A.D. 603.] CONFERENCE OF BISHOPS. them, by brotherly admonitions, to preserve catholic unity with himself, and for the Lord's sake to join in the common labour of converting the heathen people ; for they observed the holy festival of Easter contrary to the unity of the church, besides many other of their customs. . After a long disputation, when neither his prayers nor his exhortations could induce them to comply, Augustine addressed them as follows:—"Let us, my brethren, beseech Almighty God, that he will vouchsafe, by his heavenly tokens, to declare to us, which tradition is to be followed, and which is the true way to his heavenly kingdom. Let some infirm person be brought, and let the faith and practice of him, by whose prayers he shall be healed, be adopted and followed by all.'' His opponents reluctantly assented; whereupon there was brought an infirm blind man, who was presented to the bishops of the Britons, but received no healing by their offices. Augustine then bowed his knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, beseeching him to restore sight to the blind man, that by the bodily illumination of one, the grace of spiritual light might be kindled in the hearts of many believers. Immediately the blind man received his sight, and Augustine was acknowledged by all as the undoubted preacher of divine truth. The Britons then confessed their acknowledgment, that that was the true way which Augustine preached, but that they could not abandon their former customs without the consent of their people. Wherefore they requested that another synod might be held, at which a greater number would be present. Another synod was held accordingly, to which there came, as is asserted, seven bishops, and other learned men of the Britons, principally from a famous monastery of theirs, called, in the English tongue, " Bangorneburg," over which the abbat Dinoot is said to have presided at that time. These, before going to the conference, repaired first to a holy and discreet man, who led the life of a hermit among them, and consulted him whether they ought to relinquish their traditions at the preaching of Augustine. On which he replied, " If he be a man of God, follow him." " But how," said they, " shall this be proved ?" "It is," said he, " the saying of our Lord, ' Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart ;' if, therefore, Augustine be meek and lowly of heart, it is to be