The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1906-03-17

small and scattered Christian CON
munltles which already existed there
ireland was, the author says, "di-
vlded into a large number of small
districts, each of which was owned by
tribe, the aggregate of a number of
clans or families which believed that
lhey were descended from a common
ancestor. At the head of the tribe was
King, who was elected from a GER
tain family"
The success of Patrick's enterprise
depended on the kings of the tribes
and chiefs of the clans If chief
accepted the new faith, his clan would
generally follow his example, and thus
on every account the process of estab-
fishing the Christian worship and
priesthood in Ireland must begin from
above, and not from below
Patrick had cxorcists in his train,
and 1t was not unimportant that the
Christian, going forth to persuade the
heather, had such equipments of
superstition. He was able to meet
the heather sorcerer on common
ground, because he believed in the
sorceries which he condemned. He
was as fully. convinced as the pagan
that the powers of magicians were
real, but he knew that those powers
were strictly limited, whereas the
power Of his own God was limitless.
St. Patrick's Place in History.
Succeeding chapters include Pat.
rick's labors in Dalaradia, Meath, Con-
Eaught, his visit to Rome, the founda-
ton Of Armagh and ecclesiastical or
ganization, the denunciation of Coroti-
Gus, Patrick's confession death and
burial, A. D, 46l.
In describing St. Patrick's place in
history, Prof. Bury declares that the
nearest likeness to Patrick will per-
haps be found in st. Boniface, the
Saxon ,Winfrid. He, too, like Patrick
alld Columbia, lad both to order and
further his faith in regions where it
had never penetrated. But, like Pat
rick and unlike COLUMBIA, he was in
touch with the rest of western Chris
tendon. st. Patrick did not Go for
| the Scots what Wulfilas did for the
Goths and the Slavonic apostles for
the Slavs; he did not translate the
sacred books of his religion into Irish
or found a national church literature
What he and his fellow-worker did
was to diffuse a knowledge of Latin
in Ireland
10 the circumstances that he adopt
ed this line of policy and did not at
tempt to create Il national ecclesiastic-
al language must be ascribed the rise
OF the schools of learning which dis
tingnished Ireland in the sixth and
seventh centuries
1T is true" says the author. "that
the Irish church moved on certain
lines which Patrick did not contem-
plate and would not have approved.
The development Of the organization
which it was his task to institute was
largely modified in coloring and con-
formation by the genius te,rae. But
it would be untrue to say that his
work was unGone The schools OF
learning, for which the Scots became
famous a few generations after his
death, learning which contrasts with
his own .i|literatcness. owe their rise
to the contact with Roman ideas and
the acquaintance with Roman litera.
ture which his labors, more than any
thing else, lifted within the horizon
of Ireland'
Judged by what he actually com
/ passed, st. Patrick, in Prof Bury's
opinion, must be placed along with
the most efficient Of those who took
part in spreading the Christian faith
beyond the boundaries of the Roman
emplrc. He was endowed in abundant
measure with the quality of enthu-
sas!n. and stands in quite a different
rank from the apostle of England, in
whom this victorious energy of enthu-
siasm was lacking the
messenger and instrument OF Gregory
the Great.
Patrick was no mere messenger or
instrument. He had strong person
ality and the power Of initiative; he
depended on himself, or, as he would
have said. on divine guidance. He was
not in constant communication with
xystus,. Or Leo, or any superior; he
was thrown upon the resources of.his
own judgment. Yet no less than
Augustine, no less than Boniface, he
was the bearer of the Roman idea.
st was Patrick with his auXiliaries
who bore to their shores the vessel of
Rome's influence, along with the sa-
cred mysteries of Rome's faith. No
wonder that his labors should have
been almost unobserved in the days of
ecnmenical stress and struggle, when
the Germans by land and by sea were
engaging the worlds attention, and
the Huns We're rearing their vast
though transient empire But he was
laboring for the Roman idea no less
than the great Aetins himself, though
in another way and OH smaller
scene. He brought a new land into
the spiritual federation which was so
closely bound up with Rome"