ST. PATRICK AND THE EARLY BRITISH CHURCH.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2658, 25 July 1889, Page 3

ST. PATRICK AND THE EARLY BRITISH CHURCH.

TO THK KI>ITOIt. Sik,—As this controversy has now cooled down, and enquirers after the truth would like to see the proofs which show that St. Patrick and, with him, the Irish Church were in union with, and submissive to the Church of Rome, I hope that neither of the contending correspondents will imagine that I wish to enter in at the last moment to snatch the glory of a triumph from them. This would be throwing the apple of discord, where wo look for calm impartial truth. 1 will abstain from all remarks, and criticism on the already adduced arguments, and trust the authorities, which I have been able to collect, will bear out the fact that the Church in Ireland was as submissive to, and dependent on the I loly See as any other Catholic country. ■fet St. Prosper of Aquitaine. Chron. Vol. J. jver. Gal. Paris, 17."5, says I'allaclius, the lirst bishop of the Scotti (Irish), was sent by Cope Celestino to that country. Pinkerton Hist, of Scot Vol. 11, page 2(11, says from the consent of all antiquity, the name Scotti belonged to the Irish alone, till the eleventh century. Butler in his Lives of Saints in .luly Gth, gives a brief sketch of "St. Palladius," which will wind up the controversy and settle it for unbiassed minds. Usher. Antiq. Brit. Kecles. c 10, p 416, 424. Keith Cat. Kpise. Scot, p 233 Italian(lists 6 vol 2 p 280. St. Prosper and other historians. St. Prosper in his Chronicles tells us that when Agricola, a noted Pelagian, was spreading error amongst the Churches of Britain, Pope Ceh'SJine at the instance of Palladius, the deacon in 429 sent thither St. Hermanns, bishop of Auxerrc, as Legate

nnd St. Lupus, bishop of Troyes. Bide (il, c ]?. Now, St. Prosper afterwards says that in 431 Pope Celestine sent Palladins, the first bishop, to the Scots then believing in Christ. From the lives of St. Albcns, Dcclan, I bar, and Kinrau Saigir, Usher ahowa (Antiq. Brit. Eccel.

o 16. pp. 40S, 402) that these four Sain preached separately in different parts i Ireland, which was their native eountr; i before the mission of St. Patrick S Ibar had been converted to the fait ■ in Britain ; the other three ha beeu instructed in Rome, and wei ! directed thence back to their nath country, and according to the histor of their lives, were all bishop: Also in Butler's L'ves of Saints, 4 vo Apr. 6, it states that Pope Celcstine ser St. Palladius, a Roman, to preach t the Irish, and adds that many authors c the life of St. Patrick say that the sam pope commissioned St. Patrick to preac to the same people in 431. 11. St. Biaar disciple of St. Congall, in Ireland, an wdio afterwards was made Bishop c Kinngaradha among the Picts in Scot land, made a pilgrimage of devotion t Rome, and died about the year 440. Th placo where he is buried is callei Dtiubln.iti. See Butler's Lives Aug 11. Colgan M.S.S. ad. 10. Aug. Dempter, Ireland, Turner, and his lif by G. Newton, archdeaa n of Dublin in 1505. 111. St. Palladius ordainei St. Servanius, or Serf, bishop o Orkney, and St. Tirnon, bishop o tho Picts in 440. This latter had leat a holy life in the Abbey of Culross, ii Fifcshiro. See H. Brctius. Lesleys, Kin; and Papebrokc p. 533, Butler June 13 There all were united together it their dependence on the Papal authority. St. Kiaran Saigir preceded St. Patrick ii preaching the Gospel to the Ossorians. and was 75 years of ago when St. Patrick arrived in Ireland. Hence it is easy tc understand what is said of St. Palladius that he was sent bishop to tho Scots believing iu Christ, though the nnmbei was small. St. Prosper, contra Collat, c. 44, lia 'ing praised Pope Celcstine for his care in delivering Britain from the Pelagian heresy, adds, "he also ordained a bishop for the Scots, and thus whilst he endeavoured to preserve the Roman Island (England) Catholic, he likewise made a barbarous island (Ireland) Christian." Usher explains this as meaning Ireland. The Irish writers of the life ol St. Patrick say that St. Palladius had preached in Ireland a little before St. Patrick, but that he was soon banished by tho King of Leinster, and ho went to North Britain where several of the Scots lived in the consulate of Bassus and Antrochus, 431, according to Usher. Those who have read ancient Irish history know very well that it was an ordinary thing for the bishops and saints of Ireland to go over to Scotland, and for those of Scotland to visit Ireland. They believed alike, and worshipped alike. Now we are told in the life of St. Nathalan, bishop of Aberdeen in Scotland, that he made a journey or pilgrimage to Rome, there he was ordained bishop—and returned home and resided at Tullicht, and built two churches and died in 452. St. Ninian or Ninyas, son of a prince among the Cambrian Britons, who lived in Cumberland and Galloway ; he too spent many years in Rome, and studied there, and being made bishop, he softened the temper of Tuclovald, King of tho Pits, built a church of stone, and as such a building was never seen amongst them before, the place was called Withern or white-house. The saint fixed his all here, and converted the Cumbrians and southern Picts. St. Ninian died iu 432. See Bede book 3. ch. 4. Saxon Chron. an. 560. Will of Malmcsc'iib. 3 de reg. Aug. Lelaud de scrip, c. 33 Usher c. 15. These two instances show what connexion and com-

munion aud dependence there were with the See of S. Peter, and require no comment. These collateral evidences are brought in to show that there was no such idea iu the British Island, and no proof can be adduced to establish the fact that they had jurisdiction and orders of ministry irrespective of Rome. Not one historical fact can bear out such a contention. Now, besides tho above related facts, the following have direct bearing on the question :—Usher relates (Brit. Eccl. Antiq. Index Chron. p. 512) that about the year 360 a certain Christian priest was sent from Rome to Ireland long before St. Patrick, This priest baptised St. Ailbe, yet a boy. In the year 352 Kirian left Ireland for Rome, and spent 20 years in the study of Holy Writ. In 397 St. Ailbe was sent by St. Hilarins to the Roman Pontiff, by whom he was ordained bishop. We have further proof, as the Annals of Innisf. Rer. Scrip. Hib. pages 12 and 2 say that Kiaran and Declan came from Rome, bishops to announce the faith in 402, and in the year 412 Ailbe, of Emily, came from Rome a bishop to Ireland. Probus (Vita; St. Patr. Bede p. 315) says that St. Patrick went to Rome, the head of all Churches, and there having got tho Apostolic blessing, returned to convert Ireland. Now, from this time (he English, Irish and Scotch saints begin to crowd into the Roman calendar aid martyrology, so much so that Butler in His Lives of the Saints, gives names and dates and places of abode and death of 41. recognised canonised saints in the sixth century. Would my readers have patience to examine or read these lives? Not one in a thousand. Yet the question is an important one. As a matter of fact theliish Church has always recognised and obeyed the Holy See of Rome. One of the Canons of the Irish Church in the time of St. Patrick says, "If any questions arise in this island, they are to be referred to the Holy See" (Con. St. Patr. apttd Wilkins. Cone. p. 6). St. Columbanus, in his letter to Pope Boniface, says: — "We are Irish, receiving nothing but the Evangelic and Apostolic doctrine. The faith as it was delivered by thee, the successor of the Holy Apostles, is held unshaken.'' (Hibl. vet. Patr. Vol. VII.) And Mahillon (Vita. Collimb. Scrip. Corea. 615) says St. Columbanus wrote this to tho Pope : — To the Holy Roman Father in Christ, the chosen watchman, it pleaseth me the lowly Coluniba, to send health and to interrogate thee about Easter, according to that verse, " Ask Thy Father and He will show thee; thy elders and they will tell thee.'' St. Cummian Abbot in GSO (Usher. Yet. Ep. Hib. Syll p. 13) says "we sent wise and humble men, as children to their mother, to Rome to enquire as to the time of keeping Easter." In another place this same saint (de mens. Poeuit. Bib. Patr, t, xii. c. ii) says that disobedience to Rome in matters of religion deserved ejection from the Church. St. Bede tells us (libr. ii. c. xix. p. 14S) that Pope Honorius in 621 and 634 sent letters to the Irish, to correct their error as to Easter; and that not only was there no opposition, but the Irish prelates sent messengeisto learn the truth from the Pope's own lips. Honorius died before the matter was settled, Leverinus died also in a short time, and John IV., the succeeding Pontiff, settled the matter, fixing the time for Easter, and ordering them to oppose the Pelagiau heresy. From the above facts it will be clear to any impartial reader, 1. That Ireland received the faith from Rome, 2. That her first bishops preached with the Apostolic sanction and blessing. I!. That iu disputes Rome was referred to, as nowadays and obeyed. Now, any learned man who can show that these three great facts are contradicted by ancient history, will have to shake the dust off old books that no acknowledged historian has ever seen or read.—l am, etc., A. J. Fox, 0.5.8.