4S8 LESTINGHAM. 



many churches were built, and thousands flocked i* 

 them. 



The church of Lindisfarne was both a cathedral 

 and a monastery ; and like the monastery of lona^ 

 it might rather be called a seminary of learning 

 than a habitation for recluses ; and from this semm- 

 ary preachers were sent out in every direction into 

 the neighbouring kingdoms of Northumbria. It is 

 probable that some of these zealous missionaries 

 visited this district in the days of Aidan ; but we 

 Jiave no account df any church having been built in 

 it before the time of his successor, Finan, when the 

 church of Lestingham was erected, as before obser- 

 ved. The founder, Cedd, was the eldest, or at least 

 the most eminent, of four brothers, who were all 

 educated for the ministry, under the tuition of Aidan 

 and his successor Finan. When Penda, prince of 

 the middle Angles, and son of Penda king of Mer* 

 cia, was baptized by Finan, at the royal residence 

 near the Roman wall, about the time of his mar- 

 riage with Alchfleda, daughter of Oswy, he desired 

 to take some ministers along with him, to instruct 

 his subjects in the true religion ; and Cedd was one 

 of the four appointed for that service. Cedd had 

 not long laboured among the Mercians, before he 

 was called to officiate in a more conspicuous station. 

 The east Saxons, who had been enlightened by 

 some of the disciples of Augustine, had relapsed in-", 

 to idolatry ; but Sigbert, their king, when on a visit 

 to Oswy, king of Northumberland, was persuaded 

 to receive the gospel ; and was baptized by th 

 Jinnds of Finan. This prince having solicited * 



