mus ille Episcopus aliquem ex Apostolis, vel Apostolicis viris, qui tamen cum Apostolis perseveraverit, habuerit auctorem et antecessorem. Hoc enim modo ecclesiæ Apostolicæ, census suos deferunt*. On these passages of Irenæus and Tertullian, Pearson and Bingham have observed as follows: Erant quidem successiones Episcoporum in Apostolicis ecclesiis a veteribus observatæ, et ad catholicæ doctrinæ traditionem adversus hæreticorum deliria comprobandam usurpatæ ; ex quibus argumentum a Patribus confectum est irrefragabile, cui hæretici nunquam respondere ausi sunt†. "This implies that the Apostles, as they founded Churches, settled Bishops in them; and that this might be proved from the records and archives of every Church, the most of which were probably then remaining, when Tertullian made this challenge to all Hereticks, and appealed to these original records in behalf of the catholick Church+."

In this manner Metaphrastes says the Church of Britain was established: επιμείνας

*De præscript, C. 32. + De successione primorum Romæ Episcoporum, Cap. III.

Antiquities of the Christian Church, B. II. ch. i. §. §.

ΤΕ εν Βρετανία, και εκκλησίας συστησαμενος, επισκοπους τε και πρεσβυτερους και διακόνους χει ροτονησας, &c. though he was mistaken in his account of the author of these appointments,

The following authorities for St. Paul's appointment of Aristobulus are quoted by Usher. Aristobulum quoque, cujus ipse in epistola ad Romanos (xvi. 10.) meminit, Britannorum episcopum a Paulo ordinatum, in Menæis Græcorum invenio: ubi Aristobuli ad 15 mum diem Martii, hujusmodi fit commemoratio. Οὗτος ην εἷς των ἑβδομηκοντα μαθητων ηκολουθησε δε τῳ αγιῳ Αποστολῳ Παυλή, κηρυττων το ευαγγελιον, εις πάσαν την οικουμενην διακόνων αυτῳ ὑφ ̓ οὗ και χειροτονειται επίσκοπος εις την των Βρεττανων χωραν ὁδεν και εκκλησιας σοστησαμένος, και πρεσβυτέρους και διακόνους εν αυτη καταστησας, ετελειώθη. Similiter et apud Dorotheum in Synopsi Aristobulum Episcopum Britanniæ factum fuisse legimus. (Britann. Eccles. Antiq. p. 9.)

II.

On the testimony of Gildas.

THE involved language of Gildas has led to much misapprehension of his meaning in

the passage, which defines the time of the first introduction of the Gospel into Britain: -as in the following account of the passage. "After the black frost of a very severe "winter, Christ, the sun of righteousness "warmed our country with the rays of his

heavenly doctrine, although the Senate or "Parliament of Rome resisted and endea"voured to stop the progress of the Gospel. "This is the meaning of the whole that "Gildas says, who wrote his history about "the year of Christ 546. It is evident "therefore that the Gospel was was first

preached to this island, as soon as the year of our Lord, 62, or, at furthest, the year 63,"

Gildas does not say that the Gospel was introduced into this country in the time of Tiberius, when the Senate opposed the Emperor's will concerning Christ; but that, at that time, its bright beams were displayed, generally, to the whole world; and afterwards, before the defeat of Boadicea, to this island. The two diffusions of the light of the Gospel are thus distinguished,

1. Universo orbi

2. Insulæ rigenti, &c.

And these belong to two different periods

of time:

1. Summo tempore Tiberii

2. Interea primum, &c.

The general diffusion of the Gospel was in the latter part of Tiberius's reign; the introduction of it into this country, was in the interim of the events mentioned by Gildas. This interim is limited, on one hand, by the event, which is last mentioned by him, viz. the defeat of Boadicea, A. D. 61. and on the other by events not far distant, such as the defeat of Caractacus, A. D. 51. This interval comprehends not more than ten years. The commencement of the interval is twelve years after the end of Tiberius's reign; the interim of it includes the time of St. Paul's imprisonment at Rome, (A. D. 57, 58.) and the release of Caractacus's family, as well as of St. Paul, A. D. 58. It does not therefore follow from the testimony of Gildas, that the Gospel was first preached in Britain, as soon as the year of our Lord, 62, or at furthest the year 63," but before the year 61. Our old protestant writers sunk the general diffusion of the Gospel in the particular; the Roman

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Catholick author of Anglo Saxon Antiquities, reverses this misapprehension of Gildas, and sinks the particular event recorded by Gildas in the general diffusion of Christianity,

For the following observations on Claudia Rufina, Pomponia Græcina, and other converts at Rome, I am indebted to William Williams, Esq. of Ivy Tower, the learned author of Primitive History, the Christian Code, a New Translation of the New Testament, &c.

III.

On the British Converts, Claudia Rufina, and Pomponia Græcina.

I HAVE been all along of opinion that St. Paul's Claudia came from Britain in the reign of Claudius, and not later than the public entry of Aulus Plautius; whose wife, Pomponia Græcina, became attached to the foreign superstition, such as Christianity was deemed. I beg leave to set down, and remark on the words of Tacitus, Annal. 13, 32, premising that his last words are somewhat mysterious; and that the serious and reserved manners of this Christian Convert,