The Pontius Pilate - Holy Grail and Druids in Scotland

Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem is also connected to Mary Magdalen of Bethany - sister of Lazarus - and the Holy Grail

House of Danu - Ritual Clothing - What Did the Ancient Druids Wear? - P.W. Joyce, in A Social History of Ancient Ireland, describes the druids as wearing white robes or tunics, based on notes by Tirechan about Rechrad the Druid of Amalgaid, and those in attendance with him when an attempt was made to kill Saint Patrick.

VISION OF ALBION THE KEY TO THE HOLY GRAIL
Jesus, Mary Magdalene and the Christ Family in the Holy Land of Britain
Barry Dunford
(published December 2008)

Contents include:
The spiritual role of the sacred isles of Britain in world history
Were Jesus and Mary Magdalene on Iona?
Was there a female Apostolic succession?
Pontius Pilate and the ancient yew at Fortingall
Rosslyn Chapel and the Rose lineage of Christ

Did Jesus Visit Scotland?
Was Pontius Pilate a Scot?

Located close to the geographical centre of Celtic Scotland is to be found a remarkable yew tree which is currently believed to be around 5,000 years of age, thus dating its origins to about 3,000 B.C. This yew is to be found in Fortingall, Perthshire, which lies at the entrance to Glenlyon, the longest and arguably the most spectacular glen in Scotland. When the 18th century traveller and naturalist Thomas Pennant (1726 - 1798) visited Fortingall, he reported that the girth of this age old yew was fifty six and a half feet. One can but wonder what is giving life force to this extraordinary aged yew tree which can still be seen to be thriving at the present time, and is reputedly the oldest tree in Europe.
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According to ancient lore it would appear that the yew was seen as an arcane repository, i.e. a tree of knowledge. It has also been noted that yew trees were often associated with ancient hill forts and, true to form, on an elevated position close by the Fortingall Yew is to be found the remains of an old hill fort called Dun Geal which translates from the gaelic as 'the white fort'. At the time of Christ, Dun Geal was the residence of the Caledonian King, Metallanus, of whom local tradition claims Pontius Pilate was a relative.

Aerial photographs of Fortingall reveal a marking in the landscape which is believed to indicate the enclosure or vallum of an early Christian monastic site. This monastic settlement appears to have been centered around the Fortingall Yew tree. Such is the reputation of this remarkable Yew that in 1993 a sapling from this archaic tree was planted in Glastonbury Abbey, while concurrently monks from the Tibetan Buddhist monastery, Samye Ling, in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, planted another sapling on Holy Island, off the coast of Arran, Scotland. More recently cuttings were taken from the Fortingall Yew to be grown by the Forestry Commission at Roslin, another historical sacred site in Scotland. These yew cuttings will eventually be planted around the country at such places as the arboretum at Scone Palace. Interestingly, Scone was at one time home to the famous "Stone of Destiny" which was central to the Coronation ceremony of the old Scottish Kings.
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There is a tradition that the Cross of Christ was a yew tree probably because of its symbolism of immortality. This may explain the following observation: "Although the Yew was planted on temple sites, and was a survival of cultus arborum (tree worship) yet, strange to say, it was never damaged, but was adopted by the Christians as a holy symbol." (The Church Yew & Immortality by Vaughan Cornish). Furthermore, the yew also figures in the folklore of the gypsies who believe that the planting of a yew near one's home provides protection. Interestingly, about a century ago gypsies were found to be living in the hollow churchyard yew at Leeds in the English county of Kent.

Barry Dunford - EzineArticles.com Expert Author

Did Christ Visit the British Isles?

The English visionary poet and mystic, William Blake, believed that Albion, the most ancient name for the British Isles, was the original and true Holy Land of Christ. In my well documented book "Vision of Albion: The Key to the Holy Grail" I show there may be some substance to such an intriguing notion. Drawing on historical source material I have investigated Blake's mystical vision of Albion as the Holy Land of Christ, which is inextricably linked with the English poet's intuitive feeling expressed in his famous lines - And did those feet in ancient time, walk upon England's mountains green? And was the Holy Lamb of God, on England's pleasant pastures seen?

Monarch of Antiquity - The Sacred Yew Tree in the Heart of Scotland

I attended a bible study nights, a phase of my life when younger so to say.
The point, we (students) were told the throne of England, the original, wood carved baby is carved w/ hebrew writings. T or F.

The professor ,also explained, valid or not I can't say. The fable of the lost tribe of Israel, the fishing village inhabitants that took of from Israel ended up in Ireland (freedom). I know, off subject, just thought I', toss it in there. ...

In 43 AD the Roman Empire of Claudius invaded England - Again Nothing could be left to chance - 40 thousand troops were sent across the channel:

The Romans in Britain
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The Romans invaded England again in 43 AD under Emperor Claudius. The Roman invasion force consisted of about 20,000 legionaries and about 20,000 auxiliary soldiers from the provinces of the Roman Empire. Aulus Plautius led them. The Romans landed somewhere in Southeast England (the exact location is unknown) and quickly prevailed against the Celtic army.
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Roman Conquest of Britain
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In 43AD, possibly by re-collecting Caligula's troops, Claudius mounted an invasion force to re-instate Verica, an exiled king of the Atrebates.[6] Aulus Plautius, a distinguished senator, was given overall charge of four legions, totalling about 20,000 men, plus about the same number of auxiliaries

Is it true that Pontius Pilate was a Scot trained by the Druids? .... So why did Claudius want Britain so bad?
Later in 60 AD the Romans invaded Anglesey and WIPED OUT the Druids there.

It is thought that the Druids were in contact with the Mediterranean Essenes and wanted Pilate in place to be in Jerusalam and watch out for Jesus - didn't quite work out - but Pilate didn't send Jesus to the gallows either

The Fortingall Yew - This famous yew tree is estimated to be approximately 5000 years old and is believed to be the oldest living thing in Europe.

Pontius Pilate on Undiscovered Scotland
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There has long been a story that Pontius Pilate was actually born at Fortingall in Perthshire, also known as home to an ancient yew tree that could be as much as 5,000 years old (and, if so, is probably the oldest living thing on Earth). At first sight the story of Pilate's birth here looks unlikely. The Romans arrived in southern Britain in 55BC, but only briefly. They returned to invade what is now England in AD43, and only invaded Scotland for the first time in AD80, reaching the area including Perthshire in about AD83. Against this background, how could a Roman have been born here in, roughly, the decade either side of 20BC, which seems necessary to have allowed him to become Prefect of Judaea in AD26?

The story of Pilate's Scottish origins was set out most fully in an article published in the New York Times on 15 January 1899. It seems that between the Romans' first incursion into Britain and their later invasion, Ceasar Augustus dispatched envoys to establish diplomatic relations with some of the important British and Caledonian chieftains. These included a Caledonian chieftain called Metellanus, whose stronghold was at the head of Glen Lyon. A member of the Roman delegation to Metellanus's tribe fathered a child with a Caledonian woman, and this child subsequently returned to Rome with his father (and, possibly, his mother), and was brought up as Pontius Pilate

see: Fortingall Yew tree

Pontius Pilate was born at Fortingall, which translates from the gaelic placename 'Feart-nan-Gall' as the 'Stronghold of the Strangers' (The druids). Nowhere else in Scotland, or for that matter in the British Isles, has an oral tradition and association with the birth of Pontius Pilate; so why should the tiny and obscure hamlet of Fortingall lay claim to this tradition, unless there is an intrinsic element of truth in what would otherwise be deemed as an audacious presupposition.

The yew is a primordial tree and it is believed to date back for at least two hundred million years, which considerably antedates the era of the human race. It is no wonder that from time immemorial the eternal yew appears to have been seen as the immortal tree of life and held with sacred reverence throughout the ages.

According to ancient lore it would appear that the yew was seen as an arcane repository, i.e. a tree of knowledge. It has also been noted that yew trees were often associated with ancient hill forts and, true to form, on an elevated position close by the Fortingall Yew is to be found the remains of an old hill fort called Dun Geal which translates from the gaelic as 'the white fort' (and the druids wore white) . At the time of Christ, Dun Geal was the residence of the Caledonian King, Metallanus, of whom local tradition claims Pontius Pilate was a relative.

Commenting on the Fortingall Yew, Vaughan Cornish, D.Sc., in his book The Churchyard Yew & Immortality (1946) remarks: "Of Yew trees in the churchyards of Scotland the most celebrated is that of Fortingall in Perthshire. The tree as measured in A.D. 1771 by Thomas Pennant was 56 1/2 feet in circumference and as measured by Daines Barrington in A.D. 1769, 52 feet, thus being greater than that of any churchyard Yew of England or Wales. This led to the supposition that of all the trees in Britain the Fortingall Yew was monarch of antiquity. Upon this belief legends grew. One of these was embodied in a poem by W. Cowan, from which the following is a quotation:

'Here Druid priests their altars placed,
And sun and moon adored.
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A tree - the sacred Yew,
Symbol of immortality -
Beside their altar grew.'

The Roman Empire was a global slave system - the beginning of it's collapse was seen in 410AD
The sack of Rome was made by those who were targets of enslavement.

Sack of Rome (410AD)

The Sack of Rome occurred on August 24, 410. The city was attacked by the Visigoths, led by Alaric I.

At that time, Rome was no longer the capital of the Western Roman Empire, replaced in this position initially by Mediolanum and then later Ravenna. Nevertheless, the city of Rome retained a paramount position as "the eternal city" and a spiritual center of the Empire. The sack was to prove a major shock to contemporaries, friends and foes of the Empire alike.

This was the first time in almost 800 years that Rome had fallen to an enemy. The previous sack of Rome had been accomplished by the Gauls under their leader Brennus in 387 BC. The sacking of 410 is seen as a major landmark in the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

St. Jerome, living in Bethlehem at the time, wrote that "The City which had taken the whole world was itself taken."
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Barbarian tribes grew stronger for some time, and united themselves to challenge Roman hegemony.

In the late 4th century, however, the Huns began to overrun barbarian territories. In 376, they forced many Thervings, led by Fritigern, to seek exile into the Eastern Roman Empire. Soon after, high taxes, Roman prejudice, and government corruption turned them against the Empire. ...

Sack of Rome by the Visigoths on 24 August 410 by Joseph-Noël Sylvestre

Aftermath

After the sack, Alaric and his forces journeyed south, where they expected to take ships to Africa. The ships were destroyed, however, in a storm and Alaric died around the same time.

Ataulf took command of the Goths, leading them north into Gaul, where they settled in Aquitaine. This sack of Rome is generally considered to mark the end of classical history with the Middle Ages thereupon commencing, characterized by the rise of small feudal regions rather than one unitary empire and Christian chivalry as opposed to secular investigation. In truth, of course, the matter is more complicated, as scientific inquiry continued to some degree during the Middle Ages and the Byzantine Empire (or Eastern Roman Empire) continued for a further 1000 years.

When the Romans left Britain in 410AD - the people had been so disarmed, enslaved and domesticated that is was left exposed to invasions from Picts and Anglo-Saxons. There was no longer any native militia to stop the onslaught.

End of Roman rule in Britain - The end of Roman rule in Britain is the period during which the Roman Empire ended its relationship with Roman Britain, thus marking the transition from Roman Britain to post-Roman Britain. No single date is correct without qualification, as Roman rule ended for different parts of Britain at different times, and under different circumstances.

The year 410 is the preference of most historians. In that year, the Roman Emperor Honorius replied to a request for assistance with the Rescript of Honorius, telling the Romano-Britons to see to their own defence. Some historians prefer 409 instead, the year when the Romano-Britons expelled Roman magistrates from their cities
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Germanic tribes invasion - Roman Britain ends 410

Roman Britain was attacked by Angles, Saxons and Jules who were tribes from North Germany, Denmark & Holland. Roman called them "barbarians". In 410 AD, last Romans left Britain

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SUMMARY

The research of other scholars also substantiates this evidence. For example, famed Celtic scholar, John Rhys, in The Welsh People, speaks of, "convincing evidence of the presence of some element other than Celtic... We allude to an important group of Irish names formed much in the same way as Hebrew names are represented in the Old Testament. " (p. 66) Many of these scholars further assert that the Celtic ancestors of the modern English people spoke a language which was strongly influenced by both Hebrew and Egyptian down to its very root structure. Yet only the ancient Israelites of the Bible, fresh from hundreds of years of Egyptian captivity, would exhibit such a unique language style

Historians have often written about the "Phoenician" ships that sailed the Mediterranean Sea to Britain in early times, but few relate the connection between the Hebrew and Phoenician languages.

The Bible Handbook by Dr. Joseph Angus, D.D., states, "That the Hebrew language was the common tongue of Canaan and Phoenicia is generally admitted. " (p. 13) In our tract, "Ancient Hebrew Sea Migrations," we show that a significant portion of the so-called Phoenician trade was in reality Israelite. Knowledge of this little-known history sheds important light on Bible history and prophecy

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But what is interesting is what British royalty "believe" .... and this idea came into existence at the same time period (1870-1880's) as the origin of zionism ... hmmm.....

British Israelism

British Israelism (also called Anglo-Israelism) is the belief that people of Western European descent, particularly those in Great Britain, are the direct lineal descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.

The concept often includes the belief that the British Royal Family is directly descended from the line of King David.[1][2] There has never been a single head or an organisational structure to the movement. However, various British Israelite organisations were set up across the British Commonwealth and America from the 1870s, and many still continue to exist.
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British Royal Family
James I of England (1567–1625) believed he was a king of Israel.

In 1996, The Independent, reprinted the facsimile of a 1922 letter by George VI (then Duke of York). He wrote:

...I am sure the British Israelite business is true. I have read a lot about it lately and everything no matter how large or small points to our being ’the chosen race.’ [72]

Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone was a chief patron of the British-Israel-World Federation from 1920 until her death. Her daughter Lady May Abel Smith was also a patron of the Federation until her own death in 1994.[73]

It is also claimed by modern British Israelites that Queen Victoria believed herself she descended from King David, they quote a letter she wrote supposedly supporting this view that she occupied the throne of David

The Stone of Jacob appears in the Book of Genesis as the stone used as a pillow by the Israelite patriarch Jacob at the place later called Bet-El. As Jacob had a vision in his sleep, he then consecrated the stone to God. More recently, the stone has been claimed by Scottish folklore and British Israelism.

THE CORONATION STONE

WHO OWNS THE ROCK?

The coronation stone which sat in Westminster Abbey, England, is the coronation stone of the Hebrew nation called Israelites. This stone was named Beth-el (house of God) by the patriarch Israel (sometimes called Jacob) roughly 2000 BC and remained with his descendents. It travelled with them for forty years in the wilderness, supplying their water, and was preserved and brought to Ireland in 583 BC by the prophet Jeremiah; eventually being transferred to Scotland, then England, and now resides in Scotland.

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ENGLAND'S CORONATION CHAIR

The Coronation Chair of England has been in constant use to crown the Monarchs of England since 1296 AD when Edward I had it constructed for his coronation. The chair was built specifically to house the Coronation Stone which Edward brought from Scotland. It had resided there since being brought by Fergus from Ireland in 500 AD.

Stone of Scone - The Stone of Scone ( Scottish Gaelic: An Lia Fàil), more commonly known as the Stone of Destiny and often referred to in England as the Coronation Stone, is an oblong block of red sandstone, used for centuries in the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland and later the monarchs of England, Great Britain and the United Kingdom.

Historically, the artifact was kept at the now-ruined Scone Abbey in Scone, near Perth, Scotland. Other names by which it has sometimes been known include Jacob's Pillow Stone and the Tanist Stone, and in Scottish Gaelic clach-na-cinneamhain. Its size is about 26 inches (660 mm) by 16.75 inches (425 mm) by 10.5 inches (270 mm) and its weight is approximately 336 pounds (152 kg). The top bears chisel-marks. At each end of the stone is an iron ring, apparently intended to make transport easier.

King Edward's Chair

King Edward's Chair, sometimes known as St Edward's Chair or The Coronation Chair, is the throne on which the British monarch sits for the coronation. It was commissioned in 1296 by King Edward I to contain the coronation stone of Scotland — known as the Stone of Scone — which he had captured from the Scots who had kept it at Scone Abbey. The chair was named after Edward the Confessor, and was kept in his shrine of St Edward's Chapel at Westminster Abbey.

see also:

Exodus 2006 - Lia-fail Code Searches

“Lia-fail” is also known as “the Stone of Scone”, “Jacob’s Pillow Stone”, “Jacob’s Pillar Stone”, and the “Coronation Stone”.

It is thought by many to be the stone that Jacob used for a pillow when camping at Luz where Jacob had his first encounter with the LORD:

“ And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not .And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.” Genesis 28.10-22
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Most of the legends have the stone being removed from Jerusalem by Jeremiah and his scribe Baruch just before the Babylonian invasion. The Bible records them going to Egypt with King Zedekiah’s daughters (Jeremiah 41.11-18) but doesn’t mention the stone.

The stone ended up in Ireland, where the princesses were married to Irish royalty and was later transferred to Scotland, and eventually captured and taken to England about 700 years ago where it has been used to crown every king and queen since

see also: downloadable book: The Coronation stone By William Forbes Skene

Fal's Fiery Stone - Lia Fail of the Irish Celts - Serpent-cult people called "The tribe of the goddess Danu" (Tuatha de Danaan), who, significantly also are stated to have migrated to Ireland from Alban....the prehistoric Feins in Ireland is of great importance for the origin of the prehistoric Serpent cult in Ireland...And Fal's Fiery Stone was the materialized thunderbolt of the Dragon serpent of Lightning, ... So intimately was Fal identified with the early Ireland of the Feins that Erin was called "Fal's Isle" (Inis Fall); and "Fal's Hill" was the title of the sacred hill at the ancient capital, Tara.

The Templar today is a large part of the Scottish Rite. The Rite stems from Freemasonry. Knights Templar is associated largely with the Catholic Church but that is not how the Order of the Templar began
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Joseph of Arimathea, a very wealthy member of the Zealots, claims Jesus' body at the cross. Joseph then places the body of Jesus in a tomb that is owned by the Arimathea. A certain group of people make friends with Joseph because of his compassion to the Messiah.

The new friends were people such as, James the Justus-Jesus' brother, Apostle Peter, Mary-Jesus' mother and Mary Magdalene. Joseph made quite an impression on the group. He was able to obtain the Cup of Christ, the lance that pierced Jesus' side and Peter's copy of Jesus' laws.

The early Church of the Christ considered Joseph of Arimathea a very important and blessed man. Apostle Peter had been crucified (upside down) and most of the apostles were dead. Joseph knew he had to get the young church out of Jerusalem to safety. When he organized the departure out of Israel, many people followed him.

Mary Magdalene had gotten married and gave birth to three children. The children were named, Tamar, Jesus the Justus, Joseph or Josephes. There is a controversy over the father of Mary's children. The eldest son is named Jesus Justus therefore pointing to James the Justus as being the possible father. James the Justus was the brother to Jesus the Christ.

James having children kept the avenue open for a possible bloodline King of Judah. After all, Joseph (James' father and Jesus' earthly father) was a direct descendent of King David.

Joseph of Arimathea with 12 missionaries landed on the Isle of Britain in 62 AD.

Mary Magdalene with her children and some female companions took refuge at Rennes le Chateau which is located in Arcadia. The same area that the Tribe of Benjamin settled when they were exiled from Israel.

Arimathea had possession of the Holy Relics as was searching for a strong hold to house them. King Avallach of Sarras became known as Mordreins meaning Slow of Belief, took Joseph and the Grail Keepers to his home named Peel Castle.

Peel Castle was situated in the Land of Glass. The Grail keepers were represented by a red cross. This began with Joseph of Arimathea. We find more evidence of the "Grail Keepers" nearly 400 years later.

Lancelot, Sir Gawain and Perceval all bore the red cross on their shields. The Keepers were a religious military order that was sworn to poverty and obedience to the Grail beliefs. They along with the Grail Kings wanted to regain the power that Benjamin once had in Israel. The plan was to place a man of the Holy Bloodline as the King of Judah.

The Grail Kings were allowing the time needed to implement such a strategic plan, by beginning their own Christian teachings and beliefs. Joseph of Arimathea had came against the most stubborn civilization to convert so he compromised with these people. These people were the Celts. They did not want to give up their belief of 'finding the light.' Joseph used this to his advantage for Jesus the Christ was known as 'the light.' The Romans tried to force their church on the Celtic Christians, therefore leading to one of the most famous legends of all time, King Arthur and Modred. While the war of religion was on again, the Templar remained very secretive. They protected the gifts of Joseph of Arimathea. They only allowed those whom they felt worthy to see the Holy Relics. This became known as the Fisher Kings. A very humble passive group of men to carry on the Grail Tradition. The Templar served the Celtic Church until the Twelfth Century. The Plan was still surviving at this time. The Templar grew wealthy and powerful. A much stronger influence came into the soul of the Grail teachings and the Knights Templar, the Roman Catholic Church...

So here is more evidence that St. Dunstan was recruiting young monks for the clergy - for good or bad, he brought the Benedictine order to England under the reign of King Edgar. Priests stripped of wife and family would be completely dependent upon the church and would be much more obedient to Rome. Interestingly, this was still not enough for Rome. In 1066, William the conqueror was given permission from the Pope to invade England and with him he brought Norman priests even more loyal to the pope (William was borrowing money from everyone even the Pope/Lombards).

Also another example of Britains' early worship of Mary Magdalene and Lazarus prior to the crusades (This was a Norman church built just after the conquest and prior to the crusades (and against the Cathars), The Normans of France certainly had exposure to the Cathars of Provence, France.

Chichester Cathedral - The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, otherwise called Chichester Cathedral, is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Chichester. It is located in Chichester, in Sussex, England. It was founded as a cathedral in 1075, when the seat of the bishop was moved from Selsey... Chichester Cathedral was built to replace the cathedral founded in 681 by St. Wilfrid for the South Saxons at Selsey. The seat of the bishop was transferred here in 10

Dunstan, Abbot of Glastonbury, had, at an early period of his life, been admitted into that ancient monastery, which was then also a school or college. Glastonbury was principally filled by Scots, or monks from Ireland.
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The popes of Rome were, about this time, most earnest in compelling the celibacy of the clergy. In the Anglo-Saxon empire, this regulation had never yet been enforced upon the inferior orders of the hierarchy. The principle upon which the prohibition was founded, arose from a mistaken application of passages of Scripture, appearing, when separated from their context, to justify a restriction, which, if imposed as a yoke upon men's consciences, was wholly in contradiction to the spirit of the Gospel. Considered, however, as a matter of discipline and expediency, there were reasons of policy which might then render it in some degree advisable. In the middle ages, when all the institutions of society had a strong tendency to the establishment of hereditary right, and when there was little written law, any usage or custom which had subsisted for two or three generations, easily acquired the validity of positive legislation. Lands had been granted to the clergy for their maintenance. A married priesthood would soon have degenerated into a caste of sacerdotal nobility, holding their lands as a patrimonial inheritance by the nominal condition of serving at the altar, but neglecting, in fact, every duty which they were charged to perform.

At an earlier period, this state of things had been sufficiently realized in Northumbria, to shew the nature and extent of the imminent danger by which the church was threatened. If the system had prevailed, the spiritual ministration of religion would have been debased, the temporal advantages resulting to the community from the establishment of Christianity would have been wholly destroyed; therefore, we can well suppose, that many thinking men, honestly anxious for the real interests of religion, would labour for the prevention of such an abuse. Most closely connected with this question of celibacy, was the introduction of the Benedictine rule among the monks of England1.

Before Dunstan's time, each congregation of recluses lived according to its own internal regulations, nor were the several monasteries consolidated into one community.

A Roman of the name of Benedict, a man of sincere piety, had introduced a new code into the monastery which he founded upon Monte Cassino, in the ancient territory of the Samnitesa. Amongst much that was trifling, it contained more that was well adapted to increase the utility of the monastic life, and to restrain its vices, being particularly adapted to prevent the cloister from becoming a nestling place of sloth and profligacy. These monasteries, upon the continent, had united into one corporation. The Benedictines of Italy were members of the same body as the Benedictines of Gaul. They were exempted from the jurisdiction of the bishops, and placed under a "General" of their own; and they soon became the ready instruments of papal ambition.

The great object sought by the popes was the suppression of the independence of the different national churches of Christendom; and the celibacy of the clergy became a party badge—a pledge of submission to the Church of Rome, if yielded,—a token of hostility, if refused. And in this spirit of conquest did Dunstan, and those who co-operated with him, engage in the plans which they pursued.

The Scottish or Irish, and Pictish and British churches, though in communion with Rome, were still independent of the papal see. The Anglo-Saxon church was more inclined towards subjection, and the Benedictine rule had been introduced at Glastonbury. Yet the opposition was very strong.
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The married clergymen, who refused to separate from their wives, were driven out by main force. Some, perhaps, were bribed into compliance by the king's [ Edgar ] bounty. As soon as a body of monks was established in any given church, large and ample donations were bestowed upon the new colony.

Such of the old English monks as had not yet received the Benedictine rule, were induced to fraternize with Monte Cassino, either by approbation of the real merits of the system—for merits it certainly had—or in order to conciliate the king. During the Danish invasions and the consequent troubles, many of the endowments of the monasteries had been seized or acquired by the nobles and other laymen. Edgar often succeeded in persuading these persons to restore the property, which they could not hold with a good conscience. In other instances, if a stubborn "thane" resisted the persuasions of the monarch, and had made up his mind to despise the anathemas denounced against the usurpers of church property, Edgar purchased the land with his own money, and restored it to the church. By these means, before the close of the reign of Edgar, forty-eight opulent Benedictine monasteries of monks and nuns were established in Anglo-Saxon Britain; and these subsisted until the era fatal to all similar foundations.