And here, to pass over other particulars, let us cursorily notice the leading facts of the progress of the British Church, thus apostolic in its origin.

In the second century, 20 the history of Lucius, a British king, claims our attention. Who he was, and where he ruled in Britain, whether as a tributary to the Romans, or as an independent prince, has been the subject of much dispute. Some writers have considered him as located under the Romans, 21 among the Iceni, the people inhabiting the modern Norfolk and the adjacent counties; others 22 among the Regni, the people of the modern Sussex, Surrey, and parts of Hampshire; 23 others, in what is now called South Wales, or, 24 even beyond the Roman boundaries in North Britain. 25 The old British writer, which passes under the name of Nennius, and 26 Geoffrey of Monmouth, with their monkish followers, have extended his sway over a large portion of Britain, and related "his magnificent doings at Westminster and Winchester, Cambridge and Canterbury, not to allude to other places; and in consequence, have exposed his existence to much doubt. 28 Bede, the Anglo-Saxon ecclesiastical historian, relates that "Lucius, king of Britain, writing to Pope Eleutherus, desires to be made a Christian ;" to which event, however, in his various works, he has given the various dates of a.d. 156, 167, 180, though Eleutherus became not Bishop of Rome until A.D. 171 or 172. 29 One of the British Triads states that Lucius "built the first church in Llandaff;" while, in the neighbourhood of Llandaff, four

Usser. III.-VI., 17-73. Stillingfleet, II., 85-105.
Usser. IIL, 24. Stillingfleet, 96, 97.

Stillingfleet, 93-96, and note y.,

23 Rees, 83.

Usser. 19. Stillingfleet, 87.

24 Usser. 23.

Usser. V., 31. Stillingfleet, 117.

Usser. VI., 67, 66; IV. 27, 28; VI. 68. Stillingfleet, 100,

99, 103, 104, 100.

Beda Hist. Eccles. I., iv. 44; 19. Cantab., 1722. Usser. III., 19. 29 Rees, 82, 84.

V., xxiv. 219. Chronicon.,

Stillingfleet, 88.

churches have been called after the names of Lleurwg, Dyfan, Flagan, and Medwy; the last three being the names of the "Christian_teachers" employed in "the patrimony of Lucius," or Lleurwg. We may just add, as some confirmation, that a Usher notices "the LatinoSaxon Annals," which describe Lucius as King of the Britons of Wales." From these, the latest researches, it should appear that he possessed some royal authority within the modern South Wales; and, from his family and descent, a much more extended titular authority among his countrymen, 30 with the permission, if not the approbation, of the Roman power, then exercised in Britain, as a portion of their empire. And perhaps we may add that, about the end of this, or the opening of the next century, he was, according to the British History, finally "gathered to his fathers" at Gloucester. Thus, then, we dismiss any consideration of 31 his supposed missionary efforts and martyrdom in Germany, and also, what has been much contested by some, the mission deputed by him to Rome; various writers esteeming the one and the other, as nothing else than pure fabrication.

In the third century, but towards its close,* A.D. 286, according to some writers, the Church in Britain was much harassed by persecution; though this event is, indeed, much more correctly connected with the following one. If such computation be granted, then no remarkable circumstance is recorded, during this third century, in the history of the British Church. We cannot omit, however, the testimonies of those eminent writers, 32 Tetullian and Origen, for the general progress of Christianity; the first shortly before, the other somewhat advanced in, this third century. Tertullian, about A.D. 192, writing against the Jews, while enumerating the various nations of

a Usser. 20, which compare with Ingram's Preface to his edition of the Saxon Chronicle, London, 1823; and quoted by Giles in his Preface to the Saxon Chronicle, xxxv. London, 1847. 30 Usser. 24. Stillingfleet, 93.

31 Usser. VI., 71. Stillingfleet, 85; notes j, k.

*

Stillingfleet, 107. 32 Usser. VII., 75, 74. Stillingfleet, 73, 84.

Africa and Europe which believed in Christ, observes; "Even those parts of Britain, inaccessible to the Romans, were subjected to Christ." Origen, about A.D. 230, in his fourth Homily on Ezekiel, asks; "When did the British land, previously to the coming of Christ, agree in the worship of one God?" Both these passages clearly evince the prevalence of the Christian faith in Britain; but, that of Origen shews that, 33 "the Christian religion altered the whole scheme of the Druidical worship; and instead of their Taranis," or Jupiter,-" Teutates," or Mercury, "Andate," or goddess of Victory, "it taught them to believe and worship one true God, and Jesus Christ, whom He had sent to be the Saviour of the world."

In the fourth century, then, almost with its very commencement,34 A.D. 303, the persecution of the British Church, under the Emperor Diocletian, took place; when 35 Alban at Verulam, now called after him St. Albans, in his martyrdom there, and others, as Aaron and Julius at Caerleon, besides many of both sexes elsewhere in Britain, "witnessed a good confession," amidst many torments. a Constantius, who then ruled Britain, Gaul, and Spain, in subordination to the imperial authority, was compelled, in some measure, to participate in this persecution, though he lessened, as far as in him lay, the effects of it; he being, says Bede, "a man of extraordinary meekness and courtesy."

Shortly after,35 Constantine the Great, and first Christian Emperor, who, our principal Church writers, whether Romanist or Protestant, have insisted, was of British birth, he being the son of Constantius and of Helena, the latter a native of

Stillingfleet, 84. Usser, I., 1.

34 Usser. VII., 76. Stillingfleet, 106.

35 Usser. 76, 87. Stillingfleet, 110.

a

Stillingfleet, 110, 111, and Notes. Bede, I., viii. 47. 35* Usser. VIII., 94. Stillingfleet, III., 135.

Britain, 36 restored peace to the Christian world. 37 Under this Emperor, the Britons rebuilt their churches; 38 their bishops attended the Council of Arles, in Gaul, the modern France, A. D. 314; and 39 probably that of Nice, in Asia, A.D. 325. 40 At both these Councils, the proper time for the observance of Easter was discussed, if not concluded; while, at the latter, two important points were determined ; 41 the condemnation of Arius; and the independence of the various Christian Church. Arius was a presbyter of the Church of Alexandria; of whom we would now only say, he blasphemously declared that, 42 "Christ was merely a created being; therefore he was not truly God." In the sixth canon of this first General Council of the Eastern and Western Churches, 43" the Nicene Fathers settled the particular bounds of patriarchal," or rather metropolitical, "jurisdiction, according to ancient custom. The words are: Let ancient customs prevail, for the Bishop of Alexandria to have the jurisdiction over Egypt, Lybia, and Pentapolis; because the Bishop of Rome hath a like custom; likewise in Antioch, and other provinces, let the privileges of Churches be preserved." Thus, though some Churches were 44 "patriarchal as to extent," yet they were "but metropolitical in the administration ;" and 45 "the Bishop of Rome, no less than the rest, had his proper and metropolitical power," which "flowed only from custom and the practice of the

36 Stillingfleet, II., 112, note r.
37 Usser. 103. Stillingfleet, 112.
38 Usser. 104. Stillingfleet, ibid.

39 Usser. 105. Stillingfleet, III., 135.

40 Stillingfleet, II., 128; III., 135. Usser. ibid.

41 Stillingfleet, IV., 224; III, 151.

42 Cave's Script. Eccles. Hist. Literar. I., 174. Oxon., 1740. 43 Stillingfleet, 152.

44 Ibid., 157.

45 Cave's Dissertation concerning the Government of the Ancient Church, II., 52. London, 1683.

Church." And 46 this metropolitical power of the Bishop of Rome was commensurate with that of the Prefect of the city of Rome, which extended one hundred miles round that city; or, at the most, that Bishop's power extended only to ten, out of the seventeen provinces of Italy; which ten provinces were under the rule of the Vicar of the city of Rome.

Some learned men have thought that at the Council of Sardica, a city on the borders of Thrace and Mysia, now a portion of Turkey in Europe, which Council was convened A. D. 347, against the followers of Arius, there were British Bishops present; 48 but it is much more certain that such was the case at the Council of Ariminum in Italy, A.D. 359, also convened against the Arians; where, it is stated, "three Bishops out of Britain, not being able to maintain themselves, made use of the public allowance, rather than be chargeable to their brethren."

49 Both Gildas, the British, and Bede, the AngloSaxon writer, speak of the peace which the British Church had enjoyed since the cessation of the Diocletian persecution; until that, "the Arian madness, which, having corrupted the whole world, infected even this remote island of Britain with its poison.” This melancholy event, 50 some writers consider, occurred between A. D. 378 and A. D. 383; 51 others, however, about A. D. 359, at the unfortunate conclusion of the Council of Ariminum; as, in A. D. 378, Gratian, the Emperor, by public edict permitted, with the exception of three heretical sects, the free toleration of all others. But, however, 52 the general state of

#Pantin's Observations on certain passages in Arnold's Christian Duty of granting the Roman Catholic Claims, 26-28, and notes. Lutterworth, 1829.

Usser. ibid. Stillingfleet, 202.

Usser. ibid. Stillingfleet, IV., 259, 264, 265, compared with 260, note p.

Usser. 106. Stilling fleet, II., 80; IV., 219, 265.

50 Usser. ibid.

51 Stillingfleet, 259.

52 Smith's note 21 to his edition of Bede's Ecclesiastical History, I., viii. 47. Cantab., 1722.