PATRICK; The Dawn of Irish Christianity

Searching for the

Identity and Faith of

the Ulster Protestant

Standing in the Shadow of our

Greatest Heroic Leaders

Searching for the Identity and

Faith of the Ulster Protestant 1

Patrick


Faith of the Ulster Protestant

The Dawn of Irish

Christianity

2

The Evidence of an Ancient

Christianity



Important Questions

When did Christianity

come to Ireland?

Was ancient Irish

Christianity Roman

Catholic?



The Reformation did

not introduce

something new

Early Christianity

existed in the world

before the development

of Roman Catholicism

4

How Did Christianity Arrive in

Ireland?

“...if it had been possible ye would

have plucked out your eyes and

given them to me” Galatians 4:15



• A Celtic People.

•Among the first to

receive the Gospel.

•The Celts spread through

Europe and populated

Ireland

5

Roman Britain “Hibernia is situated between

Britain and Spain, and is very

accessible from the shores of

Gaul. In size it is smaller than

Britain yet larger than the islands

of the Meditternean. Its soil,

climate, manners and habits of

the people are similar to those of

Britain. It’s ports are well known

to merchants” (Agricola)



Christianity Before Patrick

Missionaries

travelled with the

trade.

From an early time

close to the

Apostolic Age

Christianity was

introduced to

Ireland





The Scoto-Irish Church

Regarded by Archbishop James Ussher as the most ancient example of a true Christian Church.

In the 3rd Century Cormac, Chief King of Ireland, turned from paganism “to the adoration of God”.

Early in the 5th Century the Irish are recorded as “believing in Christ”.

8



The Paganism of Ireland

Druidism, witchcraft abounded

The veneration of Holy Wells and belief in the “wee folk” are lingering examples of a ancient paganism.

Although Christianity existed there remained a need for a missionary to evangelise the Irish.

9

Patrick: The Apostle of Ireland





Source Material

1: Complete copy of the

New Testament.

2: Letter to Christians

3: Confession

4: Biographical material

The Book of Armagh

(807 AD)

11



His Early Life

He was born in Scotland.

His Father was a priest or a minister.

At 16 bandits captured him and took him as a slave to Ireland.

On the hillsides around Slemish he drove his master’s cows and sheep.

It was at this time he said he was “converted with my whole heart unto the Lord my God”.

After 6 years he escaped and returned home to Scotland.

12



Patrick’s Call

In a dream he saw a man called Victorious.

He gave Patrick a letter called the “Voice of the Irish”.

He heard the people cry, “We entreat thee holy youth to come and walk henceforth among us”.

He devoted his life to preaching and establishing churches throughout this island.

13

Early Missionary Travels



Tara

Seat of Ireland’s

most dominant

King.

Centre of

Pagan Worship



ANCIENT IRELAND



An Easter Story

Patrick lit his camp fire on Easter Eve.

The King who was celebrating a Pagan

Festival when only his fire should be seen

was enraged.

A series of confrontations between Patrick

and the Pagan magicians.



Onward and Upward

Some of the courtiers accepted Christianity

The King, however, only nominally showed

deference to the Gospel.

Opened the gateway to the rest of Ireland.

In every Irish Kingdom he left his footprint. Searching for the Identity and




His Ministry

He conducted extensive evangelistic tours.

The places that bear his name bear witness to this fact.

He wrote, “I am greatly a debtor to God who hath vouchsafed me such great grace that many people by my means should be born again to God, and that clergy should be ordained everywhere for them.”

19



Did Patrick Really

Drive Out The Snakes?

20



Patrick’s Dates

Late in the 5th Century.

Death is most likely to have taken place on

17th March either 465 or 493.

The Irish claim he was buried in Down-

Patrick although the English also claim his

burial site in Glastonbury.

21



A Catholic Saint or an Early Protestant?

He never mentioned the

Pope in his writings.

Mary was not spoken of.

Confession was not

practised.

Purgatory was unknown.

His Father was married.

In doctrine he was

Trinitarian, Christ exalting

and was evangelical

believing in the new birth.

He emphasised the

scriptures.

In Church Government he

ordained one bishop per

church.

Was he a Presbyterian?

22



Admnan – The Celtic Scholar

• Monastery of Iona.

• Wrote a book on the

Holy Places of

Palestine.

• Wrote the life of

Columba within 100

years of the death of the

latter 23



Columba: From Donegal to Iona

24



The First 40 Years

• Born in Donegal – 520 AD.

• Educated at Clonard.

• Established 300 Churches in Ireland as a missionary.

25



Blotting His Copybook

Columba borrowed a Latin Psalter from Finnian of Moville.

He copied it to Finnian’s annoyance.

The King of Meath, ruled against Columba.

“to every cow belongs it’s calf, so to every book belongs it’s copy”.

26



Insight into Ancient Irish Life

• Columba led the Ulstermen in a war with the south.

• Thousands were dead, Ulster won.

• Columba was exiled from Ireland and sent to Scotland as penance for his sins.

27



Establishing a Christian Settlement

• Given Iona by the King of Dalriada.

• The Celts believed the Monastery was a fitting way to show the pagans the power of Christianity in daily life.

• It was a place of faith, education, culture, art, of agriculture.

28



Missionary Endeavour

• Reaching far into the Pict Kingdom many were converted to Christ.

• King Brude himself was converted.

• Columba appointed, Aidan, King of Dalriada, crowned on the Stone of Scone.

29



A Peaceful Passing

• Reading Psalm 34 he signaled a halt at the 10th verse.

• He passed away on June 9th 597AD before the altar.

• “…a face calm and sweet, like that of a man who in his sleep had seen a vision”

30

The Celtic Church and

a Passion for Missions

The Life of Columbanus



Record of an Irish European

The writings of Columbanus – Monastic

Rules, Daily Penances, 17 sermons, 8

Principle Vices, 5 Letters.

Biography written by a contemporary.

General history of the age in which he lived





Education

• Born – 543 AD

• Early education in one of Lough Erne Schools.

• Continued at Bangor Abbey

Theology, Hebrew, Greek,

Latin, Classic Greek

Literature

33

Missionary Passion

The work of Columba had fuelled his interest

in missionary work.

Heard of the corruption of France:

The King who burned his rebellious son and

wife.

The Bishop who burned a man to seize the

estate he coveted.



His Qualifications

Latin and the old Celtic Language would take

him anywhere in Europe.

A belief that the Gospel could transform

society.

A love for lost souls.

He set sail for France never to return to

Ireland.



Refusing to Conform

The French flocked to hear the Irish

preacher.

He refused to adopt the European

practices, the tonsure and Easter.

Was returned to Ireland.



Final Turbulent Years

• Set back to land after a storm.

• Settled in Switzerland.

• Broke boilers, burned temples and smashed

idols.

• Journeyed onto Northern Italy, crossing the

Alps.

• Called home – November 21st 615 AD.



Columbanus and the Pope



• Writing to Pope Gregory.

• Denounced the Roman Easter.

• Described it as “a dark paschal system”.

• Compared the Pope to a “dead lion”.

THE ATTITUDE OF ONE WHO SUBMITTED TO

THE PAPACY?

38

The Descent

into Darkness

The Sunset of the Celtic Church



The Easter Controversy

• The Roman Church followed the calendar

of Julius Caesar (46 BC).

• Papacy was obsessed with uniformity.

• From Munster to Ulster Ireland gradually

accepted.

• Whitby Conference – 664 AD, decisive

• By the end of the 7th Century there was

uniformity.



Augustine of Ireland

• 7th Century writer.

• Wrote a work on the Wonders of Scripture.

• Held to same doctrine on the Canon of

Inspiration as the Protestants.

• Rejected the Apocrypha.

• Rome as yet had not gained supremacy.



Viking Ireland

Plunder AD 795 – 850

Settle AD 850 – 950

Conquest AD 950-1000



Viking Influences

• Vikings adopted Christianity – 9th Century.

• Danish Kingdom of Dublin had Bishops who

accepted the authority of the Roman See.

• The Papacy used this Kingdom to further her

influence in Ireland.

• The Catholic Church established the See of

Dublin in opposition to the Celtic See of

Armagh.



Viking Influences

• Vikings adopted Christianity – 9th Century.

• Danish Kingdom of Dublin had Bishops who

accepted the authority of the Roman See.

• The Papacy used this Kingdom to further her

influence in Ireland.

• The Catholic Church established the See of

Dublin in opposition to the Celtic See of

Armagh.





The Arrival of the Normans

By 1066 the Viking Kingdom had collapsed and the Normans had conquered England.

One of their ambitions was to unify the Churches of England, Ireland and Wales.

The spiritual vigour of the old Celtic Church had waned.

Corruption had crept in during the long years of strife and war.

Roman discipline was finally imposed upon the Church of Ireland by Malachy.

45



Pragmatism, Power, Prestige

1140 AD

Malachy knelt

Before

Innocent 3rd

Surrendering Ireland in

exchange for Papal Legate

46



Resistance To Rome

Ireland was the last country in these islands to be subject to the Vatican.

Successive Church Synods in the 12th Century attempted to impose prelacy upon the people.

Local villages insisted upon electing their own arch-presbyters to oversee the work of God in their districts.

The Synods of the Roman Church were therefore ignored by the people.

47



The English Pope and the Gift of Ireland

In 1155 Adrian 4th gave Henry 2nd the

authority to extend his own Kingdom as

well as the Church by invading Ireland.

The Pope was to receive 1 penny per year

from every household in Ireland.

In 1171 Henry landed at Waterford and

assumed sovereignty over Ireland.

48



Ireland Before The Reformation

The Bible disappeared from the land.

England found parts of the country

ungovernable, lawlessness prevailed.

The Bishops assisted by the Government

rode roughshod over the people.

The Bishops were noted for their greed and

immorality.

49

Would the Gospel Return

to Ireland?

Only the Protestant Reformation 400

Years later would bring a new dawn

