In the first three centuries of the Christian era, the successive persecutions at Rome drove many Christians out from that Gospel center, to wander in all directions over the world.  They suffered banishment for Christ’s sake.  In their wanderings they became great missionaries.  They loved Jesus more than their lives, and their religion more than their homes.  By them the Gospel was carried to the ends of the earth.  It seems that some of them drifted into Scotland and brought to that land the bright morning of a day that carried storms in its bosom, and after the storms, peace, quietness, prosperity, Christian civilization—­an inheritance of light and liberty unparalleled in history.

As these witnesses of Jesus told the story of God’s love and of Christ’s death, the Holy Spirit came down with power and wrought wondrously upon the people.  They readily believed the faithful saying, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”

In the later centuries the Gospelized communities developed into an organized Church, with doctrine, worship, and government based upon God’s Word.  These primitive Christians were careful to preserve the apostolic simplicity, purity, manner, and substance, of Divine service.  The Infallibility of the Bible, the Divinity of Christ, the Inspired Psalmody, and the Presbyterian form of government, were fundamentals in the faith of the Church of Scotland from her youth.  She appears exceedingly beautiful in her first love, coming up from the wilderness with her right hand taking firm hold upon the Lord Jesus Christ, her gracious Redeemer and mighty Protector.

The Church of Scotland was then known as the Church of the Culdees.  They had a flourishing Theological Seminary on the Isle of Iona.  The ruins of it still remain.

Papal Rome however quickly scented this noble vine, with its rich, ripe clusters of grapes.  Embassies were sent to win these children of light over to the Papacy.  But they had tasted of the freedom and blessedness in Christ and refused.  A long sanguinary struggle ensued, which resulted in the apparent suppression of the Protestant faith in the Twelfth century.  The ministers in general, under the severity of prolonged persecution, surrendered their liberty and became servants of the Roman pontiff.

Yet were there always some to resist the cruel conqueror.  The excellent of the earth are always to be found at their unpurchasable value, when mankind is on the market selling cheap.  These had the courage to challenge popes and kings, who dared to assume the power or the prerogatives of Jesus Christ.  They believed that Christ was the Head of the Church, and were willing to yield up their lives rather than their convictions.  The doctrine of Christ’s supremacy was incarnated in these worthies, and they became invincible in its defence.  As the granite rocks, beneath whose shelter they worshiped, withstood the blasts of winter, so these insuppressible men withstood