1996 issue 6 - patrick and his writings - counsel of chalcedon

8/12/2019 1996 Issue 6 - Patrick and His Writings - Counsel of Chalcedon

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Ireland 's Apostle Patrick,alias Padraig or Sucat, was thecovenant child of the ChristianChurch's Deacon Calpum, andgrandson of Presbyter Pottittfrom the village of BannaVentabumiae. There Patrickwas too born, around A .D. 385- probably in northemBritannia's Cumbria (south ofthe Solway in Britain sStrathclyde),

Raised in a Bible-believingChristian community whichnormally spoke BrythonicCumbrian but could

hundreds of congregationheestablished, .

After many years, soldiers ofthe Brythonic King Coroticuscruelly kidnappedsome of theChristian Irish whom Patrick

had converted- and attemptedto sell them to the then-stillpagan (jaelic Scots and AncientPids in what is now Scotland.Patrick protested, in his Epistleto Coroticus.

In his famous Hymn of theDeer's Cry, Patrick s trinitariantheologyand puritan piety is

Christians Irenaeus of Lyonsand Vidorianus of Pettau, aswell as with those of the greatCarthaginian ChristiansCyprian and Augustine .

In his autobiographical

Confession, Sucat writes:I

amPatricius, a sinner - mostunleamed; the least of all thefaithful... My father wasDeacon Calpomius,son -ofPresbyter Potitus of the villageBanna Ventabumiae, He had acountry-seat nearby, and there Iwas taken captive.

also read Latin, Patrickwas capturedbypirates - and soldinto slavery in Irelandwhen but sixteen,After having leamedsome (jaelic Irish, andescaping from captivity

PATRICK &HIS WRITIN S

I was. hen aboutsixteen years of age...1was taken intocaptivity to Irelandwith many thousandsof people - anddeservedly so, because

in Antrim six yearslater, he retumed to Britain.There, like his grandfather, he

became a Presbyter.Heeding a divine call to

retum to the (jaelic Irish,Patrick went and preached tothem for several decades - andeven secured the conversion ofIreland as a whole. Patrick wonmuch of the family ofthe IrishHigh-King, and most ofIreland 's under-kings and thechieftains of her independentstates and regions, for Christ -and so too many of the Druids.Indeed, he also christianizedand codified Irish Law - and

.ordained especially from theconverted Druids at least oneMinister of the Word andSacraments for each of the

ev. prof. Dr. F. N . Lee

clearly set out. This is also seenin the 'patrician poem of his

nephew the Presbyter Sechnall(alias Secundinus) - andfurther in the ancient Irishmoming prayer known as theLorica, taught by Patrick to hisfollowers. Finally, Patrick'sautobiographyor Confession -apparently written just beforehis death at a very old age -discloses the divinely-donateddiscipline ofthis godly man.

Patrick s extant writingsquote from many of the Biblicalbooks of the Old Testament,and also from fully 23 of the 27books of the New Testament.In addition, his writingsfurthershow some acquaintance withthe works of the (jallic

16 THE COUNSEL of Chalced o n Ju l y/August , 1996

we had tumed awayfrom (jod and did notkeep His

Commandments and did notobey our Presbyters who used

to remind us of our salvation, Sothe Lord brought over us thewrath of His anger, andscattered us among manynations - even unto 'theutmost part of the Earth wheremy littleness is placed amongstrangers.

There, the Lord opened thesense of my unbelief- so that Imight at least remember mysins, arid be converted with allmy heart to the Lord my (jod,

e had regard to my abjection,and had mercy on my youthand ignorance. He watchedover me before I knew Him,and before I was able todistinguish between good and


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evil. He guarded and comfortedme as a father does his son.

"Hence I cannot be s i l en t -rior, indeed, is it expedient -about the great benefits and thegreat grace which the lorddesigned to bestow upon me inthe land of my captivity. Forthis we can give to Ciod inreturn, after having beenchastened by Him - to exaltand praise His wonders beforeevery nation that is anywhereunder Heaven

"Because there is no otherCiod, nor ever was, nor will be- than Ciod the Father

unbegotten; without beginning ,from Whom all beginningsexist. He is, as we have beentaught, the lord of theVniverse ..

"His Son Jesus Christ ..wedeclare to have been alwayswith the Father - spi ituallyand ineffably begotten by theFather before the beginning of

the World, before allbeginnings.. . By Him all thingsvisible and invisible have beenmade. He was made man and,having defeated death, wasreceived into Heaven by theFather .. He has given Him allpower over all names inHeaven, on Earth, imd underthe Earth - and every tongueshall confess to Him that JesusChrist is lord and Ciod. Webelieve in Him Whoseadvent ..we expect - Judge ofthe living and of the dead, Whowill render to every manaccording to his deeds...

"He has poured forth uponus abundantly the Holy Spirit, '

the Ciift and Pledge ofimmortality - Who makesthose who believe and obey,sons of Ciod and joint-heirswith Christ .. Him do weconfess and adore - one Ciodin the Triunity of the Holy

Name."For He Himself had said

through the Prophet: .Call uponMe in the day of your trouble,and I will deliver you , and youshall glorify Mel' And again,He says: ' It is honourable toreveal and confess the works ofCiod' ..

"I know well the testimony

of my lord Who in the Psalmdeclares: 'You will destroy themthat speak a lie.' And again , Hesays: The mouth that lies, killsthe sou\. '

"And the same lord says inthe Ciospel 'Every idle wordthat men shall speak, they shallrender an account for it on theday of judgement ' And so Ishould dread exceedingly, withfear and trembling, thissentence on that day when noone will be able to escape orhide - but we all, withoutexception, shall have to give anaccount even of our smallestsins before the judgement seatof the lord Christ ..

I long had in mind towrite . . I have not studied like

others who thoroughly imbibedLaw and Sacred Scripture, andnever had to change from thelanguage of their childhooddays, but were able to make itstill more perfect. n our case,what I had to say, had to betranslated into a tongue (I ish)foreign to me...

'This betrays how littleinstruction and training I havehad in the art of words. For, asScripture says, 'by the tonguewill be disclosed - the wiseman, and understanding, andknowledge, and the teaching of

the truth' .." Now , in myoid age, I

strive for something that I didnot acquire in youth. It was mysins that prevented me fromfixing in my mind what before Ihad barely read through ...

"Almost as a boy not able tospeak, I was taken captive ..Today, I blush and fear

exceedingly to reveal my lack ofeducation ... (Yet) I would notbe silent - because of mydesire to give thanks .. , Afterall, it is written: 'Thestammering tongues shall'quickly learn to speak peace' ...

"We earnestly strive to dothis - we who are, as Scripturesays, 'a letter of Ch ist for

salvation unto the utmost partof the Earth'; although not yetan eloquent one ... 'written inyour hearts not with ink butwith the Spirit of the livingCiod' .. Again, the Spiritwitnesses that even rusticitywas created by the AllHighest'...

"Before I was humiliated , Iwas like a stone lying in thedeep mire... He Who is mightycame, and in His mercy liftedme up and raised me aloft ..Therefore, then , be astonished- you great and little who fearCiod, and you men of letters.. . He encouraged me - me,the outcast of this World,

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before others to be the man...who with fear and reverenceand without blame shouldfaithfully selVethe (Irish) peopleto whom the love of Christconveyed and gave me for theduration of my life...

"In the light therefore ofourfaith in the Trinity, I must makethis choice... I must makeknown the gift of Ciod andeverlasting consolation.Without fear and frankly, Imust spread everywheretheName of Ciod - so that aftermy decease I may leaveabequest to my brethren and sons

whom I have baptized in theLord, so many thousands ofpeople."

"I was not worthy ..that theLord should grant this to Hisservant; that...after mycaptivity, after the passage ofsomany years, He should give meso great a grace in behalf of thatnation ..

"After I came to Ireland,every day I had to tend sheepand many times a day I prayed.The love of Ciod and His fearcame to me more and more, .and my faith was strengthened.And my spirit was moved, sothat in a single day I would sayas many as a hundred prayers- and almost as many in thenight, and this even when Iwas staying in the woods... Iused to get up for prayer beforedaylight through snow,through frost, through rain ... Ifelt no harm, and there was nosloth in me - as I now see,because the Spirit within mewas then fervent...

"One night I heard in mysleep a voice saying to me: 'It iswell that you fast. Soon youwill go (back) to your owncountry (Britain) ... Your ship isready' ... It was not near, but"ata distance of perhaps twohundred miles (in Wicklow) ...

I had never been there. Nordid I know a living soul there...Then I took to flight, and I leftthe man with whom I hadstayed for six years. And I wentin the strength of Ciod...

As I went, I began to pray.And before I had ended myprayer, I heard someone

shouting behind me: 'Come,hurry, we shall take you on ingood faith Make friends withus ' ... And so, on that dayI ..hoped theywould come tothe faith of Jesus Christ -because they were pagans. Andthus I had my way with them ...

"After three days, wereached land .. We travelled

through deserted country .. Thenext day, the captain said to me:Tell me, Christian - you saythat your Ciod is great and all-powerful Why then do you notpray for us s you can see, weare suffering from hungerl' ...

I said to them full ofconfidence: 'Be truly convertedwith all your heart to the Lordmy Ciodl Because nothing isimpossible for Him; so that thisday He may send you food ...Suddenly a herd of pigsappeared on the roads before 'oUT eyes, and they killed manyof them... They also found wildhoney, and offered some of it tome ...

18 l THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon l Jnly/Angust, 1996

"Thanks be to Ciodl ... I wasupheld by Christ my Lord ...His Spirit was even then cryingout on my behalf .. It will be so,on that day ofmy tribulation.

s is written in the Ciospel:'On that day,' the Lord

declares, 'it is not you that speak- but the Spirit of My FatherWho speaks in you '

"Once again, after manyyears, I fell into captivity .. Onthe sixtieth night thereafter, theLord delivered me ... 'Thenagain, after a few years, I wasin Britain with my people -who received me as their sonand sincerely besought me thatnow at last, having suffered somany hardships, I should notleave them and go elsewhere.

"But there I saw in the nightthe vision ora man ... coming as .it where from Ireland .. I heardtheir voice... They (the Irish) did

ry out as with one mouth: 'Weask you, boy - come and walkamong us once again ' ...

" I woke up, andremembered theApostlesaying: 'The Spirit helps theinfirmitiesof our prayer. For wedo not know what we shouldpray for as we ought. But theSpirit Himself asks for us, (and 'in .us,) with unspeakablegroanings which cannotbeexpressed in words: And again:'The Lord our Advocate asks forusl ...

"When I had been fifteenyears old, I did not trust in theliving Ciod. Nor did I do sofrom my childhood. But I livedin death and unbelief, until Iwas severely chastised andreally humiliated by hunger and


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nakedness - and that, daily...I did not go to Ireland of my

own accord - not until' hadnearly perished But this wasrather for my own good. Forthus was I purged by the Lord,and He made me fit so that I

might be now what was oncefar fonn me - so that I shouldcare and labour for the salvationof others...

'Therefore I give thanks toHim Who has strengthened mein evel)'thing .. He did notfrustrate the journey uponwhich' had decided, and thework which I had learned fromChrist my Lord... I rather felt,after this, no little strength -and my trust was proved right,before God and men ...

"I must not, however, hideGod's gift which He bestowedupon me in the land of mycaptivity. Because then, Iearnestly sought Him. Andthere' found Him, and Hesaved me from all evil -

because ..of His Spirit Whokeeps on dwelling in me ...I give unwearied thanks to

God Who kept me faithful inthe day of my temptation, sothat today I can confidentlyoffer Him my soul as a livingsacrifice - to Christ my Lord,Who saved me out of all mytrouble.

'This I can say: 'Who am Io Lord, and to what have youcalled m e - You who assistedme with such divine power thattoday f constantly exalt andmagnify Your Name ...not onlyin good days but also intribulations ' So indeed f mustaccept with equanimity

whatever befalls me, be it goodor evil, and always give thanksto God Who taught me to trustin Him always, withouthesitation.

"He must have heard myprayer. So I however ignorant I

was, in recent days dared toundertake such a holy andwonderful work- thusimitating somehow those who,as the Lord once foretold, wouldpreach His Gospel for atestimony to all nations, prior tothe end of the World ..

"It would be tedious to give adetailed account of all mylabours, or even a part of them.

Let me tell you briefly how themerciful God often freed mefrom slavery, and from twelvedangers in which my life was atstake - not to mentionnumerous plots, which I cannotexpress in words ..

' do not want to bore myreaders. But God is my witness,Who knows all things evenbefore they come to pass ... He

used to forewarn even me, poorwretch that am, of manythings, by a divine message.

"How did f come by thiswisdom which was not in me? Iknew neither the number of mydays nor what God wasWhence was given to meafterwards the gift so great, sosalutary - to know God and tolove Himl Although at the

price of leaving my country andmy parents ..."I came to the people of

Ireland to preach the Gospeland to suffer... I am prepared togive even my life withouthesitation , and most gladly, forHis Name. And it is there that

I wish to spend it, until I die...' am very much God's

debtor - Who gave me suchgreat grace that many peoplewere born again in God, andafterwards confinned throughme ... Ministers were

ordained...everywhere, for apeople just coming to the faith . .

"The Lord took them 'fromthe utmost parts of the Earth' -as He once had promisedthrough His Prophets: 'To Youthe Gentiles sh ll come fromthe ends of the Earth'... Andagain: 'I have set You as a lightamong the Gentiles, so that

You may be for salvation untothe utmost part of the Earth '

"And there I wish to wait forthe promise of Him Who surelynever deceives. As He promisesin the Gospel: 'They shall comefrom the East and the West,and shall sit down withAbraham and Isaac and Jacob'- as we believe the faithfulwill come, from all the World.

"For that reason thereforeweought to fish well anddiligently... The Lord exhorts inadvance, and teaches, saying:'You must come after Me, and Iwill make you to be fishers ofmen ' And again He saysthrough the Prophets: 'Behold, ,send many fishers andhunters' ..

"The Lord in the Gospelstates, exhorts, and teaches,saying: 'Even while going, youmust teach all nations -baptizing them in the Name ofthe Father and the Son and theHoly Spirit - . teaching them toobserve all things whatsoever I

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have commanded you. Andbehold, I am with you all days- even to the consUl:nmation ofthe World '

And again He says: 'Youmust therefore go into thewhole World, and preach the

(jospel to every creature Hewho believes and is baptized;shall be saved; but he who doesnot believe, shall becondemned: And again: 'This(jospel of the Kingdom shall bepreached in the whole Worldfor a testimony to all nations ,and then shall the end cornel'

U And so to the Lord

announces through the Prophet,and says: 'And it shall come topass in the last days,' says theLord, ' I will pour out of MySpirit upon all Resh. And yoursons and your daughters shallprophesy, and your young menshall see visionsl and your oldmen shall dream dreams. Andupon my servants indeed, andupon my handmaids, f will

pour out of My Spirit in thosedays, and they shall prophesy:

"And in Hosea, He says: 'Iwill call "My people" thatwhich was not My people ...And her that had not obtainedmercy, (I will call) "one that hasobtainedmercyl" And insteadof where it was said: "You arenot My people" - they shall be

called "the sons.of the living(jod ""Hence, how did t come to

pass in Ireland, that those whonever had a knowledge of(jod ..have now been made apeople of the Lord and arecalled 'sons of (jod'l .., (How

did it come to pass) that sonsand daughters of the kings ofthe Irish - are seen to be...bomagain there, so as to be of ourkindl I do not know...

I could have wished toleave them and go (back) to

Britain. And how I would haveloved to go to my country andmy parents, and also to (jaul inorder to visit the brethren and tosee the face of the saints of myLordI For (jod knows I muchdesired it. But I am bound bythe Spirit Who would giveevidence against me, were I todo this _ telling me I would beguilty. And I am afraid oflosing the labour which I havebegun - nay , not I but Christthe Lord Who bade me comehere and stay with them for therest of my life ...

'This, I presume, I ought todo But I do not trust myself, aslong as , am in this body ofdeath ... From the time' came toknow Him in my youth, thelove of (jod and the fear ofHim have grown in me - andup to now, thanks to the grace of (jod, have kept the faith...He knows eveTYlhing, evenbefore the times of the World

"Hence' ought unceasinglyto give thanks to (jod Whooften pardoned myfoolishness...and on more than

one occasion spared His greatwrath ,upon me who waschosen to be His helper - andwho was slow to do as wasshown me, and as the Spiritsuggested. But the Lord hadmercy on me, thousands andthousands of times... Would

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that you too would strive forgreater things, and do betterThis will be my glory. For awise son is the glory of hisfather."

"You know, and so does(jod, how have lived amongyou from my youth in the truefaith and in sincerity of heart , . ,have been faithful...forfear thatthrough me the Name of theLord be blasphemed. For it iswritten: 'Woe to the manthrough whom the Name of theLord is blasphemed '

"For although I be rough inall things, nevertheless' have

tried somehow to keep myselfsafe... When I baptized so manythousands of people, did Iperhaps expect from any ofthem as much as a tiny coinlTell me, and I will give t back... On the contrary, I spentmoney for you - so that theymight receive me. And I wentto you and everywhere for yoursake in many dangers, even tothe farthest districts... May (jodpowerfully grant me afterwards,that I myself may be spent -for your souls

"Indeed, I call (jod towitness upon myso u l - that'do not lie ... Sufficient is thehonour that is not yet seen butis anticipated in the heart.'Faithful is He Who promised '

I For 'He never lies '"But' see myself exalted

even in the present World,beyond measure, by the Lord.And I was not worthy, norsuch that He should grantmethis ... Poverty and misfortunebehooves me better than riches


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and pleasures. For Christ theLord too was poor, for oursakes. And I unhappy wretchthat I am, have no wealth -even if I wished for it.

"Daily I expect murder,fraud, or captivity- or

whatever it may be. But I fearnone of these things , because ofthe promises of Heaven. I havecast myself into the hands ofCiod Almighty, Who ruleseverywhere. As the Prophetsays: 'Cast your thoughts uponCiod, and He shall sustainyou ' ...

"So now, I commend mysoul to my faithful Ciod, for .

Whom I am Ambassador ..Ciod accepts no person, but chose me for this Office - tobe, although among His least,one of His Ministers.

Hence let me give back toHim, because ofall He hasdone for me But what can I sayor what can I prpmise to myLord - as I can do nothing thatHe has not given me l

May He search'the heartand reins ... I pray to Ood togive me perseverance, and todeign that I be a faithfulwitness to Him - to the end ofmy life, for my Ciod .

And i ever I have done anygood for my Ood Whom I love,I beg Him to grant that I mayshed my blood with those exilesand captives for His Name -even though I shOUld be denieda grave; or my body bewoefully tom to pieces limbfrom limb by hounds or wildbeasts; or the fowls of the airdevourjt.

I am firmly convinced that

if this shoulq happen to me, Iwould have gainedmy so u l -together with my body. Becauseon that day, without doubt weshall rise in the brightness of thesun - that is, in the glory ofChrist Jesus our Redeemer, assons of the living Ood andjoint-heirs with Christ to bemade conformable to Hisimage. For of Him, and byHim, and in Him - we shallreign

For this sun which we see,rises daily for us - becauseOod commands this... Webelieve in, and worship, thetrue Sun - Christ - Who willnever perish Nor will he whodoes His will. But he will abidefor ever, even as Christ abidesfor ever Who reigns with Oodthe Almighty Father and theHoly Spirit. before time; andnow; and unto all eternity.Am en

Behold, again and againwould I set forth the words ofmy Confession. I testifY in truth

and in joy of heart, before Oodand His holy angels, that Inever had any reason except theCiospel and its promises (as to)why I should ever return to the(Irish) people from whom oncebefore I barely escaped.

I pray those who trust fearOod , whosoever begins to lookat or receive this writing whichPatrick, an unlearned sinner,composed in Ireland- that noone should ever say it was myignorance if I did or showedforth anything however smallaccording to Ood 's goodpleasure. But let this be yourconclusion and let it so bethought that - as is the perfect

truth - it was the gift of CiodTI)is is my Confession, before Idie.

Yet before Patrick diddie,soldiers of the Brythonic KingCoroticus would cruelly kidnapsome of the Irish Christians

whom Patrick had. converted.The plan of those kidnapperswas to sell those kidnapped, tothen-still-pagan Ciaelic Scotsand to by-then-apostate AncientPicts in what is now Scotland.

Many years earlier, Patrickhad himself been kidnappedfrom Britain by the Scots inIreland - and then sold intoslavery to the then-pagan Irish.So noW, in his Epistle toCoroticus, Sucat vehementlyprotests against these freshkidnappings - as follows:

I Patricius, an unlearnedsinner - resident in Ireland-declare that I am PresidingElder. Most assuredly, I believethat what I am, I have receivedfrom Ciod. And so llive .. (as) astranger and an exile, for thelove of Ciod. He is a witnessthat this is so ...

I am impelled by the zealfor Ciod... The truth of Christhas wrung it from me, out oflove for my neighbours andsons for whom I gave up mycountry (Britain). and parents,and my life to the point ofdeath ... For my Ood, I live -

in order to teach ...I have written and

composed these words - to begiven, delivered, and sent to thesoldiers of Coroticus ..., allies ofthe (infidel) Scots and theapostate Picts. Dripping withblood, they wallow in the blood

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of innocent Christians -whom by and from the HolySpirit) I have regenerated intothe number for Ood, andconfirmed in Christ. .. I askthem to let us have some of thebooty, and the baptized theyhave made captives ..

"Those whom the devil hasmightily ensnared (the soldiersof Coroticus themselves) ... willbe slaves in Hell in an eternalpunishment. For he who keepson committing son, is a slave,and will be called' a son of thedeviL'

'Therefore, let every Oodfearing man know that they arethe enemies of me and of Christmy Ood, for Whom I am anAmbassador . PatricidelFratricide' Ravening wolvesthat eat the people of the Lordas they eat bread' As I said,The wicked, a Lord, havedestroyedYour Law' - whichbut recently He had excellentlyand kindly planted in Ireland,and which had established itselfby the grace of Ood ..

"I share in the work of thosewhom He called andpredestined to preach the

, Oospel amidst gravepersecutions 'unto the end ofthe Earth' - even if the enemy(Satan) shows his jealousythrough the tyranny ofCoroticus, a man who has norespect for Ood nor for His .' C Presbyters whom He chose andto whom He gave thehighest...and sublime powersothat whom they should bindupon Earth would be boundalso in Heaven . ,

"You who are h ly andhumble of heart, it is notpermissible to court the favourof such people nor to take foodor drink with them nor even toaccept their alms - until theymake reparation to

Ood, ..through repentance withshedding of tears, and set freethe baptized servants of Clodand handmaids of Christ forwhom He died and wascrucified.

'The All-Highestdisapproves the gifts of thewicked... It is written: Theriches which he has gatheredunjustly, shall be vomited upfrom his belly' ... The angel ofdeath drags him away .. y thefury of dragons he shallbetormented. The viper's tongueshall kill him. 'Vnquenchablefire keeps on devouringhim :And so - 'Woe to those whokeep on filling themselves withwhat is not their own ' Or:'What does it profit a man, that

he gain the whole World-and suffer the loss of his ownsoul '

"It would be tedious todiscuss and set forth all indetail, to gather from the wholeLaw testimoniesagainst suchgreed. Avarice is a deadly sin.'You shall not covet yourneighbour's goods You shallnot kill ' '

"A murderer cannot be withC h r i s t ~o e v e rhates hisbrother , is accounted amurderer: Or: He that doesnot love his brother, abides indeath.' How much more guiltyis he who has stained his handswith the blood of the sons of

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Ood, whom He has of latepurchased in 'the utmost part ofthe Earth' through the call ofour littleness

"Did I come to Irelandwithout Oodl ... I am bound bythe Spirit... I was freebornaccording to the flesh. I am theson of a Decurion' But I sold mynoble rank - I am neitherashamed nor sorry - for thegood of others. Thus lam aservant in Christ to a foreignnation, for the unspeakableglory of everlasting life which isin Christ Jesus our Lord.

"And if my own people do

not know me - 'a Prophet hasno honour in his own countryI'Perhaps we are not of the samefold - and do not have oneand the same Ood as FatherAs t is written : 'He who is notwith Me, is against Me , and hewho does not gatherwith Me ,scatters' .. 'One keeps ondestroying, another keeps onbUilding up: I do not seek thethings that are mine. "It is notmy grace, but Ood Who hadgiven this solicitudeunto myheart - to be one of Hishunters or fishers whom Oodonce foretold would come...What shall I do, Lordi ... Yoursheep around me are being tomto pieces and driven away ..bythese robbers, by the ordersof

the hostile-mindedCoroticus"Far from the love of Ood is

a man who hands overChristians to the Piels andScotsl Ravening wolves havedevoured the flock of the Lord,which in Ireland was indeed

r o ~ n splendidly with the


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greatest care... I cannot countthe number of the sons anddaughters of their kings whowere .. .of Christ...

"You prefer to kill and sellthem to a foreign nation thathas no knowledge of (jod. Youbetraythe members of Christ,as it were into a brothel Whathope have you in (jod, oranyone who thinks as you do,or converses with you in wordsof flatteryl (jod will judge ForScripture says: 'Not only theythat do evil are worthy ofcondemnation, but they toowho consent to them...

"Scripture says: 'Weep withthem that weep ' And again: 'Ifone member be grieved, let allmembers grievewith it ' Hencethe Church mourns'arid lamentsher sons and daughters whomthe sword h s not yet slain, butwho were removed and carriedoff to faraway lands where sinabounds...

"Perhaps they do not believe

that we have received one andthe same baptism, ... It iswritten : 'Have you not one(jod Have you, every one ofyou, forsaken his neighbourl'

"Therefore I grieve with you(the first-enslaved and thendeceased Irish Christians). Igrieve, my dearly beloved.Butagain..., thanks be to (jod thatyou have l ft the World andhave gone to Paradise asbaptized faithful

"I see you. You havejourneyed to where 'night shallbe no more; nor mourning; nordeath: But 'you shall leap likecalves loosened from theirbonds. And you shall tread

down the wicked, and theyshall be ashes under your feet '

'You will reign with theApostles and Prophets andMartyrs, You will takepossession of eternal kingdoms,As He Himself testifies, saying:'They shall come from the Eastand from the West, and shall sitdown with Abraham and Isaacand Jacob in the Kingdom ofHeaven: 'Outside are dogs andsorcerers and whoremongersand murderers and idolaters andwhosoever loves lies:

"Perjurers and 'liars shallhave their portion in the pool of

everlasting fire: Not withoutreason does the Apostle say:'Whereas the just man shallscarcely be saved - whereshall the sinner and ungodlytransgressor of the Law findhimself '

"Where then will Coroticuswith his criminals, rebelsagainst Christ - where willthey see themselves, they whodistribute baptized women asprizes In a miserable temporalkingdom, which will pass awayin a moment As a clol,ld orsmoke that is dispersed by theWind, so shall the wicked perishat the presence of the Lord ''But the just shall feast withgreat constancy' - with Christ'They shall judge the,nations'- and rule over wicked kingsfor ever and ever. Amen,

" 'I testilY before (jod andHis angels' that it will be so...It is not my words that I haveset forth ...but those of jod andthe Apostles and Prophets whohave never lied. 'He whobelieves, shall be saved, but he

who does not believe , shall becondemned: jod has spoken

I ask earnestly that whoeveris a willing servant of jod , be acarrier of this letter - so that onno account it be suppressed orhidden by anyone, but rather beread before all the people and inthe presence of Coroticushimself. May jod encouragethem at some time to recovertheir senses for jod -repenting, however late, of theirheinous deeds

'They are murderers of thebrethren of the Lord. May theyset free the baptized women

whom they took captive - inorder that they may ..live to(jod, and be made whole - ,here , and in eternity Peace beto the Father, and to the Son,and to the Holy Spirit Amen."

The above is Patrick's owntestimony in hisautobiographical Confessionand in his hortatory Epistle to

Coroticus. The same kind oftestimony is seen also in thepoem of his nephew, thePresbyter Sechnall (SecundinusJ.The latter wrote that Patrickwas" steadfast in his faith" andthat "the gates of hell will notprevail against him."

Sechnall lso wrote of hisuncle Patrick that "he gives thegood - an apostolic exampleand model... He encourages, bygood conduct... Humble is he ofmind and body, because of hisfear of (jod . . In his holy body,he bears the marks of Christ ..

"He preserves his bodychaste, for the love of the Lord,This body he has made a

July/August, 1996 t THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon t 23


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temple for the Holy Spirit... Hekeeps it such, by purity inall hisactions. He offers it as a livingsacrifice, acceptable to the Lord ..

"He frees captives from atwofold servitude.The greatnumbers, he liberates frombondage 1 men. These countlessones, he frees from the yoke ofthe devil.

"He sings hymns and theRevelation and the Psalms ofCiod - and explains them for theedificationof Ciod's people. Hetells them he believes in theTrinity of the Holy Name -and teaches them that there is

only one substance, in ThreePersons:

This dynamic trinitarian faithis seen also in Patrick's MomingPrayer, known as the Lorica (orHymn of the Deer's Oywhich Sucat got also his disciplesto sing. There, commencingwiththe by-now-familiarAncientIrish words Atomriug indiu niurttren, Patricktaught them:

"Today I arise through Ciod'sgreat strength and draw close to

my Lord Triune.

By grace through faith, I knowHe's One - Jehovah - ere

time began.

Yet there's ThreeWho create -even Elohim -

the Fatherand Son and Spirit.

"Today I arise, through thebaptism of Chrisl

His cross; and His grave,resurrection;ascension;

and final descent, for thejudgmentof doom

'Today I arise, while Ciod'sangels serve -

I heed all His heralds, throughreading His Word.

He makes His saints pure, inlabours and love.

'Today Iarise, before the sun'sflame,

before the winds rush; beforelightning strikes.

For Ciod's sea is deep; and Hisland like a rock

'Today I arise, through Ciod'sstrength to guide me

Ciod's might shall uphold me;Ciod's wisdom shall lead me;

Ciod's eye looks before me, Ciod'sear shall hear for me,

Ciod's Word shall speak throughme, Ciod's hand shall protect me

Ciod's way is before me.

"Ciod's hosts shall defend meagainst snares of devils;

against tests of vices, against lustsof nature;

'gainstall who woul harm.me,from far or from n ea rwith few, or with many.

"Christ now protects me 'gainstpoison, 'gainst buming;

'gainst drowning; 'gainstwounding; and even' gainst

falling

that I may receive anabundant reward.

24 THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon July/August, 1996

"For Christ now is with me,before, and behind me;

Christ is within, and beneath,and above me.

Christ's on my right; andChrist's on my left

Christ's where I sit; andChrist's where I sleep.

"Christ's where I rise, eachday I get up.

Christ's in the hearts of llwho rec ll me.

Christ's in the mouth of ll

who address me.Chrisi's in the eye of all who

behold me.

Chrisi's in the ear of ll whodo hear me.

'Today I arise in the strongName of Ciod,

to the Triune Jehovah I come

I pray every day, to Elohimstrong

to my Ciod Who is Three butyet One.

From Him ll of nature hashad her creation -

by Father; by Spirit; by Word

o praise to Jehovah the Ciodof salvation

For I'm saved by Jesus, theLordI" Q

1996 issue 6 - patrick and his writings - counsel of chalcedon

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