Saint Gregory the Great and Ancient England

According to the tradition preserved for us by the Venerable Bede in his “Ecclesiastical History of the Angles,” the starting point in the Christianization of the pagan Anglo-Saxons was the fact that St. Gregory, while still one of the deacons of the Roman Church, saw fair-haired captive boys in the slave market. Having learned that they were pagans from the English people, Saint Gregory wanted to go to their country to preach Christianity. This desire did not fade even after his election to the papal throne. Moreover, the Saint began to look for opportunities to fulfill his dream. He wrote about his plans to one of his friends and associates, St. Eulogius, Bishop of Alexandria; he urged Saint Gregory to fulfill his plans and promised to pray for the success of the undertaking 1 . Initially, Saint Gregory decided to buy young Anglo-Saxon slaves in Gaul, educate them in Italian monasteries, and then send them to preach the word of God to their compatriots. Saint Gregory wrote about this to Presbyter Candide, who went to Gaul 2. But it took a lot of time to implement this plan, so the Saint acted differently. The monastery of St. Apostle Andrew, founded by St. Gregory himself, was ruled by the governor, Augustine. He was a man of high spiritual life who had an excellent education. Saint Gregory knew Augustine well both as one of the brethren and as the head of the monastery, for before becoming the head of the Roman Church, he was the abbot of this monastery 3. In 596, a group of missionaries led by Augustine went to England. The history of the preaching of the envoys of St. Gregory is described in detail by Bede in the “Ecclesiastical History of the Angles”; although the Saint himself did not take a physical part in this journey and in the works of the preachers, his invisible presence and his attention to what is happening is constantly felt. When Augustine and his companions traveled some part of the way and probably arrived in Massilia (now Marseilles), the city where the journey across Europe to England usually began, they, according to Bede, “were struck with horror” 4. They began to wonder whether it would be better “to return home than to go to a wild, cruel and unbelieving people, whose language they did not even know” 5 . After consulting, the travelers came to the conclusion that it was better to go home. It fell to Augustine “in humble prayer” 6 to ask the Saint to allow the messengers to interrupt “so dangerous, so difficult, so risky” 7 a journey. However, Saint Gregory not only did not allow his envoys to return to Rome, but sent them and Augustine an “encouraging letter” 8, which, in particular, said: “Beloved children, it would be better not to begin a good work than to turn back on reflection what has already been started; it is fitting that you complete with the greatest zeal the good work that you, with God’s help, began. Let neither the hardships of the journey nor the tongues of slanderers frighten you; with all zeal and with all the ardor, according to the inspiration of God, do what you have begun, knowing that with great labor follows the even greater glory of eternal reward” 9 . In addition to this letter, Saint Gregory gave Augustine letters of recommendation to various persons so that no one would interfere with his envoys on their way to England. In one of the letters we find a brief description of Augustine given to him by the Saint: “Augustine, a servant of God, in whose zeal we are confident,” as well as a mention of “other servants of God whom we sent here with the help of God for the benefit of souls” 10. Such letters were intended for the bishops: Etherius of Lyons, Pelagius of Tours and Serenus of Massilia, as well as Virgil of Arelates 11. Augustine was instructed to tell the bishops about the purpose of his journey so that they could, if necessary, help him 12. So, according to Bede, “fortified by the consolation of our blessed father Gregory, Augustine and the servants of Christ who were with him again set out to preach the word of God and reached Britain” 13 . This happened the next year, 597. The king of Cantia (now Kent), the region of England where the missionaries landed, received them favorably and, after talking with them, allowed them to live in his country. Bede writes: “And when Augustine and his companions settled in the place allotted to them, they began to imitate the life of the Apostles in the primitive Church; they devoted themselves to continuous prayers, vigils and fasting, preaching to whomever they could the Word of Life. When the king himself was converted to Christianity, they received greater freedom to build or restore churches and preach everywhere.” 14 However, among his numerous works, Augustine did not leave behind correspondence with St. Gregory. He wrote to Rome about the successes of the missionaries. The saint was not slow to share his joy with Saint Eulogius, Patriarch of Alexandria, who supported him in this endeavor. In 598, he sent a message to Alexandria, where he reported the following: "Since I know that you yourself do good deeds and rejoice with others in their deeds, I send you gratitude in return and report a similar thing: while the people of the Angles, living in the corner of the world, wickedly remained in the worship of stones and trees; - with the help of your prayer it seemed to me that, by God's inspiration, I had to send a monk from my monastery to preach to these people. He, having received permission from me, was appointed into a bishop by the bishops of the Germans and, accompanied by their encouragement, was conveyed to the ends of the world to the above-mentioned people, and now the writings about their salvation and his labors have reached us, for both he and those who were sent with him shone in that people with such great miracles that, as it seems, they imitate the exploits of the apostles in the signs that they show on the day of the triumph of the Lord's Nativity, on which it took place. their first catechumen, more than ten thousand Englishmen to whom they preached, were baptized by our brother and co-bishop. I have told this so that you may know what you are doing when you speak to the people in Alexandria and pray for the limits of the world.”15 According to Bede, the “writings” about which St. Gregory reports to St. Eulogius were brought to Rome by the presbyter Lawrence and the monk Peter. With the joyful news of the conversion of the Angles, Lawrence and Peter brought Augustine’s questions to St. Gregory, including those concerning the peculiarities of the structure of the Old English Church. St. Gregory’s lengthy answers compiled the “Book of Answers,” which was brought to England in 601. Augustine's first question concerned the hierarchy of the newly created Church, the relationship between the bishop and his clergy, and the distribution of church income. According to Saint Gregory, the income of the church had to be divided into four parts: “one for the bishop and his house for hospitality and food for those who come, the other for the clergy, the third for the poor, the fourth for the restoration of churches” 18. Further, St. Gregory writes about relationships among monasticism: “Since you, your brotherly love, have been taught the monastic rule, you should not remain separate from your clergy in the Church of the Angles, which has recently been brought to faith, you should establish the order that was established by our fathers at the beginning of the nascent Church, according to which none of them called anything that belonged to them theirs, but they had everything in common” (Acts 4:32) 19 . It is said about married clergy that they should receive a “salary” outside the monastic community. The bishop should take care of their provision and that they “lead a good life, obeying the church charter” 20. Preaching to the Anglo-Saxons, Augustine and his companions found themselves in a difficult position, because formally they violated the rights of the Celtic Church, which existed in England in an almost destroyed state. The Celtic Church, as the Church of a conquered people, was unlikely to be very popular among the victors-Anglo-Saxons, but their brothers in Christ had to look for ways to unite, as well as to joint preaching works. Augustine was confused by the “different customs of the churches” with the “uniform faith” 21. To this Saint Gregory answered him as follows: "You, your brotherly love, know the custom of the Roman Church, in which, as you remember, you were nurtured. But I want that if you find in the Roman, or in the Gallic, or in any other Church something that can be more pleasing to Almighty God, carefully collect it and in a very useful instruction imbue the Church of the Angles, still new in the faith, with what you have been able to find in many Churches. For one should not love for the sake of local customs, but for the sake of the good customs of the place. So, take from each of the Churches everything that is pious, holy and right, and put this [as if collected in a small vessel, on the table of the English for their use]” 22. In order for the “new in faith” Church to continue its existence, it was necessary to install bishops in the newly enlightened areas of the country. Saint Gregory explains to Augustine that for now he can “provide bishops in no other way than without bishops” 23 . However, the newly formed episcopal sees should not be separated from each other by large distances, so that “other pastors, whose presence is very useful,” 24 could just as easily take part in the installation of a bishop. When, with God's help, bishops are installed in places located close to each other, it is appropriate to make the installation of bishops “in the presence of three or four bishops” 25. According to Bede, the relationship of Augustine and his clergy with the episcopate and clergy of the Celtic Church was not easy. Augustine negotiated with them as an envoy of the head of the Roman Church, his plenipotentiary representative. The Celtic rite bishop most likely considered Augustine's actions a violation of his rights. In this situation, Augustine directly asks St. Gregory: “How should we deal with the bishops of Gaul and Britain?” 26. On this issue, Saint Gregory took a peacemaking position. He ordered Augustine to respect the rights of the Gallic bishops (“we do not give you any power over the Gallic bishops” 27), but if he crosses the sea and sees some disorder in Gaul, he should report this to the Bishop of Arelatsky as the eldest among the Gallic hierarchy 28. In England, all bishops of the Celtic Church were required to submit to Augustine 29. On the other hand, in a letter to Virgil, Bishop of Arelate, Saint Gregory urges his addressee to listen to the advice of Augustine, their brother, “because it often happens that those who are far away, first of all, learn what needs to be corrected” 30, and the Saint foresees possible awkward situations and gives grounds for preventing them: “With what love one should treat the brethren who come of their own free will, one can learn from the way we usually treat those whom we ourselves have called out of love” 31. Thus, Saint Gregory outlined for Augustine the main areas of the life of the Church: the features of the life of monasticism and the white clergy; distribution of church revenues, allowing to support the life of the clergy and laity and to build churches; preservation of the features of daily church practice with unity in dogma; the procedure for appointing a bishop, maintaining continuity in the Church; relations with other Churches. The newly established Church grew. At the request of Augustine, Saint Gregory sent to England “companions and servants of the Word,” who brought with them everything that was needed for worship, for example, holy vessels, vestments for the clergy, relics of the holy Apostles and martyrs, and a lot of books 32 . The second group of missionaries also brought a letter addressed to Augustine, which outlined “how Augustine should appoint bishops in Britain” 33 . According to St. Gregory, Augustine was to choose London instead of Canterbury as the seat of the episcopal see and ordain twelve bishops who would be subordinate to him as bishop; subsequently the Archbishop of London should be appointed by “his synod” 34 and receive the pallium from Rome. Saint Gregory also intended to establish an archbishop's see in York, where Augustine should find a protege of his choice: “if this city with its adjacent regions accepts the Word of God, let it install twelve bishops and enjoy the rank of metropolitan” 35 . However, the Archbishop of York had to submit to Augustine as the senior consecrator. After the death of Augustine, the senior archbishop by consecration was to lead the Church of the Angles, that is, the York and Canterbury sees became the main ones in turn; archbishops had to decide all church affairs “by general advice and concerted action” 36. This organization of the Church was based on the political organization of the late Roman Empire. Episcopal power extended to the diocese, which included the city and the surrounding area; under the jurisdiction of the Church there were several cities with their lands, which corresponded to the province of the 4th century. The archbishop's see was located in the main city of the province. After the fall of the Roman Empire, its division into provinces was preserved in the structure of dioceses (for example, in Gaul). Saint Gregory, knowing that under the Romans Britain was divided into two provinces, wanted to organize the Church of the Angles on the same principle; however, more than a hundred years passed before the English Church became so strong that the archiepiscopal see began to function not only in Canterbury, but also in York (735). Following the letter outlining the plan for the general structure of the Church of the Angles, Saint Gregory sent Augustine the last letter addressed to him personally (dated June 1, 601). We can say that these are rather the instructions of a spiritual father to his child in Christ, and not canonical rules or instructions from the head of the Roman Church to the bishop of a subordinate Church. Having learned about the miracles performed through Augustine’s prayer, Saint Gregory warns him “so that he does not fall into exaltation because of the abundance of these miracles” 37, advises him to “rejoice while experiencing fear, and rejoicing to be afraid” (cf. Ps 2:11) 38. Saint Gregory warns his disciple and comrade-in-arms against the difficult-to-distinguish and very dangerous sin of “arrogance”, in which “he who is outwardly exalted with honors inwardly falls because of vanity” 39: “... in the midst of what you do outwardly with the help of God, always carefully judge yourself inwardly and comprehend in yourself clearly what you are and how great the grace that has been revealed to this people, for the sake of whose conversion you received the gift of miracles. And if you remember that you have sinned before your Creator, either in word or in deed, always bring this to your memory, so that the memory of guilt oppresses the glory that stirs the heart. And if you have accepted or will accept the gift of working miracles, believe that it was given to you not for your own sake, but for the sake of salvation” 40. The warnings of St. Gregory were supported by the real situation, quite difficult, in which Augustine and his fellow missionaries found themselves. Not all areas of ancient England were the same. Ethelbert, who received the envoys of St. Gregory, became king of the Jutes who inhabited Cantia. Archaeological research data show the commonality of their material culture with the population of Jutland and Frisia. However, the early laws of Cantia and agricultural organization indicate the commonality of the population of Cantia with the Franks 41 . Perhaps this closeness was also felt under Ethelbert (552–616), despite the fact that the Jutes lived in Cantia from the middle of the 5th century, and the conquest of Cantia was completed by 494. Apparently, therefore, he did not look for a wife among his compatriots, but married the Frankish princess Bertha, thus concluding an alliance with the king of the Franks. Bertha was a Christian, and she brought with her her spiritual director, Bishop Liuthard. In addition, in Cantia there were Christian churches built even before the migration of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes to the British Isles (before the middle of the 5th century), such as the Church of St. Martin of Tours in Canterbury, which Ethelbert gave to Augustine and his companions. In addition to relations with the Celtic Churches, in other areas it was necessary to have communication with pagans, which determined the urgent need to develop a reasonable (solid and at the same time “economic”) approach to the matter of their Christianization. We read the instructions of Saint Gregory, imbued with the spirit of pastoral reasoning, in his letter to Abba Mellitus, who preached in the region of the East Saxons (dated July 18, 601). "...Thinking for a long time about the matter of the Angles, I decided that among this people the sanctuaries of idols should be destroyed to the least extent; let them overthrow only the idols themselves that are in them, let them bless the water and sprinkle their churches, let them erect altars and believe... For if their sanctuaries are well built, they should be converted from the worship of demons into the veneration of the True God, so that the people, seeing that their the sanctuaries have not been destroyed, he would cast out delusion from his heart and would go to familiar places, cognizing the True God and worshiping Him. And since the Angles are in the habit of killing many bulls as a sacrifice to demons, it is therefore necessary to find a substitute for another festival; let them make themselves tabernacles from tree branches around these same churches, which were rebuilt from sanctuaries, on the day of the church holiday or on the days of the holy martyrs, whose relics are placed here; and let them celebrate triumph in pious meals and no longer kill animals for the devil, but slaughter them for food for themselves and for the glory of God and bring thanks to the Giver of all things for their abundance - so that while some external joys are reserved for them, they would more easily want to share the inner joy. For, without a doubt, it is impossible to take everything away from their stubborn minds at once, because even those who try to climb to the top climb gradually or step by step, and not by leaps” 42. Subsequent events confirmed the correctness of Saint Gregory’s judgments about the gradual adoption of Christianity by the Anglo-Saxons and about their “stubbornness.” Ethelbert as high king and Sebert, king of the East Saxons (converted to Christianity by Mellitus), were supported by their warriors and other subjects. Their decisions, the decisions of the military leaders, could not be ignored. However, after their deaths, southern England experienced a return to paganism. Among the East Saxons the reversal was so strong that Mellitus, by that time the bishop of this region, was forced to leave his see in London and went to Gaul. After some time he returned to England, but London was still in the hands of the pagans. Mellitus remained in Canterbury and in 619 became Archbishop of Canterbury, but never returned to the London see 43 . The last of St. Gregory’s letters in the “Ecclesiastical History of the Angles” was addressed to the recently baptized King Ethelbert of Cantia. The saint addresses him with a teaching about the duties of a Christian ruler: “...Glorious son, keep with an attentive mind the grace that you received by the will of God; hasten to spread the Christian faith in the people entrusted to you; increase your righteous zeal for their conversion; pursue the worship of idols; destroy the buildings of 44 sanctuaries; build the morals of your subjects, on the great purity of life, exhorting, intimidating, persuading with a kind word, correcting and showing examples of good affairs…” 45 . An example for the Anglo-Saxon king should be the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine (d. 337). From the address to Ethelbert it is clear that, in the opinion of the Saint, by accepting Christianity, the king also takes on the responsibilities of a Christian ruler, regardless of the depth of his personal churching. In the ideas of the Christian world, which St. Gregory also adhered to, a secular ruler should be the protector of the Church, giving her the freedom to preach and improve the human community that he leads as an earthly ruler. According to Eusebius of Caesarea, the earthly ruler is the “bishop of the external” 46 (such an appeal to him is also possible according to the original meaning of the word “bishop” - “overseer”). Following the example of Constantine, Ethelbert (who was the High King of Southern England, which to some extent made him similar in position to Constantine), and after him other Anglo-Saxon kings, were given the right to preside over church councils and personally decide dogmatic disputes. It is not known whether Ethelbert provided any assistance to Augustine in resolving the conflict with the Celtic Church, but at the Council of Whitby (663), where it was decided which church practice was more correct - Roman or Celtic, two kings were present, and following the example of Constantine, who resolved Donatist disputes 47, the decision to introduce the Roman rite was made by King Oswiu (d. 670), the then High King. The Archbishop of Canterbury became the king's spiritual adviser and mentor, but could also help him in secular affairs. Thus, Augustine participated in the drafting of the first surviving laws written in Old English - the laws of Ethelbert 48. Saint Gregory, in a letter to Ethelbert, directly recommends that the king obey Augustine in everything: "Whatever the most reverend Brother Augustine advises you, listen willingly, do faithfully, diligently keep in mind; for if you listen to him in what he says for the sake of Almighty God, this Almighty God will sooner listen to him pray for you. If, God forbid, you despise his words, then how can Almighty God listen in your defense to him whom you do not want to listen to about God?" 49. Further, the king is ordered to do his best to help Augustine in his activities 50. Thus, in his letters, the Saint gradually develops a program of missionary activity that makes it possible to include the newly enlightened lands - in this case England - into the circle of the Churches of the world, on the one hand, and into the state structure of the Roman Empire, on the other. With the obvious independence of England, first as a union of kingdoms, then as a single kingdom, the commonality of the state structure made it possible to expect the spiritual unification of the human race and the preaching of Christianity throughout the world. After the death of Saint Gregory, his influence on the Anglo-Saxons did not decrease. He continued to instruct and educate souls in his books 51 . Some of his works found their way into Ancient England very early. Thus, “The Pastoral Rule” was among the books brought to Cantia by Augustine. A fairly large number of copies of this book have survived to this day, both Latin (five from the 8th century, four from the 9th century, two from the 10th century, four from the 11th century) and Old English (six complete lists and fragments). The Anglo-Saxon translation of the Pastoral Rule was made by order of King Alfred the Great in the last decade of the 9th century so that this book would be available to every clergyman, even if he did not know Latin. One of the most famous and widely read books of St. Gregory was “Conversations.” This book was brought to England either by Augustine or by the second group of missionaries who came to Cantia in 601. The Discourses were quoted by both Aldhelm, the first Anglo-Saxon to write in Latin, and Bede. By order of King Alfred, Bishop Werferth translated the “Conversations” into Old English (c. 890), and the king himself prefaced the translation with his preface. According to the king, “Conversations” are the kind of reading that allows him to “relax among earthly worries” and at the same time “soften and turn to the Divine and spiritual law,” “amid earthly sorrows” and sometimes think “about heavenly things.” The Anglo-Saxon translation of the “Conversations” has come down to us in two copies of the 9th century, three of the 10th century and five of the 11th century. Both the “Conversations” and the “Pastoral Rule” were in most monastery libraries. “Moral Interpretations on the Book of Job” were also extremely widespread in England; they were brought either by Augustine or shortly after his arrival in Cantia. The homilies of St. Gregory had a great influence on the development of the Anglo-Latin homiletical tradition, and both “Homilies on the Gospel” and “Homilies on the Book of Ezekiel” were widely known. The work of St. Gregory had a huge influence on the Venerable Bede. When creating his own works, Bede looked to St. Gregory as a great stylist. In the early treatise “On Spelling,” written in the form of a dictionary, there are quotations from such works of St. Gregory in the dictionary entries as “Conversations,” “Moral Interpretations on the Book of Job,” “Homilies on the Gospel.” In another early treatise of Bede - “On Metrics” - we again meet the name of St. Gregory, whom Bede places among the “orators”. Using examples from the works of the saint, Bede explains such a rhetorical device as homeotelevton 52. The name of St. Gregory also appears in Bede's later works. Thus, in his comments on the “Song of Songs” he speaks of the Saint as “a man beloved by the Lord and people, who is also our father.” Compiling a book about Solomon's Temple, Bede allegorically explains the structure of the sea cast of copper (see 1 Kings 7:23), standing on stands (see 1 Kings 7:27), each of which is mounted on four chariot-like wheels (see 1 Kings 7:30). And again he recalls St. Gregory, who sent missionaries to preach the Gospel: “... the wheels placed under the chariots of God really carry far, for example, when the most venerable fathers Augustine, Paulinus and their companions, strengthened by the truth of the Gospel, by order of Pope Gregory, arrived in Britain and conveyed the Word of God to the peoples who had previously lived in unbelief.” The mention of Saint Gregory in the commentaries on biblical books is brief, but they emphasize the main, according to Bede, merit of Saint Gregory as a Christian: the enlightenment of those who were in paganism. The Life of St. Gregory was included by Bede in the Ecclesiastical History of the Angles. Translated into Old English in the 9th century by order of King Alfred, it may have contributed to the formation of ancient English ideas about the Saint. The first image of the Saint is also associated with the list of the “Ecclesiastical History of the Angles”, created either at the end of Bede’s life (before 735), or shortly after his death. The initial with which the life of St. Gregory begins in the “Church History”, capital “h”, is a frame for the image of the saint holding in his hands the symbol of his apostleship - the Bible and the cross. Perhaps this image goes back to the portrait of St. Gregory, kept in the chapel near the Church of St. Gregory in the monastery of St. Andrew on the Caelian Hill, which he founded. John the Deacon, who compiled the complete Life of St. Gregory in the 9th century, saw this portrait and described it 54. Saint Gregory was often depicted writing; at the same time, the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove seemed to “dictate” to him what should be written. Such images are most common in liturgical books of the early Middle Ages. His images are also found in the painting of pulpits of preachers among the four teachers of the Church (together with St. Ambrose of Milan, Blessed Augustine and Blessed Jerome) 55. The veneration of Saint Gregory as a saint and apostle of England began soon after his death. When the synod of Cloweshoe in 747 decreed that the day of the Saint's death, 12 March, should be observed as a solemn holiday throughout English churches and monasteries, this was not the introduction of a new custom, but rather a confirmation and legitimation of a long-existing practice. The name of Saint Gregory is found in a variety of monuments of Anglo-Saxon writing. Thus, the “Anglo-Saxon Chronicle” speaks of him as a saint of the Church, “who sent us Baptism” 57. Aldhelm, who stood at the origins of Anglo-Latin literature, said the following about St. Gregory in the treatise “In Praise of Virginity”: “Gregory is our teacher, ours, I say, who taught our parents the rules for the sake of spiritual rebirth” 58 . Alcuin (735–804), an Anglo-Saxon theologian who played a leading role in the enlightenment of Europe, who lived at the court of Charlemagne, spoke of the Saint as “Pope Gregory, our preacher of blessed memory” 59 . Awareness of the role that the Saint played in the fate of the Angles was also reflected in the text of the church service, which was performed on the day of the coronation: in the coronation formula, the name of Saint Gregory comes third after the Most Holy Theotokos and the Holy Apostle Peter, and the Saint is directly called “the Apostle of the Angles” 60. The first of the existing lives - “The Life of St. Gregory the Great” - was also compiled in Ancient England, in the Northumbrian monastery of Whitby, around 700 61. The memory of the Saint was highly revered in this monastery, since it was founded by the daughter of the Northumbrian king St. Edwin (d. 632), who accepted Christianity from Roman missionaries. The life was based on the stories of Roman missionaries, passed on in the monastery from one generation to another 62. A few years after the death of Saint Gregory, churches in England began to be consecrated in his honor. The first throne was consecrated in Canterbury in the Cathedral of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, as well as in the monastery of Whitby and in the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in York 63 . In the already mentioned chapel of St. Gregory in Canterbury Cathedral, court sessions took place, and in the invisible presence of the Saint, the most complicated cases that could not be sorted out in the king's court were decided 64 . In total, thirty-two ancient churches in England were consecrated in honor of St. Gregory 65. The fame of Saint Gregory as a saint and theologian was so great that even in Ireland, where Celtic church practice, different from Roman, was accepted and preserved, he was highly valued, revered and the apocryphal “Book of the Degrees of Heaven” was attributed to him. True, his veneration was very peculiar: his family was traced back to the Irish kings and, therefore, they saw in him not an adversary who should be respected for his undeniable talent, but their Irish saint, almost a hero 66 . What St. Gregory did for the English is expressed in the words of the author of his first life, compiled in Whitby: “when all the Apostles and teachers of all nations, on the day of the Last Judgment, represent the nations that they turned to God, we, that is, the people of the Angles, will be presented to the Lord by St. Gregory” 67 . Hunt W. History of the English Church (597–1066). London, 1901. P. 19. Memory of St. Eulogius of Alexandria (d. 607–608) 13/26 oaa?aey. Farmer D. H. The Oxford Dictionary of Saints. Oxford, 1992. P. 211. Beda Venerabilis. Historia Ecclesiastica gentis anglorum (hereinafter NOT) / Ed. B. Col gra ve, R. A. B. Mynors. Oxford, 1969. P. 68. Trouble Hon. Church history of the Angles // Monuments of medieval Latin literature of the IV-VII centuries. M., 1998. P. 460. Farmer D. H. Decree. op. P. 290–291. Right there. P. 80–82. The last phrase is restored, according to B. Colgrave, from earlier manuscripts of the “Book of Answers” ​​(“Libellus Responsionum”). Kenyon J. P. Dictionary of British History. Ware, 1994. P. 204. Farmer D. H. Decree. op. P. 336–337. According to Saint Gregory, the king is the head of the people and has the right to punish his disobedient subjects. As the “bishop of the outside,” he helps spread the faith of Christ, encouraging his subjects to follow church rules, and in case of non-compliance with these rules, punish them. The bishop, the successor of the Apostles, must always act in peace. Protopresbyter John Meyendorff. History of the Church and Eastern Christian mysticism. M., 2000. P. 35. Farmer D. H. Decree. op. P. 32. The information contained in this section is taken from the following studies: Ogilvy J.D.A. Books known to the English, 597–1066. Cambridge, Mass, 1967, pp. 148–153; Meyvaert P. Bede and Gregory the Great. Jarrow, 1964. P. 1, 13–14; Levison W. England and the Continent in the Eighth Century. Oxford, 1973. P. 139; Farmer D.H. The Oxford Dictionary of Saints. P. 212–213; Alfred’s Preface to Gregory’s Dialogues // An Anglo-Saxon Reader / Ed. A. J. Wyatt. Cambridge, 1933. P. 65. Homeotelevton is the consonance of the endings of words within one sentence, for example, verbs, adverbs, etc. Meyvaert P. Decree. op. P. 3–4. Farmer D. H. Decree. op. P. 212–213. Bright W. Chapters of Early English Church History. Oxford, 1878. P. 37. Levison W. Decree. op. P. 245. Bright W. Decree. op. P. 38. Levison W. Decree. op. P. 146. Colgrave B. The Earliest Life of St. Gregory, written by a Whitby Monk // “Celt and Saxon” / Ed. N. K. Chadwick. Cambridge, 1963. P. 127. Levison W. Decree. op. P. 264–265. Brooks N. Early History of the Church of Canterbury. Cambridge, 1984. P. 43. Farmer D. H. Decree. op. P. 212. Meyvaert P. Decree. op. P. 1.