Letter CCLXXX. To Pope Eugenics about the Trouble at Auxerre

(Circa A.D. 1152.)

Bernard complains that the Pope s decision in this matter has been disregarded.

1. You do well in strengthening one who is weak-hearted, and comforting one who is weary of the time that he has yet to spend here, by so often listening to him graciously. I, indeed, do not deserve it, but it becomes you. Do not suppose that I take any pleasure in abusing your kindness so as to use it merely to get my own way; mv conscience is my witness that I am ready to accept as gladly what you think it right to refuse as what you grant. 1 like to have my wishes gratified, as every man does, but not if they are opposed to righteousness, prejudicial to the truth, or displeasing to you. I say this lest you should think either that I do not notice a kindness, or that I have no gratitude for it. Now let your Holiness hear what the case demands. As far as 1 am concerned the loss is very small, and such as can be easily repaired. I think that there is no medicine better suited to allay the stings of my conscience than insults and revilings. It is certainly not for myself that I am moved, being as I am a man of no worth, deserving shame and contempt. But if ever the injuries of the wicked touch the anointed of the Lord my patience, I confess, gives way, and almost all my meekness disappears. Have I ever sought from my lord the ordering of Churches, the disposing of Bishoprics, the making of Bishops? A fitting instrument truly should I be, an ant dragging a waggon. You wished the promotion of a man against whom not even those who wished otherwise could lind a word to say.

2. The decision of your good pleasure was made known to all whom it concerned. It was publicly announced, but so far we are deprived of any fruit or benefit from it. You ask who is the cause of this? It is the man of your peace in whom you trusted. He is a man to whom religion is hateful, to whom wisdom is burdensome, righteousness terrible, who has no scruples to prevent him from disclosing his master's secret, and nullifying his decree. It is no wonder, then, that he was not ashamed to show himself in his true colours. He has yielded to his own enVy and malice, and, therefore, he is not likely to show much consideration tor you. I have been put to shame, but what matters that? I do not shrink from the shame which zeal has allied to obedience. The cup, indeed, has not passed from me, but through me it has passed on to you. When the decision that you have given is affronted, not to say perverted, it must be evident to everyone that it is the author rather than the promulgator that is affected. Ought the promotion to have been rendered uncertain of a man against whom no ill could be said? l One of two things is certain: either the word which I have testified has gone out of your lips will stand fast, or I shall be thought a liar, as, indeed, I am now. But it will be better and more worthy of your Apostleship that he wrho has been powerful in iniquity should not boast himself in his wickedness.

3. Your command has been in part obeyed, and by the greater part. It was entrusted to three; one scorns it, two uphold it. What remains, then, but that your voice should supply what is wanting? And you may do this safely. You have nothing to fear from the offence of those of whom the Lord says, Let them alone, they are blind leaders of the¹ blind (S. Matt. xv. 14). For the rest, the people, the better part of the clergy, the King himself, and the whole Church of the Saints will rejoice. You have shown this age many good works of the grace which has been given you. But nothing will redound more to your glory than this action. I bear my testimony against them, that they have nominated many to offices in the Church, not because they love religion, but because they wish to see it weak, so that there may be none to restrain their wickedness, or have strength to repel force by force, and so that they need not fear the power of those whose holiness they hate. The Count of Nevers² does not walk in the steps of his father; he is opposed to this man, as well as to every good man. He is a foe to the lands and goods of the Churches, like a lion ravening for his prey. He is ready to receive even a Saracen or a Jew, if he may be free from this man, who is the only one who seems to have the ability and power to withstand his wickedness and cunning. Hence it is that he has silenced many of the clergy by threats and open charges, to prevent the opposite side from glorying in their numbers.

4. And to say briefly what 1 think, if you think it worth while for the monasteries in that diocese to be impoverished, the Churches to be down-trodden, religion to beheld up to scorn, the episcopal See itself, whose goods and possessions he particularly covets, to be reduced to slavery, then let not the man of Regny³ by any means rule as bishop. Where is now the spirit which you showed in the York affair? Shall not he who has attempted a like crime feel the same spirit? I hear that he is coming to you in the spirit of him who stirred up the Curia against me to see if he can accomplish the same object. Let me remind you again of the business of the Bishop of Lund. The charge of bribery has now been removed, and nothing remains to be done but what was to have been done. And let me add this: To have a chancellor who is good, just, and of good repute is no small part of the Apostolic dignity, no mean support to the Apostolic administration, no despicable guardian of the Apostolic conscience. An evil appointment is always pernicious, and after long deliberation even disgraceful.

Footnotes

1. On the death of Hugh, Bishop of Auxerre, AD. 1151, "when the clergy wished, according to custom, to choose another Bishop," says Bernard (De Consid., lib. iii. c. 2), " a certain youth interposed with an appeal and forbade the election to go forward till he had been to Rome and returned. He did not, however, carry out this appeal. For when he saw that he was scorned for having appealed without any reason, he held a meeting of all whom he could get to support him, and had himself elected on the third day after the election had been held by the others" (ep. 275). Eugenius, on hearing of this, entrusted the decision to three arbitrators, of whom Bernard was one. S. Bernard and one of the others agreed, the third dissented, and hence S. Bernard asks Eugenius in this Letter to supply what is wanting. The Bishop-elect seems to have been Alan, who at length succeeded Hugh. The " Book of Burials" of Clairvaux thus speaks of him: " To the right of Godfrey, formerly Bishop of Langres, near the Choir, lies Alan, Bishop of Auxerre, who was educated as a boy in a Church in a famous town of Flanders, called Lille, and took the religious habit under S. Bernard at Clairvaux. He was afterwards made first Abbot of the monastery called La Rivour, over which he presided for twelve years, and by the help of God left it enriched with members and goods. In the last year of the life of B. Bernard he was unanimously elected Bishop of Auxerre. He showed great hospitality to the many religious who visited his houses, and at length, after having occupied his See for thirteen years, he resigned it by the permission of the Pope and retired to Clairvaux. He died i4th Oct., A.D. 1 181." When his election is spoken of as having been unanimous we must understand that finally all the votes were given to him, as, indeed, S. Bernard says (ep. 282) to King Louis. ↩

2. This Count of Nevers was William IV. (ep. 276), whom we read of as having conferred many benefits on many churches, for he restored to the church of Vezelai the goods which his father had taken from it. He gave a free gift of lands to the church at Pontigny, and, to mention no more, he honoured the church of S. Germanus, at Auxerre, with his favour, and there he has his tomb in the chapter-room, although he had chosen to be buried in the graveyard. His father, whose ways he is said not to follow, was William III., a man full of piety and religion, of whom Hugh, the monk, speaks as follows: — " In the year 1147 William, Count of Nevers, resigning his throne, and despising all earthly honour, sought Chartreux, and spent his last days with Go;t in the most humble poverty, and within a year of his conversion happily ended his life." ↩

3. This is said in irony, if, at least, we are to understand it of Alan, to whom Bernard applies this name, perhaps, because he was born in the village of Regny, or Reninghe, in Belgium, not far from Ypres. The " Book of Burials " of Clairvaux, 'cited above, implies that he was called " of Lille," as he everywhere is, from the place of his education, and not of his birth. For he cannot be named from the monastery of Regny, since he was taken from Clairvaux to be Abbot of La Rivour, and then elected to the Bishopric of Auxerre. It is possible, however, that in the second election at Auxerre a monk of Regny was chosen, for whom S. Bernard writes here, and that on the opposition of so many Alan was at length chosen at a third election. ↩