The Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick: Including the Life by Jocelin, Hitherto Unpublished in America, and His Extant Writings
History
The Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick: Including the Life by Jocelin, Hitherto Unpublished in America, and His Extant Writings
Patrick, Saint, 373?-463?
And it was near to the heart of the saint to visit Connactia; and
chiefly for the vision which he had heretofore beheld in his sleep,
wherein he was called by the infants of that country, even in their
mothers' wombs, he desired there to evangelize the kingdom of God. And
he purposed to travel round the whole island, that he might convert it
unto Christ; and the saint, being prepared to his journey, blessed
Conallus, and in memorial of himself he left in the aforementioned city
his altar of stone, for the relieving of the sick and for the working
of miracles; but when he proceeded on his journey, the altar followed,
nor to the eyes of any man was it visible how it was carried; but, as I
account, it was carried along the path of the saint by the power and
the virtue of Him at whose nod the prophet was carried from Judea into
Chaldea. Thus did the Corner-Stone, Christ, that He might show unto
all the holiness of Patrick, cause this holy stone to be moved without
human hand. And the prelate, looking back, beheld the altar thus
marvellously borne after him, and exulted in the Lord, and returned,
and placed it in a fitting place. And from that day did it remain
fixed, yet ceased it not to shine in miracles, as if the virtue of
Patrick had remained in it or flowed from it.
CHAPTER LVI.
_Of the Images destroyed from Heaven, and of the Fountain produced from
the Earth._
And the King Leogaire, being devoted to the worship of devils, with a
great part of his people who much desired to please him adored a
certain idol magnificently formed of silver and gold, and which was
raised in a field called Maghfleidh. And the idol was named
Ceancroithi--that is, the head of all the gods, for that it was by that
foolish people accounted to utter responses. And around this image
stood twelve inferior gods, made of brass, as if subject unto it.
Therefore Saint Patrick turned toward this place, that he might
overturn the idol, and by his preaching convert its worshippers to the
worship of the Creator. But when he could not prevail, neither could
he recall those idolaters from the folly that was fixed in their minds,
he betook himself to his accustomed arms of prayer. And from a
neighboring hill beholding the idol, he stretched forth in prayer his
spotless hands unto God, and lifted against it the staff of Jesus, when
suddenly, by the power of God, the idol fell on its left side, and all
the silver and the gold poured from it broken and powdered into dust;
but on the hard stone of the image was seen impressed the mark of the
staff, though it had touched it not; and the earth swallowed up the
twelve inferior gods, even to their necks, and their heads continue
above the ground unto this day. Thus what human strength could not
accomplish was done by the divine power; and many beholding it believed
in the true and living God, and being baptized, according to the
apostle, put on Christ, And in that place Saint Patrick by his prayers
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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