Truth Triumphant - Benjamin G. Wilkinson

ordained Mellitus as bishop to Sabert, king of the
East Saxons. Many were baptized, and it looked as
if Mellitus had done a good work. Upon the death
of Sabert, however, his three pagan sons
immediately made an open profession of idolatry
which previously they had renounced. They
granted liberty to the people to serve idols. And
when they saw the Roman bishop celebrating mass
and giving the wafer to the people, they argued
with the priest. Finally, they forced the bishop and
his followers to depart from the kingdom.
Immediately Mellitus fled to the two papal bishops
of the kingdom of Kent. All three agreed it would
be best for them to leave England, so they
withdrew into France.
Under Finan the Christian faith was again
established among the East Saxons, and this time
the Celtic Church brought the message. The Essex
king, Sigebert, and his friends were baptized. After
his baptism, the king called Celtic missionaries to
his kingdom. Thus the Celtic Church was the
instrument in God’s hand of making Christianity
prevail over idolatry in the kingdom of Essex.
397