was thorough and systematic. Originally England had been divided into
seven great dioceses, corresponding to the principal kingdoms (save only
still heathen Sussex), and having their sees in their chief towns–East
and West Kent, at Canterbury and Rochester; Essex, at London; Wessex, at
Dorchester or Winchester; Northumbria, at York; East Anglia, at
Dunwich; and Mercia, at Lichfield. The Scottish bishopric of Lindisfarne
coincided with Bernicia. Theodore divided these great dioceses into
smaller ones; East Anglia had two, for its north and south folk, at
Elmham and Dunwich; Bernicia was divided between Lindisfarne and Hexham;
Lincolnshire had its see placed at Sidnacester; and the sub-kingdoms of
Mercia were also made into dioceses, the Huiccii having their
bishop-stool at Worcester; the Hecans, at Hereford; and the Middle
English, at Leicester. But Theodore's great work was the establishment
of the national synod, in which all the clergy of the various English
kingdoms met together as a single people. This was the first step ever
taken towards the unification of England; and the ecclesiastical unity
thus preceded and paved the way for the political unity which was to
follow it. Theodore's organisation brought the whole Church into
connection with Rome. The bishops owing their orders to the Scots
conformed or withdrew, and henceforward Rome held undisputed sway.
Before Theodore, all the archbishops of Canterbury and all the bishops
of the southern kingdoms had been Roman missionaries; those of the north
had been Scots or in Scottish orders. After Theodore they were all
Englishmen in Roman orders. The native church became thenceforward
wholly self-supporting.

Theodore was much aided in his projects by Wilfrith of York, a man of
fiery energy and a devoted adherent of the Roman see, who had carried
the Roman supremacy at the Synod of Whitby, and who spent a large part
of his time in journeys between England and Italy. His life, by Æddi,