The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1895-07-27

EuSlduu. II WOulu naturally b6 sup
posed that all defendants of that race
which has made England great in the
past and now places her among the fore
most nations of the earth would be
greatly interested in the question: ''How
did Christianity enter the land of my
birth and of my forefathers, and what
part h as it played in the history of my
country" This and other matters rel
alive to the early history of the Chris
tian Church we would expect to find re-
ceiying the earnest attention of all
Christian peoples; yet that such is not
the case is only too evident. For the
many adherents of the Protestant
bodies, Christianity seems to begin with
the Protestant Reformation; ifthey have
any knowledge of previous history, IL
is but vague, hazy and indefinite; the
grand missionary enterprises of the
early ages, the dotrinal development
of the time, the important part played
by the Church in the political field dur
ing the preceding centuries, the chief
actors in the various movements, are
to them entirely unknown This cul-
pable ignorance leads to such queries
as the above, and paves the way for I'M
scrupulous controversialists who delight
to build upon the illiteracy of their vic
tins and also renders easy the work OIL
those who are most willing to mis-
lead the uniformed by the very pow
er of their own ignorance. But not to
dwell at too great length upon this de-
feet, worthy of emphasis though it be,
let as revert to our subject first ''IIow
was Christianity brought to England?'' /
Many answers have been given TO THE
question. Some have attributed the
honor of its Introduction to the great
Apostle to the Gentiles, st Paul; indeed
tits historically certain that this Apostle,
while on his missionary tours, journey
ed as far west as Spain and many have
been lead to believe from certain state
ments of the early Christian writers
that ST. Paul himself visited Britain.
One advocate of this theory, cofidentof
its truthfulness has written an exhaus-
tive treatise setting forth the arguments
in support of their claim Others up
hold as the first missionary, Joseph, of
Arimathea, the rich Jew who, together
with Nicodemus, begged the body of
our Lord from Plate and inferred it in
his own rockhewn sepuchre. OF his
arrival in Britain many interesting le-
gends are related. Yet others refer
the advent of Christianity to the re-
quest of Lucius, British king to Elem
therius, a Bishop OF Rome, for Chris
tian teachers. Even other theories ,
might be mentioned but space does not
permit. 1t is only just to add what has
already, perhaps, been Inferred that
owing to insufficient evidence, these
stories are rejected as unreliable. And
while it cannot be stated with any de-
gree of certainty inst how Christianity
entered the land, yet the most probable
explanation points to Christians hailing !.
from Gaul as the earliest missionaries.
"We cannot reasonably doubt,p says !
Canon Bright in his Early English
Church History, "that some Christians :
did pass over from Gaul 0he early name
of Franco to our shores during the sec
ond century, if not earlier, and planted
here and there some settlements of the
Church" Although the beginnings of !
the Church 10 Britain are shrouded 10
4 RI mass and any otto... =. 49,. q
mine to whom the glory of its settling
belongs is likely to prove futile, that il .
was established in the second century, =
no one can doubt. Emerging from :
he domain of tradition and entering :
he realm of historic certainty, we have :,
he testimony of two early writer's in y
support of this fact, Irenseus, A. D. Il
80, declares that "Christianity was p
,ropogated especially 10 the Celtic ma a
ions. Germany and Britons,v also Ter
ullian, A. D. 200, says, "some countries h
# the Britons are subject TO CHRISTI u
n the beginning of the fourth century, h'
We have the account of the martyrdom kl
f st. Alban, Roman soldier who dur 81
ng the last and fiercest Of the ten gem
raj prosecutions, suffered death for his ~
aith at Yernlam, now st. Adams in fir
lerefordshire. The attendance Of Ell
hree British Bishops upon council ia
lrld at Aries, city Of Gapl, in the OF
ear 3l4, is matter Of history, and al
gain we know that British Bishops Al
'ere present atthe Council of Arminun vi
. 800, A. D, These facts snfice TO
rove the thorough establishment Of ~