DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6914#0038
G ARCHITECTURAL ANTIQUITIES.
their conquests entirely changed the aspect of Britain. Many Christian priests
were murdered at their respective altars ; their monasteries were destroyed ;5 and
the blood-stained sacrifices of the imaginary Saxon deities superseded the sacred
rites of the Christian religion, of which, for many years, scarcely a vestige was
to be traced in the conquered dominions of the Anglo-Saxons.
The ambitious Roman pontiff, Gregory I., was destined to effect the intro-
duction of the Gospel among these savage conquerors. This pope had vainly
endeavoured to reduce to his sway the British and Irish Christians, but they
strenuously maintained their independence, and resisted his mandate, which
required conformity to the Romish Church in several points of discipline.4
The primitive Christian churches, established by the apostles, were inde-
pendent of each other, and governed by their respective ecclesiastical constitutions.
The four first general councils confirmed this equality and independence; allowing
only to the see of Rome, as the ancient metropolis of the Roman empire, a
precedence of rank, as "prima inter pares" first among equals. On this account
some learned writers have endeavoured to prove, that the British church was
founded by one of the apostles, and was consequently one of the primitive
churches.5 But the independence of the British church depends on principles
of national policy, and the apostles neither had nor pretended to any power
of establishing permanent local dignities or authorities. As a province of the
Roman empire, Britain certainly became, in fact, subject to the ecclesiastical
jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome in 378, when Pope Damasus I. obtained from
the Emperors Gratian and Valentinian a grant of patriarchal jurisdiction over the
whole western church ;6 and several of the pope's decretal epistles to the churches
of Illyricum, Gaul, Spain, Britain, and Africa, about this period, are cited by
Sir Isaac Newton in his " Observations on the Prophecies of Daniel." (c. viii.)
A few years afterwards, Britain was emancipated from the temporal yoke of
Rome ; and consequently became free from the ecclesiastical jurisdiction to which
she had been subjected by the authority of the Roman government. But Gregory
the Great conceived the design of regaining the influence which his predecessors
had lost through the misfortunes of the Roman empire. He considered the con-
3 Bede's Eccl. Hist, book i. c. 15.
4 Hales "On the Origin, &c. of the British Church," ut sup. p. 210, 211.
5 Stillingfleet's Origines Britannicae, pp. 37—45.
6 Hales on the Origin, &c. ut sup. See also Mosheim's Eccles. Hist. vol. i. p. 287. Edit. 1774.
their conquests entirely changed the aspect of Britain. Many Christian priests
were murdered at their respective altars ; their monasteries were destroyed ;5 and
the blood-stained sacrifices of the imaginary Saxon deities superseded the sacred
rites of the Christian religion, of which, for many years, scarcely a vestige was
to be traced in the conquered dominions of the Anglo-Saxons.
The ambitious Roman pontiff, Gregory I., was destined to effect the intro-
duction of the Gospel among these savage conquerors. This pope had vainly
endeavoured to reduce to his sway the British and Irish Christians, but they
strenuously maintained their independence, and resisted his mandate, which
required conformity to the Romish Church in several points of discipline.4
The primitive Christian churches, established by the apostles, were inde-
pendent of each other, and governed by their respective ecclesiastical constitutions.
The four first general councils confirmed this equality and independence; allowing
only to the see of Rome, as the ancient metropolis of the Roman empire, a
precedence of rank, as "prima inter pares" first among equals. On this account
some learned writers have endeavoured to prove, that the British church was
founded by one of the apostles, and was consequently one of the primitive
churches.5 But the independence of the British church depends on principles
of national policy, and the apostles neither had nor pretended to any power
of establishing permanent local dignities or authorities. As a province of the
Roman empire, Britain certainly became, in fact, subject to the ecclesiastical
jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome in 378, when Pope Damasus I. obtained from
the Emperors Gratian and Valentinian a grant of patriarchal jurisdiction over the
whole western church ;6 and several of the pope's decretal epistles to the churches
of Illyricum, Gaul, Spain, Britain, and Africa, about this period, are cited by
Sir Isaac Newton in his " Observations on the Prophecies of Daniel." (c. viii.)
A few years afterwards, Britain was emancipated from the temporal yoke of
Rome ; and consequently became free from the ecclesiastical jurisdiction to which
she had been subjected by the authority of the Roman government. But Gregory
the Great conceived the design of regaining the influence which his predecessors
had lost through the misfortunes of the Roman empire. He considered the con-
3 Bede's Eccl. Hist, book i. c. 15.
4 Hales "On the Origin, &c. of the British Church," ut sup. p. 210, 211.
5 Stillingfleet's Origines Britannicae, pp. 37—45.
6 Hales on the Origin, &c. ut sup. See also Mosheim's Eccles. Hist. vol. i. p. 287. Edit. 1774.