DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6914#0127
pagan temples appropriated to christian -worship. 95
Way to11'61' t0 Abbot Mellitus (afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury), when on his
on the mission °^ Augustin, acquaints him, that " after mature deliberation
OUg^f ^irs of the English, he lias resolved that the Idol Temples in that nation
beino- n0t.t0 ^e destroyed, but only the idols within them ; after which the temples,
tibea ^j? w*tu holy water, were to have altars erected, and relics placed in
frotn ^ °r " Aose temples are well built, it is requisite that they be converted
seeino- Worsn-ip of devils to the service of the true God, that the nation, not
aiuj ^ °Se temples destroyed, may remove error from their hearts, and, knowing
ttpi, rin» the true God, may the more familiarly resort to the same places they
vtre wont '"34
XVlien A
^thelb =>Ustln had so far succeeded in his mission, as to make a convert of
^°lUnio °^ ^entj he received a licence to preach the gospel throughout his
"then ' t0 restore> or build churches. Among the ecclesiastical edifices
°n the ^ °^r^ate^ to the use of the new Christians, Bede informs us, "there was
■Martin 6fSt °^t'ie c*tv t0^ Canterbury] a church dedicated to the honour of St.
that th Frner'y built, while the Romans were still in the island ;" and Somner says,
our hist0 !^COr^s °f Canterbury Cathedral concur " with the common opinion of
found t ldnS' lli telling us of a Church " which Augustin at his first arrival here
Wherevdlng ^ CaSt part °f the °ity'" "
they we r n<2W cnurches were raised by the Saxons, it may be concluded that
generally formed on the model of those previously standing in Britain.
3* " H'
13 Mail r' '^"^h. i. cap. 30. Baronius, in his " Martyrologium Romanum Restitutum," ad diem
empIoye<i jn tj' S' tbat the Christians (to shew their utter detestation of every thing that had been
Unt" the time W° 'P °^ devils^), either destroyed the Idol Temples, or let them stand unfrequented,
'dols wero ° ^°Pe Gregory; but that Boniface IV., his successor, was of opinion, that if the Pagan
itx which he >0Ve<h the Temples might be lawfully used ; and accordingly did fit up several of them,
from the inf01 tbe hones of martyrs, taken out of the cemeteries of Rome. It is evident, however,
the Temp]es mat'on given above, that Gregory himself admitted of this conversion and garniture. Of
(which had ^°me l'lat wei'e thus changed into Christian Churches, there were no fewer than thirteen
of the heath " 01'8lnal'y consecrated to Jupiter, Apollo, Mars, Venus, Isis, and other gods and goddesses
^ntheon fl myt'10'°Sy^ tllat were dedicated to the Virgin Mary; the principal of which was the
1)111 °n its 6 latter' now called Sancta Maria Rotunda, was the Temple of Cybele and all the Gods ;
to the V; ,reCO'lseci'ation by Boniface IV., in 607, it was allotted, as if in direct imitation of Paganism
°n which the f ^ Saints" Its festival also was fixed upon the very day, in the month of May,
t0 the 1st of v*88* °f Cybele had been held; but that feast was afterwards transferred, by Gregory IV
3S (< ^ 01 November. •
qmties of Canterbury," Part i. p. 84, Battely's edit. fol. 1703.
Way to11'61' t0 Abbot Mellitus (afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury), when on his
on the mission °^ Augustin, acquaints him, that " after mature deliberation
OUg^f ^irs of the English, he lias resolved that the Idol Temples in that nation
beino- n0t.t0 ^e destroyed, but only the idols within them ; after which the temples,
tibea ^j? w*tu holy water, were to have altars erected, and relics placed in
frotn ^ °r " Aose temples are well built, it is requisite that they be converted
seeino- Worsn-ip of devils to the service of the true God, that the nation, not
aiuj ^ °Se temples destroyed, may remove error from their hearts, and, knowing
ttpi, rin» the true God, may the more familiarly resort to the same places they
vtre wont '"34
XVlien A
^thelb =>Ustln had so far succeeded in his mission, as to make a convert of
^°lUnio °^ ^entj he received a licence to preach the gospel throughout his
"then ' t0 restore> or build churches. Among the ecclesiastical edifices
°n the ^ °^r^ate^ to the use of the new Christians, Bede informs us, "there was
■Martin 6fSt °^t'ie c*tv t0^ Canterbury] a church dedicated to the honour of St.
that th Frner'y built, while the Romans were still in the island ;" and Somner says,
our hist0 !^COr^s °f Canterbury Cathedral concur " with the common opinion of
found t ldnS' lli telling us of a Church " which Augustin at his first arrival here
Wherevdlng ^ CaSt part °f the °ity'" "
they we r n<2W cnurches were raised by the Saxons, it may be concluded that
generally formed on the model of those previously standing in Britain.
3* " H'
13 Mail r' '^"^h. i. cap. 30. Baronius, in his " Martyrologium Romanum Restitutum," ad diem
empIoye<i jn tj' S' tbat the Christians (to shew their utter detestation of every thing that had been
Unt" the time W° 'P °^ devils^), either destroyed the Idol Temples, or let them stand unfrequented,
'dols wero ° ^°Pe Gregory; but that Boniface IV., his successor, was of opinion, that if the Pagan
itx which he >0Ve<h the Temples might be lawfully used ; and accordingly did fit up several of them,
from the inf01 tbe hones of martyrs, taken out of the cemeteries of Rome. It is evident, however,
the Temp]es mat'on given above, that Gregory himself admitted of this conversion and garniture. Of
(which had ^°me l'lat wei'e thus changed into Christian Churches, there were no fewer than thirteen
of the heath " 01'8lnal'y consecrated to Jupiter, Apollo, Mars, Venus, Isis, and other gods and goddesses
^ntheon fl myt'10'°Sy^ tllat were dedicated to the Virgin Mary; the principal of which was the
1)111 °n its 6 latter' now called Sancta Maria Rotunda, was the Temple of Cybele and all the Gods ;
to the V; ,reCO'lseci'ation by Boniface IV., in 607, it was allotted, as if in direct imitation of Paganism
°n which the f ^ Saints" Its festival also was fixed upon the very day, in the month of May,
t0 the 1st of v*88* °f Cybele had been held; but that feast was afterwards transferred, by Gregory IV
3S (< ^ 01 November. •
qmties of Canterbury," Part i. p. 84, Battely's edit. fol. 1703.