Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, Book IV Chapter III
by Venerable Bede
HOW CHAD, ABOVEMENTIONED, WAS MADE BISHOP OF THE MERCIANS. OF HIS LIFE, DEATH, AND
BURIAL.
[A D. 669]
AT that time, the Mercians were governed by King Wulfhere, who, on the death of
Jaruman, desired of Theodore to supply him and his people with a bishop; but Theodore
would not obtain a new one for them, but requested of king Oswy that Chad might be their
bishop. He then lived retired at his monastery, which is at Lestingau, Wilfrid filling the
bishopric of York, and of all the Northumbrians, and likewise of the Picts, as far as the
dominions of King Oswy extended. And, seeing that it was the custom of that most reverend
prelate to go about the work of the Gospel to several places rather on foot than on
horseback, Theodore commanded him to ride whenever he had a long journey to undertake; and
finding him very unwilling to omit his former pious labour, he himself, with his hands,
lifted him on the horse; for he thought him a holy man, and therefore obliged him to ride
wherever he had need to go. Chad having received the bishopric of the Mercians and
Lindisfarne, took care to administer the same with great rectitude of life, according to
the example of the ancients. King Wulfhere also gave him land of fifty families, to build
a monastery, at the place called Ad Barve, or " At the Wood," in the province of
Lindsey, wherein marks of the regular life instituted by him continue to this day.
He had his episcopal see in the place called Lichfield, in which he also died, and was
buried, and where the see of the succeeding bishops of that province still continues. He
had built himself a habitation not far from the church, wherein he was wont to pray and
read with seven or eight of the brethren, as often as he had any spare time from the
labour and ministry of the word. When he had most gloriously governed the church in that
province two years and a half, the Divine Providence so ordaining, there came round a
season like that of which Ecclesiastes says, "That there is a time to cast stones,
and a time to gather them; " for there happened a mortality sent from heaven, which,
by means of the death of the flesh, translated the stones of the church from their earthly
places to the heavenly building. And when, after many of the church of that most reverend
prelate had been taken out of the flesh, his hour also drew near wherein he was to pass
out of this world to our Lord, it happened one day that he was in the aforesaid dwelling,
with only one brother, called Owini, his other companions being upon some reasonable
occasion returned to the church. Now Owini was a monk of great merit, having forsaken the
world with the pure intention of obtaining the heavenly reward; worthy in all respects to
have the secrets of our Lord revealed to him, and worthy to have credit given by his
hearers to what he said, for he came with Queen Etheldrid from the province of the East
Angles, and was her prime minister, and governor of her family As the fervour of his
faith increased, resolving to renounce the world, he did not go about it slothfully, but
so fully forsook the things of this world, that, quitting all he had, clad in a plain
garment, and carrying an axe and hatchet in his hand, he came to the monastery of that
most reverend prelate, called Lestingau; denoting that he did not go to the monastery to
live idle, as some do, but to labour, which he also confirmed by practice; for as he was
less capable of meditating on the Holy Scriptures, he the more earnestly applied himself
to the labour of his hands. In short, he was received by the bishop into the house
aforesaid, and there entertained with the brethren, and whilst they were engaged within in
reading, he was without, doing such things as were necessary.
One day when he was thus employed abroad, and his companions were gone to the church,
as I began to state, the bishop was alone reading or praying in the oratory of that place,
when on a sudden, as he afterwards said, he beard the voice of persons singing most
sweetly and rejoicing, and appearing to descend from heaven. Which voice he said he first
heard coming from the southeast, and that afterwards it drew near him, till it came to
the roof of the oratory where the bishop was, and entering therein, filled the same and
all about it. He listened attentively to what he heard, and after about half an hour,
perceived the same song of joy to ascend from the roof of the said oratory, and to return
to heaven the same way it came, with inexpressible sweetness. When he had stood some time
astonished, and seriously revolving in his mind what it might be, the bishop opened the
window of the oratory, and making a noise with his hand, as he was often wont to do,
ordered him to come in to him. He accordingly went hastily in, and the bishop said to him,
"Make haste to the church, and cause the seven brothers to come hither, and do you
come with them." When they were come, he first admonished them to preserve the virtue
of peace among themselves, and towards all others; and indefatigably to practise the rules
of regular discipline, which they had either been taught by him, or seen him observe or
had noticed in the words or actions of the former fathers. Then he added, that the day of
his death was at hand; for, said he, " that amiable guest, who was wont to visit our
brethren, has vouchsafed also to come to me this day, and to call me out of this world.
Return, therefore, to the church, and speak to the brethren, that they in their prayers
recommend my passage to our Lord, and that they be careful to provide for their own, the
hour whereof is uncertain, by watching, prayer, and good works."
When he had spoken thus much and more, and they, having received his blessing, had gone
away in sorrow, he who had heard the heavenly song returned alone, and prostrating himself
on the ground, said, "I beseech you, father, may I be permitted to ask a question?
"-"Ask what you will," answered the bishop. Then he added, " I entreat
you to tell me what song of joy was that which I heard coming upon this oratory, and after
some time returning to heaven? " The bishop answered, " If you heard the
singing, and know of the coming of the heavenly company, I command you, in the name of our
Lord, that you do not tell the same to any before my death. They were angelic spirits, who
came to call me to my heavenly reward, which I have always longed after, and they promised
they would return seven days hence, and take me away with them." Which was
accordingly fulfilled, as had been said to him; for being presently seized with a
languishing distemper, and the same daily increasing, on the seventh day, as had been
promised to him, when he had prepared for death by receiving the body and blood of our
Lord, his soul being delivered from the prison of the body, the angels, as may justly be
believed, attending him, he departed to the joys of heaven.
It is no wonder that he joyfully beheld the day of his death, or rather the day of our
Lord, which he had always carefully expected till it came; for notwithstanding his many
merits of continence, humility, teaching, prayer, voluntary poverty, and other virtues, he
was so full of the fear of God, so mindful of his last end in all his actions, that, as I
was informed by one of the brothers who instructed me in Divinity, and who had been bred
in his monastery, and under his direction, whose name was Trumhere, if it happened that
there blew a strong gust of wind when he was reading or doing any other thing, he
immediately called upon God for mercy, and begged it might be extended to all mankind. If
the wind grew stronger, he closed his book, and prostrating himself on the ground, prayed
still more earnestly. But, if it proved a violent storm of wind or rain, or else that the
earth and air were filled with thunder and lightning, he would repair to the church, and
devote himself to prayers and repeating of psalms till the weather became calm. Being
asked by his followers why he did so, he answered, " Have not you read-' The Lord
also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave forth his voice. Yea, he sent out his
arrows and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.' For the Lord
moves the air, raises the winds, darts lightning, and thunders from heaven, to excite the
inhabitants of the earth to fear Him; to put them in mind of the future judgment; to
dispel their pride, and vanquish their boldness, by bringing into their thoughts that
dreadful time, when the heavens and the earth being in a flame, He will come in the
clouds, with great power and majesty, to judge the quick and the dead. Wherefore,"
said he, " it behoves us to answer his heavenly admonition with due fear and love;
that, as often as He lifts his hand through the trembling sky, as it were to strike, but
does not yet let it fall, we may immediately implore his mercy; and searching the recesses
of our hearts, and cleansing the filth of our vices, we may carefully behave ourselves so
as never to be struck."
With this revelation and account of the aforesaid brother, concerning the death of this
prelate, agrees the discourse of the most reverend Father Egbert, above spoken of, who
long led a monastic life with the same Chad, when both were youths, in Ireland, praying,
observing continency, and meditating on the Holy Scriptures. I But when he afterwards
returned into his own country, the other continued in a strange country for our Lord's
sake till the end of his life. A long time after, Hygbald, a most holy and continent man,
who was an abbot in the province of Lindsey, came out of Britain to visit him, and whilst
these holy men were discoursing of the life of the former fathers, and rejoicing to
imitate the same, mention was made of the most reverend prelate, Chad, whereupon Egbert
said, " I know a man in this island, still in the flesh, who, when that prelate
passed out of this world, saw the soul of his brother Cedd, with a company of angels,
descending from heaven, who, having taken his soul along with them, returned thither
again." Whether he said this of himself, or some other, we do not certainly know; but
the same being said by so great a man, there can be no doubt of the truth thereof.
Chad died on the 2nd of March, and was first buried by St. Mary's Church, but
afterwards, when the church of the most holy prince of the apostles, Peter, was built, his
bones were translated into it. In both which places, as a testimony of his virtue,
frequent miraculous cures are wont to be wrought. And of late, a certain distracted
person, who had been wandering about everywhere, arrived there in the evening, unknown or
unregarded by the keepers of the place, and having rested there all the night, went out in
his perfect senses the next morning, to the surprise and delight of all; thus showing that
a cure had been performed on him through the goodness of God. The place of the sepulchre
is a wooden monument, made like a little house, covered, having a hole in the wall,
through which those that go thither for devotion usually put in their hand and take out
some of the dust, which they put into water and give to sick cattle or men to drink, upon
which they are presently eased of their infirmity, and restored to health. In his place,
Theodore ordained Winfrid, a good and modest man, to preside, as his predecessors had
done, over the bishoprics of the Mercians, the Midland Angles, and the Lindisfarnes, of
all which, Wulfhere, who was still living, was king. Winfrid was one of the clergy of the
prelate he had succeeded, and had for a considerable time filled the office of deacon
under him.