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XVII. How Edwin received letters of exhortation from
Pope Honorius, who also sent the pall to Paulinus. [634 A.D.]
CHAP. XVII.
AT that time Honorius, successor to Boniface, was Bishop of the Apostolic see.
When he learned that the nation of the Northumbrians, with their king, had been,
by the preaching of Paulinus, converted to the faith and confession of Christ,
he sent the pall to the said Paulinus, and with it letters of exhortation to
King Edwin, with fatherly love inflaming his zeal, to the end that he and his
people should persist in belief of the truth which they had received. The
contents of which letter were as follow:
"To his most noble son, and excellent lord, Edwin king of the Angles, Bishop
Honorius, servant of the servants of God, greeting. The wholeheartedness of your
Christian Majesty, in the worship of your Creator, is so inflamed with the fire
of faith, that it shines out far and wide, and, being reported throughout the
world, brings forth plentiful fruits of your labours. For the terms of your
kingship you know to be this, that taught by orthodox preaching the knowledge of
your King and Creator, you believe and worship God, and as far as man is able,
pay Him the sincere devotion of your mind. For what else are we able to offer to
our God, but our readiness to worship Him and to pay Him our vows, persisting in
good actions, and confesssing Him the Creator of mankind? And, therefore, most
excellent son, we exhort you with such fatherly love as is meet, to labour to
preserve this gift in every way, by earnest striving and constant prayer, in
that the Divine Mercy has vouchsafed to call you to His grace; to the end that
He, Who has been pleased to deliver you from all errors, and bring you to the
knowledge of His name in this present world, may likewise prepare a place for
you in the heavenly country. Employing yourself, therefore, in reading
frequently the works of my lord Gregory, your Evangelist, of apostolic memory,
keep before your eyes that love of his doctrine, which he zealously bestowed for
the sake of your souls; that his prayers may exalt your kingdom and people, and
present you faultless before Almighty God. We are preparing with a willing mind
immediately to grant those things which you hoped would be by us ordained for
your bishops, and this we do on account of the sincerity of your faith, which
has been made known to us abundantly in terms of praise by the bearers of these
presents. We have sent two palls to the two metropolitans, Honorius and
Paulinus; to the intent, that when either of them shall be called out of this
world to his Creator, the other may, by this authority of ours, substitute
another bishop in his place; which privilege we are induced to grant by the
warmth of our love for you, as well as by reason of the great extent of the
provinces which lie between us and you; that we may in all things support your
devotion and likewise satisfy your desires. May God's grace preserve your
Highless in safety!"
