3. At Crete (Phenice) we find one of the earliest missionary stations (New Test.).

4. At Syracuse we find the tradition of a mission sent from Antioch about A.D. 40.

5. At Rome we find the history of a mission quite as early as that of Antioch (or earlier) ("Recognitions" and "Homilies"), and evidence of a Church formed there before either St. Peter or St. Paul had visited it (New Test.).

6. At Marseilles and Ste. Baume we find cave churches or hermitages of the early Christians, immemorially held as such and identified with the names of St. Lazarus and St. Mary. St. Joseph of Arimathæa is said to have come with them and passed on (Local tradition and "Life of Rabanus").

7. At Limoges and Rocamadour we find a similar caveshelter and the traditional coming of Jewish missionaries in the first century, one of whom is St Joseph of Arimathæa. Two remain (St. Zaccheus and St. Martial), St. Joseph passes on (Tradition).

8. At Morlaix a companion or disciple of St. Joseph of Arimathæa (St. Drennalus) is said to have preached in A.D. 72.1

9. In Cornwall we find a tradition that St. Joseph of Arimathæa came in a boat and bought the infant Christ with him. He passes on (Tradition).

10. At Glastonbury we find the tradition that St. Joseph came here, lived here, built a church of wattles here, and died here (Chronicles of Glastonbury, supported by Welsh Triads, &c.).

Such a summary is certainly remarkable. The fact

The Latin name of the town, Mons Relaxus, came from its fortress which existed at the time of the Roman occupation. Drennalus, disciple of Joseph of Arimathæa and first bishop of Treguier, is said to have preached the gospel here, A.D. 72 (“ North Western France," Augustus Hare. George Allen, 1895).

that the various histories and traditions do not conflict with or contradict one another, but, on the contrary, combine to substantiate the traditional journey of St. Joseph, is one which demands some explanation. Are we not almost forced to the conclusion either that as early as the eighth or ninth century (or before this) a worldwide conspiracy of fiction was undertaken (and undertaken successfully) by the deliberate planting of local traditions which should combine to form a harmonious whole, or that behind these local traditions there has always existed a substratum of historical fact which itself is the reason of their mutual harmony and support? For my own part the first hypothesis appears to me to be wild and "singular" and unbeliev able; the second hypothesis, on the contrary, is consistent with the known relations of tradition and history in all ages and countries, and is in the strictest harmony with all the earliest Christian literature.

A few subsidiary or finer threads remain to be considered.

I have already referred to the importance of Christian names as bearing on contemporary or previous Christian association. One definite consequence of

the Christian conversion of Britain seems to have been the taking of old Hebrew names by British converts. Nearly all the great heroes of Hebrew history appear to have been chosen as namesakes. We find :

66 Moses," a British apostle of the Saracens, Com. Feb. 7th.

Aaron," native of Caerleon, martyred with Julius,

July 1st, c. 287.

"Samson," son of Caw, lived about 500.

"David," first bishop of Menevia.

Died March 1st,

"Daniel," first bishop of Bangor, died 534, Com. Dec. 10th.

"Baruch," a hermit, 600-700.

"Judoc," c. 650.

"Stephanus," martyred in the persecution of Diocletian.

"Petrock," or Peter, died 564.

"Paulinus," or Paul, disciple of St. Germanus.1

Most of these names must have been taken because of special interest in Hebrew history. Whence came the knowledge of this history, if not from Hebrew teachers? And why is the Hebrew interest apparently more marked in Christian Britain than in Christian Gaul?

Side by side with these names we notice some examples of the more usual class of Christian names, those chosen from the names of honoured forbears or Christian saints, and especially those chosen from the names of the early missionaries.

We do not find the name of St. Joseph among the early British Christians, for he is supposed to have been given (as we have already seen) the British appellation of "Cyndaf," implying "head or chief," and no one could voluntarily assume the same name after him, but we find the recurring names of Mawan, of Arwystli, of Cadfarch, and of Rhystyd, the Welsh equivalent for Restitutus. The name of the British "Restitutus" who was bishop of London in 314 is somewhat remarkable. He was perhaps of Roman birth (Restitutus being a fairly

I

• On looking over the early Welsh pedigrees and the genealogical tables constructed by Professor Rees, many of the relatives of St. Cadfrawd, or "Adelphius," appear to have had names suggestive of some strong Hebrew strain or relationship, derived, perhaps, from the first Christian missionaries. Among such names are the following; Aron, Teon, Urien, Pasgen, Owain (John), Iago (James), Androenus (Andrew), Asaf, Sawy!, Dewi (David), Jestin, and Arwystli.