tland early privileged, and thus were
her privileges improven: But soon _the gold became dim, and the most
fine gold was changed_.

Popery came now by degrees to show her horrid head; the assiduity of
Austin and his disciples in England, was attended with melancholy
consequences to Scotland, by fomenting divisions, corrupting her princes
with Romish principles, and inattention to the lives of her clergy, the
Papal power soon came to be universally acknowledged. In the seventh
century a hot contest arose betwixt Austin and his disciples on the one
part, and the Scots and northern Saxons on the other, about the time of
keeping Easter, immersing three times in baptism, shaving of priests,
&c. which these last would not receive, nor submit to the authority
that imposed them; each refused ministerial communion with the other
party, until an arbitral decision was given by Oswy king of the
Northumbrians, at Whitby in Yorkshire, in favours of the Romanists, when
the opinions of the Scots were exploded, and the modish fooleries of
Papal Hierarchy were established. This decision, however, was far from
putting an end to the confusion which this dissention had occasioned;
the Romanists urged their rites with rigour, the others rather chose to
yield their places than conform: their discouragements daily increased,
as the clerical power was augmented, In the year 886, they obtained the
act exempting them from taxes, and all civil prosecutions before
temporal judges, and ordaining that all matters concerning them should
be tried by their bishops, who were at this time vested with those
powers, which are now in the hands of commissaries, respecting
matrimonial causes, testaments, &c. They were likewise by the same
statute impowered to make canons, try heretics, &c. and all future
kings were ordained to take an oath at their coronation, for maintaining
these privileges to the church. The convention of estates which passed
this act was held at Forfar, in the reign of that too indulgent prince,
Gregory.

Malcolm III. Alexander, David, &c. successively supported this dignity
by erecting particular bishopricks, abbeys, and monasteries; the same
superstitious zeal seized the nobility of both sexes, some giving a
third, others more, and others their whole estates, for the support of
pontifical pride and spiritual tyranny, which soon became insupportable,
and opened the eyes of the nation, so that they discovered their mistake
in raising the