ST. PATRICK A BAPTIST . . .

   The year of St. Patrick's birth is variously assigned to the years 377
and 387, the latter being the more probable date.   His original name is
said to have been Succat Patricus, being the Roman appelative by which
he was known.   The exact place of his birth is uncertain.   It was some-
where in Britain.   In the sixteenth year of his age, while on his fat-
her's farm, with a number of others, he was seized and carried by a
band of pirates into Ireland, and there sold to a petty chief.   In his
service he remained six years.   At the expiration of this time he suc-
ceeded in escaping.   He was "brought up in a Christian family in Britain,
and the truth which saved him when a youthful slave in pagan Ireland
was taught him in the godly home of Deacon Calpurnius, his father, and
in the church of which he was member and officer."   On his escape from
Ireland he was twenty-one years of age.   Being a stronger Christian the
Lord soon called him back to Ireland as the missionary for that blinded
country.   About this time, or before it, a missionary named Coleman,
established a church in Ireland.   Some think that "in the south of Ire-
land, from some very remote period," "Christian congregations had exist-
ed."   Usher puts Patrick's death at A.D. 493 - making his life a long and
useful life, and his age, at the time of his death, over one hundred yrs.
The Bellandists make his death earlier-A. D. 460.   According to accounts
of his Irish biographers, he, with his own hands, baptized 12,000 per-
sons and founded 365 churches.
   Within the last few years scholars have succeeded in stripping his
history of much of the Romish fables.   The more this has been done, the
more he stands out as a Baptist.

  1. At the time of St. Patrick the Romish church was only en embryo
  2. In St. Patrick's time the authority of the bishop of Rome was
    not generally recognized.
  3. There is no history to sustain the Romish claim that Patrick
    was sent to Ireland by "Pope Celistine."   Throughout his life
    Patrick acted wholly independent of Rome.
  4. Patrick was a Baptist. - (1) He baptized only professed believers.
    (2) He baptized by only immersion.   Dr. Catchcart says: "There is
    absolutely no evidence that any baptism but that of immersion
    of adult believers existed among the ancient Britons, in the first
    half of the fifth century, nor for a long time afterwards."       In
    St. Patrick's "letter to Crocius" he describes some of the persons
    whom he immersed as "baptized captives," baptized handmaidens of
    Christ, "baptized women distributed as rewards" and then as "bap-
    tized believers."       (3) In church government St. Patrick was a Bap-
    tist.   Though this appears in the note to this page, I will add
    proof to it.   "Patrick founded 365 churches and consecrated the
    same number of bishops, and ordained 3,000 presbyters."       "If we
    take the testimony of Nennius, St. Patrick placed a bishop in
    every church which he founded; and several presbyters after the
    example of the New Testament churches.   Nor was the great number
    of bishops peculiar to St. Patrick's time; in the twelfth century
    St. Bernard tells us that in Ireland 'bishops are multiplied and
    changed. . .       (4) In independence of creeds, councils, popes and
    bishops Patrick was a Baptist.   "Patrick recognized no authority
    in creeds, however venerable, nor in councils, though composed of
    several hundred of the highest ecclesiastics, and many of the most
    saintly men alive.   He never quotes any canons and he never took
    part in making any    , notwithstanding the pretended canons of for-
    gers."       (5) In doctrine Patrick was a Baptist.   He says Christ
    who "gave his life for thee is He who speaks to thee."   (6)
    In the later or Romish meaning of the term, there is no indicat-
    ion of Monastacism in Patrick's writing or in the history of the
    first Irish church.   "Monastacism, in the proper sense of the word,
    cannot be traced beyond the fourth century."       Catchcart: "It is
    difficult to fix the date when the first monastery was establish-
    ed in Ireland.   It is certain that Patrick was long in his grave
    before it took place    . .
   Thus, first, Irish Monasteries were originated after Patrick's death;
   Thus, in only believer's baptism; in only immersion; in church gov-
ernment; in salvation by only the blood; in justification by faith only;
in rejecting penance; in knowing nothing of transubstantiation; in giv-
ing both the bread and the wine [grape juice] to the laity; in being independent of
Rome, St. Patrick was a Baptist and the first Irish churches were Baptist
Churches.   To this may be added: St. Patrick and the first Irish churches
knew nothing of priestly confession and priestly forgiveness; of extreme
unction; of worship of images; of worship of Mary; of the intercession of
Mary or of any departed saint; of purgatory; of persecution of opposers
of the church-nothing of any of the Romish distinguishing peculiarities.
   Were Patrick not turned to dust, and were the body able to hear and
turn, he would turn over in his coffin at the disgrace on his memory from
the Romish church claiming him as a Roman Catholic.   by W. A. Jarrel

-- BAPTIST CHURCH PERPETUITY

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