The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-03-18

t ba: one class of writer's, at the head Of
whom is the acute and learned Selden,
Maintaining it to have been strictly Pres
'fbyterian, while others contend that the
4 Culdees, as the clergy generally were
called, were subject to Episcopal authori-
ty. The former is the opinion that has
been more generally held, and that seems
! most conformable to the expressions OF
Bede Hist. Eco, lib. III, C. a. the ear
lest authority on the subject. The small
4 and barren island of Iona, after this. soon
became ilustrious in the labors and tri-
/ umphs of the Christian Church, and the
4 Culdees, animated with the zeal of their
/ founder, not only devoted their efforts to
: ea3ighten their own country, but became
adventurous missionaries to fields the
Y most dangerous and ~e'a ote. 1t is grati-
1 fyiing also te aoseryc tst with all the
lisputg:s1ns as ta sITif form of Church
'ogeraulent, there's u general agreement
as to ne purity and simplicity both Of
i their doctrines and lives. Even Bede,
though indignant at their rejection of
the authority of the Roman bishop, tes-
tifies, that 3" they preached only such
A- IS of charity and piety as they could
sarn from lie prophetical, evangelical
} apostoIeag .,yr1f gs. : OF the care
49, ! Nafch ihey we're trained to be the
gnardiausof learning and dinstructorsofthe
people, we may form some idea from the
fact that eighteen years of study we're
frequently required of them before they
were ordained" 0n p. 233, it is also
said, ~the English writer's of that age,
nevertheless, bear testimony to the puri-
ty Of their lives, and the zeal of their
apostolic labors, while they denounce
their exclusive deyotcdness to the authori-
ty of Scripture, their rejection of the
Romish ceremonies, doctrines and trad-
tions, the nakedness of their forms of
worship, and the republican character Of
their ecclesiastical government" D'Au-
Digne says, I9ua, governed by simple
elder had become missionary College
Ia has been sometimes called monaste
ry, but the dwelling Of. the grandson Of
Fergus Columbia in nowise resembled
the Popish converts. When its youthful
inmates desired to spread the knowledge
Jesus Christ. they thought not Of
going elsewher Z. s.tiseopal ordination
kpeeli, Z a.Ie c6aTSS of Icolmkill, they
,s0ere Sc, r5y thc lyiis on Of the
/ hands ot tie ts1i& S,,.,,s, 9cy &e-e caiies!
Bishops, but remained obedient to the
Elder or presbyter of Iona. They even
consecrated other Bishops; thus Fnan
laid hands upon Diuma, Bishop of Mid
dlesex. The British Christians attached
great Importance to the ministry, but not
to one form in preference to another.
Presbytery and Episcopacy were with
them, as in the Primitive Church, almost
identical" (IIist. Ref, V, Sc, 37.)
Prof. Ebrard of Germany, one of the
latest and most learned investigators of
this field in his recent book on the Cul-
dee Church, after thoroughly sitting the
testimony comes to this conclusion, 1.-The
true explanation of the fact is this: By
ordination, a man became presbyter,
the presbyterate was the sacred office, the
sacerdotal order. A presbyter who pre-
sided over monastery was the abbot or
father of that monastery. But in cases
where monastery, by missionary labor,
succeeded in forming congregations Of
Christian converts in the surrounding
country, the spiritual oversight of these
congregations was undertaken either by
the abbot himself or by some other of
the presbyters, who was named to that
office. The holder of this Office was called
bishop" Brit. and For. Ev. Rev. LV,
1887 This is precisely the doctrine of
the Presbyterian Church in her present
standards.
Mr.. Jameson in his History Of the
Culdees says, "After the most impartial
investigation of this subject of which l
am canakkllss, l have not found shadow
of proof. that any of those sent forth as
bishops from that island, were ordained
by such as claimed dignity superior to
that of presbyter." Michelet says, "the
Culdees recognized hardly more of the
hierarchical state than the modern Scotch
Presbyterians" Many other testimonies
might be added to these, but they will
suffice to prove the proposition which we
laid down, that the early Culdee Church,
was in its Church government and doc
trines not Popish and Prelatic, but essen
tally Presbyterian, and in the language
with which Ebrard sums up his exhaus-
tive investigation of its doctrines, EVAN
gelical, not only because it was free and
independent of Rome, and when the Pa
pal Church came into contact with it, al
ways and obstinately repudiated its au-
thority under appeal to the single and GU
preme authority of Holy Scripture, but
Lo Ill booauca in ire inner life II was