by Percy E. Corbett - friendsofsabbath.org

9
CHAPTER 2
THE CHRISTIAN MISSION TO AND FROM BRITAIN
I am intrigued by the way which new patterns of thought which can help the human race come
to life in a small way and then spread throughout the world. How did the three years ministry of
one man in the Middle East catch men's imaginations in such a tremendous way ? Is it
possible that Britain was involved with Christianity in the days of the Apostles and took
an active part in the early missionary work ? If it did, was this part of the Divine Plan
which brought Christianity to the West as our natural heritage ? These are questions of
profound importance and my outline of events in this chapter should, I hope, help my readers
to draw their own conclusions.
As related in Chapter 1, during the two thousand years B.C., Druidism with its motto, "The
Truth against the World," had become established in Britain and King Molmutius had clarified
the essence of the Druidic Beliefs into civil laws which were maintained up to the time of
William the Conqueror. I have also suggested that the existence of the signs of the Zodiac in
huge earth mounds around Glastonbury gives this area a special but somewhat mysterious
significance, it should not be surprising therefore, that the next sequence of events
reveal a direct link between Palestine, early Christianity and Glastonbury.
Kirsten Parsons wrote a booklet (1) on Glastonbury after studying the writings of Gildas,
Tacitus, Cardinal Baronius, Cardinal Alford, Martial Juvenal and William of Malmesbury. She
writes that:-
(a) Joseph of Arimathea was an uncle of Virgin Mary and that as her husband Joseph died
early in our Lord's life, the guardianship of Jesus would, in accordance with Jewish law, fall
upon Joseph of Arimathea.
(b) It was because of this relationship that Pontius Pilate granted Joseph's claim to the body of
Jesus.
(c) Joseph was 'the owner of a fleet of ships trading regularly with the Cornish tin mines and
the lead mines of the Mendips in Somerset. His title of Nobilis Decurio indicated that he had
the sole right to import lead and tin. His ships would sail up to the Bristol Channel and the river
Brue to Glastonbury.
(d) It seems reasonable that Joseph brought the boy Jesus with him on some of these trips.
(e) Traditional songs in Cornwall include such phrases as "Joseph was in the tin trade."
(f) An old ordnance survey map gives the name 'Paradise' to the area around Burnham and
Glastonbury. There still exists a Paradise Farm, Paradise House and a Paradise Lane. There
are two villages near Glastonbury called Godney and Christon. There are also places called
Cross and Palestine.
(g) At Priddy in the Mendips, which is situated near the ancient lead mines and where tradition
is strong, local people have a curious saying when they want to emphasise
(1) Covenant Publishing Co,