II. How Theodore visited all places; how the Churches
of the English began to be instructed in the study of holy
Scripture and in the catholic truth [669 A.D.]
CHAP. II.
How Theodore visited all places; how the Churches of the English began to be
instructed in the study of holy Scripture, and in the catholic truth, and how
Putta was made bishop of the Church of Rochester in the roam of Damianus. [669
A.D.]
THEODORE came to his Church in the second year after his consecration, on
Sunday, the 27th of May, and spent in it twenty-one years, three months, and
twenty-six days. Soon after, he visited all the island, wherever the tribes of
the English dwelt, for he was gladly received and heard by all persons; and
everywhere attended and assisted by Hadrian, he taught the right rule of life,
and the canonical custom of celebrating Easter. This was the first archbishop
whom all the English Church consented to obey. And forasmuch as both of them
were, as has been said before, fully instructed both in sacred and in secular
letters, they gathered a crowd of disciples, and rivers of wholesome knowledge
daily flowed from them to water the hearts of their hearers; and, together with
the books of Holy Scripture, they also taught them the metrical art, astronomy,
and ecclesiastical arithmetic. A testimony whereof is, that there are still
living at this day some of their scholars, who are as well versed in the Greek
and Latin tongues as in their own, in which they were born. Nor were there ever
happier times since the English came into Britain; for having brave Christian
kings, they were a terror to all barbarous nations, and the minds of all men
were bent upon the joys of the heavenly kingdom of which they had but lately
heard; and all who desired to be instructed in sacred studies had masters at
hand to teach them.
From that time also they began in all the churches of the English to learn
Church music, which till then had been only known in Kent. And, excepting James,
of whom we have spoken above,the first teacher of singing in the churches of the
Northumbrians was Eddi, surnamed Stephen,invited from Kent by the most reverend
Wilfrid, who was the first of the bishops of the English nation that learned to
deliver to the churches of the English the Catholic manner of life.
Theodore, journeying through all parts, ordained bishops in fitting places, and
with their assistance corrected such things as he found faulty. Among the rest,
when he charged Bishop Ceadda with not having been duly consecrated, he, with
great humility, answered, "If you know that I have not duly received episcopal
ordination, I willingly resign the office, for I never thought myself worthy of
it; but, though unworthy, for obedience sake I submitted, when bidden to
undertake it." Theodore, hearing his humble answer, said that he should not
resign the bishopric, and he himself completed his ordination after the Catholic
manner. Now at the time when Deusdledit died, and a bishop for the church of
Canterbury was by request ordained and sent, Wilfrid was also sent from Britain
into Gaul to be ordained; and because he returned before Theodore, he ordained
priests and deacons in Kent till the archbishop should come to his see. But when
Theodore came to the city of Rochester, where the bishopric had been long vacant
by the death of Damian,he ordained a man named Putta,trained rather in the
teaching of the Church and more addicted to simplicity of life than active in
worldly affairs, but specially skilful in Church music, after the Roman use,
which he had learned from the disciples of the blessed Pope Gregory.
