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

Of the vnion of our will to Gods in the in∣spirations which are giuen for the extra∣ordinarie practise of vertues; and of per∣seuerance in ones vocation, the first marke of the inspiration. CHAPTER. XI.

1. THere are certaine Inspirations which tend onely to an extraordinarie perfection of the ordinarie exercises of Christian life. Charitie

towards poore infirme people is an ordinarie ex∣ercise with true Christians, yet an ordinarie exer∣cise which was practised by S. FRANCIS with an ex∣traordinarie perfection, as also by S. Catharine, of Sienna, when she licked and sucked the vlcers of the Leprous and Cankred; and by the glorious S. LEWES when bare-head and vpon his knees, he serued the sicke, whereat an Abbot of Cisteau loosed himselfe in admiration, seeing him in this posture, handle and dresse the running and can∣kered wounds of a miserable wretch: as it was also a very extraordinarie exercise, that the holy Mo∣narke should serue the most abiect and vile poore people at table, and eate their leauings. S. HIE∣ROME, entertaining in his Hospitall at Bethleem the Pilgrims of Europe, who fled the persecution of the Goths, did not onely wash their feete, but descended euen so low as to wash and rub their Camels leggs, imitating Rebecca whom we lately mentioned, who did not onely draw water for Eliezer, but for his Camells also. S. FRANCIS did not onely practise pouerrie in an extreamitie, as is knowen to all, but euen exercised simplicitie in the like measure. He redeemed a lambe fearing it should be put to slaughter, because it represented our Sauiour: he bore a respect almost to all Crea∣turs, in respect of their Creatour, by an vnac∣customed, yet most prudent simplicitie. Now and then he would busie himselfe to withdraw wormes out of the way, least some in passing, should trāple thē vnder their feete, remēbring that our Sauiour had compared himselfe to the worme. He called the Creaturs his brothers and sisters, by a cer∣taine

admirable consideration, which loue sugge∣sted vnto him. S. ALEXIS, a gentleman of a noble descent, practised in an excellent manner the ab∣iection of himselfe, liuing vnkowen for the space of 17. yeares, in his Fathers house at Rome, in the nature of a poore pilgrime. All these inspirations were for ordinarie exercise, which notwithstan∣ding were practised with extraordinarie perfe∣ction. In this kind of inspiration, we are to ob∣serue the rules which I gaue for desirs, in the In∣troduction. We must not striue to practise many exercises at once, and vpon a sodaine: for it is of∣ten a trike of the enemye, to moue vs to vnder∣take and begin many desines, to th'end that ouer∣whelmed with the multiplicitie of businesse, we might accōplish nothing, but leaue all vnfinished: yea sometimes he doth suggest vnto vs a desire, to vndertake to begin some excellent worke, which he foresees we will not accomplish, to deturne vs from prosecuting a worke lesse excellent, which we had easily performed; for he cares not how ma∣ny purposes and onsets be made, so that nothing be effected. He will not hinder the mysticall wo∣men, that is the Christian soules, to bring forth men-children, no more then Pharao did, prouided that their groth be preuented by slaughter. Con∣trariwise, saieth the great S. Hierome, amongst Christians we doe not so much note the begin∣ning as the end. One must not eate so much, that he cannot disgest it. The Spirit of guile stayes vs in the beginnings, and makes vs content with the florishing spring-time; but the Diuine Spirit ne∣uer moues vs to reflect vpon our beginnings, saue

to attaine the end; neuer to make vse of the flowres of the spring, but with intention, to en∣ioye the ripe fruites of the Summer, and Autumne.

2. The great S. THOMAS is of opinion, that it is not expedient, to make many consultations and long deliberations touching the desire one feeles in himselfe to enter into a good and well or∣dered Religion and not without reason: For Religion being counselled by our Sauiour in the Gospell, what needs much consultation? It is suf∣ficient to make one good one, with a few friends, who are prudent, and conuersant in such a busi∣nesse, and such as may assist vs to make a short and solide resolution. But after we haue once de∣liberated and resolued, as well in this matter, as in any other that appertaines to Gods seruice, we must be constant and vnuariable, without permit∣ting our selues to be shaken by any apprehēsion of a greater good; for oftentimes, saieth the glorious S. BERNARD the Diuell makes vs rūne the riot, and to draw vs from the effecting of one good, he pro∣poseth vnto vs some other good, that seemes bet∣ter, which after we haue set vpon, to diuert vs from that againe, he presents a third, being wil∣ling that we should often begin, so we neuer come to an end. Nay one is not euen to goe from one order to another without very waightie motifes, saieth S. THOMAS, following the Abbot Nesto∣rious, cited by Cassian.

3. I will borrow a fine similitude of S. Anselme writing to Lanzon: As a plant often transplanted can neuer take roote, nor consequently come to perfection, and rēder the wished fruite; so the soule

that doth transplant her heart from one desine to another, cannot profit, nor come to the true groth of her perfection; since perfection is not found in beginnings, but in accomplishments. Ezechiel's holy beasts went whither the ouer bearing-furie of their spirits carried them, nor did they in going looke backward, but each of them went on out right before them: Wee are to goe whither the in∣spiration moues vs, not turning about, or retur∣ning backe, but tēding thither, whither God hath turned our face, without looking ouer our shoulder. He that is in a good way, let him worke his saluation. It happens sometimes that we for∣sake the good, to seeke the better, and that ha∣uing forsaken th'one, we find not the other: Bet∣ter is the possession of a smale treasure alreadie found, then the pretention of a farre greater, which is yet to be sought for. The inspiration is to be suspected, which moues vs to quit a present good which we enioye, to purchase a better we know not when. A young Portugaise, called Francis Bassus, was admirable, not onely for Diuine elo∣quence, but also for the practise of vertue vnder the discipline of S. PHILIPE NERIVS in the Con∣gregation of the Oratorie at Rome: Now, he per∣swaded himselfe that he was inspired to leaue this holy Societie, to put himselfe in a formall Order, which also he resolued vpon; But the B. PHILIPE being present, while he was receiued into the or∣der of S. DOMINIKE, he wept bitterly. Wherevpon being demanded by Francis Marie Tauruse, who was afterwards Archbishop of Sienna and Cardi∣nall, why he shed teares? I deplore, quoth he, the

losse of so many vertues: and indeede this young man, who did so excell in wisdome and pietie in the Congregation, after he was become a reli∣gious man, was so inconstant and fickle, that tos∣sed with many desires of noueltie and change, he gaue afterwards great and grieuous scan∣dall.

4. If the Fowler goe straight to the Partridge nest, she will come before him and coūterfaite her back to be broken, or that she is lame, and raysing her selfe vp as though she would take a great flight, she will tumble downe of a sodaine, with show that she is able to doe no more, to thēd that the Fowler, being busied in looking after her, whom he thinks with ease to catch, may not light on her little ones in the nest, but as soone as he hath pursued her a while, and thinkes he is vpon the point of catching her, she escapes by flying away. So the enemye, seeing a man by Gods in∣spiration vndertake a profession and manner of life most proper for his aduancements in heauenly Loue, persuads him, to enter into some other way, more perfect in appearance; but hauing put him out of his first way, he makes him by little and little apprehend the second way impossible, proposing a third; that so keeping him occupied in the cōtinuall enquirie of diuers and new meanes of perfection, he may hinder him from making vse of any, and consequently from attaining the end which he seekes for, which is perfection. Young hounds loose the sent at euery double, and rūne counter: but the old and well sented hounds neuer rūnes counter, but keepes still the same sent

they are vpon. Let euery one then, hauing once found out Gods holy will touching his vocation, stick to it holily and louingly, practising therein fitting exercises, according to the order of discre∣tion, and with the Zeale of perfection.