g 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