49. To Warner

Anselm the archbishop to Warner: — greeting, and the blessing of God, and his own, and may a full success attend what he has well begun.

Blessed is God in His gifts, and holy in all His works, who visited thee with His grace, my beloved son, when thy body and soul were in peril of death, and mercifully brought thee back to life. Reflect and consider what a token God gave thee of His love, when with paternal affection He constrained thee not only flying from, but rejecting, Him, to return to Him and desire to serve Him. Never think that what thou hast undertaken is of less worth in thee because thou wast urged to it by the fear of death, and not drawn by thine own free inclination. For God does not weigh so much from what beginning or on what occasion a man enters upon the right course, as with what energy, what devotion, he makes use of the grace expended on him by God. See, Paul the apostle was by compulsion converted from the Christian faith; but since he held the faith with all his heart, and in it finished his course, he rejoicingly gave us to understand in his own words that there was laid up for him a crown of righteousness. Thou hast with thee my dearest brother the Lord Prior Ernulph, who is no less able than myself with all knowledge and zeal to give thee advice, and by my authority to absolve thee. To God and to him I commit thee; to him after God do thou by my advice and command commit thy self. By the favour of God, thou art learned; the knowledge which God suffered thee to acquire for love of the world, turn to use for the love of God, whence thou hast whatever thou hast, so that in the place of that earthly reputation after which thou with thy learning wast panting, thou mayest attain that eternal glory which thou didst either scorn or but feebly desire. As to the customs of our order into which thou hast entered, keep them carefully as though ordained by God, for not one is useless, not one superfluous. I advise thee to ask for the letter I wrote to Master Lanzo when he was a novice. There thou wilt find how thou shouldst behave in the beginning of thy conversion, and how meet the temptations which assail the novice. I pray God, as far as I may, to give thee absolution and remission of all thy sins; and may He so strengthen thee in thy purpose as to bring thee to everlasting glory. Amen.