"and that form of ecclesiastical government esta"blished, which has been since called Presbyte"rian. The situation of the primitive church, (oppressed by continual persecutions, and obliged by their sufferings to be contented with a form "of government extremely simple, and with a parity of rank for want of ambition to propose, "or power to support, a subordination), suggested, "without doubt, the idea of this latter system;

though it would be unfair to allege this consi"deration, as a victorious argument in favour of presbyterianism; because a change of circum"stances will sometimes justify a change in the "methods and plans of government. Be that as "it may, the church of Geneva, which received the "decisions of Calvin with an amazing docility, "restored this presbyterian, or republican form of “ ecclesiastical policy; Knox studied, admired, and "recommended it to his countrymen, and he was "seconded by many of the Scottish nobles, of "whom some hated the persons, while others co"veted the wealth, of the dignified clergy. But, "in introducing this system, the Scottish reformer "did not deem it expedient to depart altogether "from the antient form; but, instead of bishops,

proposed the establishment of ten superintend"ents, to inspect the life and doctrine of the other

clergy, to preside in the inferior judicatories of "the church, without pretending to claim either a seat in parliament, or the revenues and dignity of the former bishops. This proposal was drawn and presented to a convention of estates,

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

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. 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 "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 prejudices mingled themselves with religious prejudices; 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

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of the catholics; a captain of the name of Porringer 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 pro

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perty, and to smother attachment to the antient "religion.

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 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 "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."