The life of St. Francis Xavier : apostle of the Indies and Japan

Front matter

EX LIBRIS

DOMUS NEOPORTUENSIS

THE LIFE

Preface

There are certain moments in the history of the world when we cannot in imagination look out, as from some mountain-top, over the wide and various earth, without a deep thrill passing through our souls. It is not a thrill arising from the dramatic interest of the scene before us. It is rather a sudden sense of the presence of God, and the sweet trouble of holy loving fear which always comes therefrom. Such a moment was that when God looked over the newly-created earth, adorned with all its beautiful and mysterious species, and pronounced it very good. Such a moment also was that, when the day of Pentecost was over, and our Lady and the twelve apostles found the whole world lying before them* with its false religions, vain philosophies, and gigantic political systems, all to be broken down and brought into subjection to Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Yet, rightly considered, the earth always presents to the Christian eye something of this last picture. It always needs converting. It is always strong against God. The Church is always feeble in appearance ; and now men can almost judge her decrepit. There is always the same foolishness of the Cross, the same want of worldly wisdom in the Church, the same disproportion between her means and ends. She has worse civilizations to deal with now than the unholy Roman empire ; heresies worse than heathenisms ; philosophies more devilish ; and corruptions less remediable, because they are sins vi

PREFACE.

against so much greater light. Neither has she. in all her width, the strength of twelve apostles in her among her living sons. But she has Mary, and Peter, and the rest in heaven : and she goes on her way, never misdoubting of her strength, and she succeeds always, sometimes by conquering, sometimes by persuading, sometimes by growing, and always, at least, by outliving all her enemies.

But the spirit of the Sacred Heart is the life of the Church. She does not sit still. Unchangeable as she is, she clothes herself in every age with mutability ; and her changes are akin to the changes of the restless world itself. She goes forth to seek sinners. She speaks to them in a language which they well understand. She undermines by her sweet varieties the fortresses which the world has built in their hearts, and which are impregnable to all but her. Thus she in some measure copies the times, and takes the world for her model, that she may the better conquer it for Christ.

If this be so, it is always important for the faithful to understand the times in which they live. They must bring new things with the old out of their treasures, as our blessed Lord expressed it: else are they unskilful in the things of the kingdom of heaven. What, then, is the spirit of our own age ? It can hardly be mistaken ; and yet, when we name it, we cannot help thinking it a spirit seemingly uncongenial to so materialist an age. It is a spirit of enthusiasm. It may be doubted if ever men were more enthusiastic than they are now. The times are positively made up of enthusiasms. They are partly material and partly intellectual. There are enthusiasms in science ; enthusiasms in literature ; enthusiasms in politics ; enthusiasms in geographical discovery ; and enthusiasms in commerce. All men are at work aiming at great things, believing in their own aims, with all their souls, minds, and hearts in their endeavors They spare no expense. They have almost infinite personal sacrifice at their disposal. The impossible seems

PREFACE.

Vll almost fading out of view. Men have agreed one with another that there is no impossible. They are bent on proving it. No one can doubt their faith.

This is the lesson the world is reading us ; and it is also precisely the lesson which the life of St. Francis Xavier is calculated to teach us. Among the countless enthusiasms of the day, why not, then, an enthusiasm of being all for God? We must have our enthusiasm, as other men have theirs, — a sober, steady, business-like, persistent enthusiasm ; yet, for all that, a downright enthusiasm, a positive, unmistakable enthusiasm. A piety which is content to shine like a star, and emit edification, and do no more; a devotion which makes itself lukewarm in order to be practical ; an energy which administers opiates to itself in order to enjoy the praise of placidity and moderation ; a strength which does less than it could do, so as to make sure of not doing overmuch ; a prudence which consists in venturing nothing ; a success which never fails, because it makes no attempts, — these are not the weapons which will enable us to cope with the enthusiasm of the day. They are not adequate to the work which is now required of us. We also must be practical enthusiasts, — such enthusiasts as Xavier was. He is the type of Christian enthusiasm. It is not easy to conceive a more perfect model in this respect. What men now are for physical sciences, new branches of commerce, and political novelties, that was Xavier for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

But where does Christian enthusiasm begin ? And how does it first show itself? The apostle of the Indies will teach us this also. It begins in the sanctification of our own souls. It is a fire which burns inwardly before it burns outwardly. We are living in times of extreme effeminacy. Comfort is the order of the day. The relaxing softness of domestic ease, of fashionable voluptuousness, of sumptuous tables, of costly varieties of dress, of luxurious equipages, of multitudinous servants, of grand furniture, of insidious

Vlll

PREFACE.

mental refinement, of inordinate worship of health, and of ambitious display, — these things are the prevailing characteristics of society. Do we Catholics stand out from all this corruption in any distinguishable way? Not in the least. Worldliness is corroding us in every direction. It is sad to see ; it is shameful to see ! Oh, such littleness, such niggard alms, such petty ambitions, such a low standard of holiness ! — and yet we are the descendants of those for whom Hilton and Baker wrote ! and yet we have a nation to convert, who can only be converted by bur holiness, by the intensity of our prayers, by the prodigality of our munificence, by the severity of our mortifications !

Xavier shows us what one man can do who is all fox God, who has begun by sanctifying his own soul, and who then keeps within his own appointed sphere. The very sobriety of his own enthusiasm kindles his fervor rather than stifles it. It is the characteristic of his enthusiasm to neglect no means of grace ; and he finds it an especial means of grace to live in an unbelieving country. It quickens his faith ; it simplifies his hope ; it increases his charity. His zeal is being animated all day long by the sights and sounds of restless misbelief. Here is his example for us in England. England is our Japan. We have to convert it. An English Catholic may well tremble to appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, who has not spent his life, up to downright self-denial, in trying to convert his country. It is the one mission given him: dare he go to God without having striven to fulfil it ? Alas ! he must go to God, whether he dare or not. Many have so gone out of the bosom of all this modern smoothness, human respect, and selfindulgence. It is disconsolate to think of them. We also must take care. They were praised in their day for not proselytizing: oh, they would give much to come back to earth and proselytize now !

What, then, we little hearts have got to do is to pray God to send great hearts among us. We want enthu

PREFACE.

iz

Blasts like Xavier. We do not so much need churches of brick and mortar, or even, what is of more consequence than churches, great material schools, or newspapers, or literature, or associations. But we need men, apostolic flesh and blood, heroes, enthusiasts, Xaviers, — men mad with St. Paul's madness and drunk with the drunkenness of the apostles at Pentecost. It is not so much great outward actions which we require, as a great fervor and a great interior spirit. It is only men of prayer who dare great things and bring great enterprises to a successful issue. Natural activity is but a weak weapon. It is brittle as a straw. It is impulsive, and not steady. It wants the steadfast kindliness of real supernatural zeal. It is intermitting, impetuous, and uncertain. Neither haa it got within itself the root of perseverance. We want supernatural men, heroes of prayer, rough-handed foi assiduous work in the cause of God, shunning publicity, and living deep down in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Men of many plans are, for the most part, men of little power. Xavier was a man who did not try to mould hia work, but let his work mould him. He took it as it came. I know no lesson which is more marvellously taught by the life of St. Francis Xavier than this: — how few plana he had, and how little he set even on these few !

Saints are often made by reading saints' lives. Let us hope that something of this grace will accompany the reading of this life. It has a peculiar interest just now, because of the particular circumstances of India. We have much to give at home, — so much as to be almost above our means. Yet love has a quick eye, and will soon find out for us, if we search into our own lives, some hitherto unthought-of self-denial, which we can practise, and by the practice of which we can help India by helping more munificently the work of the Propagation of the Faith. But still England is our grand India; and there is none of us, however humble or obscure his station may be, who cannot help on the work of this poor land's conversion more than at first he dreams of

PREFACE.

*

Only let him be all for God. Let him give Jesus an un divided heart. Let him subject himself to the free empire of the vigorous, cheerful, prompt, elastic spirit of mortification. Let him busy himself in prayer. It haa been recently remarked by a very keen observer that, during the last twenty years in England, nearly all plana which directly concerned the salvation of souls among us have been singularly blessed with a success so disproportioned to the means as to be plainly supernatural; while, on the other hand, grand promising plans for other Catholic goods, only indirectly connected with the salvation of souls, have as strangely and as invariably dwindled from their promise, and have withered away no one knows how. If this be so, God is teaching us what he wants of us. We had better concentrate ourselves upon it. It is sad work to be working outside the sphere of a heavenly benediction.

It is with these thoughts that we venture to call you once more to the well-known life of the saintly Xavier, to learn that diotJiearted prudence which is the special want of the present day. When we look at the map of the world and see the countries which St. Francis overran ; when we think of the thousands whom he baptized ; when we weigh his difficulties, count up his failures, follow him in his thankless toils, and learn feelingly to estimate his disappointments, we are amazed and gladdened also while we are amazed, — gladdened with that humility which inspirits rather than depresses, ito see how much one man can do, to whom nature ■has given an enthusiastic loving heart, and grace has added the magnificent gift of being simply, always, and only, — All for God.

F. W. Faber.

The Oratory, London,

Feast of St. Gregory, the Apostle of England. 1858.

Book The First. ?aoi

Birth, early life, studies, and conversion of St. Francis Xavier.. 18

Goes to Venice with his companions 31

Miraculously cured on the road 34

Chosen for the mission of the Indies 50

Goes to Lisbon 58

Sails from thence 74

Stops at Mozambique, Socotora 80

His charity and zeal during the voyage 82

Arrives at Goa 91

State of the city 95

His labors in it 99

Coast of the Pearl Fishery 104

His first works there 108

Conversions . ... 109

Divine chastisement of an idolater 114

Pagods of India 115

Brahmins. 118

'Their obduracy 120

Conference with them 121

Miracles 130

Raising the dead 135

Foundation of the college of the Society at Goa 139

His charity toward the persecuted Paravans 142 xi

CONTENTS.

xii

PAOI

Converts the kingdom of Travancore 144

Miraculously repels an idolatrous army 148

He raises four dead to life in Travancore 149

Goes to Manar and Ceylon 156

Martyrdom of the new converts 158

Two remarkable prophecies 166

Frees the isle of Manar from pestilence 169

Conversions there 170

Goes to the Celebes 171

Conversions 171

Goes to Meliapore 171

Passes a whole week without food 171

Foretells a storm 172

Ancient records of St. Thomas the apostle 173

Assailed openly by the devils 175

Quells a storm at sea 182

Relieves a beggar miraculously... 183

Prophecies, etc. respecting John d’Eiro

BOOK THE SECOND. Malacca 190

Preternatural knowledge of the names of the children 192

How he spends the night in prayer. 193

Miracles 194

Converts a rabbi 202

Two prophecies on the voyage from Malacca to Amboyna 205

The Moluccas , 207

His labors 208

Revelations 211

Recovers his crucifix miraculously 213

Saves the King of Ulate, baptizes him and his subjects 216

Conversions in Ternate 219

Goes to Moro against the advice of his friends 221

A vision of the massacre of some Portuguese 227

His reception in the isle of Moro i 228

CONTENTS.

xib

PAoa

Returns to the Moluccas 231

His labors 232

Goes to Amboyna 236

His wonderful works 237

Miracles at Malacca 240

The King of Acheen assails Malacca 244

Letter of defiance 245

Xavier persuades the city to give battle 247

Obstacles to the enterprise 248

Its results 249

The King of Viantein comes upon Malacca 256

)efeat of the Acheens 261

Whilst preaching, Xavier sees and announces the distant victory 265

Returns to India, calms a storm 267

Visits Cochin and the Fishery 269

Advice to the fathers there 270

His deeds in Ceylon, Bazaim, and Goa 276

Conversion of a sinner 278

Dreadful tempest 302

Other dangers 302

Miracles in Cochin... 303

Conversion and virtue of three Japanese 304

First idea of going to Japan 308

Obstacles overcome 309

Goes from Goa to Malacca 312

lssists at the death of a man in despair 313

[tails to Japan 322

Dangers of the voyage 323

I is arrival 3f

BOOK THE THIRE

Its inhabitants and religion , 32f

He ie received by the lOng of Saxuma 331

Prepares himself for the labor of converting the people Wfl r

XIV CONTENTS.

PA 01

Gift of tongues 340

Receives permission to preach the faith 349

First conversions 350

Miracles 358

Raises the dead 358

Persecution of the bonzes 360

Conversions, &c. at the fortress of Essiandono 365

Goes to Firando 366

He and his companion ill treated at Amanguki 375

Goes to Meaco 378

Sufferings on the jouruey 378

Returns to Amanguki 384

One answer satisfies many questions 388

Self command of Brother Fernandez 393

Renewed persecution of the bonzes 396

The King of Bungo invites him to his court 399

His reception by the Portuguese at Figen 401

His introduction to the king 411

Wonderful conversions 416

Revolution at Amanguki 421

Xavier's parting advice to the King of Bungo 424

Disputes with Fookarandono 427

Generosity of Xavier 430

Renewed dispute with the bonze 433

The after-career of the King of Bungo 446

Xavier sails from Japan 449

Dreadful tempest 450

Instance of bilocation 454

Wonderful preservation of the ship’s boat 456

Calls at Sancian 457

First plan of converting China 460

Revelations and predictions 463

Humility and love of peace shown at Cochin 472