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24 Gaelic Society of Inverness.
bringing the tribe among which they were established to a knowledge
of tlie truth, and from tlie monastery thus established there
branched out cill cliurclies, anoit churches, and all the other subordinate
establishments which I have mentioned, and there went
forth pilgrims and teacliers, and sometimes colonies of monks, to
establish other monasteries. Columba's idea of tlie method of
spreading Christianity seems to have been— fii'st the establishment
of a separate Christian community in the midst of the people to
be converted, the leading by the members of this community of a
pure and self-denying Christian life, practising the precepts which
they taught, and exhibiting the effect on their own lives of a belief
in the doctrines which they preached ; and next, the reading
and teaching of the Scriptui'es, and the preaching of its doctrines.
That his influence long survived him, and that a pure and holy life
was long characteristic of the clergy of his Church, is amply testified
by Bede, who never mentions any of the clergy of the branch
of the Church of lona, which existed, as I have said, for 30 years in
Northumberland, wathout— -while deploring their ignorance and perversity
in not observing Easter at the proper time— praising their
chaste and self-denying lives. Thus he says of Colman, the last
of the three abbots and bishops of this Church, who ruled at
Lindesfarne, and who returned to lona on the King and people
adopting the Roman time of celebrating Easter :
"The place which he governed shows how frugal he and his
predecessor were, for there were very few houses besides the
church found at their departure; indeed, no more than were
Ijarely sufficient for their daily residence; they had also no money,
but cattle ; for if they received any money from rich persons,
they immediately gave it to the poor ; their being no need to
gather money, or provide houses for the entertainment of the
great men of the world ; for sucli never resorted to the church,
except to pray and hear the Word of God. The King himself,
when opportunity offered, came only with Ave or six servants,
and having performed his devotions in the church, departed.
But if tiiey happened to take a re])ast there, they were satisfied
with only the ))lain and daily food of the brethren, and required
no more ; for the whole care of those teachers was to serve God,
not the world— to feed the soul, and not the belly."
And again of Aiden, the first of these bishops, he says:
" I have written thus much concerning tlie i)erson and works
(if the aforesaid Aidan, in no way connnending or approving what
lie i?ii perfectly undei-stood in relation to the observance of Easter;
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