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

A Confirmation of that which hath bene saied by a notable comparison. CHAPTER. IX.

1. YOu know THEO: of what nature Iacobs loues towards Rachel were, and what did not he doe to testifie their greatenesse, force and fidelitie, euen from the houre he had saluted her at the head of the fountaine? For frō thenceforth neuer did he cease to die of loue for her; and to game her in Marriage he serued seuē whole yeares, with an incredible desire; conceiuing yet in him∣selfe that all this was nothing, so did Loue sweetē the paines which he supported for his beloued Rachel, whereof being after frustrated, he serued yet other seuen yeares space to obtaine her, so constant, loyall and couragious was he in his af∣fection! And hauing at length obtained her, he neglected all other affections, yea and had in a manner in no esteeme euen Lia her seruice, though his first Spouse, a woman of great merite, worthy to be cherished; and of the neglect whereof euen God himselfe tooke compassion, so remarkable it was.

2. But all this being done, which was euen suf∣ficient, to haue brought downe the most dis∣dainefull wench in the world, to the loue of so

loyall a Louer, it is a shame verily to see the weak∣nesse which Rachel made appeare in her affectiō to Iacob. The poore neglected Lia, had no tye of Loue with Iacob saue her onely fertilitie, whereby she had made him, a father to foure Sonn's; the eldest whereof named RVBEN, being gone forth into the fields, in the time of wheat-haruest, he found Mandragores, which he gathered, and after, his returne home presented to his mother. Which Rachel espying, saied, giue me part of thy Sonns Mandragores: she answered doest thou thinke it a small matter, that thou hast taken my husband from me, vnlesse thou take also my Sonn's Man∣dragores? Goe too, saied Rachel for thy Sonn's Mandragores, let him sleepe with thee this night. She accepted the condition, and when Iacob re∣turned at euen from the field, Lia went out to meete him ād saied, with ioyfull cheere, this night thou art myne my deare Lord and friend, because with wages I haue hired thee, for my Sonn's Mā∣dragores: and with this, vp and told him, the com∣pact which had passed betwixt her and Rachel. But from Iacob, beleeue it, there was no words heard, being struck with a maisement, and hauing his heart seased with the weakenesse and incon∣stancie of Rachel who for a thing of nothing had forsaken, for a whole night the honour and con∣tent of his presence. For speake the truth, THEO: was it not a strange and vaine lightnesse in Ra∣chel, to preferre a companie of little Aples be∣fore the chast loues of so louing a husband. If it had yet bene done for Kingdomes, for Monar∣kies: but to doe it for a poore handfull of Man∣dragores!

THEOTIME, what conceite frame you of it?

3. And yet returning home to our owne bo∣somes, ah good God, how oft doe we make ele∣ctions infinitly more shamefull and wretched? The great S. AVGVSTINE vpon a time tooke pleasure leasurely to view and contemplate Mandragores, the better to discerne the cause why Rachel had so passionatly coueted them. And he found that they were indeede pleasing to the view, and of a delightfull smell, yet altogether insipide and with∣out gust. Now; Plinie recounts, that when the Surgeōs orders that such as they are to cut should drinke the iuyce of them, to th'end they might not feele the smart of the lance, it happens often that the very smell doth worke the operation, and doth sufficiently put the patient into a sleepe. wherevpon the Mandragora is held a bewitching Plant, which doth inchant the eyes, sorrowes, and all kind of passions by sleepe. For the rest he that smels the sent of them too long turnes deafe; and he that drinks too much of them, dies without redemption.

4. THEOT: could pompes, riches and terreane delights, be better represented? they haue a gai∣ning out-side; but ah he that bites this aple, that is, he that sounds their natures, finds neither taste nor contentment in them. Neuerthelesse they doe so inchant and bewitch vs with the vanities of their smell; and the renowne which the Sonn's of the world giue them, doth benumme and put those into a deepe sleepe which doe attentiuely linger in them; or such as receiue them in too great aboun∣dance.

And alas these are the Mandragores, the Chimera's and fantomes of pleasurs for which we cast off the loue of the heauenly Spouse. And how can we then truely saie that we loue him since we preferre so friuolous vanities, before his grace?

5. Is it not a deplorable wonder to see a DA∣VID, so noble in surmounting hatred, so generous in pardoning iniuries, and yet so impotently in∣iurious in mater of Loue, that not being satiated with the vniust detaining of a number of wiues, he must needes yet wrongfully vsurpe and take away by rape, the poore Vrias his wife. Yea and by an insupportable treacherie, put to slaughter her poore husband, that he might the better enioye the Loue of his wife? Who would not admire the heart of a SAINT PETER, which was so brauely bold amidst the armed soldiers, that he of all his Maisters troupe was the first and onely man that drew and layed about him; and yet a little after so cowardly amongst vn∣armed women, that at the worde of a wench, he denied and detested his Maister; And how can it seeme so strange to vs that Rachel could sell the chast embracements of her Iacob for Aples of the Mandragore, since that Adame and Eue forsooke euen grace for an Aple, and that too, presented by a Serpent.

6. In fine, I will tell you a word worthy of note. Heretikes are Heretikes ād beare the name of such, because of the Articles of Faith they choose at their gust and pleasure what likes them best, and those they beleeue, reiecting and disauowing the others. And Catholiks are Catholiks, be∣cause

without choice or election at all, they em∣brace with an equall assurance, and without re∣serue, all the faith of the Church. Now it happens after the same manner in the Articles of Charitie; It is an herasie in sacred loue, to make choice of Gods Commandements, which to obserue, and which to violate. He that saied thou shalt not kill, saied also; thou shalt not commite adulterie. It is not then for the loue of God, that thou killest not, but it is some other motiue, that makes thee rather choose this commandement then the other. A choice that hatcheth heresie in matter of Cha∣ritie. If one should tell me, that he would not cut my arme, out of a loue to me, and yet would pull out myne eyes, breake my head, or rūne me quite through; ah, should I saie, with what face can you tell me that it is in respect of my Loue, that you wound not myne arme, since you make no difficul∣tie to pull out myne eyes; which are no lesse deare vnto me? yet since you rūne me quite through the bodie with your sword, which is more perilous for me? It is an Axiome that good comes from an entire cause, but euill from each defect; That the act of Charitie be perfect, it must proceede from an entire, generall and vniuersall Loue, which is extended to all the Diuine Commande∣ments. And if we faile in any one Commandemēt, loue ceaseth to be entire and vniuersall; and the heart wherein it harbers, cannot be truely called a louing heart, nor consequently a truly good one.