Page:Readings in European History Vol 1.djvu/140

Readings in European. History The king's decision in favor of the Roman Church. disciple beloved of our Lord, with all the churches over which he presided, is recorded to have observed." . . . Then Wilfrid was ordered by the king to speak for the Roman practice : " The Easter which we observe we saw celebrated by all at Rome, where the blessed apostles, Peter and Paul, lived, taught, suffered, and were buried ; we saw the same done in Italy and in France, when we traveled through those countries for pilgrimage and prayer. We found that Easter was celebrated at one and the same time in Africa, Asia, Egypt, Greece, and all the world, wherever the Church of Christ is spread abroad, through the various nations and tongues ; except only among these and their accomplices in obstinacy, I mean the Picts and the Britons, who foolishly, in these two remote islands of the world, and only in part even of them, oppose all the rest of the uni- verse. . . . " You certainly sin if, having heard the decree of the apos- tolic see, and of the universal Church, and that the same is confirmed by Holy Writ, you refuse to follow them ; for, though your fathers were holy, do you think that their small number, in a corner of the remotest island, is to be preferred before the universal Church of Christ throughout the world ? And though that Columba 1 of yours (and, I may say, ours also, if he was Christ's servant) was a holy man and power- ful in miracles, yet should he be preferred before the most blessed prince of the apostles, to whom our Lord said, 'Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven ' ? " When .Wilfrid had spoken thus, the king said, " Is it true, Colman, that these words were spoken to Peter by our Lord? " He answered, " It is true, O king ! " Then said he, " Can you show any such power given to your Columba ? " Colman answered, " None." Then added the king, " Do both of you agree that these words were principally directed to Peter, 1 An Irish missionary (d. 597) ; not to be confused with St. Columban, who carried the gospel to the Franks.