History of Christianity in Ireland

1
History of Christianity in Ireland
2
The Origin of the Irish Peoples

• All Irishmen are the children of successive
  invaders.
• Before the 10th Century known as Scotia.
• The Romans called it Hibernia but decided against
  an invasion.

3
The Scoto-Irish Church

• Archbishop Ussher believed that Christianity in
  Ireland was older than in any other part of
  Europe.
• In the 3rd Century Cormac, Chief King of Ireland,
  turned from paganism to the adoration of God.
• Early in the 5th Century the Irish are recorded
  as believing in Christ.

4
Saint Patrick

• His two writings which are available today are
• 1 His Confession
• 2 His Letter to Christians

5
His Early Life

• He was born in Scotland.
• His Father was a priest or a minister.
• At 16 bandits captured him and took him as a
  slave to Ireland.
• On the hillsides around Slemish he drove his
  masters cows and sheep.
• It was at this time he said he was converted
  with my whole heart unto the Lord my God.
• After 6 years he escaped and returned home to
  Scotland.

6
Patricks Call

• In a dream he saw a man called Victorious.
• He gave Patrick a letter called the Voice of the
  Irish.
• He heard the people cry, We entreat thee holy
  youth to come and walk henceforth among us.
• He devoted his life to preaching and establishing
  churches throughout this island.

7
His Ministry

• He conducted extensive evangelistic tours.
• The places that bear his name bear witness to
  this fact.
• He wrote, I am greatly a debtor to God who hath
  vouchsafed me such great grace that many people
  by my means should be born again to God, and that
  clergy should be ordained everywhere for them.

8
The King and the Shamrock

• Preaching to the King of Meath at Tara.
• He expounded the mysterious doctrine of the
  Trinity.
• The three leaved shamrock was his object lesson
  as he illustrated the truth of Scriptures.

9
Patricks Dates

• Late in the 5th Century.
• Death is most likely to have taken place on 17th
  March either 465 or 493.
• The Irish claim he was buried in Down-Patrick
  although the English also claim his burial site
  in Glastonbury.

10
A Catholic Saint or an Early Protestant?

• He never mentioned the Pope in his writings.
• Mary was not spoken of.
• Confession was not practised.
• Purgatory was unknown.
• His Father was married.

• In doctrine he was Trinitarian, Christ exalting
  and was evangelical believing in the new birth.
• He emphasised the scriptures.
• In Church Government he ordained one bishop per
  church.
• Was he a Presbyterian?

11
Columba From Donegal to Iona

• Born in Donegal 521.
• With 12 companions he sailed across the Irish Sea
  looking for a place to serve God.
• Landed on the Isle of Iona.
• Established a Monastery, Church, Farm and a
  centre of learning and evangelism.
• The Bible was transcribed.
• Iona became a base for evangelistic efforts on
  the neighbouring islands and the Scottish
  mainland.
• Columba died on Sabbath morning 9th June 597
  after transcribing Ps 3410.

12
The Celtic Monasteries

• The Irish and Scottish Monasteries were the only
  schools of their time.
• As a result of their influence Ireland became
  known as the Isle of Saints in the 7th Century.
• Irishmen took the gospel to Britain, France,
  Germany and Italy.
• Columbanus for example established a monastery
  after the Iona pattern in Burgundy.

13
Resistance To Rome

• Ireland was the last country in these islands to
  be subject to the Vatican.
• Successive Church Synods in the 12th Century
  attempted to impose prelacy upon the people.
• Local villages insisted upon electing their own
  arch-presbyters to oversee the work of God in
  their districts.
• The Synods of the Roman Church were therefore
  ignored by the people.

14
The English Pope and the Gift of Ireland

• In 1155 Adrian 4th gave Henry 2nd the authority
  to extend his own Kingdom as well as the Church
  by invading Ireland.
• The Pope was to receive 1 penny per year from
  every household in Ireland.
• In 1171 Henry landed at Waterford and assumed
  sovereignty over Ireland.

15
Ireland Before The Reformation

• The Bible disappeared from the land.
• England found parts of the country ungovernable,
  lawlessness prevailed.
• The Bishops assisted by the Government rode
  roughshod over the people.
• The Bishops were noted for their greed and
  immorality.

16
The Reformation in Ireland

• 1 In 1537 the Irish Parliament voted that the
  Church of Ireland should become Protestant.
• 2 The people, however, had to be won over to
  the Protestant faith.

17
Protestantism Politicised

• By law preaching could only be conducted in
  English, not the local Gaelic.
• The penal laws were introduced which degraded the
  Catholic people.
• As a result Protestantism became regarded as the
  religion of the conquerors, not the gospel of
  freedom.

18
Saved By A Pack Of Cards

• Under Henry 8th and Edward 6th the Reformed Faith
  made little progress.
• Under Mary the Church of Ireland was returned to
  Popery.
• Dr Cole, Dean of Saint Pauls was sent to Dublin
  to oversee the burning of heretics.
• At Chester a Protestant lady stole the Royal
  Commission replacing it with a a pack of cards.
• This was not discovered until he reached Dublin.
• Mary died before a new commission could be
  obtained.

19
During the Reign of Elizabeth

• As the Church of Ireland clergy were no better
  morally or spiritually than the priests
  Protestantism could make little progress.
• The country was in a constant state of revolt.
• By Elizabeths death the last rebel had been
  defeated.
• Also Trinity College Dublin was established, one
  of the first students being the future Archbishop
  James Ussher.

20
The Flight of the Earls

• In September 1607 ONeill, Earl of Tyrone and
  ODonnell, Earl of Tyrconnell flee Ireland to
  seek asylum in the continent.
• They represented rebellion against the British.
• Their departure opened a new era in Irish
  history.
• An opportunity now presented itself for a radical
  new policy to be introduced and followed through.
• Could the power vacuum be filled?

21
The Plantation of Ulster

• The earls were Ulstermen who now left behind vast
  areas of land which the crown now held.
• It was decided to fill these districts with
  English and Scottish settlers.

22
The Plan

• The land was divided into estates of 1,000 1,500
  and 2,000 acres.
• The owners of the larger estates had to erect a
  castle and bawn for security and plant 48 able
  bodied men.
• The rent was charged at a rate of 1 penny per
  acre.

23
The Attraction

• Cheap land was a major incentive.
• For the Scottish Presbyterians freedom from
  persecution was important.
• Ireland became both the refuge from oppression
  and the place of a new beginning that America was
  later to become.

24
The Results

• Communities such as Belfast, Londonderry,
  Coleraine, Ballymena and Newtownards owe their
  formation to the Plantation.
• Ulster became the most prosperous part of
  Ireland.
• This province also became the most British and
  the most loyal in all of Ireland.

25
What Brought the Presbyterians to Ireland?

• James 6th of Scotland appeared to be a staunch
  Presbyterian.
• He showed signs of popery as Scottish King.
• When he became James 1st of England he abolished
  Presbyterianism in Scotland.
• James Melville, successor to Knox, was confined
  to the Tower of London for 4 years.

26
Janets Lug

• In 1625 Charles 1st was crowned.
• With the help of Archbishop Laud a prayer book
  was introduced in Scotland.
• A peasant called Janet Geddes flung her stool at
  the Dean of Edinburgh when the book was
  introduced crying out, dost thou say Mass at my
  lug.
• Many godly Scots tired of the strife saw Ireland
  as a more peaceful place to worship God.

27
The Fathers of Irish Presbyterianism

• Edward Brice, Broadisland near Larne, he
  ministered as a Church of Ireland minister and
  was permitted to worship according the
  Presbyterian model.
• 1621, Rev Hubbard brought his London congregation
  to Carrickfergus!
• Carrickfergus James Glendinning was a powerful
  but eccentric preacher.
• 1623 Robert Blair arrived in Bangor. He had been
  a Professor in Glasgow University. He came to
  Ireland for freedom but explained he could not
  serve under an Episcopalian Government.

28
The Fathers of Irish Presbyterianism

• 1625 James Hamilton was settled in Ballywalter.
• 1625 Robert Cunningham was installed in Holywood.
• Josias Welsh pastored in Oldstone and
  Templepatrick. He was nicknamed The Cock of the
  Conscience because of his gifts. He was the
  grandson of John Knox.
• George Dunbar who suffered imprisonment in
  Scotland but enjoyed a prosperous ministry in
  Killinchy.

29
Archbishop Ussher

• Largely due to this godly mans influence the
  climate was favourable to the arrival of the
  Presbyterians.
• Having been tutored by Presbyterians he had a
  deep respect for their principles.
• He drew up the Irish Articles in 1615 which were
  Calvinistic and Evangelical. They accepted the
  ordination of Presbyterians, opposed the practice
  of lent and make no mention of the orders of
  Bishop, Priest and Deacon.

30
The First Irish Revival

• Rev James Glendinning of Oldstone preached firmly
  against sin and warned of Gods wrath.
• Many people in the Sixmilewater Valley were
  deeply convicted of their sins.
• Rev Glendinning could go no further and did not
  reveal the grace of the Gospel.
• Local ministers came to lead the people to Christ
  and a monthly Friday meeting instituted to feed
  the new converts in Antrim.
• This awakening had a deep influence for good both
  in the Sixmilewater and further afield.