Fuller concludes his remarks on the origin of the British church by saying, "whereas indeed it matters not if the doctrine be the same, whether the Apostles preached it by themselves, or by their successors, we see little certainty can be extracted who brought the Gospel hither. It is so long since, the British church hath forgotten her own infancy, who were her first Godfathers; we see the light of the Word shined here, but see not who kindled it. I will not say, as God to prevent idolatry caused the body of Moses to be concealed, so, to cut off from posterity all occasion of superstition, He suffered the memories of our primitive planters to be buried in obscurity."

CHAPTER III.

THE GOSPEL PROBABLY BROUGHT HERE BY ST. PAUL.

HAVING shewn that there are good reasons for believing that Christianity was introduced into this land at a very early date, though the accounts which have been referred to, may have much that is fabulous mixed with the truth; it is further to be shewn that there are strong grounds for concluding that the Christian faith was planted here by St. Paul himself. Bishop Burgess says that "of St. Paul's journey to Britain, a point of great importance in the history of the Gospel, we fortunately possess as substantial evidence as any historical fact can require.-Usher and Stillingfleet have collected most unquestionable authorities for it. In proof of Paul's travels to the West and Britain we have a continued series of testimonies from the first century to the sixth." Jerome says 66 that St. Paul after his imprisonment preached the Gospel in the Western parts." And Clemens Romanus says "St. Paul preached righteousness throughout the whole world, and in so doing went to the utmost bounds of the West." Theodoret,

who has already been referred to as declaring that the Apostles brought the Gospel here, calls the Britons "disciples of the tent maker," and says that St. Paul brought salvation to the isles that lie in the ocean; and as he mentions these after his visit to Spain, the probability is that our islands are referred to, and that Paul's visit to this country took place, after the visit to Spain, which is mentioned in his Epistle to the Romans. And this may lead us beyond a vague supposition that St. Paul visited Britain; we may ascertain with no small probability the actual time when he came, and brought the glad tidings of salvation to this land. In the fifteenth chapter of his Epistle to the Romans he expresses his intention to visit Spain, after he had been at Rome: and from what is said in the first chapter of that epistle we may conclude that it was written before his first visit to that city. That visit was of two years duration; he "dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him." And that preaching was not without its fruit, as appears from his epistles written from Rome. Among the saints he specially speaks of those "that are of Cæsar's household."

CHAP. III.
[.]

PUDENS, CLAUDIA, &c.

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The progress of the Gospel even in high places is evidently shewn when he says "I would ye should understand brethren that the things which have happened unto me, have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the Gospel; so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; and many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear."

Further, there is reason to believe that Pudens and Claudia, whose Christian salutations he gives to Timothy, were of British origin, as the Roman poet Martial alludes to persons of the same name who were so. There was also an illustrious lady, Pomponia Græcina, the wife of Aulus Plautius, a distinguished general of the day, and governor of Britain; she was charged with having embraced

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a strange and foreign superstition;" a term commonly applied to the faith of Christ. She was not condemned, probably being screened by her husband's influence, but the historian adds she lived long after this, but in perpetual sadness. It is not unreasonable to suppose that these individuals would take great interest in the spiritual welfare of Britain: indeed it is stated that Pomponia did so. She shewed her care by sending books thither, and in her desire to promote learning in general,

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she would not be indifferent about their having that word of God which was able to make them wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus. There were also at that time, when Paul's preaching was effectual at the court and among the nobles of Rome, British hostages detained at the court of Rome; among these were Bran the father of Caractacus or Caradoc, the British king, and other members of his family. When there, Bran seems to have availed himself of the opportunity to learn the doctrines of Christianity. Being fully persuaded that it was "a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners," he gladly embraced His religion, and on his release introduced it among his own countrymen. The fact is recorded in the following Triad. "The three holy families of the Isle of Britain.”

"The first, the family of Bran the blessed, son of Llyr Llediaith: that Bran brought the faith in Christ first into this island from Rome, where he had been in prison, through the treachery of Aregwedd Voeddawg, daughter of Avarwy, the son of Lludd.

"The second was the family of Cunedda Wledig, who first gave land and privileges to God and His saints, in the Isle of Britain.

The third was Brychan Brycheiniog, who gave