A man who, according to the judgment of men, was not fitted to
effect such great things, who from obscurity and poverty had been called
to so high a place, and in whom therefore, as is frequently the case,
those who had formerly known him after the flesh would not recognise what
the Spirit had accomplished, such a man was obliged, with all the more
circumspection, to avoid giving any occasion to those who were disposed
to declare a thing which they could neither measure nor comprehend by the
common standard, altogether beyond flesh and blood. When many, full of
love and gratitude to the teacher of salvation, their spiritual father,
freely offered him gifts, and pious women offered their ornaments,
Patrick, although the donors were at first offended at it, in order to
avoid all evil report, declined everything. He himself gave presents to
the heathen chiefs, in order thereby to purchase peace for himself and
his churches; he ransomed many Christians from captivity; and was himself
prepared, as a good shepherd, to lay down all, even to his life, for his
sheep. In his confession of faith, which, after labouring for thirty
years in this calling, he addressed to his converts, he says: "That ye
may rejoice in me, and I may ever rejoice in you in the Lord, I repent
not what I have done, and even now it is not enough for me, I shall go
further and sacrifice much more.
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