Paris appears to include the whole West in the Roman patriarchate. Such an assumption, however, is notoriously untenable. He likewise applies the term apostolical to the Roman see, as if it possessed an exclusive right to it. In another place, however, he informs us, that in ancient, and therefore correct phraseology, that term belongs to all metropolitans. "Cum episcopus civitatis, inquit Alcuinus, fuerit defunctus, eligitur alius a clero seu populo; fitque decretum ab illis, et veniunt ad APOSTOLICUM cum suo electo deferente secum suggestionem, hoc est, rogatorias literas, ut eis consecret episcopum. Ceterum hic observandus est modus loquendi illarum tempestatum, quibus licebat metropolitano tribuere titulum Apostolici; cujus moris initia referenda sunt ad tempora Gregorii Turonensis. Sequens ætas abstinuit ab alla simplicitate; et deinceps Apostolici titulus soli Romano Pontifici tributus est ab auctoribus." Ibid. 181.

" It is notorious, that not even the Archbishop of Milan, much less metropolitans of transalpine regions, depended anciently upon the Roman see. "VII. Ambrosii sane Mediolanensis Episcopi electio et confirmatio, quæ facta est a synodo totius Italiæ decreto Imperatoris Valentiniani coacta, evincit nihil juris per illas tempestates Romano Pontifici competivisse in ordinatione Metropolitani Mediolanensis: a qua manus abstinuit per multum ævi, sero usurpata ejus ordinatione." "VIII. At provinciæ quæ extra Italiam erant, metropolitanos haud dubie suos ordinabant, absque auctoritate Episcopi Romani, et absque consensu ejus.” (Ibid. 188.) As for the confirmations which metropolitans anciently sought from the Roman see, they were nothing

more than announcements of their several consecrations, and confessions of their faith. On receiving these, and being satisfied with their correctness and orthodoxy, the bishop of the capital, that is, of Rome, admitted the parties respectively into communion with his church. The Roman bishop himself sent similar credentials to the other patriarchs, as vouchers for his own claims to communion with them. Quod ad Patriarchas attinet; responderi potest confirmationem illam non esse signum jurisdictionis, sed tantum susceptionis in communionem, et testimonium quo constabat summum Pontificem consentire consecrationi jam peractæ.-Quippe usu receptum erat, per illas tempestates, ut Patriarchæ, et ipse etiam Romanus Pontifex, recens electus, literas de sua ordinatione mitterent; quibus addebatur professio fidei, in synodicis eorum epistolis conscripta." Ibid. 191.

18 The laws of Ina, Alfred, Guthrum, and Canute, regulated the administration of the sacraments. Alfred asserted a right to dispense with the marriage of nuns. Earlier sovereigns divided old and erected new bishoprics; a privilege expressly reserved, according to Bellarmine, to the Roman see. All the Saxon princes appear to have regulated episcopal appointments, to have summoned councils, and to have presided in these assemblies, as often as occasion called. (See Twisden's Historical Vindication of the Church of England, ch. v. p. 95. Sax. Chr. pp. 58. 67. 78. 189. 224. Hist. Ref. i. 283. note; iv. 628. note.) The following are Edward the Confessor's words: "Rex autem qui vicarius summi regis est, ad hoc est constitutus, ut terrenum regnum, et populum

Domini, et super omnia sanctam veneretur ecclesiam ejus, et regat." Ll. Eccl. S. Edw. R. et Conf. c. 15. Spelman, 622. Labb. et Coss. ix. 1023.

19" Many now are God's houses, but nevertheless (they are) one, on account of the unity of the true faith." (Whelock's Bede, 380.) The whole homily, apparently, which is for the dedication of a church, has been printed in this place, and it contains many passages unfavourable to modern Romish representations of catholic unity. The entire tenour of it, in fact, is at variance with such representations. In unison with its language is the following clause, in the third canon of the council of Celichyth. "Ideo sicut conjuncti sumus in uno Spiritu per fidem et dilectionem, ita condecet actus nostros atque verba sine simulatione servare in timore et amore Dei omnipotentis, atque diligenter pro invicem orare." Spelman, 328.

20 The first solemn declaration of the AngloSaxon Church respecting the faith, appears to have been made at the council of Hatfield, holden in 680, and in which Theodore, archbishop of Canterbury, presided. This council being desirous to preserve England from the taint of Monothelitism, received, in addition to the decrees of the first four general councils, those of the second council of Constantinople, the Epistles of Ibas, and the decrees of a synod, holden at Rome, under pope Martin. That all these councils, and other authorities, were considered as expositors of one series of doctrines, that, namely of the proto-Nicene Fathers, appears reasonably to be inferred from the first canon of the council of Calcuith, which enjoins all clerical persons to hold the Nicene faith faithfully

and firmly, and directs annual examinations of them in the principles of this faith. The same council of Calcuith sanctioned another council. called general, the third of Constantinople, namely, holden in 680, enjoining the English clergy to confess, hold, and teach the faith of these six councils. The council of Finchale, however, appears to have taken no notice of the third council of Constantinople, receiving only the first five general councils. But the last of these, although thus acknowledged at intervals, never attained the distinction of its four predecessors. Ælfric, accordingly, using the language of Gregory the Great, says, "These four synods are to be holden, in Christ's congregation, like the four books of Christ." (Epist. ad Wulf. Ep. Spelman, 581.) The ancient pontifical, heretofore cited, (Brit. Mus. MSS. Cotton, Tiberius, C. 1. f. 148.) after mentioning the first four general councils, proceeds, " Hæ sunt ut prædiximus, quatuor principales et venerabiles synodi tam apostolicam quam catholicam fidem complectentes. Sed si qua sunt concilia, quæ sancti patres Spiritu Dei pleni sanxerunt, post illorum quatuor auctoritatem, omni manent stabilita vigore." Hence it appears clearly enough, that when Anglo-Saxon divines spoke of the catholic and apostolic faith, they meant those principles of religious belief which were defined in the first four general councils.

21

"Very few were they, (says Alfred,) on this side the Humber (the most improved parts of England) who could understand their daily prayers in English, or translate any letter from the Latin. I think there were not many beyond the Humber: they were so few, that I, indeed, cannot recollect

one single instance south of the Thames when I took the kingdom." (Turner's Hist. of the AngloSaxons, Lond. 1828. ii. 9.) Alfred's original Saxon is to be seen at the bottom of the

page.

22 The following is an imaginary speech, assigned to the book itself, which occurs in the preface to king Alfred's Saxon translation of pope Gregory's Pastoral. Me hir pritenum rende ruð norð. fondam þe he het him spileɲa ma bɲenzan be þære byrne he his biscopum sendan meahte· foɲðam hi hir rume bepoɲrtan pa þe leden rpræce lærte cudon. Me to his writers (the king) sent, south and north, for he had commanded them to bring more such, according to that pattern: that he to his bishops might send (them;) because they were needful to some of his bishops who least understood the Latin speech. (Bibl. Publ. Cant. Ii. 2-4. p. 5.) Thus it appears that some of the English episcopal order, in king Alfred's time, were scarcely equal to the reading of Gregory's Pastoral in the original.

23" And we appoint, that each Christian man learn, at least that he be able to understand rightly the Belief, and learn Pater Noster and Credo; because with the one shall each Christian man make his prayer to God, and with the other make confession of the right belief. Christ himself first sang Pater Noster, and taught that prayer to his disciples. And in that holy prayer are seven petitions. With it whosoever singeth inwardly, (i. e. from his heart,) he applieth to God himself upon every necessity with which a man is urged, either for this life or for that which is to come. But how then may ever any man inwardly (heartily) betake himself in prayer to God, unless he have inwardly (in