The Works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 16

His zeal alone sustained him; but how painful soever were the functions of his ministry, he acquitted himself of them with so much promptitude and joy, that, by the relation of Father Melchior Nugnez, he seemed to do naturally all he did. These are the very words of Nugnez: "The Father, Master Francis, in labouring for the salvation of the Saracens and Idolaters, seemed to act not by any infused or acquired virtue, but by a natural motion: for he could neither live, nor take the least pleasure, but in evangelical employments; in them he found even his repose; and to him it was no labour to conduct others to the love and knowledge of his God."

Thus also, whensoever there was the least probability that the faith might be planted in any new country of the Gentiles, he flew thither in despite of all threatening difficulties. The certain number is not known of those whom he converted, but the received opinion amounts it to seven hundred thousand souls. Which notwithstanding, it ought not to be believed that he instructed them but lightly; for before he christened them, he gave them a thorough insight into all the principles of faith. According to their different conditions, his instructions were also different. He had some which were proper to youth, others for wives, for widows, for servants, and for masters. He never changed places till he had left behind him a solid establishment of faith, and capable of preserving itself on its own basis. And in effect, of all the countries which he made Christian, there is none to be found which relapsed into idolatry, excepting only the town of Tolo; and not that neither for any long continuance. But it is well known, that the people, who, during the space of fifteen or sixteen years, had not seen the face of any priest, or even of any Christian stranger, have been found instructed in religion, and as fervent in the practice of good works, as if they had but newly received baptism. It is known, that many of those converts were not less firm in their belief, than the prince of the isle of Rosalao, whom Pedro Martinez protests to have heard say, "That though all the world should arm against him, they should never be able to tear out of his heart that persuasion which Father Francis had inspired into him."

We know farther, that some of them having been made captives by the Pagans, have preserved their faith entire in the midst of Heathenism; and have chosen rather to lose their lives in torments, than renounce their Saviour Jesus Christ. The saint was accustomed to desire earnestly of God, the conversion of the Gentiles, in the sacrifice of the altar; and for that very end, said a most devout prayer, which he composed in Latin; and is thus rendered in our language.

"O eternal God, creator of all things, mercifully remember, that the souls of Infidels are the work of thy hands, and that they are created to thy resemblance. Behold, O Lord, how hell is filled with them, to the dishonour of thy name. Remember that Jesus Christ thy son, for their salvation, suffered a most cruel death; permit not, I beseech thee, that he should be despised by those Idolaters. Vouchsafe to be propitiated by the prayers of the church, thy most holy spouse, and call to mind thy own compassion. Forget, O Lord, their infidelity, and work in such manner, that at length they may acknowledge for their God, our Saviour Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent into the world, and who is our salvation, our life, our resurrection, by whom we have been redeemed from hell, and to whom be all glory now and evermore. Amen."

The industry which the saint employed in converting the nations of the East, or in strengthening their conversion, was of various sorts. In those places where he preached the gospel, he erected crosses on the seashore, on hills, and in public passages, to the end, that the view of that sign of our salvation might give the Gentiles the curiosity to know the meaning of it, or to inspire them with religious thoughts, if they had already heard speak of Jesus Christ.

As it was impossible for him to preach always, or in all places, he writ many instructions relating to faith and to good manners, some more ample, and others more brief, but all in the languages of the converted nations; and it was by these instructions, in writing, that the children learned to read. The saint also composed devout hymns, and set the Lord's Prayer in musical numbers, to be sung, together with the Angelical Salutation, and the Apostles' Creed. By these means he banished those ribald songs and ballads, which the new Christians were accustomed to sing before they had received baptism; for those of Xavier were so pleasing, to men, women, and children, that they sung them day and night, both in their houses, and in the open fields.

But amongst all the means which the Father used for the conversion of Infidels, the most efficacious was this: So soon as he entered into a country of Idolaters, he endeavoured to gain to God those persons who were the most considerable, either for their dignity, or by their birth, and especially the sovereign; not only because the honour of Jesus Christ requires, that crowned-heads should be subject to him, but also, that, by the conversion of princes, the people are converted. So much authority there resides in the example of a monarch, over his subjects, in every nation of the world.

He was of easy conversation to all sorts of persons, but more familiar with the greatest sinners, not seeming to understand that they were keepers of mistresses, blasphemers, or sacrilegious persons. He was particularly free in his converse with soldiers, who are greater libertines, and more debauched, in the Indies than elsewhere; for, that they might the less suspect him, he kept them company; and because sometimes, when they saw him coming, they hid their cards and dice, he told them, "They were not of the clergy, neither could they continue praying all the day; that cheating, quarrelling, and swearing, were forbid to gamesters, but that play was not forbidden to a soldier." Sometimes he played at chess himself, out of compliance, when they whom he studied to withdraw from vice were lovers of that game; and a Portuguese gentleman, whose name was Don Diego Norogna, had once a very ill opinion of him for it. This cavalier, who had heard a report of Xavier, that he was a saint-like man, and desired much to have a sight of him, happened to be aboard of the same galley. Not knowing his person, he enquired which was he, but was much surprised to find him playing at chess with a private soldier; for he had formed in his imagination, the idea of a man who was recollected and austere, one who never appeared in public, but to discourse of eternity, or to work miracles: "What, in the name of God," said Norogna, "is this your saint! For my part, I believe not one syllable of his sanctity, and am much deceived if he be not as arrant a priest as any of his fellows." Don Pedro de Castro, his comrade, and cousin, took pains, to little purpose, to persuade Norogna of the wonderful things which had been wrought by Xavier: Norogna still adhered to his opinion, because he always found the Father cheerful, and in good humour. The whole company going ashore on the coast of Malabar, he perceived Xavier taking a walk by himself into a wood, and sent after him one of his servants to observe his actions: The servant found the man of God raised from the ground into the air; his eyes fixed on heaven, and rays about his countenance. He ran to give notice of his discovery to his master; who, upon the report, came thither, and was himself a witness of it. Then Norogna was satisfied that Xavier was truly a saint, and that his holiness was not incompatible with the gaiety of his conversation. By these methods the apostle of the Indies attracted the hearts of the soldiery to himself, before he gained them to our Lord.

He took almost the same measures with the merchants; for he seemed to be concerned for nothing more than for their interests: He gave his benediction to the vessels which they were sending out for traffic, and made many enquiries concerning the success of their affairs, as if he had been co-partner with them. But while he was discoursing with them of ports, of winds, and of merchandizes, he dexterously turned the conversation on the eternal gains of heaven: "How bent are our desires," said he, "on heaping up the frail and perishable treasures of this world, as if there were no other life besides this earthly being, nor other riches besides the gold of Japan, the silks of China, and the spices of the Moluccas! Ah, what profits it a man to gain the universe, and lose his soul?" These very words, which Father Ignatius had formerly used to Xavier, in order to loosen him from the world, were gotten familiar to him, and he had them frequently in his mouth. In respect of the new Christians, his conduct was altogether fatherly. He suffered their rough and barbarous behaviour; and required no more from them in the beginning, than what might be expected then from people of base extraction, and grown inveterate in vice As they were generally poor, he took a particular care of their families; and obtained from the king of Portugal, that the Paravas should be discharged from certain excessive yearly tributes. He protected them more than once from the fury of their neighbouring nations, who made war against them out of hatred to the faith, and induced the governor of the Indies to send a royal army to their relief; he saved them even from the violence of the officers, who despoiled them of their goods through avarice, and set bounds to the unjust exactions of those griping ministers, by threatening to complain of them both to King John the Third, and to the Cardinal Infante, who was grand inquisitor.

As the sin of impurity was the reigning vice in India amongst the Portuguese, he applied himself, in a particular manner, to withdraw them from their voluptuous living. The first rule of his proceeding was to insinuate himself into the favour, not only of the concubinarians, but of their mistresses; and he compassed this by the mildness of his aspect, by the obligingness of his words, and sometimes by good offices. Yet we cannot think that the conversions of sinners cost him only these addresses. Before he treated with them concerning the important business of their souls, he treated with God at the holy altars; but to render his prayers more efficacious, he joined them with all manner of austerities. Having notice that three Portuguese soldiers, belonging to the garrison of Amboyna, had lived for five years past in great debauchery, he got their good wills by his engaging carriage, and wrought so well, that these libertines, as wicked as they were, lodged him in their quarters during a whole Lent, so much they were charmed with his good humour. But while he appeared thus gay amongst them in his outward behaviour, for fear of giving them any disgust of his company, he underwent most rigorous penances to obtain the grace of their conversion, and used his body so unmercifully, that he was languishing for a month of those severities. When Xavier had reduced his penitents to that point at which he aimed, that is, when he had brought them to confession, they cost him not less pains than formerly. He always begged of God their perseverance with his tears; and frequently, when he had enjoined them some light penance, paid for them the remainder of their debts with bloody disciplining of his own body. But when he lighted on intractable and stubborn souls, he left them not off for their contumacy, but rather sought their good opinion; and, on occasion, shewed them a better countenance than usual, that thence they might be given to understand how ready he was for their reception.

When he went from Ternata to Amboyna, he left but two persons who were visibly engaged in vice: The first opportunity which the vessels had of repassing to Ternata, he writ expressly to one of his friends, that he should salute those two scandalous sinners with all tenderness from him, and let them know, that, upon the least sign which they should make him, he would return to hear their confessions.

But these condescensions, and this goodness of the apostle, had nothing in them of meanness, or of weakness; and he knew well enough to make use of severity when there was occasion for it. Thus, a lady who had accused herself in confession, to have looked upon a man with too alluring an eye, was thus answered by him: "You are unworthy that God should look on you; since, by those encouraging regards which you have given to a man, you have run the hazard of losing God." The lady was so pierced with these few words, that, during the rest of her life, she durst never look any man in the face.

By all these methods, Xavier made so many converts. But whatever he performed, he looked on it as no more than an essay; and he wrote, in the year 1549, that if God would be pleased to bestow on him yet ten years more of life, he despaired not but these small beginnings would be attended with more happy consequences. This ardent desire of extending farther the dominion of Jesus Christ, caused him to write those pressing letters to the king of Portugal, and Father Ignatius, that he might be furnished with a larger supply of missioners: he promised, in his letters, to sweeten the labour of the mission, by serving all his fellows, and loving them better than himself. The year he died, he writ, that when once he had subdued the empire of China, and that of Tartary, to the sceptre of Jesus Christ, he purposed to return into Europe by the north, that he might labour in the reduction of heretics, and restoration of discipline in manners; that after this he designed to go over into Africa, or to return into Asia, in quest of new kingdoms, where he might preach the gospel.

For what remains, though he was ever forming new designs, as if he were to live beyond an age, yet he laboured as if he had not a day to live, and so tugged at the work which he had in hand, that two or three days and nights passed over his head without once thinking to take the least manner of nourishment. In saying his office, it often happened to him to leave, for five or six times successively, the same canonical hour, for the good of souls, and he quitted it with the same promptitude that afterwards he resumed it: he broke off his very prayers when the most inconsiderable person had the least occasion for him; and ordered, when he was in the deepest of his retirements, that if any poor man, or even but a child, should desire to be instructed, he might be called from his devotions.

No man perhaps was ever known to have run more dangers, both by land and sea, without reckoning into the account the tempests which he suffered in ten years of almost continual navigation. It is known, that being at the Moluccas, and passing from isle to isle, he was thrice shipwrecked, though we are not certain of the time or places; and once he was for three days and nights together on a plank, at the mercy of the winds and waves. The barbarians have often shot their arrows at him, and more than once he fell into the hands of an enraged multitude. One day the Saracens pursued him, and endeavoured to have stoned him; and the Brachmans frequently sought after him to have murdered him, even to that point of merciless barbarity, as to get fire to all the houses where they imagined he might lie concealed. But none of all these dangers were able to affright him; and the apprehension of dying could never hinder him from performing his ordinary functions. It seemed that even dangers served to the redoubling of his courage, and that, by being too intrepid, he sometimes entered into the extreme of rashness. Being at Japan, he reprehended the king of Amanguchi so severely for the infamy and scandal of his vices, that Father John Fernandez, (who served him for interpreter, as being more conversant than the saint in the language of the court) was amazed and trembled in pronouncing what the Father put into his mouth; as we are given to understand in a letter written by the same Fernandez. Xavier, one day perceiving the fear of his companion, forbade him absolutely either to change or soften any of his words: "I obeyed him," says Fernandez, "but expected every moment when the barbarian should strike me with his scymiter, and confess my apprehensions of death were as much too great, as the concernment of Father Francis was too little."

In effect, he was so far from fearing death, that he looked on it as a most pleasing object. "If we die for so good a cause," said Xavier on another occasion, "we ought to place it amongst the greatest benefits we receive from God; and shall be very much obliged to those, who, freeing us from a continual death, such as is this mortal life, shall put us in possession of an eternal happiness: So that we are resolved to preach the truth amongst them, in despite of all their threatenings, and, encouraged by the hopes of divine assistance, obey the precept of our Saviour, who commands us to prefer the salvation of others above our lives."

In the most hazardous undertakings, he hoped all things from God, and from thence drew his assurance of daring all things. Behold what he says himself concerning his voyage of Japan: "We set out full of confidence in God, and hope, that, having him for our conductor, we shall triumph over all his enemies.

"As to what remains, we fear not to enter into the lists with the doctors of Japan; for what available knowledge can they have, who are ignorant of the only true God, and of his only Son our Lord Jesus? And besides, what can we justly apprehend, who have no other aim than the glory of God and Jesus Christ, the preaching of the gospel, and the salvation of souls? supposing that we were not only in a kingdom of barbarians, but in the very dominion of devils, and that naked and disarmed, neither the most cruel barbarity, nor the rage of hell, could hurt us without God's permission. We are afraid of nothing but offending God Almighty; and provided that we offend not him, we promise ourselves, through his assistance, an assured victory over all our enemies. Since he affords sufficient strength to every man for his service, and for avoiding sin, we hope his mercy will not be wanting to us. But as the sum of all consists in the good or evil use of his benefits, we also hope he will give us grace to employ ourselves for his glory, by the prayers of his spouse, and our holy mother the Church, and particularly by the intercession of our Society, and those who are well affected to it. Our greatest, comfort proceeds from this, that God beholds the scope of this our voyage, that our only aim is to make known the Creator of the universe to souls which are made after his own image; to bring those souls to give him the worship due to him, and to spread the Christian religion through all regions.

"With these encouragements, we doubt not but the issue of our voyage will be prosperous; and two things especially seem to assure us, that we shall vanquish all the opposition of hell; the one is the greatness of our holy enterprize, the other is the care of Divine Providence, whose dominion is of no less extent over devils than over men. I acknowledge, that in this voyage, I foresee not only great labours, but also dangers of almost inevitable death; and this imagination is frequently presented to my thoughts, that if those of our Society, who are endued with the greatest stock of knowledge, should come into the Indies, they would certainly accuse us of too much rashness, and would be apt to think, that, in exposing ourselves to these manifest dangers, we tempted God. Nevertheless, upon a more serious reflection, I cease to fear; and hope that the spirit of our Lord, which animates our Society, will regulate their judgments concerning it. For my own particular, I think continually on what I have heard our good Father Ignatius often say, that those of our Society ought to exert their utmost force in vanquishing themselves, and banish from them all those fears which usually hinder us from placing our whole confidence in God. For, though divine hope is purely and simply the grace of God, and that he dispenses it, according to his pleasure, nevertheless, they who endeavour to overcome themselves, receive it more frequently than others. As there is a manifest difference betwixt those, who, abounding with all things, trust in God, and those, who, being sufficiently provided with all necessaries, yet bereave themselves of them, in imitation of Jesus Christ; so is there also, in those who trust in God's providence, when they are out of danger, and those who, with the assistance of his grace, dare voluntarily expose themselves to the greatest hazards, which are in their proper choice and power to shun."

It was in the spirit of this holy confidence, that the saint, writing to Simon Rodriguez, speaks in this manner to him: —

"Our God holds in his hand the tempests which infest the seas of China and Japan; the rocks, the gulphs, and banks of sands, which are formidably known by so many shipwrecks, are all of them under his dominion. He is Sovereign over all those pirates which cruize the seas, and exercise their cruelties on the Portuguese: and for this reason I cannot fear them; I only fear lest God should punish me for being too pusillanimous in his service; and so little capable, through my own frailty, of extending the kingdom of his Son amongst those nations who know him not."

He speaks in the same spirit to the Fathers of Goa, in giving them an account of his arrival at Japan: "We are infinitely obliged to God, for permitting us to enter into those barbarous countries, where we are to be regardless, and in a manner forgetful of ourselves; for the enemies of the true religion, being masters every where, on whom can we rely, but on God alone? and to whom can we have recourse besides him? In our countries, where the Christian faith is flourishing, it happens, I know not how, that every thing hinders us from reposing ourselves on God; the love of our relations, the bonds of friendship, the conveniences of life, and the remedies which we use in sickness; but here, being distant from the place of our nativity, and living amongst barbarians, where all human succours are wanting to us, it is of absolute necessity that our confidence in God alone should be our aid."

But the saint perhaps never discoursed better on this subject, than in a letter written at his return from the Moluccas, after a dangerous navigation. His words are these: "It has pleased God, that we should not perish; it has also pleased him, to instruct us even by our dangers, and to make us know, by our own experience, how weak we are, when we rely only on ourselves, or on human succours. For when we come to understand the deceitfulness of our hopes, and are entirely diffident of human helps, we rely on God, who alone can deliver us out of those dangers, into which we have engaged ourselves on his account: we shall soon experience that he governs all things; and that the heavenly pleasures, which he confers on his servants on such occasions, ought to make us despise the greatest hazards; even death itself has nothing in it which is dreadful to them, who have a taste of those divine delights; and though, when we have escaped those perils of which we speak, we want words to express the horror of them, there remains in our heart a pleasing memory of the favours which God has done us; and that remembrance excites us, day and night, to labour in the service of so good a Master: we are also enlivened by it to honour him during the rest of our lives, hoping, that, out of his abundant mercy, he will bestow on us a new strength, and fresh vigour, to serve him faithfully and generously, even to our death."

"May it please the Divine Goodness," he says elsewhere, "that good men, whom the devil endeavours to affright in the service of God, might fear no other thing besides displeasing him, in leaving off what they have undertaken for his sake. If they would do this, how happy a life would they then lead! how much would they advance in virtue, knowing, by their own experience, that they can do nothing of themselves, but that they can do all things by the assistance of his grace!"

He said, "that our most stedfast hold in dangers and temptations, was to have a noble courage against the foe of our salvation, in a distrust of our own strength, but a firm reliance on our Lord, so that we should not only fear nothing under the conduct of such a general, but also should not doubt of victory." He said also further, "that, in those dangerous occasions, the want of confidence in God was more to be feared, than any assault of the enemy; and that we should run much greater hazard in the least distrust of the divine assistance, in the greatest dangers, than in exposing ourselves to those very dangers." He added, lastly, "that this danger was so much the more formidable, the more it was hidden, and the less that we perceived it."

These thoughts produced in the soul of this holy man an entire diffidence of himself, together with a perfect humility. He was the only discourse of the new world; Infidels and Christians gave him almost equal honour; and his power over nature was so great, that it was said to be a kind of miracle, when he performed no miracle But all this served only to raise confusion in him; because he found nothing in himself but his own nothingness; and being nothing in his own conceit, he could not comprehend, how it was possible for him to be esteemed. Writing to the doctor of Navarre, before his voyage to the Indies, he told him, "That it was a singular grace of heaven to know ourselves; and that, through the mercy of God, he knew himself to be good for nothing."

"Humbly beseech our Lord," he wrote from the Indies to Father Simon Rodriguez, "that I may have power to open the door of China to others; where I am, I have done but little." In many other passages of his letters, he calls himself an exceeding evil man; a great sinner; and conjures his brethren to employ their intercessions to God in his behalf. "Bring to pass, by your prayers," says he to one of them, "that though my sins have rendered me unworthy of the ministerial vocation, yet God may vouchsafe, out of his infinite goodness, to make use of me."

"I beseech you," says he to another, "to implore the heavenly assistance for us; and to the end you may do it with the greater fervency, I beseech our Lord, that he would give you to understand, how much I stand in need of your intercession."

"It is of extreme importance to my consolation," he writes to the fathers of Goa, "that you understand the wonderful perplexity in which I am. As God knows the multitude and heinousness of my sins, I have a thought which much torments me; it is, that God perhaps may not prosper our undertakings, if we do not amend our lives, and change our manners: it is necessary, on this account, to employ the prayers of all the religious of our Society, and of all our friends, in hope that, by their means, the Catholic church, which is the spouse of our Lord Jesus, will communicate her innumerable merits to us; and that the Author of all good will accumulate his graces on us, notwithstanding our offences."

He attributed all the fruits of his labours to an evident miracle of the Divine Power, which made use of so vile and weak an instrument as himself, to the end it might appear to be the work of God. He said, "that they who had great talents, ought to labour with great courage for the safety of souls; since he, who was wanting in all the qualities which are requisite to so high a calling, was not altogether unprofitable in his ministry."

As he had a mean opinion of himself, and that his own understanding was suspected by him, he frequently, by his letters, requested his brethren of Italy, and Portugal, to instruct him in the best method of preaching the gospel profitably. "I am going," said he, "to publish Jesus Christ, to people who are part Idolaters, and part Saracens; I conjure you, by Jesus Christ himself, to send me word, after what manner, and by what means, I may instruct them. For I am verily persuaded, that God will suggest those ways to you, which are most proper for the easy reduction of those people into his fold; and if I wander from the right path, while I am in expectation of your letters, I hope I shall return into it, when I shall have received them."

All that succeeded well to his endeavours in the service of our Lord, he attributed to the intercession of his brethren. "Your prayers," he writ to the Fathers at Rome, "have assuredly obtained for me the knowledge of my infinite offences; and withal the grace of unwearied labouring, in the conversion of Idolaters, notwithstanding the multitude of my sins."

But if the designs which he was always forming, for the advancement of religion, happened to be thwarted, he acknowledged no other reason of those crosses than his own sins, and complained only of himself.

As for those miracles which he continually wrought, they passed, in his opinion, as the effects of innocence in children, or for the fruits of faith in sick persons. And when, at the sight of a miraculous performance, the people were at any time about to give him particular honours, he ran to hide himself in the thickest of a forest; or when he could not steal away, he entered so far into the knowledge of himself, that he stood secure from the least temptation of vain glory. It even seemed, that the low opinion which he had of his own worth, in some sort blinded him, in relation to the wonders which he wrought, so that he perceived not they were miracles.

It was the common talk at Goa, that he had raised the dead on the coast of Fishery. After his return to Goa, James Borba and Cozmo Annez, his two intimate friends, requested him to inform them, for God's further glory, how those matters went; and particularly they enquired concerning the child who was drowned in the well. The holy man, at this request, hung down his head, and blushed exceedingly: when he was somewhat recovered of his bashfulness, "Jesus," said he, "what, I to raise the dead! can you believe these things of such a wretch as I am?" After which, modestly smiling, he went on, "Alas, poor sinner that I am! they set before me a child, whom they reported to be dead, and who perhaps was not; I commanded him, in the name of God, to arise; he arose indeed, and there was the miracle."