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

How we are to vnite our will with Gods, in the permission of sinne. CHAPTER. VIII.

1. GOd doth soueraignely hate sinne, and yet he doth most wisely permit it to leaue rea∣sonable creaturs free in their actions, according to the condition of their nature, and to make the good more commendable, while hauing power to transgresse the law, they doe not for all that trans∣gresse it. Let vs therefore adore and blesse this ho∣ly permission. But since the Prouidence which doth permit the sinne, doth infinitly hate it, let vs also detest and hate it, desiring with all our heart, that sinne permitted, may not be com∣mitted: And in sequele of this desire, let vs make vse of all the meanes possible to hinder the birth, groth and raigne of sinne, imitating our Sauiour therein, who neuer ceaseath to exhort, to promise, to menace, to prohibite, to command, and inspire vs, to turne our will from sinne, so farreforth as is possible, without depriuing vs of libertie. But when the sinne is once committed, let vs endeauore

what we are able, to haue it blotted out; as our Sa∣uiour, who assured Carpus, aboue mentioned, that if it were requisit he was readie to suffer death a∣gaine to deliuer one onely soule from sinne. But if the Sinner waxe obstinate, let vs weepe, THEO: moane, praie for him together with our Sauiour, who hauing all his life time shed an aboundance of teares vpon sinners, and such as did represent thē, died in the end, his eyes full of teares, his bodie goarie with blood, lamenting the losse of sinners. This affection touched Dauid so to the quicke, that he fell into a traunce vpon it, I haue sownded, saieth he, for sinners abandoning thy law. And the great Apostle protest's that a continuall sor∣row possesseth his heart for the obstinacie of the Iewes.

2. Yet be sinners neuer so obstinate, let vs ne∣uer desist to aide and assist them: for what doe we know, but they may doe pennance and be saued? happie is he that can saie to his neighbour, as did S. Paule, I haue neither ceased night nor day to admonish euery of you with teares; and therefore I am cleare of your blood; for I haue not bene sparing, in denouncing vnto you, Gods good pleasure in euery behalfe. So lōg as there remaines any hope, that the sinner will amend, which al∣wayes remaines as long as life; we must neuer re∣iect him, but praie for him, and assist him as farre forth as his miserie will permit.

3. But lastly, after we haue wept ouer the ob∣stinate, and performed towards them the good of∣fices of Charitie, in essaying to reclame them from perdition, we must imitate our Sauiour, and

the Apostles, that is, we must remoue our mind from thence, and place it vpon other obiects, and imployments, more to the aduancement of Gods glorie. We were first, saied the A∣postles to the Iewes, to announce the word of God vnto you, but whereas you reiect it and make your selues vnworthy of the raigne of IESVS-CHRIST, we will betake our selues to the Gentils. The kingdome of God, saieth our Sauiour shall be taken from you, and shall be giuen to a nation that will make some profit of it. Nor can one in∣deede spend much time in bewailing some few, without loosing time fit and necessarie, to pro∣cure the saluation of others. It is true indeede, the Apostle saieth, that the losse of the Iewes is a cōti∣nuall corrasiue vnto him, yet he spoke it in no o∣ther sense, then we saie, that we praise God con∣tinually, for we meane no other thing thereby, then that we praise him very frequently, and in euery occasion: and in the same manner, the glo∣rious S. Paule, felt a continuall griefe in his heart, caused by the Iewes reprobation, for that in euery occasion he bemoaned their mishape.

4. For the rest we must for euer adore, Loue and praise God's reuenging and punishing IVS∣TICE, as we loue his MERCY being both daugh∣ters of his goodnesse. For as he is good, yea so∣ueraignly good, he makes vs good by his grace: by his IVSTICE he punisheth sinne, because he hates it, and he hates it, for that being soueraignly good, he hates the soueraigne euill which is ini∣quitie. And in conclusion note, that God doth neuer otherwise withdraw his MERCY from vs,

then by the iust vengāce of his punishing IVSTICE, nor doe we euer escape the rigour of his IVSTICE, but by his iustifying MERCY: and howsoeuer whe∣ther he punish or gratifie vs, his good pleasure is worthy of adoration, loue, and euerlasting praise. So the Iust, who sing the praises of Gods MERCY, for such as haue wrought their owne saluation, shall reioyce, euen in seeing Gods vengance: The Blessed shall with ioye approue the Sentence of the Reprobats damnation, as well as that of the Elects saluation. And the Angels hauing exerci∣sed their Charitie towards those that they had in keeping, shall remaine in peace, while they see them obstinate, yea euen damned. We are there∣fore to submit our selues to the Diuine will, and kisse the right hand of his MERCY, and the left hand of his IVSTICE, with an equall Reuerence.