Blair Collection > Critical dissertations on the origin, antiquities, language, government, manners, and religion, of the antient Caledonians, their posterity the Picts, and the British and Irish Scots

xiv PREFACE.
of Smyrna, who fuffered martyrdom in the
year 170, it is certain, induced him to fend
apoflles to Gaul. His difpute with the fee
of Rome, about the very momentous affair
of Eafier, is well known. The zealous
fchifmatic preferred the tradition of the Eaft-
ern church to the authority of St. Peter's
chair. — An ardent defire of propagating his
dodlrine, occafioned his fending miffionaries
to the very extremity of the weft, and of
courfe to Britain. The opinion of the
Eaflern church concerning Eafier, which
prevailed among the Pids and Scots, is a
corroborating argument on this head. The
fee of Rome found means to recover the
Southern Britons to the Catholic opinion
upon this important point ; but the barba-
rians of the North were obflinately tenaci-
ous of the faith of their anceflors.
Bede made many efforts to fave the fouls
of his Northern neighbours, by endeavour-
ing to bring them back to the true faith con-
cerning Eafier and the Tonfure- Naitan, the
great monarch of the Pids, was at lafl over-
come by the arguments of Ceolfrid, and,
together with his nation, received into his
religion thefe two articles fo neceffary to
falvation. — But the wicked and abandoned
barbarians of Jar-ghael would not, it feems,
be