ENGLAND, CHURCH OF. The dominant re ligious body in England, for the greater part of her history the established Church of the country. 11 is necessary to bear in mind the prior exist ence of a British Church, which—like the British nation—was subsequently either uprooted, sub dued, or assimilated in part, a fact which has an important bearing upon the claims which are made as to its antiquity and continuity. The exact date of the introduction of Christianity into Britain is not known. Gildas, a British author of the sixth century, believes that it was as early as the year 37. Legends assert that the island was visited by one and another of the Apostles. Even Eusebius inclines to this opin ion, and Theodoret confirms it. There is more ground for believing that the new religion was found there about 170, having come from Gaul or from Rome.
When we reach the fourth century we are treading on firmer ground. The records of the Council of Aries, 314. actually give us the names of three bishops as present from Britain: Ebo rius of York. Restitutus of London, and Adel pheus or Adelfius, either of Caerleon in Wales or of Lincoln. If the Caerleon theory be ac cepted, these sees would correspond with the Roman provinces into which the country was divided.
In the early days of eager controversy, it is evident that the British Church adhered in doctrine and discipline to the orthodox side, al though, of course, there were some who were tainted with heresy. Indeed, there seems to be no doubt that Pelagius was a native of Britain. It is difficult to determine whether the Britons appealed to Rome or to the bishops of Gaul for assurance as to the true doctrine. To whichever the appeal was made, a matter not within the scope of this article to determine, the fact makes evident the anxiety of the British Christians to guard their orthodoxy.
After the overthrow of Pelagianism, a more dreadful foe was encountered in the persons of the Saxons and Angles. whose successful invasion reduced the main part of the island to heathen ism.
The outlook for the Church at the end of the sixth century was gloomy enough. Then it. was that Gregory the Great, moved by the sight of the English lads in the slave-market at Rome, undertook the conversion of the island, and sent thither, in 097, Augustine and his fellow mission aries. Ppon their arrival they found several
bishops, whom they endeavored, but in vain, to bring into submission to the Pope. 24lueli is due to thein, for doubtless their mission wrought great changes in behalf of Christianity. By the death of the Christian King Ethelbert of Kent (baptized by Augustine, possibly through the in fluence of his Christian Queen. Bertha ), and the succession to the throne Of his irreligious son, Eadbald, the Church received a severe blow, from which his conversion enabled it to rally. For many years her history was one of varied successes nod failures. Largely by menus of Irish and Scotch missionaries (among whom were (_'olombo, Aldan. and Finan) and of Aler cians and Saxons, commissioned by Irish-horn enthusiasts, the Church had been planted more or less firmly in all the English kingdoms. At this time there was no national unity—no one Kingdom of England. Likewise there had not been as yet in the Church any fusion of the British and Roman parties, each of them main taining with great tenacity its own ecclesiastical uses. One of the chief points of dispute was the proper date for Easter (q.v.). At length, in the conference at Whitby (664), the Roman party gained the ascendency. Thus it was made more easy for Theodore (who, in 668, succeeded to the primacy, and was one of the great men of his day) to unite the churches of the several king doms into what may properly enough be called the National Church of England. It follows, therefore, that the Church is in no way in debted to the State for its original establish ment and independence—being really the older institution of the two, by three centuries. In stead of the State establishing the Church, it may more fairly be said that through its uni fication the Church established the State. The Council of Hertford in 673 was not only the first ecclesiastical gathering, but the first assembly of any kind for the whole of England.