Christianisation of Anglo-Saxon England
Heathen reaction upon Æthelberht's death

Around this time, King Sæberht of Essex, who had become a Christian under Æthelberht's influence, died and his sons also led a reaction against Christianity, expelling Mellitus, the bishop of London, who left for Gaul. This rejection of Christianity in both Essex and Kent at the same time was likely a result of coordination by the kings. The Bishop of Rochester Justus also left in this time, leaving Canterbury isolated. Consistent with this, Bede records that Eadbald's repudiation of Christianity was a severe setback to the growth of the Church in England. He further claims that Eadbald was divinely punished for his faithlessness, describing him as suffering from "frequent fits of madness" and being possessed by an "unclean spirit" that Barbara Yorke identified with epilepsy.
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