The Christian church seems to have used the word Angli; for example in the story of Pope Gregory I and his remark, ""Non Angli sed angeli"" (not English but angels). The terms "ænglisc" ('the language') and "Angelcynn" ('the people') were also used by West Saxon King Alfred to refer to the people; in doing so he was following established practice. The first use of the term Anglo-Saxon amongst the insular sources is in the titles for Athelstan: "Angelsaxonum Denorumque gloriosissimus rex" (most glorious king of the Anglo-Saxons and of the Danes) and "rex Angulsexna and Norþhymbra imperator paganorum gubernator Brittanorumque propugnator" (king of the Anglo-Saxons and emperor of the Northumbrians, governor of the pagans, and defender of the Britons). At other times he uses the term "rex Anglorum" (king of the English), which presumably meant both Anglo-Saxons and Danes. Alfred used "Anglosaxonum Rex". The term (King of the English) is used by Æthelred. King Cnut in 1021 was the first to refer to the land and not the people with this term: (King of all England). These titles express the sense that the Anglo-Saxons were a Christian people with a king anointed by God.