26. To Donald, Donatus, and other Bishops

Anselm, metropolitan bishop of the Church at Canterbury, to the reverend bishops Donald, Donatus, and others high in office in the island of Hibernia: may salvation from God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son, and the blessing of an eternal inheritance be yours!

Perceiving by many signs the sweet savour of your devotion, I have made up my mind to lay specially before you the calamities which I suffer, that the nearer you stand to the Creator, the more intimately you may display my troubles before Him, and thus displaying them with groans of compassion may obtain of Him mercy for me. While my predecessor of blessed memory, Lanfranc, now dead, was archbishop, I being abbot at the head of the monastery of Bec in Normandy (where my aforesaid predecessor, in ruling the Church over which I now by God's will preside, had preceded me), by the secret counsel of God went on business concerning Church property, to England. And being there, both the king and bishop and the chief men in the realm forcibly conduct me to the episcopal throne, not, as is customary, by summons, but rather violently dragging me, clergy and people shouting together, so that not one was present but seemed to be pleased at what was being done. Then again when I protested that I neither would, nor should, agree to that, since without their knowledge I had been taken out of the power of the Duke of Normandy and the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rouen, I was compelled by the command of those very same men (z>., the aforesaid duke and archbishop), through whose claims I had struggled to escape, and obeying, I accepted the burden of the office. In this manner I was raised to the pontificate, and accepted it because I found it impossible to resist. Being therefore crowned episcopally, I began carefully to consider what was my duty to Christ, to His Church, to the country, to my office, and I tried to repress evils by partial discipline, to coerce those who had unjustly taken possession, and to reduce everything irregular to due order. For which cause those who ought to be my helpers in God's Church, being greatly offended, only do me harm, and the cause of God, which ought to advance through me, goes back when I am present. Wherefore (I groan as I speak and own it) bitter grief seizes me when I remember that I have lost that fruitful peace, and reflect that I have incurred this useless danger. For so it has come to pass through my sins, that those who had freely placed themselves under my rule, now of their own will withdraw from my authority, and I who was marked out by their approval am now hated by almost all. Wherefore, venerable brothers, sons in your affection, I beseech you in the name of Him who redeemed His enemies by His own blood, pray that God would give to us all peace, turn by His grace the hearts of our enemies, and make us to live according to His will. Further, I am impelled by my pastoral solicitude to admonish your fraternity, godly though you be in life and upright in intention, that you man fully and watchfully extend God's teaching, restraining with canonical severity any teaching contrary to that of the Church which may be found within your provinces, and arranging all things according to God's will. But if at any time, whether on the consecration of bishops, or on account of disputes about Church business, or for any other reasons, any question about things pertaining to holy religion should arise among you which you are unable to settle canonically; I ordain, by the charge love lays upon me, that this point should be referred to my knowledge so that you may rather receive advice and comfort from me than appoint transgressors of God's law to be judges in His cause. Again, best beloved, I implore you, pray for me; raise me out of my trials by the hand of your prayers, your devout petitions vibrating in the ears of God's clemency. May God, who "causeth the light to shine out of darkness," flood your minds with the light of His wisdom, that what He commands you may know, and knowing, may indeed fulfil.