The History of the Church of Great Britain, Century 4
CENT. IV.
SO the Goſpel flouriſhed in this Land, and they that profeſſed it eſcaped the Perſecutions raiſed by the Heathen Emperours of Rome, all except the laſt; under Diocleſian, which extended to Britain; and St. Alban is noted to be the Proto-Martyr of Britain, who ſuffered death for Chriſt's ſake with invincible Courage and Reſolution, about the year of Chriſt 305. He was a wealthy Inhabitant of Verolamceſter, and a Citizen of Rome, for ſo Alexander Neccham reports him.Neccham, in his Poem on Verulam.
Hic est Martyrii roſeo decoratus honore
Albanus, Cives, Inclyta Roma, tuus.
Here Alban, Rome, thy Citizen renown'd,
With roſie grace of Martyrdom was crown'd.
Alban was a Britain by Parentage, a Roman by Priviledge; naturally a Britain, naturalized a Roman. Immediately followed the Martyrdom of Amphibalus a Preacher of Caer-leon in Wales, who not long before was fain to fly from Perſecution into the Eaſtern parts of this Iſland, and was entertained by Alban at his houſe in Verulam, who was inſtructed by Amphibalus in the Chriſtian Faith: he was cruelly put to death by the Pagans in a Village called Redburn, three miles from Verulam. Beſides Amphibalus, ſuffered Aaron and Julius, two ſubſtantial Citizens of Caer-leon, and then Socrates and Stephen, and Augulius Biſhop of London, then called Auguſta, with multitudes both of Men and Women in ſundry places (ſaith Beda) as ſhortly after no leſs than a thouſand Saints ſuffered death at Litchfield, whereupon the place was called another Golgotha, or field of blood: In memory whereof the City beareth for Armes to this day a field ſurcharged with dead bodies.
Afterwards it pleaſed God to put a period to his Servants ſufferings, and to the rage of their Enemies; for when Diocleſian and Maximian had layed down the Enſignes of Command, Conſtantius Chlorus was choſen Emperour in theſe Weſtern Provinces of France, Spain, and Britain, whoſe cariage towards Chriſtians Euſebius thus deſcribeth; foreign, that he preſerved ſuch Religious people as were under his command without any hurt or harm: So that under him the Church in theſe parts had a breathing-time from Perſecution. Conſtantius died, and was buried at York, who bequeathed the Empire to Conſtantine his eldeſt Son by Heſt…n his form… Wife. That Conſtantine was a Britain, is ſhewn by Eumenius Rhetor, Eumen. Rheor. Panegyr. 9.who, in his Oration made to Conſtantine himſelf, makes therein an Apoſt…phe to Br…in, O fortunata, & nunc omnibus beatior terris Britannia quae Conſtantinum Coeſarem prima vidiſti! O happy Britain, and bleſſed above all other Lands, which didſt firſt behold Conſtantine Ceſar. There is another Teſtimony of His of like nature:Panegyr. 5. Liberavit Pater Conſtantius Britannias ſervitute: Tu etiam Nobiles, illic oriendo, feciſti: Your Father Conſtantius did free the Britiſh Provinces from ſlavery, and you have Ennobled them by taking thence your original: It is ſaid of him, that he was born, made King, and Emperor firſt in Britain.
Conſtantine being now peaceably ſetled in the Imperial Throne, there followed a ſudden and great alteration in the World. Perſecutors turning Patrons of Religion. The Goſpel formerly a Forreſter, now became a Citizen; and leaving the Woods wherein it wandered; Hills and holes where it hid it ſelf before, dwelt quietly in populous places. The ſtumps of ruined Churches lately deſtroyed by Diocleſian, grew up into beautiful buildings; Oratories were furniſhed with pious Miniſters, and they provided of plentiful maintenance, through the liberality of Conſtantine.
The moſt avouchable evidence of Chriſtianity flouriſhing in this Iſland in this Age, is produced from the Biſhops repreſenting Britain, in the Councils. 1. Of Arles in France, called to take cognizance of the cauſe of the Donatiſts, where appeared for the Britains, Eborius Biſhop of York, Reſtitutus Biſhop of London, Adelfius Biſhop of the City called the Colony of London, which ſome count Colcheſter, and others Maldon in Eſſex, Sacerdos a Prieſt, both by his proper Name and Office, Arminius, a Deacon, Anno. 313. In the Synod of Nice held in Bithynia, Anno 325. Britiſh Biſhops were preſent, being ſummoned to ſuppreſs Arianiſm, and to eſtabliſh an uniformity of the obſervation of Eaſter, as Athanaſius, and Hilary Biſhop of Poictiers do teſtify. At the Council of Sardis in Thracia, called by Conſtantius and Conſtans, Sons to Conſtantine the Great, were preſent the Biſhops of Britain, who concurred with the reſt to condemn the Arrians, and acquit Athanaſius. The Britiſh Biſhops were alſo preſent at the Council of Ariminum aſſembled in Italy.
Theodoret Eccleſ. Hiſt. l. 1. c. 10.Theodoret tells us, that he wrote an Epiſtle to all Churches concerning the Council of Nice, wherein he ſaith, there were then many Churches in Britain, &c. About the year 360. Hilary Biſhop of Poictiers, among diverſe others dedicated his Book,Socrat. Scholaſt. l. 2. c. 6. 7. De Synodis fidei Catholicae contra Arianos, to the Biſhops of the Provinces of Britain, during his exile for the Orthodox Faith, commending them for their conſtancy in the profeſſion of that Faith.Sozom. l. 3. c. 11. & 12. And by the teſtimony of Athanaſius, it appeareth, that the Britains then had not onelyonly Churches profeſſing the Orthodox Faith, but Biſhops famous for their Piety and Learning, ſummoned to forreign Councils in remore parts for debating and deciding the higheſt Articles of the Chriſtian Faith.
In the year 383. Maximus a Chriſtian,Du Moul. reſp. ad Card-du Perron. lib. 7 ca. 5. and Orthodox Prince governed Britain: for then all that part of the Iſland which was ſubject to the Romans, was Chriſtian. Not long after the Empire being fallen in the Weſt, and torn by the Gothes, Francs, Vandals, and Burgundians, the Romans forſook the Iſle of Britain, which moved the Natives to commit the Kingdome to one Conſtantine a Britain, as one deſcended from their Nation, and a Chriſtian vertuous man.
About the year 400. Chryſoſtome gives this teſtimony concerning the Britains Embracing of the Goſpel Nam et Britaniae, Chryſoſt. oper tom 5.Inſulae extra hoc mare fitae, et qua in ipſo oceano ſunt, vertutem verbi ſenſerunt (ſunt etiam illic fundatae Eccleſiae &c.) Illius inquam verbi, quod tunc dictum, quod et in omnium animabus, inque omnium labiis plantatum. Which he ſeconded in another Sermon of the Feaſt of Pentecoſt.