The Culdean Church. 171 ART. VIII.-The Culdean Church. The Early Scottish Church: The Ecclesiastical History of Scotland from the First to the Twelfth Century. By Rev. THOMAS M'LAUCHLAN, M.A., F.S.A.S. 1865. Die Culdeische Kirche des Sechsten, Siebenten und achten Jahrhunderts. Handbuch der Christlichen Kirchen-und Dogmengeschichte. Von Dr AUG. T is a striking proof of the fresh interest which has lately we are able to bring into juxtaposition such new works as these of Dr M'Lauchlan and Dr Ebrard, proceeding from such different quarters of the church, and produced under influences, and in the use of historical sources, in many respects so dissimilar. It need scarcely be remarked that the two authors have worked quite independently of each other. Dr M'Lauchlan was far advanced with his volume before the papers of Dr Ebrard, in the Zeitschrift für die Historische Theologie, were brought under his notice; and he has only one or two references to them in his closing chapters, in one of which he expresses his opinion, that "Dr Ebrard's general positions are well taken, and defended with remarkable learning and skill." When the first volume of Dr Ebrard's "Handbuch" was published, Dr. M'Lauchlan's work had not appeared; but both in the preface and the body of the second volume, the author makes frequent use of the facts and opinions of "The Early Scottish Church" in support and vindication of the views which he has put for ward in his first volume on the subject of the Culdean church. More than once he refers to Dr M'Lauchlan as a high authority in Gaelic literature, and as one of the profoundest living students of Culdean history. Dr M'Lauchlan's work is the completest and most satisfactory history ever yet produced of "The Early Scottish Church." He very fairly describes it as "the result of an effort to fill up a blank in the ecclesiastical history of Scotland. Monographs exist on periods and persons introduced throughout it, and also brief sketches of the period in works on Scottish Church history, preparatory to the history of more recent and more prominent events; but no work existed whose sole object was to present the reader with a consecutive and connected view of the period embraced, which was to be regretted, considering. the importance of the events recorded, and their influence upon the future state of the Church of Scotland." It was a happy thought to undertake to supply such a desideratum; and the author's Celtic learning was a special and rare qualification for the task; for the early church history of Scotland is the history of a Celtic church. Down to the reign of Malcolm Caenmore, in the eleventh century, Gaelic was the predominant language, not only of the country, but of the court; and it was not till the reign of David, in the twelfth century, that the national church was finally denuded of all its Celtic or Culdean features, and conformed to the type of papal Rome. It is a great advantage that the history of such a church should be derived as much as possible from Celtic sources; and though the materials which the author has drawn from the Irish annalists are not of a kind to make very smooth or interesting reading, they are of unquestionable value in helping to fill up the blanks of our common histories. They have been particularly serviceable to the author in the treatment of the events of the eighth, ninth, and tenth centuries of our civil and ecclesiastical history. Although these Celtic sources are few and scanty, "yet, when the straggling rays are gathered together, it is wonderful how much light they afford." Dr Ebrard's papers take a much more extensive range. They treat of the Culdean church at large, as it existed not only in Ireland and Scotland, but also in France, Switzerland, Italy, and Germany. They are of the nature of a historical dissertation, rather than a history, and embrace discussions of the five following subjects:-1. The Culdean mode of reckoning Easter, and their controversies on that subject with the Roman Church, both in Britain and France; 2. The religion and theology of the Culdees; 3. Their church-constitution, and the order of their cloisters, or so-called monasteries; 4. The miracles of the Culdean church; 5. Its extension, with special reference to its spread on the Continent; 6 Its destruction and downfall, particularly in France and Germany. The author's treatment of all these subjects is very ample, and often minute. The principal authorities are the Latin writings of the Culdean divines and biographers, including the lives of the Culdean saints, which, in their original form, were, in many cases, the productions of men of the same spirit as the worthies whom they commemorate, although afterwards re-written and re-modelled in the spirit of the Church of Rome. Ebrard displays great circumspection and acuteness in the use which he makes of these acta sanctorum; and he turns them to good account, particularly in his treatment of the numerous missionary establishments of the Culdees in the continental kingdoms. He is, we suppose, the first writer who has laid them under contribution for such a purpose. In his "Handbook of Church His 66 The Name Culdees." 173 tory," he has also for the first time assigned to the Culdean church its due place in the general system of ecclesiastical history. He adds little here, of course, to the results obtained. in his Dissertation; but, gathering up these results, he presents them in a compressed and summary form, with all the advantage of being seen in situ, in their relations to, and connections with, the history of the Christian church at large. So remarkable an innovation upon the practice of church historians, who have hitherto dealt with the Culdee communities, not as an organised and independent church, but merely as so many scattered and unattached societies, could not fail, of course, to call forth opposition in some quarters. In the preface to his second volume, Ebrard refers to such an attack as having appeared in one of the protestant journals of Germany towards the end of last year; and he devotes the preface to a lengthened and interesting vindication of his views, in which he gladly avails himself of the support of several of our Irish and Scottish Celticists, such as Dr Todd, Dr Reeves, and Dr M'Lauchlan. We propose to compare some of the chief results obtained by Dr Ebrard and Dr M'Lauchlan on their respective fields, and in the use of their several sets of authorities. How far do these results agree, and wherein do they in any instance differ? Do Dr M'Lauchlan's results, obtained by more concentrated research upon a single part of the Celtic field, derive corroboration from Dr Ebrard's, arrived at by studies of a wider and more comprehensive kind? And, reciprocally, are there instances in which Dr Ebrard's conclusions are attested and strengthened by those of Dr M'Lauchlan? As independent investigators, it must be interesting to know whether they are substantially at one in their views of a subject at once so recondite and so important. We must confine ourselves, of course, to a selection of the main topics. It is natural to begin with the origin and meaning of the name "Culdees ;" and we regret to say that after all the discussion which has gone on for two centuries upon this point, the two latest writers upon it are still as far as ever from being agreed. Dr Ebrard prefers strongly the derivation of Kelledei (the ancient name, which was afterwards corrupted into Culdees), from the Celtic Kele De, vir Dei, mau of God, and leans confidently upon the authority of his countryman, Dr Zeuss, the author of the celebrated Celtic Grammar. In this view he opposes himself chiefly to Professor Braun, of the university of Bonn, who, in his Program "De Culdeis," 1840, pleads as strongly for the derivation, gilla De, servus Dei, servant of Ged. But Dr M'Lauchlan pronounces, with all the confidence of a native Celtic scholar, against both these derivations alike. "In attempting to shew," says he, p. 431, "that the term Culdee or Keledeus is derived from Kele De, a term which he understands to mean 'man of God,' Dr Ebrard quotes the use of the phrase, vir Dei, by Culdee writers, in support of his view. It must be observed, however, that the term vir Dei is only used by those writers as applicable to their abbots or principal men, and is not applied to the Culdee brethren generally. This use of the words is perfectly intelligible without supposing them to stand for Culdee. Besides, the Gaelic word ceile, notwithstanding the authorities quoted by Dr Ebrard, does not mean men. The fundamental idea is that of fellowship. Hence it is applied to a spouse, male or female, and is used in forming the adverb, le cheile, 'together,' or 'with his fellow.' On this point Dr Braun, who advocates Gille De, servus Dei, and whom Dr Ebrard criticises, is nearer the truth than his critic, although neither of them is correct." In another passage, p. 176, Dr M'Lauchlan tells us, that among the native Celts the name given to the Culdees is uniformly Cuildich. In Iona is a hollow called Cobhan nan Cuildeach, or the Culdees' chest, to this day. Cuildeach can have but one meaning. It is derived from Cuil, a recess, or secluded corner, and can only be descriptive of the habits of those to whom it refers. As interpreted by the language to which the word belongs, the Culdee was nothing else than "the man of the recess." In Cuildich, men of seclusion, we have a descriptive name, and the description borne out by what we know of the history of the men." So long as this dispute is carried on between a German professor and a learned Celt, it is natural for us to incline towards the judgment of the latter. But how are Lowlanders and Saxons to decide the point, when Celt meets Celt in the wordy strife, and when the best Celtic scholars of Scotland and Ireland cannot come to an agreement? Dr Reeves, in his erudite and exhaustive treatise "On the Céle-dé, commonly called Culdees," recently published in the "Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy, 1864," contends strongly for the derivation of the name from céle-dé, but in the sense of servus Dei, not vir Dei, and succeeds in bringing together a great many examples of compound words in which céle undoubtedly bears that meaning. He understands it to have been a name not originally confined to any one particular order of monks or regular clergy, but applied at large to all who devoted themselves to the service of God in the offices of conventual life; just as the name, servus Dei, of the Latin church had begun to be applied in that manner as early as the days of St Augustine-a usage which, becoming more and more current in the West, would naturally lead among the Celtic peoples to the use of the equivalent céle-dé. It will not be easy, we fancy, to set aside the arguments of Application of the Name" Culdees. 175 Dr Reeves in support of his opinion. But leaving this question in the hands of Celts and Celtic scholars to settle if they can, we proceed to other disputed points of much greater importance, viz. how early the name first came into use, and whether it was ever applied, in early times as it has been latterly, to the Columban order of conventuals and missionaries. Was the name given to the Columbans in the ages immediately succeeding that of Columba? and if so, was it given to them exclusively, as distinguished from other religious communities or orders, in Ireland, England, and Wales? On these points there has been a vast deal of controversy, arising from the persistent attempts which have long been made by all parties, Romanists, Episcopalians, and Presbyterians, to give an exclusive application to a name which, commencing with a large general meaning, appears afterwards to have received many special applications in different ages, and countries, and states of the monastic world. For we see reason to accept the opinion of Dr Reeves, sustained by a large body of evidence, that "the Celtic compound céle-dé possessed in its employment all the latitude of its model servus Dei, and in the lapse of ages underwent all the modifications or limitations of meaning which the changes of time and circumstances, or local usage, produced in the class to whom the epithet was applied." "In fact, during the range of time in which the term is of record, we discover the greatest diversity in its application, sometimes borne by hermits, sometimes by conventuals; in one situation implying the condition of celibacy, in another understood of married men; here denoting regulars, there seculars; some of the name bound by obligations of poverty, others free to accumulate property; at one period high in honour, as implying self-denial, at another regarded with contempt, as the designation of the loose and worldly-minded." The only quarter, however, it should in fairness be added, where men called Kelledei or Culdæi were ever regarded with contempt, was on the part of the zealots of Rome, to whom their distinctive principles and usages were offensive, and who never rested till they succeeded in superseding them by other orders, whose discipline was of a strictly Romish type, whether Benedictine or Augustinian. This testimony of Dr Reeves, himself an Anglican churchman, is fatal of course to the view so often maintained by Episcopal and Roman Catholic writers, that the name was applied exclusively, and not till the ninth century, to certain societies or fraternities of secular canons, much corrupted from their original purity, which existed in all the three churches of the British islands-which is the view contended for by Braun, Lanigan, Döllinger, and others. But it is, of course, equally unfavourable to the view of writers like Dr Jamieson, who |