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           Title: Treatise on the Love of God
      Creator(s): Francis de Sales, St. (1567-1622)
     Print Basis: New York: Benziger Brothers, ca. 1884
          Rights: Public Domain
   CCEL Subjects: All; Classic; Christian Life; Proofed
      LC Call no: BX2179
   LC Subjects:

   Christian Denominations

   Roman Catholic Church

   Meditations. Devotional readings. Spiritual exercises, etc.
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                                   TREATISE

ON THE

                                  LOVE OF GOD
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   St. Francis DeSales

  St. Francis de Sales

   1567-1622

   Bishop, Founder of the Visitation

   and Doctor of the Church
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                                   TREATISE

ON THE

                                  LOVE OF GOD

   By

   St. Francis de Sales

   DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH



   Translated by

  Rev. Henry Benedict Mackey, O.S.B.

   Under the Direction and Patronage of His Lordship the

   Right Rev. John Cuthbert Hedley, O.S.B.

   BISHOP OF NEWPORT




   "A truly admirable book, which has as many admirers of the sweetness of its
   author as it has readers. I have carefully arranged that it shall be read
   throughout our Society, as the universal remedy for all feeble ones, the
   good of slothful ones, the stimulus of love, and the ladder of those who are
   tending to perfection. Oh! that all would study it as it deserves! There
   should be no one to escape its heat."

   —St. Vincent de Paul







   TAN BOOKS AND PUBLISHERS, INC.

   Rockford, Illinois 61105













   Originally published in approximately 1884 by Burns & Oates, Limited, London
   and Benziger Brothers, New York as Volume II of the series "Library of St.
   Francis de Sales." This edition photographically reproduced from the Third
   Edition by arrangement with Burns & Oates.


   Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 95-60646


   ISBN 0-89555-526-3


   Cover illustration: Portrait of St. Francis de Sales by J. J. Owens (early
   20th century), based on the Turin portrait. Courtesy of De Sales Resource
   Center, Niagara Falls, New York.


   Printed and bound in the United States of America.










   TAN BOOKS AND PUBLISHERS, INC.

   P.O. Box 424

   Rockford, Illinois 61105

   1997
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DEDICATION

   I have dedicated this work to the Mother of dilection and to the Father of
   cordial love, as I dedicated the Introduction to the Divine child who is the
   Saviour of lovers and the love of the saved. And as women, while they are
   strong and able to bring forth their children with ease, choose commonly
   their worldly friends to be godfathers, but when their feebleness and
   indisposition make their delivery hard and dangerous invoke the Saints of
   heaven, and vow to have their children stood to by some poor body or by some
   devout soul in the name of S. Joseph, S. Francis of Assisi, S. Francis of
   Paula, S. Nicholas, or some other of the blessed, who may obtain of God
   their safe delivery and that the child may be born alive: so I, while I was
   not yet bishop, having more leisure and less fears for my writings,
   dedicated my little works to princes of the earth, but now being weighed
   down with my charge, and having a thousand difficulties in writing, I
   consecrate all to the princes of heaven, that they may obtain for me the
   light requisite, and that if such be the Divine will, these my writings may
   be fruitful and profitable to many.

   Annecy, the day of the most loving Apostles

   S. Peter and S. Paul, 1616.




   BLESSED BE GOD.


   —St. Francis de Sales

   From The Preface (Pages 15-16)





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TRANSLATOR'S INTRODUCTION.
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   THE following Treatise presents, at first sight, considerable difficulties.
   They do not arise from any defect in the Saint's mode of expression, but are
   inherent in his subject and manner of treatment, "going deep down into the
   roots" of the Love of God. Thus he speaks in his Preface, and continues:
   "The first four books, and some chapters of the others might doubtless have
   been omitted without disadvantage to such souls as seek only the practice of
   holy love. . . . I have been forced to say many things which will appear
   more obscure than they are. The depths of science are always somewhat hard
   to sound." But he tells us that the state of the minds of his age required
   this deeper treatment; and whatever may be thought as to the best way of
   presenting modern religious teaching to an age so ignorant, so shallow and
   so unthinking as is our own with regard to spiritual truths, there can be no
   question that this masterpiece of the chief doctor of ascetic theology must
   not be brought down to our level, but that we must raise ourselves towards
   it. The necessity of giving some explanation of the sequence of its
   doctrine, and of the difficulties which occur, must be our chief excuse for
   daring to place words of ours by the side of this finished work of S.
   Francis de Sales.

   A second reason lies in the fact that the "Treatise on the Love of God" was,
   with others of his writings, the chief subject of the celebrated controversy
   between Fénélon and Bossuet. There can be little doubt that this lowered the
   authority of the work. Not because the mere fact of a discussion seemed to
   throw over it an air of unsafeness or suspicion. Descriptions of the sublime
   and mysterious operations of the soul under the influence of grace are
   always capable of being misunderstood, and "wrested" from their proper
   sense, and no Christian mystic, from S. Paul downwards, has escaped this
   danger. The shameless abuse of the Saint's authority by the Jansenists left
   it eventually quite unimpaired. Hence the mistakes of Molinos, Père Lacombe,
   Madame Guyon, and even of Fénélon himself would have thrown no permanent
   discredit on this treatise, if Bossuet had defended it in a proper spirit
   and with full knowledge and discretion. Incredible as the fact may seem, it
   is nevertheless true that neither Fénélon nor Bossuet had properly studied
   the works in dispute. The former went to them prepossessed. His opinions
   were already formed, and he merely sought a confirmation of them. He read in
   a most superficial manner. He precipitately chose out what seemed to suit
   his purpose, and neglected important statements and obvious interpretations
   which were inconsistent with it. He even went so far in what must be called
   a sincere dishonesty of misapprehension, as to insist on clinging to
   mistakes he had fallen into through using Bailly's Lyons edition of the
   "Conferences" (1628), which Bossuet had proved to be spurious. Bossuet, on
   his side, admits that he had not previously read it properly, he only
   studied what seemed necessary to answer his opponent, and lacked that high
   complete knowledge of S. Francis's teaching as a whole which was necessary
   for taking a proper view of details and parts. Indeed he only then (1695)
   began those profounder studies of mystic theology which enabled him later to
   write his treatises on matters which to S. Francis, by the experience of
   sanctity more even than by the studies of a lifetime, were as familiar as
   the sights and sounds of home. Hence it came about that while he easily
   justified the teaching of the Saint, he not only failed to give the full
   influence of his genius and authority to unassailably establish its
   triumphant reputation, but on the contrary he incidentally disparaged it. He
   says, for instance: "S. Francis is a great saint, and I have always
   maintained that his doctrine which is objected against us is entirely for us
   as to the matters in question: but we must not therefore make him
   infallible, and it cannot be forgotten that he has shown more good intention
   than knowledge on some points." Fortunately Bossuet mentions these points,
   and the reader shall see directly Bossuet's entire misapprehension of the
   Saint's meaning, and meanwhile "it cannot be forgotten" that while Bossuet
   refused the title "infallible" to S. Francis, for whom no one claims it, he
   refused it to the successor of S. Peter to whose office it really belongs.
   Bossuet says further: "According to the spirit of his time he had perhaps
   less read the Fathers than the modern Scholastics." Did Bossuet remember
   that he was speaking of the age of Sirmond, of Bellarmine, of Venerable
   Canisius, and, we may say, of Petavius? Francis was a master and a leader of
   his age, and, as is clear from this Treatise alone, was excellently versed
   both in the Fathers and the Scholastics, if any distinction is to be made
   between them. In conclusion, Bossuet presumes to say: "In these places and
   in some others his theology might be more exact and his principles more sure
   . . . . one would not follow him in certain condescensions which I will not
   particularize." In this also it will be shown that Bossuet is most unjust,
   but for the present we may consider that he neutralizes his own objection,
   when in the same sentence he says: "As director of souls he is truly
   sublime." In answer to these attacks, Fénélon gladly changed places with
   Bossuet, but his hasty defence was not so complete as the charges were
   unwarranted and presumptuous. [1]

   We shall briefly touch upon these controverted points as they occur among
   the difficulties of the Treatise. Of these difficulties Book I. contains by
   far the largest proportion, and we will give an abstract of this Book
   sufficiently complete to prevent the necessity, not indeed of studying it,
   but, of a too laborious study. [2]

   In this first Book the Saint treats in general of the will and its
   affections, in particular of its chief affection, love, and of the will's
   natural inclination towards a sovereign love of God.

   The first chapter is to show that the unity required for the beauty of that
   assemblage of perfections called man, lies in this, that all his powers are
   grouped round the will and subordinated to it. Then (c. 2) it is shown that
   the will exercises its authority in different ways, according to the
   different nature of human powers. It governs: (a) exterior movements, at its
   pleasure, like slaves; (b) the senses and corporal functions, by a certain
   management, like horses or hawks; (c) the fancy, memory, understanding, by
   direction and command, like wife and children, who are able to disobey if
   they choose; (d) the sensual appetite (c. 3), in the same manner as the
   last-named; it is still less under the will's control, but there is no moral
   guilt so long as the will refuses to consent to or adopt its wrong desires.
   Then are described the twelve movements of this sensual appetite,—viz.,
   desire, hatred, hope, &c., which are called perturbations or passions. They
   are all forms of the chief, and, in a sense, the only passion, love. These
   passions are left in man on purpose to exercise his will. A universal
   experience, testified to in effect even by those who pretend to deny it,
   such as the Stoics, proves that these movements are necessary qualities of
   human nature. Love being (c. 4) the root of the others their action is good
   or bad according as the love is rightly or wrongly placed. Nay the very will
   is bad or good according to its love; and its supremacy does not lie in this
   that it can reject all love, but in this that it can choose amongst the
   loves presented to it, by directing the understanding to consider one more
   favourably or more attentively than another. In the will, now defined (c. 5)
   as "the reasonable appetite," there are affections, that is, movements or
   forms of love, similar to the passions of the sensual appetite. Having
   different and higher objects they often run counter to the passions, and the
   reasonable will often forces a soul to remain in circumstances most
   repugnant to its sensual inclinations. These affections or tendencies of the
   will are divided into four classes according to their dignity, that is, the
   dignity of their objects:  1°. Natural affections, where the word natural is
   not used in opposition to supernatural (as in this sense the next class
   would also be natural), but to signify those first and spontaneous
   affections which by the very natural constitution of our reason arise from
   the perception of sensible goods. Indeed the word sensible exactly explains
   his use of the word natural, provided that we carefully remember that he is
   speaking not of the movements of the merely sensual appetite or
   concupiscence which are anterior to reason, but of our reasonable and lawful
   affections for sensible goods. Such are the affections we have for health,
   food, agreeable society.  2°. Reasonable affections, where it will now
   easily be understood that the word, which could be applied also to the
   preceding class, is restricted to those which are par excellence reasonable,
   that is, the affections which arise in the spiritual part of reason, from
   the light of nature indeed, but from the higher light of nature—such as the
   affections for the moral virtues.  3°. Christian affections, which spring
   from the consideration of truths of the Christian revelation, such as
   affections for poverty, chastity, heavenly glory.  4°. Divine, or (entirely)
   supernatural affections which God effects in us, and which tend to him as
   known by a light entirely above that of nature. These supernatural
   affections are primarily three: love for the beautiful in the mysteries of
   faith, love for the useful in the promises of hope, and love for the
   sovereign good which is the Divinity.

   The essential supremacy of divine love is proved (c. 6), and there follows a
   wondrous description in four chapters of the nature and qualities of love in
   general. Divine love or charity is not defined till chapter 13, and is not
   specifically described till the last chapter of Book II.

   There are (c. 7) five points in the process of love:  1. Natural affinity of
   the will with good.  2. Delectation or complacency in it.  3. A movement,
   following this complacency, towards union.  4. Taking the means required for
   union.  5. Union itself. [3] It is in 2 and 3, complacency and movement,
   that love more properly consists, and most precisely in 3, the movement or
   outflowing of heart. Complacency has appeared to some to be the really
   essential point of love, but it is not so, because love is a true passion or
   affection, that is, a movement. Complacency spreads the wings, love actually
   flies. When the object loved is present and the lover has but to grasp it,
   the love is called a love of complacency, because complacency has no sooner
   produced the movement of love than it ends in a second complacency. When the
   object is absent, or, like God, not as present as it may become, the
   tending, advancing, aspiring movement is called a love of desire, that is,
   the cupidity of what we have not but hope to have. After certain exquisite
   distinctions between various kinds of desires, he returns (c. 8) to the
   correspondence or affinity with good which is the root of love, and which
   consists not exclusively in resemblance, but in a certain relation between
   things which makes them apt to union for their mutual perfection. Finally,
   coming to union and the means thereto, it is exquisitely proved (c. 9) that
   love tends to union but (c. 10) to a spiritual union, and that carnal union,
   instead of being an expression of true love or a help to it, is positively a
   hindrance, a deviation, a degradation.

   The next two chapters (11, 12) treat the important distinction between the
   two parts of the soul, the inferior and the superior. It will clear matters
   to notice that the Saint means the two parts of the reasonable soul, and
   that in the first two paragraphs of chapter 11 he simply says that his
   distinction does not refer to the soul as a mere animating principle, or,
   again, as the principle of that life which man shares with plants and
   animals. He speaks of the human soul as such, that is, as having the gift of
   reason.

   Even the inferior part of the soul truly reasons and wills (so that his
   distinction of inferior and superior is not the distinction between
   concupiscence and reason), but it is inferior because it only reasons and
   wills according to data furnished by the senses: the superior part reasons
   and wills on intellectual and spiritual considerations. But it must be
   noticed that these considerations are not necessarily supernatural. The
   distinction between the inferior and the superior part of the reasonable
   soul is quite independent of revelation: it rests on the distinction between
   what we have called the lower light of nature and that higher light which,
   for instance, heathen philosophers used, when, for love of country or moral
   virtue, they chose to submit to sensible pain or even to death which their
   lower reason would direct them to avoid. The existence of this lower reason
   is clearly shown in Our Blessed Saviour's prayer in the garden. Willing and
   praying are acts of reason, yet in this case they were acts of a lower
   reason which Christ permitted to manifest itself, but which had to give way
   to higher considerations.

   Now the inferior part of reason forms by itself one degree of the reason,
   but the superior part has three degrees; in the lowest of which we reason
   according to higher natural light, or as the Saint calls it, "human
   sciences," in the next according to faith, and in the highest we do not
   properly reason, but, "by a simple view of the understanding, and simple
   acquiescence," or assent, "of the will" we correspond with God's action,
   when he spreads faith, hope and charity in this supreme point of our
   reasonable soul. The distinction corresponds exactly with that made in
   chapter 5, into natural, reasonable, Christian and divine. The Saint there
   spoke of affections or tendencies, he here speaks of reasonings and willings
   which are the fulfilment of those tendencies. We may remark here, as an
   instance of the superficial way in which Fénélon and Bossuet studied this
   Treatise, that they take a totally different ground of distinction in
   separating the soul into superior and inferior (viz., sensible perception
   and intellectual cognition), and yet do not perceive that they are differing
   from the Saint. [4] To sum up (cc. 11, 12): in man there are some powers
   altogether below reason; and reason, which is of course one and simple in
   itself, has four degrees, according to the rank of the objects presented for
   its consideration and love,—sensible things, spiritual things known by the
   light of nature, spiritual things known by the revelation of Christ, and
   spiritual knowledge communicated by the immediate communication of God's
   light. Between the last and the last but one there is not exactly a
   difference of rank in the objects, but a difference in clearness of
   perception and strength of acceptance.

   Having finished this subject, which is to some extent a digression, the
   Saint returns to the consideration of love, and gives (c. 13) its two main
   divisions,—viz., love of cupidity when we love good for our own sake, and
   love of benevolence when we love good for its sake—i.e. love of
   self-interest and disinterested love. He has already, in chapter 7,
   sub-divided the love of cupidity into love of benevolence and love of
   desire, according as the loved good is present or absent, and now he applies
   the same division and the same ground of division to the love of
   benevolence. This also is either a love of complacency or a love of desire
   according as the good is present to or absent from the person we love: we
   rejoice in the good he already has, we desire him the good he has not. This
   double form of the love of benevolence, besides occurring frequently
   throughout, enters particularly into the structure of Book V., and is
   importantly needed for the full understanding of Book VIII. It is necessary
   here to point out that whereas he has just placed the names complacency and
   desire under the generic head, benevolence, he afterwards uses the word
   benevolence, specifically, instead of desire, as if dividing benevolence
   into complacency, and benevolence proper. This use of the word in the sense
   of desire agrees with its etymology,—bene-volentia, bien-veuillance,
   well-wishing.

   Cupidity alone is exercised in the inferior reason, but in the superior
   reason both find place. The love of God for his own sake which is necessary
   for eternal life belongs exclusively to the supreme degree of the superior
   reason, but the Saint teaches (as Bossuet has clearly shown against Fénélon)
   that there is a reasonable, high love of cupidity, that is, a love of God as
   good to us, even in the highest degree and supreme point of the spirit. This
   indeed is the precise motive of Christian hope, which must be kept
   subordinate to disinterested love, but can only be separated from it by
   abstraction and by a non-permanent act.

   The love of benevolence is called friendship when it is mutual. This
   friendship has degrees. When it is beyond all comparison with other
   friendships, supereminent, sovereign, it is called charity—the friendship or
   mutual love of God and man.

   The Saint shows (c. 14.) that to employ the word love instead of charity is
   not against the use of Scripture, and he mentions one reason for his
   preferring the word love which gives us an important help to the
   understanding of the Treatise. It is, he says, because he is speaking for
   the most part not of the habitual charity, or state of friendship between
   God and the soul in grace, but of actual charity, that is, of the acts of
   love which at once express and increase the state of charity. Even in the
   three following books, in which he is speaking of the formation, or
   progress, or loss, of habitual charity, he is still chiefly concerned with
   the acts by which this is done.

   In the remaining four chapters preparation is made for the account of the
   communication of grace and charity to the soul. He shows (c. 15) that there
   is a natural affinity of the soul with its God which is the root of love;
   that thus, by a glorious paradox, God and man need one another for their
   mutual perfection; that we have (c. 16) a natural inclination to love God
   above all things; that (c. 17) we cannot fulfil this inclination by natural
   powers; but (c. 18) that still the inclination is not left in our hearts for
   nothing, as it makes possible the communication of grace, and is the handle
   by which grace takes hold of us.

   It is chiefly against these three chapters that Bossuet's animadversions are
   directed. He accuses the Saint of two errors:  1°. in saying (p. 61) that
   God would give grace to one who did his best by the forces of nature as
   certainly as he would give a further grace to one who corresponded with a
   first grace;  2°. of saying (p. 57) that in the state of original justice
   our love of God would not be supernatural.

   Fénélon misapprehends the Saint's meaning, and gives a very confused,
   imperfect answer to the two objections. The real answer to the first is that
   Bossuet is quite outside the question. S. Francis is not speaking of the
   step by which a man passes from the natural to the supernatural order, but
   of the process by which his natural inclination to love God above all things
   ripens into that actual love of him above all things which belongs still to
   the natural order. [5]

   Bossuet falls into a somewhat similar error in his second objection. S.
   Francis is considering, separately, the natural love of God which those
   would have who might be in the state of original justice, who would, of
   course, by the very terms, have supernatural love. Not only is Bossuet's
   criticism ridiculously irrelevant, but his language, to ears which have
   heard the Saint declared "Doctor of the Church," sounds almost like
   impertinence. "What," he says, "would this humble servant of God have done
   if it had been represented to him that in the state of original justice we
   should have loved God supernaturally? Would he not have confessed that he
   was forgetting the most essential condition of that state?" And it is after
   these mistakes that Bossuet complacently observes: "These opinions rectify
   themselves in practice when the intention is good;" and "In some points his
   theology might be more exact and his principles more sure."

   Book II. describes the generation of charity, which, being supernatural,
   must be created in the soul as a new quality. And after two introductory
   chapters, the remaining twenty are evenly divided between the history of the
   action of God in bestowing, and the action of man in appropriating this
   gift. The two introductory chapters, which seem at first sight somewhat
   foreign to the subject of the book, are directed to put steadily and
   unmistakeably before us the truth that when theologians speak of many
   perfections, many acts, a most various order of decrees and execution, this
   is only according to the human method of viewing, and that our God is really
   but one perfection and one act, which is himself. This truth is developed
   partly also to introduce a description of the perfections of the God of
   whose love the Saint is speaking. At the end of the Treatise he refers to
   these chapters as his chief treatment of the chief motive of love—the
   infinite goodness of God in himself.

   After this caution and preface, he begins (c. 3) his account of the action
   of God in the production of charity. He speaks, first, of God's providence
   in general, including under this title his actual providing or foreseeing,
   his creating, and his governance. Then (c. 4) he comes to the divine decree
   to create Christ's Humanity, angels and men for him, inferior creatures for
   men—following here the Scotist teaching that Christ would have become man
   (though of course he would not have died) even if Adam had not sinned. God
   decreed to create angels and man in the supernatural state of charity, and,
   foreseeing that some angels and the whole nature or race of man would fall
   from this state, God decreed to condemn the former, but to redeem the latter
   by his Son's death, making the state of redemption a hundred times better
   than the state of innocence. God decreed (c. 6) special favours, such as the
   Immaculate Conception of Mary, for certain rare creatures who were to come
   nearest to his Son, and then for men in general an immense abundance and
   universal showers of grace, an all-illuminating light. He gives a whole
   exquisite chapter (c. 8) to show the sincerity and strength of the desire
   God thus manifests that we should love him, and then comes (c. 9) to the
   effecting this desire by preventing our hearts with his grace, taking hold
   of our natural inclination to love him. We can (c. 10) repulse his grace,
   not because (c. 11) there is anything wanting in God's offer, but (c. 12) as
   an inevitable consequence of our having free-will; in case we accept it, we
   begin to mingle our action with God's. Here we must remark that the Saint is
   not concerned with the sacramental action of God which creates or re-creates
   charity in the soul by baptism or penance, still less does he treat the
   semi-miraculous production of charity by Baptism in souls which have not yet
   the use of reason, but he speaks of the intellectual and moral process or
   set of acts by which a soul gifted with the use of reason is conducted from
   infidelity to faith and charity, he treats of the justification which is
   made by love even before the actual reception of a Sacrament.

   Our first act under divine inspiration is (c. 13) the consenting to those
   first stirrings of love which God causes in the soul even before it has
   faith. Then (c. 14) comes the production of faith. This may follow after
   argument and the acceptance of the fact of miracles, but it is not precisely
   an effect of these. Such things make truths of faith extremely credible, but
   God alone makes them actually believed. And the effect is from God not only
   in this sense that the extremest effort of natural intelligence could not
   attain to faith, but also because a moving of the will is required and is
   contained in the intellectual act of faith itself, what the Saint calls an
   affectionate sentiment of complacency in the beauty and sweetness of the
   truth accepted, so that faith is an acquiescence, an assent, an assurance.
   The Jews saw the force of the argument from Christ's miracles, but they did
   not assent to the conclusion because they loved it not. Hence faith includes
   a certain commencement of love in the will, but a love not as yet enough for
   eternal life.

   Then (cc. 15, 16, 17) comes the production of hope, which brings yet closer
   to charity. As soon as faith shows the divine object of man's affections,
   there arises a movement of complacency and desiring love. This desire would
   be a torment to us unless we had an assurance that we might obtain its
   object. God gives this assurance by his promise, and this promise, while it
   makes desire stronger, causes at the same time a sense of calm which the
   Saint calls the "root" of hope. From it spring two movements or acts of the
   soul, the one by which she expects from God the promised happiness, and this
   is really the chief element of hope—esperer, the other by which she excites
   herself to do all that is required on her part—aspirer. This aspiration is
   the condition but not the positive ground of our esperation (to coin a
   word). That is to say, we may not expect the fruition of God except in so
   far as we have a courageous design to do all we can; then, we may infalliby
   expect it, yet still ever from the pure mercy of God. Hope, then, is defined
   "an expecting and aspiring love," or "the loving complacency we take in the
   expecting and seeking our soverign good." It is then a distinct advance in
   love. Faith includes a beginning of love in the movement of the will though
   its real seat is the intelligence; hope is all love, and its seat is the
   will. However hope as such is still insufficient, because, however noble, it
   is a love of cupidity, and not that love of God for his own sake which is
   necessary for eternal life. By it we love God sovereignly, because we desire
   him above all other goods, yet our love is not sovereign, because it is not
   the highest kind of love. The Saint is of course speaking of the action of
   hope before charity. Hope remains also after charity, existing, as we have
   said, in the very heights of perfect love, and after charity its acts merit
   before those of every other virtue.

   Then comes the production of penitence or repentance. He distinguishes (c.
   18) first, a merely human repentance; secondly, a religious repentance
   belonging to the merely natural order; thirdly, a supernatural inferior
   repentance, which (c. 19) is good but insufficient; and fourthly (c. 20),
   perfect repentance, that is, sorrow for sin arising from the loving
   consideration of the sovereignly amiable goodness which has been offended
   thereby. This is not precisely charity, because charity is, precisely, a
   movement towards union, whereas repentance is, precisely, a movement of
   separation (from sin); but though it is not precisely charity and therefore
   has not the sweetness of charity, it has the virtue and uniting property of
   charity, because the object of its movement of separation from sin is union
   with God. In practice there is no means, or need, to distinguish, because
   perfect repentance is always immediately followed or preceded by charity, or
   else the one is born within the other.

   The Saint then reminds us (c. 21) that all this has been done by the loving
   action of God's grace, which, after awakening our souls and inspiring them
   to pray has brought them through faith and hope to penitence and perfect
   love. In conclusion (c. 22) he describes charity.

   Book III. treats of the progress and perseverance of the soul in charity on
   earth, and of the perfection of triumphant charity in heaven. We have only
   one remark to make on this book. The Abbé Baudry expresses surprise that the
   Saint when speaking (c. 2) of the increase of charity by good works does not
   mention its increase by the Sacraments. But he includes them under the name
   good-works, and in Book IV., c. 4, where he sums up this part of Book III.
   mentions them explicitly. He does not dwell on them because his object in
   chapter 2 is to show how easy God has made the increase of charity. He takes
   therefore as his examples the smallest works, such as the giving a cup of
   cold water, and he leaves us to draw the conclusion that the faithful and
   loving reception of God's Sacraments would â fortiori increase love. Still
   it is true that neither here nor elsewhere does he treat the Sacraments
   except quite incidentally, and the explanation of this fact gives us a
   further insight into the true character and object of the Treatise. He is
   concerned with the action of grace in general, not with its action by
   particular means; he is more concerned with the interior movements of man
   under grace than with the effects worked on him, as it were from outside;
   and, as he is treating of actual charity, he is more concerned with the good
   acts for which God gives (whether by Sacraments or in any other way) an
   increase of grace, than he is concerned with the actual reception of the
   grace. We mention this to show that one must not be surprised at not finding
   a fuller treatment of, for instance, the Blessed Eucharist. We must also
   remember that this Treatise supposes the "Introduction to a Devout Life" as
   a foundation. And though he only introduces the Sacraments incidentally, he
   does not fail to speak of them frequently, and with such magnificent praises
   as we should expect from the Saint of love. As when he says (ii. 22) that
   the communication of Christ's body and blood is the very consummation of the
   charity he is writing of, and the crown of God's love-dealings with us; or
   as when he says, speaking of the return of the penitent soul to reunite
   herself, immediately, with her God: "Go and cry God's mercy in the very ear
   of your confessor" (ix. 7).

   Book IV. describes the relations of love and sin. The following five Books
   treat of the exercise of benevolence in its generic sense—the sovereign love
   of God for his own sake.

   Book V. treats in general of the double action or manifestation of this
   love,—in complacency, and in benevolence in its specific sense, that is,
   desire.

   Books VI. and VII. treat of union with God by affection, that is, by prayer;
   the former treating of meditation, and of contemplation as far as union, the
   latter of union itself. The various degrees of the prayer of quiet are
   treated in these books, and Quietists bring forward passages from them, as
   from other parts of the Saint's works, in support of their extravagant
   system of annihilation of the powers and of purely passive prayer. We have
   said elsewhere [6] as much as we think it necessary to say to overthrow
   these allegations. But it is important to show that Fénélon was utterly
   wrong in appealing to the Saint's authority in support of his erroneous
   doctrine on this point in his "Maximes des Saints." Bossuet has exposed
   these errors and given a full explanation of the passages cited from S.
   Francis; particularly in the 8th and 9th Books of his "Instruction pastorale
   sur les états d’oraison." The Saint expresses in this as in all things the
   very teaching of the Church. He rightly teaches that there is, even short of
   suspension and ecstasy, a kind of prayer in which God takes into his own
   hands the powers of the soul, and produces in it acts far above the ordinary
   operations of faith, hope and charity. When God lifts a soul to this prayer,
   and also to some extent in preparation and expectancy of this elevation, the
   will acts, by a placing of itself (remise) in the hands of God, and even
   continues to act, though insensibly: hence the soul is not purely passive,
   but the action of God is so mighty, and so far beyond all proportion to that
   of the will, that S. Francis says this is "as it were passive." And as the
   soul must offer itself to be lifted, and must co-operate with God, therefore
   also must it help to acquire and preserve that "quiet" which is the
   condition of God's operation: it must abstain from intrusive acts of
   reasoning and from other acts of the will, especially from violent ones. But
   this prayer, however frequent, long, uninterrupted, absorbing, it may
   become, is of itself a non-permanent state, and not of the nature of a
   habit, but is always an act of charity. And far from saying that for
   perfection it is necessary to be raised to and to keep oneself in this
   state, the Saint teaches in a hundred places that the soul, however perfect,
   must exercise itself in all ordinary acts of prayer, faith, hope, petition,
   which are only put on one side for the time in which God has raised it. The
   practice of S. Jane Frances, whose authority was invoked even more
   speciously than that of her saintly director by the advocates of passive
   prayer, bears on this. We are told that: "She wrote out and signed with her
   blood a long prayer which she had composed of petitions, praises,
   thanksgivings, for general and particular favours, for relations and
   friends, for the living and the dead, in fine for all intentions to which
   she considered herself obliged, with the Credo of the Missal, also signed
   with her blood. She carried this in a little bag night and day round her
   neck, and she had made a loving covenant with Our Lord that whenever she
   pressed this to her heart she should be taken to have made all the acts of
   faith, the thanks and the petitions she had written." [7] And, at last,
   prayer is not a character of perfection, but a means to it, and the two
   following statements of S. Francis in his second Conference absolutely
   settle the whole question as to his teaching. "It happens often enough that
   Our Lord gives these quietudes and tranquillities to souls that are far from
   perfection." . . . . and on the other hand: "There are persons who are very
   perfect to whom Our Lord has never given such sweetnesses nor such
   quietudes; who do all with the superior part of the soul, and make their
   will die in the will of God by main force, and with the supreme point of the
   reason; and this death is the death of the cross, much more excellent than
   that other, which should rather be called a slumber than a death."

   As in treating affective love Book VII. completes Book VI., so in treating
   effective love Book VIII., which treats of obedience to the already
   signified will of God, is completed by Book IX., which treats of
   indifference, or the state of perfect readiness to accept all that God's
   good-pleasure may choose to send us.

   On the doctrine of indifference we venture again to refer the reader to our
   Essay [8] just quoted. We add a few words to show how completely Fénélon
   erred in appealing to this Treatise to support his extravagant and condemned
   propositions that indifference extends to eternal salvation as our
   salvation, and to virtuousness as such. The Saint expressly teaches that
   while God's glory must be our principal end, we may, indeed we must—our
   nature so requires—desire salvation and virtue as good also in themselves.
   Much less can we acquiesce in a supposed decree of damnation, with that
   species of absolute act which Fénélon requires as the last test of the
   disinterestedness of love. [9] With regard to eternal salvation, we have
   only to study the sentiments the Saint places in the hearts and mouths of
   those whose love is refined to its highest point at the moment of death (v.
   10, vii. 11, 12). He has a chapter to prove that the preceding desire of
   heaven increases the enjoyment of it (iii. 10); and he teaches that not only
   mercenary hope but also servile fear remain in the soul as part of its habit
   of charity so long as it is in this life (xi. 17). With regard to virtues he
   says (xi. 13): "Let us love the particular virtues, but principally because
   they are agreeable to God;" and: "We must make this heavenly good-pleasure
   the soul of our actions, loving the goodness and beauty of virtue
   principally because it is agreeable to God." Here the word "principally" is
   the key of the whole question.

   Bossuet triumphantly vindicates [10] the Saint's doctrine on indifference,
   but has a very ill-judged criticism on his use of the word. He is quite
   right in saying that indifference is only a degree of resignation, but he
   forgets how far ordinary resignation is below indifference. Bossuet gives a
   full explanation of all the passages alleged by Fénélon from S. Francis, but
   he was hampered, as Fénélon was totally misled, by Maupas's erroneous
   account of S. Francis's famous temptation to despair.

   Of the remaining three books, Book X. is dedicated entirely to the
   commandment of loving God above all things; Books XI. arid XII. are on the
   theory and practice of the particular virtues. Indeed it must be remembered
   that the object of the Treatise, even in its speculative parts, is
   exclusively practical. And as we have shown that in its theory it is free
   from error, so we may now be allowed to indicate some of its glorious
   truths, particularly with regard to the practice of holy living.

   It is not a book, like other spiritual books, treating only a section or a
   single element of the devout life, but it is one by which and on which the
   whole spiritual life can be formed; it is, with the "Introduction to a
   Devout Life," a perfect book, a "complete food," containing all the
   ingredients necessary for spiritual sustenance.

   It contains in the first place an immense mass of instruction, dogmatic and
   moral, on the science of the love of God. It treats not only in broad
   outline but also in subtle detail of God and the soul, this world and the
   world to come, grace and free-will, holiness and sin, commandments and
   counsels, ordinary virtue and perfection, all questions of prayer; it treats
   the virtues in detail, not only the virtue of charity in all its parts, but
   also faith, hope and fear, zeal, obedience, resignation. The direct course
   of the Treatise takes us through all these, and they are not only treated
   fully in themselves, but so treated as to bring out in illustrating them a
   hundred related truths. A whole theology of Mary might be gathered as we
   pass along; her Immaculate Conception (ii. 3), her graces and privileges
   (iii. 8.; ix. 14.; vii. 13, 14), her praise of God (v. 11), her heavenly
   death (vii. 13, 14). A new light is thrown on the sense of Holy Scripture,
   and on the principles and actions of the Saints.

   But, in the second place, we more particularly wish to point out some of his
   practical principles and rules, the manner of loving and serving God. The
   most important of these is what may be called the Saint's general idea or
   philosophy of life. It begins thus: "We know by faith that the divinity is
   an incomprehensible abyss of all perfection. . . . . And this truth which
   faith teaches we consider attentively by meditation, regarding this
   immensity of goods which are in God. . . . . Now when we have made our
   understanding very attentive to the greatness of the goods which are in this
   divine object, it is impossible that our will should not be touched with
   complacency in this good . . . . and especially when we see amidst his
   perfections that of his infinite love excellently shining" (v. 1, 2.). The
   loving soul does not stay in complacency but goes on to benevolence, wishing
   her God all possible goods; but as she is at the very same time exulting in
   the thought that nothing is wanting to him, she can at first but spend
   herself in desiring him what he already has, in desiring to be able to give
   him something, and in praises, ever rising higher and higher until at last
   she finds a sort of rest in the sense that her utter inability to desire him
   anything which he has not, or to praise him fully, is the best proof of the
   infinity of the goods he has. This delight in God and these loving desires
   are an important part of her service, but they would be barren if she did
   not go further. She turns, then, to her own powers, and finds that
   exercising them in herself by internal acts of prayer (affective love), and
   outside herself, amid creatures, by external acts of the virtues (effective
   love), she can increase the glory of her beloved, not in itself, but in and
   by herself. Thus the various interior and exterior acts are brought into
   one, and the soul's life consists, on the one hand, in "a continual progress
   in the sweet searching out of motives which may continually urge her" (v.
   7), and, on the other hand, in acts of prayer, in obedience, and in
   submission. She "employs every occasion," "does everything most perfectly,"
   and, by the practice of Intention, Offering, and Ejaculatory Prayer
   (according to methods minutely described in Book XI. 13, 14, 20, and
   throughout Book XII.), subordinates and ranges every interior movement and
   every exterior action to the service of divine love.

   This "view" of life, this continual gazing at the beloved Master for whom we
   work, this regarding the acts of life as a mere series of acts or offerings
   of love, is the very central point of the ascetic teaching of S. Francis. It
   not only gives the nobleness, the intensity, the meritoriousness of charity
   to every act, but it gives also at the same time a great simplicity and
   largeness, preserving the soul from formality and from getting lost or
   wearied in the multitudinous details and minute practices of the spiritual
   life; it creates a loving detachment and liberty of spirit, with a readiness
   to follow every slightest indication of God's will. Finally, it gives order
   to our various duties. For instance, it puts in their proper place, in
   serene majesty above the cavils of worldlings, the works of religion and
   "piety." These are the immediate services of the beloved, the first effects
   of charity, and therefore charity itself teaches that: "Amongst all virtuous
   actions we should carefully practise those of religion and reverence to
   divine things, those of faith, hope and the most holy fear of God;—often
   talking of heavenly things, thinking of and aspiring after eternity,
   frequenting churches and holy services, reading spiritual books, observing
   the ceremonies of the Christian religion; for holy love feeds at will amid
   these exercises, and spreads its graces and properties more abundantly over
   them than over the simply human virtues" (xi. 3). Yet there is no
   fanaticism. The human virtues find their proper place at the proper time,
   and, inferior in themselves, are raised by love, that is, by the fact that
   for the time they are the will of God, to the highest rank in the eyes of
   the loving soul,—"For in little and low exercises, charity is practised not
   only more frequently, but also as a rule more humbly, and therefore more
   profitably and more holily" (xii. 6). He has two glorious chapters on the
   truth that legitimate occupations, be they even in court or camp, hinder not
   the practice of divine love. "Curiosity, ambition, disquiet, together with
   inadvertence to, or not considering, the end for which we are in this world,
   are the causes why we have a hundred times more hindrances than affairs; and
   it is these embarrassments, that is, the silly, vain, superfluous
   undertakings with which we charge ourselves that turn us from the love of
   God, and not the true and lawful exercise of our vocations" (xii. 4.). In
   the one great principle of doing all for love we have signalized two
   conditions or negative aspects of the same.  1°. The intellect must be kept
   "very attentive." As the Saint says in the "Introduction to a Devout Life"
   (v. 17), so here, consideration "is supposed throughout the entire work,"
   the whole edifice is built on it, and therefore the want of it,
   "inconsidération," is the ruin of the whole spiritual life (xi. 7.) This
   "consideration" need not be called by the alarming name of mental prayer,
   but whatever it is called it consists in a most serious attention to
   spiritual truths according to the capacity of the individual: there must be
   one great esteem, and therefore the energy of the intellect cannot be given
   primarily to anything else. So (2°) in the will, there must be but one great
   affection, one aim, one desire—"One to one." "The desire of exalting God
   separates from inferior pleasures" (v. 7); and: "to have the desire of
   sacred love we must cut off other desires" (xii. 3). "Those souls who ever
   abound in desires, designs and projects never desire holy celestial love as
   they ought:" "He who aspires to heavenly love must carefully reserve for it
   his leisure, his spirit, and his affections:"—words which should be written
   in letters of flame for the guidance of such as seek the right way to
   perfection.

   We will not stay to give examples of his more particular principles with
   regard to prayer, but we select a few with regard to the virtues. The truly
   loving heart not only observes the commandments, but loves the observance,
   of them (viii. 5). "Inclination is neither vice nor virtue. . . . . How many
   by natural disposition are sober, simple, silent, even chaste? All this
   seems to be virtue, but it is not, until on such natural humours we have
   grafted free and voluntary consent:" The whole chapter "On the imperfection
   of the virtues of the pagans" (xi. 7.) is of the most practical importance
   at the present day. The general, but surely most constraining, principle of
   mortification,—that other pleasures and other desires must be put down for
   the sake of divine love,—is applied to the interior in such more particular
   methods as this:—irregular affections can be put down either on the
   principle of curing contraries by contraries, or on the principle of curing
   likes by likes: the inclination to trust in earthly things may be overcome
   either by thinking of the vanity of earthly hopes or of the solidity of
   heavenly hopes; desire of riches or of sensual pleasure may be kept down
   either by the contempt of them or by the esteem of heavenly goods, "as fire
   is extinguished either by water or by lightning" (xi. 20). It is applied to
   the exterior thus: "It is useless to give orders of abstinence to the
   palate, but the hands must be ordered to furnish the mouth with meat and
   drink only in such and such a measure. . . . . If we desire our eyes not to
   see we must turn them away, or (he has just compared our sensual appetite to
   a hawk) cover them with their natural hood . . . . it would be folly to
   command a horse not to wax fat, not to grow, not to kick,—to effect all
   this, stop his corn" (i. 2). In this connection, and to show how beautiful,
   how consistent, and how feasible his teaching is, it should be studied with
   his life, as his life should be explained by his teaching. That his
   extraordinary and almost unreasonable meekness sprang from no weakness or
   ignorance, but was founded on the deepest wisdom and sincere humility, we
   realize when we study his teaching (x.) on zeal and anger. His extremely
   affectionate expressions towards his friends find their justification in the
   truth that "the union to which love aspires is spiritual" (i. 10). The
   ground of his missionary spirit and life is found in v. 9, and the whole
   work is the explanation of his absolute devotion of himself to the loving
   service of God and his neighbour.

   In the third place, the Treatise contains a full exposition of the motives
   for serving God, the why of a spiritual life. This is all reduced to the one
   great motive of the infinite perfections—especially the amiableness, the
   love, the goodness of God—brought before us in a hundred ways. His mere
   descriptions are enough to bring home this motive to the heart that reads
   them with attention, but the Saint himself puts them together (xii., 11, 12)
   with the exact method of applying them. But besides the direct treatment of
   the motives, the Treatise is pervaded by a heavenly persuasive unction,
   which ever urges them. This is why S. Vincent calls it "the goad of the
   slothful and the stimulus of love." While S. Francis seems only to be making
   us clearly understand what virtue is, he at the same time makes us esteem
   and love it; his reasons for loving God and practising virtue are not cold,
   dry logic, but reach the heart, and command assent; and while he is
   apparently only fixing our attention on the way to practise virtue he is at
   the same time gently but effectively touching the springs of the will to
   make us love and prepare to effect it. But besides this continual
   stimulation he has direct exhortations; he stops, as it were, in his course
   to preach. One chapter is headed: "An exhortation to the amorous submission
   which we owe to the decrees of divine Providence" (iv. 8). Another is his
   exposition of S. Paul's,—"The charity of Christ presseth us." Another—"An
   exhortation to the sacrifice we ought to make to God of our free-will" (xii.
   10). And other chapters, though not precisely in the form of exhortations,
   contain the virtue of them. Such are the chapters "On condolence and
   complacency in the Passion of Our Lord" (v. 5); on the "Marvellous history
   of a gentleman who died of love on Mount Olivet" (vii. 12); and the last
   chapter of all: "That Mount Calvary is the true academy of love."

   But, in the fourth place, this Treatise is not only a manual and a guide to
   perfection, but it is also a meditation-book, and a prayer-book. In such
   chapters as those just mentioned the devout soul will find all the materials
   of most excellent meditations;—not only deep pregnant thoughts, but also a
   very fountain of affections and ejaculations, most pressing movements of the
   will, and most effective resolutions. The summing up of motives, and method
   of using them is already in the very form of meditation. But almost every
   chapter could be used as such. For instance, if one wished to strengthen the
   groundwork of love—the realization of the perfections of God—after thinking
   out Book v. cc. 1. 2., he could add Book i. cc. 15, 18, Book ii. cc. 1, 2,
   8, 15, 22, and Book iii. cc. 11, 12, 13. This Book III. furnishes grand
   meditations on heaven, and every Book is full of the excellences of charity,
   than which no consideration could be more touching or more practical.

   Then, the Treatise is a prayer-book. Very frequently the Saint ends his
   chapter with an exquisite prayer, himself giving the expression of the
   ardours with which he has filled our hearts. All Book V. is a prayer;—for
   instance, c. 5 on the Passion, c. 6 on Desires. Profound dogma, having
   permeated the intellect, exhales itself, as it were, to God on the apex of
   the spirit in such burning words as his—"Ah! then I am not made for this
   world, &c." (i. 15), or—"Ah! Jesus, who will give me grace to be one single
   spirit with thee, &c!" (vii. 3.)

   We have now to speak of our text and rendering. We have followed the text of
   Vivès's edition of the "Œuvres Complètes," which, with a little improvement
   from subsequent editions, is a reproduction of the original work, published
   at Lyons by Rigaud in 1616. We therefore follow in our quotations the
   spelling and accentuation of the old French. We have of course used the
   ordinary Catholic translation of the Bible, except where the Saint leaves
   the Vulgate for the Septuagint or the Hebrew, which he occasionally does,
   not, as he says, to get the true sense, but "to explain and confirm the true
   sense." We have consulted the originals for the citations from the Fathers,
   but the Saint himself quotes them with a certain freedom, and we have not
   thought it necessary to give the exact references, as the student can easily
   find them in Vivès or Migne. It has been decided to omit or modify in this
   popular edition a few sentences in which the Saint refers to certain
   delicate matters—in particular to certain Bible narratives which to his
   original readers were matters of familiar knowledge—with the happy
   simplicity of his day. As he says in his Preface, "it is of extreme
   importance to remember the age in which one writes," and there can be no
   doubt that if he had been writing for this age he would have consulted its
   requirements, and would have conformed to the universal practice of modern
   spiritual writers by forbearing reference to these subjects. He only
   introduces them incidentally and merely for the purpose of illustrating his
   main argument. The omissions or alterations taken altogether would not
   amount to more than two pages. [11]

   We are acquainted with only two English versions of the Treatise. The first
   was made by Father Car, from the eighteenth French edition, [12] and we had
   at first intended to take this as the basis of ours; but when we came to
   actually test it by the original, we determined to make our translation
   completely independent of it, and in many parts we did not refer to it at
   all. As to the substance of the work it is satisfactory; though there are
   many slight omissions, and a few somewhat serious mistakes. As to style,
   taken by itself, it is a good and a very interesting specimen of the racy,
   vigorous English of that day; but taken as a translation, the rendering is
   unwarrantably free, and Father Car's manner is far too rugged to represent
   that of the Saint, which is always graceful and flowing, even when the
   thought is closest and the passion strongest. Father Car gives the structure
   correctly, but his manipulation of conjunctions and adverbs, particularly in
   the more argumentative parts, is painfully cumbrous. We should expect his
   diction to be archaic, but some of his words are quite obsolete [13] . He is
   occasionally mistaken in his use of words, as when he translates bonté,
   "bounty," instead of "goodness;" he makes curious mistakes in words which
   are spelt nearly alike. [14] We have laboured to preserve his delightful air
   of antiqueness, which is singularly appropriate to the Saint's work.

   The modern English translation, which was made, we believe, early in the
   present century by an Irish lady, and which has been reprinted by various
   publishers, is not worth criticizing. It is not so much a translation as a
   very bad adaptation. A good deal of the substance of the book is left out,
   and the translator, who was not properly acquainted either with the Saint's
   language or her own, substitutes her style for his. We have no hesitation in
   saying that there is not a page without important errors on commission or
   omission.

   We may add a few words on our own work. It is sometimes said that a
   translation should read as if it were composed in the language in which it
   appears, and, again, that a translator must not attend immediately to the
   words of his text, but must, in the first place, aim at producing the same
   impression on the minds of his readers as the author would produce on the
   minds of those for whom he originally wrote. We cannot but consider both
   these rules or principles to be fallacious. A Frenchman, for instance, is
   different from an Englishman, and there are many words which necessarily
   make a very different impression, according as they fall on a French or on
   an English mind. So, again, the French tongue has national peculiarities and
   differences which an English translator may not ignore, but which he cannot
   represent in strict accordance with the genius of his own tongue. S.
   Francis's work would have been totally different, both in itself and in its
   effect, if he had been an Englishman writing for his countrymen in their
   native language. The most that a translator can do is to put the foreign
   reader in as good a position as he would be in if he had a familiar
   knowledge of the original. When an Englishman having a familiar knowledge of
   French reads a book written in that language, he does not indeed usually
   advert to the expression therein of the national characteristics—vivacity,
   use of gesture, frequent expression of emotion, strong sense of
   personality—because he has for the time put on his French form of mind, but
   there is certainly a latent sense of foreignness, of which he becomes
   conscious when these peculiarities are exaggerated, as in such a writer as
   Victor Hugo.

   We say this in explanation of the general structure of the work, which could
   not be altered without being revolutionized, but as regards particular words
   and phrases, we have tried our best to spare our readers the disagreeable
   jar which is caused by the introduction of a foreign idiom. In this matter
   the Treatise presents less difficulty than is found in the more colloquial
   writings, because its argument is very substantial, and its text largely
   consists of quotations from the Holy Scriptures, the Fathers, and
   philosophers. The difficulty lies deeper, and one must be extremely careful,
   in obliterating Gallicisms, not to injure or destroy what belongs to the
   very texture of the style. S. Francis's work cannot be made to read as
   easily as do the empty, superficial writings of the day, or to appear in a
   spick-and-span modern English dress. He is a classic, he is a master of
   thought, having his individual characteristics, who wrote scientifically on
   profoundest religious truths three ages back.

   His style is old-world, antique. Words with him have more of their fresh
   native simplicity than they now retain after having done service for three
   hundred years. Some of them he was the first to bring out of their classic
   use into modern circulation. Hence, we make no difficulty in using such
   words as "contemplation," "sensible," "civil," in their original and more
   proper sense, as English religious writers of his age—Hooker, Taylor or
   Milton—used them.

   Again, he is scientific—theological and philosophical. He writes a Treatise.
   The world, which is only interested in its own matters, will not admit the
   rights of the scientific writer on religion. Catholics of the
   English-speaking race are placed at a double disadvantage, on account of the
   small proportion their numbers bear to the mass of their countrymen. But
   surely we are not to acquiesce in allowing terms to be prohibited which are
   necessary or useful for properly and safely expressing the distinctive
   truths of our religion: there is an interest at stake not merely literary,
   but religious, and also patriotic. We claim, therefore, the right to use,
   for instance, the words "religion," "religious," "professed," in our
   technical Catholic sense, for the state and the persons of those who have
   bound themselves to the service of God by vow.

   S. Francis also had his special characteristics, which, therefore, are not
   French but Salesian. He was slightly old-fashioned, even in his own time. He
   was a patriarch of French literature, and devoted, in language as in other
   things, to the old times, though so glorious a pioneer of the new. He is
   simple in expression amongst the simple. But each word is charged with
   thought and reflection, and sometimes an exclamation which one might at
   first be tempted to suppress as a French superfluity, turns out to be a
   "word," and welded into the substance of the phrase. He was a Saint, also,
   and what would be an exclamation in others is an ejaculation in him.

   But, after all, our object is devotional and not literary; we are far from
   wishing to indulge any literary fancies or crotchets and have no intention
   of straining our principles of translation. Our one aim is to make the true
   teachings of S. Francis de Sales accessible, profitable, and attractive to
   English readers, and so to contribute our poor efforts to advance the divine
   Art of Holy Loving.



   Weobley,

   Feast of our most holy Father S. Benedict, 1884.
     _________________________________________________________________

   [1] For our authorities and full information on this important controversy
   we refer our readers to the admirable "Dissertation," by Baudry, in the
   supplementary volume (ix.) of Migne's edition of the "Works of S. Francis
   and S. Jane Frances." There is an anonymous dissertation in vol. vi. which
   bears on the same subject.

   [2] The following part of our Introduction—viz., the analysis of Books i.,
   ii., will probably be found more intelligible and useful after reading the
   Saint's text.

   [3] This division is the connecting chain of the whole Treatise, and it will
   be found that each Book treats of one or more of its parts. Thus the three
   following Books are on point 3, Book v. on point 2, Books vi.–ix. on points
   4 and 5 (viz., union by affective and by effective love), x.–xii. on point
   3.

   [4] Certain expressions on p. 50 require explanation. It is there said that
   in the superior part of the soul there are two degrees of reason—the answer
   is that the Saint for the moment puts out of consideration the lowest degree
   of the higher reason, and concerns himself with the two supernatural
   degrees. And a little lower down he speaks of the action of faith "in the
   inferior part of the soul," but he really means in the lower one of the two
   highest degrees.

   [5] It is true that elsewhere (Book iv. c. v.) S. Francis says, after S.
   Thomas and S. Francis Xavier, that God is sure to give grace to those who
   fulfil the natural law, but, since in the state of fallen nature the natural
   law itself cannot be fully observed without grace, there is already supposed
   in the hearts of such persons the existence of grace which draws the further
   grace. This the Saint expressly states (xi. 1).

   [6] "Four Essays on the Life and Writings of S. Francis de Sales," Essay
   III. p. 88.

   [7] From her life by Maupas, quoted by Bossuet in the "Instr. Past. sur les
   états d’oraison," viii.

   [8] Pp. 82-4.

   [9] The Saint is careful to qualify any ambiguous statement (as in ix. 4) by
   declaring that he speaks "par imagination de chose impossible."

   [10] In the same "Instruction, &c."

   [11] They occur in i. 5, 10; iv. 10; v. 1; vi. 15; vii. 1; viii. 1; ix. 10;
   x. 7, 9; xi. 4, 10, 11, 14.

   [12] "A Treatise of the Love of God." Written in French by B. Francis de
   Sales, Bishope and Prince of Geneva. Translated into English by Miles Car,
   priest of the English Colledge of Doway. The eighteenth edition. Printed at
   Doway by Gerard Pinchon, at the sign of Coleyn, 1630.

   [13] We would gladly have reintroduced such a fine old word as "yert," which
   represents the now untranslateable eslan or eslancement.

   [14] For instance nuisance as if it were naissance; jeusnes et veilles, as
   if they were jeunes et vieilles.
     _________________________________________________________________

TABLE OF CONTENTS.
     _________________________________________________________________


   PAGE
   Translator's Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   .
   vii
     _________________________________________________________________

   The Author's Dedicatory Prayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . .
   1
   The Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   3

                         BOOK I.
    CONTAINING A PREPARATION FOR THE WHOLE TREATISE.
   CHAP.     PAGE
   I.

   That for the beauty of human nature God has given the government of all the
   faculties of the soul to the will. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . .
   17
   II.

   How the will variously governs the powers of the soul. . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   19
   III.

   How the will governs the sensual appetite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . .
   21
   IV.

   That love rules over all the affections and passions, and even governs the
   will, although the will has also a dominion over it. . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   24
   V.

   Of the affections of the will. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . .
   26
   VI.

   How the love of God has dominion over other loves. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   29
   VII.

   Description of love in general. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . .
   30
   VIII.

   What kind of affinity (convenance) it is which excites love. . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   35
   IX.

   That love tends to union. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   .
   37
   X.

   That the union to which love aspires is spiritual. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   39
   XI.

   That there are two portions in the soul, and how. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   45
   XII.

   That in these two portions of the soul there are four different degrees of
   reason. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   48
   XIII.

   On the difference of loves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . .
   51
   XIV.

   That charity may be named love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . .
   52
   XV.

   Of the affinity there is between God and man. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . .
   54
   XVI.

   That we have a natural inclination to love God above all things. . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   56

   XVII.

   That we have not naturally the power to love God above all things. . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   58
   XVIII.

   That the natural inclination which we have to love God is not useless. . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   61

                                 BOOK II.
     THE HISTORY OF THE GENERATION AND HEAVENLY BIRTH OF DIVINE LOVE.
   CHAP.      PAGE
   I.

   That the divine perfections are only a single but infinite perfection. . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   63
   II.

   That in God there is but one only act, which is his own divinity. . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   66
   III.

   Of the divine providence in general. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . .
   69
   IV.

   Of the supernatural providence which God uses towards reasonable creatures.
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   73
   V.

   That heavenly providence has provided men with a most abundant redemption. .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   76
   VI.

   Of certain special favours exercised by the divine providence in the
   redemption of man. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   78
   VII.

   How admirable the divine providence is in the diversity of graces given to
   men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   81
   VIII.

   How much God desires we should love him. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . .
   83
   IX.

   How the eternal love of God prevents our hearts with his inspirations in
   order that we may love him. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . .
   86
   X.

   How we oftentimes repulse the inspiration, and refuse to love God. . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   89
   XI.

   That it is no fault of the divine goodness if we have not a most excellent
   love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   91
   XII.

   That divine inspirations leave us in full liberty to follow or repulse them.
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   94
   XIII.

   Of the first sentiments of love which divine inspirations cause in the soul
   before she has faith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   98
   XIV.

   Of the sentiment of the divine love which is had by faith. . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   101
   XV.

   Of the great sentiment of love which we receive by holy hope. . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   104
   XVI.

   How love is practised in hope. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . .
   106
   XVII.

   That the love which is in hope is very good, though imperfect. . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   109
   XVIII.

   That love is exercised in penitence, and first, that there are divers sorts
   of penitence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   112

   XIX.

   That penitence without love is imperfect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . .
   115
   XX.

   How the mingling of love and sorrow takes place in contrition. . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   117
   XXI.

   How our Saviour's loving attractions assist and accompany us to faith and
   charity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   121
   XXII.

   A short description of charity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . .
   124

                   BOOK III.
    OF THE PROGRESS AND PERFECTION OF LOVE.
   CHAP.     PAGE
   I.

   That holy love may be augmented still more and more in everyone of us. . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   127
   II.

   How easy our Saviour has made the increase of love. . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   129
   III.

   How a soul in charity makes progress in it. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . .
   132
   IV.

   Of holy perseverance in sacred love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . .
   138
   V.

   That the happiness of dying in heavenly charity is a special gift of God. .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   141
   VI.

   That we cannot attain to perfect union with God in this mortal life. . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   143
   VII.

   That the charity of saints in this mortal life equals, yea sometimes
   surpasses, that of the blessed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . .
   145
   VIII.

   Of the incomparable love which the Mother of God, our Blessed Lady, had. . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   147
   IX.

   A preparation for the discourse on the union of the blessed with God. . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   150
   X.

   That the preceding desire will much increase the union of the blessed with
   God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   153
   XI.

   Of the union of the blessed spirits with God, in the vision of the Divinity.
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   154
   XII.

   Of the eternal union of the blessed spirits with God, in the vision of the
   eternal birth of the Son of God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . .
   157
   XIII.

   Of the union of the blessed with God in the vision of the production of the
   Holy Ghost. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   159
   XIV.

   That the holy light of glory will serve for the union of the blessed spirits
   with God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   161
   XV.

   That there shall be different degrees of the union of the blessed with God.
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   163

                 BOOK IV.
    OF THE DECAY AND RUIN OF CHARITY.
   CHAP.     PAGE
   I.

   That as long as we are in this mortal life we may lose the love of God. . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   165
   II.

   How the soul grows cold in holy love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . .
   168
   III.

   How we forsake divine love for that of creatures. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   171
   IV.

   That heavenly love is lost in a moment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . .
   174
   V.

   That the sole cause of the decay and cooling of charity is in the creature's
   will. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   176
   VI.

   That we ought to acknowledge all the love we bear to God to be from God. . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   178
   VII.

   That we must avoid all curiosity, and humbly acquiesce in God's most wise
   providence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   182
   VIII.

   An exhortation to the amorous submission which we owe to the decrees of
   divine providence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   186
   IX.

   Of a certain remainder of love that oftentimes rests in the soul that has
   lost holy charity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   189
   X.

   How dangerous this imperfect love is. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . .
   192
   XI.

   A means to discern this imperfect love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . .
   193

   BOOK V.
   OF THE TWO PRINCIPAL EXERCISES OF HOLY LOVE WHICH CONSIST IN COMPLACENCY AND
   BENEVOLENCE.
   CHAP. PAGE
   I.

   Of the sacred complacency of love; and first of what it consists. . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   196
   II.

   How by holy complacency we are made as little infants at our Saviour's
   breasts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   199
   III.

   That holy complacency gives our heart to God, and makes us feel a perpetual
   desire in fruition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   203
   IV.

   Of the loving condolence by which the complacency of love is still better
   declared. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   207
   V.

   Of the condolence and complacency of love in the Passion of our Lord. . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   210
   VI.

   Of the love of benevolence which we exercise towards our Saviour by way of
   desire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   212
   VII.

   How the desire to exalt and magnify God separates us from inferior
   pleasures, and makes us attentive to the divine perfections. . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   215

   VIII.

   How holy benevolence produces the praise of the divine well-beloved. . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   217
   IX.

   How benevolence makes us call all creatures to the praise of God. . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   220
   X.

   How the desire to praise God makes us aspire to heaven. . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   222
   XI.

   How we practise the love of benevolence in the praises which our Saviour and
   his Mother give to God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   224
   XII.

   Of the sovereign praise which God gives unto himself, and how we exercise
   benevolence in it. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   228

                    BOOK VI.
    OF THE EXERCISES OF HOLY LOVE IN PRAYER.
   CHAP.     PAGE
   I.

   A description of mystical theology, which is no other thing than prayer. . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   231
   II.

   Of meditation—the first degree of prayer or mystical theology. . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   235
   III.

   A description of contemplation, and of the first difference that there is
   between it and meditation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   .
   239
   IV.

   That love in this life takes its origin but not its excellence from the
   knowledge of God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   241
   V.

   The second difference between meditation and contemplation. . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   244
   VI.

   That contemplation is made without labour, which is the third difference
   between it and meditation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   .
   247
   VII.

   Of the loving recollection of the soul in contemplation. . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   251
   VIII.

   Of the repose of a soul recollected in her well-beloved. . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   254
   IX.

   How this sacred repose is practised. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . .
   257
   X.

   Of various degrees of this repose, and how it is to be preserved. . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   259
   XI.

   A continuation of the discourse touching the various degrees of holy quiet,
   and of an excellent abnegation of self which is sometimes practised therein.
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   261
   XII.

   Of the outflowing (escoulement) or liquefaction of the soul in God. . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   265
   XIII.

   Of the wound of love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   268
   XIV.

   Of some other means by which holy love wounds the heart. . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   272
   XV.

   Of the affectionate languishing of the heart wounded with love. . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   275

   BOOK VII.
   OF THE UNION OF THE SOUL WITH HER GOD, WHICH IS PERFECTED IN PRAYER.
   CHAP. PAGE
   I.

   How love effects the union of the soul with God in prayer. . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   281
   II.

   Of the various degrees of the holy union which is made in prayer. . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   286
   III.

   Of the sovereign degree of union by suspension and ravishment. . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   289
   IV.

   Of rapture, and of the first species of it. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . .
   294
   V.

   Of the second species of rapture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . .
   295
   VI.

   Of the signs of good rapture, and of the third species of the same. . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   298
   VII.

   How love is the life of the soul, and continuation of the discourse on the
   ecstatic life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   301
   VIII.

   An admirable exhortation of S. Paul to the ecstatic and superhuman life. . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   304
   IX.

   Of the supreme effect of affective love, which is the death of the lovers;
   and first, of such as died in love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . .
   307
   X.

   Of those who died by and for divine love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . .
   310
   XI.

   How some of the heavenly lovers died also of love. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   311
   XII.

   Marvellous history of the death of a gentleman who died of love on Mount
   Olivet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   314
   XIII.

   That the most sacred Virgin Mother of God died of love for her son. . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   318
   XIV.

   That the glorious Virgin died by an extremely sweet and tranquil death. . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   321

    BOOK VIII.

   OF THE LOVE OF CONFORMITY, BY WHICH WE UNITE OUR WILL TO THE WILL OF GOD,
   SIGNIFIED UNTO US BY HIS COMMANDMENTS, COUNSELS AND INSPIRATIONS.
   CHAP.    PAGE
   I.

   Of the love of conformity proceeding from sacred complacency. . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   325
   II.

   Of the conformity of submission which proceeds from the love of benevolence.
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   327
   III.

   How we are to conform ourselves to that divine will, which is called the
   signified will. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   329

   IV.

   Of the conformity of our will to the will which God has to save us. . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   332
   V.

   Of the conformity of our will to that will of God's which is signified to us
   by his commandments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   334
   VI.

   Of the conformity of our will to that will of God which is signified unto us
   by his counsels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   337
   VII.

   That the love of God's will signified in the commandments moves us to the
   love of the counsels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   340
   VIII.

   That the contempt of the evangelical counsels is a great sin. . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   343
   IX.

   A continuation of the preceding discourse. How every one, while bound to
   love, is not bound to practise, all the evangelical counsels, and yet how
   every one should practise what he is able. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . .
   346
   X.

   How we are to conform ourselves to God's will signified unto us by
   inspirations, and first, of the variety of the means by which God inspires
   us. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   349
   XI.

   Of the union of our will with God's in the inspirations which are given for
   the extraordinary practice of virtues; and of perseverance in one's
   vocation, the first mark of inspiration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . .
   352
   XII.

   Of the union of man's will with God's in those inspirations which are
   contrary to ordinary laws; and of peace and tranquillity of heart, second
   mark of inspiration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   356
   XIII.

   Third mark of inspiration, which is holy obedience to the Church and
   superiors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   359
   XIV.

   A short method to know God's will.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . .
   362

   BOOK IX.
   OF THE LOVE OF SUBMISSION, WEREBY OUR WILL IS UNITED TO GOD'S GOOD-PLEASURE.
   CHAP. PAGE
   I.

   Of the union of our will to that divine will which is called the will of
   good-pleasure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   365
   II.

   That the union of our will with the good-pleasure of God takes place
   principally in tribulations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . .
   367
   III.

   Of the Union of our will to the divine good-pleasure in spiritual
   afflictions, by resignation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . .
   371
   IV.

   Of the union of our will to the good-pleasure of God by indifference. . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   373
   V.

   That holy indifference extends to all things. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . .
   375

   VI.

   Of the practice of loving indifference, in things belonging to the service
   of God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   377
   VII.

   Of the indifference we are to have as to our advancement in virtues. . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   381
   VIII.

   How we are to unite our will with God's in the permission of sins . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   385
   IX.

   How the purity of indifference is to be practised in the actions of sacred
   love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   388
   X.

   Means to discover when we change in the matter of this holy love. . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   390
   XI.

   Of the perplexity of a heart which loves without knowing whether it pleases
   the beloved. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   392
   XII.

   How the soul amidst these interior anguishes knows not the love she bears to
   God: and of the most lovefull death of the will. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . .
   395
   XIII.

   How the will being dead to itself lives entirely in God's will. . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   398
   XIV.

   An explanation of what has been said touching the decease of our will. . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   400
   XV.

   Of the most excellent exercise we can make in the interior and exterior
   troubles of this life, after attaining the indifference and death of the
   will. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   403
   XVI.

   Of the perfect stripping of the soul which is united to God's will. . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   406

                         BOOK X.
    OF THE COMMANDMENT OF LOVING GOD ABOVE ALL THINGS.
   CHAP.    PAGE
   I.

   Of the sweetness of the commandment which God has given us of loving him
   above all things. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   410
   II.

   That this divine commandment of love tends to heaven, yet is given to the
   faithful in this world. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   413
   III.

   How, while the whole heart is employed in sacred love, yet one may love God
   in various ways, and also many other things together with him. . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   414
   IV.

   Of two degrees of perfection with which this commandment may be kept in this
   mortal life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   418
   V.

   Of two other degrees of greater perfection, by which we may love God above
   all things. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   421
   VI.

   That the love of God above all things is common to all lovers. . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   425
   VII.

   Explanation of the preceding chapter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . .
   427

   VIII.

   A memorable history to make clearly understood in what the force and
   excellence of holy love consist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . .
   430
   IX.

   A confirmation of what has been said by a noteworthy comparison. . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   434
   X.

   That we are to love the divine goodness sovereignly above ourselves. . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   437
   XI.

   How holy charity produces the love of our neighbour. . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   440
   XII.

   How love produces zeal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   442
   XIII.

   How God is jealous of us. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   .
   444
   XIV.

   Of the zeal or jealousy which we have for our Lord. . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   448
   XV.

   Advice for the direction of holy zeal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . .
   451
   XVI.

   That the example of certain saints who seem to have exercised their zeal
   with anger, makes nothing against the doctrine of the preceding chapter. . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   455
   XVII.

   How our Lord practised all the most excellent acts of love. . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   460

      BOOK XI.

   OF THE SOVEREIGN AUTHORITY WHICH SACRED LOVE HOLDS OVER ALL THE VIRTUES,
   ACTIONS AND PERFECTIONS OF THE SOUL.
   CHAP.     PAGE
   I.

   How agreeable all virtues are to God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . .
   464
   II.

   That divine love makes the virtues immeasurably more agreeable to God than
   they are of their own nature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . .
   467
   III.

   That there are some virtues which divine love raises to a higher degree of
   excellence than others. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   470
   IV.

   That divine love more excellently sanctifies the virtues when they are
   practised by its order and commandment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . .
   472
   V.

   How love spreads its excellence over the other virtues, perfecting their
   particular excellence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   475
   VI.

   Of the excellent value which sacred love gives to the actions which issue
   from itself, and to those which proceed from the other virtues. . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   478
   VII.

   That perfect virtues are never one without the other. . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   481
   VIII.

   How charity comprehends all the virtues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . .
   485
   IX.

   That the virtues have their perfection from divine love. . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   489
   X.

   A digression upon the imperfection of the virtues of the pagans. . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   491
   XI.

   How human actions are without worth when they are done without divine love.
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   496

   XII.

   How holy love returning into the soul, brings back to life all the works
   which sin had destroyed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   499
   XIII.

   How we are to reduce all the exercise of the virtues, and all our actions to
   holy love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   503
   XIV.

   The practice of what has been said in the preceding chapter. . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   506
   XV.

   How charity contains in it the gifts of the Holy Ghost. . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   509
   XVI.

   Of the loving fear of spouses; a continuation of the same subject. . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   511
   XVII.

   How servile fear remains together with holy love. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   514
   XVIII.

   How love makes use of natural, servile and mercenary fear. . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   516
   XIX.

   How sacred love contains the twelve fruits of the Holy Ghost, together with
   the eight beatitudes of the Gospel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . .
   521
   XX.

   How divine love makes use of all the passions and affections of the soul,
   and reduces them to its obedience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . .
   524
   XXI.

   That sadness is almost always useless, yea contrary to the service of holy
   love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   528

   BOOK XII.
   CONTAINING CERTAIN COUNSELS FOR THE PROGRESS OF THE SOUL IN HOLY LOVE.
   CHAP. PAGE
   I.

   That our progress in holy love does not depend on our natural temperament. .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   533
   II.

   That we are to have a continual desire to love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . .
   534
   III.

   That to have the desire of sacred love we are to cut off all other desires.
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   536
   IV.

   That our lawful occupations do not hinder us from practising divine love. .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   538
   V.

   A very sweet example on this subject. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . .
   539
   VI.

   That we are to employ in the practice of divine love all the occasions that
   present themselves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   540
   VII.

   That we must take pains to do our actions very perfectly. . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   542
   VIII.

   A general means for applying our works to God's service. . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   543
   IX.

   Of certain other means by which we may apply our works more particularly to
   the love of God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   545
   X.

   An exhortation to the sacrifice which we are to make to God of our
   free-will. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   548
   XI.

   The motives we have of holy love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . .
   551
   XII.

   A most useful method of employing these motives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . .
   552
   XIII.

   That Mount Calvary is the academy of love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   . . . . . . . . .
   554
     _________________________________________________________________

                                   TREATISE

ON THE

                                  LOVE OF GOD





Dedicatory Prayer
     _________________________________________________________________

   MOST holy Mother of God, vessel of incomparable election, Queen of sovereign
   dilection, thou art the most lovely, the most loving and most beloved of all
   creatures! The love of the heavenly Father found its good pleasure in thee
   from all eternity, destining thy chaste heart to the perfection of holy
   love, to the end that one day thou mightest love his only Son with unique
   motherly love as he had done from all eternity with unique fatherly love. O
   Saviour Jesus, to whom could I better dedicate words on thy love, than to
   the most amiable heart of the well-beloved of thy soul?

   But O all triumphant Mother! Who can cast his eyes upon thy majesty without
   seeing at thy right hand him whom for the love of thee thy Son deigned so
   often to honour with the title of father, having united him unto thee by the
   celestial bond of a most virginal marriage, that he might be thy coadjutor
   and helper in the charge of the direction and education of his divine
   infancy? O great S. Joseph! Most beloved spouse of the well-beloved Mother,
   ah! how often hast thou borne in thy arms the love of heaven and earth,
   while, inflamed with the sweet embraces and kisses of this Divine child, thy
   soul melted away with joy while he tenderly whispered in thy ears (O God
   what sweetness!) that thou wast his great friend and his well-beloved
   father.

   Of old the lamps of the ancient temple were placed upon golden lilies. O
   Mary and Joseph, Pair without peer! Sacred lilies of incomparable beauty,
   amongst which the well-beloved feeds himself and feeds all his lovers—ah! if
   I may give myself any hope that this love-writing may enlighten and inflame
   the children of light, where can I better lay it than amongst your lilies,
   wherein the Sun of Justice, the splendour and brightness of the eternal
   light, did so sovereignly recreate himself that he there fulfilled the
   delights of the ineffable love of his heart towards us? O well-beloved
   mother of the well-beloved Son, O well-beloved spouse of the well-beloved
   mother! Prostrate before the feet of you who bore my Saviour, I dedicate and
   consecrate this little work of love to the immense greatness of your love.
   Ah! I conjure you by the heart of your sweet Jesus, King of hearts, whom
   your hearts adore—animate my heart, and all hearts that shall read this
   writing, by your all powerful favour with the Holy Ghost, that henceforth we
   may offer up in holocaust all our affections to his divine goodness, to
   live, die, and live again for ever, amid the flames of this heavenly fire,
   which Our Lord your son has so much desired to kindle in our hearts, that he
   never ceased to labour and sigh for this until death, even the death of the
   cross.
     _________________________________________________________________

                                  VIVE JÉSUS.
     _________________________________________________________________

PREFACE.

   THE Holy Ghost teaches that the lips of the heavenly Spouse, that is The
   Church, resemble scarlet and the dropping honeycomb, [15] to let every one
   know that all the doctrine which she announces consists in sacred love; of a
   more resplendent red than scarlet on account of the blood of the spouse
   whose love inflames her, sweeter than honey on account of the sweetness of
   the beloved who crowns her with delights. So this heavenly spouse when he
   thought good to begin the promulgation of his law, cast down upon the
   assembly of those disciples whom he had deputed for this work a shower of
   fiery tongues, sufficiently intimating thereby that the preaching of the
   gospel was wholly designed for the inflaming of hearts.

   Represent to yourself beautiful doves amidst the rays of the sun; you will
   see their plumage break into as many different colours as you change your
   point of viewing them; because their feathers are so fitted to display the
   light, that when the sun comes to spread his splendour on them, a multitude
   of reflections are made, producing a great variety of tints and glancing
   colours, colours so agreeable to the eye that they surpass all other
   colours, even the enamel of richest jewels; colours so resplendent and so
   delicately gilded that the gilding makes their own colours more bright than
   ever; for it was this sight which made the royal prophet say If you sleep
   among the midst of lots; you shall be as the wings of a dove covered with
   silver, and the hinder parts of her back with the paleness of gold. [16] The
   Church is indeed adorned with an excellent variety of teachings, sermons,
   treatises and spiritual books, all very beautiful and pleasant to the sight
   by reason of the admirable mingling which the Sun of Justice makes of his
   divine wisdom with the tongues of his pastors, which are their feathers, and
   with their pens, which sometimes hold the place of tongues, and form the
   rich plumage of this mystic dove. But amongst all the divers colours of the
   doctrine which she displays, the fine gold of holy Charity is everywhere
   spread, and makes itself excellently visible, gilding all the science of the
   saints with its incomparable lustre, and raising it above every other
   science. All is love's, and in love, for love, and of love, in the holy
   Church.

   But as we are not ignorant that all the light of the day proceeds from the
   sun and yet we ordinarily say that the sun does not shine, except only when
   it openly sends out its beams here or there; in like manner, though all
   Christian doctrine be about sacred love, yet we do not honour all theology
   indifferently with the title of this divine love, but only those parts of it
   which regard the birth, nature, properties and operations thereof in
   particular.

   Now it is true that divers writers have already handled this subject; above
   all those ancient Fathers, who as they did lovingly serve God so did they
   speak divinely of his love. O how good it is to hear S. Paul speak of
   heavenly things, who learned them even in heaven itself, and how good to see
   those souls who were nursed in the bosom of love write of its holy
   sweetness! For this reason those amongst the schoolmen that discoursed the
   most and the best of it, did also most excel in piety. S. Thomas has made a
   treatise on it worthy of S. Thomas; S. Bonaventure and B. Denis the
   Carthusian have made divers most excellent ones on it under various titles,
   and as for John Gerson, Chancellor of the University of Paris, Sixtus
   Senensis speaks of him thus: "He has so worthily discoursed of the fifty
   properties of divine love which are described in the course of the Canticle
   of Canticles, that he alone would seem to have taken proper account of the
   affections of the love of God." Truly this man was extremely learned,
   judicious and devout.

   And that we may know this kind of writings to be made more successfully by
   the devotion of lovers than by the learning of the wise, it has pleased the
   Holy Ghost that many women should work wonders in it. Who has ever better
   expressed the heavenly passions of sacred love, than S. Catharine of Genoa,
   S. Angela of Foligno, S. Catharine of Siena, S. Mechtilde?

   In our age also many have written upon this subject, whose works I have not
   had leisure to read distinctly but only here and there so far forth as was
   requisite to discover whether this book might yet find place. Father Louis
   of Granada, that great doctor of piety, has placed a treatise of the love of
   God in his Memorial, which is sufficiently commended in saying it is his.
   Diego Stella, of the Order of S. Francis, made another, which is very
   effective and profitable for prayer. Christopher Fonseca, an Augustinian,
   brought out one still larger, wherein he has many excellent things. Father
   Louis Richeome of the Society has also published a book under the title of
   The Art of Loving God by his Creatures, and this author is so amiable in his
   person and in his beautiful writings that doubtless he is even more so when
   writing of love itself. Father John of Jesus Maria, a discalced Carmelite,
   has composed a little book which is also called The Art of Loving God, and
   which is much esteemed. That great and celebrated Cardinal Bellarmine has
   also lately issued a little book entitled: The Ladder for Ascending unto God
   by his Creatures, which cannot be but admirable coming from that most
   learned hand and most devout soul, who has written so much and so wisely in
   the Church's behalf. I will say nothing of the Parenetic of that river of
   eloquence [17] who flows at present through all France in the multitude and
   variety of his sermons and noble writings. The close spiritual consanguinity
   which my soul has contracted with his, when by the imposition of my hands he
   received the sacred character of the episcopal order, to the great happiness
   of the diocese of Belley and to the honour of the Church, besides a thousand
   ties of a sincere friendship which fasten us together, permits me not to
   speak with praise of his works, amongst which this Parenetic of divine love
   was one of the first sallies of the matchless wealth of intellect which
   every one admires in him.

   We see further a goodly and magnificent palace which the R. Father Laurence
   of Paris, a Capuchin preacher, erected in honour of heavenly love, which
   being finished will be a complete course of the Art of loving well. And
   lastly the B. Mother (S.) Teresa of Jesus, has written so accurately of the
   sacred movements of love in all the books she has left us, that one is
   amazed to see so much eloquence masked under such profound humility, such
   great solidity of wit in such great simplicity: and her most learned
   ignorance makes the knowledge of many learned men appear ignorant, who after
   long and laborious study have to blush at not understanding what she so
   happily puts down touching the practice of holy love. Thus does God raise
   the throne of his power upon the ground of our infirmity, making use of weak
   things to confound the strong. [18]

   And although, my dear reader, this Treatise which I now present you, comes
   far short of those excellent works, without hope of ever running even with
   them, yet have I such confidence in the favour of the two heavenly lovers to
   whom I dedicate it, that still it may be in some way serviceable to you, and
   that in it you will meet with many wholesome considerations which you would
   not elsewhere so easily find, as again you may elsewhere find many beautiful
   things which are not here. Indeed, it even seems to me that my design is not
   the same as that of others except in general, inasmuch as we all look
   towards the glory of holy love. But this you will see by reading it.

   Truly my intention is only to represent simply and naïvely, without art,
   still more without false colours, the history of the birth, progress, decay,
   operations, properties, advantages and excellences of divine love. And if
   besides this you find other things, these are but excrescences which it is
   almost impossible for such as me who write amidst many distractions to
   avoid. But still I think that there will be nothing without some utility.
   Nature herself, who is so skilful a workwoman, intending to produce grapes,
   produces at the same time, as by a prudent inadvertence, such an abundance
   of leaves and branches, that there are very few vines which have not in
   their season to be pruned of leaves and shoots.

   Writers are often treated too harshly: the censures that are passed on them
   are given hastily, and very often with more incorrectness than they
   committed imprudence in hastening to publish their writings. Precipitation
   of judgment greatly puts in danger the conscience of the judge, and the
   innocence of the accused. Many write amiss and many censure foolishly. The
   kindness of the reader makes his reading sweet and profitable. And, my dear
   reader, to have you more favourable, I will here give you an explanation of
   some points which might peradventure otherwise put you out of humour.

   Some perhaps will think that I have said too much, and that it was not
   requisite to go so deep down into the roots of the subject, but I am of
   opinion that heavenly love is a plant like to that which we call Angelica,
   whose root is no less odoriferous and wholesome than the stalk and the
   branches. The four first books and some chapters of the rest might without
   doubt have been omitted, without disadvantage to such souls as only seek the
   practice of holy love, yet all of it will be profitable unto them if they
   behold it with a devout eye: while others also might have been disappointed
   not to have had the whole of what belongs to the treatise of divine love. I
   have taken into consideration as I should do, the state of the minds of this
   age: it much imports to remember in what age we are writing.

   I cite Scripture sometimes in other terms than those of the ordinary edition
   (the Vulgate). For God's sake, my dear reader do me not therefore the wrong
   to think that I wish to depart from that edition. Ah no! For I know the Holy
   Ghost has authorized it by the sacred Council of Trent, and that therefore
   all of us ought to keep to it: on the contrary I only use the other versions
   for the service of this, when they explain and confirm its true sense. For
   example what the heavenly spouse says to his spouse: Thou hast wounded my
   heart: [19] is greatly illustrated by the other version: Thou hast taken
   away my heart, or, Thou hast snatched away and ravished my heart. That which
   our Saviour said: Blessed are the poor in spirit: is much amplified and
   cleared by the Greek: Blessed are the beggars in spirit: and so with others.

   I have often cited the sacred Psalmist in verse, and this to recreate your
   mind and on account of the ease with which I could do it, by the beautiful
   translation of Phillip des Portes, Abbot of Tiron. This however I have
   sometimes departed from; not of course thinking I could improve the verses
   of this famous poet (for I should be too impertinent if never having so much
   as thought of this kind o£ writing, I should pretend to be happy in it in an
   age and condition of life which would oblige me to retire from it in case I
   had ever been engaged therein), but in some places where the sense might be
   variously taken, I have not followed his verse, because I would not follow
   his sense, as in Psalm cxxxii., where he has taken a certain Latin word for
   the fringe of the garment which I thought ought to be taken for the collar,
   wherefore I have translated it to my own mind.

   I have said nothing which I have not learned of others, yet it is impossible
   for me to remember whence I had everything in particular, but believe me, if
   I had taken any lengthy and remarkable passages out of any author, I would
   make it a matter of conscience not to let him have the deserved honour of
   it, and to remove a suspicion which you may conceive against my sincerity in
   this matter, I warn you that the 13th chapter of Book VII. is extracted from
   a sermon which I delivered at Paris at S. John's en Grève upon the feast of
   the Assumption of our Blessed Lady, 1602.

   I have not always expressed the sequence of the chapters, but if you notice
   you will easily find the links of their connection. In that and several
   other things I had a care to spare my own leisure and your patience. After I
   had caused the Introduction to a Devout Life to be printed, my Lord
   Archbishop of Vienne, Peter de Villars, did me the favour of writing his
   opinion of it in terms so advantageous to that little book and to me, that I
   should never dare to rehearse them: and exhorting me to apply the most of my
   leisure to the like works, amongst many rare counsels he favoured me with,
   one was that as far as the matter would permit I should always be short in
   the chapters. For as, said he, travellers knowing that there is a fair
   garden some twenty or twenty-five paces out of their way, readily turn aside
   so short a distance to go see it, which they would not do if i