That one Iosephus preached here in England, in the time of the
Apostles, his sepulchre yet in Aualon, now called Glessenburg or
Glastenburie, an epitaph affixed therevnto is proofe sufficient.
Howbeit, sith these things are not of competent force to persuade all
men, I will ad in few, what I haue read elsewhere of his arriuall
here. First of all therefore you shall note that he came ouer into
Britaine, about the 64. after Christ, when the persecution began vnder
Nero, at which time Philip and diuers of the godlie being in France
(whether he came with other christians, after they had sowed the word
of God in Scythia, by the space of 9. yeares) seuered themselues in
sunder, to make the better shift for their owne safegard, and yet not
otherwise than by their flight, the gospell might haue due
[Sidenote: _Philip. Freculphus. To. 2., lib. 2. cap. 4._]
[Sidenote: _Nennius. Nicephorus lib. 2. cap. 40._]
[Sidenote: _Isidorus lib. de vita & obit. dict. patrum._]
[Sidenote: _W. Malmes. de antiq. Glasconici monast._]
furtherance. Hereby then it came to passe, that the said Philip vpon
good deliberation did send Iosephus ouer, and with him Simon Zelotes
to preach vnto the Britons, and minister the sacraments there
according to the rites of the churches of Asia and Greece, from whence
they came not long before vnto the countrie of the Galles. Which was
saith Malmesburie 103. before Faganus and Dinaw did set foorth the
gospell amongst them. Of the c[=o]ming of Zelotes you may read more in
the second booke of Niceph. Cal. where he writeth thereof in this
maner: "Operæpretium etiam fuerit Simonem Cana Galileæ ortum, qui
propter flagrantem in magistrum suum ardorem, summámq; euangelicæ rei
per omnia curam Zelotes cognominatus est hîc referre, accepit enim is
c[oe]litùs adueniente spiritu sancto, Aegyptium Cyrenem & Africam,
deinde Mauritaniam & Lybiam omnem euangelium deprædicans percurrit,
eandemque doctrinam etiam ad occidentalem Oceanum insulásque
Britannicas perfert." And this is the effect in a little roome, of
that which I haue read at large in sundrie writers, beside these two
here alledged, although it may well be gathered that diuers Britains
were conuerted to the faith, before this sixtie foure of Christ.
Howbeit, whereas some write that they liued, and dwelled in Britaine,
it cannot as yet take any absolute hold in my iudgement, but rather
that they were baptised and remained, either in Rome, or else-where.
[Sidenote: Claudia Rufina a British ladie.]
And of this sort I suppose Claudia Rufina the wife of Pudens to be
one, who was a British ladie indeed, and not onelie excellentlie séene
in the Gréeke and Latine toongs, but also with hir husband highlie
[Sidenote: _1. Tim. 4._]
commended by S. Paule, as one hauing had conuersation and conference
with them at Rome, from whence he did write his second epistle vnto
Timothie, as I read. Of this ladie moreouer Martial speaketh, in
reioising that his poesies were read also in Britaine, and onelie by
hir meanes, who vsed to cull out the finest & honestest of his
epigrams and send them to hir fréends for tokens, saieng after this
maner, as himselfe dooth set it downe:
Dicitur & nostros cantare Britannia versus.
Furthermore making mention of hir and hir issue, he addeth these
words:
[Sidenote: _Li. 11. Epig. 54._]
Claudia c[oe]ruleis cùm sit Rufina Britannis
Edita, cur Latiæ pectora plebis habet?
Quale decus formæ? Romanam credere matres
Italides possunt, Atthides esse suam.
Dij bene, quod sancto peperit fæcunda marito,
Quot sperat, generos, quótque puella nurus.
Sic placeat superis, vt coniuge gaudeat vno,
Et semper natis gaudeat illa tribus.
The names of hir thrée children were Prudentiana, Praxedes, both
virgins, and Nouatus, who after the death of Pudens their father
(which befell him in Cappadocia) dwelled with their mother in Vmbria,
where they ceased not from time to time to minister vnto the saints.
But to leaue this impertinent discourse, and proceed with my purpose.
I find in the Chronicles of Burton (vnder the yeare of Grace 141. and
time of Hadrian the emperour) that nine scholers or clerkes of Grantha
or Granta (now Cambridge) were baptised in Britaine, and became
preachers of the gospell there, but whether Taurinus bishop or elder
ouer the congregation at Yorke (who as Vincentius saith, was executed
[Sidenote: _Lib. 10. cap. 17._]
[Sidenote: Taurinus.]
about this time for his faith) were one of them or not, as yet I do
not certeinlie find; but rather the contrarie, which is that he was no
Britaine at all, but Episcopus Ebroicensis, for which such as perceiue
not the easie corruption of the word, may soone write Eboracensis as
certeinlie mine author out of whom I alledge this authoritie hath done
before me. For Vincentius saith flat otherwise, and therefore the
Chronologie if it speake of anie Taurinus bishop of Yorke is to be
reformed in that behalfe. Diuers other also imbraced the religion of
Christ verie zealouslie before these men. Howbeit, all this
notwithstanding, the glad tidings of the gospell had neuer free and
open passage here, vntill the time of Lucius, in which the verie
enimies of the word became the apparent meanes (contrarie to their
owne minds) to haue it set foorth amongst vs. For when Antoninus the
emperour had giuen out a decrée, that the Druiysh religion should
euerie where be abolished, Lucius the king (whose surname is now
perished) tooke aduise of his councell what was best to be doone, &
wrote in this behalfe. And this did Lucius, bicause he knew it
[*]impossible for man to liue long without any religion at all:
[Sidenote: * This is contrarie to the common talke of our
Atheists who say, Let vs liue here in wealth, credit and
authoritie vpon earth, and let God take heauen and his
religion to himselfe to doo withall what he listeth.]
finallie finding his Nobilitie & subiects vtter enemies to the Romane
deuoti[=o] (for that they made so many gods as they listed, & some to
haue the regiment euen of their dirt & dung) and thervnto being
pricked forwards by such christians as were conuersant about him, to
choose the seruice of the true God that liueth for euer, rather than
the slauish seruitude of any pagan idoll: he fullie resolued with
himselfe in the end, to receiue and imbrace the gospell of Christ.
[Sidenote: Lucius openeth his ears to good counsell,
as one desirous to serue God & not prefer the world.]
He sent also two of his best learned and greatest philosophers to
Rome, vnto Eleutherus then bishop there in the 177. of Christ, not to
promise any subiection to his sea, which then was not required, but to
say with such as were pricked in mind, Acts. 2. verse. 37. "Quid
faciemus viri fratres?" I meane that they were sent to be perfectlie
instructed, and with farther commission, to make earnest request vnto
him and the congregation there, that a competent number of preachers
might be sent ouer from thence, by whose diligent aduise and trauell,
the foundation of the gospell might surelie be laid ouer all the
portion of the Ile, which conteined his kingdome, according to his
mind.
[Sidenote: The purpose of Lucius opened vnto the
congregation at Rome by Eleutherus.]
When Eleutherus vnderstood these things, he reioiced not a little for
the great goodnesse, which the Lord had shewed vpon this our Ile and
countrie. Afterwards calling the brethren togither, they agréed to
ordeine, euen those two for bishops, whom Lucius as you haue heard,
had directed ouer vnto them. Finallie after they had thoroughlie
catechized them, making generall praier vnto God and earnest
supplication for the good successe of these men, they sent them home
againe with no small charge, that they should be diligent in their
function, and carefull ouer the flocke committed to their custodie.
The first of these was called Eluanus Aualonius, a man borne in the
Ile of Aualon, and brought up there vnder those godlie pastours and
their disciples, whom Philip sent ouer at the first for the conuersion
of the Britons. The other hight Medguinus, and was thereto surnamed
Belga, bicause he was of the towne of Welles, which then was called
Belga. This man was trained vp also in one schoole with Eluanus, both
of them being ornaments to their horie ages, and men of such grauitie
and godlinesse, that Eleutherus supposed none more worthie to support
this charge, than they: after whose comming home also, it was not long
[Sidenote: A zealous prince maketh feruent subiects.]
yer Lucius and all his houshold with diuers of the Nobilitie were
baptised, beside infinit numbers of the common people, which dailie
resorted vnto them, and voluntarilie renounced all their idolatrie and
paganisme.
In the meane time, Eleutherus vnderstanding the successe of these
learned doctours, and supposing with himselfe, that they two onlie
could not suffice to support so great a charge as should concerne the
conuersion of the whole Iland; he directed ouer vnto them in the yeare
[Sidenote: Faganus.]
[Sidenote: Dinauus.]
[Sidenote: Aaron.]
insuing Faganus, Dinaw (or Dinauus) Aaron, and diuerse other godlie
preachers, as fellow-labourers to trauell with them in the vineyard of
[Sidenote: _Radulphus de la noir aliàs Niger._]
the Lord. These men therefore after their comming hither, consulted
with the other, and foorthwith wholie consented to make a diuision of
[Sidenote: 3. Cheefe Bishops in Britaine.]
this Iland amongst themselues, appointing what parcell each preacher
should take, that with the more profit and ease of the people, and
somewhat lesse trauell also for themselues, the doctrine of the
Gospell might be preached and receiued. In this distribution, they
ordeined that there should be one congregation at London, where they
[Sidenote: Theonus.]
[Sidenote: Theodosius.]
[Sidenote: London.]
[Sidenote: Yorke.]
[Sidenote: Caerlheon.]
placed Theonus as chéefe elder and bishop, for that present time,
worthilie called Theonus. 1. for there was another of that name who
fled into Wales with Thadiocus of Yorke, at the first comming of the
Saxons; and also Guthelmus, who went (as I read) into Armorica, there
to craue aid against the Scots and Vandals that plagued this Ile, from
the Twede vnto the Humber. After this Theonus also Eluanus succéeded,
who conuerted manie of the Druiydes, and builded the first librarie
neere vnto the bishops palace. The said Lucius also placed another at
Yorke, whither they appointed Theodosius: and the third at Caerlheon
vpon the riuer Vske, builded sometimes by Belinus, and called
Glamorgantia, but now Chester (in which three cities there had before
time beene thrée Archflamines erected vnto Apollo, Mars, and Minerua,
but now raced to the ground, and three other churches builded in their
steeds by Lucius) to the end that the countries round about might haue
indifferent accesse vnto those places, and therewithall vnderstand for
certeintie, whither to resort for resolution, if after their
conuersion they should happen to doubt of any thing. In like sort also
the rest of the idoll-temples standing in other places were either
ouerthrowne, or conuerted into churches for christian congregations to
assemble in, as our writers doo remember. In the report whereof giue
me leaue gentle reader, of London my natiue citie to speake a little:
for although it may and dooth seeme impertinent to my purpose, yet it
shall not be much, and therefore I will soone make an end. There is a
controuersie moued among our historiographers, whether the church that
Lucius builded at London stood at Westminster, or in Cornehill. For
there is some cause, why the metropolitane church should be thought to
stand where S. Peters now doth, by the space of 400. & od yéeres
before it was remoued to Canturburie by Austine the monke, if a man
should leane to one side without anie conference of the asseuerations
of the other. But herin (as I take it) there lurketh some scruple, for
beside that S. Peters church stood in the east end of the citie, and
that of Apollo in the west, the word Cornehill (a denomination giuen
of late to speake of to one street) may easilie be mistaken for
Thorney. For as the word Thorney proceedeth from the Saxons, who
called the west end of the citie by that name, where Westminster now
standeth, bicause of the wildnesse and bushinesse of the soile; so I
doo not read of anie stréete in London called Cornehill before the
conquest of the Normans. Wherfore I hold with them, which make
Westminster to be the place where Lucius builded his church vpon the
ruines of that Flamine 264. yeeres, as Malmesburie saith, before the
comming of the Saxons, and 411. before the arriuall of Augustine. Read
also his appendix in lib. 4. Pontif. where he noteth the time of the
Saxons, in the 449. of Grace, and of Augustine in the 596. of Christ;
which is a manifest accompt, though some copies haue 499. for the one,
but not without manifest corruption and error.
[Sidenote: Britaine the first prouince that receiued
the Gospell generallie.]
Thus became Britaine the first prouince that generallie receiued the
faith, and where the gospell was freelie preached without inhibition
of hir prince. Howbeit, although that Lucius and his princes and great
numbers of his people imbraced the word with gréedinesse, yet was not
the successe thereof either so vniuersall, that all men beleeued at
the first; the securitie so great, as that no persecution was to be
feared from the Romane empire after his decease; or the procéeding of
the king so seuere, as that he inforced any man by publike authoritie
to forsake and relinquish his paganisme: but onelie this fréedome was
enioied, that who so would become a christian in his time, might
without feare of his lawes professe the Gospell, in whose testimonie,
if néed had béene, I doubt not to affirme, but that he would haue shed
[Sidenote: Emerita neece vnto Lucius.]
also his bloud, as did his neece Emerita, who being constant aboue the
common sort of women, refused not after his decease by fire, to yeeld
hir selfe to death, as a swéet smelling sacrifice in the nostrels of
the Lord, beyond the sea in France.
[Sidenote: Lucius sendeth againe to Rome.]
The faith of Christ being thus planted in this Iland in the 177. after
Christ, and Faganus and Dinaw with the rest sent ouer from Rome, in
the 178. as you haue heard: it came to passe in the third yeare of the
Gospell receiued, that Lucius did send againe to Eleutherus the
bishop, requiring that he might haue some breefe epitome of the order
of discipline then vsed in the church. For he well considered, that as
it auaileth litle to plant a costlie vineyard, except it afterward be
cherished, kept in good order, and such things as annoie, dailie
remooued from the same: so after baptisme and entrance into religion,
it profiteth little to beare the name of christians, except we doo
[Sidenote: _Ro. 3. ver. 1._]
walke in the spirit, and haue such things as offend apparentlie,
corrected by seuere discipline. For otherwise it will come to passe,
that the wéedes of vice, and vicious liuing, will so quicklie abound
in vs, that they will in the end choke vp the good séed sowne in our
minds, and either inforce vs to returne vnto our former wickednesse
with déeper securitie than before, or else to become meere Atheists,
which is a great deale woorse.
For this cause therefore did Lucius send to Rome, the second time, for
a copie of such politike orders as were then vsed there, in their
[Sidenote: The wisedome of Eleutherus.]
regiment of the church. But Eleutherus considering with himselfe, how
that all nations are not of like condition, and therefore those
constitutions that are beneficiall to one, may now and then be
preiudiciall to another: and séeing also that beside the word no rites
and orders can long continue, or be so perfect in all points, but that
as time serueth, they will require alteration: he thought it best not
to laie any more vpon the necks of the new conuerts of Britaine as
yet, than Christ and his apostles had alreadie set downe vnto all men.
In returning therefore his messengers, he sent letters by them vnto
Lucius and his Nobilitie, dated in the consulships of Commodus and
Vespronius, wherein he told them that Christ had left sufficient order
in the Scriptures for the gouernment of his church alreadie in his
word, and not for that onlie, but also for the regiment of his whole
[Sidenote: * Though most princes canot heare on that side.]
[*]kingdome, if he would submit himselfe, to yéeld and follow that
rule. The epistle it selfe is partlie extant, and partlie perished,
yet such as it is, and as I haue faithfullie translated it out of
sundrie verie ancient copies, I doo deliuer it here, to the end I will
not defraud the reader of anie thing that may turne to the glorie of
God, and his commoditie, in the historie of our nation.
[Sidenote: Epistle of Eleutherus vnto Lucius.]
"You require of vs the Romane ordinances, and thereto the statutes of
the emperours to be sent ouer vnto you, and which you desire to
practise and put in vre within your realme and kingdome. The Romane
lawes and those of emperours we may eftsoones reprooue, but those of
God can neuer be found fault withall. You haue receiued of late
through Gods mercie in the realme of Britaine the law and faith of
Christ, you haue with you both volumes of the scriptures: out of them
therefore by Gods grace, and the councell of your realme take you a
law, and by that law through Gods sufferance rule your kingdome, for
[Sidenote: _Psal. 24._]
you are Gods vicar in your owne realme, as the roiall prophet saith;
The earth is the Lords and all that is therein, the compasse of the
[Sidenote: _Psal. 45._]
world, and they that dwell therein. Againe, Thou hast loued truth and
hated iniquitie, wherefore God, euen thy God hath annointed thee with
oile of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes. And againe, according to the
[Sidenote: _Psal. 71._]
saieng of the same prophet; Oh God giue thy iudgement vnto the king, &
thy iustice vnto the kings sonne. The kings sons are the christian
people & flocke of the realme, which are vnder your gouernance, and
[Sidenote: * Here wanteth.]
liue & continue in peace within your kingdome. [*] The gospell saith;
As the hen gathereth hir chickens vnder hir wings, so dooth the king
his people. Such as dwell in the kingdome of Britaine are yours, whom
if they be diuided, you ought to gather into concord and vnitie, to
call them to the faith and law of Christ, and to his sacred church: to
chearish and mainteine, to rule also and gouerne them, defending each
of them from such as would doo them wrong, and keeping them from the
malice of such as be their enimies. [*]Wo vnto the nation whose king
is a child, and whose princes rise vp earlie to banket and féed, which
is spoken not of a prince that is within age, but of a prince that is
become a child, through follie, sinne & vnstedfastnesse, of whom the
[Sidenote: _Psal. 55._]
prophet saith; The bloudthirstie and deceitfull men shall not liue
foorth halfe their daies. [*]By féeding I vnderstand gluttonie; by
gluttonie, lust; & by lust all wickednesse & sinne, according to the
saieng of Salomon the king; Wisedome entreth not into a wicked mind,
nor dwelleth with a man that is subiect vnto sinne. A king hath his
name of ruling, and not of the possession of his realme. You shalbe a
king whilest you rule well, but if you doo otherwise, the name of a
king shall not remaine with you, but you shall vtterlie forgo it,
which God forbid. The almightie God grant you so to rule the kingdome
of Britaine, that you may reigne with him for euer, whose vicar (or
vicegerent) you are within your aforesaid kingdome. Who with the Sonne
and the Holie-ghost, &c."
Hitherto out of the epistle that Eleutherus sent vnto Lucius, wherein
manie pretie obseruations are to be collected, if time and place would
serue to stand vpon them. After these daies also the number of such as
were ordeined to saluation, increased dailie more and more, whereby
(as in other places of the world) the word of God had good successe in
Britaine, in time of peace; and in heat of persecution, there were no
[Sidenote: Albane.]
[Sidenote: Amphibalus.]
[Sidenote: Iulius.]
[Sidenote: Aaron.]
small number of martyrs that suffered for the same, of which Albane,
Amphibalus, Iulius, and Aaron, are reputed to be the chiefe, bicause
of their noble parentage, which is a great matter in the sight of
worldlie men.
There are which affirme our Lucius to renounce his kingdome, and
afterward to become first a bishop, then a preacher of the gospell,
and afterward a pope: but to the end such as hold this opinion may
once vnderstand the botome of their errors, I will set downe the
matter at large, whereby they shall sée (if they list to looke) how
far they haue béene deceiued.
[Sidenote: Chlorus had three sons, & a daughter by Helena.]
I find that Chlorus had issue by his second wife, two sonnes,
Dalmatius (who had a sonne called also Dalmatius and slaine by the
souldiors.) Constantius father to Gallus, and Iulian the apostata;
besides foure other whose names as yet I find not. But being at the
first matched with Helena, and before she was put from him by the
roiall power of Dioclesian, he had by hir three sonnes (beside one
daughter named Emerita) of which the name of the first is perished,
the second was called Lucius, & the third Constantine, that afterward
was emperour of Rome, by election of the armies in Britaine. Now it
happened that Lucius, whome the French call Lucion, by means of a
quarell growne betwéene him and his elder brother, did kill his said
brother, either by a fraie or by some other meanes, wherevpon his
father exiled him out of Britaine, and appointed him from thenceforth
to remaine in Aquitane in France. This Lucion brought thus into
worldlie sorow, had now good leasure to meditate vpon heauen, who
before in his prosperitie had peraduenture neuer regard of hell.
[Sidenote: Lucion becommeth a christian.]
[Sidenote: Lucion a bishop.]
Finallie he fell so far into the consideration of his estate, that at
the last he renounced his paganisme, and first became a christian,
then an elder, and last of all a bishop in the church of Christ. He
erected also a place of praier wherein to serue the liuing God, which
after sundrie alterations came in processe of time to be an Abbaie,
and is still called euen to our time after Lucion or Lucius: the first
founder therof, and the originall beginner of anie such house in those
parts.
In this also he and diuers other of his freends continued their times,
in great contemplation and praier, and from hence were translated as
occasion serued, vnto sundrie ecclesiasticall promotions in the time
of Constant. his brother. So that euen by this short narration it is
now easie to sée, that Lucius the king, and Lucius or Lucion the sonne
[Sidenote: _Hermannus Schedelius. Bruschius cap. 3._]
of Chlorus, were distinct persons. Herevnto Hermannus Schedelius
addeth also how he went into Rhetia with Emerita his sister, and néere
vnto the citie Augusta conuerted the Curienses vnto the faith of
Christ, and there likewise (being put to death in Castro Martis) lieth
buried in the same towne, where his feast is holden vpon the third
daie of December, as may readilie be confirmed, whereas the bones of
our Lucius were to be séene at Glocester. That Schedelius erreth not
herein also, the ancient monuments of the said Abbaie, whereof he was
the originall beginner, as I said, doo yeeld sufficient testimonie,
beside an hymne made in his commendation, intituled Gaude Lucionum,
[Sidenote: _Festum Lucionis. Iohn Bouchet._]
&c. But for more of this you may resort vnto Bouchet in his first
booke, and fift chapter of the Annales of Aquitane, who neuertheles
maketh the king of Britaine grandfather to this Lucion. The said
[Sidenote: Emerita martyred in Rhetia.]
Schedelius furthermore setteth downe, that his sister was martyred in
Trinecastell, néere vnto the place where the said Lucion dwelled,
whereby it appéereth in like sort, that she was not sister to Lucius
king of Britaine, of which prince Alexander Neccham in his most
excellent treatise De sapientia diuina, setteth downe this Distichon:
Prima Britannorum fidei lux Lucius esse
Fertur, qui rexit m[oe]nia Brute tua.