Thomas Patient was born in England. After attending either Cambridge or Oxford and becoming a Congregational minister, he came to America to serve the Lord in an atmosphere of freedom. While here, he discovered that he hadn’t been scripturally baptized, so he turned to the Baptists for fellowship in the truth. At that point Protestant persecution fell on him, and he decided to return to Great Britain. This great land of freedom wasn’t free in those days. When back in England, he joined the church pastored by William Kiffin, and soon became the congregation’s co-pastor. Over time he became known as one of England’s most prominent Baptists. Then when the British Parliament wanted to send some ministers to the Catholic country of Ireland, Patient saw this as an evangelistic and missionary opportunity. He started the first Baptist church in Ireland, after many decades of spiritual emptiness, and that incurred severe Catholic persecution. At one point each and every member of the church in Cloughkeating were arrested by the authorities and tried for heresy. As the proceedings began, the jury foreman vowed that all of the accused would be found guilty, but in the providence of God, that man died, and the congregation were all acquitted, including Brother Patient. Thomas Patient served the Lord in America, England and finally in Ireland after which he passed away on this day in 1666.
