These books St. Patrick and his companions in all probability carried with them from the Continent. But there was one kind of smaller book corresponding to our smallest and simplest form of catechism, which the Saint usually wrote for his favourite disciples with his own hand. It is sometimes described as the 'Elements,' and sometimes as an 'Alphabet,' or brief outline of the essential truths of Christianity. It was the first book put into the hands of the educated converts, who knew how to read and write, which was always an indispensable qualification for admission into the ranks of the clergy. Of course the common people could be duly taught the essential truths of religion by oral instruction. It was for those whom he destined to be themselves teachers that he wrote the 'Elements' or 'Alphabets' of the Christian Doctrine. The phrase in Latin is _scripsit elementa_, corresponding to the Irish _scribais aipgiter_, and sometimes _scripsit abigitorium_ (as in the _Book of Armagh_, f. 13). The word _aipgiter_ or _abgitir_ has been frequently used in this sense in ancient Irish manuscripts, not to express the letters of the alphabet, but a simple compendium of the art or other subject in question. Thus _abgitir crabaith_ means the alphabet of faith, that is, the simple and fundamental truths of faith; _abigiter in crabaid_ is the 'alphabet of piety,' and so in similar cases. Patrick had no suitable work for this purpose, and, hence, he himself frequently wrote a catechism or outline of these elementary truths of the Christian doctrine suited to the capacity of the learners. So we find that the equipment of a young priest beginning his missionary work was very simple. He got in the way of books his abigitorium, or catechism, his Mass-book (or _Liber ordinis_), his ritual, his psaltery, and when it could be spared a copy of the Gospels; and then if he were a bishop Patrick gave him also, as he did to Fiaac of Sletty, a case (_cumtach_[83]) containing a bell, a chalice, a crozier, and book-satchel with the necessary books. We have distinct evidence too, from the Epistle to Coroticus, that he himself taught these students. He describes the messenger who carried that letter to the tyrant as a holy priest, whom he (Patrick) had taught from his childhood (infantia). The reference can scarcely be to St. Benignus, his coadjutor in Armagh, for Benignus died A.D. 457 or 458, many years in all probability before the Epistle to Coroticus was written. It is more likely the apostle refers to Mochae of Noendrum, who was a tender youth when the Saint first met him in A.D. 432, when he baptized the boy and gave him a gospel and a _menistir_, which means a chalice and paten. Dr. Whitley Stokes translates it 'credence-table,' which is unlikely, as it was sometimes made of _creduma_ or bronze,[84] and in low Latin _ministerium_[85] was frequently used to designate the utensils for the Holy Sacrifice.