history, and the known state of Britain or the Roman empire. The contrary must be said of the account given in the chronicle; and even the concise account of Bede, which exalts the Bishop of Rome to a pre-eminence over the people and clergy of other nations, to which universal dominion, although he aspired soon after the age of Constantine, the British clergy refused to submit, even in the seventh century.

The common legend would induce us to believe that there was no Christianity here before Lucius's time; whereas we have shewn from undoubted authorities that the gospel was preached here in the age of the Apostles, and most probably by some person sent over from Rome, when the family of Caractacus returned home.

The absurdity of converting a whole country to the Christian faith, all at once, is more agreeable to the legends of Popery than to truth and matter of fact. Certain districts of Britain continued long after this time in a state of Heathenism; and even, when Garmon and Lupus came over, they adopted those regulations, the want of which previously among the Britons evinces, that the church of Britain had not been formed into regular dioceses in the time of Lucius. The establishments of diocesan bishops and metropolitans, endowed with ample revenues, was a state of things perhaps never known among the old Christians of Britain.

At this period, as well as in a subsequent one, we have no account of Christianity in the most populous and important parts of the kingdom; the little we have pertains to the Britons of Wales, with some legends respecting the contiguous district of Somerset, which probably was among the first parts of Britain that the light of the Gospel shone upon.

CHAPTER III.

The Church in Britain persecuted under Dioclesian
and Galerius.

At the time of Dioclesian's accession to the imperial dignity, the Christian Church enjoyed profound tranquillity, and was in a flourishing condition. The persecutions hitherto raised against the Christian religion were not long in their continuance, and confined for the most part to particular provinces, depending much on the disposition of the different governors, with regard both to the fierceness and the duration of them.

If we consider the purity of the Gospel, and its opposition to the absurd and impure superstitions of the Heathen, and which were interwoven with all the ordinary transactions of domestic and civil life, and the favourite amusements of the people, we may well admire that all-wise Providence of God, who restrained the enmity which continually threatened the overthrow of the Church of Christ.

But the Christians did not make due improvement of the tranquillity which now they had for some time enjoyed: the spirit of Christian worship was evaporating; religion was fast degenerating from its primitive simplicity; and it had not that powerful hold on the hearts and lives of its professors, which it once had. Pomp and ceremony were beginning to be substituted in the room of the spirit and truth of their divine religion; and now the Great Head of the Church was about to permit a heavy storm to fall upon them.

The Emperor Dioclesian, partly from policy, and partly out of deference to some men of eminence among the Christians, who were in offices of trust, did not seem inclined to commence a persecution, until Galerius, who governed in the East, under the title of Cæsar, urged him to it.

It was in the year 284 that Dioclesian commenced his reign; and in about two years after he made choice of Maximian Herculius, who had quelled a violent insurrection among the Gaulish shepherds, for his associate in the empire. Five years after this each of the two emperors fixed upon an associate or vicegerent, to enable them better to bear the weight of the civil and military affairs of the government. Galerius Maximian, and Constantius Chlorus, were thus constituted Cæsars; and the highest honours, next to the imperial sovereignty itself, were attached to their title, along with the right of succession upon the demise of the reigning emperor.

The two emperors having thus strengthened themselves, engaged in various enterprizes against the enemies of the empire, whom they subdued by a successful prosecution of the war; and having proved victorious both in the East and in the West, they made their solemn entry into Rome, laden with the richest spoils, and decked with all the usual pomp of a triumph.

Dioclesian had reigned seventeen years, according to some, before it was resolved upon between him and his imperial associate to issue the most severe edicts for the entire extirpation of the Christian religion, by destroying their places of worship, burning the Sacred Scriptures, and putting its professors to death.

This was the tenth general persecution, and exceeding in violence and duration any former one. Two circumstances turned out very favourable to the British churches, by which they were protected from its fury:

these were the usurpation of Carausius, and the mild government of Constantius.

Carausius was by birth a Menapian, or a native of Menapia in Spain; and this is more probable than that he was from our Menapia, or Menevia, which has since gone under the name of St. David's. This man conducted himself with such valour, ability, and success, as to maintain himself in power for seven years. He governed Britain, in a manner which proved to the advantage of the inhabitants; suppressing the incursions of the rude and fierce Caledonians; and affording to the Christians the free exercise of their religion. The island was becoming independent of Rome, and the emperors were sensibly affected with the loss of it; but at the time their attention was occupied with the fierce enemies they had to contend with in other parts of the empire. Britain was much esteemed by the Romans for the fertility of the soil, its valuable mines, and its commodious harbours. Its resources must have been considerable to enable an usurper to maintain his power for so long a term; and he was no mean man who possessed the art and policy of securing the adherence both of the Britons and the Roman soldiery; and uniting them in firm compact to withstand the imperial authority. “Under his command," says Gibbon, "Britain, destined in a future age to obtain the empire of the sea, already assumed its natural and respectable station of a maritime power."*

Dioclesian and Maximian were constrained to acknowledge in him the independence of Britain, until Constantius, being appointed Cæsar, blocked up his fleet at Boulogne. In that enterprize he succeeded so well that a considerable part of the naval strength of Carausius

*Decline and Fall of the Rom. Emp. Vol. II.

was taken by him, and thus fell into the hands of the imperialists. While Constantius was preparing a fleet for the subjugation of Britain, Carausius was slain by the perfidious hand of his own friend and minister Alectus, who aspired to the dignity of his master, and enjoyed it for the space of three years. Asclepiodotus, to whom the charge of the expedition against Britain was committed, had the prudence to elude the observation of the British fleet under the command of Alectus, and made good his landing without the knowledge of that officer. Asclepiodotus met his antagonist, with whom he fought in the vicinity of London; when Alectus was defeated, and his body was found among the slain on the field of battle.

Thus Britain was once more brought under subjection to the Romans: but Constantius, by his mild and excellent regulations, soon gained the esteem of the inhabitants; and he became so attached to the country as to make it his residence. The persecution of the Christians was now at its height throughout the empire; only in Britain the moderation of Constantius abated its violence: but it has been considered as a subject not easily accounted for, that the Britons should in any degree be exposed to the storm. This is explained by adverting to the circumstance that the Cæsar was only vicegerent of the imperial court, and as such was entirely subject to the emperors. But in the year 304, upon the resignation of Dioclesian and Maximian, Constantius was exalted to the purple; and then he had full power to act according to the mildness and equity of his disposition, and to verify the character given of him that he never persecuted the Christians. There has been some disagreement among historians respecting the exact time when this great persecution commenced. It did not become general until the 17th year of Dioclesian; but previous