; of the burning bush ; of the candle lighted by an angel on the eve of our Saviour's resurrection ; of Mount Olive, where he prayed ; of his cap and hair ; of the Virgin's dress ; of the body and garments of the Baptist; of St. Peter's beard and hair ; St. Paul's neck bones ; St. Andrew's stick; St. Bartholomew's head ; St. Stephen's blood, and of the stone that killed him ; of the coals that roasted St. Lawrence ; the bones of a great many martyrs ; the teeth of St. Maurice and St. Basil ; the arms and ribs of other saints; the finger of Mary Magdalen ; the cheek of St. Brigida ; the veil of St. Agatha, &c. &c. &c. See the whole Saxon list in Dugdale, Monast. vol. i. p. 223-225.

III.

14

to the wood, but to the divine Personage who had CHAP. suffered on it. +

That the Anglo-Saxons were not contented with Moral dumere ceremonial religion, the lives and works of ties of their

clergy. Aldhelm, Bede, Alcuin, Elfric, and others abundantly show.

The character which Alcuin expected from an Anglo-Saxon archbishop of Canterbury he has thus drawn at full length, in a letter to one that was his contemporary :

“ Be the comforter of the wretched, a father to the poor, and affable to all, that you may understand what you are to answer, and let your answers be always seasoned with wisdom ; never rash, but honourable; not verbose, but moderate. Let your manners excel in courtesy, be praised for their humility, and be amiable for their piety. Teach not only by words, but by examples, all who live with you, or may visit you. Let your hand be liberal in alms, ready to requite, and frugal in receiving. Provide yourself with treasure in heaven. Make your wealth the redemption of your soul. It is more blessed to give than to receive. Have the Scriptures often in your hands. Be assiduous in prayer. Let virtue dignify your life, and impressive preaching your faith and hope." 15 The Canons of Edgar record the duties which Legal

duties enwere exacted from the Anglo-Saxon clergy.

joined to

their “ They were forbidden to carry any controversy among them

priests. selves to a lay tribunal. Their own companions were to settle it, or the bishop was to determine it.

“ No priest was to forsake the church to which he was consecrated, nor to intermeddle with the rights of others, nor to

14 Elfric's words are ; “ The sign of the Holy Cross is our blessing; and to this cross we pray ; yet not to the wood, but to the Al. mighty Lord that was hanged for us upon it." MSS. Camb. Op. Wanl. p. 118. On their baptism, it may be remarked, that the Saxon homily in Wheloc, p. 64., represents the child as being, before baptism, “ sinful through Adam's transgression,” but after baptism, and by it, as becoming “ God's man and God's child.” It was taken every day, for the seven following days, to the mass, to have the communion sacrament given to it. Ælfric. ap. Wilk. Leg. Sax. 172. 15 Al. Op. p. 1534.