The Venerable Bede

This book begins: THE early years of the Church in England produced three great scholars, one after the other, Aldhelm, Bede, Alcuin. The first was born in or about 635, the last died in 804. Bede was born about forty years after Aldhelm, and was a man of thirty-six when Aldhelm died. Alcuin was born in the year in which Bede died. Thus the series of great men may be literally described as continuous.'While the influence of their writings reached far beyond their own land, the areas of...
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This book begins: THE early years of the Church in England produced three great scholars, one after the other, Aldhelm, Bede, Alcuin. The first was born in or about 635, the last died in 804. Bede was born about forty years after Aldhelm, and was a man of thirty-six when Aldhelm died. Alcuin was born in the year in which Bede died. Thus the series of great men may be literally described as continuous.'While the influence of their writings reached far beyond their own land, the areas of their personal influence differed very widely. Aldhelm was of the royal race of the West Saxons, his birth nearly coinciding with the baptism of the first Christian king of the West Saxons, Cynegils. He was Abbat of the important monastery of Malmesbury, and on the division of the bishopric of the West Saxons he became bishop of the western part, which he covered with active work. He died at the age of seventy-four, leaving a widespread personal mark. Bede was a choir-boy in a newly founded monastery, was ordained deacon and priest there, lived, wrote, and died there.In the immediate vicinity of his monastery he was seen and known and received with much kindness. Of visits to a distance requiring absence from his cell at night we only know of two, on one of which occasions his personal influence had a large effect. Alcuin also was an inmate of a monastic school almost from infancy. He became Master of the School of York in succession to two archbishops of royal race, and passed thence into the service and friendship of Charlemagne, in which position his personal influence and the influence of his letters may fairly be said to have covered the whole of Europe. He was ordained deacon early, and never proceeded to the priesthood.Let us consider this about the state of morals at the tome of Venerable Bede:IT has been remarked that Bede's sermons throw no light upon the state of society in his time. They were not addressed to a mixed audience, and they did not profess to deal with subjects relating to practical life or with ordinary moral questions. We have, however, the long letter described in Chapter X which he wrote to Archbishop Ecgbert of York, and in'this we find many references to the prevailing state of morals. The picture he draws is a dark one; and he remarks, towards the end of his letter, as we have seen, that if he were to write in detail about drunkenness, gluttony, and debauchery, the letter would extend to an immense length. If the ordinary date of Bede's death be correct, we have in this letter some of his last words. For our present purpose we must repeat some parts of what is said in Chapter X. Ecgbert, to whom this interesting letter was addressed, was the cousin of King Ceolwulf, who reigned in Northumbria from 729 A.D. to 737. He became Archbishop of York, and head of the great cathedral school of that city. Bede, having spent some days with him in study and interchange of ideas, was invited to repeat his visit in the following year. His state of health prevented his accepting this invitation, and, in consequence, he wrote at considerable length some of the things he had intended to say to the bishop, had he been able to pay him another visit The main subject of the letter is the covetousness of bishops, and the disorderliness of many establishments which called themselves religious houses. Incidentally we learn a good deal on points which would not naturally be included under those heads.The conduct of the bishops in general seems to have been unsatisfactory. Bede urges the archbishop himself, who was as yet bishop of York, not archbishop. to abstain with episcopal dignity from unseemly conversation, and from the evils of an unrestrained tongue. He advises him to read carefully and often the Epistles to Timothy and Titus, as specially suited to his position, and also the Pastoral Care of Pope Gregory.