Defending the True Faith: Kirk, State, and Catholic Missioners In Scotland, 1653-1755

Abstract

DANIEL SZECHI* In March, 1708, Scottish Privy Council was meeting daily in emergency session in a frantic attempt to put kingdom in a defensible state before Franco-Jacobite invasion poised to strike from Dunkirk could arrive in Scotland. While examining reports from officers and magistrates from all over country, their deliberations suddenly focused on threat of a Roman Catholic uprising in support of James Francis Edward Stuart, Old Pretender, and as Lord Grange reported in a letter to his brother Earl of Mar, This occasioned severalls of Council to complain that notwithstanding many complaints there has been made of encrease of Popery and swarming of priests openly and avowedly in many places of north and Galloway and Nithsdale, that yet nothing was effectually done to restrain them.' Strangely, government does not seem to have heeded complaints even in aftermath of abortive invasion of 1708, for six years later author of an anonymous, but strikingly similarly worded, condescendance, written in response to General Assembly of Kirk's representations to government regarding the of poperie, was warning Scotland's rulers that Kirk was in danger of being overwhelmed by Catholic tide. In Highlands in 1714, author lamented: In paroch of Lochaber priests swarm like locusts, running from house to house, gaining multitudes to their anti-Christian idolatry, baptizeing and marrying. In presbytery of Abemethie priests keep publick meetings, visite, preach, declare people marrYed and say Mass without fear of laws.2 Nor was writer a voice in wilderness. A special committee of commission of General Assembly begged for immediate action by Court of Police in 1718, arguing that it was evident from last accounts that disease grows and will encresce if some stop be not put to progress of it.3 In 1720 another memorial writer declared that, such a height have and Jacobites now arrived at in [the] Duke [of] Gordon's countries, that Protestant friends to government are in hazard of their lives, and he cited cases of two converts to Kirk who were assaulted by mobs of papists and in one case at least forced to flee area.' Even in aftermath of suppression of '45, another memorialist felt moved to complain to Duke of Newcastle that in consequence of efforts of Catholic priests throughout Scotland, is prevailing dayly5 The nighannual petition of General Assembly of Kirk after 1688, that a diligent search be made for popish priests, eloquently attests that memorialists' concern was generally shared by ministers throughout Scotland.6 Moreover, underpinning professed anxiety of ministers and elders about apparent success of missionary efforts of Catholic Church, there was apparently solid cause for concern. Since 1650's Congregation de Propaganda Fide in Rome had been funding a sustained effort to re-establish a permanent Catholic presence in Scotland. The Scots Colleges in Paris and Rome annually turned out dedicated young Scotsmen devoted to this missionary effort. Between 1653 and 1753 their efforts produced an eightfold increase in number of secular priests operating in Scotland. The Jesuits, Dominicans, Benedictines, Franciscans, and even Cistercians briskly seconded their efforts by sending over substantial numbers of additional mission priests. The number of professed Catholics nearly tripled between 1690's and 1750's. Prima facie, it would appear that Kirk was on defensive and encreasce of popery was a reality. And yet, with perfect hindsight, we of course know that Protestantism in Scotland was never in any danger from Catholic mission effort. The eightfold increase in secular priests on mission in Scotland conceals a leap from an insignificant five priests in 1653 to a puny forty in 1753. …