Sexred of Essex
Encyclopedia
Sexred, or Sexræd, was a king of the East-Saxons
Sexred was the son of Sebert (d 616?) the first Christian king of the East Saxons. He refused to accept Christianity
, and when he succeeded his father in 616, reigning conjointly with his two brothers, Saeward and another, said on no good authority to have been named Sigebert (Bromton, ap. Decem SS. col. 743), openly practised paganism
and gave permission to his subjects to worship their idols.
When he and his brothers saw Mellitus
(d. 624), bishop of London, giving the eucharist
to the people in church, they said to him, so it was commonly believed in the Venerable Bede's time, "Why do you not offer us the white bread that you used to give to our father Saba, for so they called him, and which you still give to the people?" Mellitus answered that if they would be washed in the font they should have it, but that otherwise it would do them no good. But they said that they would not enter the font, for they did not need washing but refreshment. The matter was often explained to them by the bishop, who persisted in refusing their request. At last they grew angry and banished him from their kingdom. Not long afterwards they went out to fight with the West-Saxons, and were slain, their army being almost wholly destroyed (Bede, Hist. Eccl. ii. c. 5). This battle was fought against Ceawlin and Cwichelm of Wessex
, the West Saxon kings who invaded their territory with a larger force than the East-Saxons could muster in or about 626. They were succeeded by Sæward's son Sigebert the Little.
Sexred was the son of Sebert (d 616?) the first Christian king of the East Saxons. He refused to accept Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, and when he succeeded his father in 616, reigning conjointly with his two brothers, Saeward and another, said on no good authority to have been named Sigebert (Bromton, ap. Decem SS. col. 743), openly practised paganism
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
and gave permission to his subjects to worship their idols.
When he and his brothers saw Mellitus
Mellitus
Mellitus was the first Bishop of London in the Saxon period, the third Archbishop of Canterbury, and a member of the Gregorian mission sent to England to convert the Anglo-Saxons from their native paganism to Christianity. He arrived in 601 AD with a group of clergymen sent to augment the mission,...
(d. 624), bishop of London, giving the eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
to the people in church, they said to him, so it was commonly believed in the Venerable Bede's time, "Why do you not offer us the white bread that you used to give to our father Saba, for so they called him, and which you still give to the people?" Mellitus answered that if they would be washed in the font they should have it, but that otherwise it would do them no good. But they said that they would not enter the font, for they did not need washing but refreshment. The matter was often explained to them by the bishop, who persisted in refusing their request. At last they grew angry and banished him from their kingdom. Not long afterwards they went out to fight with the West-Saxons, and were slain, their army being almost wholly destroyed (Bede, Hist. Eccl. ii. c. 5). This battle was fought against Ceawlin and Cwichelm of Wessex
Cwichelm of Wessex
Cwichelm was an Anglo-Saxon king of the Gewisse, a people in the upper Thames area who later created the kingdom of Wessex. He is usually counted among the Kings of Wessex....
, the West Saxon kings who invaded their territory with a larger force than the East-Saxons could muster in or about 626. They were succeeded by Sæward's son Sigebert the Little.