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Martyrological notice
Dr. Todd has done well to say as little as possible about the l^ends which have grouped themselvee around the memory of St. Patrick. The medisBval monks amused themselves in the invention of such stories just as some critics amuse themselves now by the pulling them to pieces. To charge the memory of Patrick with the accumulated rubbish of ages is to do an injustice at once to the fame of the saint and to ourselves — for we may learn much from a study of Patrick’s life. The Roman Church reckons him a saint, and grants a ^ plenary indulgence ’ on his anniversary ; the Church of England does not include him in her calendar, though for years ‘ Patrick, Archbishop,’ used to appear against the l7th March in the almanacs of the Station- ers’ Company, then published under the nominal authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury ; but few of us will refuse to ^ the Apoetle of Ireland’ the title of saint, since the records which he has bequeathed to us show his doctrine to have been as simply orthodox as that of the Church of England of to-day.”
Historical martyrology witness · The Martyrology of Donegal (1864)
Dr. Todd has done well to say as little as possible about the l^ends which have grouped themselvee around the memory of St. Patrick. The medisBval monks amused themselves in the invention of such stories just as some critics amuse themselves now by the pulling them to pieces. To charge the memory of Patrick with the accumulated rubbish of ages is to do an injustice at once to the fame of the saint and to ourselves — for we may learn much from a study of Patrick’s life. The Roman Church reckons him a saint, and grants a ^ plenary indulgence ’ on his anniversary ; the Church of England does not include him in her calendar, though for years ‘ Patrick, Archbishop,’ used to appear against the l7th March in the almanacs of the Station- ers’ Company, then published under the nominal authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury ; but few of us will refuse to ^ the Apoetle of Ireland’ the title of saint, since the records which he has bequeathed to us show his doctrine to have been as simply orthodox as that of the Church of England of to-day.”