HISTORY OF THE

CATHOLIC CHURCH IN IRELAND.

CHAPTER I.

Introduction of Christianity into Ireland-Enmity of the Irish to every thing connected with Rome-Palladius-St. PatrickNumber of Bishops in Ireland-Hereditary Succession in the Irish Church-Agreement of the Ancient Liturgy with the Greek Church-Differed materially from the Romish-The Doctrines of the Irish Church decidedly opposed to Romish novelties-The Seven Churches and Round Towers-The Apostolic Succession of the Irish Bishops.

THE gospel of Jesus Christ appears to have been preached in Ireland at a very early period : so early indeed that that country is supposed to have been visited by the disciples of Christ within one hundred years after the crucifixion. In the reign of Con, in the second century, Ireland sent forth the famous St. Cathalgus, to preach the doctrines of Christ, who became afterwards

B

1

the bishop and patron of Tarentum in Italy. In the next age, Cormac, an Irish prince and a celebrated legislator, was converted to Christianity, and died in the faith. St. Irenæus, bishop of Lyons, A. D. 100, mentions the existence of churches among the Celtic nations; 1 but the earliest writer, who affords the most direct proof of the probable existence of one in Ireland, is Tertullian, one of the Latin Fathers, who wrote about the year 200. He asserts, in his book, Adversus Judæos, c. 7, That those parts of the British Isles which were unapproached by the Romans, were yet subject to Christ.' The allusion to Ireland is here manifest, from the use of the plural noun. In the fourth century, several churches had been founded and colleges opened in Ireland, particularly that of Heber or Iber, at Beglire in Leinster, where Heber instructed great numbers of Irish, as well as foreigners, in sacred and polite letters.'

St. Albe, also an Irish prelate, after having preached throughout Ireland, founded his church and school at Emely or Emly. Irish ecclesiastics were spoken of as having visited other parts

1 Lib. 1, c. 2, 3.

2 Usher, Primor. 801.

of Europe before the fourth century, particularly St. Dermit and St. Liberias, who were succeeded by Ailbe, Kiaran, Declan, and Ibarus, in the work of disseminating the gospel. Again, Ireland afforded the terrified British clergy a secure asylum from the Dioclesian persecution, in 303. And as a proof that education had made considerable progress in Ireland, we are distinctly informed by St. Jerome and others, that the celebrated Celestius, so well known afterwards as the bold follower of Pelagius, the arch-heretic, was by birth an Irishman; and three letters to his parents are extant, which demonstrate that he had received an early Christian education in that country. These epistles not only imply that his parents were Christians, but that there must have existed an extensive community of them in a country where such a writer could have been instructed, and such letters at all understood. They were written, (says Moore, in his History of Ireland,) in the form, as we are told, of little books, and full of such piety, as to make them necessary to all who love God.' Their date is A. D. 369; and they were written, I need scarcely remark, previously to the falling of Celestius into his grievous errors, and sixty

two years before the arrival of St. Patrick; but they evidently imply a full reception of Christianity into Ireland at a much earlier period. 1

We learn from Dr. O'Halloran, a distinguished Roman Catholic antiquary, that at the period of which we are now speaking, and when Christianity was making such rapid progress in Ireland, a most uncompromising enmity existed in the minds of the Irish people against every thing connected with Rome;' it would therefore be unreasonable to suppose, that it was from Rome they received that instruction which broke down their heathen superstitions, dissolved their former system of religion, and produced such an important revolution in the minds of all, as ultimately to lead them, with one consent, to profess themselves Christians. At this early period also, when the contest was carried on between the eastern and western churches, the converts had imbibed all those prejudices which in after ages manifested themselves so strongly in favour of the eastern customs, and which were, at the same time, so decidedly opposed to the Roman mode of the tonsure, and keeping of Easter; and when St.

1 St. Jerome, speaking of this Celestius; says, 'He was made fat with Irish flummery.'

Patrick, on his arrival in the land, wished to exercise some kind of jurisdiction over the churches, he was told by St. Iber, that 'they never acknowledged the supremacy of a foreigner,' and therefore protested against his claims. 1

PALLADIUS-THE FIRST MISSIONARY FROM THE SEE OF ROME.

2

The account of this mission is given in Prosper's Chronicle, and the manner in which it is mentioned is peculiarly striking: the words are these- Ad Scotus in Christo credentes, ordinatus a Papa Celestino Palladius, primus episcopus mittitur, sed non recte.' 'Palladius, appointed first bishop by Pope Celestine, is sent to the Scoti (or Irish) believing in Christ, but not rightly.' The mission totally failed: after remaining a few months, or as some say only three weeks in the country, Palladius was

This account is given by the biographer of St. Columkille, whose virulence against Protestants and Protestantism justifies him from the charge of partiality to an opinion which states so fully that the church of his native country rejected with disdain all foreign interference.

2 Bass. et Antioch Coss.