Letter CCCXI. To Haimeric, the Chancellor

(Circa A.I). 1125.)

He sharply chides those envious persons who are opposing e efforts of the good, and takes occasion to urge H aimer ic to a sedulous care for the good of the Church.¹

To the illustrious lord HAIMERIC, Chancellor of the Holy Roman See, HUGO, Abbot of Pontigny, and BERNARD of Clairvaux send greeting, in the hope that their conduct in the house of God may ever be such as it ought to be.

1. The good which Bishops seek to gain is, as we believe, the gain of Christ, since their business is properly the cause of God. Let those, therefore, who see for God make commom cause with them. If anyone hangs back let him hear what the Lord says: He that is not with Me is against Me (S. Matt. xii. 30). There is no middle course. Either they will follow the advice of the Apostle, who says to them, Quench not the Spirit (1 Thess. v. 19), or they will certainly hear, as the Jews did, Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost (Acts vu. 51), and, as the Prophet said, Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil, that rejoice when they commit sin and exalt over wickedness (Isaiah v. 20, and Prov. ii. 14). They will not be able to rejoice also in good, nor can the righteous man, for his righteousness, and the sinner in his evil desires be praised together by the .same lips. And yet what is there strange in it if the good tiling, which is an odour of life to the good, should be an odour of death to the wicked? Do we not know that He who is the source and origin of all good was born for the ruin of many as for the resurrection of many, and for a sign that is everywhere spoken against? (S. Luke ii. 34, and Isaiah viii. 14). Even to-day to how many is~ the Saviour found a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence (Isaiah VIM. 14). And yet those are not wanting who say with willing heart, He is our peace, who hath made both one (Ephes. ii. 14). He to whom the Peace Himself is a stumbling-block, what peace can there be for him? Or he for whom the Saviour Himself is the cause of condemnation, in whom can he hope to be saved? It is written, In his house (without doubt that of the righteous man) shall be wealth and riches (Ps. cxii. 3), and he explains what he means by wealth and riches, for he adds, And his righteousness endureth for ever, and in truth there is no glory, no riches to be compared with the righteousness of the conscience of the just. But what is it that the un righteous loses? If Paul boasts of the riches in his heart, saying, Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience (2 Cor. i. 12), who is injured thereby? Yet the Prophet assures us that the sinner shall see it and be grieved (Ps. cxii. 10). What perversity! These riches are in nowise like those of the earth, which cannot be acquired without others being deprived of them. Why, then, art thou angry, who hast lost nothing? or why dost thou envy good things to good men, and those good things which thou dost not care to acquire for thyself? Is it not like the dog in the fable, who forbad to others the hay which he was not able to eat? But although thou mayest gnash with thy teeth and consume away, yet the work of God cannot be undone. Whether you will or no, the righteous shall see it and rejoice, and all the wicked shall keep silence.

2. But all this only concerns those who can be suspected. But to you we say this: use well the talent committed to you, and you shall receive the recompense. What profit is it, wrapped in a napkin, when one day it will be required again with usury? While we have time, why do we neglect to make use of it? It is true that in your office it is always, the time to seek diligently the interests of piety; but especially is the present moment favourable for indulging a holy avarice; you have only to be diligent in using the treasure of the Lord which He has put into your hands to this end. Otherwise, if wisdom be unused, or a treasure unknown, what usefulness is there in either? (Ecclus. xx. 32). It is said that you are disposed, as well by your own desire, as by the duty of your office, to do good unto all men; as you are specially bound to do to those of the household of fait ti (Gal. vi. 10). That command of the Apostle is general, yet we may venture to be so bold as to remind you that it is a special privilege of your office and ministry. Unless perhaps (which we do not in the least think) you hold more to the position itself than to the honour of fulfilling its duties. Indeed, since there is scarcely any good work or supposed good work in the whole world which does not pass at some time or other through the hands of the Chancellor of Rome, which is not submitted to his judgment, shaped by his advice, strengthened by his good will, and assisted by his help; and what can be more fitting than that it should devolve upon him to take action when anything in these various projects is either incomplete or wrongly directed, especially as the glory of all holy and praise worthy enterprises is sure to redound upon him? Thus, as we have said, the man who fills that post is either the most happy of men, or the most miserable; as he is, by his position, either always a sharer in every good work, or its enemy: and justly, therefore, the entire praise or blame, according to the issue of each, and his zeal in regard to it, will fall upon him. Blessed, then, is he who shall be able to say unto the Lord: / am a companion of all them that fear Thee, and keep Thy precepts (Ps. cxix. 63).

3. But what are we doing? While we have taken in hand to speak to you of your obligations we have almost forgotten that we are pouring these observations into ears most fully occupied. We trust, however, that we shall not seem needlessly intrusive: not that we claim the least right to speak to you as we have done, but that we have present to our mind that you have deigned to be the first to solicit by your gifts the friendship of such humble persons as ourselves. We hold this as a remarkable sign of your condescension and piety that your Excellency, being so great a person and busied with such important affairs, should have thought it worth while to salute such obscure and humble persons as ourselves, and even to honour us with presents. May God Himself recompense you, and give you the spiritual gold, which is wisdom, in exchange for the material gold, which you have bestowed upon us, so that not only we may rejoice in your gift, but you also in the reward which shall be returned to you. Adieu.

Footnotes

1. Formerly numbered 313. That which was before No. 311 is now No. 374. ↩