The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-06-05
GODS HEROIC PEOPLE.
4 DISCO URSE REGARDING SOME OF
 THE NOTED ONES.
At the First Presbyterian Church Yes- terday by the Pastor, Rev. F. A. M. BrOwn-The Topic "The CuIdees, Their Home and Character.''


 Their Home and Character."
 The second of the series of talks on ''Some of Gods Heroic People, was given Sabbath evening at the First Presbyterian church by the pastor the Rev. F. A. M. Brown. The subject chosen was "The Culdees-their Home and Character"
 The speaker said in part that it was well for an age like our own to keep in touch with the spirit of the old he- roes of church and state by repeated reading of their history, for the strengthening, and in some instances, for refining the moral tone of our times. The best of every age should be care fully preserved for reverent study and comparison in succeeding ages.
 The reading of the story of the Gull dees will carry us back to the small centuries of the Christian era. Indeed if we are bold to accept all the proba- biities in the traditions of The Culdees we may construct a very plausible theory that the church of the Culdees is the true heir to Apostolic succession. That prince of church historians, Au gustus Neander, says christianity had
  from the East as early as the latter part of the second century. Tertullan sometimes called "the Christian Cicero" who was born about sixty years after the death of the Apostle John, asserts that those parts of Britain that were in- accessible to the Romans (probably Scotland)-ha become subject to Christ. Baronus, the great Roman oburoh historian ct on The antbOr ity of some manuscript of the Vatican, that Christianity was carried to Brit ain as early as A. D. 35. If so, this was several years previous to it's being preached in Rome. Whatever may be true respecting the antiquity of the Scotch church, most profound inter- est is attached to it's early history and location.
 On the western coast of Scotland, near the bold juttings of the Ross of Null, lies a little island only two and one half miles long, and one and one half broad, with but a few acres, hundred or more of arable land, and nothing in it's scenery or position to arrest the attention of the traveller. But that little island, unattractive and we'll nigh desolate, became the center of the Christian worlds thought and sentiment. Dr. Johnson, of whom it was said he never said anything good of Scotland, when he could avoid it." writes thus: That man is little to be envied whose patriotism would not gain force on the plains of Marathon, or whose pety would not grow warm among the ruins of Iona." Wordsworth refers to it in one of his Ia 10 glory of the West"
 "Iona's saints, forgetting not past days, l "Garlands shall wear of aramanthine
 bloom.''
 Champbell, in his charming poem of Reullura, writes:
 ''Star of the morn and eve,
 "Reullura shone like thee,
 "And well for her might Aodh grieve,
 'The dark attired Culdee"
 Scott in his Lord of the Isles," Shakespeare in Macbeth, referred to this | ''Mecac of Scotland"
 The center of interest is not, how ever, in the island itself, for as we have said it is bleak spot of earth and rock, but in the man, who by his life and character has imparted a spir- itua presence to it's meagre acres. AL
  of study because of it's probable asso- citation with the Druidic religion; for it seems to have been one of the sacred spots to the votares of that ancient cult, and there is some evidence that it was a chosen place for a Druidic col Iege, similar to that once existing at Auglesey, Wales. Yet the principal in- terest gathers around the sainted Co., J,,,,, ,1ao hi and l1n al church. So closely associated is the island Iona with this remarkable man and his work, and with the Culdee church and it's unique character, that it's soil became well night sacred. It was sought out as the choice burying place for the faithful and the great ones. Kenneth, the first king of Scot land, was buried there, and many oth- CTS ending with Macbeth immortalized by Shakespeares genius. In that early period whose historic events written upon pages of we'll nigh closed book to the average reader, the leaven of thought and righteous prin- ciples was energizing society to uncon- scious movement toward spiritual en- lghtenment and liberty. While Eng land was receding into the condition of l Rome, Scotland retained it's indepen- dence and freedom of faith The Ro- mans could not conquer the highlands of Scotland. During the reign of Saxon Christianity retained it's hold in the hills and glens of the Scots, also in favored localities of Ireland So closely were these two countries con- nected enthusiastically that ancient writ CTS called the two Scotia and their in- habitants Scots. It is a curious fact that the patron saint of Ireland was a Scotchman, and the patron saint of Scotland was an Trishman. St Patrick, or Patricious, was the son of a Scotch deacon, of Roman blood. d patrieian as his name indicates. Columbia, the patron saint of the Scots, was an Irishman of noble birth, of the family of the kings of Ulster, and re- lated to a royal family in Scotland. The Cudees were a godly people, holding allegiance to no papal head accepting { the plain teachings of the Holy Scrip lures as their creed, living in religious for work and study. They { ived not for themselves in religious se- 2Iusion, excluding the world of men hat they might seize the advantages of '
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