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7-2 COUNCIL OF CLOVESHOE.
sequence morals-became greatly weakened. Boniface,
the great Saxon Apostle of Germany, had heard
of the general degeneracy. As Archbishop of Mainz
he called together his suffragans, and wrote, in the
name of all, letters .' full of apostolic zeal to Ethelbald,
King of Mercia, and Cuthbert, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Chastity and the giving to God that which is
God's formed the theme of his admonition to Ethel-
bald. He began his letter to Cuthbert by giving
him an account of his own synod. " These things
we decreed in this our synodal assembly, and we
declared that we would preserve the Catholic faith,
d unity, and subjection t th Roman Church, t
the end of lif that we would be subject to St
Peter and his Vicar; that we would hold ;i synod
every year; that the metropolitans should apply to
the same see for their Palliums, and in all things
should strive to follow canonically the precepts of
St. Peter, in order that they may be numbered
among the sheep entrusted to him; and this confession
we all consented to and subscribed, and sent
to the body of St. Peter, the Prince of the Apostles."
He goes on to give various regulations passed concerning
the duties of bishops. The metropolitan is
to watch over all, and in cases where his authority
is insufficient, he is to refer the matter " always
faithfully to the Apostolic See and the Vicar of St.
Peter". The warnings o of Boniface resulted in the
Council of Cloveshoe in 747, one of the most important
synods held in Saxon times. Its articles fully