Letters360 Letter CCCLX. To William, abbot of Rievaulx (A.D. 1143)
Letter CCCLX. To William, abbot of Rievaulx (A.D. 1143)
He again exhorts William to resignation and patience.
To his very dear brother and co-Abbot, WILLIAM of Rievaulx, Brother BERNARD, called Abbot of Clairvaux, wishes health and the spirit of wisdom.
I have striven to the utmost of my power against the common evil, and if I have not succeeded in obtaining what I wished, yet the fruit of my labour remains with Him who suffers no good work to remain without recompense. This, then, is the true consolation of us and of all who strive for the truth, that there is laid up for us a crown of righteousness, which the righteous Judge shall bestow upon us in that day. Furthermore, I beg you now to bear in mind [what He has said], that if we suffer for righteousness sake happy are we, and that the wrong-doing of another person to which we have not consented, but have, on the contrary, protested against, cannot defile us. This, then, is our consolation, so that in our patience we must now possess our souls; and since we are unable to obtain help from men, let us hope for it from God, who will not despise those who hope in Him. For I trust in the mercy of our Heavenly Father, that every plant which He has not planted shall be plucked up, and that He will wither up with His malediction the barren fig tree, so that it shall not occupy the ground any longer. I beg and entreat, therefore, of you, mv brother, to calm yourself, and not to trouble the flock which has been committed by God to your charge, but rather console yourself and strive bravely to serve the Lord in holiness, and He will deliver us from our enemies. I, however, have striven as far as I could to influence the Lord Bishop of Frascati, who is charged with the functions of Legate in those parts, and he has faithfully promised me that if nothing better can be done for us, this, at least, he will observe, that under no circumstances will he deliver the pallium which he bears to the Archbishop if the Dean- (who is now become Bishop) shall not have made the statement on oath upon which the whole case depends; but that he will refer the cause to the Pope for decision.
Charissimo fratri et coabbati WILLELMO de Rievalle, frater BERNARDUS Clarae-Vallensis vocatus abbas, salutem et spiritum consilii.
Laboravimus, quantum potuimus, adversus pestem communem; et si quo minus impetravimus quod optavimus, manet tamen nobis fructus laboris nostri apud eum, apud quem nullum bonum irremuneratum est. Haec est ergo nostra et omnium qui pro veritate decertant, consolatio vera, quoniam reposita est nobis corona justitiae, quam reddet nobis in illum diem justus Judex. De caetero jam meminisse vos volumus, quoniam si quid patimur propter justitiam, beati; et quod nos non inquinat alienum malum, cui non consensimus, imo et redarguimus. Est ergo et haec consolatio nostra, ut jam in patientia nostra possideamus animas nostras; et quod apud homines obtinere nequivimus, a Domino speremus auxilium, qui non despiciet sperantes in se. Confido enim de misericordia Patris nostri qui est in coelis, quoniam evelletur omnis plantatio quam non plantavit ille: et arescet ad maledictum ejus ficulnea sterilis, nec terram diutius occupabit. Propter quod rogo et obsecro Fraternitatem vestram, ut non conturbemini, nec turbetis gregem Dei, qui commissus est vobis: magis autem consolamini vos, et viriliter agite, ut in sanctitate serviamus Domino, et liberabit nos ab inimicis nostris. Nos tamen, quod potuimus, suggessimus domino Tusculano episcopo, cui injunctum est, ut legatione fungatur in partibus illis: et omnino promisit nobis, se, nisi aliquid melius fecerit nobis, id saltem omnimodis observaturum, ne tradat ei pallium quod portat, si non juraverit decanus ille, nunc vero episcopus, in cujus juramento causa pendebat: sed causam referat ad dominum papam.