92 STATESMEN AND SAGES he would do with them. Soon after he came to the island, and conferred with Augustine and his companions in the open air ; fearing the possibility of magic enchantments if he met them under any roof. He was much impressed by their ceremonial, their bearing, and their teaching. " Your words and promises," he said, " are very fair, but as they are new to us, and of uncertain import, I cannot approve of them so far as to forsake that which I have so long followed with the whole English nation [" cum omni Anglorum gente : " this by no means implies, it is scarcely necessary to say, an English nation in the modern sense of those words]. But because you are come from far into my kingdom, and, as I con- ceive, are desirous to impart to us those things which you believe to be true and most beneficial, we will not molest you, but give you favorable entertain- ment, and take care to supply you with your necessary sustenance ; nor do we forbid you to preach, and gain as many as you can to your religion." By the king's invitation they crossed from Thanet and took their abode in the then rude town of Canterbury, and before long were allowed to worship in St Martin's Church, with the queen. Their influence gradually increased, and a considerable number of the English were converted. At last Ethelbert himself received baptism (Whitsunday, A.D. 597) ; and following his example, it is said that on December 25th following mid-winter! upward of ten thousand were baptized in the waters of the Swale. Of course, it cannot be supposed that in these mediaeval " conversions " of whole tribes or " nations," there was any rational acceptance of the complete theology of the Church. The conversion was rather the acceptance of a discipline, a mode of life ; founded indeed on Christian doctrine and in all kinds of subtle ways symbolizing it ; but primarily an imitation of a sweeter and purer life, and a more spiritual and suggestive worship. The words of Baeda (i., 26) are worthy of note as indicating the temper both of Gregory and Augustine : " Their conversion the king so far encouraged, as that he compelled none to embrace Christianity, but only showed more affection to the believers, as to his fellow-citizens in the heavenly kingdom. For he had learnt from his instructors and leaders to salvation, that the service of Christ ought to be voluntary, not by compulsion." Having so far succeeded in his mission, Augustine went to Aries and was con- secrated archbishop of the English by the Metropolitan Virgilius. [Baeda says (i., 27): " Archiepiscopus genti Anglorum ordinatus est," the actual see prob- ably being then undetermined.] ,On his return he despatched Lawrence and Peter to Rome to tell Gregory that the Angli had been converted to the faith, and that he himself (Augustine) had been made a bishop. They were also to bring back the Pope's answers to sundry questions respecting the conduct of the mission which Augustine proposed to him. Both the questions and the answers are highly suggestive. The first question was as to the division of the offerings of the faithful. The second as to differences of " Use" in the celebration of Mass and other divine offices. The answer of Gregory is almost classical, and may well be repeated here : " You know, my brother," he says, " the custom of the Roman Church. . . - But it pleases me that if you have found anything.
