Letter CCCXXXIX. To Pope Innocent

(Circa A.D. 1140.)

Bernard maintains the innocence of Alvisus? Bishop of Arras, against his calumniators.¹

To his very dear father and lord, INNOCENT, by the grace of God supreme Pontiff, BERNARD, called Abbot of Clairvaux, offers respectful homage.

It is a thing neither new nor wonderful that the mind of man should be able to be both deceived and deceiving. But as this is a double evil, and each part of it has to be guarded against, the Angel of great wisdom has suggested to you a safeguard against either danger, when he says, Be ye wise as serpents, and harmless as doves (S. Matt. x. 16). Prudence will prevent your being deceived, and simplicity will prevent your deceiving others. The monks of Marchiennes4 have come to present themselves before you, in a spirit of falseness and error, against the Lord, and against His anointed. They have made a false accusation against the Bishop of Arras, whose life and conversation is in good report in every place. Who are they, to bite reputations as dogs, who call good evil, and give light the name of darkness? Who are they, who against the law curse the deaf and put a stumbling block before the blind? (Lev. xix. 14). Wherefore, my lord, are you angry with your son and do you give joy and gladness to his enemies? Have you forgotten that warning of the Apostle, Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God (1 S. John iv. i). I trust in the Lord, that He will confound their projects: and by making the truth appear, put false hood to flight, and turn their deception against themselves. I have heard with my own ears how faithfully and firmly he spoke in defence of the Roman Church in the presence of the King and his nobles. He proposes, in the innocence of his heart, to go on the day when he is summoned, to present himself before you: but in the meantime, he has sent before him his Archdeacon, who is the bearer of this letter, and whose person and character I commend to your kindness.

I learn also that the Abbot of S. Vedast² is coming to have an interview with you: he is one who is an enemy to himself, and no less to his Religious and to his Abbey: he has undertaken only the bare name of Abbot, since he seeks his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. As for the Religious G —, who accompanies him, all that can be said is that he is a worthy son of such a father: he spares neither his reputation nor his conscience; so that he is become the derision of his entire neighbourhood. May the Spirit of truth grant you to divide the light from the darkness, to advance the good and to repress the evil.

Footnotes

1. Formerly No. 327; the former No. 339 is now No. 402. 3? Aloysius or Alois. — [E.] Marchiennes was a Benedictine Abbey, situated at Scarpe, in the Diocese of Tournay. It was founded in the seventh century by S. Rictruda ↩

2. This was Walter, who was succeeded in 1147 by Guerin, of whom mention is made in Letter 284. Gallia Christiana states in his honour that Pope Innocent did not make any decree against him. ↩