having the proper clerical tonsure. How obvious is the inference, that to this day the natives of the south of Ireland are bigotted to the Romish church; while the inhabitants of the north of Ireland are as zealous Protestants as those of North Britain.

I cannot dismiss the case of the mission of the Culdees to Northumberland, without noticing the candid concessions of Bede, and his favourable character of Colman and his associates. Their living was of the most plain and frugal kind; supporting themselves by their own labour, and more anxious for the improvement of their minds, than glutting the bodily appetite. Their only wealth was their cattle; what money was presented them they gave to the poor; their houses were barely sufficient for their own accommodation; and, by what we have before related, we see they did not, under a pretence of solemnity, raise costly edifices for Divine worship. They never took upon them to lodge and entertain the rich, who had nothing to expect from them, but the word of God preached in the church. If the king, with five or six attendants, chose at any time to take a refreshment with them, after the conclusion of the service, he must have contented himself with the plain and daily fare of the brethren. Their conduct was so devout and discreet that they brought religion into so high repute, that a clergyman, or monk, was every where received with joy as a servant of God. Wherever they travelled the road, people rejoiced to see them; and when they went to any village, it was always in the way of their calling, either to preach, baptize, or visit the sick; and then crowds gathered to hear them. "In short," says the historian, "they were so devoted to the care of men's souls, that they were free from every tincture of avarice, and regard for earthly possessions."

The Culdees were, in the following age, persuaded to comply with the use of the Roman computation, respecting the time of observing Easter: but they still refused to yield absolute submission to the Roman see. Adomnan, their countryman and associate, first induced the Irish to concede the point; and soon after Naitan, king of the Picts, by his regal authority, commanded Easter to be observed, throughout his dominions, according to the Roman cycle of 19 years; instead of the cycle of 84 years, which had been the former custom. At the same time, the Roman tonsure was enjoined; that is, all priests and monks were obliged to be shorn crown-wise, after the manner of the Roman clergy. The monks, also, of the island of Iona, (by the persuasion of Egbert, an English priest, that had been bred in Ireland), in the year of our Lord 716, forsook their usual custom, as to the feast of Easter, and the clerical tonsure, by now conforming to the Roman rite; about eighty years after the departure of bishop Aidan, on his mission to Northumberland. The Britons, in the time of Bede, still retained their old usage, until Elbodus, who died about A.D. 800, brought in the Roman custom. But howsoever, says Archbishop Ussher, North Wales did, it is very probable that West Wales (which of all other parts was most eagerly bent against the traditions of the Roman church) stood out yet longer. For we find, in the Greek life of St. Chrysostom, that certain clergymen, who dwelt in the isles of the ocean, repaired from the utmost borders of the habitable world to Constantinople, in the days of Methodius (who was patriarch there, from the year 842 to 847), to enquire of certain ecclesiastical traditions, and the perfect and exact computation of Easter. It is inferred from hence, that as there can be no doubt that the British isles are referred to, that the disputes respecting Easter were not yet laid to rest;

and that our Britons, not being satisfied with the determination of the Pope of Rome, resorted to the decision of the bishop of Constantinople.*

These disputes were considered so important, that even the ordination of the Scottish bishops was considered by the Catholics as null and void, because of their heresy in not conforming to the Roman customs. On this account Wilfrid, who was appointed bishop in the room of Colman, who left his charge, or rather was thrust out of it, refused to accept of ordination from either the Scots or Britons. He, therefore, requested king Oswy that he might go over to the continent to be ordained. But while he delayed his return home, the king appointed Ceadda, or St. Chad, to be ordained bishop of York in his room. In this the king shewed his old regard for the Scottish doctors; and manifested a just indignation at the disparagement offered to those holy men, who were either the founders or restorers of so many churches. Ceadda was the disciple of Aidan, the first bishop of Lindisfarne; and scrupled not to receive ordination from Wini, bishop of the West Saxons, (who was considered orthodox), assisted by two British bishops. At that time, according to Bede, there was not, in all Britain, any bishop canonically ordained, (that is to say, by such as were of the Romish commu nion,) except that Wini alone.

What, then, became of the successors of Augustine and Laurentius? Does it not appear evident that, notwithstanding the pompous mission of Augustine, Christianity

* See Archbishop Ussher, on the Religion of the ancient Irish and British, ch. 9.; and Mr. Whitaker's Cornwall, Vol. II, p. 230; where he shews that the Britons followed the rule established at the council of Nice: whereas now the church of Rome used the Alexandrian cycle of 19 years, which they considered preferable to the old cycle of 84 years.

was kept alive by means of the Scots and Britons, even in England, among the Anglo-Saxons. So little did God bless the labours of the boasted apostle of England; who lived in disgrace during his remaining days, after the massacre of the monks of Bangor iscoed. But God raised up other men, more worthy than him and his agents, to diffuse religion through England. Yet how ill were those men treated by the artifice of the Roman Antichrist; by being expelled from the field in which they laboured, because of their jealous regard for their own liberties, and their unwillingness to yield implicit and unqualified submission to the infallible decretals of Rome. We may, perhaps, be disposed to blame the Britons and the Scots, for so strenuously insisting on matters of so trivial a nature; but, if they did not consider them as such, we should not be too forward to blame them, when we consider how little things have been made of high importance, in a more enlightened age. But little things may be great, when, either in apprehension or reality, they are connected with circumstances highly important. To yield subjection to a foreign power; to be allowed no judgment of their own, and to see the venerable names of men most eminent for their holiness and their learning trampled under foot, and themselves and their flocks placed under an antichristian dominion; these were important considerations. Surely they are not to be blamed and censured; but rather worthy of our admiration and esteem, for the brave stand they made against arrogance and tyranny.

CHAPTER XV.

The Scots-Character of St. Chad-Theodore made Primate.-Death of King Oswy, and of Cadwalader.— Synod of Hartford.-The people of Sussex receive Christianity.-Remarks.

FROM what has been already said, it appears that the Scots differed not merely from the adherents of Rome, as to certain ceremonial matters; but their habits of life were very different, in that they retained more of the ancient simplicity, and were not men who aspired to se cular honours. They were reproached with ignorance of the customs of the foreign churches: but they could not be ignorant in the things which it most behoved them to be acquainted with; for Bede himself testifies of their diligence in the study of the Scriptures, and their faithfulness in instructing the people out of them.

One of the most celebrated characters among the Saxon clergy was Ceadda, of whom we have just spoken; and he had been brought up among the Scots. Bede bears ample testimony to the piety and zeal of this devout man; for he tells us, that he travelled over the country to proclaim the Gospel in the towns and in the open country, visiting the habitations of the poor and the great; for he was one of the disciples of Aidan, (from Iona) and endeavoured to instruct the people after his example and that of his brother Cedd. From this time the Scots who dwelt in England either conformed to the ceremonies of the Roman church, or returned into their