Letter CCCXLV. To the Brethren of S. Anastasius

(A.D. 1140.)

He commends their zeal in, and strict observance of, the Religious life. And yet he disapproves of their too great readiness to have recourse to the art of medicine in their maladies.¹

To my very dear sons in Christ, the monks of S. Anastasius, I, Brother BERNARD, called Abbot of Clairvaux, wish health, and give the assurance of my earnest prayers.

1. God in heaven is my witness how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ; insomuch that I should have greatly desired to see you, if the thing had been possible, not only on your account, but also on my own. What a joy and solace it would be for me to embrace you, who are my own flesh and blood, my joy and my crown. But since that is not yet permitted to me (for I firmly trust that in the mercy of God it will be permitted, and that the day will come when I shall behold you, and my heart shall rejoice, and my joy no one shall take from me), in the meantime it is a great joy and consolation to me to receive the good report concerning you, which has come to me from my very dear brother and co-abbot, the venerable Bernard, your abbot. I congratulate you much on the satisfaction which is given to him by your love for the discipline and Rule of the Order, by your obedience and voluntary poverty, for which, without doubt, a rich reward is laid up for you in heaven. Wherefore 1^ bid you, and earnestly entreat you, my dearly beloved brethren, so to per severe, and so to stand fast in the Lord, carefully keeping the observance of the Order, that the Order may keep you, carefully preserving the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. iv. 3), and having one for the other, and especially for your superiors, that humble charity which is the bond of perfection (Coloss. iii. 14). Follow humility before all things, and peace above all things, because of the Spirit of God who dwells in you, and who rests only upon him who is of a peaceful and humble spirit (Is. Ixvi. 2).

2. But there is one thing, indeed, which your venerable father asks me about, which I can in no wise approve. And I believe also that I am right, and have the Spirit of God in the matter. I know, indeed, that the district in which you live is unhealthy, and that many of you labour under infirmities; but remember him who said: / will even glory in my infirmities f that the power of Christ may dwell in me; and, When I am weak, then am I strong (2 Cor. xii. 9, 10). I sympathize, therefore, really and truly with your infirmities of body; but what is much more to be feared and avoided is infirmities of soul. And it is not only not in agreement with your vow as religious to have recourse to medicines for the body, but it is not even really conducive to health.² It is certainly permitted to poor religious to make use sometimes of simples of little value; and this is frequently done. But to purchase drugs, to call in mediciners, and to take their potions and remedies, this is neither becoming to the rigour of our vow nor befits the honour and purity of our Order. For we know that those who live in the flesh cannot please God (Rom. viii. 8). Spiritual things are to be compared with spiritual (1 Cor. ii. 13), that our potion may be that of humility, and that we may cry with our whole heart: Heal my soul, O Lord, for I have sinned against Thee (Ps. xli. 4). This health, dearest brethren, do ye strive for; follow this, preserve this, for vain is the health given by men.

Footnotes

1. Formerly No. 321; the former No. 345 is now No. 321. ↩

2. This doctrine seems somewhat strange to us; but, at least, this passage, compared with another in Serm. 50 in Canlica, ought to restrain monks, who profess to hold their flesh in hatred, _ from having recourse with too much eagerness to the medical art, but that they should rather follow the example of the ancient monks, who had recourse to the advice of medical men sometimes, but only to learn from them the means of regulating their food and manner of life (as we see in the Life of Pac.homius, c. i., issued by Palemon). It is evident that the Cistercians allowed their religious to make use of medicines, from Letter 405, and from Herbert, B. iii., c. 15; nor does Bernard in this Letter deny it, but he wishes (those who could procure them) to content themselves with local herbs and productions of the garden, instead of drugs supplied by mediciners. ↩