Its Darkest Hour

Early church fathers in the century before the Angles and Saxons arrive at our island, [according to later church writers invited by grand father Vortigern!], produced a writing called Vita Antonii (Life of Anthony) which romanticized the hermit communities of the Egyptian desert. This writing was to have a major impact on the early Christan missionaries that would come to our island, and that other one across the Irish Sea. [St. Patrick is an example.]

In the larger and more centrally organized church, St. Jerome [first to translate the Bible into Latin.], and St. Augustine of Hippo [explained why Rome was not eternal after it collapsed, stating there was a bigger picture called The City of God], founded monasteries based upon the practices of poverty, chastity, and obedience. As part of this early church development, St. Benedict stabilized this monastic life by setting strict rules joining daily chores, farming, prayer, reading of scriptures, and the celebrating of the Eucharist together in community, all day, every day. [It was a Benedictine mission from Rome that was ultimately responsible for converting the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity many years yet to come.]

Thus, by the time our Jones family faced one of its darkest hours, two separate views of the
Christian community were to become strongly active on our island. One having roots in the Egyptian desert, now called Monastic Asceticism, the other having roots in the St. Benedictine monastic life, but centered at Rome. These roots were to lay the foundation of the Celtic Church.

Pagans We Were

As discussed in an earlier blog, Christianity probably entered Britain as a result of direct persecution. At the time of its arrival, [estimated to be between 249 AD - 305 AD], it was considered an "outlaw religion". You would want to keep things fairly secret since your life might depend on it. However, the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire made it evident to the Roman rulers that those following Christianity had become too numerous and influential to be eliminated. An "Edict of Toleration" was pronounced in 311 AD, and Christianity was recognized as a legitimate religion. This edict declared: "We grant to the Christians and to all others full liberty of following that religion which each may choose."

Constantine the Great and his fellow emperor Licinius recognized Christianity as their "first and principal concern" at Milan in March 313 AD. This struggle [to recognize Christianity] has been recorded in great detail by Eusebius who lived between 263 AD and 339AD. His "The History of the Church", believed to have been written around 324 AD and describes the lives of 146 martyrs, and the teaching of 47 heretics. Eucebius was a personal friend and admirer of Constantine, and credits him as being the primary force to the declaration that Christianity would become the religion of the State. However, Constantine continued as the supreme pontiff of the religious affairs of the "State", calling himself the "bishop of bishops".

Constantine called the first general council of the Church, held at Nicea in Asia Minor. To this council bishops came from all parts of the Empire. [They traveled by the imperial post and at government expense.] It was by this time that the church in Britain seemed to be organized for they sent bishops from the dioceses of London, York, and Colchester. Thus by 325 AD, Christianity in Britain had been organized along standard church structure. Archaeological evidence shows that the early Christan church in Roman Britain was concentrated in the southeast, surrounding population centers such as London and Lincoln. To the north, this evidence is found around the city of York. There has been no evidence found that Christian burials, symbols, and churches were present in and around my Jones family land. Just imagine, before 325 AD, we were "pagans".