 On his return from Rome , Dunstan at once regained his position as virtual prime minister of the kingdom . By his advice Ælfstan was appointed to the Bishopric of London , and Oswald to that of Worcester . In 963 , Æthelwold , the Abbot of Abingdon , was appointed to the See of Winchester . With their aid and with the ready support of King Edgar , Dunstan pushed forward his reforms in the English Church . The monks in his communities were taught to live in a spirit of self @-@ sacrifice , and Dunstan actively enforced the law of celibacy whenever possible . He forbade the practices of simony ( selling ecclesiastical offices for money ) and ended the custom of clerics appointing relatives to offices under their jurisdiction . Monasteries were built , and in some of the great cathedrals , monks took the place of the secular canons ; in the rest the canons were obliged to live according to rule . The parish priests were compelled to be qualified for their office ; they were urged to teach parishioners not only the truths of the Christian faith , but also trades to improve their position . The state saw reforms as well . Good order was maintained throughout the realm and there was respect for the law . Trained bands policed the north , and a navy guarded the shores from Viking raids . There was a level of peace in the kingdom unknown in living memory . 
