The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

The Book of the Angel

Patricio sancto episcopo summus Domini anguelus debitam reuerentiam cathedrae suae apostolicae honoremque proprium sui heredis ab omnibus Scotis traditum sapienter a Deo dictauit.

Liber angueli incipit

(1) Quo<n>dam itaque sanctus Patricius de Alti Mache urbe ad multitudines utriusque sexus humani generis babtizandas, docendas atque sanandas iuxta fontem in orientali praedictae urbis parte prope herentem pie perrexit. (2) Et ibi ante lucem multas undique ad notitiamfidei confluentes expectauit; subito ergo eum sopor prostrauit eo quod prius pro Christo uigiliis nocturnis fessus fuisset. (3) Et ecce tam cito uenit anguelus ad eum de caelo et excitauit eum leniter de sompno; et dixit sanctus Patricius: 'Ego adsum. Numquid inique gessi nuper in conspectu Altissimi? Si accidit, ueniam peto a Deo.' (4) Respondit anguelus: 'Non, sed missit me summus omnipotens ad te, id est ad animi tui consulationem, post conuersionem Hibernensium per te ad se in finem, quos ei adquaessisti per durissimum laborem et per tuam ualde praedicationem [...] (6) Scit ergo Dominus Deus tuum praesentem locum quem praesto uidemus in alto positum cum parua celula angustum, ab aliquibus quoque regionis habitatoribus coartatum, et suburbana eius non sufficiunt cunctis ad refugium. (7) Idcirco constituitur terminus a Domino uastissimus urbi Alti Mache, quam dilexisti prae omnibus Hibernensium telluribus, id est a pinna montis Berbicis usque ad montem Mis; a monte Miss usque ad Bri Erigi; a Bri Erigi usque ad Dorsos Breg: certe, si uolueris, erit huius magnitudinis. (8) Ac deinde donauit tibi Dominus Deus uniuersas Scotorum gentes in modum paruchiae et huic urbi tuae, quae cognominatur Scotorum lingua Ardd Machæ.'

(9) Dixit sanctus Patricius prostrata facie deorsum in conspectu angueli: 'Gratias ago Deo meo Domino sempiterno, qui dignatus est tantam gloriam donare clementer famulosuo.' (10) Item sanctus dixit: 'Quosdam tamen electos [...] praeuideo in hac insola [...] orituros [...], qui autem uidentur indegere aliquid sibi proprie diocessis ad utilitatem necessariae famulationis aeclessiis seu monasteriis suis post me; (11) idcirco perfecte et iuste debeo a Deo habundantiae donationem mihi certe dediatam dimittere commoniter perfectis Hiberniae relegiossis, ut et ego et ipsi diuitiis bonitatis Dei pacifice perfruemur haec uniuersa mihi concessa caussa diuinae caritatis.' (12) Item ait: 'Nonne ergo mhi sufficit quicquid deuote uouerint ac uoluerint Christiani homines offerre de regionibus atque oblationibus suis per arbitrium suae libertatis?' (13) Item: 'Nonne utique contentus sum esse apostolicus doctor et dux principalis omnibus Hiberionacum gentibus, praesertim cum peculiare censum retineo recte reddendum, et a summo mihi etiam illud est donatum uere decenter debitum super liberas prouinciarum huius insolae aeclessias et uniuersis cynubitarum similiter monasteriis sine ulla dubitatione ius decretum erit rectori Airdd Machæ in perpetuum?'

(14) 'Receptio archiepiscopi heredis cathedrae meae urbis cum comitibus suis numero quinquaginta exceptis peregrinis et infirmis doloribus uariis atque inprobis et caeteris: sit digna refectio aptaque unicuique [...]

(17) De speciali reuerentia Airdd Machae et honore praesulis eiusdem urbis dicamus. Iste quippe ciuitas summa et libera a Deo est constituta et ab anguelo Dei et ab apostolico uiro sancto Patricio episcopo specialiter dedicata. (18) Preest ergo quondam p(re)uilegio omnibus aeclessiis ac monasteriis cunctorum Hibernensium uel superna auctoritate summi pontificis illius fundatoris. (19) Nihilominus uenerari debet honore summorum martyrum Petri et Pauli, Stefani Laurendi et caeterorum. Quanto magis quoque ualde ueneranda atque diligenter ab omnibus honoranda pro sancta ammiratione nobis beneficii prae omnibus ine<na>rrabilis, quod in ea secreta consitutione exstat sacratissimus sanguis Iesu Christi redemptoris humani generis in sacro lintiamine simul cum sanctorum reliquiis in aeclessia australi, ubi requiescunt corpora sanctorum perigrinorum de longue cum Patricio transmarinorum caeterorumque iustorum! (20) Idcirco non licet causa praedictae auctoritatis contra illam mittere [con-]sortem ab ulla aeclessia Scotorum neque ab ullo praesule uel abbate contra heredem illius, sed a se recte supraiuratur supra omnes aeclessias et illarum antestites, si uera necessitas poposcerit. (21) Item omnis aeclessia libera et ciuitas ab episcopali gradu <quae> uidetur esse fundata in tota Scotorum insola, et omnis ubique locus qui dominicus appellatur, iuxta clementiam almipotentis Domini sancto doctori et iuxta uerbum angueli in speciali societate Patricii pontificis atque heredis cathedris eius Aird Machæ esse debuerat, quia donauit illi Deus totam insolam, ut supra diximus. (22) Item scire debemus: omnis monachus uniuscuiusque aeclessiae, si ad Patricium reuertit, non denegat proprium monachi uotum, maxime si ex consensu abbatis sui prioris deuouerit. (23) Itaque non uituperandus neque excommonicandus qicumque ad aeclessiam eius perrexerit caussa amoris illius, quia ipse iudicabit omnes Hibernenses in die magno terribilis iudicii in praesentia Christi. [...]

(26) Item quicumque contempserit aut uiolauerit insignia consecrata eiusdem agii, id est Patricii, duplicia soluet; si uero de contemptu aliorum insignium reddita fuerit duas ancellas, <quattour ancellae> de consecratis summi praedicti doctoris Patricii reddentur. [...]

(28) Item quaecumque causa ualde difficilis exorta fuerit atque ignota cunctis Scotorum gentium iudicibus, ad cathedram archiepiscopi Hibernensium, id est Patricii, atque huius antestitis examinationem recte refferenda; (29) si uero in illa cum suis sapientibus facile sanari non potuerit talis caussa praedictae negotionis, ad sedem apostolicam decreuimus mittendam, id est ad Petri apostoli cathedram auctoritatem Romae urbis habentem. (30) Hii sunt qui de hoc decreuerunt, id est Auxilius Patricius Secundinus Benignus; post uero exitum Patricii sancti alumpni sui ualde eiusdem libros conscripserunt.

(31) Fundatum orationis: In unaqueque die dominica in Alto Machæ ad sargifagum martyrum adeundum ab eoque reuertendum, id est 'Domine clamaui ad te' usque in finem, 'Ut quid Deus repulisti' in finem, et 'Beati inmaculati' usque in finem benedictionis et quindecim psalmi graduum. Finit.

(32) Inter sanctum Patricium Hibernensium Brigitamque columpnas amicitia caritatis inerat tanta, ut unum cor consilumque haberent unum. Christus per illum illamque uirtutes multas peregit. Vir ergo santus Christianae uirgini ait: 'O mea Brigita, paruchia tua in prouincia tua apud reputabitur monarchiam tuam, in parte autem orientali et occidentali dominatu in meo erit.'


'To the holy bishop Patrick, the supreme priest of the Lord, an angel, taught by God, announced the reverence due to his apostolic see and the due honour of his heir (to be) rendered by all the Irish.

Here begins the Book of the Angel

(1) Once then, holy Patrick went forth from the city of Armagh to baptize, teach, and heal multitudes of both sexes beside the well (that is) close to the said city in the east. (2) And there, before dawn, he awaited many persons to gather from everywhere for the knowledge of the faith; suddenly, then, sleep befell him because he had been tired out previously by night vigils for Christ. (3) And behold, at once an angel came to him from heaven and raised him gently from sleep; and holy Patrick said: Here I am, have I done any wrong recently in the eyes of the Most High? If this has happened, I ask for pardon from God.' (4) The angel answered, 'No, but the Most High Almighty has sent me to you, that is, for the consolation of your spirit after the conversion of the Irish to the faith in Him by you; (for) you have gained them for Him by very hard work and by your tireless preaching... (6) The Lord your God knows that your present place which we see before us, placed high on the hill, is narrow and has (only) a small church, and is also hemmed in by some inhabitants of the region, and the surrounding territory is not sufficient to give shelter to all. (7) Therefore a vast termonn is being established by the Lord for the city of Armagh, which you have loved more than all the lands of the Irish, that is, from the top of mons Berbicis to Slíab Miss; from Slíab Miss to Bri Erigi; from Bri Erigi to Drummai Breg: this, certainly, if you wish, will be its extent. (8) And further, the Lord God has given all the tribes of the Irish as a paruchia to you and to this city, which in Irish is called Ardd Machae.'

(9) Holy Patrick, his face bowed down before the angel, said, 'I give thanks to God my eternal Lord, who has deigned in his clemency to give such great glory to his servant.' (10) Also, the holy man said: 'I foresee, however, my holy Lord, that some elect (men) will arise in this island... who will certainly be in need of some suitable provision for the purpose of the necessary maintenance for themselves and their churches and monasteries after me; (11) therefore I ought perfectly and justly, to share with the perfect religious of Ireland the abundance indisputably given me by God, so that I as well as they enjoy in peace the riches of God's bounty - all those things having been granted to me by God's love.' (12) Also he said, 'Is it not sufficient for me, whatever Christian men have devoutly vowed and wished to offer me from their land, offerings of their own free choice?' (13) Also: 'Am I not content to be the apostolic teacher and chief leader for all the tribes of the Irish, especially as I retain my own tax rightly to be rendered, and this is given me even by the Most High as a truly fitting due all over the free churches of the provinces, and this right is decreed likewise to all monasteries of cenobites without any doubt in favour of the ruler of Armagh forever?'

(14) 'The reception of the archbishop, the heir of the see of my city, with his company, to the number of fifty, not counting pilgrims and the sick (suffering from) various ills and the outcasts and others: there shall be worthy and fitting hospitality for each one...'

(17) Let us speak (now) of the special reverence for Armagh and the honour for the bishop of this same city. Now this city has been established by God as supreme and free and has been specially dedicated by the angel of God and by the apostolic man, the holy bishop Patrick. (18) It therefore has precedence, by a certain privilege and by the heavenly authority of the supreme bishop, over all churches and monasteries of the Irish. (19) Furthermore, it ought to be venerated in honour of the principal martyrs Peter and Paul, Stephen, Lawrence, and others. How much more should it be venerated and diligently honoured by all because of the holy admiration of a gift to us, beyond praise above other things, (namely) that in it, by a secret dispensation, is preserved the most holy blood of Jesus Christ the redeemer of the human race in a sacred linen cloth, together with relics of saints in the southern church, where there rest the bodies of holy men from abroad who had come with Patrick from across the sea, and of other just men! (20) Therefore, on account of the said authority, it is not lawful for any church of the Irish to draw lots with it nor for any bishop or abbot (to do so) with his (Patrick's) heir, but (any oath) is rightly oversworn by him over all churches and their bishops, if a true necessity should demand it. (21) Further, every free church and city of episcopal rank which is seen to have been founded in the whole island of the Irish, and any place anywhere that is called domnach (is), according to the word of the angel, in special union with bishop Patrick and the heir of his see of Armagh, because, as we have said above, God has given him the entire island. (22) Further, we ought to know: any monk of any church, if he returns to Patrick, does not deny his own monastic vow, especially if he devotes (himself to Patrick) with the consent of his former abbot. (23) Therefore whosoever goes over to (Patrick's) church for the love of him must not be blamed nor excommunicated, because he (Patrick) himself will judge all the Irish on the great day of the terrible judgement in the presence of Christ...

(26) Further, whosoever insults or violates the consecrated insignia of the same saint, that is, Patrick, shall pay twofold: if, however, in respect of the contempt of the insignia of others the due is (to pay) two female slaves, four female slaves shall be rendered in respect of the consecrated (insignia) of the said supreme doctor Patrick...

(28) Further, any exceptional difficulty which may arise, (the law on which) is unknown to all the judges of the Irish tribes, is by law to be referred to the see of the archbishop of the Irish, that is, (the see) of Patrick, for examination by its bishop; (29) if, however, such a suit in the said litigation cannot easily be decided there by the wise men, we decree that it is to be sent to the apostolic see, that is, the see of Peter the apostle, who has authority over the city of Rome. (30) These are (the men) who have made this decree, that is, Auxilius, Patrick, Secundus, Benignus; after the death of holy Patrick his disciples have frequently copied his books.

(31) A Rule of Prayer: On every Sunday in Armagh, when going to the shrine of the martyrs and returning from it, namely, 'Domine clamaui ad te' to the end, 'Ut quid Deus repulisti' to the end, and 'Beati immaculati' to the end of the blessing, and the fifteen gradual psalms. The End.

(32) Between holy Patrick and Brigit, pillars (dignitaries) of the Irish, there existed so great a friendship of charity that they were of one heart and mind. Christ worked many miracles through him and her. The holy man, then, said to the Christian virgin: 'O my Brigit, your paruchia will be deemed to be in your province in your dominion, but in the eastern and western part it will be in my domination.''


Text and translation: Bieler 1979, 184-91.

Cult building - independent (church)
Cult building - monastic
Burial site of a saint - unspecified
Holy spring/well/river

Awarding privileges to cult centres
Bequests, donations, gifts and offerings
Pilgrimage

Miracle during lifetime
Healing diseases and disabilities
Apparition, vision, dream, revelation

Unspecified relic
Bodily relic - unspecified

Angels
Ecclesiastics - bishops
Ecclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits
Slaves/ servants

Other

Source

Discussion

Bibliography