Baptist History, Heritage & Distinctives – Patrick was a Baptist – Saint Making RCC got it Wrong Again – PART FIVE of EIGHT

Thomas E Kresal Admin · 1 hr March 18, 2020

Baptist History, Heritage & Distinctives – Patrick was a Baptist – Saint Making RCC got it Wrong Again – PART FIVE of EIGHT

None of the many volumes in my library and others at my disposal sheds any light on the beatification and canonization of the “Patron Saint of Ireland.” So, as a final resort to secure this information, one of our staff members called the research librarian of one of the leading Catholic universities in our city. He was very gracious but after searching through The Catholic Encyclopedia, the Dictionary of Saints, and several other volumes, he reported that Patrick was neither beatified nor canonized for it was not until about the 1200’s that the Papal Bull was issued which set forth the requirements for Sainthood. Consequently, Patrick, along with Augustine and others, was engulfed by the Romish system without the formalities usually attendant such procedures.

Realizing that at least four miracles must be accredited to a candidate for this exalted position, our worker probed further to discover what miracles Patrick had performed, whereupon the librarian said: “Well, the only miracle I could find was that on one Easter day shamrocks sprang from a wound in his body. If that actually happened, it was a miracle!” And our staff member replied, tongue in cheek: “Yes, if that actually happened, it certainly was a miracle!”

The Roman Catholic Church down through the years has been very adept at “saint-making,” but this old preacher was certainly not one of them. “I, Patrick, a sinner” — that is the way the “Patron Saint of Ireland” begins his own “Confession.” He starts his letter to Coroticus in the same striking manner.

The late Dr. Ironside reminds us, “Whatever others may have thought of him or may think of him today, Patrick knew himself as a sinner and found salvation where only sinners find it, in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ.” 9

Rome’s most notorious theft was when she seized bodily the apostle Peter and made him to be the infallible head and founder of her system of error. Imagine Peter, who in humility said to Cornelius: “Stand up, I myself also am a man,” placed on a pedestal as “Vicar of God on Earth.” It would have been exceedingly difficult to convince Peter of his infallibility shortly after he heard the cock crow.

Presented by Thomas E. Kresal from: A tract titled:

St. Patrick was a Baptist by John Summerfield Wimbish, D.D.

9) Mead, Frank S. “See These Banners Go, Grosset & Dunlop, Inc. New York, Copyright 1936