The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

Tertullian, who lived in the second Age, and wrote Books divers years before the end thereof, and so was so near the planting of the Christian Faith amongst the Nations,¹ that in a manner he may be said to have been an eye-witness unto it, in his Book against the Jews, speaking how the Light of the Gospel was spread through the whole world, saith thus, The Evangel was diffused into all the parts of the world, yea, into Britain, and into that part of the Island whereunto the Roman Forces did never pierce. By these last words of Tertullian, are meant the inhabitants of that part of the Island which lieth benorth the walls, first built by Adrian, then by Antoninus Pius, thirdly by Severus; and these were the Scots by name: For the Romans put walls betwixt them and the Scots Bow-men, as our Poet expresseth it: Roma sagitti feris praetendit maenia Scotis.

Tertullian, who lived in the second Age, and wrote Books divers yeers before the end thereof, and so was so neer the planting of the Christian Faith amongst the Nations,¹ that in a manner he may be said to have been an eye-witnesse unto it, in his Book against the Jews, speaking how the Light of the Gospel was spread thorow the whole world, saith thus, The Euangel was diffused into all the parts of the world, yea, into Britanie, and into that part of the Island whereunto the Roman Forces did never pierce. By these last words of Tertullian, are meant the inhabitants of that part of the Island which lieth benorth the walls, first built by Adrian, then by Antoninus Pius, thirdly by Severus; and these were the Scots by name: For the Romans put walls betwixt them and the Scots Bowe-men, as our Poet expresseth it: Roma sagitti feris praetendit maenia Scotis.

1. 1E•angelium fuit diffusam in omnes orbis partes, etiam in Britanniam usque, eamque insulae partem, ad quam Romanae vires nunquam penetr•rum. Tert. lib. contra Judaeos. Antoninus Pius Britannos vicit, alio muro c•spicio submotis Barbaris ducto. Jul. Cap. Britanniam, muro per transversam insulam ducto, utrumque ad finem Oceani munivit. Adrianus murum primus ducit, qui Barbaros Romanósque dividit, Aelius Spartianus. Venit & extremis legio praetenta Britannis, Quae Scoto dat froena truci, id est, opposita Scotis, quae eorum furorem a Britannis propelleret in extrem limit Britanniae & Scotiae, ut explicat Buchan. Lib. 1.