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Collected Works of Saint Patrick - Saint Patrick · Plato Classics Podcast

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Saint Patrick's breastplate by Saint Patrick. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Narrated
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: by Sean mc kinley. I bind unto myself to day
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: the strong name of the Trinity, by invocation of the same,
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: the three in one and one in three. I bind
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  Speaker 1: this day to me forever by power of faith Christ's incarnation,
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  Speaker 1: his baptism in the Jordan River, his death on the
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: cross for my salvation, his bursting from the spiced tomb,
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: his riding up the heavenly Way, his coming at the
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: day of Doom. I bind unto myself to day. I
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: bind unto myself the power of the great love of
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: the Cherubim, the sweet well done and judgment hour, the
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: service of the Seraphim, Confessor's faith, Apostle's word, the patriarch's prayers,
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  Speaker 1: the prophet's scrolls, all good deeds done unto the Lord,
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  Speaker 1: and purity of virgin souls. I bind unto myself to
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  Speaker 1: day the virtues of the Starlit heaven, the glorious Sun's
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  Speaker 1: life giving ray, the whiteness of the moon at even
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  Speaker 1: the flashing of the lightning, free the whirling wind's tempestuous shocks,
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  Speaker 1: the stable earth, the deep salt sea, around the old
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  Speaker 1: eternal rocks. I bind unto myself to day the power
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  Speaker 1: of God, to hold and lead his eye, to watch
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  Speaker 1: his might, to stay his ear, to hearken to my need,
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  Speaker 1: the wisdom of my God, to teach his hand, to
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  Speaker 1: guide his shield toward the Word of God, to give
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  Speaker 1: me speech his heavenly host, to be my guard against
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  Speaker 1: the damon snares of sin, the vice that gives temptation, force,
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  Speaker 1: the natural lusts that war within, the hostile men that
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  Speaker 1: mar my course, or few or many, far or nigh,
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  Speaker 1: in every place and in all hours, against their fierce hostility.
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  Speaker 1: I bind to me these holy powers against all Satan's
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  Speaker 1: spells and wiles, against false words of heresy, against the
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  Speaker 1: knowledge that defiles, against the heart's idolatry, against the wizard's
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  Speaker 1: evil craft, against the death wound and the burning, the
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  Speaker 1: choking wave, and the poisoned shaft. Protect me Christ till
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  Speaker 1: thy returning Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ
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  Speaker 1: behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to
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  Speaker 1: all win me. Christ to comfort and restore me. Christ
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  Speaker 1: beneath me, Christ above me, Christ and quiet Christ in danger,
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  Speaker 1: Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in
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  Speaker 1: mouth of friend and stranger. I bind unto myself the name,
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  Speaker 1: the strong Name of the Trinity, by invocation of the same,
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  Speaker 1: the three in one and one in three, of whom
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  Speaker 1: all nature hath, Creation, Eternal Father, Spirit, Word praised, the
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  Speaker 1: Lord of my salvation. Salvation is of Christ, the Lord.
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: End of Saint Patrick's breastplate by Saint Patrick. A letter
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: to the Soldiers of Corodacus by Saint Patrick. This is
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: Narrated by Shawn mc kinley. I Patrick, a sinner, unlearned
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  Speaker 1: resident in Ireland, declare myself to be a bishop. Most assuredly.
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  Speaker 1: I believe that what I am I have received from God,
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  Speaker 1: and so I live among barbarians, a stranger and exile
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  Speaker 1: for the love of God. He is witness that this
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  Speaker 1: is so. Not that I wished my mouth to utter
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  Speaker 1: anything so hard and harsh, but I am forced by
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  Speaker 1: the zeal for God and the truth of Christ has
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  Speaker 1: wrung it from me out of love for my neighbors
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  Speaker 1: and sons, for whom I gave up my country and parents,
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  Speaker 1: and my life to the point of death. If I
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  Speaker 1: be worthy, I live for my God to teach the heathen,
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  Speaker 1: even though some may despise me. With my own hand,
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  Speaker 1: I have written and composed these words to be given
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  Speaker 1: delivery and sent to the soldiers of Eurodacus. I do
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  Speaker 1: not say to my fellow citizens, or to the fellow
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  Speaker 1: citizens of the Holy Romans, to fellow citizens of the Demons,
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  Speaker 1: because of their evil works. Like our enemies, they live
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  Speaker 1: in death, allies of the Scots and the apostate picts,
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  Speaker 1: dripping with the blood they welter in the blood of
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  Speaker 1: innocent Christians, whom I have begotten into the number for
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  Speaker 1: God and confirmed in Christ. The day after the newly
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  Speaker 1: baptized anointed with Chrism in white garments had been slain,
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  Speaker 1: the fragrance was still on their foreheads when they were
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  Speaker 1: butchered and slaughtered with the sword by the above mentioned people.
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  Speaker 1: I sent a letter with a holy presbyter whom I
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  Speaker 1: had taught from his childhood, clerics accompanying him, asking them
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  Speaker 1: to let us have some of the booty, and of
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  Speaker 1: the baptized they had made captives, they only jeered at them.
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  Speaker 1: Hence I do not know what to lamit more, those
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  Speaker 1: who have been slain, or those whom they have taken captive,
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  Speaker 1: or those whom the devil has mightily ensnared together with him,
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  Speaker 1: They will be slaves in hell in an eternal punishment.
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  Speaker 1: For who committeth sin is a slave, and will be
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  Speaker 1: called a son of the devil. Wherefore, let every god
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  Speaker 1: fearing man know that they are enemies of me and
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  Speaker 1: of Christ my God, for whom I am an ambassador. Parricide, fratricide,
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  Speaker 1: ravening wolves that eat the people of the Lord as
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  Speaker 1: they eat bread. As I said, the wicked o Lord
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  Speaker 1: have destroyed Thy law, which but recently he had excellent
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  Speaker 1: and kindly planted in Ireland, and which had established itself
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  Speaker 1: by the grace of God. I make no false claim.
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  Speaker 1: I share in the work of those whom he called
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  Speaker 1: and predestinated to preach the Gospel amidst grave persecutions unto
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  Speaker 1: the end of the earth. Even if the enemy shows
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  Speaker 1: his jealousy through the tyranny of Crotacus, a man who
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  Speaker 1: has no respect for God nor his priests, whom He chose,
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  Speaker 1: giving them the highest, divine and sublime power, that whom
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  Speaker 1: they should bind upon earth should be bound also in heaven. Wherefore,
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  Speaker 1: then I plead with you earnestly, ye, holy and humble
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  Speaker 1: of heart. It is not permissible to court the favor
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  Speaker 1: of such people, nor to take food or drink with them,
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  Speaker 1: nor even to accept their alms, until they make reparation
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  Speaker 1: to God in hardships, through penance, with shedding of tears,
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  Speaker 1: and set free the baptized servants of God and handmaids
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  Speaker 1: of Christ, for whom He died and was crucified. The
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  Speaker 1: most High disapproveth the gifts of the wicked. He that
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  Speaker 1: offereth sacrifice of the goods of the poor is as
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  Speaker 1: one that sacrificeth the son in the presence of his father.
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  Speaker 1: The riches, it is written, which he has gathered unjustly,
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  Speaker 1: shall be vomited up from his belly. The angel of
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  Speaker 1: Death drags him away. By the fury of dragons, he
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  Speaker 1: shall be tormented, the viper's tongue shall kill him. Unquenchable
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  Speaker 1: fire devoureth him. And so woe to those who fill
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  Speaker 1: themselves with what is not their own. Or what doth
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  Speaker 1: it profit a man that he gain the whole world
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  Speaker 1: and suffer the loss of his own soul. It would
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  Speaker 1: be too tedious to discuss and set forth everything in
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  Speaker 1: detail to gather from the whole law testimonies against such greed.
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  Speaker 1: Avarice is a deadly sin. Thou shalt not covet thy
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  Speaker 1: neighbour's goods, Thou shalt not kill. A murderer cannot be
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  Speaker 1: with Christ. Whosoever hateth his brother is accounted a murderer.
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  Speaker 1: Or he that loveth not his own brother abideth in death.
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  Speaker 1: How much more guilty is he that has stained his
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  Speaker 1: hands with the blood of the sons of God, whom
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  Speaker 1: he has of late purchased in the utmost part of
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  Speaker 1: the earth through the call of our littleness? Did I
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  Speaker 1: come to Ireland without God? Or according to the flesh
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  Speaker 1: who compelled me? I am bound by the spirit not
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  Speaker 1: to see any of my kinsfolk. Is it of my
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  Speaker 1: own doing that I have holy mercy on the people
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  Speaker 1: who once took me captive and made away with the
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  Speaker 1: servants and maids of my father's house. I was free born.
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  Speaker 1: According to the flesh, I am the son of a decursion,
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  Speaker 1: but I sold my noble rank. I am neither ashamed
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  Speaker 1: nor sorry for the good of others. Thus I am
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  Speaker 1: a servant in Christ to a foreign nation, for the
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  Speaker 1: unspeakable glory of life everlasting, which is in Christ Jesus,
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  Speaker 1: our Lord. And if my own people do not know me,
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  Speaker 1: a prophet hath no honor in his own country. Perhaps
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  Speaker 1: we are not of the same fold and have not
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  Speaker 1: one and the same God as Father. As is written,
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  Speaker 1: he that is not with me is against me. And
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  Speaker 1: he that gathereth not with me scattereth. It is not
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  Speaker 1: right that one destroyeth another buildeth up. I seek not
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  Speaker 1: the things that are mine. It is not my grace
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  Speaker 1: but God who has given this solicitude into my heart,
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  Speaker 1: to be one of His hunters or fishers, whom God
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  Speaker 1: once foretold would come in the last days. I am hated.
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  Speaker 1: What shall I do? Lord? I am most despised. Look
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  Speaker 1: thy sheep around me are torn to pieces and driven away,
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  Speaker 1: and that by those robbers, by the orders of the
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  Speaker 1: hostile minded. Crodicus, far from the love of God, is
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  Speaker 1: a man who hands over Christians to the Picts, and
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  Speaker 1: the Scots ravening wolves have devoured the flock of the Lord,
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  Speaker 1: which in Ireland was indeed growing splendidly with the greatest care.
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  Speaker 1: And the sons and daughters of kings were monks and
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  Speaker 1: virgins of Christ. I cannot count their number. Wherefore, be
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  Speaker 1: not pleased with the wrong dawn to the just, even
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  Speaker 1: to Hell. It shall not please who of the saints
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  Speaker 1: would not shudder to be merry with such persons, or
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  Speaker 1: to enjoy a meal with them. They have filled their
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  Speaker 1: houses with the spoils of dead Christians. They live on plunder.
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  Speaker 1: They do not know, the wretches, that what they offer
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  Speaker 1: their friends and sons as food is deadly poison. Just
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  Speaker 1: as Eve did not understand that it was death she
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  Speaker 1: gave to her husband, so are all that do evil.
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  Speaker 1: They work death as their eternal punishment. This is the
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  Speaker 1: custom of the Roman Christians of Gaul. They send holy
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  Speaker 1: and able men to the Franks and other heathen with
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  Speaker 1: so many thousand solidi to ransom baptized captives. You prefer
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  Speaker 1: to kill and sell them to a foreign nation that
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  Speaker 1: has no knowledge of God. You betray the members of Christ,
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  Speaker 1: as it were, into a brothel. What hope have you
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  Speaker 1: in God? Or any one who thinks as you do,
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  Speaker 1: or converses with you in words of flattery, God will judge.
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  Speaker 1: For Scripture says, not only they that do evil are
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  Speaker 1: worthy to be condemned, but they also that consent to them.
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  Speaker 1: I do not know what I should say or speak
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  Speaker 1: further about the departed ones of the sons of God,
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  Speaker 1: whom the sword has touched all too harshly. For Scripture says,
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  Speaker 1: weep with them that weep, and again, if one member
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  Speaker 1: be grieved, let all members grieve with it. Hence, the
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  Speaker 1: Church mourns and laments her sons and daughters, whom the
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  Speaker 1: sword has not yet slain, but who were removed and
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  Speaker 1: carried off to far away lands where sin abounds openly,
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  Speaker 1: grossly impudently. There people who were free born and have
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  Speaker 1: been sold Christians made slaves, and that too in the
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  Speaker 1: service of the abominable, wicked and apostate picts. Therefore, I
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  Speaker 1: shall raise my voice and say, madness and grief, O you,
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  Speaker 1: fair and beloved brethren and sons, whom I have begotten
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  Speaker 1: in Christ, countless of number, What can I do for you?
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  Speaker 1: I am not worthy to come to the help of
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  Speaker 1: God or men. The wickedness of the wicked hath prevailed
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  Speaker 1: over us. We have been made, as it were, strangers.
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  Speaker 1: Perhaps they do not believe that we have received one
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  Speaker 1: and the same baptism, or have one and the same
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  Speaker 1: God as father. For them, it is a disgrace that
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  Speaker 1: we are irish. Have ye not, as is written one God?
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  Speaker 1: Have ye every one of you forsaken his neighbor. Therefore
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  Speaker 1: I grieve for you. I grieve, my dearly beloved. But
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  Speaker 1: again I rejoice within myself. I have not labored for nothing,
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  Speaker 1: and my journeying abroad has not been in vain. And
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  Speaker 1: if this horrible, unspeakable crime did happen, Thanks be to God.
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  Speaker 1: You have left the world and have gone to paradise
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  Speaker 1: as baptized faithful, I see you. You have begun to journey,
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  Speaker 1: where the night shall be no more nor mourning, nor death.
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  Speaker 1: But you shall leap like calves loosen from their bonds,
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  Speaker 1: and you shall tread down the wicked, and they shall
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  Speaker 1: be ashes under your feet. You then will reign with
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  Speaker 1: the apostles and prophets and martyrs. You will take on
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  Speaker 1: of eternal kingdoms, as he himself testifies, saying, they shall
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  Speaker 1: come from the east and from the west, and shall
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the
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  Speaker 1: kingdom of Heaven. Without are dogs and sorcerers, and murderers,
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  Speaker 1: and liars and perjurers have their portion in the pool
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  Speaker 1: of everlasting fire. Not without reason does the apostle say,
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  Speaker 1: where the just man shall scarcely be saved? Where shall
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: the sinner and ungodly transgress of the law find himself?
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  Speaker 1: Where then will Corodicus with his criminals rebels against Christ?
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  Speaker 1: Where will they see themselves? They who distribute baptized women
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  Speaker 1: as prizes for a miserable temporal kingdom, which will pass
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  Speaker 1: away in a moment as a cloud or smoke that
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  Speaker 1: is dispersed by the wind. So shall the deceitful wicked
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  Speaker 1: perish at the presence of the Lord. But the just
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  Speaker 1: shall feast with great constancy with Christ. They shall judge
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  Speaker 1: nations and rule over wicked kings forever and ever. Amen,
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  Speaker 1: I testify before God and his angels that it will
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  Speaker 1: be so as He indicated to my ignorance. It is
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  Speaker 1: not my words that I have set forth in Latin,
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  Speaker 1: but those of God and the apostles and prophets, who
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  Speaker 1: have never lied. He that believeth shall be saved but
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  Speaker 1: he that believeth not shall be condemned. God hath spoken.
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  Speaker 1: I ask earnestly that whosoever is a willing servant of God,
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  Speaker 1: be a carrier of this letter, so that on no
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  Speaker 1: account it be suppressed or hidden by any one, but
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  Speaker 1: rather be read before all the people, and of the
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  Speaker 1: presence of Crotacus himself. May God inspire them some time
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  Speaker 1: to recover their senses for God repenting, however, late their
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  Speaker 1: heinous deeds murderers of the brethren of the Lord, and
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  Speaker 1: to set free the baptized women whom they took captive,
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  Speaker 1: in order that they may deserve to live to God
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  Speaker 1: and be made whole here and an eternity. Be peace
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  Speaker 1: to the Father and to the Son, and to the
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  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit. Amen. End of a letter to the Soldiers
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: of Erotacus by Saint Patrick. Confession by Saint Patrick. This
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  Speaker 1: is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: LibriVox dot org. Narrated by Sean mc kinley. I Patrick
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  Speaker 1: a sinner, a most simple countryman, the least of all
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  Speaker 1: the faithful, and most contemptible to many, had for a father,
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  Speaker 1: the deacon Calpurnius, son of the late Ponsitous, a priest
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: of the settlement of Bonavem Tabournier. He had a small
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: villa near by where I was taken captive. I was
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  Speaker 1: at that time about sixteen years of age. I did
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  Speaker 1: not indeed know the true God, and I was taken
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  Speaker 1: into captivity in Ireland with many thousands of people, according
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  Speaker 1: to our deserts, quite drawn away from God. We did
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  Speaker 1: not keep his precepts, nor were we obedient to our priests,
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  Speaker 1: who used to remind us of our salvation. And the
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: Lord brought down on us the fury of his being,
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  Speaker 1: and scattered us among many nations, even to the ends
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  Speaker 1: of the earth, where I, in my smallness, am now
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  Speaker 1: to be found among foreigners. And there the Lord opened
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  Speaker 1: my mind to an awareness of my unbelief, in order
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  Speaker 1: that even so late I might remember my transgressions and
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  Speaker 1: turn with all my heart to the Lord, my God,
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  Speaker 1: who had regard for my insignificance and pitied my youth
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  Speaker 1: and ignorance. And he watched over me before I knew him,
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  Speaker 1: and before I learned since or even distinguished between good
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  Speaker 1: and evil, and he protected me and consoled me as
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: a father would his son. Therefore, indeed I cannot keep silent,
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  Speaker 1: nor would it be proper. So many favors and graces
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  Speaker 1: has Lord deigned to bestow on me in the land
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  Speaker 1: of my captivity. For after chastisement from God and recognizing Him,
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  Speaker 1: our way to repay him is to exalt him and
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  Speaker 1: confess his wonders before every nation under heaven. For there
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  Speaker 1: is no other God, nor ever was before, nor shall
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  Speaker 1: be hereafter, but God, the Father, unbegotten and without beginning,
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  Speaker 1: in whom all things began, whose are all things, as
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: we have been taught, and his son Jesus Christ, who
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: manifestly always existed with the Father before the beginning of time,
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: in the spirit, with the Father, indescribably begotten before all things,
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: and all things visible and invisible were made by him,
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  Speaker 1: He was made man, conquered death, and was received into
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: heaven to the Thought who gave him all power over
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  Speaker 1: every name in heaven and on earth and in hell,
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  Speaker 1: so that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
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  Speaker 1: Lord and God in whom we believe, and we look
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  Speaker 1: to his eminent coming again, the judge of the living
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  Speaker 1: and the dead, who will render to each according to
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: his deeds, and he poured out his Holy spirit on
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  Speaker 1: us in abundance, the gift and pledge of immortality, which
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: makes the believers and the obedient into sons of God
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: and co heirs of Christ, who is revealed, and we
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: worship one God in the trinity of Holy name. He
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: himself said, through the prophet, call upon me in the
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: day of trouble, I will deliver you, and you shall
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: glorify me. And again it is right to reveal and
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: publish abroad the works of God. I am imperfect in
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: many things. Nevertheless, I want my brethren and kinsfolk to
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: know my nature, so that they may be able to
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  Speaker 1: perceive my soul's desire. I am not ignorant of what
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  Speaker 1: is said of my Lord in the Psalm. You destroy
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: those who speak alie. And again a lying mouth deals
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  Speaker 1: death to the soul. And likewise the Lord says in
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: the Gospel, on the day of Judgment, men shall render
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  Speaker 1: account for every idle word they utter. So it is
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  Speaker 1: that I should mightily fear with terror and trembling this
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  Speaker 1: judgment on the day when no one shall be able
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  Speaker 1: to steal away or hide, but each and all shall
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: render account for even our smallest sins before the judgment
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  Speaker 1: seat of Christ the Lord. And therefore, for some time
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: I have thought of writing, but I have hesitated until now,
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  Speaker 1: For truly I feared to expose myself to the criticism
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: of men, because I have not studied like others who
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: have assimilated both law and the Holy scriptures equally, and
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: have never changed their idiom since their infancy, but instead
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: were always learning it increasingly to perfection. Why my idiom
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: and language have been translated into a foreign tongue, so
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: it is easy to prove from a sample of my
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: writing my ability in rhetoric, and the extent of my
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: preparation and knowledge. For as it is said, wisdom shall
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: be recognized in speech and in understanding, and in knowledge
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: and in the learning of truth. But why make excuses
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: close to the truth, especially when now I am presuming
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: to try to grasp in my old age what I
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: did not gain in my youth, because my sins prevented
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: me from making what I had read my own. But
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: who will believe me, even though I should say it again?
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: A young man, almost a bearless boy, I was taken
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: captive before I knew what I should desire and what
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: I should shun. So consequently to day I feel ashamed,
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: and I am mightily afraid to expose my ignorance, because
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: not eloquent with a small vocabulary, I am unable to
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: explain as a spirit is eager to do, and as
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: a soul and mind indicate. But had it been given
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: to me as to others in gratitude, I should not
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: have kept silent. And if it should appear that I
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: put myself before others with my ignorance and my sowest speech,
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: in truth it is written the tongue of the stammerers
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: shall speak rapidly and distinctly. How much harder must we
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: try to attain it? We of whom it is said,
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: you are an epistle of Christ in greeting to the
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: ends of the earth, written on your hearts, not with ink,
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: but with the spirit of the Living God. And again
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: the spirit witness that the rustic life was created by
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: the most High. I am, then, first of all, countrified
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: in exile, evidently unlearned, one who is not able to
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: see into the future. But I know for certain that
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: before I was humbled, I was like a stone lying
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: in deep mire. And he that is Mighty came and
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: in his mercy raised me up, and indeed lifted me
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: high up and placed me on top of the wall.
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: And from here I ought to shout out in gratitude
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: to the Lord, for his great favors in this world
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: are forever that the mind of man cannot measure. Therefore,
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: be amazed, you great and small, who fear God, and
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: you men of God, eloquent speakers, listen and contemplate. Who
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: was it summoned me, a fool from the midst of
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: those who appear wise and learned in the law, and
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: powerful in rhetoric, and in all things, me truly wretched
• 26:05
  Speaker 1: in this world. He inspired before others that I could be,
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: if I would, such a one who with fear and
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: reverence and faithfully without complaint, would come to the people
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: to whom the Love of Christ brought me and gave
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: me in my lifetime, if I should be worthy to
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: serve them truly and with humility. According therefore, to the
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: measure of one's faith in the Trinity, one should proceed,
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: without holding back from danger, to make known the gift
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: of God and everlasting consolation, to spread God's name everywhere
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: with confidence and without fear, in order to leave behind
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: after my death foundations for my brethren and sons, whom
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: I baptized in the Lord in so many thousands. And
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: I was not worthy, nor was I such that the
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: Lord should grant his humble servant this, that, after hardships
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: and such great trials, after captivity, after many years, he
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: should give me so much favor in these people, a
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: thing which in the time of my youth I neither
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: hoped for nor imagined. But after I reached Ireland, I
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: used to pasture the flock each day, and I used
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: to pray many times a day. More and more did
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: the love of God and my fear of Him and
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: faith increase, and my spirit was moved, so that in
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: a day I said from up to a hundred prayers,
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: and in the night a like number. Besides, I used
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: to stay out in the forests and on the mountain,
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: and I would wake up before daylight to prey in
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: the snow, in icy coldness and rain. And I used
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: to feel neither ill nor any slothfulness, because, as I
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: now see, the Spirit was burning in me at that time.
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: And it was there, of course, that one night, in
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: my sleep I heard a voice saying to me, you
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: do well to fast. Soon you will depart for your
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: home country. And again a very short time later there
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: was a voice prophesying, behold, your ship is ready. And
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: it was not close by, but as it happened, two
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: hundred miles away, where I had never been nor knew
• 28:26
  Speaker 1: any person. And shortly thereafter I turned about and fled
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: from the man with whom I had been for six years.
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: And I came by the power of God, who directed
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: my route to advantage. And I was not afraid of
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: nothing until I reached that ship. And on the same
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: day that I arrived, the ship was setting out from
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: the place, and I said that I had the wherewithal
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: to sail with them, and the steerman was displeased and
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: replied in anger sharply by no means attempt to go
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: with us. Hearing this, I left them to go to
• 29:04
  Speaker 1: the hut where I was staying, and on the way
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: I began to pray, And before the prayer was finished,
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: I heard one of them shouting loudly after me, come quickly,
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: because the men are calling you. And immediately I went
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: back to them, and they started to say to me,
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: come because we are admitting you out of good faith,
• 29:27
  Speaker 1: make friendship with us in any way you wish. And
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: so on that day I refused to suck the breasts
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: of these men from fear of God. But nevertheless I
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: had hopes that they would come to faith in Jesus Christ,
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: because they were barbarians. And for this I continued with them,
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: And forthwith we put to sea, and after three days
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: we reached land. And for twenty eight days journeyed through
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: uninhabited country, and the food ran out and hungunger overtook them.
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: And one day the steersman began saying, why is it
• 30:06
  Speaker 1: Christian you say your God is great and all powerful?
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: Then why can you not pray for us? For we
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: may perish of hunger. It is unlikely, indeed, that we
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: shall ever see another human being. In fact, I said
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: to them, confidently, be converted by faith with all your
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: heart to my Lord God, because nothing is impossible for him,
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: so that to day he will send food for you
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: on your road until you be sated, because everywhere he abounds.
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: And with God's help this came to pass, and behold,
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: a herd of swine appeared on the road before our eyes,
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: and they slew many of them and remained there for
• 30:50
  Speaker 1: two nights, and they were full of their meat and
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: well restored, for many of them had fainted and would
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: otherwise have been left half dead by the wayside. And
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: after this they gave the utmost thanks to God, and
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: I was esteemed in their eyes. And from that day
• 31:09
  Speaker 1: they had food abundantly. They discovered wild honey besides, and
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: they offered a share to me, and one of them said,
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: it is a sacrifice, Thanks be to God. I tasted
• 31:22
  Speaker 1: none of it. The very same night, while I was sleeping,
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: Satan attacked me violently, as I will remember as long
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: as I shall be in this body, and there fell
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: on top of me as it were a huge rock,
• 31:37
  Speaker 1: and not one of my members had any force. But
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: from whence did it come to me, ignorant in the spirit,
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: to call upon Helios. And meanwhile I saw the sun
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: rising in the sky. And while I was crying out Helias,
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: Helias with all my might, lo the brilliance of that
• 31:58
  Speaker 1: sun fell up upon me and immediately shook me free
• 32:02
  Speaker 1: of all the weight. And I believe that I was
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: aided by Christ, my Lord, and that his spirit then
• 32:09
  Speaker 1: was crying out for me. And I hope that it
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: will be so in the day of my affliction, just
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: as it says in the Gospel, and that hour the
• 32:19
  Speaker 1: Lord declares, it is not you who speaks, but the
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: spirit of your Father speaking in you. And a second time,
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: after many years, I was taken captive. On the first night,
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: I accordingly remained with my captors, but I heard a
• 32:35
  Speaker 1: divine prophecy saying to me, you shall be with them
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: for two months. So it happened on the sixtieth night
• 32:43
  Speaker 1: the Lord delivered me from their hands. On the journey,
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: he provided us with food and fire and dry weather
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: every day until on the tenth day we came upon people.
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: As I mentioned above, we had journeyed through an un
• 33:00
  Speaker 1: populated country for twenty eight days, and in fact the
• 33:04
  Speaker 1: night that we came upon people, we had no food.
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: And after a few years I was again in Britain
• 33:12
  Speaker 1: with my kinsfolk, and they welcomed me as a son,
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: and asked me in faith that after the great tribulations
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: I had endured, I should not go anywhere else away
• 33:23
  Speaker 1: from them. And of course, there in a vision of
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: the night, I saw a man whose name was Victoricus,
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: coming as if from Ireland with innumerable letters, and he
• 33:35
  Speaker 1: gave me one of them, and I read the beginning
• 33:38
  Speaker 1: of the letter the voice of the Irish. And as
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: I was reading the beginning of the letter, I seemed
• 33:45
  Speaker 1: at that moment to hear the voice of those who
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: were beside the forest of Folklut, which is near the
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: western Sea. And they were crying, as if with one voice,
• 33:56
  Speaker 1: we beg you, holy youth, that you shall come and
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: shall walk again among us. And I was stung intensely
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: in my heart, so that I could read no more.
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: And thus I awoke, Thanks be to God, because after
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: so many years, the Lord bestowed on them according to
• 34:14
  Speaker 1: their cry. And another night God knows, I do not
• 34:19
  Speaker 1: whether within me or beside me. Most words which I
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: heard and could not understand, except at the end of
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: the speech, it was represented thus he who gave his
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: life for you, he it is who speaks within you.
• 34:36
  Speaker 1: And thus I awoke joyful. And on a second occasion
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: I saw him praying within me, and I was, as
• 34:45
  Speaker 1: it were, inside my own body, and I heard him
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: above me, that is, above my inner self. He was
• 34:53
  Speaker 1: praying powerfully with sighs. And in the course of this
• 34:56
  Speaker 1: I was astonished and wondering, and I pondered who it
• 35:00
  Speaker 1: could be who was praying within me. But at the
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: end of the prayer, it was revealed to me that
• 35:05
  Speaker 1: it was the Spirit, and so I awoke and remembered
• 35:09
  Speaker 1: the Apostle's words. Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness,
• 35:15
  Speaker 1: for we know not how to pray as we ought,
• 35:18
  Speaker 1: But the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too
• 35:22
  Speaker 1: deep for utterance. And again the Lord, our advocate, intercedes
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: for us. And then I was attacked by a goodly
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: number of my elders, who brought up my sins against
• 35:35
  Speaker 1: my arduous episcopate. That day, in particular, I was mightily upset,
• 35:41
  Speaker 1: and might have fallen here and forever. But the Lord
• 35:44
  Speaker 1: generously spared me a convert and an alien for his
• 35:49
  Speaker 1: name's sake, and he came powerfully to my assistance. In
• 35:53
  Speaker 1: that state of being trampled down, I pray God that
• 35:57
  Speaker 1: it shall not be held against them as a sin
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: that I fell truly into disgrace and scandal they brought
• 36:05
  Speaker 1: up against me. After thirty years in occurrence, I had
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: confessed before becoming a deacon, on account of the anxiety
• 36:13
  Speaker 1: in my sorrowful mind. I laid before my close friend
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: what I had perpetuated on a day, nay rather in
• 36:21
  Speaker 1: one hour in my boyhood, because I was not yet
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: proof against sin. God knows, I do not whether I
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: was fifteen years old at the time, and I did
• 36:33
  Speaker 1: not then believe in the Living God, nor had I
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: believed since my infancy. But I remained in death and
• 36:40
  Speaker 1: unbelief until I was severely rebuked, and in truth I
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: was humbled every day by hunger and nakedness. On the
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: other hand, I did not proceed to Ireland of my
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: own accord until I was almost giving up. But through
• 36:56
  Speaker 1: this I was corrected by the Lord, and he prepared
• 36:59
  Speaker 1: me so that to day I should be what was
• 37:02
  Speaker 1: once far from me, in order that I should have
• 37:05
  Speaker 1: the care of or rather I should be concerned for
• 37:09
  Speaker 1: the salvation of others, when at that time still I
• 37:14
  Speaker 1: was only concerned for myself. Therefore, on that day, when
• 37:19
  Speaker 1: I was rebuked, as I have just mentioned, I saw
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: in a vision of the night a document before my
• 37:25
  Speaker 1: face without honor. And meanwhile I heard it a vine
• 37:29
  Speaker 1: prophecy saying to me, we have seen with displeasure the
• 37:34
  Speaker 1: face of the chosen One divested of his good name.
• 37:38
  Speaker 1: And he did not say, you have seen with displeasure.
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: But we have seen with displeasure, as if he included himself.
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: He said, then, he who touches you touches the apple
• 37:50
  Speaker 1: of my eye. For that reason I give thanks to
• 37:54
  Speaker 1: him who strengthened me in all things, so that I
• 37:57
  Speaker 1: should not be hindered in my setting out, and also
• 38:01
  Speaker 1: in my work, which I was taught by Christ, my Lord.
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: But more from that state of affairs, I felt within
• 38:08
  Speaker 1: me no little courage and vindicated my faith before God
• 38:12
  Speaker 1: and man. Hence, therefore I say boldly that my conscience
• 38:18
  Speaker 1: is clear now and hereafter God is my witness. And
• 38:22
  Speaker 1: I have not lied in these words to you, but
• 38:26
  Speaker 1: rather I am grieved for my very close friend, that
• 38:30
  Speaker 1: because of him we deserve to hear such a prophecy,
• 38:34
  Speaker 1: the one to whom I entrusted my soul, and I
• 38:37
  Speaker 1: found out from a goodly number of brethren before the
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: case was made in my defense, in which I did
• 38:44
  Speaker 1: not take part, Nor was I in Britain, nor was
• 38:47
  Speaker 1: it pleaded by me that in my absence he would
• 38:50
  Speaker 1: fight in my behalf. Besides, he told me himself, see
• 38:56
  Speaker 1: the rank of bishop goes to you, of which I
• 38:59
  Speaker 1: was not worthy. But how did it come to him
• 39:02
  Speaker 1: shortly afterwards to disgrace me publicly in the presence of
• 39:06
  Speaker 1: all good and bad, because previously gladly and of his
• 39:12
  Speaker 1: own free will, he pardoned me, as did the Lord,
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: who was greater than all. I have said enough. But
• 39:20
  Speaker 1: all the same I ought not to conceal God's gift
• 39:23
  Speaker 1: which he lavished on us in the land of my captivity,
• 39:27
  Speaker 1: For then I sought him resolutely, and I found him there,
• 39:32
  Speaker 1: and he preserved me from all evils, as I believe,
• 39:35
  Speaker 1: through the indwelling of His spirit, which works in me
• 39:39
  Speaker 1: to this day again boldly. But God knows, if this
• 39:44
  Speaker 1: had been made known to me by man, I might
• 39:47
  Speaker 1: perhaps have kept silent for the love of Christ. Thus
• 39:51
  Speaker 1: I give untiring thanks to God who kept me faithful
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: in the day of my temptation, so that to day
• 39:59
  Speaker 1: I may confiden offer my soul as a living sacrifice
• 40:02
  Speaker 1: for Christ, My Lord. Who am i Lord? Or rather,
• 40:08
  Speaker 1: what is my calling? That you appear to me in
• 40:11
  Speaker 1: so great a divine quality, so that to day among
• 40:15
  Speaker 1: the barbarians, I might constantly exalt and magnify your name
• 40:19
  Speaker 1: in whatever place I should be, And not only in
• 40:23
  Speaker 1: good fortune, but even in affliction, so that whatever befalls me,
• 40:29
  Speaker 1: be it good or bad, I should accept it equally,
• 40:32
  Speaker 1: and give thanks always to God, who revealed to me
• 40:36
  Speaker 1: that I might trust in Him implicitly and forever, and
• 40:41
  Speaker 1: who will encourage me so that ignorant and in the
• 40:44
  Speaker 1: last days, I may dare to undertake so devout and
• 40:48
  Speaker 1: so wonderful a work, so that I might imitate one
• 40:52
  Speaker 1: of those whom once long ago the Lord already preordained
• 40:57
  Speaker 1: to be heralds of his Gospel, to witness to all
• 41:00
  Speaker 1: peoples to the ends of the earth. So we are seeing,
• 41:05
  Speaker 1: and so it is fulfilled. Behold, we are witnesses because
• 41:09
  Speaker 1: the Gospel has been preached as far as the places
• 41:12
  Speaker 1: beyond which no man lives. But it is tedious to
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: describe in detail all my labors one by one. I
• 41:21
  Speaker 1: will tell briefly how Most Holy God frequently delivered me
• 41:26
  Speaker 1: from slavery, and from the twelve trials with which my
• 41:29
  Speaker 1: soul was threatened, from many traps as well, and from
• 41:34
  Speaker 1: things I am not able to put into words. I
• 41:37
  Speaker 1: would not cause offense to readers. But I have God
• 41:41
  Speaker 1: as witness, who knew all things even before they happened.
• 41:45
  Speaker 1: That though I was a poor, ignorant waive. Still he
• 41:50
  Speaker 1: gave me abundant warnings through divine prophecy. Whence came to
• 41:55
  Speaker 1: me this wisdom, which was not my own, I who
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: neither knew the number of days, nor had knowledge of God.
• 42:02
  Speaker 1: Whence came the so great and so healthful gift of knowing,
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: or rather loving God. Though I should lose my homeland
• 42:11
  Speaker 1: and family, and many gifts were offered to me with
• 42:15
  Speaker 1: weeping and tears, and I offended them the donors, and
• 42:20
  Speaker 1: also went against the wishes of a good number of
• 42:22
  Speaker 1: my elders. But guided by God, I neither agreed with
• 42:27
  Speaker 1: them nor deferred to them, not by my own grace,
• 42:31
  Speaker 1: but by God, who is victorious in me and withstands
• 42:35
  Speaker 1: them all. So that I might come to the Irish
• 42:39
  Speaker 1: people to preach the Gospel and endure insults from unbelievers,
• 42:44
  Speaker 1: that I might hear scandal of my travels, and endure
• 42:48
  Speaker 1: many persecutions to the extent of prison, and so that
• 42:52
  Speaker 1: I might give up my free birthright for the advantage
• 42:56
  Speaker 1: of others. And if I should be worthy, I am
• 42:59
  Speaker 1: ready to give even my life without hesitation and most
• 43:05
  Speaker 1: willingly for His name. And I choose to devote it
• 43:09
  Speaker 1: to him, even unto death. If God grant it me,
• 43:14
  Speaker 1: I am greatly God's debtor, because he granted me so
• 43:17
  Speaker 1: much grace that through me many people would be reborn
• 43:21
  Speaker 1: in God, and soon after confirmed, and that clergy would
• 43:26
  Speaker 1: be ordained everywhere for them. The masses lately come to
• 43:30
  Speaker 1: belief whom the Lord drew from the ends of the earth,
• 43:34
  Speaker 1: just as he once promised through his prophets to you,
• 43:38
  Speaker 1: shall the nations come from the ends of the earth,
• 43:42
  Speaker 1: and shall say, our fathers have inherited not but lies worthless,
• 43:47
  Speaker 1: things in which there is no prophet. And again I
• 43:51
  Speaker 1: have set you to be a light for the gentiles,
• 43:54
  Speaker 1: that you may bring salvation to the uttermost ends of
• 43:57
  Speaker 1: the earth. And I I wish to wait for His promise,
• 44:02
  Speaker 1: which is never unfulfilled, just as it is promised in
• 44:05
  Speaker 1: the Gospel, many shall come from east and west, and
• 44:09
  Speaker 1: shall sit at table with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob,
• 44:14
  Speaker 1: just as we believe that believers will come from all
• 44:17
  Speaker 1: the world. So for that reason one should in fact
• 44:22
  Speaker 1: fish well and diligently, just as the Lord foretells and teaches, saying,
• 44:29
  Speaker 1: follow me, and I will make you fishers of men,
• 44:32
  Speaker 1: and again through the prophets. Behold, I am sending forth
• 44:37
  Speaker 1: many fishers and hunters, says the Lord et cetera. So
• 44:42
  Speaker 1: it behooved us to spread our nets, that a vast
• 44:46
  Speaker 1: multitude and throng might be caught for God. And so
• 44:50
  Speaker 1: there might be clergy everywhere who baptized and exhorted a
• 44:54
  Speaker 1: needy and desirous people, just as the Lord says in
• 44:58
  Speaker 1: the Gospel ad amonishing and instructing, Go therefore and make
• 45:03
  Speaker 1: disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of
• 45:07
  Speaker 1: the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
• 45:11
  Speaker 1: teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
• 45:14
  Speaker 1: And lo, I am with you always to the end
• 45:18
  Speaker 1: of time. And again he says, go forth into the
• 45:22
  Speaker 1: world and preach the Gospel to all creation. He who
• 45:26
  Speaker 1: believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he who
• 45:30
  Speaker 1: does not believe shall be condemned. And again, this Gospel
• 45:36
  Speaker 1: of the Kingdom shall be preached throughout the world as
• 45:40
  Speaker 1: a witness to all nations. And then the end of
• 45:43
  Speaker 1: the world shall come. And likewise, the Lord foretells through
• 45:48
  Speaker 1: the prophet, and it shall come to pass in the
• 45:51
  Speaker 1: last days saith the Lord, that I will pour out
• 45:55
  Speaker 1: my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters
• 45:58
  Speaker 1: shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and
• 46:02
  Speaker 1: your old men shall dream dreams. Yea. And on my
• 46:06
  Speaker 1: men servants and my maid servants. In those days I
• 46:10
  Speaker 1: will pour out my spirit, and they shall prophesy. And
• 46:14
  Speaker 1: in Hoseiah he says, those who are not my people,
• 46:19
  Speaker 1: I will call my people, and those not beloved, I
• 46:23
  Speaker 1: will call my beloved. And in the very place where
• 46:27
  Speaker 1: it was said to them you are not my people,
• 46:31
  Speaker 1: they will be called sons of the Living God. So
• 46:36
  Speaker 1: how is it that in Ireland, where they never had
• 46:39
  Speaker 1: any knowledge of God, but always until now cherished idols
• 46:44
  Speaker 1: and unclean things, they are lately become a people of
• 46:48
  Speaker 1: the Lord and are called children of God. The sons
• 46:52
  Speaker 1: of the Irish and the daughters of the chieftains are
• 46:56
  Speaker 1: to be seen as monks and virgins of Christ. And
• 47:00
  Speaker 1: there was besides a most beautiful, blessed, native born, noble
• 47:06
  Speaker 1: irishwoman of adult age, whom I baptized, And a few
• 47:11
  Speaker 1: days later she had reason to come to us to
• 47:14
  Speaker 1: intimate that she had received a prophecy from a divine
• 47:18
  Speaker 1: messenger who advised her that she should become a virgin
• 47:22
  Speaker 1: of Christ, and she would draw nearer to God. Thanks
• 47:26
  Speaker 1: be to God. Six days from then, Opportunely and most eagerly,
• 47:31
  Speaker 1: she took the course that all virgins of God take,
• 47:35
  Speaker 1: not with their father's consent, but enduring the persecutions and
• 47:39
  Speaker 1: deceitful hindrances of their parents. Notwithstanding that their number increases,
• 47:46
  Speaker 1: we do not know the number of them that are
• 47:48
  Speaker 1: so reborn. Besides the widows and those who practice self denial,
• 47:54
  Speaker 1: those who are kept in slavery suffer the most. They
• 47:58
  Speaker 1: endure terrors and constant threats. But the Lord has given
• 48:02
  Speaker 1: grace to many of his handmaidens, for even though they
• 48:06
  Speaker 1: are forbidden to do so, still they resolutely follow his example.
• 48:12
  Speaker 1: So it is that even I should wish to separate
• 48:15
  Speaker 1: from them in order to go to Britain. And most
• 48:19
  Speaker 1: willingly was I prepared to go to my homeland and kinsfolk,
• 48:24
  Speaker 1: and not only there, but as far as Gaul, to
• 48:27
  Speaker 1: visit the brethren there, so that I might see the
• 48:30
  Speaker 1: faces of the holy ones of my Lord. God knows
• 48:34
  Speaker 1: how strongly I desire this. I am bound by the
• 48:38
  Speaker 1: spirit who witnessed to me that if I did so,
• 48:42
  Speaker 1: he would mark me out as guilty. And I fear
• 48:45
  Speaker 1: to waste the labor that I began. And not I
• 48:49
  Speaker 1: but Christ, the Lord, who commanded me to come to
• 48:52
  Speaker 1: be with them for the rest of my life. If
• 48:55
  Speaker 1: the Lord shall will it and shield me from every
• 48:58
  Speaker 1: evil so that I may not sin before him. So
• 49:02
  Speaker 1: I hope that I did as I ought. But I
• 49:05
  Speaker 1: do not trust myself as long as I am in
• 49:08
  Speaker 1: this mortal body, for he is strong who strives daily
• 49:13
  Speaker 1: to turn me away from the faith and true holiness
• 49:16
  Speaker 1: to which I aspire until the end of my life
• 49:19
  Speaker 1: for Christ my Lord. But the hostile flesh is always
• 49:24
  Speaker 1: dragging one down to death, that is, to unlawful attractions.
• 49:29
  Speaker 1: And I know in part why I did not lead
• 49:32
  Speaker 1: a perfect life like other believers. But I confess to
• 49:36
  Speaker 1: my Lord and do not blush in his sight, because
• 49:40
  Speaker 1: I am not lying. From the time when I came
• 49:43
  Speaker 1: to know Him in my youth, the love of God
• 49:46
  Speaker 1: and fear of Him increased in me, and write up
• 49:49
  Speaker 1: until now, by God's favor, I have kept the faith.
• 49:55
  Speaker 1: What is more, let any one laugh and taunt if
• 49:58
  Speaker 1: he so wishes, I am not keeping silent. Nor am
• 50:02
  Speaker 1: I hiding the signs and wonders that were shown to
• 50:05
  Speaker 1: me by the Lord many years before they happened, He
• 50:09
  Speaker 1: who knew everything even before the beginning of time. Thus
• 50:15
  Speaker 1: I should give thanks unceasingly to God, who frequently forgave
• 50:19
  Speaker 1: my folly and my negligence in more than one instance,
• 50:24
  Speaker 1: so as not to be violently angry with me, who
• 50:27
  Speaker 1: emplaced as his helper. And I did not easily assent
• 50:31
  Speaker 1: to what had been revealed to me as the spirit
• 50:34
  Speaker 1: was urging, and the Lord took pity on me thousands
• 50:37
  Speaker 1: upon thousands of times because he saw within me that
• 50:41
  Speaker 1: I was prepared, but that I was ignorant of what
• 50:45
  Speaker 1: to do in view of my situation. Because many were
• 50:49
  Speaker 1: trying to prevent this mission. They were talking among themselves
• 50:53
  Speaker 1: behind my back and saying, why is this fellow throwing
• 50:57
  Speaker 1: himself into danger among enemies who know not God, not
• 51:01
  Speaker 1: from malice but having no liking for it. Likewise, as
• 51:06
  Speaker 1: I myself can testify, they perceived my rusticity and I
• 51:11
  Speaker 1: was not quick to recognize the grace that was then
• 51:14
  Speaker 1: in me. I now know that I should have done
• 51:18
  Speaker 1: so earlier. Now I have put it frankly to my
• 51:22
  Speaker 1: brethren and co workers who have believed me because of
• 51:25
  Speaker 1: what I have foretold and still foretell, to strengthen and
• 51:30
  Speaker 1: reinforce your faith, I wish only that you too would
• 51:34
  Speaker 1: make greater and better efforts. This will be my pride,
• 51:38
  Speaker 1: For a wise son makes a proud father. You know,
• 51:43
  Speaker 1: as God does. How I went about among you from
• 51:46
  Speaker 1: my youth in the faith of truth and in sincerity
• 51:50
  Speaker 1: of heart. As well as to the heathen among whom
• 51:53
  Speaker 1: I live, I have shown them trust and always showed
• 51:57
  Speaker 1: them trust. God knows I did not cheat any one
• 52:02
  Speaker 1: of them, nor consider it for the sake of God
• 52:05
  Speaker 1: in his Church, lest I arouse them and bring about
• 52:09
  Speaker 1: persecution for them and for all of us, unless the
• 52:13
  Speaker 1: Lord's name be blasphemed because of me, for tis written
• 52:18
  Speaker 1: woe to the men through whom the name of the
• 52:20
  Speaker 1: Lord is blasphemed. For even though I am ignorant in
• 52:25
  Speaker 1: all things, nevertheless I attempted to safeguard some and myself also,
• 52:31
  Speaker 1: And I gave back again to my Christian brethren, and
• 52:35
  Speaker 1: the Virgins of Christ and the Holy women, the small
• 52:39
  Speaker 1: unasked for gifts that they used to give me, or
• 52:42
  Speaker 1: some other ornaments which they used to throw on the altar,
• 52:47
  Speaker 1: and they would be offended with me because I did this.
• 52:50
  Speaker 1: But in the hope of eternity, I safeguarded myself carefully
• 52:54
  Speaker 1: in all things, so that they might not cheat me
• 52:58
  Speaker 1: of my office of service on any pretext of dishonesty,
• 53:03
  Speaker 1: and so that I should not, in the smallest way,
• 53:06
  Speaker 1: provide any occasion for defamation or disparagement on the part
• 53:11
  Speaker 1: of unbelievers. What is more, when I baptized so many
• 53:16
  Speaker 1: thousands of people, did I hope for even half a
• 53:19
  Speaker 1: jot from any of them? If so, tell me, and
• 53:23
  Speaker 1: I will give it back to you. And when the
• 53:26
  Speaker 1: Lord ordained clergy everywhere by my humble means, and I
• 53:30
  Speaker 1: freely conferred office on them, if I asked any of
• 53:35
  Speaker 1: them anywhere, even for the price of one's shoe, say
• 53:39
  Speaker 1: so to my face, and I will give it back.
• 53:43
  Speaker 1: More I spent for you so that they would receive me.
• 53:48
  Speaker 1: And I went about among you and everywhere for your sake,
• 53:52
  Speaker 1: in danger, and as far as the outermost regions, beyond
• 53:56
  Speaker 1: which no one lived, and where no one had ever
• 53:59
  Speaker 1: penetrated before, to baptize, or to ordain clergy, or to
• 54:04
  Speaker 1: confirm people. Conscientiously and gladly. I did all this work
• 54:11
  Speaker 1: by God's gift for your salvation. From time to time
• 54:15
  Speaker 1: I gave rewards to the kings, as well as making
• 54:19
  Speaker 1: payments to their sons who travel with me. Notwithstanding which
• 54:24
  Speaker 1: they seized me with my companions, and that day most
• 54:28
  Speaker 1: avidly desired to kill me, but my time had not
• 54:31
  Speaker 1: yet come. They plundered everything they found on us anyway,
• 54:36
  Speaker 1: and fettered me in irons. And on the fourteenth day
• 54:39
  Speaker 1: the Lord freed me from their power, and whatever they
• 54:43
  Speaker 1: had of ours was given back to us for the
• 54:45
  Speaker 1: sake of God, on account of the indispensable friends whom
• 54:50
  Speaker 1: we had made before. Also, you know from experience how
• 54:54
  Speaker 1: much I was paying to those who were administering justice
• 54:58
  Speaker 1: in all the regions which which I visited often. I
• 55:02
  Speaker 1: estimate truly that I distributed to them not less than
• 55:06
  Speaker 1: the price of fifteen men, in order that you should
• 55:09
  Speaker 1: enjoy my company and I enjoy yours. Always in God,
• 55:14
  Speaker 1: I do not regret this, nor do I regard it
• 55:18
  Speaker 1: as enough. I am paying out still, and I shall
• 55:22
  Speaker 1: pay out more. The Lord has the power to grant
• 55:25
  Speaker 1: me that I may soon spend my own self for
• 55:29
  Speaker 1: your souls. Behold, I call on God as my witness
• 55:33
  Speaker 1: upon my soul, that I am not lying, nor would
• 55:37
  Speaker 1: I write to you for it to be an occasion
• 55:40
  Speaker 1: for flattery or selfishness, nor hoping for honor from any
• 55:44
  Speaker 1: one of you. Sufficient is the honor which is not
• 55:48
  Speaker 1: yet seen, but in which the heart has confidence. He
• 55:53
  Speaker 1: who made the promise is faithful. He never lies. But
• 55:57
  Speaker 1: I see that even here and now I have been
• 56:00
  Speaker 1: exalted beyond measure by the Lord. And I was not
• 56:04
  Speaker 1: worthy that he should grant me this. While I know
• 56:08
  Speaker 1: most certainly that poverty and failure suit me better than
• 56:12
  Speaker 1: wealth and delight. But Christ, the Lord was poor for
• 56:16
  Speaker 1: our sakes. I certainly am wretched and unfortunate. Even if
• 56:21
  Speaker 1: I wanted wealth, I have no resources. Nor is it
• 56:25
  Speaker 1: my own estimation of myself. For daily I expect to
• 56:30
  Speaker 1: be murdered or betrayed, or reduced to slavery if the
• 56:33
  Speaker 1: occasion arises. But I fear nothing because of the promises
• 56:37
  Speaker 1: of Heaven. For I have cast myself into the hands
• 56:41
  Speaker 1: of Almighty God, who reigns everywhere. As the prophet says,
• 56:46
  Speaker 1: cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you. Behold,
• 56:52
  Speaker 1: now I commend my soul to God, who is most
• 56:55
  Speaker 1: faithful and for whom I perform my mission and obscurity.
• 57:00
  Speaker 1: But He is no respector of persons, and he chose
• 57:03
  Speaker 1: for me this service that I might be one of
• 57:06
  Speaker 1: the least of his ministers, for which reason I should
• 57:11
  Speaker 1: make return for all that He returns me. But what
• 57:15
  Speaker 1: should I say, or what should I promise to my Lord?
• 57:19
  Speaker 1: For I alone can do nothing unless He himself vouchsafe
• 57:23
  Speaker 1: it to me. But let him search my heart and
• 57:27
  Speaker 1: my nature, for I crave enough for it given too much,
• 57:31
  Speaker 1: and I am ready for Him to grant me that
• 57:34
  Speaker 1: I drink of his chalice, as he has granted to
• 57:37
  Speaker 1: others who love him. Therefore, may it never befall me
• 57:42
  Speaker 1: to be separated by my God from his people whom
• 57:45
  Speaker 1: he has won in this most remote land. I pray
• 57:49
  Speaker 1: God that he gives me perseverance, and that he will
• 57:53
  Speaker 1: deign that I should be a faithful witness for his
• 57:56
  Speaker 1: sake right up to the time of my passing. And
• 58:00
  Speaker 1: if at any time I manage anything of good for
• 58:03
  Speaker 1: the sake of my God, whom I love, I beg
• 58:06
  Speaker 1: of Him that he granted to me to shed my
• 58:09
  Speaker 1: blood for His name with proselytes and captives. Even should
• 58:14
  Speaker 1: I be left unburied, or even were my wretched body
• 58:18
  Speaker 1: to be torn limb from limb by dogs or savage beasts,
• 58:23
  Speaker 1: or were it to be devoured by the birds of
• 58:25
  Speaker 1: the air, I think most surely for this to have
• 58:29
  Speaker 1: happened to me, I have saved both my soul and
• 58:33
  Speaker 1: my body, for beyond any doubt. On that day we
• 58:37
  Speaker 1: shall rise again in the brightness of the sun, that
• 58:40
  Speaker 1: is in the glory of Christ, Jesus, our Redeemer, as
• 58:44
  Speaker 1: children of the Living God and co errs of Christ
• 58:48
  Speaker 1: made in His image. For we shall reign through Him
• 58:53
  Speaker 1: and for Him and in him. For the sun we
• 58:57
  Speaker 1: see rises each day for us at his dead command.
• 59:01
  Speaker 1: But it will never reign, neither will it splendor last,
• 59:06
  Speaker 1: But all who worship it will come wretchedly to punishment. We,
• 59:11
  Speaker 1: on the other hand, shall not die who believe in
• 59:14
  Speaker 1: and worship the True Son Christ, who will never die.
• 59:19
  Speaker 1: No more shall he die who has done Christ's will,
• 59:22
  Speaker 1: but will abide forever, just as Christ abides forever, who
• 59:27
  Speaker 1: reigns with God the Father Almighty, and with the Holy Spirit.
• 59:31
  Speaker 1: Before the beginning of time, and now and forever and
• 59:35
  Speaker 1: ever Amen behold over and over again. I would briefly
• 59:41
  Speaker 1: set out the words of my confession. I testify in
• 59:45
  Speaker 1: truthfulness and gladness of heart before God and his Holy Angels,
• 59:50
  Speaker 1: that I never had any reason except the Gospel and
• 59:54
  Speaker 1: His promises ever to have returned to that nation from
• 59:59
  Speaker 1: which I had pre obviously escaped with difficulty. But I
• 1:00:03
  Speaker 1: entreat those who believe in and fear God, whoever deigns
• 1:00:07
  Speaker 1: to examine or receive this document composed by the obviously
• 1:00:12
  Speaker 1: unlearned sinner Patrick in Ireland, that nobody shall ever ascribe
• 1:00:17
  Speaker 1: to my ignorance any trivial thing that I achieved or
• 1:00:21
  Speaker 1: may have expounded that was pleasing to God. But accept
• 1:00:26
  Speaker 1: and truly believe that it would have been the gift
• 1:00:29
  Speaker 1: of God. And this is my confession before I die.
• 1:00:36
  Speaker 1: End of Confession by Saint Patrick