The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-24
ST. PATRICK A BAPTIST.
REr. Ds. LsSDRUw TRIES TO PkovE
mis- BY ARGUMENT.
says Thai the Patron Saint Taught Bar-
tist Doctrine aud Prncticcd Immersion
ether Religion. News.

Rev. Or Iandrum preached TO a large
co,ercea,en sunday evening at the Sec
ond Baptit church on st. Patrick as :"
Baptist
Said he:
Irishmen ,vcnera.e him az Roman
catholic ara patron saint of Erin; Eng
nshmen dctare him Britain an" ."
Episcopalian Scctehmen claim him do
,o,,ow-oountsman and Prcaby'er'a"'
u.,bod,s,s s.y he was tho original ai'er
which John Wesley patterned; SaiVauoh
Army officer renember how ne assn. IN.
bled around Inn N the open "o'u s -.
-, - sy,m a concoursc OF people
.,'ho~o no ,>,atel 10 them the story o.
cnr.s,. Ra,t,sts pronounce him ore OF
49,. ca,av mi,sionaries and q noble ex-
,-a.e,,, 81 .i,cttnes and duties they hoid
dear. - a.. "a
Historic natsial TO enable us 10 re-
construct Tatrfk's life is scant ana un-
satisfactory. Perhaps our only trust
vorihv infsrmsion is derived from TWO
Latin tracts let by him. One is entitled
"His conftssio" and the othcr MS
"Epistle to Cooticus,' most probably
welsh price. The date and place OF
RgfffrKS
ueVed to have Iourished in the early part
~ Tho sixth century. 1t seems 10 be
probable that ie was born I'm part OF
scotland whih was at that time not
Scotland but fitain. We know from MS
.confession' ie name. office. and occu-
nation of his 1her and the calling OF his
grandfather: y know that he was cap
fured az fftee years Of age ana carried
In ireland sol as a slave, and required
70 Guard cath: that he escaped after
six Years of s,vitude, and after a period
NJ wandering returned 10 Ireland as
missionary an preached the gospel with
marvellous s,ccss that he became, in
deed the fiber Of Irish Christianity
and Irish citzation. His birthday and
deathday an supposed TO come around
about Marchsth.
TOT A MYTH.
hationaiis admit ST. Patrick was not
"a myth pncure -. Conway. in "The
Omen cour'' March u. 1885, says: There
seems o e no reason to doubt that a
roissioYar, in Ireland who called him
self Parik did in the fifth century write
Two breftractates, one entitled his Con-
fessioi' md the second the Letter TO
Corottu. The sufficient antiquity Of
thesevrks is unquestionabe. They do
not otain the faintest intimaton OF
any ,enection of Patrick with Rome,
or OF my papel commission, or of any
observnce by him OF the mass,
Liveof st. Patrick abound which TEEN
with narvels. Like Moses. he works
wonfs with a rod. he dries up a
fioodturns an unbeiieving district into
a meh, makes a sacred stone float to
bear leper to Ireland. causes one magi-
cianD sink into the earth. another TO be
strut by lightning. makes a hideous
dwa tail and beautiful; makes kettle
bolgith blocks of ice: sinks n hostile
shiiwith the sign of the cross; calls up
or ppeases tempests.
WHAT PROTESTANTS SAY.
l. or nearly all. Protestants claim
Paick They hold that there was no
Pc of Rome at the time of Patrick,
hde IL was quite impossible for him TO
he been a Romanist. English church,
M would hardly dispute the statement
o. MOncure ID. Conway, when he says:
'omantsm had no authority III Ireland
lti the twelfth century, when an Eng
IN Pope (Breakspear) and an English
ms (henry Id forced on them the Ro-
iadsm. for which Cromwell punished
ne.' All PrOtestants. arguing from
,3ricks own Confession" maintain
tt he was an evangelical Christian.
evangelical Christian is one who be-
lFes In salvation by faith alone, and
~ be Eplscopalian or Presbyterian,
tptist or Methodist, Lutheran or Con-
cgatlonalist. Evangelicals know that
his writings Patrick makes no mention
the pope. or purgatory. auricular con-
sssion, Observation-Disclosures, or worship
4 the virgin.
THE BAPTIST VIEW.
Patrick's doctrines and practices show
TO those of modern Bap-
lists. These particulars may be enumer-
ated: His belief was the Bible and the
Bible alone. he quotes as authority on
religion not the pope or the church, or the
creeds OF councils, but only the Bible.
Patrick's Christian experience is not
due TO sacraments but is a work Of grace
In the soul, causing repentance for his
sins and faith IA the Lord Jesus Christ
latricks view of the officers of a church
Il that Of the Baptists. According to him
the church has only two sets Of officers
one called presbyters or elders or bishops.
and the other deacons. Patrick's grand
father was Potitus, not priest, but a
married presbyter. His father was
deacon, who owned ard lived on a farm
and held the office of decurio or town
Patrick was a Baptist as
10 the act and the subject OF baptism. lie
did not baptize infants. but only persons
who personally repented and personally
believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. The
act of baptism in Patricks day was i'm
mersion in water in the name OF the
FREEDOM OF RELIGION.
Patrick seems to have understood the
Baptist doctrine of religious liberty. He
held that no good citizen should be pun
ished for his irreligious or Pagan opin-
Ions. and he sought 10 win converts 10
only be sweet persuasion
and self-sacrificing love. Patrick was a
peerless foreign missionary. Ireland
when he entered II was distracted and
cursed with petty wars. piracy, tyranny.
and idolatry. Ireland. when Patrick
died, after half a century OF fearless
In the name OF Jesus, was
Christian.
Patricks doctrines say TO us as did the
Lord call no man master" neither
Paul nor Apollos. neither Peter nor the
Pope. neither Luther nor Calvin, neither
Wesley nor Campbell, for II is written,
HE that glorieth let him glory in the
Lord" God speed the day when the long
divided hosts OF our common Lord gath
ering close around His GROSS shall Law
aside the legends and traditions Of men
and joyously accept~the one Lord. one
faith. one baptism, and one God and
Father OF US all.