The church-history of Brittany from the beginning of Christianity to the Norman conquest under Roman governours, Brittish kings, the English-Saxon heptarchy, the English-Saxon (and Danish) monarchy ... : from all which is evidently demonstrated that the present Roman Catholick religion hath from the beginning, without interruption or change been professed in this our island, &c. / by R.F., S. Cressy of the Holy Order of S. Benedict.

* 1.1XV. CHAP.

1.2. Silence of Historians touching the Gests of King Lucius during his last ten years.

3.4.5. German Records affirm King Lucius to have been the Apostle of Ba∣varia, Rhetium, &c.

6.7 Three persons call'd by the same name of Lucius.

8.9. Of a supposed son of Constantius call'd Lucius or Lucion: which is ma∣nifestly disproved.

10.11. It was only our King Lucius who converted severall Regions in Ger∣many.

1. HAving collected a Narration of the glorious Actions of our illustrious King Lucius (as they lye scattred in severall Authours and Monuments) for the space of seaven years after his Conversion,* 1.2 that is, to the year of Grace one hundred and nine∣ty, coincident with the ninth year of the raign of the Emperour Commodus: though our Records of good credit doe testify that he prolonged his life ten years further, yet there is no mention at all in them of any of his actions either publick or private; and excepting one Authour,* 1.3 Geffrey of Mon∣mouth, not any of them declare where he was buried. And as for the sayd Geffrey, who tells us that he ended his life at Gloce∣ster, and was honourably buried in the Church of the prime See: his pen does so abundant∣ly flow in matters that regard the glory of his Nation, (as in the Acts of King Arthur, &c.) that his Authority in domesticall af∣fairs is of no great moment.

2. This silence therefore of our own Writers may be an argument inducing us to attend to the Testimonies of forraigners, who will acquaint us with the succeeding actions of King Lucius, not inferiour, yea far more glorious then any hitherto related, though perform'd by him, not in the quality of a King, but a private person employing him∣selfe in communicating to other Nations those celestiall blessings which himself, and by his assistance, his own people formerly enjoyed. Now what such forraign Authours testify concerning him, will no doubt seem at least incredible, if not ridiculous to those worldly minds, which setting too great a value on the present temporall vanity of human glory and wealth, judge of Primitive Christians, whether Princes or private per∣sons, by the dispositions of after Ages, and because in these times, wherein sensuality, avarice and a contempt of spirituall things doe raign, no such examples can be found, they therefore conclude all relations in an∣cient Monuments touching Princes who have prefer'd the poverty of Christ, and the gai∣ning of soules to him before temporall a∣bundance, and the satisfaction of nature, to have been the fabulous inventions of men.

3. Notwithstanding, mens incredulity shall not deterre me from relating what is extant in the ancient Monuments of severall Churches touching this matter. Generally all Authours which have written of the Ec∣clesiasticall affairs of Bavaria, Rhetia, Vindeli∣cia and the Cantons of the Swizzars do agree in this, that a certain holy person called Lucius preached the Gospell of Christ in Ba∣varia, and some other parts in Germany, from whence he proceeded to Rhaetia, in which Countrey he dyed and was buried in the Citty of Curia, or Chur, situated in the Coun∣trey of the Helvetians or Grisons.* 1.4 This, saith Gaspar Buschius quoted by Raderus, is certain: But who this Lucius was, of what family or na∣tion, cannot certainly be determined. He adds, that this Lucius, who ever he was, having prea∣ched among the Bohemians and other Regions bordering on the River Danubius, was banish'd from thence, and came into Rhaetia, where he

built for himselfe a poor narrow cottage, &c.

4. Aegidius Tscudus writing of the An∣cient Rhaetia, denotes the precise time when this Holy Apostolicall man came into those Countreyes, saying, that about the year of Christ one hundred seaventy six, Eleutherius being Bishop of Rome, Lucius, out of a zeale to plant the Christian Faith is sayd to have come into Bavaria, which he converted to the Faith, and afterwards retired into Rhaetia,* 1.5 &c. But Andreas Presbyter, as Raderus testifies, de∣termins this to have hapned more lately: For says he, about the year of our Lord one hun∣dred eighty two, Eleutherius the twelfth after S. Peter, being Pope, and in the raign of the Em∣perour Commodus, Lucius being poor, naked, and therefore lesse encombred, undertook a voyage in∣to forraign Nations; and by his preaching and Mi∣racles is beleiv'd to have converted to the Faith of Christ the parts about Bavaria, and the whole Countrey of Rhetia situated among the Alpes. Aubertus Miraeus agrees in the same Chrono∣logy:* 1.6 and lastly Alfledius most accuratly re∣ferrs this to the year of our Lord one hun∣dred and ninety.

5. Such a concurrence of Testimonies, to which may be added the ancient Records of those Nations and Churches, together with the Ecclesiasticall Office of the Cathedrall Church of Curia (or Chur:) all these leave the mat∣ter unquestionable, at least thus far, that those Nations were about that time con∣verted by one called Lucius. Which Nations being seated not far from the place where, about that time, was performed the fore∣mention'd Miracle of the saving the Empe∣rour Marcus with the whole Roman Army from almost inevitable destruction, by the prayers of his Christian souldiers, no doubt they were thereby powerfully enclined to the embracing of the Christian Faith.

6. But now who this Lucius was, and out of what Countrey he came, is a dispute a∣mong learned Authours, who produce three onely of that Name: 1. Lucius of Cyrene, mention'd in the Acts of the Apostles, and probably in the Epistle to the Romans too.* 1.7 2. Our Brittish King Lucius. 3. Lucius, or Lu∣cion a pretended son of Constantius Chlorus and Helena. And to each of these the Con∣version of those Nations is by some Writers ascribed.

7. As touching the first of these, namely Lucius of Cyrene a Prophet and teacher at Antioch in the time of the Apostles, that he could not be the Apostolick Converter of those German Nations seems unquestionable, both from the ancient Martyrologes, Eastern and Western, affirming him to have lived and dyed in the East: and likewise from the ancient Records of those Churches in Bava∣ria and Rhaetia, which doe not pretend to such an Antiquity of the Profession of Christianity.* 1.8 So that the learned and No∣ble Authour, Marcus Velserus thus confi∣dently writes concerning him, The trifling assertions of those who confound Lucius of Cy∣rene with the Brittish Lucius, deserve not to be answer'd: since they doe not consider how vast a space there is between their times.

8. And whereas our Hollingshead,* 1.9 out of I know not what Apocryphall Writings, would entitle to the Conversion of those Nations another Brittish Prince, Lucius or Lucion, pretended to be the second son of Constantius by our Brittish Lady Helena, who is sayd to have been banished by his Father for killing his elder Brother, and after his banishment to have repented, and embra∣ced the Christian Faith, which he afterward preached in Germany, &c. the fabulousnes of this report discovers it selfe, not only by the silence of all Ancient Historians li∣ving in, and after the times of Constantius, not any one of which make the least mention of such a Prince, but on the con∣trary expresly affirm that Constantin was the only son born to Constantius by Helena. Thus writes Eusebius,* 1.10 familiarly acquainted with Constantin, in the first Book of his Life: To the same effect writes the Panegyrist Eumenius in his Oration pronounced to Con∣stantin: as likewise Liveneius descanting on another Panegyrick of an uncertain Au∣thour, spoken to the Emperours Maximian and Constantin. And lastly Baronius, who confidently affirms,* 1.11 That Constantius begot of Helena any other son or daughter besides Constantin, cannot be found recorded any where.

9. To this unanswerable Proof against the assertion of Hollingshead, follow'd here∣in by Broughton,* 1.12 may be added the gene∣rall consent of the ancient Monuments and Writers of Germany and Rhaetia, agreeing in this, that the Conversion of those Nations was effected above one whole century of years before the age of Constantin.

10. The first Lucius being therefore excluded for his too great antiquity, and the third, as living, if at all, much too late for such a work: it remains that the Conversion of those Nations must be ascribed only to the second Lucius, our first Pious Chri∣stian King.

11. And indeed him only doe the most Ancient Monuments and Writers of those Churches and Regions acknowledge for their Prime Apostle: Insomuch as Raderus a lear∣ned Authour, and very diligent in the search of old Records,* 1.13 confidently pronoun∣ces, That the Beleif is most certain▪ grounded upon the Testimonies of Authours most an∣cient and of prime Note, that it was our Brit∣tish King Lucius who converted those Nations. The same is with the like confidence as∣serted by Aegidius Tscudus in his Treatise concerning Antient Rhetia, by Andreas Pres∣byter, by Petrus Mersaeus, by Hertmannus Sche∣del, Stumfius, Aubertus Miraeus, Nauclerus, Not∣kerus Balbulus in his Martyrologe and Baronius.

To these may be added a Testimony of yet greater authority taken from the Church of Curia (or Chur) in whose Ecclesiasticall Office King Lucius is commemorated as the first Doctour and Apostle of that Countrey, the place of whose buriall is there venerated, though his Relicks have been dispersed through se∣verall places in Germany. And in the last place, the same is confirmed by that Trea∣sury of the Records of all Churches, the Roman Martyrologe, out of which every year on the third of December is chanted,* 1.14 The Commemo∣ration of S. Lucius King of the Brittains, at Curia a Citty of Germany, who was the first among Kings which received the Faith of Christ, in the time of Pope Eleutherius.

Notes

• * 1.1

  XV. CH.
• * 1.2

  A. D. 190.
• * 1.3

  Galfrid. Monum. l. 5. c. 1. Claudi••co∣striae.
• * 1.4

  Gasp. Busch. apud Rader. in Bavaria Sancta.
• * 1.5

  Rader. in Bavonia Sancta.
• * 1.6

  Miraeus in Fastis Belg. 21. Decemb. Alfled. in Chronol. c 27.
• * 1.7

  Act. 13.1. Rom. 16.21.
• * 1.8

  M. Velser∣rerum. Au∣gust. lib. 6.
• * 1.9

  Hollings∣head in De∣script. of Britt.
• * 1.10

  Euseb. vit. Const. lib. 1. cap. 15.
• * 1.11

  Baron. A. D. 306. n. 21.
• * 1.12

  Brought. cen. 3. cap. 2. & 12.
• * 1.13

  Rader in Ba∣varia Sancta.
• * 1.14

  Mart. Rom. 3. Decemb.