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. H