The spirituall director disinteressed According to the spirit of B. Francis of Sales, Bishop and Prince of Geneua, Institutor of the Order of the Visitation of our Bl. Lady. By the most Reuerend Father in God Iohn Peter Camus, Bishope of Belley. Translated out of French by A.B.

CHAP. III. Against both the giuing and receauing of presents.

BVT there is an other dumbe langage which makes it selfe to be vnderstood more by effects, then by words, and which in being more efficacious, is also more affe∣ctiue. It is that of small or meane presents, aswell actiue, as passiue, I would saie, aswell such as the Dire∣ctour giues, as those which he re∣ceaueth. O God preserue me from blaming the sainctity of things which I am about to name, in no∣wise, for I should offend both hea∣uen and earth, the which is farr from my thought: but who knowes not that Interest, which is à self-loue, very subtile, doth glide into euery

place, and penetrates euen into the Sanctuary it selfe? S. Hierome vio∣lently exclaimes against these litle presents, too frequently vsed, which are made betweene the Directours, and the persons directed. He makes à catalogue of those in his time, of handkercheifes, of linnen, of frui∣tes, of garments, and the like com∣modities vnder colour of gratitude and assistāce; w.^ch being litle, are not regarded nor seeme any thing. O how doth this great Saint giuen to austerity in his life, and who lie dis∣interessed strongly inueigh against those Flyes which by litle and litle become Elephants. A small pre∣sent with à great affection makes à deeper impression in à soule, then à great benefit accompayned with ill will. A litle sparke sometimes causeth marueilous flames. And then who knowes not, as an auntient sayed, that gifts, imitate baited

hookes, which present à follie to catch à great fish. He who hath founde benifitts sayeth the great Stoick in the excellent Tract which he cōposed on this subiect, hath in∣uented lines to fasten harts. That husband who had espoused à rich but an imperious wife, sayed that for à dowry he had solde his au∣thority. The Director who is so ill aduised to receaue them, imme∣diatly looseth his credit, and the holie libertie which in him is neces∣sary for the reprehension of vices. Beholde how the Prophet Elizeus reiected those of the leprous Naa∣man: No, no, sayd S. Paul, refusing all assistance, I haue hands to gaine by their labour, what is needfull for me. One offered money vnto S. Peter, he angerily reiected it, and with such soure tearmes, that they proceeded to an Anathema: let thy money leade thee into thy perdi∣tion:

Who can beleeue to obteine the gifte of God, and to possesse it at so base à price? The Directours are Iudges placed vpon the seates of iudgement, iudging in this life the tribs of Israel. Who knowes not how great à crime it is in à Iudge to receaue presents. Their right hand is filled with presents saieth the Psalmist, cry∣ing downe the vniust Iudges. For which cause an auntient Paynter re∣presented the iust Iudges of Areo∣pagita without handes, to shew that they were incorruptible. Vpon this subiect the great Apostle deliuered à sentence which ought to be held•• for an Oracle, and which cannot be deepe enough ingrauen in the spirit of Directours, we must not if it be possible, owe any thing vnto any one, but dilection according to God. How farr from this pu∣ritie are they, who vse their peni∣tents

as children amongst whom to stirr vp some honest emulation in teaching them Chatechisme, they distribute Images, beads, and other litle guifts? Ah! no, it is not that cosses, meddalls, relicks, and Reliquaries, Rosaries, Tablets, hallowed lights, Coronets, or Images of certaine holywoods by the name of some great Saints; It is not I say, that all this is not good in it self, and that the vse thereof is not commendable. But who sees not how Interest slides like à serpent vnder these beautifull flowres, wher∣of it doth impaire, venomous as it is, both the freshnes, beautie, & grace? A Lacedemonian one day smelling Spitnard, and re∣created with the sweetnes of that odour, à curse light on them, sayed he, who sophisticate this per∣fume, & who abuse it in their delights. O God, the blood of

thy sonne which is à balme powred out, and whose grace is dispersed, by vertue of the keyes giuen vnto the Church, amongst these blessed things, is sometimes imployed by interessed Directours to serue as baites, to arriue vnto pretentions of earth, which thy spiritt hath not reuealed vnto them: when shall it be lord, that thou wilt with whip in hande chase away these merchants from thy howse, and the sellers of pigeons, guifts of thy diuine Spirit? How blame worthy are they who making profession of guiding soules, and to thinke of nothing else, but the gouerment of their interiour faculties, haue more at∣tention to accōmodate themselues with their exteriour facultyes? Rowers, who tourne their backs to the place where they tende, Phisi∣tions, who take in refusing: Turne•• sols, whose flowre tournes towards

the sunne, but the roote into earth: Like to the raynbowe in the heauen, wonder of the eyes, and the ornament of nature: Obserue how it carieth the top of its arche ••oward heauen, whilest as à pumpe it suckes water from the sea to be∣dewe the earth: Resembling the eagle who looteth her self in the skye, at least to the sight of those that behold her soare, or when one thinkes that she lookes stedfastly vpon the sunne, she hath her eyes fixed on the earth to espye there her preye on which she is wholie bent. I will not explicate more clearly these conceipts, which will be sufficiently knowne to these Di∣rectours of what condition soeuer, to whom these are addressed. And I rather desire to seeme obscure then biting in these reprehensions although we must neuer spare vices, nor treat them with à seruile hande,

were they vnder à Myter, or vnder à Diademe.