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THE CHURCH AT GLASTONBURYSERMON FOR NOV. 19, 2000 BY REV. CHARLES W. EWING He that ANSWERETH a matter before he heareth it, is folly and shame unto him. So said Solomon in Prov. 18:13. To render a decision before hearing the evidence is a mark of prejudice. This holds true in religious matters, as well as in secular matters. A man who has already formed an opinion concerning the guilt or innocence of an accused is not permitted to serve on a jury in this country. If we would keep an open mind in religious matters, as we are required by law when called to serve as jurymen, we would make more progress in our spiritual life and we would not be so bound by traditions that have no foundation in either the Word of God or the facts of history. For a long time we have been taught that it was the Romans who took the gospel to the British Isles. We have been taught that Augustine under Pope Gregory was the one who Christianized Britain in the year 596 A.D. But contrary to what we have been taught, historical facts show that instead of the Popes taking the gospel to Britain it was the British who took the gospel to Rome and established a Christian assembly at Rome even before the the Apostle Paul arrived there. In fact, the first Church to be estabished and built in all of Europe was in Glastonbury. England has a right to be called the mother church of Europe, the church of Glastonbury has that right. It was established in less than ten years after the crucifixion of Christ, long before the church at Rome was established. Between the years 36 and 39 A.D. Christianity was introduced into Britain by Joseph of Arimathea. He was followed by Simon Zelotes, who was followed by Aristobulus who became Aristobulus, who became the first Bihop of the Britons, and Aristobulus was followed by the Apostle Paul. Acts 8:I tells about Saul of Tarsus at the stoning of Stephen, and Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. At this time Joseph of Arimathaea makes an appearance that changes the entire course of history for Britain. Joseph was an uncle to the mother of Jesus. He owned a merchant navy had his ships sailing to all parts of the world, even as far east as India. He also owned mines in Britain. British historians tell us that at Cornwall, during the melting of tin for organ pipes, the men would shout or sing while the tin was being poured. "Joseph was in the tin trade." Such a thing would have no significance, except for the fact that Joseph of Arimathaea was actually in the tin trade. Now here is what took place to change the course of British history. Joseph of Arimathea took a party of twelve persons whom were Lazarus, Maximin, Mary the mother of Jesus, who was Josephs' niece who was Mary Magdalene, Martha and Marcella who was Martha's handmaiden out of Palestine by boat. They landed at Marseilles, France. The place where they landed was a small port which has since been called, "Saintes Maries de la Mer," which means "Saint of the Sea." A religious festival, is still kept there every May in honor of their arrival. From here the party made its way up through France and over into Britain. They landed at Sumerset by way of the Severn Estuary at the invitation of Druidic priest of high rank. The place where they landed is now called "Weary-All Hill," so named from that event when the weary ones from Palestine finally arrived" at the land that was to become their new home. The British King Aviragus gave twelve hides of land to Joseph for the purpose of building a church. That tract of land appears to have contained an island. The swampy ground was drained and became a veritable paradise where the original church was built. This island was in the River Bry. The place was at first called Glascon, or Glaston, meaning Grassy Island. After it had been developed and fruit began to grow, especially apples, it became known as Avalonia. But the Saxons later called it by its original name again. The famous Glastonbury was later Monastary of Glastonbury that was later build there. These twelve hides of land were also called by some writers as a manse of land, sometimes a farnfly of land, and sometimes a plough of land, meaning it contained as much ground as one plough and one ox could cultivate in a year. Twelve hides of land were twelve ploughs of land. British history is full of evidence that at Glastonbury there had been a tract of land that has never been taxed. Within the twelve hides of land was an island on which the church was built. The Saxons called this Island "Godney" meaning "God's Isand." The original church built by Joseph, was a small structure but was enlarged later. The people of Britain accepted the gospel as none of the European nations did. Britain was the first nation to accept Christianity. The early British converts were members of the royal family of Siluria, Gladys the sister of Caradoc. Canadoc's daughter named Gladys, who was also called Claudia, and Eurgen, and Linus the son of Caradoc. The Romans, in an effort to blackmail the Britons took the royal family as hostages to Rome. At Rome, Caradoc and the rest of his family were converted. They were treated as royalty in Rome and, not as ordinary prisoners of war. These hostages, were so devout that a Christian movement developed in Rome, and when Paul and other disciples arrived in Rome, they found Christians already there. Instead of Rome taking the Gospel to Britain, Britain took the gospel to Rome. The nation was already bringing forth the fruits thereof. This group of Christians of the royal family is what Paul had reference to when he wrote in Phil. 4:22, "All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesars household. Those of Caesar's household were the hostages of the Royal family of Siluria. Paul even names some in II Tim. Eusebus greeteth thee, and Claudia and all the brethren. Claudia was the the daughter of Caradoc and Linus was the son. There is much evidence that Joseph of Arimathaea took the gospel to Britain. We could not begin to give all the evidence here. Joseph was followed by Simon Zelotes, then Aristobulus, the Apostle Paul. On March 27 1931 the London Morning Post carried-this story: "The mayors of Bath, Colchester, and Dorchester and the 150 visiting members of the Friends of Italy society were today received in a special audience with the Pope. His Holiness in a specially prepared address, advanced the theory that it it was Paul himself, and not Pope Gregory who introduced Christianity into Britain." The Christian church was so well established in Britain that when Pope Gregory sent Augustine to Britain to become the Archbishop, the British priests and monks rejected Augustine because of his haughty and insulting manner, Augustus called the Cambrian priests and monks to a conference. When they arrived, Augustine did not rise from his seat to greet them. Their spokesman Dimothus made this statement, "We will never admit the pretended rights of Roman ambition any more than those of Saxon tyranny. In the bond of love and charity, we are all subjects and servants to the church of God, yea, to the pope of Rome, and every good Christian, to help them forward, both in deed and in word, to be the children of God; but for the submission of obedience, we owe that only to God, and after God, to our venerable head, the bishop of Kerleon. Besides, we would ask why those who glorify themselves upon having converted the Saxons, have never reprimanded them for their acts of violence towards us and their spoliation of us?" The only answer by Augustine was a formal summons to the Welsh priests to acknowledge him as archbishop, and to aid him in converting the Germans of the island of Britain. The Welshmen unanimously replied that they would not unite in friendship with the invaders of their country until these had restored all which they had unjustly wrested from them, and then they made this statement: "And as for the man who does not rise and pay us respect when he is only our equal, how much greater the contempt he would manifest for us, if we admitted him superior." Augustine was rejected by those whom he was commissioned by the Pope to become archbishop over. Later historians have tried to rewrite these things to make it appear that Augustine was the first who took the gospel to Britain. But facts are stubborn things to refute. Now here is a most unusual fact that has a direct bearing on the coming of Joseph of Arimathaea to Britain. In the fall of of 1951, Princess Elizabeth, now Queen Elizabeth, visited Washington. On Nov. 3, 1951 the Chicago Daily News carried this Associated Press report: "Legend Lives. Thorn Blooms for Princess." "A thorn tree said by tradition to date back to the time of Christ and to bloom when royalty is near, has put forth four blossoms, with Princess Elizabeth in town. The tree is Washington Cathedral's Glastonbury thorn. It is a cutting from a tree in Glastonbury, England. That tree, according to legend, grew from the staff of Joseph of Arimathaea, by tradition the man who took Christ down from the cross." "Joseph is said to have gone to the British Isles, where Glastonbury now stands, to have thrust his staff into the ground to claim the isles for Christ. The staff, the story goes, took root and grew into the Glastonbury thorn. "In the Middle Ages it became the custom to pluck a bloom from the revered tree, when royalty came near, and present the flower in a silver box. "Canon Charles Martin, headmaster of St. Alban's School at Washington Cathedral and Episcopal Church, told the Washington Post the cathedral thorn had three times bloomed when royalty visited Washington. "Other times, it is said, it blooms only at Christmas." Now I am not the author of that report. It is an Associated Press report. Not only did Britain become the first to accept Christianity, but Britain and the United States together have done more for the spread of the gospel than all the other nations put together. More than ninety per cent of all the world's missionaries have gone out from the United States and Britain. More than ninety percent of the translation, publication, and distribution of the Bible has been carried on by the United States and Britain. We have actually become the people of the Bible in a sense that cannot be said of any other people. Why so? Why have the Anglo-Saxon-Celtic people become the Christian people of the world? If you know the Bible, you know the answer. If you don't know the Bible, you do not know the answer. The reason why the Anglo-Saxon, Celtic and kindred people have become the people of the new covenant and are the propagators of the gospel and the custodians of the Bible is because we are the very ones that the Lord said would become the people of the new covenant, the House of Israel. God is doing great things on this earth right under our eyes. We can close our eyes to them and remain blind to the Word and the servants of traditionalism, or we can open our eyes to the Word, see the marvelous fulfillments of prophecy, know where we are in God's great time schedule, and know what place God would have us fulfill in these eventful days. New Christian Crusade Church Sermon for Nov. 19th 2000 #10750 New Christian Crusade Church |
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