OF THE

LOVE OF GOD

By S. FRANCIS DE SALES,

bishop and prince of geneva

translated by

H. L. SIDNEY LEAR

Editor of “Fénelon’s Letters to Men,” “Fénelon’s Letters to Women,” “The Spirit of S. Francis de Sales,” etc. etc.

RIVINGTONS

WATERLOO PLACE, LONDON

mdccclxxxviii

AUTHOR’S PREFACE

THE Holy Spirit teaches us that the lips of the Bride—i.e. His Church—are as scarlet and as honeycomb; so that all may clearly understand that her doctrine is altogether Holy Love—love scarlet as the blood of the Bridegroom Who kindles it, sweeter than honey through His ineffable Grace. Even so, when the Heavenly Bridegroom first gave the law of His New Covenant to man, He sent tongues of flame to kindle the chosen disciples whose office it was to promulgate the same, as a token that the Gospel when preached was destined to kindle all hearts.

Look at a flight of pigeons in the sunshine. See how their colours change according to the light in which you see them, and that because their feathers are so apt to receive those glowing hues, and the sun is so fain to mingle its rays therewith, that an endless sheen of tints ensues more lovely than precious stones, even as the royal prophet says, “covered with silver wings, and feathers like gold” (Ps. 68:13). Just so the Church is adorned with a marvellous variety of admirable treatises, sermons, and books, in which the Sun of Righteousness mingles His bright rays with the glowing hues which flow from the rich plumage of His mystic Dove. And prevailing above all tints and tones, gilding all saintly wisdom and eloquence, is the pure gold of Divine Love. In the Church of God all is of love, in love, to love, and for love.

Yet just as we know that all daylight comes of the sun, and yet we are wont only to say that the sun shines when its actual rays rest on a spot; so while all Christian doctrine comes of Divine Love, we do not apply the term indiscriminately to all theology, but only to such portions thereof as specially treat of the origin, nature, operations, and specialty of love. Many writers have treated this subject with great power, especially those early fathers who served God lovingly, and spoke freely of His great Love. Gladly do we listen to S. Paul, who learned his lessons of love in Paradise itself; or to S. Thomas, whose treatise is worthy of its author. S. Bonaventura and Denys the Carthusian have written on the subject; and Gerson, Chancellor of the University of Paris, has written a work of which Sixtus of Sienna says that it appears as though he alone had been admitted into the privy council of God’s heart.

Moreover, in token that a loving soul is more apt to such studies than the wisest of men, it has pleased God to permit certain women, such as S. Catherine of Genoa, and of Sienna, S. Angela di Foligni, and S. Matilda, to produce very remarkable utterances concerning Divine Love. And in our own time there have been works deserving mention of which I have personally but a superficial knowledge. [Louis of Grenada, ...