l6
October, and the particulars of his Life are well set forth in "Lives of the English Saints," vol iv.
October, and the particulars of his Life are well set forth in "Lives of the English Saints," vol iv.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v8
pn Aj-echc
Sec ibid. , p. cxxix.
The following is a literal English trans- lation^ given by Dr. Whitley Stokes :
The trance of seven without death.
Seventy years—not a lie—
8
See the "Transactions of the Royal Irish
told, however,
Nevertheless,
very
Malchus, Mavtinian, Diony-
Irish vol. Academy. " Manuscript Series, i. ,
On the Calendar of
part i. Oengus, pp.
cxxix. , cxxx.
9 Under the title " Dissertatio de Sanctis
septem Dormientibus," a work was pub-
lished in Rome in 1741, 4to.
10
By a writer named Morcellius.
August 7. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 109
by these compilers, after the seventh century, and afterwards that they were introduced to the Slave liturgical books. 11 It is stated, also, that these Seven Sleepers had been buried alive in that cavern they had chosen as a place of refuge, and that two Christian officers of the Emperor took care to engrave on a plate of lead the names of those holy Confessors and Martyrs. This plate was enclosed in a box made of copper, which they sealed, and con- trived to place within the cavern before its opening was closed. These Seven
12
Sleepers are said to have been brothers.
to Ephesus was greatly surprised to find no profane temple there, nor any vestige of the worship, which its people formerly practised, in honour of the Pagan goddess Diana. On the contrary, he found a magnificent Christian Church built in that city, while a bishop, who was greatly reverenced by the inhabitants, presided over that See. Moreover, he heard them speak of the persecutions raised by the Emperor Decius against the Christians and the Martyrs, as if these were events long past. Having informed the citizens of that miracle wrought by the Almighty in favour of himself and his com- panions, the bishop, chief officers and a great multitude of people were induced to follow him, until he showed them the mouth of the cavern on the side of a mountain, which was near. When the prelate entered first, he found the small coffer, containing the plates of lead with the inscriptions on them, and these he read aloud to all the people who followed him. Then advanc- ing through the interior, soon the six holy ones appeared, with faces preter- naturally bright, and their bodies surrounded with aureoles of glory. Maxi- mian, the eldest, related what had happened to them under the Emperor Decius. The living Emperor also came to visit them at their cave near Ephesus, and he learned from them, that the Almighty had deigned to manifest through them the Resurrection of the body to controvert the Sad- duceans, a sect of heretics then appearing, and who denied that doctrine. After praying to God, they returned again to sleep, while their souls went to Heaven. The Latin Martyrologists have placed the festival of those Seven
Sleepers of Ephesus, at the 27th of July. 's The Greek Menologies have a 1
feast at the 4th of August, * as being that for the day on which they entered the caverns,15 and other festivals have been assigned to them, on the 22nd and 23rd of October. The first of these latter days is said to have corre- spondedwiththedayoftheirreleasefromthecavern. Thisplacewasafterwards resorted to by devout pilgrims, and it is even shown to travellers in the Levant. To explain such a Legend, some writers have asserted that the seven youths were thrown into a miraculous slumber, from which they awoke only after the lapse of two centuries ; others again seem to think, that they really died, but that their bodies were preserved from decay, until they arose again to life, and this resurrection caused them to be regarded as Sleepers. Whatever may be thought of the narrative itself, there can be no doubt, it had a very ancient origin, and it was believed at an early period by many, in the countries ofthe East.
11 See " Annus Ecclesiasticus Grseco- De SS. Septem Dormientibus, Maximiano, Slavicus," &c. , scripsit Joannes Martinov, Malcho, Martiniano, Dionysio, Joanne, Se- Casanensis, Presb. S. J. Dies iv. , Augusti, rapione et Constantino. Ephesi in Asia
Minore, pp. 375 to 397.
I4 At this date, the Bollandists have
rum," tomus vi. , Julii xxvii. There we the pretermitted saints, p. 311.
have a previous commentary in seven sec- I5 See Les Petits Bollandistes, "Vies des
e
tions and fifty-four paragraphs, introducing Saints," tome ix. , xxvii Jour de Juillet,
Observanda, p. 194.
12
According
to the statement of St. Gre-
again alluded to the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus. '3 See the Bollandists' "Acta Sancto- See ibid. , tomus i. , Augusti iv. Among
gory of Tours.
three different Acts, with notes appended. p. 52.
It is stated, that their messenger
no LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[August 8.
Article XI. —St. Daire Dor. A festival in honour of Daire Dor is recorded in the Martyrology of Tallaghy at this date.
dEtgftti) Hap of 3ugu£t.
ARTICLE I. —ST. COLMAN, BISHOP OF LINDISFARNE, AND ANCHORITE OF INIS-BOFFIN, COUNTY OF MAYO.
[SEVENTH CENTURY. }
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—VARIOUS WRITERS OF ST. COLMAN's ACTS—A NATIVE OF IRELAND— TRAINED AT IONA—SENT AS A MISSIONARY BISHOP AMONG THE NORTHUMBRIANS— ST. WILFRID—HE RETURNS TO ENGLAND AND WISHES TO INTRODUCE IN NORTHUMBRIA THE ROMAN DISCIPLINE—THE CONFERENCE HELD AT WHITBY— DISCUSSION REGARDING THE SCOTTISH AND ROMAN RITES FOR THE OBSERVANCE OF EASTER AND FOR THE FORM OF TONSURE.
pious servant of Christ has occupied a very distinguished place in
THIS
from a
Irish and British His meekness in
retiring
bishopric
history.
to embrace a life of perfect seclusion deserves the highest commendation ;
especially since it was thus intended to promote peace and concord, when
opinions and interests could not otherwise be well reconciled. His Acts
and virtues, in the first instance, have been recorded by the Venerable
1
Bede. At this day, St. Colman, Bishop of Inis-bo-finde, is specially
commemorated, in the " Feilire" of St. ^ngus. 2 A comment is added, in Irish, and to state, that he was of Colomb Cille's Hi (Iona), and of Inis-bo- finde, on the sea in the west, in Co—nnemara, in the west of Connaught. 3
6
of him, as also Bishop Challoner.
for this holy man's festival ; yet, at the 8th of August, the Bollandists ? notice St. Colman, Bishop of Lindisfarne. As we have already seen, at the 7th day of June, Father Baert appears inclined to confound him with St.
Article xi. —l Edited by Rev. Dr. great—not a prayer to a paltry one, Colman Kelly,p. xxxi. IntheBookofLeinster bishopofpraise,oflnisbofinde. "—"Trans-
A
observance is given by Archbishop Ussher. 4 Dean Cressy,* has an account
in
ll account of St. Colman relation to the Paschal
fu—
pretty especially
copy at this same date, we find inserted, Darin"oor*. —Chapter —
Article 1. 1. 'See "His-
toria Ecclesiaslica Gentis Anglorum," lib.
iii. , cap. 25, 26, pp. 233 to 240.
2
In the Leabhar Breac copy is the following rami, thus translated —into English, by
actions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, p. exxiii.
3 See ibid. , p. exxx.
* See " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti- quitates," cap. xvii. , pp. 482 to 487, 499.
s See the "Church History of Brittany,"
:
Whitley Stokes, LL. D. chap,
xix. , pp.
"
gusti viii. p. 325.
£eib beoain niaic tterpAiti nolimhACAchmbille Colman eppcop Ailte
O 1mr bo pnoe
The feast of Be6ain, son of Nessan, a
6In"BritanniaSancta,"partii. , pp. 75
Although uncertain regarding^ the date
Book xvi. , xvi. , xvii. , xviii. , 398 to 404.
to 78.
7 See
"
Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. Au- Among the pretermitted saints,
August 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
Colman, Bishop and Patron of Dromore Diocese. 8 Moreover, at the 18th of Februarys the Bollandists have treated about him, as it has been the date assigned for his festival ; while, and as stated in a previous part of this work,
10
Calendarists. There are notices of this holy man, in the work of Rev. Dr.
the 7th of March was his feast,
according to some of the Scottish
F. S.
J. Gordon,
11 and in that of Forbes. 1* Bishop
There were many Irish Saints bearing the name of Colman ; but, we find registered in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' 3 at the 8th of August, a festival in
of Innsi Bo Finni. 1 *
That the present saint was a native of Ireland cannot be questioned ;
but, in what particular part of the Island he was born does not appear to be known. This event took place most probably, after the commencement of the seventh century. He was trained to habits of monastic discipline, in the Island of Iona ; whence also he was sent to preach the Gospel among the Angles.
During the early ages of British Christianity, the Scottish settlement of
monks on Holy Island, off the coast in Northumbria, gave origin to a See, afterwards transferred to Durham. It received that title from the sanctity of
161 its ancient monastery, * founded by St. Aidan,' in the seventh century. ?
When 18 of Lindisfarne and successor to Aidanus, died, a. d. Finan, Bishop
honour of
Colman, Bishop
660, Colman, oncoming from Scotland, was then appointed Bishop. We 1
are told, ^ that on the death of Finan, the Angles swayed between Christi-
anity and idolatry, and that Colmanus was sent by the Scots to keep them
steadfast, he being just before consecrated Bishop. In the monastery at Lindisfarne, the celebrated St. Wilfrid 2° had been educated from the time he
was fourteen years old, and there he manifested great application, penetration
and maturity of judgment, while engaged in the studies of sacred science.
However, he had left it to travel into France and Italy for further instruction.
Afterwards Colman arrived there. He was very strongly attached to the
Irish traditions, in reference both to the time for celebrating Easter, and
regarding the mode of tonsure among clerics. Meantime, having made some
stay at Canterbury, where he studied the Roman discipline in contra-
distinction to the Scottish custom, and learned the Psalter according to the
Roman instead of St. Jerome's version; in 653, Wilfrid passed with St.
21
through Kent, and crossed the seas with him, taking his first journey to Rome. At Lyons, they were detained a whole year by St.
Bennet Biscop
22 surnamed Annemund. While in Rome, Wilfrid
studied the Sacred Scriptures, and learned to approve of the Roman calculation for the correct observance of Easter. Leaving that city, after presentation to the Pope, and taking with him several relics, he returned to Lyons, where he remained for three years with St. Delphinus, from whom he
Delphinus,
8
See his Acts, at that date, in the Sixth Volume of this work, Art. i.
9 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Feb- ruarii xviii. , pp. 82 to 88.
diligently
See his Life, at the 31st of August, in the present volume, Art. i.
I? Lindisfarne Monastery was founded
about A. D. , 635.
l8 See an account of him in the Second
Volume of this work, at the 17th of Feb- ruary, Art. xxvi.
^ In the Breviary of Aberdeen.
10
that date, Art. iv.
See the Third Volume of this work, at
11
See Rev. Dr. Gordon's "Scoti Chro- nicon," vol. i. , pp. 60 to 65.
12 See " Kalendars of Scottish Saints,"
pp. 303, 304.
13 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxxi.
14 In the Book of Leinster copy, we have
the Irish entry CotrtiAtti ep1 inp bo prim. 15 See Rev. Courtenay Moore's "Chronicles
20
His festival is kept on the 12th of
of SS. and of St. Colman,
Colman's, Farahy,
22 He was
unjustly put
to death order by
Diocese of Cloyne," p. 6.
l6
October, and the particulars of his Life are well set forth in "Lives of the English Saints," vol iv. London, 1844, 121110.
2I He is venerated on the 12th of January,
r
ii2 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. August 8. ]
received the ecclesiastical tonsure. Afterwards, he was present at the death of that illustrious martyr, about the year 657, and then he judged it necessary to leave France for England, having assisted at the interment of his spiritual father. ^
The Coronal form of tonsure, and the Roman rule for celebrating Easter had not been observed in Lindisfarne among the Scottish monks, at that time. Whatever may have been the differences between the Scots generally and the Britons or Cymry, Bishop Colman kept his Easter by the same mode of calculations as these did. 2* But, as we have already seen, in the earlier part of the seventh century, such question had been agitated in Ireland, where St. Laserian,25 Abbot of Leighlin, had been mainly instrumental in procuring the abandonment of the Scottish calculation for that of the Roman, especially in the southern part of the Island, although the northern Irish
their own rite for a 26 preserved peculiar longer period.
The first of York is said to have been St. 2 ? who Archbishop Paulinus,
obtained the Pallium from Pope Honorius. 28 From that See he was ex-
2
pelled in 633. 9 Afterwards, the Scotic or Irish episcopacy prevailed in the
Anglo-Saxon province of Northumbria for thirty years : Aidan ruling seventeen, Finan ten, and Colman three years. The latter has been con-
founded with St. Colman, Martyr, of Austria, by Arnold Wion, and he is credited also with having effected the conversion of King Penda. These, however, are incorrect statements.
When Colman had been installed as bishop, Wilfrid also presided over
the of inYorkshire,and J whohadordainedhim monastery Ripon,3° Agilbert,3
priest, was Bishop of the Gevisii, among the West Saxons. These latter had been trained to receive the Roman custom in reference to the time for the celebration of Easter; while Colman was accustomed to the Irish tradition and practised its observance. However, the difference of opinion on this important matter had now become very serious in the Kingdom of Northumbria, ThemonarchOswihadbeeninstructedandbaptizedbythe Scottish or Irish ecclesiastics ; while he had acquired a very perfect know- ledge of their language, and he too followed the custom of his teachers.
2
However, his son Alchfrid,? having formed the acquaintance of Wilfrid on
his returning to England, and recognising in him a holy and learned ecclesiastic, naturally felt an inclination to adopt the instruction, which
of Ebroin, at Challons on the Soane. He
is venerated as a Martyr, on September 29th,
Monachi. " De Gestis Pontificum Anglo- rum," lib. iii. , sect, ioo, p. 2X1. Edition, London, 1870, 8vo.
This had been founded by Eata, Abbot
of Melrose, in Scotland, and it was subse-
quently given by Alchfrid or Alfred, King of Deiri, to St. Wilfrid. It is supposed to derive its name from the Latin Ripa, on account of its situation on a river bank. See Samuel Lewis' "Topographical Dic- tionary of England," vol. iii. , p. 672.
at Lyons.
a3 " 30
See L'Abbe Fleury's Histoire Ecclesi- astique," tome viii. , liv. xxxix. . sect, xxxv. , p. 501.
24 See T. Canning's "Early History of the Church in Wales and Monmouthshire. " A Lecture. Sect, vi. , p. 37.
25 See his Life in the Fourth Volume of this work, at the 18th of April, the day for his feast, Art. i.
3I He spent some time in Ireland, and afterwards he became in succession Bishop 27 His festival is observed on the 10th of of Dorchester and of Winchester. lie is venerated as a saint, at the nth of October,
26 See ibid. , chap. iii.
October.
28 He sat in St. Peter's chair from a. d.
where some notices of him may be found.
32 He was a natural son of King Oswi,
and after the death of Edilwald, legitimate
626 to 638. See Sir Harris Nicolas' " Chro-
nology of History," p. 209.
29 Illo pulso, Scotti, Aidanus, Finanus,
son of the latter, he then reigned over the Colmanus, rec pallio nee urbis nobilitate Deiri, his father ruling over Bernicia. See voluerunt attolli, in insula Lindisfarnensi Dean Cressy's "Church History of Brittany,"
delitescentes. " — Willelmi Malmesbiriensis book xvi. , chap, xvi. , sect. 2, p. 397.
"
35 Or White Bay, sometimes Latinized
August 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
113
was deemed to be preferable to the Scottish traditions. His friendship for Wilfrid was secured, as in conversation he learned the events of his life and the extent of his travels on the Continent ; and especially was he delighted to hear the accomplished ecclesiastic descant on the civilization existing in Gaul, on the grandeur of Rome, and on the rules laid down by Canon Law. 33 Itsohappened,thatAgilbertpaidavisittotheprovinceofNorth- umbria, accompanied by a priest, named Agatho, and there he had a con- ference with Alchfried and Wilfrid. The subject of debate between them was chiefly in reference to the difference with regard to the celebration of Easter, and in a minor degree respecting the mode of bearing the tonsure, with certain other ecclesiastical matters. Whereupon, having sought the concurrence of King Osvvi, it was resolved to hold a Synod at Streaneshalch,34 or Whitby,35 where the holy Abbess Hilda 36 then presided as Abbess over a community of religious women. There, it was agreed, that question was to be debated and determined ; while King Oswi and his son Alchfried were present. For the observance of the Roman rite were Bishop Agilbert, with the priests Wilfrid and Agatho, as also Jacobus37 and Rom—anus 38 for the
;
Scottish rite were Bishop Colman and Bishop Cedda,39 who had been
consecrated the — and who also became an
by Scots, interpreter
for both
partiesinthatSynod whiletheAbbessHildaandhernunswerefavourable
to their views. 40 It appears, that King Oswi took a leading part in the
Synod, and that he opened the discussion very impartially, by stating how desirable it should be, for all those who served the one God to follow the
same rule of life, nor was it right to differ in the manner for celebrating the Divine Mysteries, as all hoped to reach the one Kingdom of Heaven; rather was it desirable to investigate what had been the true tradition, so that all might agree to follow it. And, in the first place, he asked his own Bishop Colman to explain the Scottish rite and its origin, so as to give the reason for observing it. 41 Whereupon, Colman said : •' The Pasch which I observe has been received by my fathers in the Faith, and wHo sent me here as a bishop, and all our fathers, men beloved by God, are known to celebrate it in like manner. That no person should condemn or reprove the practice is shown from what is read, that Blessed John the Evangelist, a disciple specially cherished by the Lord, with all those churches over which he ruled, so celebrated it. " These and like arguments were preferred by Bishop Colman. Then the King called upon Bishop Agilbert for his statement as to the origin of his custom, and the authority for sustaining it. Then Agilbert answered: "I beseech you, let my disciple Wilfrid, the priest,
answer for me, since all of us on this side coincide in opinion as observers ofecclesiasticaltradition; while,ashavingmanifestlyabetterknowledgeof the Saxon tongue, he can more properly explain what we think on the subject, than I could through an interpreter. " Whereupon, the King
33 See Willelmi Malmesbiriensis Monachi " De Gestis Pontificum Anglorum," lib. iii. ,
sect. 100, p. 214.
38 Although a Scot, he had learned to
approve the Roman practice.
39 Also called Chad, Bishop of London.
His festival occurs on the 7th of January, wherenoticesofhimmaybefoundinthe First Volume of this work, Art. i.
34
" byVenerableBede SinusPhari. "
This denomination has been interpreted
Albus Sinus," according to Ussher, in ""
Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 482.
36 She is venerated as a saint, at the 17th of November.
40 See Matthew of Westminster, in Flores Historiarum," at A. D. dclxiii. ,
p. 217.
4I See Venerable Bede's " Historia Ec-
clesiastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , » He was Deacon to Paulinus, Arch- cap. 25, pp. 233, 234. Editio Cantabri-
bishop of York. gise, 1644, fol.
H
ii 4 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 8.
:
invited Wilfrid to speak, and he thus began " We know that Easter as
celebrated by us agrees with that observed by all at Rome, where the
2
Apostles Peter and Paul* lived, taught, suffered and were buried ; this we
have seen practised in Italy and in Gaul, where we have travelled with a desire to study or pray. Wherever the Church of Christ has spread through various nations and languages, in Africa, in Asia, in Egypt, in Greece, in the whole world, we have found one and the same time specified for it, except among the Picts and Britons, living in the two ocean Islands most remote, where
even there are many exceptions from their obstinacy, in foolishly opposing a
" It is
that you wish to consider those labours of ours foolish, when we but follow the example of an Apostle, who was worthy to repose on the bosom of our Lord,whilealltheworldknowsthathiswassuperiorwisdom. " Thensaid
:
Wilfrid " Far be it from us to accuse John of folly, when he desired to
observe the law of Moses literally, Jewish customs prevailing in the churches, while the Apostles were not able to abrogate on a sudden every legal observance, which moreover had a Divine sanction. Wherefore it was necessary, that those images, which had a demoniacal origin, should be repudiated by all those who believed ; and lest scandal might come upon those Jews, who lived among the Gentiles, the latter were obliged to observe many of their rites. Hence it happened, that St. Paul circumcised Timothy ,«3 that he offered sacrifices in the temple, and together with Aquila and Priscilla at Corinth cut off his hair, as a sign he had made a vow. All of
these ceremonies signified little in themselves, but they were done by him, in order to avoid offending the Jews. And, it was for such reason, that the Apostle St. James said to the same St. Paul: 'Thou seest, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews who believe, and, nevertheless, whoareextremelyzealousforlegalobservances. However,notwithstanding such practices of the Apostles in the beginning ; yet now that the Gospel has been plainly preached and believed throughout the world, there is no necessity —yea, it should be unlawful—either to be circumcised or to offer God carnal sacrifices. Therefore it happened, that in charitable compliance with the Jewish custom, St. John celebrated the Paschal solemnity on the fourteenth day of the first month at evening, not regarding whether that day happened to be a Sabbath or any other day of the week. But, as for St. Peter, he preached at
Rome, and considering that our Lord rose from the dead on the first day of the week, therefore giving the world hope likewise of a resurrection, he under- stood that Easter was to be thus celebrated, so that according to the legal precept, the fourteenth day of the Moon of the first month was to be expected, as St. John also did in the East. An—d that day being come, if it so happened,
that the next — was following Sunday
world-wide Afterwards, Colman practice. "
replied :
strange, indeed,
called in the
or first of the week then, at evening of the Sabbath day, he began to
celebrate the Paschal Solemnity. But, if the next day after the fourteenth of the Moon was not Sunday, but the sixteenth, seventeenth, or so following to the
one and twentieth, he waited until Sunday came, and on the Saturday evening before he began the Paschal feast. Thus Easter day, being a Sunday, was ob- servedfromthefifteenthoftheMoonuntiltheoneandtwentieth. Neitherdoes this Evangelical and Apostolical tradition dissolve but fulfil the law, by which the Paschal feast is to be observed from the evening of the fourteenth of the Moon of the first month, until the evening of the one and twentieth Moon of the same month, which observance was imitated by all St. John's successors
42 Their feasts are observed on the 29th « See Acts, xvi. , 3.
of June. ** See his Life, in the Sixth Volume of
the Lord's Scriptures Day,
August 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 1 1 5
after his death, and by the Universal Church throughout the. world. And that such is the true Easter, and alone to be observed by all Christians, hath been, not merely ordained, but confirmed, as an ancient practice, by the First General Nicene Council, as Ecclesiastical History informs us. Wherefore, Colman, it is clear, that you Scots neither follow the example of St. John, however you may pretend, and you directly contradict the tradition of St. Peter ; so that, in observing Easter, you conform neither to the Law nor to the Gospel. For, observing the Paschal time according to the letter of the
Law, St. John disregarded whether or not it happened on the Lord's Day, whereas you keep it only on the Lord's Day. And, St. Peter observed it from the fifteenth to the one-and-twentieth of the Moon ; but you from the fourteenth to the twentieth, in so much as you often begin that solemnity on the thirteenth of the Moon at evening, for which the Law itself gives no sanction. Nor did the Lord Himself, the Author of the Gospel, either eat the ancient Pasch on that day, but on the fourteenth of the Moon at evening, or deliver the Sacrament of the New Law to be observed by the Church. Moreover, by your irregular observance, you sometimes exclude the one and twentieth of the
Moon from your solemnity, which the Law, nevertheless, commands to be celebrated most solemnly. Thus, as I have stated, you agree neither with St. John nor St. Peaer; nor are you conformable either to the Law or to the
" Do
Law and the Gospel when he wrote that Easter should be observed from the fourteenth to the twentieth day ? Or is it to be asserted, that our most reverend father Columba *><> and his successors, men beloved of God, who followed the same order in reference to Easter, thought or acted in any way contrary to the sacred writings ? Moreover, many were the heavenly signs and miracles which bear testimony to their virtues ; wherefore, not doubting their sanctity, I shall not fail to imitate their lives, morals and discipline. "
"
Then Colman
think that
and much lauded in the said Ecclesiastical History, was contrary-wise to the
Gospel. "
replied :
you
Anatolius,
a
holy man,
It is certain Anatolius was a holy and learned man, and
Wilfrid then said :
worthy of all praise, but what relation have you to him, as you do not observe his decrees? For he followed the right rule in having a cycle of nineteen years to regulate the Easter time, which you either ignore, or as observed by thewholeChurchofChrist,youcontemn,asifithadnospecialimportance. He thus computed the fourteenth of the Moon for Easter Sunday, and he acknow- ledged that same day the evening Moon as the fifteenth, after the Egyptian manner. Soalso,henotedthetwentiethforEasterSunday,whenthesame day set, so that it should be taken as the twenty-first. This proves you to be ignorant of a distinctive rule, that sometimes you have Easter day before the full Moon, that is, you have it when it is only thirteen days old. How- ever, regarding your father Columba and his disciples, whose sanctity you proclaim for imitation, and whose rules and precepts you affirm to be attested by heavenly signs, lean answer, that many on the day of judgment shall say to Christ, that in His name they have prophesied, cast out Devils, and wrought miracles, and to whom He shall answer, that He never knew them. Yet, I am very far from applying this to your Fathers, since it is fair that I should believe what is good rather than evil of persons unknown to me. Therefore, I will not deny they had been devout servants of our Lord, and favoured by Him, since with a pious intention and through rustic simplicity, theyservedHim. Myopinionis,thattheirerroneousobservanceofEaster was not prejudicial or dangerous to them, as they had no one to teach them
this Work, at the 9th of June, Art. i. siastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. 4* See Venerable Bede's " Historia Eccle- 25, pp. 235, 236.
n6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 8.
more perfect rvjles. And there can hardly be a doubt, had any Catholic skilled in calculation informed them, they would as soon have followed his teaching, since they obeyed those precepts of God which they had learned. Wherefore, if you and your companions henceforth decline to obey the decrees of the Apostolic See—yea, of the Universal Church—and which, moreover, are confirmed by the Holy Scriptures, beyond all question you sin grievously. Even although your fathers were saints, they are too few in number, and living in the corner of a remote Island, to be preferred before the Universal Church, which is spread over the whole world. And, if your Columba—ours also if he be Christ's—had been a saint, powerful in miracles, shall his
46 St. Gregory of Tours and other writers mention the tonsure as existing in the fifth century. The Council of Trullo, held in the year 690 or 692, has allusion to its estab- lishmentin the Greek Church at that time.
" Dictionnaire de
4? This was ordered by St. Peter, accord-
ing to some accounts, so that ecclesiastics
might be distinguished from laymen as well in the manner of wearing their hair as in their style of dress. Others refer the origin of tonsure to a decree of A. u.
is performed by the bishop with a scissors on the cleric while he recites these words
See L'Abbe
of my inheritance and of my cup : it is thou
that wilt restore my inheritance to me. "
Psalms, xv. 5.
Bergier's Theologie," tome iv. , pp. 554, 555.
48
The Rev. Joseph Bingham asserts, that
that of the to whom our Lord said, ' Thou art Apostle,
authority outweigh
Peter,anduponthisrockI willbuildmyChurch,andthegatesofHellshall
not prevail against it : and to thee I will give the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven ? '"
Having thus ended his discourse, the King addressed Bishop Colman and said: "Tellmetruly,werethesewordsspokenbyourLordtoSt. Peter? " ThenColmananswered,thattheyweresospoken. TheKingcontinued:
" Can you produce any proof of such great power having been conferred on your Columba ?
Sec ibid. , p. cxxix.
The following is a literal English trans- lation^ given by Dr. Whitley Stokes :
The trance of seven without death.
Seventy years—not a lie—
8
See the "Transactions of the Royal Irish
told, however,
Nevertheless,
very
Malchus, Mavtinian, Diony-
Irish vol. Academy. " Manuscript Series, i. ,
On the Calendar of
part i. Oengus, pp.
cxxix. , cxxx.
9 Under the title " Dissertatio de Sanctis
septem Dormientibus," a work was pub-
lished in Rome in 1741, 4to.
10
By a writer named Morcellius.
August 7. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 109
by these compilers, after the seventh century, and afterwards that they were introduced to the Slave liturgical books. 11 It is stated, also, that these Seven Sleepers had been buried alive in that cavern they had chosen as a place of refuge, and that two Christian officers of the Emperor took care to engrave on a plate of lead the names of those holy Confessors and Martyrs. This plate was enclosed in a box made of copper, which they sealed, and con- trived to place within the cavern before its opening was closed. These Seven
12
Sleepers are said to have been brothers.
to Ephesus was greatly surprised to find no profane temple there, nor any vestige of the worship, which its people formerly practised, in honour of the Pagan goddess Diana. On the contrary, he found a magnificent Christian Church built in that city, while a bishop, who was greatly reverenced by the inhabitants, presided over that See. Moreover, he heard them speak of the persecutions raised by the Emperor Decius against the Christians and the Martyrs, as if these were events long past. Having informed the citizens of that miracle wrought by the Almighty in favour of himself and his com- panions, the bishop, chief officers and a great multitude of people were induced to follow him, until he showed them the mouth of the cavern on the side of a mountain, which was near. When the prelate entered first, he found the small coffer, containing the plates of lead with the inscriptions on them, and these he read aloud to all the people who followed him. Then advanc- ing through the interior, soon the six holy ones appeared, with faces preter- naturally bright, and their bodies surrounded with aureoles of glory. Maxi- mian, the eldest, related what had happened to them under the Emperor Decius. The living Emperor also came to visit them at their cave near Ephesus, and he learned from them, that the Almighty had deigned to manifest through them the Resurrection of the body to controvert the Sad- duceans, a sect of heretics then appearing, and who denied that doctrine. After praying to God, they returned again to sleep, while their souls went to Heaven. The Latin Martyrologists have placed the festival of those Seven
Sleepers of Ephesus, at the 27th of July. 's The Greek Menologies have a 1
feast at the 4th of August, * as being that for the day on which they entered the caverns,15 and other festivals have been assigned to them, on the 22nd and 23rd of October. The first of these latter days is said to have corre- spondedwiththedayoftheirreleasefromthecavern. Thisplacewasafterwards resorted to by devout pilgrims, and it is even shown to travellers in the Levant. To explain such a Legend, some writers have asserted that the seven youths were thrown into a miraculous slumber, from which they awoke only after the lapse of two centuries ; others again seem to think, that they really died, but that their bodies were preserved from decay, until they arose again to life, and this resurrection caused them to be regarded as Sleepers. Whatever may be thought of the narrative itself, there can be no doubt, it had a very ancient origin, and it was believed at an early period by many, in the countries ofthe East.
11 See " Annus Ecclesiasticus Grseco- De SS. Septem Dormientibus, Maximiano, Slavicus," &c. , scripsit Joannes Martinov, Malcho, Martiniano, Dionysio, Joanne, Se- Casanensis, Presb. S. J. Dies iv. , Augusti, rapione et Constantino. Ephesi in Asia
Minore, pp. 375 to 397.
I4 At this date, the Bollandists have
rum," tomus vi. , Julii xxvii. There we the pretermitted saints, p. 311.
have a previous commentary in seven sec- I5 See Les Petits Bollandistes, "Vies des
e
tions and fifty-four paragraphs, introducing Saints," tome ix. , xxvii Jour de Juillet,
Observanda, p. 194.
12
According
to the statement of St. Gre-
again alluded to the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus. '3 See the Bollandists' "Acta Sancto- See ibid. , tomus i. , Augusti iv. Among
gory of Tours.
three different Acts, with notes appended. p. 52.
It is stated, that their messenger
no LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[August 8.
Article XI. —St. Daire Dor. A festival in honour of Daire Dor is recorded in the Martyrology of Tallaghy at this date.
dEtgftti) Hap of 3ugu£t.
ARTICLE I. —ST. COLMAN, BISHOP OF LINDISFARNE, AND ANCHORITE OF INIS-BOFFIN, COUNTY OF MAYO.
[SEVENTH CENTURY. }
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—VARIOUS WRITERS OF ST. COLMAN's ACTS—A NATIVE OF IRELAND— TRAINED AT IONA—SENT AS A MISSIONARY BISHOP AMONG THE NORTHUMBRIANS— ST. WILFRID—HE RETURNS TO ENGLAND AND WISHES TO INTRODUCE IN NORTHUMBRIA THE ROMAN DISCIPLINE—THE CONFERENCE HELD AT WHITBY— DISCUSSION REGARDING THE SCOTTISH AND ROMAN RITES FOR THE OBSERVANCE OF EASTER AND FOR THE FORM OF TONSURE.
pious servant of Christ has occupied a very distinguished place in
THIS
from a
Irish and British His meekness in
retiring
bishopric
history.
to embrace a life of perfect seclusion deserves the highest commendation ;
especially since it was thus intended to promote peace and concord, when
opinions and interests could not otherwise be well reconciled. His Acts
and virtues, in the first instance, have been recorded by the Venerable
1
Bede. At this day, St. Colman, Bishop of Inis-bo-finde, is specially
commemorated, in the " Feilire" of St. ^ngus. 2 A comment is added, in Irish, and to state, that he was of Colomb Cille's Hi (Iona), and of Inis-bo- finde, on the sea in the west, in Co—nnemara, in the west of Connaught. 3
6
of him, as also Bishop Challoner.
for this holy man's festival ; yet, at the 8th of August, the Bollandists ? notice St. Colman, Bishop of Lindisfarne. As we have already seen, at the 7th day of June, Father Baert appears inclined to confound him with St.
Article xi. —l Edited by Rev. Dr. great—not a prayer to a paltry one, Colman Kelly,p. xxxi. IntheBookofLeinster bishopofpraise,oflnisbofinde. "—"Trans-
A
observance is given by Archbishop Ussher. 4 Dean Cressy,* has an account
in
ll account of St. Colman relation to the Paschal
fu—
pretty especially
copy at this same date, we find inserted, Darin"oor*. —Chapter —
Article 1. 1. 'See "His-
toria Ecclesiaslica Gentis Anglorum," lib.
iii. , cap. 25, 26, pp. 233 to 240.
2
In the Leabhar Breac copy is the following rami, thus translated —into English, by
actions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, p. exxiii.
3 See ibid. , p. exxx.
* See " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti- quitates," cap. xvii. , pp. 482 to 487, 499.
s See the "Church History of Brittany,"
:
Whitley Stokes, LL. D. chap,
xix. , pp.
"
gusti viii. p. 325.
£eib beoain niaic tterpAiti nolimhACAchmbille Colman eppcop Ailte
O 1mr bo pnoe
The feast of Be6ain, son of Nessan, a
6In"BritanniaSancta,"partii. , pp. 75
Although uncertain regarding^ the date
Book xvi. , xvi. , xvii. , xviii. , 398 to 404.
to 78.
7 See
"
Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. Au- Among the pretermitted saints,
August 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
Colman, Bishop and Patron of Dromore Diocese. 8 Moreover, at the 18th of Februarys the Bollandists have treated about him, as it has been the date assigned for his festival ; while, and as stated in a previous part of this work,
10
Calendarists. There are notices of this holy man, in the work of Rev. Dr.
the 7th of March was his feast,
according to some of the Scottish
F. S.
J. Gordon,
11 and in that of Forbes. 1* Bishop
There were many Irish Saints bearing the name of Colman ; but, we find registered in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' 3 at the 8th of August, a festival in
of Innsi Bo Finni. 1 *
That the present saint was a native of Ireland cannot be questioned ;
but, in what particular part of the Island he was born does not appear to be known. This event took place most probably, after the commencement of the seventh century. He was trained to habits of monastic discipline, in the Island of Iona ; whence also he was sent to preach the Gospel among the Angles.
During the early ages of British Christianity, the Scottish settlement of
monks on Holy Island, off the coast in Northumbria, gave origin to a See, afterwards transferred to Durham. It received that title from the sanctity of
161 its ancient monastery, * founded by St. Aidan,' in the seventh century. ?
When 18 of Lindisfarne and successor to Aidanus, died, a. d. Finan, Bishop
honour of
Colman, Bishop
660, Colman, oncoming from Scotland, was then appointed Bishop. We 1
are told, ^ that on the death of Finan, the Angles swayed between Christi-
anity and idolatry, and that Colmanus was sent by the Scots to keep them
steadfast, he being just before consecrated Bishop. In the monastery at Lindisfarne, the celebrated St. Wilfrid 2° had been educated from the time he
was fourteen years old, and there he manifested great application, penetration
and maturity of judgment, while engaged in the studies of sacred science.
However, he had left it to travel into France and Italy for further instruction.
Afterwards Colman arrived there. He was very strongly attached to the
Irish traditions, in reference both to the time for celebrating Easter, and
regarding the mode of tonsure among clerics. Meantime, having made some
stay at Canterbury, where he studied the Roman discipline in contra-
distinction to the Scottish custom, and learned the Psalter according to the
Roman instead of St. Jerome's version; in 653, Wilfrid passed with St.
21
through Kent, and crossed the seas with him, taking his first journey to Rome. At Lyons, they were detained a whole year by St.
Bennet Biscop
22 surnamed Annemund. While in Rome, Wilfrid
studied the Sacred Scriptures, and learned to approve of the Roman calculation for the correct observance of Easter. Leaving that city, after presentation to the Pope, and taking with him several relics, he returned to Lyons, where he remained for three years with St. Delphinus, from whom he
Delphinus,
8
See his Acts, at that date, in the Sixth Volume of this work, Art. i.
9 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Feb- ruarii xviii. , pp. 82 to 88.
diligently
See his Life, at the 31st of August, in the present volume, Art. i.
I? Lindisfarne Monastery was founded
about A. D. , 635.
l8 See an account of him in the Second
Volume of this work, at the 17th of Feb- ruary, Art. xxvi.
^ In the Breviary of Aberdeen.
10
that date, Art. iv.
See the Third Volume of this work, at
11
See Rev. Dr. Gordon's "Scoti Chro- nicon," vol. i. , pp. 60 to 65.
12 See " Kalendars of Scottish Saints,"
pp. 303, 304.
13 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxxi.
14 In the Book of Leinster copy, we have
the Irish entry CotrtiAtti ep1 inp bo prim. 15 See Rev. Courtenay Moore's "Chronicles
20
His festival is kept on the 12th of
of SS. and of St. Colman,
Colman's, Farahy,
22 He was
unjustly put
to death order by
Diocese of Cloyne," p. 6.
l6
October, and the particulars of his Life are well set forth in "Lives of the English Saints," vol iv. London, 1844, 121110.
2I He is venerated on the 12th of January,
r
ii2 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. August 8. ]
received the ecclesiastical tonsure. Afterwards, he was present at the death of that illustrious martyr, about the year 657, and then he judged it necessary to leave France for England, having assisted at the interment of his spiritual father. ^
The Coronal form of tonsure, and the Roman rule for celebrating Easter had not been observed in Lindisfarne among the Scottish monks, at that time. Whatever may have been the differences between the Scots generally and the Britons or Cymry, Bishop Colman kept his Easter by the same mode of calculations as these did. 2* But, as we have already seen, in the earlier part of the seventh century, such question had been agitated in Ireland, where St. Laserian,25 Abbot of Leighlin, had been mainly instrumental in procuring the abandonment of the Scottish calculation for that of the Roman, especially in the southern part of the Island, although the northern Irish
their own rite for a 26 preserved peculiar longer period.
The first of York is said to have been St. 2 ? who Archbishop Paulinus,
obtained the Pallium from Pope Honorius. 28 From that See he was ex-
2
pelled in 633. 9 Afterwards, the Scotic or Irish episcopacy prevailed in the
Anglo-Saxon province of Northumbria for thirty years : Aidan ruling seventeen, Finan ten, and Colman three years. The latter has been con-
founded with St. Colman, Martyr, of Austria, by Arnold Wion, and he is credited also with having effected the conversion of King Penda. These, however, are incorrect statements.
When Colman had been installed as bishop, Wilfrid also presided over
the of inYorkshire,and J whohadordainedhim monastery Ripon,3° Agilbert,3
priest, was Bishop of the Gevisii, among the West Saxons. These latter had been trained to receive the Roman custom in reference to the time for the celebration of Easter; while Colman was accustomed to the Irish tradition and practised its observance. However, the difference of opinion on this important matter had now become very serious in the Kingdom of Northumbria, ThemonarchOswihadbeeninstructedandbaptizedbythe Scottish or Irish ecclesiastics ; while he had acquired a very perfect know- ledge of their language, and he too followed the custom of his teachers.
2
However, his son Alchfrid,? having formed the acquaintance of Wilfrid on
his returning to England, and recognising in him a holy and learned ecclesiastic, naturally felt an inclination to adopt the instruction, which
of Ebroin, at Challons on the Soane. He
is venerated as a Martyr, on September 29th,
Monachi. " De Gestis Pontificum Anglo- rum," lib. iii. , sect, ioo, p. 2X1. Edition, London, 1870, 8vo.
This had been founded by Eata, Abbot
of Melrose, in Scotland, and it was subse-
quently given by Alchfrid or Alfred, King of Deiri, to St. Wilfrid. It is supposed to derive its name from the Latin Ripa, on account of its situation on a river bank. See Samuel Lewis' "Topographical Dic- tionary of England," vol. iii. , p. 672.
at Lyons.
a3 " 30
See L'Abbe Fleury's Histoire Ecclesi- astique," tome viii. , liv. xxxix. . sect, xxxv. , p. 501.
24 See T. Canning's "Early History of the Church in Wales and Monmouthshire. " A Lecture. Sect, vi. , p. 37.
25 See his Life in the Fourth Volume of this work, at the 18th of April, the day for his feast, Art. i.
3I He spent some time in Ireland, and afterwards he became in succession Bishop 27 His festival is observed on the 10th of of Dorchester and of Winchester. lie is venerated as a saint, at the nth of October,
26 See ibid. , chap. iii.
October.
28 He sat in St. Peter's chair from a. d.
where some notices of him may be found.
32 He was a natural son of King Oswi,
and after the death of Edilwald, legitimate
626 to 638. See Sir Harris Nicolas' " Chro-
nology of History," p. 209.
29 Illo pulso, Scotti, Aidanus, Finanus,
son of the latter, he then reigned over the Colmanus, rec pallio nee urbis nobilitate Deiri, his father ruling over Bernicia. See voluerunt attolli, in insula Lindisfarnensi Dean Cressy's "Church History of Brittany,"
delitescentes. " — Willelmi Malmesbiriensis book xvi. , chap, xvi. , sect. 2, p. 397.
"
35 Or White Bay, sometimes Latinized
August 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
113
was deemed to be preferable to the Scottish traditions. His friendship for Wilfrid was secured, as in conversation he learned the events of his life and the extent of his travels on the Continent ; and especially was he delighted to hear the accomplished ecclesiastic descant on the civilization existing in Gaul, on the grandeur of Rome, and on the rules laid down by Canon Law. 33 Itsohappened,thatAgilbertpaidavisittotheprovinceofNorth- umbria, accompanied by a priest, named Agatho, and there he had a con- ference with Alchfried and Wilfrid. The subject of debate between them was chiefly in reference to the difference with regard to the celebration of Easter, and in a minor degree respecting the mode of bearing the tonsure, with certain other ecclesiastical matters. Whereupon, having sought the concurrence of King Osvvi, it was resolved to hold a Synod at Streaneshalch,34 or Whitby,35 where the holy Abbess Hilda 36 then presided as Abbess over a community of religious women. There, it was agreed, that question was to be debated and determined ; while King Oswi and his son Alchfried were present. For the observance of the Roman rite were Bishop Agilbert, with the priests Wilfrid and Agatho, as also Jacobus37 and Rom—anus 38 for the
;
Scottish rite were Bishop Colman and Bishop Cedda,39 who had been
consecrated the — and who also became an
by Scots, interpreter
for both
partiesinthatSynod whiletheAbbessHildaandhernunswerefavourable
to their views. 40 It appears, that King Oswi took a leading part in the
Synod, and that he opened the discussion very impartially, by stating how desirable it should be, for all those who served the one God to follow the
same rule of life, nor was it right to differ in the manner for celebrating the Divine Mysteries, as all hoped to reach the one Kingdom of Heaven; rather was it desirable to investigate what had been the true tradition, so that all might agree to follow it. And, in the first place, he asked his own Bishop Colman to explain the Scottish rite and its origin, so as to give the reason for observing it. 41 Whereupon, Colman said : •' The Pasch which I observe has been received by my fathers in the Faith, and wHo sent me here as a bishop, and all our fathers, men beloved by God, are known to celebrate it in like manner. That no person should condemn or reprove the practice is shown from what is read, that Blessed John the Evangelist, a disciple specially cherished by the Lord, with all those churches over which he ruled, so celebrated it. " These and like arguments were preferred by Bishop Colman. Then the King called upon Bishop Agilbert for his statement as to the origin of his custom, and the authority for sustaining it. Then Agilbert answered: "I beseech you, let my disciple Wilfrid, the priest,
answer for me, since all of us on this side coincide in opinion as observers ofecclesiasticaltradition; while,ashavingmanifestlyabetterknowledgeof the Saxon tongue, he can more properly explain what we think on the subject, than I could through an interpreter. " Whereupon, the King
33 See Willelmi Malmesbiriensis Monachi " De Gestis Pontificum Anglorum," lib. iii. ,
sect. 100, p. 214.
38 Although a Scot, he had learned to
approve the Roman practice.
39 Also called Chad, Bishop of London.
His festival occurs on the 7th of January, wherenoticesofhimmaybefoundinthe First Volume of this work, Art. i.
34
" byVenerableBede SinusPhari. "
This denomination has been interpreted
Albus Sinus," according to Ussher, in ""
Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 482.
36 She is venerated as a saint, at the 17th of November.
40 See Matthew of Westminster, in Flores Historiarum," at A. D. dclxiii. ,
p. 217.
4I See Venerable Bede's " Historia Ec-
clesiastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , » He was Deacon to Paulinus, Arch- cap. 25, pp. 233, 234. Editio Cantabri-
bishop of York. gise, 1644, fol.
H
ii 4 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 8.
:
invited Wilfrid to speak, and he thus began " We know that Easter as
celebrated by us agrees with that observed by all at Rome, where the
2
Apostles Peter and Paul* lived, taught, suffered and were buried ; this we
have seen practised in Italy and in Gaul, where we have travelled with a desire to study or pray. Wherever the Church of Christ has spread through various nations and languages, in Africa, in Asia, in Egypt, in Greece, in the whole world, we have found one and the same time specified for it, except among the Picts and Britons, living in the two ocean Islands most remote, where
even there are many exceptions from their obstinacy, in foolishly opposing a
" It is
that you wish to consider those labours of ours foolish, when we but follow the example of an Apostle, who was worthy to repose on the bosom of our Lord,whilealltheworldknowsthathiswassuperiorwisdom. " Thensaid
:
Wilfrid " Far be it from us to accuse John of folly, when he desired to
observe the law of Moses literally, Jewish customs prevailing in the churches, while the Apostles were not able to abrogate on a sudden every legal observance, which moreover had a Divine sanction. Wherefore it was necessary, that those images, which had a demoniacal origin, should be repudiated by all those who believed ; and lest scandal might come upon those Jews, who lived among the Gentiles, the latter were obliged to observe many of their rites. Hence it happened, that St. Paul circumcised Timothy ,«3 that he offered sacrifices in the temple, and together with Aquila and Priscilla at Corinth cut off his hair, as a sign he had made a vow. All of
these ceremonies signified little in themselves, but they were done by him, in order to avoid offending the Jews. And, it was for such reason, that the Apostle St. James said to the same St. Paul: 'Thou seest, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews who believe, and, nevertheless, whoareextremelyzealousforlegalobservances. However,notwithstanding such practices of the Apostles in the beginning ; yet now that the Gospel has been plainly preached and believed throughout the world, there is no necessity —yea, it should be unlawful—either to be circumcised or to offer God carnal sacrifices. Therefore it happened, that in charitable compliance with the Jewish custom, St. John celebrated the Paschal solemnity on the fourteenth day of the first month at evening, not regarding whether that day happened to be a Sabbath or any other day of the week. But, as for St. Peter, he preached at
Rome, and considering that our Lord rose from the dead on the first day of the week, therefore giving the world hope likewise of a resurrection, he under- stood that Easter was to be thus celebrated, so that according to the legal precept, the fourteenth day of the Moon of the first month was to be expected, as St. John also did in the East. An—d that day being come, if it so happened,
that the next — was following Sunday
world-wide Afterwards, Colman practice. "
replied :
strange, indeed,
called in the
or first of the week then, at evening of the Sabbath day, he began to
celebrate the Paschal Solemnity. But, if the next day after the fourteenth of the Moon was not Sunday, but the sixteenth, seventeenth, or so following to the
one and twentieth, he waited until Sunday came, and on the Saturday evening before he began the Paschal feast. Thus Easter day, being a Sunday, was ob- servedfromthefifteenthoftheMoonuntiltheoneandtwentieth. Neitherdoes this Evangelical and Apostolical tradition dissolve but fulfil the law, by which the Paschal feast is to be observed from the evening of the fourteenth of the Moon of the first month, until the evening of the one and twentieth Moon of the same month, which observance was imitated by all St. John's successors
42 Their feasts are observed on the 29th « See Acts, xvi. , 3.
of June. ** See his Life, in the Sixth Volume of
the Lord's Scriptures Day,
August 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 1 1 5
after his death, and by the Universal Church throughout the. world. And that such is the true Easter, and alone to be observed by all Christians, hath been, not merely ordained, but confirmed, as an ancient practice, by the First General Nicene Council, as Ecclesiastical History informs us. Wherefore, Colman, it is clear, that you Scots neither follow the example of St. John, however you may pretend, and you directly contradict the tradition of St. Peter ; so that, in observing Easter, you conform neither to the Law nor to the Gospel. For, observing the Paschal time according to the letter of the
Law, St. John disregarded whether or not it happened on the Lord's Day, whereas you keep it only on the Lord's Day. And, St. Peter observed it from the fifteenth to the one-and-twentieth of the Moon ; but you from the fourteenth to the twentieth, in so much as you often begin that solemnity on the thirteenth of the Moon at evening, for which the Law itself gives no sanction. Nor did the Lord Himself, the Author of the Gospel, either eat the ancient Pasch on that day, but on the fourteenth of the Moon at evening, or deliver the Sacrament of the New Law to be observed by the Church. Moreover, by your irregular observance, you sometimes exclude the one and twentieth of the
Moon from your solemnity, which the Law, nevertheless, commands to be celebrated most solemnly. Thus, as I have stated, you agree neither with St. John nor St. Peaer; nor are you conformable either to the Law or to the
" Do
Law and the Gospel when he wrote that Easter should be observed from the fourteenth to the twentieth day ? Or is it to be asserted, that our most reverend father Columba *><> and his successors, men beloved of God, who followed the same order in reference to Easter, thought or acted in any way contrary to the sacred writings ? Moreover, many were the heavenly signs and miracles which bear testimony to their virtues ; wherefore, not doubting their sanctity, I shall not fail to imitate their lives, morals and discipline. "
"
Then Colman
think that
and much lauded in the said Ecclesiastical History, was contrary-wise to the
Gospel. "
replied :
you
Anatolius,
a
holy man,
It is certain Anatolius was a holy and learned man, and
Wilfrid then said :
worthy of all praise, but what relation have you to him, as you do not observe his decrees? For he followed the right rule in having a cycle of nineteen years to regulate the Easter time, which you either ignore, or as observed by thewholeChurchofChrist,youcontemn,asifithadnospecialimportance. He thus computed the fourteenth of the Moon for Easter Sunday, and he acknow- ledged that same day the evening Moon as the fifteenth, after the Egyptian manner. Soalso,henotedthetwentiethforEasterSunday,whenthesame day set, so that it should be taken as the twenty-first. This proves you to be ignorant of a distinctive rule, that sometimes you have Easter day before the full Moon, that is, you have it when it is only thirteen days old. How- ever, regarding your father Columba and his disciples, whose sanctity you proclaim for imitation, and whose rules and precepts you affirm to be attested by heavenly signs, lean answer, that many on the day of judgment shall say to Christ, that in His name they have prophesied, cast out Devils, and wrought miracles, and to whom He shall answer, that He never knew them. Yet, I am very far from applying this to your Fathers, since it is fair that I should believe what is good rather than evil of persons unknown to me. Therefore, I will not deny they had been devout servants of our Lord, and favoured by Him, since with a pious intention and through rustic simplicity, theyservedHim. Myopinionis,thattheirerroneousobservanceofEaster was not prejudicial or dangerous to them, as they had no one to teach them
this Work, at the 9th of June, Art. i. siastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. 4* See Venerable Bede's " Historia Eccle- 25, pp. 235, 236.
n6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 8.
more perfect rvjles. And there can hardly be a doubt, had any Catholic skilled in calculation informed them, they would as soon have followed his teaching, since they obeyed those precepts of God which they had learned. Wherefore, if you and your companions henceforth decline to obey the decrees of the Apostolic See—yea, of the Universal Church—and which, moreover, are confirmed by the Holy Scriptures, beyond all question you sin grievously. Even although your fathers were saints, they are too few in number, and living in the corner of a remote Island, to be preferred before the Universal Church, which is spread over the whole world. And, if your Columba—ours also if he be Christ's—had been a saint, powerful in miracles, shall his
46 St. Gregory of Tours and other writers mention the tonsure as existing in the fifth century. The Council of Trullo, held in the year 690 or 692, has allusion to its estab- lishmentin the Greek Church at that time.
" Dictionnaire de
4? This was ordered by St. Peter, accord-
ing to some accounts, so that ecclesiastics
might be distinguished from laymen as well in the manner of wearing their hair as in their style of dress. Others refer the origin of tonsure to a decree of A. u.
is performed by the bishop with a scissors on the cleric while he recites these words
See L'Abbe
of my inheritance and of my cup : it is thou
that wilt restore my inheritance to me. "
Psalms, xv. 5.
Bergier's Theologie," tome iv. , pp. 554, 555.
48
The Rev. Joseph Bingham asserts, that
that of the to whom our Lord said, ' Thou art Apostle,
authority outweigh
Peter,anduponthisrockI willbuildmyChurch,andthegatesofHellshall
not prevail against it : and to thee I will give the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven ? '"
Having thus ended his discourse, the King addressed Bishop Colman and said: "Tellmetruly,werethesewordsspokenbyourLordtoSt. Peter? " ThenColmananswered,thattheyweresospoken. TheKingcontinued:
" Can you produce any proof of such great power having been conferred on your Columba ?
