Two years after Constantine was accepted by the Romans as their new Emperor, he created an international Christian council of churches. At the first meeting, of the 318 Bishops present, only ten were Latin-speaking. At this council and at the future councils, the Bishops were seated according to the time that their church was established. In all the council meetings after this, for more than a thousand years, Britain has always had the first chair.
The Apostle Paul ordained Linus (Caradoc’s son) the first Bishop of Rome and in A.D. 56, Linus established the first church of Rome. Therefore, the roots of the Church of Rome came from the Culdee Church of Britain, established between A.D.39-41 from Joseph of Arimathea. For almost six hundred years the Church of Rome and the Church of Britain seemed united as sisters promoting the Good News of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, by the beginning of the seventh century, the Church at Rome had already drifted away from the foundational message of Christianity; and regressed back to their secrets and superstitions of their sacred Mysteries.
Just as the Druid’s religion had its similarities to the Hebrew's, the beliefs of the pagans in Rome were also very similar to the Christian message; probably because they vaguely understood the story of the constellations through their mythology. However the pagans had difficulty understanding the concept of ‘things of the spirit.’ They were very much into the ‘Mysteries’ originating with Nimrod. For them, spirituality was an ‘outward’ thing. After Constantine, many compromises were made by so-called Christians in the efforts to convert the pagans. They basically met the pagans half way with their rules, rituals and traditions from the Mysteries and gradually merged them into the worship and fellowship of Christianity. History was repeating itself again just as it did in ancient Israel with those that worshipped Baal.
In A.D. 431, in another example of compromising with the ‘Mysteries,’ the Roman church introduces the term Mother of God. This was most definitely influenced by the ‘Mysteries’ religion; changing the name of their supreme female deity from Diana to Mary. Gradually, Mary would receive the same attributes as the goddess Diana. In A.D. 600, the Roman Catholic Church deified the Virgin Mary by introducing the Feast of Assumption (believing that Mary ascended into heaven the same as Jesus), instituted by the Emperor Mauritius. Here again, another belief taken from the Mysteries surrounding the mythology of Bacchus, where he goes down to hell to get his mother and brings her up to heaven. This was celebrated in mid-August long before the Christian era.
In A.D. 593, Gregory the Great establishes the doctrine of Purgatory and seven years later, imposed that Latin be the language of prayer and worship. Here we see more confusion poured into places where souls want to know the truth. I believe the introduction of many of these pagan heresies were motivated by greed for financial gain; the greater the sin the more one would have to pay for forgiveness. The Roman Church discovered this kind of power and capitalized on it to acquire it’s wealth. Of the seven churches Jesus spoke to in the book of Revelation, the church of Laodicea was the biggest and wealthiest. These seven churches Jesus chose to write to were symbolic of the many different Christian denominations that would exist just before His return.
And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things says the Amen (Jesus Christ), the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I wish you were cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spit you out of my mouth. Because you say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and you know not that you are wretched (in your worship), and miserable (in your so-called faith), and poor (in your knowledge of His Word), and blind (to your ways and His Truth), and naked (in your sins): I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white raiment, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness does not appear; and anoint your eyes with eyesalve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (Revelation 3:14-21)
In the early stages of Christianity, the church leader of the community was a Bishop. The Bishop was basically the organizer and representative of the congregation. Bishops were not above the people spiritually, all Christians were and are intended to be at the same level; with Christ as the Head of the Church. But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ.... (1Corinthians 11:3) The first Bishop given the title of Pope (Universal Bishop or the Bishop of Bishops) was in A.D. 610 by Emperor Phocas. The emperor did this because of the Bishop of Constantinople, Bishop Ciriacus, who had justifiably excommunicated him for causing the assassination of his predecessor, Emperor Mauritius. Gregory I, was then the Bishop of Rome and had refused the title but Boniface III, who came to be the Bishop of Rome after Gregory I, accepted the title. Jesus spoke against this religious imperialism: He said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But you will not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that does serve. (Luke 22:25-26)
Many will say that the Catholic Church in Rome was the first Christian Church, established by Peter, the first Pope and the Apostle of Jesus. Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles, not Peter. It is Paul that’s recorded in the Bible going to Rome, not Peter. And I say also to you, That you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18) Jesus said this to Peter because Peter was the first to understand the message of Christ’s ministry. He was the first ‘brick’ in the body of believers called the Church. Jesus called him Peter because the name Peter means Rock and Peter would begin as one of the foundation stones in the body of believers where Christ is the Cap-stone. It was in the ‘Mysteries’ religion that had a sovereign pontiff and a grand council of pontiffs dating all the way back to Nimrod. When the title of Pope appeared in Christianity, it was the ‘Mysteries’ incorporating their traditional hierarchy to get some control over the people. Peter is not the one who has the keys to heaven, but in the Eleusinian Mysteries, there’s a Peter who holds the keys to the secrets. The secret doctrine of the Eleusinian Mysteries is a book called Petroma. And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is your dwellingplace, and you put your nest in a rock. (Numbers 24:21) For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges. (Deuteronomy 32:31) The Peter of their faith is not the same Peter of the Christian faith; where Christ is the head of every man, not some elected religious supreme authority of a particular denomination. Of the seven churches in the book of Revelation, it’s not the key of Peter, but the key of David that opens doors. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things says he that is holy, he that is true, he that has the key of David, he that opens, and no man shuts; and shuts, and no man opens. (Revelation 3:7)
By A.D. 788, what originally started in Babylon, then spread to Egypt, Phoenicia, Greece and then in Rome, was clearly beginning to show itself with Pope Hadrian I, who first introduced into the Roman Church Council, the worship of images and relics. It wasn’t until the eleventh century when the Roman Church introduced the Mass as an obligatory attendance and the weekly ritual of Communion or the Eucharist was practiced. The Eucharist as practiced by the ‘Mysteries’ was in commemoration of the goddess Ceres or Demeter, the goddess of corn. In Egypt, it was practiced in the same way for Isis. The shape of the little round wafers was to symbolize their sun-god Baal and the image upon the wafer was their Queen of heaven. Dionysus or Bacchus was the god of wine and Demeter or Ceres was the goddess of corn. With Dionysus came the blood sacrifice - wine; with Demeter came the bloodless sacrifice - the wafer. The Passover meal of the Hebrews was once a year, not every week.
St. Paul’s mission was supported financially in part by Caradoc’s other daughter, the Princess Eurgain. Eurgain was much like Constantine’s mother Helen. The two women used much of their royal wealth of resources to build and establish Christian churches, schools and libraries throughout Western Europe. They also funded many missions for the cause of Christ. Eurgain met Paul when she was held by the Romans with the other captive members of Caradoc’s family.
There is a piece of ancient writing which is believed to be a record of St. Paul continuing his final mission to the British Isles. It’s called the Lost Acts of the Apostles or the 29th chapter of Acts. The book of Acts in today’s Bible only has 28 chapters.
And Paul, full of the blessings of Christ, and abounding in the spirit, departed out of Rome, determining to go into Spain, for he had a long time proposed to journey thitherward, and was minded also to go from thence to Britain. For he had heard in Phoenicia that certain of the children of Israel, about the time of the Assyrian captivity, had escaped by sea to The Isles afar off as spoken by the Prophet [Esdra], and called by the Romans - Britain. (29:1-2)
E. Raymond Capt writes:
It was found interleaved in a copy of Sonnini’s Travels in Turkey and Greece, and was purchased at the sale of the library and effects of the late Right Honourable Sir John Newport, Bart., in Ireland. Sir John’s family arms were engraved on the cover of the book. It had been in his possession for over thirty years. With the book was a document from the Sultan of Turkey, granting to C.S. Sonnini permission to travel in all parts of the Ottoman dominions. The document was translated by C.S. Sonnoni from the original Greek manuscript found in the Archives at Constantinople, and presented to him by the Sultan Abdoul Achment.
And on the morrow he came and stood upon Mount Lud (Ludgate Hill and Broadway where St. Paul’s Cathedral stands in London, England) and the people thronged at the gate, and assembled in the Broadway, and he preached Christ unto them, and they believed the Word and the testimony of Jesus. (29:9)
It’s important to remember here that Israel is on a spiritual journey to spread the Good News of our heavenly Father to His children around this chaotic world. The rise of persecution from the Roman empire was part of God’s plan to sift scattered Israel through Europe into the British Isles. Long before Christ the Romans were in conflict with the British because of the Druid influence. The Druids threatened their religion of Babylonian based mythology which they had received and nurtured from the Greeks. During the first few centuries after Christ, when Christians were being persecuted by the Romans, a great majority of these Christians, who were the lost sheep of Israel, found refuge in Britain. The Roman government had no power in the affairs of the British people and yet the Roman snobs called the British savages while they murdered faithful Christians for their entertainment. This oppression by the Romans corralled many of the lost sheep into the British Isles.
And it came to pass that certain of the Druids came unto Paul privately, and showed by their rites and ceremonies they were descended from the Jews [Judahites] which escaped from bondage in the land of Egypt, and the Apostle believed these things, and he gave them the kiss of peace. (29:13)
These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (Matthew 10:5-6) Remember, the lost sheep were those of the Northern half taken over by the Assyrians. They were not the people called Jews. They were referred to both as the house of Israel and the house of Ephraim. It’s only natural to assume that if a good majority of the Israelites, i.e. the house of Israel, had relocated and concentrated their presence in the Isles of the West and Jesus instructed his disciples to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, surely the greatest of the apostles would also aspire to go to these Isles.
I believe it’s possible that there could have been a conspiracy of religious historical information on the part of the Roman Church. Whether or not this conspiracy was consciously premeditated by authorities in the Roman Church or that they were unknowingly manipulated by evil spirits, I can’t say. It just seems to me that Rome has tried to silence anyone or anything that takes away from Rome; even if it wasn’t Rome’s to begin with. The Roman Church wanted to impose its religious control of legalistic theology and worshippers in Britain, like the Druids and later, the Culdees, whose worship was the individual freedom between them and their Maker, would not submit to their control. To the Roman Church authorities, whose original roots were immersed in the ‘Mysteries,’ the Druids and the Culdees were heretics undermining their desire for control. Religion and education are just two of Satan’s four dominions in this world and Rome has got most of the world believing in its version of those dominions.
The Knights of the Round Table and the Holy Grail
Joseph of Arimathaea’s bloodline leads to a famous historical figure that most everyone is familiar with. In E. Raymond Capt’s book, Traditions Of Glastonbury, he quotes the genealogy of Joseph as recorded by the historian known as John of Glastonbury, who says that King Arthur, on his mother’s side, was the tenth generation from Joseph of Arimathaea: - Arthur’s descent from Joseph through Arthur’s mother: Helaius, Nepos Joseph, Genuit Josus, Josue Genuit Aminadab. Aminadab Genuit Filium, qui Genuit Ygernam, de qua Rex Pen-Dragon, Genuit Nobilem et Famosum Regum Arthurum, per Quod Patet, Quod Rex Arthurus de Stirpe Joseph descendit.
King Arthur was many things to his people in his days. He was a military genius, a mighty warrior of the Celts and a strong Christian leader for the British in a time of war against the Saxons and the Picts. It was the defeat of the Saxons in the battle of Mount Badon in A.D.512 where his military reputation blossomed.
Legend has it that all the Knights of the Round Table were descendants of Joseph of Arimathaea. King Arthur and his kinsmen Knights of the Round Table were all dedicated to finding the Holy Grail; that Cup the Lord drank from at the Last Supper. They had heard the stories of their forefather Joseph bringing with him the Cup and the two vials and they must have felt that it was their inherent right to find and possess these artifacts.
E. Raymond Capt tells the history of a certain cup fitting the description of the Holy Grail called the Nanteous Cup. In the traditions of Glastonbury, there are many songs, poems and stories immortalizing the famed Cup. It is believed that when Joseph of Arimathea came to Glastonbury he buried it on Chalice Hill, not far from Chalice Well. The name of both the hill and the well come from the legends of the Cup.
The Cup appears again in history at the time of King Henry VIII, when he orders the destruction of the Monasteries in a protest against Roman Catholicism. The last Abbot of Glastonbury, Richard Whiting, gave the Cup to his monks to carry away to safety. The monks made a couple brief stops but had to keep moving because of the destruction of King Henry’s men drawing near. They finally ended their journey at Nanteous Manor where they were welcomed with open arms by the lord of the manor, Mr. Powel and his wife. The elderly monks found refuge in the manor and became permanent residents employed on the 5000 acre estate.
Centuries later, the Cup became known as the Healing Cup. Many testimonials are written of those who have been healed after drinking from the Cup. The latest one healed within the pages of E. Raymond Capt’s book dates to August 21, 1957. James Wharton, a priest at St. Joseph’s Church whose rheumatism was so crippling that he couldn’t bend his legs at the knees, traveled a hundred miles to the House of Nanteous to drink from the battered and somewhat chewed olive wood cup. After drinking from the Cup, he went to the floor to pray, then rose with no difficulty, fully cured.
The family crest of Joseph of Arimathea was a cross of two thorn branches with the tips of the thorns cut off. On each side of the cross were the two vials and the background pattern of the crest was rain-drops of blood. This crest also became the coat of arms for the town of Glastonbury. The sarcophagus of Joseph of Arimathea is in Glastonbury at St. John the Baptist Church.