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"which was held in the year 1561; and what it

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contained, in relation to ecclesiastical jurisdic❝tion and discipline, would have easily obtained "the sanction of that assembly, had not a design "to recover the patrimony of the church, in order "to apply it to the advancement of religion and learning, been insinuated in it. After this, at "certain periods, the name of bishops was revived, "but without the prerogatives, jurisdiction, or re"venues, that were formerly appropriated to that "order. They were made subject to the general "assemblies of the clergy, and their power was di"minished from day to day, until their name, as "well as their order, was abolished, at the revolu"tion in 1688, and presbyterianism established in "Scotland by the laws of the state. See Robertson's History of Scotland, passim."

LXXXV. 2.

The Condition of the Scottish Catholics subsequent to the Reformation.

"A CONSIDERABLE number of catholics," says the author of the memoirs we have mentioned, (Introduction, clxxxviii.), "continued to adhere "to the old religion, and the number of these "would have been greater, but for the want of

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priests and of catholic schools*. These two cir

* Some curious particulars respecting the situation of the Scottish catholics, during the early period of the reformation, are mentioned by father Juvençi, Hist. Soc. Jesu. 1. xiii. s. 98. p. 197.

Mr. Boswell, of Auchinleck, printed in 1812, for private

"cumstances contributed greatly to the success of "the reformers in the sixteenth century. The holy

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see, from time to time, sent Irish Franciscan "friars to Scotland. But the greater part were "driven from it by the inclemency of the climate, particularly in the northern parts of the island, "where the cold makes life a burthen, so that they "remained a short time only, in the mission. Mr.

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White, a pious and zealous missionary, was more constant. Aided by the charity of lord "Macdonald, he caused the faith to revive in the "mountains of Scotland, and restored to it, almost "without difficulty, some families, which the mis"fortune of the times had alienated from religion. "The end of the usurpation and the first part of "the reign of Charles the second, formed the pe"riod of his truly apostolical labours. About this

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period, some attempts were made to establish "schools for the education of persons designed for "the catholic priesthood, and to preserve, at the "same time, the children of catholic parents from

circulation among his friends, two very interesting tracts, which had become extremely scarce;—one, "Ane Oratioune set "furthe be Maister Quintin Kennedy, Commendatour of Cors"raguell, ye Zeir of Gode, 1561;"-and the other, "A Coppie "of the Ressoning which was betuix the Abbot of Crosraguel " and John Knox, in Mayhoil, &c. 1563."-To the former, he has prefixed an advertisement, expressed with great liberality." Had not headlong zealots," says Mr. Boswell, "identified religion with architecture,-gothic arches and "fretted aisles with the mass and idolatry,—then had nocht "the antiquities and monumentis of this realme, been schaim"fully, destroyet."

"the seduction of protestant schools. But it was "with difficulty, that these establishments were kept on foot, amidst the troubles in which the "catholics were involved.

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"The revolution of 1688 was attended with consequences as unfavourable to this country, as "to England; and the attachment of a great "number of Scots to the Stuarts, their antient sovereigns, was used as a pretence for long vexa"tions. The Scottish protestants showed them"selves jacobites as much as the Scottish catholics; "and the former, equally with the latter, showed "a disposition to avail themselves of every occa"sion, which presented itself, of maintaining their "lawful sovereign. Both were carefully repressed. "The English government ceased to protect the episcopalians, and the presbyterians obtained the "ascendancy in Scotland. These exhibited no greater toleration towards the catholics than had "been done by the presbyterians. Political pre"judices mingled themselves with religious pre"judices; and the catholics were persecuted both "as partizans of the Stuarts, and as adherents to "the proscribed religion. Several priests were kept in prison during many years; at the end "of which, they were banished. Troops of soldiers "went into the highlands, and ravaged the lands "of the catholics; a captain of the name of Por

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ringer rendered himself famous in the west, by "his devastations and cruelties. About the same "time, the parliament of Scotland ordered, that "children, not becoming protestants, should not

"succeed to the estates of their parents; a measure "well calculated to raise unlawful desires of property, and to smother attachment to the antient "religion.

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Still, the true faith sustained itself in the midst "of these efforts to repress it. George Panton, "educated in the college of Paris, established, in "the mountains, a catholic school, and an applica"tion for a prelate was made to the holy see. "The pope granted the request; and, in 1694*, "Thomas Nicholson, titular bishop of Peristachium, "was sent, as vicar-apostolic, into Scotland, and "reached it in secrecy. He found twenty-five mis

sionaries, and, by degrees, increased their num"ber. In the very year of his arrival, he visited "the parts of the highlands, in which the catholics 66 were most numerous. In each of the four years

following, he visited other parts of his vicariat. "His activity and zeal produced much fruit in a "country, which, during almost one hundred

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years, had not seen a bishop. He drew up cer"tain regulations, which were agreed to at a meeting of the Scottish missionaries, and were "afterwards confirmed at Rome. We have under

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our eyes, a relation of the visitation, which he "made in 1700, in the highlands and the western "isles. In a journey of more than four hundred "miles in mountains, both rough and dangerous,

* The late bishop Hay, in a manuscript communication, published in the Catholic Gentleman's Magazine for December 1818, says, "that Mr. Nicholson was sent into Scotland, in

"1695."

" he confirmed a great number of persons, informed "himself of the wants of the people, removed "abuses, announced to the poor catholics the word "of God, and exhorted them to constancy in their "faith From his relation, it appears that the number of catholics in these parts, was, at this "time, considerable. Many islands were peopled entirely with catholics, and, at one place, the apostolic vicar confirmed more than seven hun"dred persons. He found these good moun

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taineers, regular in the observance of moral duty, "respectful towards the clergy, and punctual ob"servers of the laws of the church. Some catholics “in these mountains had, not many years before, "been put to death by the cruel Porringer, for refusing to renounce their religion. Mr. Nichol

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son encouraged the priests, and nominated two "sub-vicars, Mr. Munro and Mr. Morgan, antient

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missionaries, whose experience and services ren"dered them worthy of this confidence. He em"powered them to make visitations of his diocese, "desiring them to inform him of the condition of things. He himself visited the school of Ara

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saick, upon which he built his hopes, and which "served as a kind of preparatory school for the "children intended to be sent to the Scottish "school at Paris.-This school was the principal "resource for the education of priests designed "for the Scottish mission. Besides this college, "there was one at Rome, one at Ratisbon; and "the Scottish Benedictines had three catholic "establishments in Germany."

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