" We have thus sketched the rise of the Frankish monarchy because it has an important connection with the history of Christian missions. Orthodoxy advanced side by side with the Frankish domination. The rude warriors of Clovis, once beyond the local boundaries of their ancestral faith, found themselves in*the presence of a Church which was the only stable institution in the country, and bowed before a creed which, while it of- fered infinitely more to the soul and intellect than their own superstitions, presented everything that could ex- cite the fancy or captivate the sense. Willingly, there-, fore, did they follow the example of their king; and for one that embraced the faith from genuine, a thousand adopted it from lower motives. And while they had their reward, the Frankish bishops had theirs too, in constant gifts of land for the foundation of churches and monasteries, and in a speedy admission to wealth and power.
"But the Frankish Church was not destined to evan- gelize the riide nations of Europe. The internal dissen- sions and constant ^vars of the successors of Clovis were not favorable to the development of Christian civiliza- tion at home or its propagation abroad. Avitus of Vi- enne, Caesarius of Aries, and Faustus of Riez, proved
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what might be done by energy and self-devotion. But the rapid accession of wealth more and more tempted the Frankish bishops and abbots to live as mere laymen, and so the clergj' degenerated, and the light of the Frankish Church grew dim. Not only were the masses of heathen- dom lying outside her territorj' neglected, but within it she saw her own members tainted with the old leaven of heathenism, and relapsing, in some instances, into the old idolatries. A new influence, therefore, was required, if the liglit of the Frankish Church was to be rekindled, and the (Jerman tribes evangelized. And this new in- fluence was at hand. But to trace its origin, we must leave the scenes of the labors of Ulphilas and Severinus for two sister isles high up in the Northern Sea, almost forgotten amid tlie desfilating contest which was break- ing up the Koman world. We must glance first at the origin of the Celtic Church in Ireland and the Scottish higlilands, whose humble oratories of timber and rude domes of rough stone might, indeed, contrast unfavora- bly with the prouder structures of the West, but whose missionary zeal burned with a far steadier tiame. We must then turn to the shores of Kent, where the storj' of Clovis and Clotilda was to be re-enacted, and a Teu- tonic Church was destined to arise, and send forth, in its turn, missionary heroes among their kindred on the Continent" (Maclear's Missiom in ike Middle Ages, p. 54-58).
3. Pah-ick and the Irish Missionaries. — " The Gospel was planted in Ireland bj"- a single missionan,-, self- moved — or, rather, divinely moved — and self-supported. His historic name was Patrick, and the Roman Catho- lics (claiming him, without reason, as their own) call him St. I'atrick. He was born about the year 410, and most probably in some part of Scotland. His parents were Christians, and instructed him in the Gospel. Patrick's tirst visit to the field of his future mission was in his youth, as a captive of pirates, who carried him away, with many others, as a prisoner. Patrick was sold to a chieftain, who placed him in charge of his cat- tle. His own statement is that his heart was turned to the Lord during the hardships of his captivity. ' I prayed many times a day,' he says. 'The fear of God and love to him were increasinglj- kindled in me. Faith grew in me, so that in one day I offered a hundred prayers, and at night almost as many; and when I passed the night in the woods or on the mountains, I rose up to pray in the snow, ice, and rain before day- break. Yet I felt no pain. There was no sluggishness in me, such as I now find in myself, for then the spirit glowed within me.' This is extracted from what is called the ' Confession' of Patrick, written in bis old age.
" Some years later he was again taken by the pirates, but soon regained his liberty, and returned home. His parents urged him to remain with them, but he felt an irresistilde call to carry the Gospel to those among whom he had passed his youth as a bondman. ' I\Iany opposed my going,' he says in his ' Confession,' ' and said behind my back, •' Why does this man rush into danger among the h?athen, who do not know the Lord?" It was not badly intended on their part, but they could not comprehend the matter on account of my uncouth dis- position. IVIany gifts were offered me with tears if I would remain. But, according to (iod's guidance, I did not yield to them ; not by my own power — it was (iod who conquered in me, and I withstood them all; so that I went to the people of Ireland to publish the Gospel to them, and suffered many insults from unbelievers, and many persecutions, even unto bonds, resigning my lib- erty for the good of others. And if I am found worthy, I am ready to give up my life with joy for his sake.' In such a spirit did this apostle to Ireland commence his mission, about the year 440; not far from the time when Britain was finally evacuated by the Komans. . . .