THE ANGLICAN CHURCH.

CHAPTER I.

Forces that would Tend to an Early Introduction of Christianity to the British Isles.

I.

BRITAIN was well known to the ancient world. There can be no doubt that the Phoenicians had a flourish

ing trade in tin with Britain. This fact is referred to by many writers of an tiquity.

The British Isles were not

unknown to antiquity.

The first mention, however, of anything connected with the British Isles, we find in what is known as the Orphic Hymn, which is attributed to Onomacritus, who flourished about в. с. 516. The authority of this is doubtful; but supposing it to be a forgery, the date of it can be safely assigned prior to the invasion of Cæsar.

Herodotus has several references to the Tin Islands, the Cassiterides, and to the Keltoi, and describes their locality as situated in the extremity of Europe towards the west.

2

В. С. 516.

B. C. 484-08. В. С. 450.

В. С. 384-321.

В. С. 203-121.

В. С. 90-44.

В. С. 55-45

В. С. 54.

Pytheas, the navigator and geographer of Marseilles, who in all probability flourished before Aristotle, mentions, in his diaries that have come down to us, his voyages to the British Isle and its trade in tin.

Aristotle refers to the Britannic Isles, Albion' and Ierne, which he says are situated beyond the Celts. The "Celts" was a term applied not only to the inhabitants of Britain, but also to those of Gaul. Here, no doubt, the reference is to the Celts of Gaul.

Polybius, the celebrated historian of Megalopolis, and friend of Scipio Africanus, the younger, connects Britain with Spain, when speaking of its silver and gold.

Cæsar's account of Britain is well known. From this time onwards to the Christian era the Islands are mentioned by many writers as well known, among whom we may mention Lucretius Carus, Cicero, and Diodorus Siculus, the famous historian of the Augustan age.

3

4

Strabo mentions the Cassiterides as

located at the ocean towards the north, and the traffic in tin which was carried

De Mundo, iii. De Repub. ii. 9.

2 vi. IIOI.

3 Ep. ad. Trebellium (the Roman gens of that name), 6, and ad.

Quint. fra. ii. 15.

4i. 4; iii. 28, etc.

Lib. i. vol. i. p. 92. Ed. Falc.

on with the Islands before the Romans obtained the secret of the locality of the tin mines. He mentions also Ierne and the voyages of Pytheas, the Druids, etc., etc.

The Islands are also referred to by Virgil, Horace, and others down to Gratius Faliscus, a contemporary of B. C. 54-A. D. 17. Ovid, as evidently well known. Ovid*

also refers to them.

II.

Britain was well known dur

The Islands are mentioned by hosts of writers of this period, among whom we ing the earliest may select a few.

Valerius Maximus, Pomponius Mela, the geographer, and Seneca, both in his Consolatio ad Polybium and ad Marciam, refer to them.

9

Lucanus, Valerius Flaccus, Josephus, and C. Phinius Secundust have many references to the Islands scattered through their works, and not only to the Ec. i. 65.

Od. i. 21, 15; i. 35, 29, etc.

• In his poem on hunting Cynegetica, 1. 174.

4 Metam. xv. 746-759. Cf. Giles, ii. p. 39.

* Memorabilia, iii. 2, 23.

period of the Christian era.

A. D. 30-45.
A. D. 55.

A. D. 65-70.

• De Situ Orbis, 1, 3. He describes the superstition and rites of

the inhabitants.

" Nephew of Seneca. Pharsalia, i. 356.

A. D. 96.

A. D. 110-120.

Islands, but to their inhabitants and their characteristics and customs.

Juvenal' also refers to the British Isles and to the Cimbri in his Satires; Martial in his Epigrams has several references to Britain; also the poet P. Papianus, of Domitian's age, refers to them in his stanzas.

Clement of Rome is supposed to refer to the Islands when he mentions S. Paul as having gone to the utmost limits of the west. Tacitus is well known.

5

Plutarch, in his Julius Cæsar, and Lucius Annæus Florus the historian, who wrote in Hadrian's reign in his Epitome, both mention Britain as well known; and throughout the whole of this century and onwards the existence of Britain, the inhabitants, and their customs, trades, manners, etc., were well known to the world. The privilege of being ignorant of their whereabouts was reserved for an occupier of S. Peter's chair later on.

Let this suffice on this head. We gather from this catena that the British Isles were well known to antiquity and during the earliest centuries of the Christian era, both among profane and Christian writers.

1 Sat. ii., iv., x., etc.

2 Ep. iv. 55, 94; xi. 3, etc.

8 Silvæ, v. I, 19; v. 2, 140; v. 2, 25, etc.

4 Ep. ad Cor. 5.

Jul. Cæs. 16, 23.

6 iii. 10. Cf. also Suetonius, the author of the first twelve

Rom. Emperors. Jul. 25. Calig. 19. Claud. 17, etc.

It is well to keep this fact in view, for it throws a great deal of light upon the question of the early introduction of the Christian faith to these Islands. Islands so well known could not be left long without feeling the influence of the Cross. Men of the learning of S. Paul could not be ignorant of their locality and the characteristics, religion, and customs of their inhabitants.

III.

Most of the ancient writers referred to above class the Britons and Gauls together in the name "Celts," and from Herodotus downwards to Julius Cæsar very little is said of the condition of the Islanders. Diodorus Siculus, it is true, mentions the

The condition of the inhabi

tants, and how

Romans prethem to

Celts who lived near the Land's End as partially civilized, and also mentions the presence of their fondness for those strangers Pareivist who were attracted there by the tin anity. mines. But, with the exception of this, we glean very little knowledge as to their condition from ancient writers, till we come to Cæsar.1

The character of the Celts of Britain, as a whole, was very barbarous. And from the paint and skins with which they covered their bodies, they were an object of terror to all who beheld them. They painted themselves blue; wore the skins of animals for clothing; were very fond of war, and, consequently, were constantly fighting among themselves; they had wives in common, and worshipped a multitude of gods. Cæsar identifies some of these with Apollo, Mars, Jupiter,

1 But after him many writers refer to their condition, rites, superstitions, etc., etc.