The same year, Boniface, whom six years before Pope Zachary had made archbishop of Mayence, gave up one day the episcopal dignity to his disciple Lullus, charging him to carry on the different works himself had commenced among the churches of Germany, and to uphold the faith of the people.  “As for me,” he added, “I will put myself on my road, for the time of my passing away approacheth.  I have longed for this departure, and none can turn me from it; wherefore, my son, get all things ready, and place in the chest with my books the winding-sheet to wrap up my old body.”  And so he departed with some of his priests and servants to go and evangelize the Frisons, the majority of whom were still pagans and barbarians.  He pitched his tent on their territory, and was arranging to celebrate their Lord’s supper, when a band of natives came down and rushed upon the archbishop’s retinue.  The servitors surrounded him, to defend him and themselves, and a battle began.

“Hold, hold, my children!” cried the archbishop; “Scripture biddeth us return good for evil.  This is the day I have long desired, and the hour of our deliverance is at hand.  Be strong in the Lord:  hope in him, and he will save your souls.”  The barbarians slew the holy man and the majority of his company.  A little while after, the Christians of the neighborhood came in arms and recovered the body of St. Boniface.  Near him was a book which was stained with blood and seemed to have dropped from his hands; it contained several works of the fathers, and among others a writing of St. Ambrose, On the Blessing of Death.  The death of the pious missionary was as powerful as his preaching in converting Friesland.  It was a mode of conquest worthy of the Christian faith, and one of which the history of Christianity had already proved the effectiveness.

St. Boniface did not confine himself to the evangelization of the pagans; he labored ardently in the Christian Gallo-Frankish Church to reform the manners and ecclesiastical discipline, and to assure, while justifying, the moral influence of the clergy by example as well as precept.  The councils, which had almost fallen into desuetude in Gaul, became once more frequent and active there:  from 742 to 753 there may be counted seven, presided over by St. Boniface, which exercised within the Church a salutary action.  King Pepin, recognizing the services which the archbishop of Mayence had rendered him, seconded his reformatory efforts at one time by giving the support of his royal authority to the canons of the councils, held often simultaneously with and almost confounded with the laic assemblies of the Franks; at another by doing justice to the protests of the churches against the violence and spoliation to which they were subjected.