church, and having rejected the Culdees, repudiatis Kelledeis, appointed a bishop and canons, and ordained the monastery to be henceforth a secular college." Here a popish writer plainly enough owns, that the Culdees were repudiated by David, with the consent of the pope; because their living in wedlock was, in consequence of the increase of devotion, deemed unworthy of the sacred character. They were themselves divorced, because they would not agree to divorce their wives.

The zealous friends of the Roman interest did not consider the Culdees as properly brethren. Robert, formerly prior of Scone, was elected bishop of St Andrews, about the year 1126. He chose rather to continue without the exercise of his function, than to acknowledge the Culdees as his clergy. "In his church," says the Register of St Andrews, “he neither had, nor inclined to have, any power, till the Lord should procure for him that society which he wished for divine service. He had resolved not to associate himself to priests of other churches, lest, differing in sentiment, the fabric might be ruined ere it was well founded." It is in this manner that the Culdees are spoken of.

Is it said, that Robert was unwilling to acknowledge them as his clergy, because they did not profess celibacy? This,

' V. Dalrymple's Collections, p. 244.

2 In ecclesia vero nullam habebat, nec habere volebat potestatem, donec ei Dominus procuraret, quam optabat, ad Dei servitium, societatem. In corde statuerat nequaquam,-de aliis et diversis ecclesiis sibi fratres sociare; ne forte, diversi, diversa sentientes,-in unitatem non convenirent. V. Sibb. Fife, p. 189, 190.

so far from being an objection, is a confirmation of what we mean to prove,—that the Culdees would not submit to the Romish authority. Robert, indeed, was chosen bishop for the express purpose of bringing the Scots to a closer conformity with Rome. He was a native of England, and having been a canon Sti Oswaldi de Nostellis, near Pontefract in that country, was far more attached, than our countrymen, to the Romish rites. "

The celebrated St Bernard, formerly mentioned, describes the Irish Christians, who were Culdees, as if they had been wild beasts, because they did not comply with the Roman innovations. In his life of Malachy, when relating that he was made Bishop of Connor, he says, that " he came not to men, but to beasts, absolute barbarians, a stubborn, stiffnecked, and ungovernable generation, and abominable; Christians in name, but in reality pagans." The grounds of this severe crimination immediately follow: They neither pay tithes, nor first-fruits, they do not enter into lawful marriage, [not being married by the clergy,] they do not go to confession; no one can be found who applies for the prescription of penance, nor any one who will prescribe it." Elsewhere he says, as

• Keith's Catalogue, p. 6.

66

2

2 Cum autem cœpisset pro suo officio agere, tunc intellexit homo Dei non ad homines se sed ad bestias destinatum.-Nusquam reperiret sic proteruos ad mores, sic ferales ad ritus, sic ad fidem impios, ad leges barbaros, ceruicosos ad disciplinam, spurcos ad vitam. Christiani nomine, re pagani. Non decimas, non primitias dare, non legitima inire coniugia, non facere confessiones : pœnitentias nec qui peteret, nec qui daret penitus inueniri. Vit. Malach. c. 6. ap. Messingham, p. 357.

we have formerly seen, that Malachy " anew introduced the most salutary use of confession, and the sacrament of confir mation."

'Ibid. c. 2.

CHAPTER XI.

The judgment of the adherents of Rome concerning the Culdees. -Of the Synod of Streoneshalch.-Of Colman and Adomnan.-Government not the only ground of difference with the Romanists.-Charge brought by Richard of Hexham against the Scots.-Character given of the Culdees by Dr Henry.— Of the Synod of Cealhythe.-Their Character as given by Gibbon.-Of Clemens, Samson, and Virgilius.-Speech of Gilbert Murray.

THIS hostility between the Culdees and the Romanists was of a very ancient date. If, on some occasions, the warm adherents of Rome seemed unwilling to fraternize with the Culdees, they were only returning a compliment which had been paid to themselves several centuries before. The dislike was indeed mutual. Bede gives an extract of a letter from Laurence, who succeeded Augustine, as Bishop of Canterbury, A. 605, to the Scots, who inhabited Ireland, in which he says; "When the see apostolic-sent us to these western parts to

preach to the pagan nations, and we happened to come into this island, which is called Britain, we held both the Britons and Scots in great esteem for sanctity before we knew them; believing that they conducted themselves according to the custom of the universal church. But becoming acquainted with the Britons, we thought that the Scots had been better. We have been, however, learned from Bishop Dagan, who came into this aforesaid island, and from the abbot Columban in France, that the Scots no way differ from the Britons in their behaviour. For Bishop Dagan, coming to us, not only refused to eat with us, but even to take his repast in the same house in which we were entertained." This Dagan, it is said, came from the monastery of Bangor, in Ireland, to be Bishop to the Scots. It is evident, that he treated the votaries of Rome, not excepting the Bishop of Canterbury himself, as if they had been actually excommunicated. He viewed them as men, with whom he was not so much as to eat ; nay, as even communicating pollution to the place where they did eat.

• Dum nos sedes apostolica, more suo sicut in universo orbe terrarum, in his occiduis partibus ad praedicandum gentibus paganis dirigeret, atque in hanc insulam, quae Britannia nuncupatur, contigit introisse antequam cognosceremus; credentes quod juxta morem universalis ecclesiae ingrederentur, in magna reverentia sanctitatis tam Brittones, quam Scottos venerati sumus; sed cognoscentes Brittones, Scottos meliores putavimus. Scottos vero per Daganum Episcopum in hanc, quam superius memoravimus, insulam, et Columbanum Abbatem in Gallis venientem, nihil discrepare a Brittonibus in eorum conversatione didicimus. Nam Daganus Episcopus ad nos veniens, non solum cibum nobiscum, sed nec in eodem hospitio quo vescebamur sumere voluit. Hist, lib. ii. 4.