THOSE EARLY BRITONS

An amazing perversion of history describes the early Britons as 'painted savages'.
A study of the ancient manuscripts in the museums and records in Europe show
this to be entirely false. They painted the exposed parts of their bodies with a
blue anti septic dye to protect against infection when wounded, and many times
defeated the Roman legions in battle. Much of this information is taken from a
book by Rev. R Morgan in 1860, who quotes from Bede, Tacitus, Tertullian,
Cardinal Baronius, Augustine, Gildas, Ussher, Parsons, Chrystom, and many
other sources, from the 1st century on. The Romans called the Britons
"barbarians," as they called all non-Romans, like Israelites referred to all
other peoples as 'goyyim' (Gentiles).

Roman Invasions

The great Roman general Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55 BC. He advanced only
seven miles, was defeated, and retired.

Actually the Romans were so roughly handled by those 'painted savages' that their
commanding general, Julius Caesar, had his 'personal side-arm' (i.e. his word)
captured in battle by the enemy and sent to their capitol Troynovant (New Troy)
--later known as London--as a trophy of war. A representation of Caesar's
sword is still displayed on the London city coat of arms in memory of this event.

           
                      Coat of arms of the City of London

Caesar tried again the next year. During the winter Caesar builds 600 new ships.
He sails again, in July of 54 BC, with five legions and 2000 cavalry, advancing 70 miles,
and then made peace with the British, he was then entertained at a banquet in London.
He later reported back in Rome. He was amazed at the flourishing agriculture
the cities and places of learning, and the prosperity of the country.

Over the next century the Romans won such success that the whole world, as they
saw it (note: something of an exaggeration as the Romans were familiar with
Parthia, Ethiopia, Arabia, India, Scandinavia, Ireland, Scythia etc.), was under
their control. Only Britain stood independently of them, so with all their territories at
peace, they decided to add to their dominions. A powerful army of four legions
together with auxiliary forces was assembled at Boulogne to attack Britain, under
one of their best generals, in 43 AD. Then an event unique in Roman arms occurred;
their legions mutinied. They had heard of  the valour British forces, and of the terrible
scythes on the wheels of their chariots.

The Emperor sent a personal representative to overcome the mutiny. Then they
suffered such reverses the Emperor Claudius himself went to Britain, taking
with him two of his best legions as reinforcements, and also seven elephants.

When battle was joined, the British horses were terrified at the sight and/or smell,
of the elephants, in the ensuing chaos many of the Britons were killed. So the
Romans won the day..

Claudius made peace with British leaders in the East of Britain, and returned
home, after giving his daughter in marriage to  the British leader there, Arviragus.
In the West, however, another great leader, Caractacus, king of the Belgae,
fled to West and raising the powerful Silures, continued to resist the Romans
with great tenacity. Some battles he lost, but others he won, for seven years four
of Rome's greatest generals (including Vespasian the conqueror of Jerusalem,
who then went on to become Emperor himself) failed to subdue him after many
a fierce battle.  Then after suffering a defeat, he was sleeping in a place of refuge
provided by Cartismandua, queen of the Brigantes in northern Britain, (and
Caractacus's mother-in-law!). Cartismandua sent men to bind him while he slept,
and handed him over to the Roman commander Ostorius Scapula in chains. This
occurred in 51 AD.

Taken to Rome as a prisoner, the entire population turned out to see Caractacus,
as his fame was so well known. Such was the respect that the Romans had for
him, that they accorded him the unique honour of speaking before the Senate.
There this 'painted savage' made such an impressive speech (in Latin!), telling the
Romans that if it would do them honour to kill a man who had been handed over
to them in chains, then they could do so. Instead of suffering the usual fate of
Rome's defeated enemies, the made a pact with him to stay in Rome for seven
years. He received revenues from his estates in Britain, and was given a palace
to live in, which was  called The Palatium Britannicum. There he was joined by
his family, who were Christians. His daughter, Gladys, found such favour with
the Emperor that he adopted her and renamed her Claudia. An elder daughter
of Caractacus married a prominent Roman, who had become a Christian while
serving in Britain.

The respect that the Romans had for the British, in spite of, or perhaps of their
frequent defeats, was such that they did not hold it against Caractacus that his
cousin continued to resist them in the West of Britain. The war in the West  of
Britain and Wales lasted another 30 years. Caractacus had told the Romans that
his ancestry went back three centuries before Rome was founded.

Christianity In Britain

It is well auithenticated that Joseph of Arimathea (who lent his tomb to his
grand-nephew Jesus for three days) went to Britain, together with a number
of the disciples (see Matt. 10:8), and established a Christian center at
Glastonbury.

        (King Arviragus of Siluria, brother of Caractacus the Pendragon, is
        mentioned in historical records as granting Joseph of Arimathea
        (James) twelve hides of land in Glastonbury. It is here that he built
        the unique little church in a scale of the ancient Hebrew Tabernacle.
        Following a disastrous fire in 1184, Henry II of England, had the
        church renovated. Joseph, however, is still remembered in Great
        Britain and many other parts of Europe as both James and Joseph.)

This was the first "Bible training school" in Britain. They soon made many converts,
including Caractacus and his family, and even some of the Romans became
Christians. Before long Christian teachers from there spread not only throughout
all Britain, but across Europe as well. Students of the new faith came to Britain
from other lands. The historian Gildas wrote in 520 AD that Christianity came to
Britain in 38 AD. Tertullian asserted that the Britons were Christians before the
Roman Church  sent Augustine in 595 AD. King Lucius proclaimed that his people
in the South of England were a Christian society in 156 AD. Augustine himself
reported that Christianity was established in Britain when he arrived. The present
Archbishop of Canterbury, when delivering a homily  before the Pope in Rome
in 1992, said that in his first parish there was stone Christian church that was in
use 200 years before Augustine arrived. (It is still there.) 

The Palace of the British remained for many years the home of Caractacus'
family, some of whom married Romans. It was a welcoming home and a refuge
for many Christians visiting Rome, due to the high favour in which the family
was held. They established the first Christian church in Rome, St Pudentiana,
which still exists. The Apostle Paul visited Britain, and St Paul's cathedral
commenrates the spot on which he preached. St. Peter is also claimed to have
visiyed Britain, commemorated by the Abbey chuch in London in memory of
St. Peter at Wstminster. King Lucius built a church in London of Peter, and it
still exists, with an inscription on the wall confirming Peter's visit; St. Peters
of Cornwall.

Linus, a son of Caratacus, (mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:21) was consecrated
as first Bishop of Rome by Paul. Ireneus confirmed this in 180 AD, and a
church which has portraits of all the Bishops around its walls testifies to this
also.  The Encyclopedia Britannica likewise confirms it. Litigus, in "De Patribus
Apostolicis"  records that Linus was martyred, and Clement was ordained
second Bishop of Rome. The descendents of Caratacus were all martyred
in the third generation, in one of the terrible persecutions of Christians at that
time.

At the Council of Aries in 325 AD, British Bishops were acknowledged as
the senior elders of the Church.

The Romanists eventually, about 120 years after Augustine succeeded by
subtlety, flattery, and more practical means, in subjugating the outward
church in England, and the Dark Ages set in for nearly a thousand years,
till the Reformation. A letter by Queen Elizabeth I bears witness to this sad
time of history. From then on the British church was a shining light;  its hymm
writers presented the world with hymms now sung in many langugages
around the world. Peoples of many nations were delivered from bondages
to witchcraft, cannibalism,  tribal warfare,  the burning of wives  on their
husband's funeral pyres, slavery, and other evils as the Gospel of Salvation
was faithfully delivered to them, by Christian men of Israel stock.

Nowadays we are witnessing the falling away of the Christian church in
British lands. Prophecy foretells of "the great falling away," but this is the
major sign given of the soon return of Jesus Christ as King of Kings to
rule on earth for a thousand years.