CATHEDRAL, (from the Greek, KaBedpa, a chair ; derived from ica0e;opat, sedeo, 1 sit,) the head church of a diocese, wherein is the see or seat of a bishop.
During the first ages of the church, cathedrals were pro bably more numerous than other churches, as wo know that there was a bishop in every town of importance wherever the Christian religion prevailed. The bishop, the head of the church, was 'assisted in the services of religion by his priests and deacons, the bishop, however, retaining the more important duties, such as preaching and the administration of the which he seldom delegated to the assistant presbyters, unless necessitated so to do. In proces,s of time, as occasion ollred, other churches were thrmed, subject to the mother-church, and to the jurisdiction of its bishop; at this early period, however, it cannot be doubted but that the proportion of bishops to the lower order of the clergy was much greater than at the present day, and censequently the number of cathedrals or bishops' sees must have been amore numerous. it is not our intention, however, in this place, to dwell at length upon the general subject; we would con fine ourselves more especially to our own country, and will accordingly proceed to investigate the accounts we have left us of the early cathedrals of Great Britain.
No one, probably, would think of controverting, the fact of the early introduction of Christianity into this country ; it may indeed be questioned whether Saint Paul, or Saint Joseph, or the British king Lucius, be the benefactor to whom we owe its introduction; but its existence here during the first century will scarcely admit of a doubt. We know further that the British church was episcopally governed, ter we hear of the presence of British bishops at the council of Arles, as early as the commencement of the fourth century ; and we have consequently reason to conclude that the episcopal form of government was co-existent with the church, and fluffier, that if churches existed at all, some such churches must have been cathedrals.
We cannot speak with any degree of certainty of the date, form, or material of the first cathedrals. Dr. Milner says, that a cathedral was erected by Lucius, at 1Vinchester, of the enormous length of 600 feet, as early as the close of the second century. Whether the dimensions given do not belie
the whole statement must be left to the judgment of indi viduals t but there is good reason to believe that churches did exist at this period, as we hear of their demolition during the Diocletian persecution, which took place a. Upon the success of the Pagan-Saxons, the Christian churches of England were of course destroyed, whilst those in \Vales and south-west of England, where the British Christians had retreated, were considerably increased ; this was especially the case with monasteries, which served in a measure as places of safety, and in building which the Britain: followed the salutary advice ofSaint Germain. Upon the conversion of the Saxons by Saint Augustine, churches again made their appearance in Kent, as we learn that a cathedral was erected by that missionary-bishop at Canter bury, and dedicated under the title of Christ Church. At a not much later period we hear of the foundation of the cathedral churches of Saiuts Paul and Andrew, the one at London and the other at Rochester. Shortly after Augus tine's mission in the south, the wonderful success of Paulinus in the northern parts of the island, in converting the king, Edwin, and his pagan subjects, gave rise to the cathedral of York. It is stated that Edwin first erected a church of timber in this city, but afterwards built a larger church of stone, in which the timber one was enclosed. Paulinus, again successful at Lincoln. caused to be erected a church of stone, of "admirable workmanship," as Bede tells us.
Stephen Eddy, a writer older than Bede, informs us that Wilfrid, bishop of York, finding, upon taking possessiou of his see, that the old church built by Edwin and Oswald was in a dilapidated condition, set about repairing it—" skilfully roofing it with lend, and preventing the entrance of birds and rain by 'nutting glass into the windows. yet such glass as allowed the light to shine within ;" and our author pes on to state that the same Wilfrid built a new church at 1:ipo1], of polished stone, 4. with columns variously ornamented, and The account of the oledieatioll of this church is given in lull, and is the earliest description of the kind extant.