A treatise of the loue of God. Written in french by B. Francis de Sales Bishope and Prince of Geneua, translated into English by Miles Car priest of the English Colledge of Doway

That there are two portions in the soule, and how. CHAPTER XII.

1. VVE haue but one Soule THEOTIME, and an indiuisible one: but in that one Soule, there are diuerse degrees of perfectiōs, for she is Liuing, Sensible, and Reasonable, and according to these diuerse degrees, she hath also diuerse Proprieties, and Inclinations by which she is carried to the pursuite and Vnion of things. For first we see, the Vine doth hate as one would saie, and flie the Colewort, so that the one of them are pernicious to th'other: and contrariwise is de∣lighted in the Oliue; so we perceiue a naturall con∣trarietie betwixt Men and Serpents, in so much that a mans fasting spittle is to them mortall: and contrariwise, Man and Sheepe haue a wonderous

conueniencie, and doth delight the one in the o∣ther. Now this inclination doth not proceede from any knowledge the one hath of the birth of his contrarie, or of the profit of him with whom he doth sympathie: but onely from a certaine se∣cret and hidden qualitie, which doth produce this insensible contrarietie and antipathie, as also this complacence and sympathie.

2. Secondly, we haue in vs the Sensitiue appe∣tite, wherby we are moued to the inquirie and flight of diuerse things by meanes of the sensitiue knowledge we haue of them, not vnlike to Cattell wherof one hath an appetite to one thing, an other to an other, according to the knowledge, which they haue agreeable or disagreeable vnto thē, and this appetite resides, or from it floweth the Loue, which we call Sensuall or Brutall, which yet pro∣perly speaking ought not to be termed loue, but simply be called appetite.

3. Thirdly, in so much as we are reasonable we haue a will by which we are carried to the inquirie of Good, according as by discourse we know, or iudge it to be such; againe, we manifest∣ly discouer in our Soule as it is Reasonable two degrees of perfection, which great S. AVGVSTINE, and after him all the DOCTOVRS, haue named the two portions of the soule Inferiour and Supe∣riour; of which that is called Inferiour which discourseth, and deduceth consequences, as she apprehendeth and experienceth by Sense: and that Superiour, which reasoneth and drawes consequences, according to an Intellectuall know∣ledge not founded vpon the experience of sense,

but on the discretion and iudgement of the minde of spirit; hence this superiour part is called the Spirit or the Mentall part of the soule, as the Infe∣riour is termed commonly Sense, feeling, or hu∣mane reason.

4. Now this Superiour part discourseth accor∣ding to two sorts of lights, that is either accor∣ding to a Naturall light, as the Philosophers, and all those who discoursed by sciences did: or accor∣ding to a Supernaturall light as Diuins, and Chri∣stiās, so farre fourth as they establish their discourse vpon Faith, and the reuealed word of God, and more particular illustrations, inspirations, and motions from heauen. This is that which S. AV∣GVSTINE saieth that by the superiour portion of the soule we adheare and applie our selues to the obseruance of the eternall lawe.

5. IACOB extreamely pressed with want of do∣mesticall necessaries, sollicited Beniamin that he might be led away by his brethren into EGIPTE, which yet he did against his proper liking, as the sacred Historie witnesseth, in which he testifieth two wills, th'one Inferiour by which he grudged his departure, the other Superiour by which he tooke resolution to part with him: for the dis∣course which moued him to disaproue his depar∣ture, was founded in the sensible pleasure he tooke in his presence, and the displeasure he was to feele by his absence, which are apprehensiue and sensi∣ble grounds: but the resolution which he tooke to send him, was grounded vpon a reason of state in his familie, to prouide for future, and approa∣ching necessities. ABRAHAM according to the Infe∣riour

portion of his soule spoake words testifying in him a kind of diffidēce when the Angell an∣nounced vnto him the happie tidings of a Sonne, doe you thinke that by a CENTENARIE, a child may be begotten? but according to his Superiour part he beleeued in God, and it was reputed vnto him for Iustice. According to his Inferiour part doubtlesse he was in great anguish, when he had receiued command to sacrifice his Sonne: but ac∣cording to his Superiour part he resolued coura∣giously to sacrifice him.

6. We also dayly experience in our selues di∣uerse Contra•••• ••ills. A Father sending his Sonne either to Court, or to his studies, doth not denie teares to his departure, testifying, that though ac∣cording to his Superiour part, for the Childs ad∣uācemēt in vertue, he wills his departure, yet accor∣ding to his Inferiour part he finds repugnance in the separation; and though a Girle be married to her owne contentment and her Mothers, yet with her benediction she receiues teares, in such sort that, though the Superiour will, giue way to the departure, yet the Inferiour showes resistance: We must not hence inferre that a man hath two soules or two natures, as the MANICHEANS drea∣med, no saieth S. AVGVSTINE in the 8. BOOKE OF HIS CONFESSIONS AND X. CHAP. but the will in∣ticed by diuerse baits, ād moued by diuerse reasōs seemes to be deuided in her selfe, while she is di∣uersly drawen, till making vse of her libertie, she maketh choice of the one, or the other: for then the more efficacious Will surmounteth, and gai∣ning the day, leaues the soule to resent the euill

that the debate brought, which we call re∣morce.

7. But the example of our Sauiour is admira∣bly vsefull in this behalfe, and being considered it leaues no further doubt touching the distinctiō of the Superiour, and Inferiour part of the soule: for who amongst the Diuines knowes not that he was perfectly glorious from the instant of his Con∣ception in his Virgin Mothers wombe, and yet at the same time he was subiect to Sorrow, griefe, and afflictions of heart: nor must we saie he suf∣fred onely in bodie, nor yet onely in soule, as it was sensible, or, which is the sa•••• thing, accor∣ding to sense: for himselfe doth attest that before he suffered any exteriour torment, or saw the Tormentour by him, his soule was heauie euen to death. For which cause he made his praier, that the Cup of his Passion might be transported from him: that is, that he might be exempted from it; in which he doth manifestly show the de∣sire of the Inferiour portion of his soule; which discoursing vpon the sad and anguishing obiects of his Passion prouided for him (the liuely image whereof was represented to his Imagination) he gathered by lawfull consequence, the absence and want of these things which he demanded of his Father: by which we clearely see that the Infe∣riour part of the soule, is not the sensitiue degree of the same, nor the Inferiour will the same with the Sensitiue appetite: for neither the sensitiue appetite, nor the Soule in so much as it is Sensi∣tiue, is capable of making any demand or praier, these being acts of the Reasonable power: and

especially they are incapable of speach with God, an obiect aboue the senses reach, to make it kno∣wen to the appetite; but the same Sauiour hauing thus exercised the Inferiour part, and testified that according to it and it's codsiderations, his will de∣clined the griefes and paines; He shewed after∣wards that he had a superiour part by which in∣uiolably adhering to the Eternall will, and De∣cree made by his heauenlie Father, he willingly accepted death, and notwithstanding the Infe∣riour part of reason, he saieth, ah! no Lord, not my will, but thyne be done; when he saieth, My will, he takes it according to the Inferiour portion, and in as much as he saieth it voluntarily, he shewes in himselfe a Superiour will.