Chapter VI. On what ought to be the Occupation of a Prince of the Church

That thou hast been raised to the pinnacle of honour and power is a fact undeniable. But for what purpose hast thou been thus elevated ? Here is a question that calls for the most serious consideration. It was not, as I suppose, merely that thou mightest enjoy the glory of lordship. For when the Prophet Jeremias was similarly exalted, he heard the voice of the Lord saying to him, " Lo, I have set thee this day over the nations and over kingdoms, to root up, and to pull down, and to waste, and to destroy, and to build, and to plant " (Jer. i. 10). What is there here suggestive of pomp or glory ? Have we not rather the imposition of a toilsome spiritual administration, metaphorically expressed in the language of agriculture ? Consequently let us likewise, that we may not think too highly of ourselves, always bear this in mind, that a duty of service has been imposed on us, and not a dominion conferred. Surely I am not greater than the Prophet ; and although I am perhaps equal to him in power, in merit of life he is immeasurably my superior. Revolve these thoughts in thy mind, and do thou that teachest others, teach also thyself (Rom. ii. 21). Look upon thyself as one of the prophets. Is not this honour enough for thee ? Yea, and too much. But by the grace of God thou art what thou art (1 Cor. xv. 10). What is that, dost thou inquire ? A prophet, let us say. Wouldst thou be more than a prophet ? If thou art wise, thou wilt be content with the measure which the Lord hath meted to thee. For " that which is over and above this is of evil " (Matt. v. 37). Learn from the Prophet's example to use thy position of eminence not so much for the purpose of showing thy authority, as for doing the work which the time requires. Learn that thou hast more need of a hoe than of a sceptre for fulfilling the functions of a prophet. For the Prophet Jeremias was raised up, not to rule over the land, but to cleanse it of noxious growths. Does it seem to thee that thou also shalt find something to do in the field of the Lord ? Yea, I promise thee thou shalt find exceeding much. The prophets could not complete the whole work of purgation ; they left something to occupy the zeal of the apostles who came after them ; and the apostles similarly have left something for thee. Something too shall inevitably remain after thee for thy successor, and he must leave something to his successor, and he again to his, and so on to the end of the world. Remember that even at the eleventh hour the labourers are reproved for idleness and sent to work in the vineyard (Matt. xx. 6, 7). The holy apostles, thy predecessors, were told by Christ that " the harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few " (Matt. ix. 37). Do thou there-

J fore claim for thyself the inheritance of thy fathers. For " if a son an heir also " (Gal. iv. 7). But in order to show that thou art a true heir of the apostles, apply thyself with zeal to the work of the ministry. Otherwise thou also mayest hear addressed to thee the words of reproof, " Why standest thou here all the day idle ? " (Matt. xx. 6).

But much less oughtest thou to be found either given up to the pursuit of pleasure or wasting thy time in pomps and pageants. Certainly in the testator's scroll there is nothing such assigned thee. What, then, art thou bequeathed ? Labour and solicitude. If thou art satisfied with the provisions of the apostolic testament, thou wilt look upon these as thy true inheritance rather than riches and glory. Does the Pontifical See which thou art occupying flatter thy pride ? Regard it as a watch-tower. Thou art placed there for no other purpose than to exercise surveillance over the Church. For even the name of bishop (episcopus) * expresses rather the duty of superintendence than the power of ruling. And why shouldst not thou, who art the universal supervisor, be placed on an eminence whence thou canst oversee all the world ? Yet this superintendence has little leisure in it and incessant toil. How, then, canst thou glory in an office which never allows thee a moment's rest ? Surely repose is impossible where " solicitude for all the churches " (1 Cor. xi. 28) is constantly pressing. And x/ what else but this has the holy Apostle Peter bequeathed thee ? " What I have," he said, " I give thee" (Acts iii. 6). But what is that ? It certainly is neither gold nor silver, because he had already said, " Silver and gold I have none " (ibid.). However, if thou shouldst happen to possess such earthly riches, use them not according to thy pleasure, but according to the necessities of the time : in this way shalt thou use them as if using them not (1 Cor. vii. 3). It is true that, so far as the soul is concerned, worldly wealth is neither good nor evil. Nevertheless, the use of it is good, and the abuse of it evil — yet not so evil as anxiety about it, nor so shameful as the pursuit of it. I grant that thou mayest claim gold and silver on some other title, but certainly not as the successor of St. Peter. For Peter could not transmit to thee what he never possessed himself. That which he had he bequeathed to thee as I have said, namely, " solicitude for all the churches." Perhaps dominion also ? Listen to him. " Feed the flock of Christ which is among you, taking care of it, not by constraint, but willingly, according to God : not for filthy lucre's sake, but voluntarily ; neither as lording it over the clergy, but being made a pattern of the flock from the heart " (1 Peter v. 2, 3). And lest thou shouldst imagine that the Apostle expressed himself in this manner more from the love of humility than with the intention to inculcate what he considered a true obligation, attend to what the Lord Himself says in the Gospel : " The kings of the gentiles lord it over them ; and they that have power over them are called beneficent." And immediately He adds, " But (be) you not so " (Luke xxii. 25-6). From this it is evident that dominion was interdicted to the apostles of Christ. — ' r«

And wilt thou, nevertheless, have the temerity either to usurp the apostolic office whilst holding dominion, or to usurp dominion whilst holding the apostolic office ? * Thou art plainly excluded from either one or the other. If thou desirest to have both together, thou shalt lose both. For thou must not consider thyself excepted from the number of those of whom God thus complains : " They have reigned, but not by Me : they have been princes and I knew it not " (Os. viii. 4). Now if thou choosest to reign without the divine sanction, thou wilt have " whereof to glory, but not before God" (Rom. iv. 2).

But now that thou knowest what is forbidden thee, hear also what is prescribed, " He that is the greater among you, let him become as the younger ; and he that is the leader, as he that serve th " (Luke xxii. 26). Here we have the genuine apostolic charter : dominion is interdicted, ministration enjoined. And this the Legislator commended by His own example, for He added, " Which is greater, he that sitteth at table, or he that serveth ? Is not he that sitteth at table ? But I am in the midst of you as he that serveth " (Luke xxii. 27). Who can now consider himself to be dishonoured by the title of servant, seeing that the Lord of Glory has adopted it before him ? Rightly, therefore, does St. Paul glory in it, proudly proclaiming, " They are ministers of Christ, so am I." * And he goes on, " I speak as one less wise : I am more : in many more labours, in prisons more frequently, in stripes above measure, in deaths often " (2 Cor. xi. 23). 0 most honourable ministry ! Than what principality does it not appear more glorious ? " If it be necessary to glory " (2 Cor. xii. 1), the example of the saints is presented to thee, the glory of the apostles is proposed to thy ambition. Perhaps this glory does not appear in thine eyes to be sufficiently great ? Oh, who will grant me to be " made like the saints in glory " (Eccli. xlv. 2) ! Hear how the Psalmist exclaims, " But to me Thy friends, O God, are made exceedingly honourable ; their principality is exceedingly strengthened" (Ps. cxxxviii. 17). Listen to the Apostle also, "But God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ " (Gal. vi. 14).

I should like to see thee always glorying with this kind of glory which the prophets and the apostles selected for themselves and have handed down to thee. Acknowledge as thy true inheritance the cross of Christ and a multitude of labours. Happy was he who could say, " I have laboured more abundantly than all they " (1 Cor. xv. 10) ! That is glory indeed, and a glory which has in it nothing vain, nothing effeminate, nothing slothful. If there is repulsion in the labour, there is attraction in the reward. For " every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour" (i Cor. iii. 8). And although St. Paul has laboured more abundantly than all his brother-apostles, he has not, nevertheless, completed the work : something still remains for other hands to do. Go forth into the field of thy Lord, and consider diligently with what a wild luxuriance of thorns and thistles it is covered even to-day from the ancient malediction. Go forth, I say, into the world, because the world is the field that is committed to thy care. Go forth, then, into this field, not, however, as the owner, but as the steward, in order to supervise and look after the things whereof thou shalt one day have to render an account. Go forth, I repeat, with the two feet, as it were, of attentive solicitude and solicitous attention — for even those whom Christ commanded to "go into the whole world " (Mark xvi. 15) did not travel around all the earth with their bodily feet, but only with their mental solicitude. And do thou also lift up the eyes of thy consideration " and see the countries " whether they be not rather ready for the fire than " white for the harvest " (John iv. 35). How many a patch, which in the distance appears to be covered with corn, on closer inspection will turn out to be overgrown with briers, nay, not even with briers, but with old and decadent trees, yielding either no fruit at all, or only husks and acorns, such as swine are wont to feed on ! How long wilt thou suffer them to occupy the ground ? And when thou goest forth and perceivest them, shalt thou not feel shame that the axe is lying idle ? Shalt thou not feel shame that the apostolic sickle has been placed in thy hands to no purpose ?

Long ago the Patriarch Isaac went forth into this ! field, what time he first met the beautiful Rebecca. And, as the Scripture relates, he went forth " to meditate" (Gen. xxiv. 63). So must thou also go forth, not indeed to meditate, as he, but rather to expurgate. In thy case the meditation ought to have preceded: now "it is time to do" (Ps. cxviii. 126). It is now too late for thee to begin to take thought. Before, according to the counsel of the Saviour, thou oughtest to have sat down to consider (Luke xiv. 28), thou oughtest to have estimated the work, to have measured thy powers, to have weighed thy wisdom, to have accumulated merits, to have counted the cost in virtue. Bestir thyself, then, for " the time of pruning is come " - (Canticle ii. 12), if yet the time of meditating has preceded. If thy heart has been moved, move now thy tongue, yea, and let thy hand also beset in motion. Gird on thy sword, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Glorify thy hand and thy right arm in " executing vengeance upon the nations, chastisements among the peoples ; in binding their kings with fetters, and their nobles with manacles of iron" (Ps. cxlix. 7-8). By acting thus, thou shalt honour thy ministry, and thy ministry shall honour thee ; by acting thus, thou shalt exercise no ignoble principality ; by acting thus, thou shalt expel the evil beasts from thy confines (Levit. xxvi. 6), so that thy flocks may beled forth to pasture in security. Nevertheless, thou must not lord it over the sheep, whilst protecting them from the wolves. For they have been committed to thy charge, not to be oppressed, but to be nourished.

52 .ON CONSIDERATION

If only thou considerest carefully who thou art, thou canst not fail to recognise that what I have been saying is no more than thy strict duty. Now "to him who knoweth to do good and doth it not, to him it is sin " (James iv. 17). And thou hast not forgotten what is written in the Gospel, " That servant who knew the will of his Lord and prepared not himself, and did not according to His will, shall be beaten with many stripes " (Luke xii. 47). In conducting thyself as I have entreated thee to do, thou shalt be following the example of the prophets and apostles. They loved better to prove their valour in war, than to enjoy their ease at home in silk and softness. Therefore, if thou wouldst be accounted a true son of the prophets and apostles, thou wilt do likewise. Make good thy claim to so noble a lineage by actions and sentiments that shall be worthy of such ancestry : for the only true nobility is that which comes from virtuous conduct and from steadfast faith. It was by such faith that the fathers " conquered kingdoms, wrought justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions " (Heb. xi. 33). Thou hast here the authentic title-deed of thy paternal inheritance ; and I have unrolled it for thy inspection, so that thou mayest see the portion of substance which falleth to thee (Luke xv. 12). Therefore, be thou " clothed with strength " (Ps. xcii. 2) and a part of the inheritance is thine already. Make thyself the proprietor of steadfast faith, of devotion, of wisdom — I mean the wisdom of the saints, which is nothing else but the fear of the Lord — and thou hast entered fully into thine own : thou art now defrauded of nothing : the patrimony has come to ' thee whole and entire. A most precious possession is virtue. A most valuable estate is humility, every spiritual edifice constructed on which " groweth up into an holy temple in the Lord" (Ephes. ii. 21). By this, some have even possessed the gates of their enemies (Gen. xxiv. 60). For which of the virtues is so well qualified to bring down all the pride of the demons and to vanquish the tyranny of men ? But although humility is for all persons, without distinction, " a tower of strength against the face of the enemy " (Ps. lx. 4), it somehow shows to greater advantage in the great, and appears particularly noble in the noble. Be sure of it : this virtue is the most splendid jewel that can shine in the pontifical tiara. For it will render thee as much superior to thyself as thou art elevated in rank above all other men.