1st Century Irish Saints in Glory
"1st Century Irish Culdees"
JOHN KNOX wrote in his history of the Church of Scotland, how in 203AD King Donald I had eradicated pagan idolatry from Scotland. Also how the next 3 successors of the King were well recorded for keeping idolatry out of Scotland (till Romans made war between the Picts and Scots). https://ota.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/repository/xmlui/bitstream/handle/20.500.12024/A47584/A47584.html?sequence=5&isAllowed=y
He also wrote how these Kings established churches of "the Culdees" as the only safe refuge for Christians escaping from persecution.
(Quoting many great established authorities that have been covered up for far too long!) This history (with full sources of corroborating historians) will be published together with a list of little-talked-about FIRST-CENTURY SAINTS OF IRELAND. As will be published at www.Celtic.press
Check back for the upcoming booklet proving the legends of the Apostle St James’ visit to Ireland are absolutely true!
Here are a few to wet your appetite:
Bishop Ussher, who was Primate of Ireland, defended the fact that the Apostle St James visited Ireland. (vi. 287, 288, 551)
Archbishop Ussher quoted the assertion of Vicentius: "James, by the will of God directed to the Hibernian coast, fearlessly preached there the divine word."
Marian, a still earlier writer, said that “St James preached the Gospel in Spain and to the nations of Western Europe."
Some other historical Irish Christians of consequence (Centuries before St Patrick):
St Conall Cernach (1st Century AD). There was a great Warrior of Ireland, of the Order of Red Branch Knights. His name was Conall Cernach who was reputed to have been (like many Irish have for centuries frequented Jerusalem) been converted at Jerusalem by Christ Himself. Although much of this is called myth, there are plenty of historians who have taken it as the literal history of Ireland. One of the most important periods of Irish history being this period of the First Century under Conor MacNessa (the High King) and his Red Branch Knights. This great knight Conall Cernach is reputed as being the first to bring the faith to Ireland, and converting his King (Emperor of the Irish), Conor MacNessa.
Some refuse to call him a Saint, because he (like Israel’s King David) carried around the heads of his conquered foes.
(On Red Branch Knights, see: “The Story of Ancient Irish Civilization”: By P. W. Joyce By Patrick Weston Joyce)
Conor Mac Nessa (1st Century AD) sent his druids to Glastonbury (to meet with Joseph of Arimathea) to codify the “Celestial Judgements”. Smithett cited these acts from the Old History of Ulster, Irish Tourist Bureau. Smithett, as well as other scholars such as Jowett in his “Drama of the Lost Disciples” (book available in our British Israel book club), said the King of Ulster www.CelticOrthodoxy.com)
So Many Outsiders, and even those with conflict of interest against the church of the Scots, validated these points. Their quotes are included in the upcoming booklet.
Some Great Quotes of Historians of the time:
St Iraenaeus(100 AD), Bishop of Lyons tels us of the existance of churches among the Celitc nations.
St Tertullian (208 AD) of Carthage, the embodiment of the highest learning of that age, tells us that the Christian Church in the second century extended to ‘all the boundaries of Spain, and the different nations of Gaul and parts of Britain inaccessible to the Romans but subject to Christ.'
Eusebius (300 AD) of Ceasarea spoke of the Apostolic missions to Britain as matters of notoriety: ‘The Apostles passed beyond the ocean to the isles called the Brittanic Isles.'
Mansuetus, Bishop of Toul (365 AD)
It’s said of Saint Mansuy et Al:
“Insula Christicolas gestabat Hibernia gentes,
Unde genus, traxil, et satus inde fuit.”
“Hibernia’s soil was rich in Christian grace.
There Mansuy saw the light, there lived his noble race.”
Chrysostom (402 AD) Patriarch of Constantinople, supplies evidence in these words: ‘The British Isles (plural) which lie beyond the sea, and which lie in the ocean, have received the virtue of the Word. Churches are there found and altars erected. Though thou should’st go to the ocean, to the British Isles, there thou should’st hear all men everywhere discussing matters out of the Scriptures.'
A Few More of the Saints:
Saint Cathaldus(2nd Century AD), was sent from Ireland to establish a church in Lucca during the reign of Con. according to numerous authorities.
King Cormac mac Airt (161 AD), the Irish High King of the 2nd Century was well reputed to have been a Christian. It’s recorded that a Druid cursed him for converting to Christ. Some say that lead to his cause of death of choking on a fish bone.
Saint Abben (165 AD) an Irishman who was baptized in Roman Britain, became a monk there and founded the Monastery called Abbandun (Seat or Fortress of Abban) now called Abingdon.
King Donald (203 AD) of Scots, with his Queen and several courtiers, were baptized, and continued for a time to promote the interests of Christianity.
King Cratilinth (277 AD) of Scots, built a church for those escaping the persecutions, it was called the “THE CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOR” in Icomkill.
St Heber/Iber(Circa 300AD) at Beglire in Leinster “where Heber instructed great numbers of Irish, as well as foreigners in sacred and polite letters” (Usher Prim p. 801)
Pelagius and Coelestius, were Irishmen who a full generation before St Patrick turned the Christian world upside down in controversy of their heresies. While some scholars are undecided as to whether Pelagius was an Irish Brit, it’s unanimous that his companion and successor Coelestius was Irish. Saint Jerome called Pelagius an Irishman. Three major church councils were called to combat Pelagianism.
Coelestius(Celestius) As the boldest promoter of the Pelagian heresies (arch-heretic) he was proven to have certainly been Irish by the letters he wrote to his family. Three such letters written in 369AD. Those are said to prove not only this but that his family were well educated, and were Christians in Ireland. Certainly it would allude to their having been educated within an extensive community of Irish Christians which were then flourishing. They were written (says Moore in his History of Ireland) ”in the form, as we are told, of little books, and full of such piety, as to make them necessary to all who love God.” A full 62 years before the arrival of St Patrick.
Sedulius, a contemporary of Celestius wrote several works in prose and verse. Among the former, a Comment on St. Paul’s Epistles, entitled, ‘Sedulius Scoti Hibernesis, in omnes Epistolas Pauli collectaneum.’
Columbanus the Irish missionary, victoriously defended the orthodoxy of his own country in a letter to the pope Gregory: “In Ireland there has been neither heretic, nor Jew, nor schismatic; for there the catholic faith is maintained unshaken according as it was first deli……”
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And so many more substantiating facts, are being included therein! Please pray about this work, as a vital mission. If you find this topic of interest, or which to help with the publishing, consider promoting us. It takes much time and effort for those already working full time in other endeavors. Therefore your prayer will be the best to help ensure this is most pivotal work moves forward for our small scattered assemblies.
Why so important? It’s basically the missing link that so many authors of the past Century saw as next steps in their own monumental works (for Example the book Celt, Druid and Culdee” etc). The Celtic church glories prove God kept His word toward His covenant true Israel people (as direct from the Apostles). Disclosing the proof, as has been carefully recorded, to His praise. We stand on their shoulders and bring to pass what these all were to achieve.
We have dozens of other works of this caliber published on our website www.CelticOrthodoxy.com i.e. Full catalog of 300 British Saints before Augustine the Roman arrived!
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