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XVIII. How Honorius, who succeeded Justus in the
bishopric of Canterbury, received the pall and letters
from Pope Honorius. [634 A.D.]
CHAP. XVIII.
IN the meantime, Archbishop Justus was taken up to the heavenly kingdom, on the
10th of November, and Honorius, who was elected to the see in his stead, came to
Paulinus to be ordained, and meeting him at Lincoln was there consecrated the
fifth prelate of the Church of Canterbury from Augustine. To him also the
aforesaid Pope Honorius sent the pall, and a letter, wherein he ordains the same
that he had before ordained in his epistle to King Edwin, to wit, that when
either the Archbishop of Canterbury or of York shall depart this life, the
survivor, being of the same degree, shall have power to ordain another bishop in
the room of him that is departed; that it might not be necessary always to
undertake the toilsome journey to Rome, at so great a distance by sea and land,
to ordain an archbishop. Which letter we have also thought fit to insert in this
our history:
"Honorius to his most beloved brother Honorius: Among the many good gifts which
the mercy of our Redeemer is pleased to bestow on His servants He grants to us
in His bounty, graciously conferred on us by His goodness, the special blessing
of realizing by brotherly intercourse, as it were face to face, our mutual love.
For which gift we continually render thanks to His Majesty; and we humbly
beseech Him, that He will ever confirm your labour, beloved, in preaching the
Gospel, and bringing forth fruit, and following the rule of your master and
head, the holy Gregory; and that, for the advancement of His Church, He may by
your means raise up further increase; to the end, that through faith and works,
in the fear and love of God, what you and your predecessors have already gained
from the seed sown by our lord Gregory, may grow strong and be further extended;
that so the promises spoken by our Lord may hereafter be brought to pass in you;
and that these words may summon you to everlasting happiness: 'Come unto Me all
ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.' And 'Well done,
good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will
make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." And we,
most beloved brothers, sending you first these words of exhortation out of our
enduring charity, do not fail further to grant those things which we perceive
may be suitable for the privileges of your Churches.
"Wherefore, in accordance with your request, and that of the kings our sons, we
do hereby in the name of the blessed Peter, chief of the Apostles, grant you
authority, that when the Divine Grace shall call either of you to Himself, the
survivor shall ordain a bishop in the room of him that is deceased. To which end
also we have sent a pall to each of you, beloved, for celebrating the said
ordination; that by the authority which we hereby commit to you, you may make an
ordination acceptable to God; because the long distance of sea and land that
lies between us and you, has obliged us to grant you this, that no loss may
happen to your Church in any way, on any pretext whatever, but that the devotion
of the people committed to you may increase the more. God preserve you in
safety, most dear brother! Given the 11th day of June, in the reign of these our
lords and emperors, in the twenty-fourth year of the reign of Heraclius, and the
twenty-third after his consulship; and in the twenty-third of his son
Constantine, and the third after his consulship; and in the third year of the
most prosperous Caesar, his son Heraclius, the seventh indiction; that is, in
the year of our Lord, 634."
