Page:Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy vol XXXIII.djvu/633

Rh him to attempt the conversion of the Picts, he must have felt that if he succeeded in winning a pagan people to the religion of Christ, he would at the same time rescue the Irish colony of Dalriada from a great danger, and render them an important service, by establishing peaceable relations between them and their greatly more numerous and powerful neighbours, and replacing them in the more secure possession of the western districts they had colonized." This is a very attractive theory. If Columba's missionary zeal was due solely to the love of Christ, it is hard to understand why he deferred his evangelistic enterprise till he was forty-two years of age, or why he selected Scotland as the sphere of his work. Dr. Skene's theory helps us to explain these things. But it has no express support from Adamnan. He had—or rather gave expression to—no idea that Columba was inspired by any other motive than "a desire to carry the Gospel to a pagan nation." If that is a good argument against O'Donnell's story, it is a still better argument against Skene's theory, for O'Donnell had on his side an early and widespread tradition to which Skene could not appeal.

If we admit a second motive, I cannot see why we should not admit a third. It must be remembered that Columba had for nearly twenty years been doing notable work "for Christ." He had founded at least two great ecclesiastical establishments, one at Durrow and the other at Derry. It might have seemed that there was no reason why he should not continue to labour in Ireland to the end, as his master, Finnian of Clonard, had done. In Ireland there was still much to be accomplished. It was not only that the Church was in need of fuller organization. There were nominal Christians who were pagans at heart; and we need not doubt that there were still avowed pagans to be converted to the Faith. What induced Columba to abandon this work, so full of promise, in the prime of life? For it was in a real sense abandoned when he departed from Ireland. For the future he could supervise and control it. But he could have little share in it; he could not extend it. When he was gone, it must to some extent languish. O'Donnell's narrative enables us to supply an answer to our question more satisfying than Skene's, and not inconsistent with it. If it had become apparent to Columba that, in consequence of the battle of Cul Dremhne, his relations with the native ecclesiastical leaders would be less harmonious than they had been in the past, and his work less effective, a fresh reason would suggest itself for withdrawing from Ireland, and of his own will embracing the opportunity of service which presented itself in Scotland.

R.I.A. PROC, VOL. XXXIII, SECT. C.