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."
Ordognez Cevalio, who travelled almost round the world, tells us, in the relations of his voyages, that, in India, he happened to meet a Japonese, who informed him, in a discourse which they had together of these particulars: "Know," said he, "that being in Japan, a Bonza by profession, I was once at an assembly of our Bonzas, who, upon the report of so many miracles as were wrought by Father Francis Xavier, resolved to place him in the number of their gods; in order to which, they sent to him a kind of embassy; but the Father was seized with horror at the proposition of their deputies. Having spoken of God to them, after a most magnificent and elevated manner, he spake of himself in terms so humble, and with so much self-contempt, that all of us were much edified by his procedure; and the greatest part of us seriously reflecting, rather on his carriage than his words, from priests of idols, which we were, became the worshippers of Jesus Christ."
He shunned the offices of the Society, and believed himself unworthy of them. "I cannot tell you," wrote he from Cochin to Father Ignatius, "how much I stand obliged to the Japonese; in favour of whom, God has given me clearly to understand the infinite number of my sins; for till that time, I was so little recollected, and so far wandered out of myself, that I had not discovered, in the bottom of my heart, an abyss of imperfections and failings. It was not till my labours and sufferings in Japan, that I began at length to open my eyes, and to understand, with God's assistance, and by my own experience, that it is necessary for me to have one, who may watch over me, and govern me. May your holy charity be pleased, for this reason, to consider what it is you do, in ranging under my command so many saint-like souls of the fathers and brethren of our Society. I am so little endued with the qualities which are requisite for such a charge, and am so sensible that this is true, through God's mercy, that I may reasonably hope, that, instead of reposing on me the care of others, you will repose on others the care of me." He infinitely esteemed those missioners who were his seconds; and accounted his own pains for nothing, in comparison of theirs. After having related, what had been performed by Father Francis Perez in Malacca; "I confess, my brethren," said he to Paul de Camerino and Antonio Gomez, "that, seeing these things, I am ashamed of myself; and my own lazy cowardice makes me blush, in looking on a missioner, who, infirm and languishing as he is, yet labours without intermission in the salvation of souls." Xavier more than once repeats the same thing in his letter, with profound sentiments of esteem for Perez, and strange contempt of his own performances.
He recommends not any thing so much to the gospel-labourers as the knowledge of themselves, and shunning of pride; and we need only to open any of his letters, to behold his opinions on that subject,
"Cultivate humility with care, in all those things which depraved nature has in horror; and make sure, by the assistance of divine grace, to gain a thorough knowledge of yourselves; for that understanding of ourselves is the mother of Christian humility. Beware especially, lest the good opinion, which men have conceived of you, do not give you too much pleasure: for those vain delights are apt to make us negligent; and that negligence, as it were by a kind of enchantment, destroys the humility of our hearts, and introduces pride instead of it.
"Be distrustful of your proper strength, and build nothing upon human wisdom, nor on the esteem of men, By these means you will be in condition to bear whatsoever troubles shall happen to you; for God strengthens the humble, and gives him courage; he is proof against the greatest labours, and nothing can ever separate him from the charity of Jesus Christ; not the devil with his evil angels, nor the ocean with its tempests, nor the most brutal nations with all their barbarity. And if God sometimes permits that the devil put impediments in his way, or that the elements make war against him, he is persuaded, that it is only for the expiation of his sins, for the augmentation of his merits, and for the rendering him more humble.
"They who fervently desire to advance God's glory, ought to humble themselves, and be nothing in their own opinion; being diffident, even in the smallest matters, of their own abilities; to the end, that in great occasions, becoming much more diffident of themselves, through a principle of Christian humility, they may entirely confide in God; and this confidence may give them resolution; for he who knows that he is assisted from above, can never degenerate into weakness.
"Whatever you undertake will be acceptable in the sight of God, if there appear in your conduct a profound humility, and that you commit the care of your reputation into his hands; for he himself will not be wanting to give you both authority and reputation with men, when they are needful for you; and when he does it not, it is from his knowledge that you will not ascribe to him that which only can proceed from him. I comfort myself with thinking, that the sins of which you find yourselves guilty, and with which you daily upbraid your own consciences, produce in you an extreme horror of windy arrogance, and a great love of perfection; so that human praises will become your crosses, and be useful to admonish you of your failings.
"Take heed of yourselves, my dearest brethren; many ministers of the gospel, who have opened the way of heaven to other men, are tormented in hell for want of true humility, and for being carried away with a vain opinion of themselves; on the contrary, there is not to be found in hell one single soul which was sincerely humble."
These are the instructions which the saint gave in general to his brethren on the subject of humility; and, next, behold some particular admonitions which were addressed to some amongst them:—