INTRODUCTION;

IN WHICH THE ARGUMENTS ADDUCED BY EDWARD LEDWICH, LL. D. TO PROVE THAT SAINT PATRICK NEVER EXISTED, ARE EXAMINED AND Refuted.

THE conversion of the IRISH NATION to Christianity, has been attributed to Saint Patrick, by every historian who has discussed this highly interesting subject. That illustrious person is also esteemed the founder of the city of Armagh, the ecclesiastical metropolis of Ireland. The concurrent opinion of literary men, on these points, is powerfully corroborated by the uniform tradition of the country yet the very existence of the Hibernian apostle has been doubted by Dr. Ryves, and absolutely denied by Dr. Ledwich. If this antiquary may be credited, he is merely a creature of the imagination, a saintly phantom conjured up, during the darkness of the ninth century, by the fertile and wonder-working faney of visionary monks. In his treatise on the

Dr. Ledwich produces evidence

(6 Antiquities of Ireland," Dr. Ledwich details, at considerable length, the reasons on which this novel and extraordinary opinion is founded. To examine these reasons, and to ascertain whether they be sufficient to overthrow the testimony of ages, shall be the object of the present Introduction.

"The Irish themselves," says Dr. Ledwich, "are the best evidences of the origin of their faith."* Again, in page 57, he, without the smallest hesitation, admits, "that the existence of St. Patrick, and his conversion of the Irish, are points, not only firmly believed by the Irish, but referred to, as undoubted historic facts, by every writer who has treated of the civil and ecclesiastical history of this country."

Thus, Dr. Ledwich has not only told us where "the best evidences," on this important question, may be found, but he has given us a brief, though comprehensive and just account of their testimony. Yet, in direct opposition to their unanimous declarations, and to the recorded opinions of every writer who has treated of the civil and ecclesiastical history of Ireland, he ventures, in unqualified terms, to pronounce that St. Patrick is an imaginary saint, nay, "that it is absolutely asserting meridional light to be nocturnal darkness, to maintain his existence, mission, or primacy."+

Aut. page 54, 2d edit. ↑ Ant. page 79, 2d edit.

which contradicts his own statement.

The witnesses, whom he has thus brought before the bar of the public, are clearly at issue with their principal, and he is left to his own resources and ingenuity, to support and prove his paradoxical case, in despite of. their opposing testimony.

Our learned antiquary deduces a negative argument against the existence of Saint Patrick, from the silence of contemporary writers on the subject. "It is," says he, "an undoubted fact, that Saint Patrick is not mentioned by any author of veracity, in the fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth centuries." This is a very hazardous assertion indeed. Has Dr. Ledwich carefully perused the works of every writer of the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth centuries? He himself would scarcely venture to answer in the affirmative. But, if he has not minutely examined all these works, by what supernatural prescience, is he able to decide, so positively, that they are wholly silent with respect to Saint Patrick? If a single volume, written during that long period, have escaped the microscopic eye of our learned antiquary, his assertion must be liable to doubt, and his argument invalid.

But it requires no very deep research to discover, that long before the ninth century, various authors had spoken explicitly of Saint Patrick. Cumian, abbot of Hy

Anti. page 67, 2d. edit.

Adamnan-Cumian,

or Iona, who wrote about the year 650, styles Saint Patrick, "the first apostle of Ireland,"* in the very commencement of his life of Columba. Adamnan (or Adomnan,) also, in his second preface, prefixed to his life of the same saint, makes express mention of Saint Patrick. That author lived in the seventh century, and is universally deemed a man of learning, integrity and talents. Ussher quotes his writings as credible authority, in various parts of his works.t Of Cumian's abilities and literary attainments, Dr. Ledwich himself repeatedly speaks in very honourable terms.‡

The venerable Bede says, that Adomnan was "a wise and good man, deeply learned in the Holy Scriptures, and greatly studious of peace and unity." The same writer, highly commends his geographical account of the Holy Land, from which he makes extracts that occupy two chapters of his work.§

Dr. Smith, in his life of Columba, speaks, in terms of high approbation, of the knowledge and talents of his successors. "How well," he says, "they studied the languages, appears from the excellent Latin of Cumin, and of Adomnan, who discovers also his knowledge of Greek and Hebrew, and wrote a geography of the Holy Land."

Tria Thaum: page 325. + Brit. Eccl. Ant. page 360, 361, 362 363, 364, 367, 371, 572. Ant. page 107, 108, 109, 354, 355, § Eccl. Lib. 5, c. 15, 16. | Life of Columba, page 84, n,