Page:The Church of England, its catholicity and continuity.djvu/43

 three years in a general visitation of the kingdom. He filled up the Bishoprics which had been rendered vacant through the plague. He founded new dioceses, and split up those which were already grown too large.

In the year 673 also, he summoned a Council of the clergy at Hertford, with the object of reducing further the differences between the two different Christian elements in the land. At this Council there was drawn up a set of Ecclesiastical Canons for the government of the Church. It was decided also that the Bishops should have no jurisdiction outside their dioceses, and that their work should be confined to their own dioceses. It was further resolved that the clergy were not to officiate in other dioceses without the consent of the Bishops. It was agreed that Synods should be held at least once a year to discuss matters concerning the welfare of the Church. Some people have considered that it was Theodore who attempted the organization of our present parochial system, but that is doubtful. Theodore's work was certainly to make the Church of England a national Church. He bound all the separated parts together. He made Canterbury the chief See, and York the next in importance. He was also the means of introducing Church music and architecture into our land. He made the Church a Church of learned men, and the great pity was that his life was well-nigh closed before he came to England.

You must not think that because Theodore was nominated to Canterbury by the Pope of Rome that he considered that England was submissive to Rome. He himself acted independently of her by ignoring her decisions. This was shown most clearly in his dealings with Wilfrid, whom he