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aries to stay where they were; designing to go himself, and hear from their own mouths, the occasion of their journey. Some few days after, the king went to the Isle of Thanet, in company with the queen, and, on their arrival, the king seated himself in the open air; and ordering the strangers to be called before him, he asked them what they had to propose, when Augustine, coming into the presence of the king, bearing a cross of silver, and the image of our Saviour in a picture, preached to him the Gospel in an earnest and zealous manner. Ethelbert, being informed by the interpreters of what Augustine had said, returned him this answer :-'Your proposals are noble, and your promises inviting; but I cannot resolve on quitting the religion of my ancestors for one that appears to me supported only by the testimony of persons who are entire strangers to me; however, since I perceive you have undertaken so long a journey, on purpose to impart to me what you deem most important and valuable, you shall not be sent away without some satisfaction. I will take care that you are treated civilly in my dominions, and supplied with all things necessary and convenient, and if any of my subjects, by what you say to them, desire to embrace your religion, I shall not be against it.'

The first and great step being taken, the queen obtained leave for the missionaries to settle at Canterbury, the capital of Kent, where she took care to provide them with convenient lodgings, and procured them the liberty of preaching to as many as might be desirous to hear them.

Being thus favourably received and accommodated, the missionaries made so good use of their time, that shortly several of the principal Saxons embraced the Christian faith, and were baptized. The swift progress of the Gospel at Canterbury raised in Ethelbert a desire to be more particularly instructed in the nature of the religion these strangers preached, and accordingly he had frequent conferences with Augustine; the queen, being likewise importunate in her endeavours with the king to remove all his prejudices in favour of idolatry, and win him over to the principles of Christianity, her great leading object was at length carried, it being then about a year after the coming of the missionaries into Britain. On the arrival of Bertha in England, Ethelbert allotted to the queen this church in the neighbourhood of this city, then

dedicated to the Virgin Mary; but, it having lain desolate upwards of 100 years, Laidhard, by the king's order, caused it to be repaired and re-consecrated, and dedicated anew to St. Martin (who was Bishop of Tours, and died A.D. 395); and the queen resorted to it for her devotions, as, with the leave of the king and queen, did Augustine and his companions, on their first coming hither, who celebrated all the offices of their religion at this Church.

Thus for the first time, with respect to this kingdom (according to the words of Isaiah), 'Kings' became the ' nursing-fathers, and Queens the nursing-mothers' of the Church of Christ; and its light, in consequence, became more extensively diffused, and was never again entirely lost in this great kingdom.

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THE PARISH CHURCH

THE following extracts from "The Parish Church,' published as one of the tracts of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, manifest the feeling of affection and veneration he entertained for the Church:

We have often looked upon the little edifice (St. Martin's Church, Canterbury), of which the woodcut on our title-page is an excellent representation; and we have looked upon it with feelings of affection and veneration which we cannot describe. Nor are we singular in this respect. We know that many partake of very much the same feelings when they contemplate, not only this building, but any ancient parish church; more particularly in those country parishes in which their families have long resided. . Let it be

supposed to be only such a building as that represented in the woodcut. It is a rude and humble building; its walls are rough, and composed of flints, pieces of stone, of all shapes and sizes, masses of mortar mixed with pebbles, here covered with a patch of mortar, there entirely bare. Its windows are of different forms and dimensions exhibiting no uniform plan, no relic of architecture. Its immense and ill-proportioned roof, covered with heavy brown tiles, reaches nearly to the top of the tower, and gives the latter, small as it is, a still more dwarfish appearance. Regarded as a building, what is there to engage our attention? You would not find a house, perhaps in the neighbourhood, which would not, as a mere building, be more attractive. What then is it which in this building inspires the veneration and affection it commands?

This is our parish church! How many subjects of the deepest interest do these words call forth! In this lowly building God is worshipped. It is consecrated to Him. It must not be set apart for any worldly purposes;-here we offer up the sacrifice of prayer and praise. Here we meet our brethren in Christ,-to join in seeking pardon and support from our Universal Father. Here we meet our friends, families, and neighbours, in the kindliest and most binding work of love, to make with one accord our common

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