The earliest writer, however, who in express terms asserts that St. Paul visited Britain, is VENANTIUS FORTUNATUS, an Italian poet of the sixth century. In the third book of his Life of St. Martin, he thus describes the preaching of St. Paul:

Transit et Oceanum, vel quà facit insula pcrtum,

Quasque Britannus habet terras, quasque ultima Thule.

This is plainly, however, a poetical expression, on which no stress whatever can be laid. And very little more weight can be attached to the testimony of SOPHRONIUS, Patriarch of Jerusalem, in the seventh century, as quoted by GODWIN, asserting that St. Paul visited Britain. Upon the whole, it seems clear, that St. Paul preached "in the West," including Spain, in the interval between the termination of his imprisonment in Rome and his martyrdom; that the Gospel was preached in Britain by some of the apostles; that the terms in which the field of St. Paul's preaching is described, may include the British Islands, and that there was probably time for his visiting them. But whether he actually did so, may reasonably admit of much doubt. Archbishop USHER, in his Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates, and Bishop STILLINGFLEET, in his Origines Britannice, maintain the opinion that St. Paul preached in Britain. The same side of the question has lately found a learned and zealous advocate in the Bishop of Salisbury, [Dr. BURGESS]. His tracts on the Origin and Independence of the Ancient British Church, and his two Sermons, the one preached at the Anniversary Meeting of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge and Church Union in the Diocese of St. David's, in the year 1813; the other preached, in the year 1821, before the Royal Society of Literature, contain the principal facts and arguments connected with the question.

The Bishop of London, [Dr. BLOMFIELD,] in his 7th Lecture on the Acts of the Apostles, leans to the opinion of JABLONSKI, (Opusc. Tom. III. p. 301.) that the preaching of St. Paul in Britain is extremely improbable.

NOTE B. § 16. p. 10,

As early as the middle of the ninth century, PHOTIUS, Patriarch of Constantinople, objected to CLEMENT of Rome that he had not used terms sufficiently elevated and sufficiently significative, in speaking of the divine nature of CHRIST, although he nowhere speaks decidedly against it. (ὅτι ἀρχιερέα καὶ προστάτην τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐξονομάζων, οὐδὲ τὰς θεοπρεπεῖς καὶ ὑψηλοτέρας ἀφῆκε περὶ αὐτοῦ φωνάς· οὐ μὴν οὐδ ̓ ἀπαρακαλύπτως αὐτὸν οὐδαμῶ ἐν τούτοις βλασφημεί. PHOTIUS Bibliothec. Cod. 126.) Assertions of the same nature have been more strongly repeated by later writers.

egimus, A summo cœlo egressio ejus, et occursus ejus usque ad summum ejus: ut antè cuin terra di ficeret quam studium prædicandi."

HIERON. in Amos Prophet. c. v. Tom. III. p. 1412. Edit. Benedict. "Sophronius Patriarcha Hierosolymitanus disertis verbis asserit, Britanniam nostram eum invisisse."-GODWIN de Præsul. Anglican. p. 8,

It was scarcely to be expected that the language of CLEMENT upon this point should be so guarded, as that which was used after controversies had arisen upon the question. But,-without referring to his second Epistle, which is certainly free from any such objectionthere are passages enough in his first Epistle to show that PHOTIUS does not accurately represent the sentiments of CLEMENT, if indeed he intended to imply a doubt of his belief of the divine nature of CHRIST.

Thus in c. 2. of this Epistle we find the words-rous ¿podious TOÙ Θεοῦ ἀρκούμενοι, καὶ προσέχοντες τους λόγους αὐτοῦ ἐπιμελῶς, ἐστερνισμένοι ἦτε τοῖς σπλάγχνοις, καὶ τὰ παθήματα αὐτοῦ ἦν πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν ὑμῶν. c. 2. (Compare Acis xx. 28. ποιμαίνειν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἣν περιToiŃCATO diù TOÙ ¡diov aiμaros.) In c. 36. CLEMENT denominates CHRIST, απαυγασμα τῆς μεγαλωσύνης αὐτοῦ (Θεοϋ) c. 36. In c. 32. he thus distinguishes the divine nature of CHRIST from his human nature, ἐξ αὐτοῦ (Ισραήλ) ὁ Κύριος Ἰησοῦς τὸ κατὰ σάρκα.—Compare Rom. ix. 5. And, in the passage above, c. 16. CLEMENT expressly says of CHRIST, perhaps with an allusion to Phil. ii. 5-8. Τὸ σκῆπτρον τῆς μεγαλωσύνης τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς, οὐκ ἦλθεν ἐν κόμπῳ ἀλαζονείας, οὐδὲ ὑπερηφανίας, καίπερ δυνάμενος· ἀλλὰ TаTεLVоopovaν. See Bp. BULL, Defensio Fid. Nicæn. Sec. II. c. 3.

The sentiments here expressed by CLEMENT, are set forth with great eloquence in the Epistle to Diognetus, improperly ascribed to JUSTIN MARTYR. The passage is long, but so beautiful that I cannot forbear subjoining it.

The author of the Epistle, after showing the insufficiency of sacrifices and ritual observances, such as the Jews retained, proceeds thus to vindicate and explain the Christian faith. (p. 496, D.)

"The Christians are not separated from the rest of mankind by country, or by language, or by customs. They are confined to no particular cities, use no peculiarity of speech, adopt no singularity of life. Their doctrine embraces no tenet built upon the reasoning and subtilty of crafty men: neither do they, like others, uphold the opinion of any man. Dwelling in the cities, whether of Greeks or barbarians, as every man's lot is cast, following the customs of each country in dress, and diet, and manner of life, they yet display the wonderful and indeed astonishing nature of their own polity. They dwell in their own country; but as sojourners! they partake of all things, as denizens: they endure all things, as strangers. Every foreign land is their country; their own country is to each a foreign land. Like other men they marry, and have children: but their children they expose not. Their table is common, not their bed. They are in the flesh; but they live not after flesh. They abide on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the laws which are established; and in their own lives are superior to the laws. They love all men; and are persecuted by all. Men know them not, yet condemn them. Being slain they are made alive: being poor, they make many rich: deprived of all things, in all things they abound. Being dishonored, they are thereby glorified: being calumniated, they are justified:

• There are here some words lost : τράπεζαν κοινὴν παρατίθενται, ἀλλ' -KOLvhy. Perhaps we should supply some such expression as d' O KOITNY KOVýv. Compare TERTULLIAN, Apol. c. xxxix. p. 439. Phil, iii. 20. 2 Cor. vi. 10.

being cursed, they bless: being reviled, they give honor. Doing good, they are punished as evil doers, when punished, they rejoice as being made alive. The Jews oppose them as a strange people; the Greeks persecute them: and they who hate them can allege no reason for their enmity.

"In a word, Christians are in the world what the soul is in the body. The soul is dispersed over all the members of the body: Christians over all the cities of the world. The soul dwells in the body, but is no part of the body: Christians dwell in the world, but are not of the world. The soul, invisible herself, is guarded in a visible body: Christians are known to be in the world, but their worship is unseen. The flesh hates the soul, which never injured it, and wars against it, because it is thereby prevented from indulging in its pleasures. The world hates Christians, who injure it not, because they are opposed to its delights. The soul loves the body and the inembers which hate her. Christians also love their enemies. The soul is enclosed in the body, yet she restrains the body. Christians are shut up and guarded in the world, yet they restrain the world. The soul, herself immortal, dwells in a mortal tabernacle. Christians dwell among the corruptible, looking for an incorruptible state in the heavens. The soul, straitened in meats and drinks, is thereby improved. Christians, persecuted daily, the more abound.

"In such a post hath GOD placed them, whence they must not retire. For this is no earthly invention which is committed to their trust it is no mortal device which they guard with such jealous care; no dispensation of human mysteries which is intrusted to them. But even the Almighty, Invisible GOD, the Creator of all things, himself sent down from heaven the Truth, and the holy and incomprehensible Word, to dwell among men, and established Him in their hearts. Not, as some one might suppose, sending among men any minister, or angel, or archangel, or any of those who do his pleasure upon earth, or are intrusted with their ministry in the heavens; but [he sent] the very Framer and Maker of all things; by whom he created the heavens: by whom he shut up the sea in its own bounds: whose secret counsels all the elements faithfully obey: who taught the sun to keep the measure of his daily course: who commanded the moon to shine by night, and she obeys; whom the stars too obey, following the moon in her course: by whom all things are disposed and arranged to whom all things are subject; the heavens and things in the heavens; the earth and things in the earth; the sea and they which are therein; fire, air, the abyss: things in the heights, things in the depths, things between. Him did he send to them [man.] But did he send him, as some men might imagine, for dominion and fear and consternation? Nay, verily but in quietness and meekness. He sent him as a King sending his son: he sent him as GOD he sent him as to men. Gon, in sending him, would save mankind: he would persuade men, not compel them; for compulsion is not of GOD. In sending him, GOD would invite, not persecute; he acted as one who loved, not as a judge. For he will send Him to judge, and who shall abide the day of his coming?"

After discussing the impossibility that any one should know Gon but the Son of GOD, or any one please God by his own works, the

· ὡς Θεὸν ἔπεμψε.

.

author proceeds to speak of the love of GOD, manifested in the redemption. (p. 500, B.)

"CHRIST hated us not, nor rejected us; neither did he remember our sins, but was long-suffering, patient; as he himself declared, he bare our iniquities. GOD gave his own son a ransom for us, the holy for the unholy, the innocent for the guilty, the just for the unjust, the incorruptible for the corruptible, the immortal for the mortal. For what also was able to cover our sins but only his righteousness? How should we disobedient and impious be justified, but only in the Son of GOD? O sweet interchange! O inscrutable dispensation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! that the iniquity of many should be hidden in the Just One'; and the righteousness of one justify many sinners! [GOD,] having convinced us, in the former time, how impossible it was that our nature should attain life, but now having shown us a Saviour able to save even those who could not have been saved, from both these willed us to have faith in his mercy; to conceive of him as our supporter, father, teacher, counsellor, physician, ́mind, light, honor, glory, strength, life."