The Ecclesiastical History of the English People - 1 - Christianity Comes to Britain
Book One
Quote
At the present time, there are five languages in Britain, just as the divine law is written in five books, all devoted to seeking out and setting forth one and the same kind of wisdom, namely the knowledge of sublime truth and of true sublimity.
Notes
🔥 On the island of Britain, there are a few different groups — British, Irish, Picts, and some others — coming from surrounding areas who occupy parts of Britain.
🔥 Caesar was the first of the Romans to come to Britain. He had some difficulty but eventually subjugated them in battle.
🔥 Claudius was the next Roman emperor to come back to Britain. He captured some islands and reasserted Rome's authority there.
🔥 In 156 AD, the king of Britain, Lucius, sends a letter to the bishop of Rome asking to become a Christian. His request is granted.
🔥 Severus becomes the Roman emperor in 189 AD and is drawn into Britain during a Roman civil war. He constructs a rampart and some fortifications there.
🔥 Diocletian becomes emperor in 286 AD. His rule is defined by corruption and persecution of Christians, including the burning of churches and killing of martyrs. Britain remains a "faithful witness" during this period, says Bede.
🔥 St. Alban converts to Christianity around this time, but he is captured and taken out to be killed. The river where he's supposed to be killed dries up and one of the executioners is amazed and decides to convert to Christianity then and there. Both of them get their heads chopped off, and go to heaven, says Bede. And these miracles eventually lead to the end of the persecution of the Christians.
🔥 Christians come out of hiding after the persecution ends and they celebrate and commemorate their martyrs.
🔥 Rome is invaded by barbarians and they aren't able to rule over Britain anymore. Bede notes how the roads, bridges and other infrastructure in Britain was mostly built by the Romans.
🔥 Apart from Roman rule and Roman protection, Britain is extremely vulnerable to invasion and attack. The Romans, though, do come and help a couple times and they encourage the British to build up their own army and a defensive wall. But the invaders come again to attack. And the British also start attacking each other because food and resources are becoming scarce.
🔥 Famine and plague adds to their suffering, but a few still hold out and manage to survive. Then they're made rich by abundant crops, but this leads to a kind of hedonism and more fighting. Then the plague comes back, plus more enemy invasions. The British decide they have to go get help from the Saxons.
🔥 The Saxons and the Angles come to Britain and they're able to get rid of the invaders. But then they see the riches around them and decide to take over the British themselves, since the British are pretty weak and vulnerable. More slaughter follows.
🔥 New heresies come to dominate Britain and two bishops come to defeat them. They have a spirited debate and the bishops win. They also perform miracles and healings. The bishops' house is also miraculously saved from a fire.
🔥 The bishops also help against the invaders. They shout 'Allelulia' and the echo creates such a terrifying sound that the Saxons flee for their lives, without even putting up a fight. Widespread peace returns and the bishops return home. But then the heresies come back and the bishops are forced to come back, too.
🔥 This period of internal strife and civil war eventually passes. "But", says Bede, "a generation succeeded which knew nothing of all these troubles and was used only to this present state of peace. Then all restraints of truth and justice were so utterly destroyed and abandoned that, not merely was there no trace of them to be found, but only a small, a very small minority even remembered their existence."
🔥 In 582 AD, Pope Gregory sends Augustine, a monk from England (a different Augustine from the one who wrote The City of God) to preach the word of God. But he is afraid and doesn't want to go. The pope encourages him and he eventually does go along with a few others. They meet with the king and talk. The king doesn't want to convert, but he says he will treat them hospitably and allow them to convert others whom they can.
🔥 Eventually, the king does convert, persuaded by how these monks all live. But he doesn't force Christianity on his kingdom. Since "he had learned from his teachers and guides in the way of salvation that the service of Christ was voluntary and ought not to be compulsory."
🔥 Augustine is soon made the Archbishop of England. He has some exchanges with the Pope by letters where he asks questions about how to be the bishop. Their dialog shows a reasonable, generous, and kind pope. Their dialog is pretty wide-ranging, including a question from Augustine about whether a priest can administer communion after having a wet dream.
🔥 The pope also writes to say that the pagan shrines and temples shouldn't be destroyed, but they should be converted to the service of God. That way the people can still come to their familiar places of worship, but changed a little bit so that now they are worshiping the true God. The pope writes: "It is doubtless impossible to cut out everything at once from their stubborn minds: just as the man who is attempting to climb to the highest place, rises by steps and degrees and not by leaps."
🔥 The pope also makes sure that all the miracles that Augustine is doing don't go to his head.
🔥 Over time, the king gradually conquers more land, and they establish the church in England.
Thoughts
It seems like Bede's understanding of history is that it should be about, in part, moral instruction, similar to reading the Bible. And so his history is very focused on the role of Christianity in Britain, with bishops and popes being the main characters, more than kings or warriors. But there's also the sense in his view of history that God is at work in this story, slowly and mysteriously influencing events for his purpose.