ON S. BAITHENEUS THE ABBOT, S. COLUMBA'S SUCCESSOR, ON IONA ISLAND OF SCOTLAND.
A.D. DCI.
LITTLE PREFACE.
On the cult of the Saint: of his rule & death's time.
Baitheneus, Abbot in Hibernia (S.)
F. B.
To Saint Columba, of the Hyensian monastery Founder, succeeded S. Baitheneus, to others Baithenus, Successor of S. Columba & cousin, Baithinus; Cominus also called, to S. Columba joined by blood. For Brendanus son of Fergus was the father of Baitheneus & paternal uncle of Columba. Succeeded, I say, Son to Father, Disciple to Master, Successor in the monastery's rule to Predecessor; not in dignity only, but more of virtues & miracles heir. For it is fitting to join those, whom nature, life, office, death, virtue, & itself thus joined Divine providence, that on the same day of each is celebrated the solemnity.
[2] This Solemnity its beginning to us seems to have taken from his death's year, since indeed Adamnan, who at the end of the VII century flourished, at whose beginning died S. Baitheneus in the life of S. Columba no. 81 says: At the sixth hour the church with the Brethren entering, the sacred of Mass solemnities equally we celebrated, is venerated on the same day. on the feast day, on which falls the natal of S. Columba & Baitheneus. Another of ancient cult testimony is not to be sought: & perhaps now not would be found other than of our Salamanca codex, by three centuries on parchment written, & of the chief Saints Hibernian Lives containing, in which with Saint title Baitheneus is honored, before the Life which we give thence described: we call however the Salamanca Codex, because from our Society's College of Salamanca to our Museum it crossed, although somewhere in Hibernia written.
[3] The time of death & rule thus defines Colgan, in Appendix 5 to the Life of S. Columba ch. 3 §. 4, that he says him, in the fourth after the death of his Predecessor year, died: one only of rule, where he has found Ussher, he does not indicate himself: according to whom by that reason would have died Baitheneus DXCVII, since in his opinion S. Columba died in the preceding year. I, who in the preliminary Commentary to the more prolix Acts of S. Columba, of their opinion preferred, who affirm the Saint that from this life to have migrated one year later, & from the common of Hibernians opinion; as long as no in the contrary is brought reason; to believe I prefer, for four years S. Baitheneus to have presided, & consequently him in year DCI the end of life equally & to rule to have placed I judge.
ACTS
From our codex parchment ms.
Baitheneus, Abbot in Hibernia (S.)
BHL Number: 0896
FROM MS.
[1] S. Baithinius, S. Columba's disciple, The Reverend father Abbot Baithinus, from infancy his in the word of God & disciple morals by the Abbot most renowned Columba diligently was instructed ; & just as in age of body he grew, so more robust & more perfect works faithfully he exercised. No one indeed ever idle to catch could him: either in reading, or praying, or corporally laboring, to monastic exercises diligent, the time to himself granted he was spending; except that to the necessities of neighbors helping, sometimes these he interrupted. For when a journey some he made, or someone he addressed, his hands under his garment to pray to God with mind alert meanwhile he directed. Whence so devoted he was to prayer, that in taking food, between two little particles to mouth applied, at the same time between two little sips, that verse to holy men familiar, namely, God to my aid attend, Lord to help me hasten, he sang: to prayer devoted he constantly applies himself, & what more difficult is, in time of reaping, when a sheaf to the earth gathered he carried to the heap, alternately meanwhile arms to heaven extending, the Thunderer he prayed; nor then, for devotion gnats over face his sitting he moved away. The same also diligence to all commands of God to fulfill he exhibited; & inasmuch as the capacity of human fragility permitted, the flesh his he subdued, & the interior man with arms spiritual against the enemy he armed. In these however of merits heaps, no one in guarding treasure worldly, the virtues humbly hides. as much as he himself solicitous [was] in hiding the virtues, which the Lord God through him did: whence as much as he could, for humility's cause & elation to be avoided, to publish his wonders he refused.
[2] About which by example sake this first to us is to be commemorated, a dropsical man he cures, that a certain of his Monks, by name Trenanus, dropsical from his infirmity he cured; him ordering, that to no one this he should say, as long as he himself lived: he prophesied however to him, that before few days of his death, through this pain again to be purged he would be: which after many times done is. At the time however in which he himself to the elder Columba succeeded, on a certain day when near the table he was eating, a demon horrible through the window looking he noticed; & with sign of the Cross his Brethren he signed: & immediately that demon, the demon he puts to flight by sign of Cross; like smoke, quickly vanished, When he himself the Father by the Brethren was interrogated, why the sign of the Cross thus on them he impressed; he answered: The devil through the window at the hour of dining just now, Brethren, was looking, that he might catch whether anyone negligent among you he should find, who his food with the seal of the Cross of Christ did not bless, or thanks to God diligently did not offer. But when his cunning by me to be caught he understood; immediately, seen the trophy of the Cross, by which conquered he is, like vapor he vanished.
[3] At another also time; when Fedgenus a Brother of Virgnous the Abbot, to his kinsmen in Britain went, a birrhus b of Baithinus with himself he took; believing with it as with a wall unconquerable to be defended wherever he went, through his garment is freed a possessed man. & with no impediment in his journey to be impeded. When indeed in that province he entered a house some, & a man having a demon there he found; the birrhus of S. Baithinus taking, around the besieged he placed: & more quickly than said the man that to health was restored, with the demon from him put to flight.
[4] Nor is to be passed over about a certain dog, the bottom of his staff in the hand of Lugbeus c the Monk with gentle gnawing tearing. For when the Brother that, among the Picts walking, to the house of one of them came; a dog most fierce barking ran up to him: A dog his staff gnawing dies. who when with gentle laceration his staff with teeth had touched, immediately there falling, was dead.
[5] Likewise at a certain another time, S. Columba sent him to a certain family, to it to be excommunicated, Which in a place which is called Druym-Cuill d dwelt. A tree by him cursed When however he under a certain tree acorn-bearing on that night fasting remained; around himself sitting he said; I do not wish at this time this family to excommunicate, until I know whether to penance it shall be converted, or not. Judgment indeed of vengeance, which through us upon them shall be poured out, from heaven is struck & withers. into this tree before the end of the year will come. Which sentence God omnipotent to execution thus committed. After indeed a few days, fire from heaven falling, with impulse strongest of wind, from the top even to the roots, it burning stripped; & falling on the earth, immediately withered, as the man of God said.
[6] One insolent against the Saint & his Monks, A certain also persecutor of churches Beoanus with Baithineus in Iona island dwelling, sent to him that the remains of his dinner to him be carried: nor on account of other this he asked, except that the cause of blasphemy & of contempt of the Brethren he might find. Then Baithinus, this from his minister hearing, the remaining of milk, which the Brethren had left, into one vessel to be poured ordered, & through the messenger to him sent. Who when it drank, his interior immediately with grievous was struck infirmity; with viscera's pain he is tortured, when indeed of injury punishment in himself he felt, he said; Truly I have sinned against the prohibiting commands, the holy with polluted mouth touching: said indeed the man of God, lest the remains of the Brethren ever he should taste. Who added, Just now in my viscera mortal I feel pain: but the force of the pain from the effect is proved: for at the same hour of the day, outside the strait of the island, in contrition good he died. & penitent dies. A certain also Brother of his Monks with a demon most fierce was vexed, so that, unless with strong iron he was bound, himself & those he would tear. When Baithinus for true humility him to heal refused, certain of his, with him to the churches of Hibernia he destined, A possessed man, whom others to help could not, that there through the prayers of the Saints he would be healed. But when after so great peregrination still by the demon he was vexed; the man of God Baithinus, of his languor's long-duration compassionating, the sacrifice of immolation for him in in the church before the Brethren to God offered. When the sacrifice for him thus he offered, the bound man to be led to him into the church he ordered, & the devil through him he interrogated, saying: during sacrificing he frees. In what part of body the Brother did you strike? But he was compelled to the man of God to respond saying; Through mentagra e I crept into him. The man of God said: In the name of Jesus Christ, from the besieged depart quickly body, through the same place, by which before into him you entered. This also wondrous appeared in this deed, that through the departure of the devil, the flesh, with diabolical inflation emptied, decreased, until the whole body was emptied, so much: skin to bones adhered: & thus the brother in the same hour was healed before those standing by.
[7] Another also Brother by a demon vexed, in the monastery which the Field of the Ship, that is Maglunga f is called, likewise another, & which by S. Columba in the land of Heth founded was, to health he restored, according to this manner to the devil saying: You know, devil, that just as never friendship I & you have had, so never shall we be friends with one another: therefore I impose on you, in the name of Jesus, that from my borders cast out you depart. And so with him ordering the demon fled, & the Brother from the demon was healed.
[8] Iron by him blessed does not wound. At another time, while the man of God in Iona island dwelt, a spear g certain, that by him should be blessed, was brought: which with sign of the Cross blessing, from that day & thereafter never, even the skin of an animal to tear could, & on this account that spear to the irons of the Brethren by a smith was mixed, lest those anything would cut.
[9] The testimony also of Fintinus h, son of Luppanus, a most wise man, In wisdom all others to surpass is said, to be remembered is, what about the wisdom of S. Baithinus, with certain others him interrogating, in what quality & quantity the manner of his wisdom was, without fiction he answered, saying: Know, that none on this side the Alps equal to him, in the knowledge of divine Scriptures & in greatness of knowledge, is found. But a certain of those standing by this true to be not believing, said; Is he indeed wiser, than S. Columba, his nourisher? Fintinus said: Have you not understood, that not to S. Columba, with the gift of wisdom full, except S. Columba, his alumnus, but to others I have compared? He indeed not so much to wise literate, as to Patriarchs & Prophets of God & Apostles more to be compared is, in whom the Holy Spirit, who is the fountain & origin of wisdom & prophecy divine, most sincerely reigns; who according to the Apostolic sentence, on this account similar, in grades dissimilar to all, through the election of God made is, that all gain he might make. i He indeed with the Wise wise is, to all all things made: & a King with Kings, & an Anchorite with Anchorites, & a Monk with Monks, & as a commoner he were with seculars, so superfluously he inclines himself; & poor in heart with the poor; in the manner Apostolic, for the greatness of charity, which in him burns, rejoicing with those rejoicing, & weeping with those weeping. But among all these gifts of divine bounty, true humility of Christ most robustly in him reigns, as if from nature to him it adhered. When therefore this testimony the holy man of each in the midst of the Wise brought, all as to infallible truth assent gave.
[10] To these also is to be added the testimony of himself holy Columba about him: for he said, that Baithinus his alumnus, & John the Evangelist alumnus of Christ, here however him he compares to John the Evangelist. in innocence most sincere, & in simplicity most prudent, & in discipline of rigor of perfect works, not unlike were: but yet by great interval the nourishers of them in morals unlike were. On Tuesday, while S. Baithinus in the church near the altar the Lord prayed, a sleep almost of death upon him there fell: when however the Brethren around him lamented, Diermitius the minister of Columba, said: Behold, Brethren, you see, that between the two solemnities of your elders great interval there will not be. Baithenus death he defers to his feast. These with him saying Baithinus, as if from grievous sleep aroused said; If I have found grace in the eyes of God, & thus my course perfect in the sight of Him I have consummated even to today; I trust in Him, that even to the natal of my Elder not about to die I am: which thus almost after six days was done. Of intolerable indeed pains the burning, from the work of writing & praying & teaching, did not impede him; even to the hour, in which sleeping to his Fathers he was added. These few about the life of S. Baithinus. k