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[CANONS ATTRIBUTED TO S. PATRICK.]

XII. De oblatione pro defunctis.

Audi Apostolum dicentem, "Est autem peccatum ad mortem, non pro illo dico ut roget quis 1." Et Dominus, "Nolite donare sanctum canibus 2." Qui enim in vita sua non merebitur sacrificium accipere, quomodo post mortem illi poterit adjuvare?

XIII. De sacrificio.

In nocte Paschæ, si fas est ferre foras, non foras fertur, sed fidelibus deferatur". Quid aliud significat quod in una domo sumitur agnus, quam [quod ] sub uno fidei culmine creditur et communicatur Christus ?

XIV. De abstinentia votiva vel legali a cibis P.

Statutum, ut [post] Christi adventum sponsi nullas ratas leges inveniat jejunii. Quid autem inter Novatianum et Christianum interest, nisi quod Novatianus indesinenter, Christianus vero per tempus abstineat; ut locus, et tempus, et persona per omnia observetur 4.

XV. De relinquenda vel docenda patria.

Docenda patria prius, per exemplum Domini; et derelinquenda postea si non proficiet, juxta exemplum Apostoli. Sed qui potest faceres, licet periclitatur, ubique doceat, et se ostendat; qui vero non potest, taceat et abscondat. Alius quippe ab Jesu in domum suam mittitur, alius sequi jubetur 3.

XVI. De falsis Episcopis.

Qui non secundum Apostolum electus est ab altero Episcopo, est damnandus; deinde ad reliquam plebem declinandus et degradandus.

Monachi sunt, qui

Episcopi vel abbatis.

XVII. De præposito monachorum.

solitarii sine terrenis opibus habitant sub potestate Non sunt autem monachi, sed vactro-peritit (hoc

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[CANONS ATTRIBUTED TO S. PATRICK.]

est, contemptores solliciti). Ad vitam perfectam in ætate perfecta (hoc est, a viginti annis) debet unusquisque constringi, non adtestando sed voto perficiendo: ut est illud," Unusquisque sicut proposuit corde suo faciat1;" et, "Ut vota mea reddam in conspectu Domini," et reliqua. Quo voto vivitur, situs locorum coartat, si superabundantia in omnibus devitetur in vita; quia in frigore et nuditate, in fame et siti, in vigiliis et jejuniis, vocati

sunt.

XVIII. De tribus seminibus Evangeliorum3.

Centesimum Episcopi et doctores, qui omnibus omnia sunt; sexagesimum clerici, et viduæ, qui continentes sunt; tricesimum laici, qui fideles sunt, qui perfecte Trinitatem credunt. His amplius non est in messe Domini. Monachos vero et virgines cum centesimis jungimus.

XIX. Qua ætate baptizandi sunt.

Octavo die chatechumeni sunt; postea, solemnitatibus Domini baptizantur, id est, Pascha, et Pentecoste, et Epiphania.

XX. De parrociis.

Cum monachis non est dicendum, quorum malum est inauditum, qui unitatem vero plebis non incongrue suscepimus.

XXI. De retinendis vel dimittendis monachis.

Unusquisque fructum suum in Ecclesia, in qua imbutus est, perfruatur; nisi causa majoris profectus ad alterius u ferre permissa abbatis cogat. Si vero ex[t]i[t]erit y causa utilior, cum benedictione dicatur, "Ecce Agnus Dei ;" non quod sua sunt singuli quærentes, sed quæ Iesu Christi 5: vocationis a autem causam non permittunt b subditos discurrere.

XXII. De sumenda Eucharistia post lapsum.

Post examinationem carcerisc sumenda est; maxime autem in nocte Paschæ, in qua qui non communicat, fidelis non est. Ideo brevia sunt et stricta apud eos spatia, ne anima fidelis intereat tanto tempore jejuna medicinæ; Domino dicente, "Nisi manducaveritis carnem Filii hominis, non habebitis vitam in vobis "."

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[CANONS ATTRIBUTED TO S. PATRICK.]

XXIII. De juramento.

"Non jurare omnino 1." De hoc consequente d lectionis series docet non adjurandam esse creaturam aliam, nisi Creatorem: ut prophetis mos est,— "Vivit Dominus," et, "Vivit anima mea," et, "Vivit Dominus Cui assisto hodie 2." Finis autem contradictionis est nisi Domino 3. Omnie enim quod amat homo, hoc et juraturf.

XXIV. De contentione duorum absque testibus.

Statuunt, ut per quatuor sancta evangelia, antequam communicet, testatur, quid probatur; et deinde sub judice fama relinquatur 8.

XXV. De toro fratris defuncti.

Audi decreta synodi,-" Superstes h frater thorum defuncti fratris non ascendat:"-Domino dicente, "Erunt duo in carne una" ergo uxor fratris tui soror tua esti.

XXVI. De meretrice conjuge.

Audi Dominum dicentem,- Qui adhæret meretrici, unum corpus efficitur 5." Item," Adultera lapidetur":"-id est, huic vitio moriatur, ut desinat crescere quæ non desinit moechari. Item, si adulterata fuerit mulier, nunquid revertitur ad virum suum priorem. Item, "Non licet viro dimittere uxorem, nisi ob causam fornicationis 7:"- -ac si dicat, ob hanc causam; unde, si ducat alteram velut post mortem prioris, non vetant.

XXVII. De voluntate virginis vel patris in conjugio.

Quod vult pater, faciat virgo, quia caput mulieris vir. Sed requirenda. est a patre voluntas virginis, dum "Deus reliquit hominem in manu consilii sui 8."

XXVIII. De primis vel secundis votis.

Eadem ratione observanda sunt prima vota, et prima conjugia, ut secundis prima non sint irrita, nisi fuerint adulterata.

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[CANONS ATTRIBUTED TO S. PATRICK.]

XXIX. De consanguinitate in conjugio.

Intelligite quid Lex loquitur, non minus nec plus: quod autem observatur apud nos, ut quatuor genera dividantur, nec vidisse dicunt nec legisse.

XXX. De vindicandis adsuetis.

Nunquam vetitum k; licet. Verum observandæ sunt leges jubilei, hoc est, quinquaginta anni, ut non adfirmetur incerta vice ratio m temporis. Et ideo omnis negotia[tio] subscriptione Romanorum confirmanda est ".

XXXI. De gentilibus qui ante baptismum credunt, quam pœnitentiam

habeant.

Remittuntur quidem omnium peccata in baptismo; sed qui cum fideli conscientia infidelis temporarius vixit, ut fidelis peccator judicandus

est.

Finit Patricii Synodus. [S., I. 55-59; W., I. 4-6; Ware, pp. 31-39.]

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APPENDIX B.

EXTRACTS FROM THE ANCIENT LAWS OF IRELAND, CALLED

SENCHUS MOR, RELATING TO THE CHURCH.

[1. Place, Time, and History of the Code.]

Locc don laidse Teamuir, ocus loc do Seanchus hi samrad ocus i fogmur, ar a glainni [ocus ar-ahaibne] is na haimseraib sin; ocus Raith gut aird, in baili adta Lec Patraic aniu, i nGlind na mbodur, i fagus do Nith nemundach, a loc

1 The Senchus Mòr is the code of the old Irish law, derived from Pagan times, but drawn into the form of a code, and modified so as to be in harmony with Christianity and to recognize the Christian Church, under the influence of Christian ecclesiastics. The date at which it was compiled, is affirmed by itself, and by the IV. Mag., to have been that of S. Patrick; who with Benignus and Cairnech makes up the ecclesiastical trio of its nine alleged compilers. Irish scholars like Dr. O'Donovan assert the

language of the code itself, apart from the Introduction and the Glosses, to be consistent with such a date. The place also at which it was in part drawn up, viz. Tara, which ceased to be a royal residence A.D. 565, indicates that it was at least commenced before (at latest) that year. On the other hand, the more than questionable Christianity of at least two of the Kings named as among its compilers, the analogous case of Howel Dda's Laws, where the mere fact of a triple code (besides other difficulties) shews that the literal statement of its origin only approximates to the truth, the great improbability that the influence and the territorial endowments of the Church could have been so great in Ireland at that early date, and the general presumptions that lie against the literal truth of a legend of

The place of this Poem and the place of the Senchus was Teamhaira, in the summer and in the autumn, on account of its cleanness and pleasantness during these seasons; and Rath-guthaird, where the stone of Patrick is at this day in Glenn-na

such a character and period,-incline to the conclusion that the story in the Introduction contains only a nucleus of truth; and that Dr. Todd's is the soberer judgment, who holds it "not impossible that such a work may have been begun in the times of S. Patrick, but that the Senchus Mòr in its present form caunot be of so remote an age;" although he would date even the later portions (now, however, we suppose, inseparable from the rest) as not later than the 9th or 10th centuries. The 13th century appears to be the earliest date of any existing MS. The Irish, with a translation, of a portion of the code, was published at Dublin, vol. i. in 1865, vol. ii. in 1869, under the authority of a Royal Commission for the purpose, by Dr. W. Neilson Hancock, with the cooperation of Mr. O'Curry and Dr. O'Donovan until their deaths, and then of Professor Thaddeus O'Mahony; under the title of Ancient Laws of Ireland-SENCHU'S MOR, Vol. I. Introduction to Senchus Mor, and ATHGABAIL, or Law of Distress, as contained in the Harleian MSS.; and vol. II. Law of Listress completed, Laws of Hostage-Sureties, Fosterage, Saer-Stock Tenure, Daer-Stock Tenure, and of Social Connexions. Other volumes are to follow. The extracts here given are those portions only which refer to the Church.

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