Page:The Church of England, its catholicity and continuity.djvu/41

 for the Pope's decisions, and, in opposition to his wish, imprisoned Wilfrid on his return to England, and set the Pope's decision, on their mutual troubles, at defiance.

However, it is not my object to speak of the troubles of Wilfrid, or to write his history. And in what I have already referred to, I have anticipated events far beyond the date of the Whitby Council. To return to that again. Speakers in that Council were heard, who represented both sides of the question as to the time of keeping Easter, and it was entirely through the influence and personality of Wilfrid that it was decided that the Roman custom was the true one. The king gave forth the decision. We are given a glimpse at his reason for doing this.

"Is it true, Colman," the king asked—you know that Colman upheld the Celtic custom—"Is it true that the keys of Heaven were given to S. Peter?" Colman admitted that it was true. "Then," said the king, "I will not oppose the door-keeper of Heaven, lest, when I present myself, I find no one to open the door to me."

The Conference settled that controversy which had for so long divided the Celtic from the Roman Churches, and after this was held we hear very little of the old Celtic party. Some of them, on the point to which we have now referred, who upheld the old Celtic custom, embraced the decision of the Council. Others resigned their positions in the North and returned to their old island at Hy. Among them was Colman, who was the Bishop of Lindisfarne.

Now we must again go back to Kent, to hear what happened there. S. Augustine was long since dead. Two of