CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 7
KING EGFRID was deeply impressed by Benedict’s virtue, industry and devotion. Realizing how sound and fruitful an idea his original grant of land for building the monastery had turned out to be, he saw to it that another forty hides were added. A year later, on Egfrid’s advice or, more accurately, at his command, Benedict chose seventeen monks from the community with the priest Ceolfrith as abbot to form the nucleus of a new foundation at Jarrow, dedicated to the apostle Paul and built on the understanding that the two houses should be bound together by the one spirit of peace and harmony and united by continuous friendship and goodwill. As the body cannot be separated from the head, through which it receives the breath of life, and as the head dare not ignore the body or it would die, so neither was anyone to attempt to disturb the brotherly love that would unite the two houses just as it had bound together the two chief apostles, Peter and Paul. Ceolfrith whom Benedict had appointed abbot had been the greatest help to him in every way from the beginnings of the first foundation and had gone with him at a suitable time to Rome, both for learning what was necessary and for worship. At the same time Benedict chose Eosterwine to be abbot of Wearmouth, giving him the right to rule the monastery of St Peter, so that the burden which was proving too much to be carried alone might the more easily be borne with the help of his much loved companion and fellow soldier. No one should regard it as extraordinary for the monastery to have two abbots at once; for it was, after all, a necessary arrangement considering both the frequency of Benedict’s journeys overseas for the good of the monastery and also the uncertainty of the times of his return. History relates that at Rome the blessed apostle Peter appointed two bishops1 to rule the church in his stead as necessity demanded; and the great St Benedict himself, Pope Gregory tells us, thought fit to appoint twelve abbots over his disciples in his stead and this, far from lessening brotherly love, did much to increase it. 2