The Confession of St. Patrick: Part Five

Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.

“He Declares With How Much Disinterestedness He Had Preached The Gospel.” from The Confession of St. Patrick translated by Rev. Thomas Olden, 1853.

Sec. 20.

Let him who pleases deride and insult me, I will not be silent, nor will I conceal the signs and wonders which were ministered to me by the Lord, who knew all things many years before they existed, as it were, even "before the world began," wherefore, I ought to give thanks without ceasing to God, who often pardoned my folly even out of place, and not in a single instance only; that his anger was not fierce, against me, but that he granted me the privilege of being a labourer together with Him, and I did not immediately acquiesce, as it had been pointed out to me, and as the Spirit prompted. And the Lord had compassion on me, among thousands of thousands, because he saw in me a readiness of mind. But I was perplexed as to what I should do about my condition, because any were endeavouring to hinder this mission, and were talking among themselves, behind my back, and saying, "why does he endanger his life among enemies, who know not the Lord?”

It was not with malicious intent they said this, but because they did not approve of it, as I also understood (I myself bear witness) on account of my imperfect education. And I did not immediately recognize the grace which was then in me; but now I am aware of what I should have known before.

Patrick bade his scribes write all carefully down.

Courtesy of Stephen Reid. Public Domain.

Sec. 21.

I have now, therefore, simply informed my brethren and fellow-servants who believed me, why I have preached and preach still, to confirm your faith. Would that you too may aim at nobler things, and succeed better in them; this shall be my glory, because "a wise son is the glory of his father." You know, and God knows, how I have lived among you from my youth, faithful in the truth, and sincere in heart. I have also made known the faith to those people among whom I dwell, and I will continue to do so.

God knows I have not overreached any of them, nor do I design it, from fear for the interests of God and his Church, lest I should excite persecution for them and all of us, and lest the name of God should be blasphemed by me, because it is written, "Wo to the man by whom the name of God is blasphemed;" for, though in all things I am unskilled, yet I have endeavoured to be on my guard, even with Christian brethren and virgins of Christ, and religious women, who, of their own accord, used to bestow gifts upon me, and to place their ornaments on the altar; but I returned them again to them, and they were offended at me for doing this. But I was animated by the hope of immortality, to guard myself cautiously in all things, so that they should not find me unfaithful, even in a little, and that I should not give room to the unbelievers, even in the least, to defame or detract from the ministry of my service.

Sec 22.

But, perhaps, when I baptised so many thousand men, I hoped to receive from some of them even half a scriptula? Tell me, and I will give it back to you. Or, when the Lord ordained clergy by my weak ministry, did I confer that gift on them gratuitously? If I have asked of any of them even the value of a shoe, tell it—tell it against me, and I will repay it to you.

I rather expended whenever it appeared requisite [money] for your sakes; and I went among you everywhere for your sakes, in constant danger, even to those distant parts beyond which there were no inhabitants, and where no one had ever come to baptise, or ordain clergymen, or confirm the people; [and] the Lord assisting me, I adopted every means for your salvation, using all diligence and zeal. And during this time, I used to give rewards to kings, because I gave hire to their sons, who travel with me; and thus they abstained from seizing me with my companions.

And, on one day, they desired exceedingly to kill me; but the time had not yet come, and they carried off everything they found with us, and fettered me with iron; but, on the fourteenth day, the Lord loosed me from their hands, and whatever was ours was restored to us, through the power of God, and by means of the attached friends whom we had before provided.

Sec. 23.

But you know how much I expended on those who were the judges, through the districts that I more frequently visited, for I think I paid them the hire of fifteen men—no small sum—that you might enjoy me, and I you,always in the Lord. I do not regret it, nor is it sufficient for me. I still spend, and, moreover, will spend. The Lord is able to grant me afterwards to expend even myself for your sakes.

Behold, I call God to witness to my soul that I lie not, nor have I written to you to give you an opportunity of gratifying my love of flattery, or my avarice, nor that I might hope for honour from you. For sufficient to me is the honour which is not seen, but believed in from the heart; but the faithful one who has promised it never lies. But I see that now, in the present world, I am exalted beyond measure by the Lord; and I was not worthy nor fit to be thus favoured by him, since I know most certainly that poverty and calamity suit me better than luxury and riches, and Christ the Lord also was poor for us.

But, wretched and unhappy that I be poor after am, even if I wished for wealth, I now have it not; neither do I judge myself [to want it], because every day I disregard either the danger of being put to death, or overreached, or brought into slavery, or of becoming a stumbling-block to any one. But I fear none of these things, relying on the promise of the Heavens; for I have cast myself into the hands of the Omnipotent God, who reigns everywhere: as the prophet says, "Cast thy burthen upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee."

Sec. 24.

Behold, now I commend my soul to God, who is faithful, whose mission I perform, lowly that I am. But because he accepts not the person, and has chosen me to this office, that I alone, of the very least of his people, should be his minister, "What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me;" and what shall I say, or what shall I promise to my Lord, for I see that I should have had nothing, unless he himself had given it to me; but I will search my heart and reins, because I am ardently desirous and ready that he should give me to drink of his cup as he has granted to others who have loved him.

Wherefore, may God never permit that I should lose his people whom I have acquired in the ends of the earth. I pray God that he may grant me perseverance, and that he may vouchsafe to permit me to bear faithful witness to him, even unto my death. And if I ever effected anything good on account of my God whom I love, I entreat him to grant me this, that with those converts and captives I may pour out my blood for his name, even though I should be deprived of burial, or my dead body be miserably torn limb from limb by dogs or wild beasts, or though the birds of the air should devour it. I believe most certainly that if this should happen to me, I have gained my soul with my body; for without any doubt we shall rise one day in the brightness of the sun, that is, in the glory of Christ Jesus our Redeemer, the son of the living God, "joint-heirs with Christ," and to be conformed to his image, since of him, and through him, and to him, we shall reign. For that sun which we see, rises daily at God's will for our sakes; but it shall not rule for ever, nor shall its splendor continue, and woe to its unhappy worshippers, for punishment awaits them. But we believe in and adore the true sun, Christ, who never shall perish, nor shall he who does his will, but shall abide for ever, as Christ also shall abide forever, whose reign with God the Father Omnipotent, and with the Holy Ghost, was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be.

Amen.

Sec. 25.

Behold again and again I briefly set forth the words of my Confession. I bear witness in truth and joy of heart, before God and his holy angels, that I never had any occasion, except the Gospel and its promises, o return to that nation from which at first I escaped with difficulty. But I pray those who believe in and fear God, whoever may think fit to look into or receive this writing which I, Patrick, a sinner and unlearned, wrote in Ireland, that no one may ever say, if I have demonstrated anything, however weak, according to the will of God, that it was my ignorance. But do you judge, and let it be most firmly believed, that it was the gift of God. And this is my Confession, before I shall die.

Patrick. The Confession of St. Patrick. Translated by Thomas Olden, James McGlashan, 1853.

Saint Patrick, Thomas Olden

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