And, as Gregory did not impose the Roman Canon, or form of Consecration on Austin, nor would have him prescribe it to others: So Austin, though rigid and imperious enough, did not offer to impose it on the Britons. He requires of them, but conformity in three things only, as Bede relates that transaction, whereof this was noneo. But, if he had insisted on ⟨p. 88⟩this, he had found no more compliance herein, then in the other: For the Britons and Scots, were not only penemies to the Roman use in the Eucharist in Gildas time; but were adverse to, and unacquainted with any uniformity, as in Celebrating the Lords Supper, so in other parts of Worship; and had no prescribed Liturgies for such uniformity long after. Which is manifest, by what Bishop Usher, the most Learned of our Bishops, affirms of the Irish, (who with the Scots,) as he tells us, (Epist. Dedic.) differed little or nothing from what was maintained by their Neighbours the Britains ut p. 98. It is sure (says he) that in the succeeding Ages, no one general form of Divine Service, was retained; but divers rites and manners of Celebration, in divers parts of this Kingdom; until the Roman use was brought in at last, by Gillibertus, and Malachi, and Christianus, who were the Popes Legates here, about five hundred years ago. Relig. of Irish, cap. 4. p. 31. So that the Irish ⟨p. 89⟩for above eleven hundred years (and the Britons and Scots, if not so long, yet long after Austin) retained such liberty herein, as the Church anciently enjoyed in all qquarters of the World. And when Gillibert, one of those Roman Legates, rails at those various rmodes of administering Worship as Schismatical, and such wherewith all Ireland had been deluded: He does no more, then those (whom a better prospect of things, in later and clearer times, might have made wiser) who are ready still to brand that as Schism, which agrees not with their own novel conceits or orders, how correspondent soever it be to the general usages of the ancient Churches. And whether of old, the Churches had any such custom, as to confine the administration of the Lords Supper to prescribed Forms of Prayer; let those, who are disinterested, judge by the premises.
And, as Gregory did not impose the Roman Canon, or form of Consecration on Austin, nor would have him prescribe it to others: So Austin, though rigid and imperious enough, did not offer to impose it on the Brittains. He requires of them, but conformity in three things only, as Beda relates that transaction, whereof this was noneo. But, if he had insisted on ⟨p. 88⟩this, he had found no more complyance herein, then in the other: For the Brittains and Scots, were not only penemies to the Roman use in the Eucharist in Gildas time; but were adverse to, and unacquainted with any uniformity, as in Celebrating the Lords Supper, so in other parts of Worship; and had no prescribed Liturgies for such uniformity long after. Which is manifest, by what Bishop Ʋsher, the most Learned of our Bishops, affirms of the Irish, (who with the Scots,) as he tells us, (Epist. Dedic.) differed little or nothing from what was maintained by their Neighbours the Britains ut p. 98. It is sure (says he) that in the succeeding Ages, no one general form of Divine Service, was retained; but divers rites and manners of Celebration, in divers parts of this Kingdom; until the Roman use was brought in at last, by Gillibertus, and Malachias, and Christianus, who were the Popes Legates here, about five hundred years ago. Relig. of Irish, cap. 4. p. 31. So that the Irish ⟨p. 89⟩for above eleven hundred years (and the Brittains and Scots, if not so long, yet long after Austin) retained such liberty herein, as the Church antiently injoyed in all qquarters of the World. And when Gillibert, one of those Roman Legates, rails at those various rmodes of administring Worship as Schismatical, and such wherewith all Ireland had been deluded: He does no more, then those (whom a better prospect of things, in later and clearer times, might have made wiser) who are ready still to brand that as Schism, which agrees not with their own novel conceits or orders, how correspondent soever it be to the general usages of the antient Churches. And whether of old, the Churches had any such custom, as to confine the administration of the Lords Supper to prescribed Forms of Prayer; let those, who are disinteressed, judge by the premises.
- oDicebat autem eis, quod in multis quidem nostrae consuetudini, imo universalis ecclesiae contraria geritis; & tamen, si in tribus his mihi obtemperare vultis, ut pascha suo tempore celebretis; ut ministerium Baptizandi, quo deo renascimur, secundum morem Romanae Sanctae Ecclesiae compleatis: ut Genti Anglorum una nobiscum praedicetis verbum Domini, caetera quae agitas, quamvis moribus nostris contraria, aequanimiter cuncta tolerabimus. Bed. hist. lib. 1. c. Another thus: e Britonum & Scotorum Episcopis, in Synodo in Wigorniensi Provincia, postulavit, ut deinceps non Asiano sed Romano more, praedicarent, baptizarent, & pascha celebrarent. In Spell. Concil. p. 107. 108. Where, by Conformity in Baptism, probably he means (as in that about Easter) the time of Baptizing, for which the Roman Bishops were great Zealots. Vid. Leo epist.Dicebat autem eis, quod in multis quidem nostrae consuetudini, imo universalis ecclesiae contraria geritis; & tamen, si in tribus his mihi obtemperare vultis, ut pascha suo tempore celebretis; ut ministerium Baptizandi, quo deo renascimur, secundum morem Romanae Sanctae Ecclesiae compleatis: ut Genti Anglorum una nobiscum praedicetis verbum Domini, caetera quae agitas, quamvis moribus nostris contraria, aequanimiter cuncta tolerabimus. Bed. hist. lib. 1. c. Another thus: e Britonum & Scotorum Episcopis, in Synodo in Wigorniensi Provincia, postulavit, ut deinceps non Asiano sed Romano more, praedicarent, baptizarent, & pascha celebrarent. In Spel. Concil. p. 107. 108. Where, by Conformity in Baptism, probably he means (as in that about Easter) the time of Baptizing, for which the Roman Bishops were great Zealots. Vid. Leo epist.
- pBritanni moribus Romanis inimici, non solum in missa, sed etiam in tonsura. Gildas in Ush. Relig. of Irish. p. 34.
- qFor the East, Vid. Socrat. hist. l. c. [Greek or Hebrew]. The West. Innocentius epist. ad Decentium. Diversa in diversis locis celebrari videntur. South. Augustin. lib. de Baptism. contra Donat. c.For the East, Vid. Socrat. hist. l. c. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. The West. Innocentius epist. ad Decentium. Diversa in diversis locis celebrari videntur. South. Augustin. lib. de Baptism. contra Donat. c.
- rUt diversi & Schismatici illi ordines, q•ibus Hibernia pene tota delusa est, ubi Catholico, & Romano cedant officio. Usher ibid.Ʋt diversi & Schismatici illi ordines, q•ibus Hibernia pene tota delusa est, ubi Catholico, & Romano cedant officio. Usher ibid.
