The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-03-11
FoE THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
The Culdee Church.
III.

INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY INTO
SCOTLAND.
In tracing the historic relations of the
Culdee Church with the Apostolic Church
on the one hand, and the Reformation
Church on the other, We propose to show,
that Christianity was introduced into
Scotland at a very early day, probably
near to, if not during the time of the
Apostles that it was then, and contin
ued for many ages to be, essentially Pres
byterian in doctrine and order; that when
Popery was established in the 18th or
18th Century, it was the act of the gov
ernment forcing it on the people, and
hence, from the nature of the case, as
we'll as from existing evidence, this en-
forced religion never succeeded in wholly
roofing out the primitive Culdee faith
from the popular heart; that when the
Reformation came, it was the act of the
people forcing it on the government, thus
reversing the act which fastened POpery
on them four hundred years before, and
casting it off as an incubus; and that the
Reformation Church of Scotland was
therefore simply temperance of this
old primeval Church, which had been
smothered, but not extinguished, during
this occupancy of Popery, and that 1t is
thus linked automatically by an unbroken
historic connection of faithful men with
the very days of the Apostles. If these
points can be fairly made out, it will be
seen that we connect back with apostolic
times, not through the Church of Rome,
but independent of it, and that like the
river Alpheus, which was said to take It's
rise far up in the mountains Of Greece,
to enter the Italian sea, passing under 1t
and reappearing in the beautiful fountain
of Arethusa, so this stream that gushed
out among the hills of Scotland can be
traced back, under the troubled waves of
Italian supremacy, TO purer fountains far
away among the primitive seats of the
Gospel in the earlier Churches of the
East. Our historical connection then
will be not with Latin Christianity, but
with the older and purer forms of it,
found nearer its original seat in Jerusa-
lem. OF course We can only give brief
hints of evidence on these points, as a
statement of the whole would fill vol
umes.
The first proposition is, that Christian
ity ,Oas introduced iRto Scotland very near
to, If not during the Livss Of the APOSTLES.
1t must be remembered that when
Christianity was first preached, Britain
was Roman province, and so continued
for 400 years. But the seat of the RO-
man power was mainly in England. Ow-
ing to the inaccessible mountains, and the
warlike character of the PictS and Scots,
Caledonia never was subject to the RO-
man power, and in spite of repeated eff
forts to subdue these hardy tribes, Scot
land remained uncOnquered to the very
last. This fact would make it a safe re
treat for any one who desired to escape
from the power of Rome. Hence, as
soon as persecution began TO rage IN the
empire, the mountains of Scotland would
, offer an asylum so inviting that this fact
alone would drive prosecuted Christians
to 'Aee to the mountains" where of
course they would tell to the wild tribes
inhabiting them, the story of the cross.
But there was another cause that would
also lead Christian missionaries there
Scotland was occupied in part at least by
branch of the great Celtic race, which
taking its origin in Asia, extended in its
migratiOns, through Asia Minor, across to
Northern Italy and Southern Germany
to Gaul, iberia, and the British isles,
giving its indeible characteristics to the
Celtic people of France, Scotland, and
Ireland, to this day. A branch of this
race occupied Galatia, and it is very
easy to see from the Epistle to the Gala
tians, that these Gauls of ancient times
had precisely the characteristics OF the
Gauls of modern times, and would be
likely to act from the same impulses
A moments reflection on these impulses,
will show, that the Celts of Galatia and
other portions Of the East, were not like