Series 1 > History of Greater Britain, as well England as Scotland

66 JOHN MAJOR’S HISTORY [book ii.
Servanusis ordains as bishop Servanus, and sent him to the islands of the
the heandseofby Orkneys that he might preach the gospel to those who dwelt
one bishop there. Hence it is plain that a bishop, where need is, can be
consecrated by one bishop, and it is not of the essence of a
bishop that he be ordained by three. Those persons err never¬
theless who ordain otherwise, where a trinity of bishops may be
had1. James the Less was appointed overseer2 of Jerusalem by
Peter, John, and James the son of Zebedee; following which
example overseers are appointed by three presidents3. Servanus
Kentigem. baptized the Blessed Kentigern. Further: five years after the
sending of Palladius to British Scotland, the same Celestine
Patrick. consecrates Saint Patrick, a Briton by race, as overseer, and
sends him to the people of Ireland, and he, by the holiness of
his life and the wonderful works that he did, converted the
whole of Ireland to the Christian faith. Forty years he ruled
the church in Ireland, and then, full of days and in the odour
Ninian. of sanctity, fell asleep in the Lord. At this time Saint Ninian
visited the Blessed Martin at Tours, concerning whom Bede, in
the third book, at the fourth chaper of the same, speaks thus :
‘ The Blessed Ninian, bishop of the race of the Britons, a most
reverend and holy man, who had been instructed in all things
at Rome, founded Candida Casa, that is, a church built of
stone, in a manner not in use among the Britons; wherefore it
Candida Casa, came to be called Candida Casa. He built there a church in
honour of the Blessed Martin, where this same Ninian and
other holy men now rest.’ The Britons were then in occupa¬
tion of the place, because it belonged to the province of the
Bernicii—the kingdom of the Northumbrians is thus divided
because the more northern portion thereof is called Bernicia.
At this time, and even to the days of Bede, Candida Casa
belonged to the Northumbrians. Bede wrote, having regard
1 The consecration of a bishop by the present discipline of the Roman church
must be performed ex necessitate praecepti by not less than three bishops, except
by a papal dispensation which may allow two assistant priests to take the place
of two bishops. Some few theologians have, however, maintained that three
episcopal consecrators are required ex necessitate sacramenti, and that a conse¬
cration by a single bishop, without at least a papal dispensation, would be in¬
valid.—Ferraris : Prompta Bibliotheca, s.v. episcopus.
2 antistitem.
8 a tribus praesulibus antistites instituuntur.