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 in God there is but one onely Act, which is his proper Diuinitie. CHAPTER. II.

1. THere are in vs great diuersitie of Faculties, and Habits, which doe produce great va∣rietie of actions, and they also an incomparable number of workes. For in this manner the Facul∣ties of hearing, seeing, tasting, touching, mouing, ingendering, nourishing, willing, and the Habits of speaking, walking, playing, singing, sowing, leaping, swimming, are diuerse, as also the actions and workes which issue from these faculties and Habits, are much different.

2. But it is not the like in God: for in him there is One onely most simple infinite Perfection, and in that Perfection one onely most sole, and most pure Act, yea to speake more sainctly, and sagely. God is one sole most soueraignly indiuisible, and most indiuisibly soueraigne Perfection; and this Perfection is one sole most purely simple, and

most simply pure Act, which being no other thing then the proper diuine Essence, it is consequently euer permanent and eternall. Neuerthelesse, mi∣serable Creaturs that we are, we talke of Gods Actions, as though dayly done in great quantitie and varietie, knowing yet the contrarie. But our weaknesse THEOTIME forceth vs to this, for our Speach can but follow our Vnderstanding; and our Vnderstanding the customarie passage of things with vs. Now for as much as in naturall things there is hardly any diuersitie of workes, without diuersitie of Actions; when we behould so many different workes, so great varietie of pro∣ductions, and the innumerable multitude of workes of the diuine Puissance, we deeme forth∣with, that this diuersitie is caused by as many Acts as we see different Effects, and we speake of them accordingly for our more ease, and to con∣forme our selues to the ordinarie practise and cu∣stome we haue to vnderstand things, and yet doe not we in this violate Truth; For though in God there is no multitude of Actions, but one sole act which is the Diuinitie it selfe; this Act notwith∣standing is so perfect, that it comprehends by manner of Excellencie, the force and vertue of all the Acts which might seeme requisite to the pro∣duction of all the diuerse Effects we see.

3. God spoake but one word, and in vertue of that in a moment, the Sunne, Moone, and that innumerable multitude of Starres, with their diffe∣rences in brightnesse, motion, and influence, were made.

He spoake, and scarcely yet begun: Behould a perfect worke was done.

One of Gods wordes filled the aire with birds, and sea with fishes: made spring from the earth all the plants, and all the beasts we see. For though the sacred Historian, accommodating himselfe to our fashion of vnderstanding recounts, that God did often repeate that Omnipōtent worde, accor∣ding to the dayes of the world's Creation; neuer∣thelesse properly speaking, this worde was purely one; so that Dauid termes it a Breathing or Aspi∣ration of the diuine Mouth; that is one onely Touch of his infinite will, which so powrefully with his vertue doth bedewe the varietie of things created, that therby we conceiue them as multi∣plied and diuersifiied into differences proportio∣nable to the Effects, though indeede it is most indiuisible, and most simple; So doth S. CHRYSO∣STOME marke that which MOYSES made many wordes off describing the Creation of the world, the glorious S. IOHN expressed in a worde, saying, that by the worde, that is, by this Eternall worde which is the Sonne of God, all was made.

4. This worde then THEOTIME being most sim∣ple, and most indiuisible produceth all the distin∣ction of things; being inuariable produceth all good changes; and in fine being permanent in his Eternitie, giueth succession, vicissitude, order, rancke and season to all things.

5. Let vs imagine I pray you of one side a Painter drawing the picture of our Sauiours Birth (and I writ this in the Feast dedicated to this ho∣ly Mysterie) doubtlesse he will giue a thousand and a thousand touches with his Pencill, and will not onely imploy daies, but euen weekes, and

monthes to perfect this Table, as the varietie of persons and other things which he will there re∣present shall require. But on the other side let's behould a Stamper of picturs, who hauing spred his leafe vpon the grauen Planch of the Natiuitie giuing but one onely stroke of his Presse, and in that onely touch THEOTIME he will perfect his worke, and presently he will take off his picture, gratfully representing in a faire and smouth cut all that ought to be imagined according to the sa∣cred Historie: and though in one motion he per∣formed the worke; yet it carrieth a great number of personages and other different things, each one well distinguished in his order, rancke, place, di∣stance, and proportion. And one not acquainted with the secret, would be astonished to see pro∣ceede from one Act, so great varietie of effects. So THEOTIME Nature as a Painter, multiplies, and di∣uersifies her Acts, according as the workes she hath in hand are diuerse; and she takes great time to finish great effects; But God as the Stamper, gaue being to all the diuersitie of Creaturs which haue bene, are, or shall be by one onely touch of his omnipotent will, drawing from his Idea, as from a well grauen stampe, this admirable diffe∣rence of persons, and other things which succeede in seasons, ages, and times in their due order and being, this Soueraigne vnitie of the diuine Act being opposed to Confusion and Disorder, not to Distinction and Varietie, which it implies in the composition of beautie, reducing all Differences and Diuersities to Proportion; Proportion to Order, and Order to the Vnitie of the world

which compriseth all things created visible and inuisible, all which together are called the Vniuerse peraduenture because their Diuersitie is reduced to Vnitie; as though one would saie One-diuerse that is One and Diuerse, Vnitie with Diuersitie, or Diuersitie with Vnitie.

6. In somme, the soueraigne diuine Vnitie doth diuersifie; and his permanent Eternitie giues change to all things, because the perfection of this vnitie being aboue all difference and varietie it is able to furnish all the diuersities of created perfections with their being; and contains a ver∣tue to produce them; In signe of which the Scrip∣ture relats, that God in the beginning saied, let the lights be made in the firmament of heauē, and let them separate daie from night, and let them be signes for times, daies, and yeares; further we see euen to this daie a perpetuall reuolution of times and seasons, which shall continew till the end of the world, to teach vs, that as

One word of his commanding will Doth all the world with motion fill.

So the onely eternall will of his diuine Maiestie, extends his force from age to age, yea to the ages of ages, to all that hath bene, is, or shall be eter∣nally, nothing at all hauing any beeing, but by this sole, most simple, and most eternall diuine Act, to which be honour and glorie. Amen.