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 much all the vertues are ag∣greeable vnto God. CHAPTER. I.

1. VErtue is of it's owne nature so a∣miable, that God doth fauour it, wheresoeuer he finds it: The Pagās, though they were enemies to the Diuine Maiestie, did now and thē, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 certaine ciuill and morall vertues, which

were not by their nature, placed aboue the forces of a reasonable spirit. Now you may thinke, THEOT: how small a matter this was: for though these vertues made a great shew, yet in effect they were of little worth, by reason of the lownesse of their intention that practised them; who labou∣red in a manner for no other thing then honour, as S. AVGVSTINE saieth, or for some other pre∣tention of light consideratiō, as for the entertaine∣ment of ciuill societie, or by reason of some weake inclination they had to good, which mee∣ting with no great contradiction, carried them o•• to minute actions of vertue, as for example, to mu∣tuall salutations, to aide their friends, to liue mo∣deratly, not to steale, to fidelitie towards ones Maister, to paie hirelings wages. And neuerthe∣lesse though this was so slender, and full of diuers imperfections God tooke it in good part at those poore peoples hands, and recompensed it large∣ly.

2. The midwiues whom Pharao commanded to kill all the male children of the Israelits, ••ere without all dispute Egyptians and Pagans; for ma∣king their excuse, that they had not executed the Kings pleasure; The hebrow women, saied they, are not like Egyptians; for they know how to re∣ceiue the child; and before we come vnto them, they are deliuered: an excuse which had not bene to the purpose, if these midwiues had bene Iewes; besids that it is not credible, that Pharao would haue graunted so sharpe a Commission to Iewish-women, against Iewish-women, being of the same nation and religiō, and with all Iosephus doth wit∣nesse

they were indeede Egiptians. And be it they were Egiptians and Pagans, yet did they feare to offend God by so barbarous and vnnaturall a crueltie, as had bene the Masacre of so many little children which the diuine sweetenesse tooke so well at their hands, that he built them houses, that is to saie, he made them become fruitfull in chil∣dren, and in temporall riches.

3. NABVCODONOZOR king of Babilon, had waged a iust warre against the towne of Tyrie, which the Diuine Iustice would chastice, and God signified to Ezechiel, that in recompence thereof he would deliuer vp Egipt into the hands of NABVCODONOZO•• and his armie. Because saieth God, they haue laboured for me; hence addes S. HIEROME in his commentaries, we learne that in case the Pagans themselues doe any Good, they are not vnrewarded by God's Iudgement. So did DANIEL exhort NABVCODONOZOR an Infidell, to redeeme his sinnes by almes, that is, to ransome himselfe out of the temporall paines due vnto his sinne, which hung ouer his head. Doe you see then THEO: how true it is, that God doth esteeme vertues though practised by persons otherwise wicked? If he had not approued the mercye of those Midwiues, and the iustice of the Babilonian warrs, would he haue taken the paines, I praie you, to haue rewarded them? And if Daniel had not knowen, that notwithstanding Nabucodono∣zors infidelitie, his almes-deedes were agreeable vnto God, why would he haue counselled him them? Certes the Apostle assures vs that Pagans who haue no faith, doe naturally performe that

which belongs vnto the law, and in doing so, who can doubt but they doe well, or that God doth make accompt of it. Pagans vnderstoode that marriage was good and necessarie, they saw that it was conuenient to haue their children brought vp in sciences, in loue of their countries, in ciuili∣tie, and they did so. Now I leaue it to your consi∣deration, whether this was not gratefull vnto God, since to this end, he indewed them with the light of reason, and a naturall propention.

4. Naturall reason is a good tree, which Gods owne finger planted in our soule, the fruits that spring from it, cannot otherwise be then good; yet in truth in comparison of that which springs from grace they are of a very lowe rate, though not of no value, sith God put a rate vpon them, bestowing in respect of them temporall rewards, as he rewarded the morall vertues of the Romans, according to S. AVGVSTINE, with the great ex∣tention and glorious reputation of their Em∣pire.

5. Sinne without question, makes the soule sicke, whence she is not able to performe great and powerfull operations, though little ones she can: for all the sicke mans actions are not sicke; he speakes, he sees, he heares, he drinkes. The soule in sinne, can doe good workes, which being na∣turall, are rewarded with naturall rewards; being ciuile, they are payed with ciuile and humane money, that is, with temporall commodities. The sinner is not in the state of the diuills, whose wills are so drunke vp, and incorporated in euill that they can will no good at all. No THEO: the sinner

in this world is not in this estate. He is thereby in∣deede wounded to death in the way betwixt Hie∣rusalem and Ierico, but as yet is not dead: for, saieth the Ghospell, he is left halfe aliue, and as such he can produce actions halfe a liue: tis true he can neither walke, nor rise, nor crie for aide, no not so much as speake, saue onely languidly, by reason of his faint heart; yet can he open his eyes, stirre his fingers, sigh, make some little com∣plaints, which are weake actions, notwithstan∣ding all which he might haue bene found misera∣bly lying dead in his owne blood, had not the mer∣cifull Samaritaine poured his owne honie and wine into his wounds and carried him to a lodging, where he gaue charge that he should be dressed and looked too, at his cost.

5. Naturall reason is deeply wounded, and halfe slayne by sinne, so that being so at vnder, it cannot obserue all the Commandements, which notwithstanding it apprehends to be conuenient. It knowes its dutie; but cannot acquit it selfe thereof. It's eyes hath more light to discouer the way, then its legges hath strength to vndertake it.

6. The sinner may indeede here and there ob∣serue some of the Commandements, yea all of them for some small time, while there is not pre∣sented vnto him high subiects, in which comman∣ded vertues are to be practised, or some violent temptation of committing a prohibited sinne. But that a sinner should siue lōg in his sinne, whithout adding to it new ones, is not a thing that can be done, but by God's speciall protection. For mans enemie is hot, stirring, and in perpetuall action to

precipitate him; and when he sees that occasion of practising ordinarie vertues doe not occurre, he stirrs vp a thousand temptations to make him fall into forbidden things; at which time NATVRE without GRACE cannot warrant it selfe from fal∣ling: for if we ouercome, it's God giues vs the vi∣ctorie through IESVS CHRIST, as S. PAVLE saieth, watch and praie, that you enter not into tempta∣tion. If God had saied onely WATCH, we should apprehend our owne power sufficient, but adding PRAIE, he showes, that if he keepe not our soules in time of temptation, in vaine shall they watch who keepe them.