Guildhall Museum.

But not many years can have passed before Christianity had obtained
a footing among the Roman people; we know not how. To use Dr.
Martineau's expressive similitude, the Faith was blown over the world
silently like thistle-seed, and as silently here and there it fell and
took root. We know no more who were its first preachers in Rome than
we do who they were in Britain. It was in Rome before St. Paul arrived
in the city, for he had already written his Epistle to the Romans; but
evidently he made great impression on the Praetorian soldiers. And we
may be sure that there were many "of this way" in the camp in London
by the end of the first century. For the same reason we may take it
for granted that there must have been a place of worship, especially
as before the Romans left the country Christianity was established as
the religion of the Empire. Only two churches of the Roman period in
England can now be traced with certainty. Mr. St. John Hope and his
fellow-explorers a few years ago unearthed one at Silchester, and the
foundations of another may be seen in the churchyard of Lyminge in
Kent.

And this is really all we can say about the Church in London during
the Roman occupation. The story of King Lucius and that of the
church of St. Peter in Cornhill are pure myths, without any sort of
historical foundation, and so may be dismissed without more words.

The Romans went away in the beginning of the fifth century, and by the
end of the same century the English conquest had been almost entirely
accomplished. For awhile the new comers remained heathens; then came
Augustine and his brother monks, and began the conversion of the
English people to Christ. The king of Kent was baptized in 596, and
Canterbury became the mother church. Pope Gregory the Great sent
Augustine a reinforcement of monks in 601. Two of these, Laurentius
and Mellitus, were consecrated by Augustine as missionary bishops to
convert West Kent and the East Saxon Kingdom to the faith. The chief
town of the former district was Rochester, and of the latter London.
This city had much grown in importance, having established a busy
trade with the neighbouring states both by land and sea. The king of
the East Saxons was Sebert, nephew of Ethelbert of Kent, and subject
to him. He, therefore, received Mellitus with cordiality, and as soon
as he established his work in the city, King Ethelbert built him a
church wherein to hold his episcopal see,