Transcription
Treatise on theLove of GodSt. Francis de Sales
Treatise on the Love of GodSt. Francis de SalesTable of ContentsAbout This Book. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. iiIntroductory Material. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 1Cover Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 1Frontispiece. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 2Title Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 3Dedication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 5Translator's Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 5Table of Contents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 21Dedicatory Prayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 52Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 53Book I. Containing a Preparation for the Whole Treatise. . . . . . . . . . . . p. 62Chapter I. That for the Beauty of Human Nature God has Given theGovernment of All the Faculties of the Soul to the Will. . . . . . . . . . . . p. 62Chapter II. How the Will Variously Governs the Powers of the Soul. . . . . p. 63Chapter III. How the Will Governs the Sensual Appetite. . . . . . . . . . . p. 64Chapter IV. That Love Rules over All the Affections, and Passions, andEven Governs the Will, Although the Will Has Also a Dominion overIt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 66Chapter V. Of the Affections of the Will. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 67Chapter VI. How the Love of God Has Dominion over Other Loves. . . . . p. 69Chapter VII. Description of Love in General. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 70Chapter VIII. What Kind of Affinity (Convenance) It Is Which ExcitesL o v e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 73Chapter IX. That Love Tends to Union. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 74Chapter X. That the Union to Which Love Aspires Is Spiritual. . . . . . . p. 75Chapter XI. That There Are Two Portions in the Soul, and How. . . . . . p. 78Chapter XII. That in These Two Portions of the Soul There Are FourDifferent Degrees of Reason. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 80Chapter XIII. On the Difference of Loves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 82Chapter XIV. That Charity May Be Named Love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 83Chapter XV. Of The Affinity There Is between God and Man. . . . . . . . p. 84Chapter XVI. That We Have a Natural Inclination to Love God above AllT h i n g s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 86Chapter XVII. That We Have not Naturally the Power to Love God aboveAll Things. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 87iii
Treatise on the Love of GodSt. Francis de SalesChapter XVIII. That the Natural Inclination Which We Have to Love GodIs not Useless. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 88The Second Book. The History Of The Generation And Heavenly Birth OfDivine Love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 90Chapter I. That the Divine Perfections Are Only a Single But InfinitePerfection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 90Chapter II. That in God There Is But One Only Act, Which Is His OwnDivinity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 91Chapter III. Of the Divine Providence in General. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 93Chapter IV. Of the Supernatural Providence Which God Uses towardsReasonable Creatures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 96Chapter V. That Heavenly Providence Has Provided Men with a MostAbundant Redemption. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 97Chapter VI. Of Certain Special Favours Exercised by the Divine Providencein the Redemption of Man. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 99Chapter VII. How Admirable the Divine Providence Is in the Diversity ofGraces Given to Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 100Chapter VIII. How Much God Desires We Should Love Him. . . . . . . . p. 102Chapter IX. How the Eternal Love of God Prevents Our Hearts with HisInspirations in Order That We May Love Him. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 104Chapter X. How We Oftentimes Repulse the Inspiration and Refuse toLove God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 105Chapter XI. That It Is no Fault of the Divine Goodness if We Have not aMost Excellent Love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 107Chapter XII. That Divine Inspirations Leave Us in Full Liberty to Follow orRepulse Them. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 109Chapter XIII. Of the First Sentiments of Love Which Divine InspirationsCause in the Soul before She Has Faith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 111Chapter XIV. Of the Sentiment of Divine Love Which Is Had by Faith. . . p. 113Chapter XV. Of the Great Sentiment of Love Which We Receive by HolyHope. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 115Chapter XVI. How Love Is Practised in Hope. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 116Chapter XVII. That the Love Which Is in Hope Is Very Good, ThoughImperfect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 118Chapter XVIII. That Love Is Exercised in Penitence, and First, That ThereAre Divers Sorts of Penitence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 119Chapter XIX. That Penitence Without Love Is Imperfect. . . . . . . . . . . p. 121Chapter XX. How the Mingling of Love and Sorrow Takes Place inContrition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 122iv
Treatise on the Love of GodSt. Francis de SalesChapter XXI. How Our Saviour's Loving Attractions Assist and AccompanyUs to Faith and Charity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 125Chapter XXII. A Short Description of Charity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 127Book III. Of The Progress And Perfection Of Love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 129Chapter I. That Holy Love May Be Augmented Still More and More in EveryOne of Us. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 129Chapter II. How Easy Our Saviour Has Made the Increase of Love. . . . . p. 130Chapter III. How a Soul in Charity Makes Progress in It. . . . . . . . . . . p. 132Chapter IV. Of Holy Perseverance in Sacred Love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 135Chapter V. That the Happiness of Dying in Heavenly Charity Is a SpecialGift of God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 137Chapter VI. That We Cannot Attain to Perfect Union with God in This MortalLife. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 139Chapter VII. That the Charity of Saints in This Mortal Life Equals, YeaSometimes Surpasses, That of the Blessed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 140Chapter VIII. Of the Incomparable Love Which the Mother of God, OurBlessed Lady, Had. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 141Chapter IX. A Preparation for the Discourse on the Union of the Blessedwith God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 143Chapter X. That the Preceding Desire Will Much Increase the Union of theBlessed with God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 145Chapter XI. Of the Union of the Blessed Spirits with God, in the Vision ofthe Divinity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 146Chapter XII. Of the Eternal Union of the Blessed Spirits with God, in theVision of the Eternal Birth of the Son of God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 147Chapter XIII. Of the Union of the Blessed with God in the Vision of theProduction of the Holy Ghost. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 149Chapter XIV. That the Holy Light of Glory Will Serve for the Union of theBlessed Spirits with God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 150Chapter XV. That There Shall Be Different Degrees of the Union of theBlessed with God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 151Book IV. Of The Decay And Ruin Of Charity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 153Chapter I. That as Long as We Are in This Mortal Life We May Lose theLove of God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 153Chapter II. How the Soul Grows Cold in Holy Love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 154Chapter III. How We Forsake Divine Love for That of Creatures. . . . . . p. 156Chapter IV. That Heavenly Love Is Lost in a Moment. . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 158Chapter V. That the Sole Cause of the Decay and Cooling of Charity Is inthe Creature's Will. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 159v
Treatise on the Love of GodSt. Francis de SalesChapter VI. That We Ought to Acknowledge All the Love We Bear to Godto Be from God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 161Chapter VII. That We Must Avoid All Curiosity, and Humbly Acquiesce inGod's Most Wise Providence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 163Chapter VIII. An Exhortation to the Amorous Submission Which We Oweto the Decrees of Divine Providence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 166Chapter IX. Of a Certain Remainder of Love That Oftentimes Rests in theSoul That Has Lost Holy Charity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 168Chapter X. How Dangerous This Imperfect Love Is. . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 169Chapter XI. A Means to Discern This Imperfect Love. . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 170Book V. Of The Two Principal Exercises Of Holy Love Which Consist InComplacency And Benevolence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 172Chapter I. Of the Sacred Complacency of Love; and First of What ItConsists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 172Chapter II. How by Holy Complacency We Are Made as Little Infants atOur Saviour's Breasts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 174Chapter III. That Holy Complacency Gives Our Heart to God, and MakesUs Feel a Perpetual Desire in Fruition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 176Chapter IV. Of the Loving Condolence by Which the Complacency of LoveIs Still Better Declared. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 178Chapter V. Of the Condolence and Complacency of Love in the Passionof Our Lord. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 180Chapter VI. Of the Love of Benevolence Which We Exercise towards OurSaviour by Way of Desire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 182Chapter VII. How the Desire to Exalt and Magnify God Separates Us fromInferior Pleasures, and Makes Us Attentive to the Divine Perfections. . . p. 183Chapter VIII. How Holy Benevolence Produces the Praise of the DivineWell-Beloved. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 184Chapter IX. How Benevolence Makes Us Call All Creatures to the Praiseof God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 186Chapter X. How the Desire to Praise God Makes Us Aspire toHeaven. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 187Chapter XI. How We Practise the Love of Benevolence in the PraisesWhich Our Saviour and His Mother Give to God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 189Chapter XII. Of the Sovereign Praise Which God Gives unto Himself, andHow We Exercise Benevolence in It. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 191Book VI. Of the Exercises of Holy Love in Prayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 194Chapter I. A Description of Mystical Theology, Which Is No Other ThingThan Prayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 194vi
Treatise on the Love of GodSt. Francis de SalesChapter II. Of Meditation the First Degree of Prayer or MysticalTheology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 196Chapter III. A Description of Contemplation, and of the First DifferenceThat There Is between It and Meditation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 199Chapter IV. That Love in This Life Takes Its Origin but Not Its Excellencefrom the Knowledge of God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 200Chapter V. The Second Difference between Meditation andContemplation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 202Chapter VI. That Contemplation Is Made Without Labour, Which Is theThird Difference between It and Meditation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 204Chapter VII. Of the Loving Recollection of the Soul in Contemplation. . . p. 206Chapter VIII. Of the Repose of a Soul Recollected in HerWell-Beloved. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 208Chapter IX. How This Sacred Repose Is Practised. . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 209Chapter X. Of Various Degrees of This Repose, and How It Is to BePreserved. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 211Chapter XI. A Continuation of the Discourse Touching the Various Degreesof Holy Quiet, and of an Excellent Abnegation of Self Which Is SometimesPractised Therein. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 212Chapter XII. Of the Outflowing (escoulement) or Liquefaction of the Soulin God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 214Chapter XIII. Of the Wound of Love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 216Chapter XIV. Of Some Other Means by Which Holy Love Wounds theHeart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 218Chapter XV. Of the Affectionate Languishing of the Heart Wounded withL o v e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 220Book VII. Of the Union of the Soul with Her God, Which Is Perfected inPrayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 224Chapter I. How Love Effects the Union of the Soul with God inPrayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 224Chapter II. Of the Various Degrees of the Holy Union Which Is Made inPrayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 226Chapter III. Of the Sovereign Degree of Union by Suspension andRavishment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 229Chapter IV. Of Rapture, and of the First Species of It. . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 231Chapter V. Of the Second Species of Rapture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 232Of the Signs of Good Rapture, and of the Third Species of the Same. . . p. 234Chapter VII. How Love Is the Life of the Soul, and Continuation of theDiscourse on the Ecstatic Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 236vii
Treatise on the Love of GodSt. Francis de SalesChapter VIII. An Admirable Exhortation of S. Paul to the Ecstatic andSuperhuman Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 237Chapter IX. Of the Supreme Effect of Affective Love, Which Is the Deathof the Lovers; and First, of Such As Died in Love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 239Chapter X. Of Those Who Died by and for Divine Love. . . . . . . . . . . p. 241Chapter XI. How Some of the Heavenly Lovers Died Also of Love. . . . . p. 242Chapter XII. Marvellous History of the Death of a Gentleman Who Died ofLove on Mount Olivet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 243Chapter XIII. That the Most Sacred Virgin Mother of God Died of Love forHer Son. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 245Chapter XIV. That the Glorious Virgin Died by and Extremely Sweet andTranquil Death. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 247Book VIII. Love of Conformity, by Which We Unite Our Will to the Will ofGod, Signified unto Us by His Commandments, Counsels andInspirations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 250Chapter I. Of the Love of Conformity Proceeding from SacredComplacency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 250Of the Conformity of Submission Which Proceeds from the Love ofBenevolence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 251Chapter III. How We Are to Conform Ourselves to That Divine Will WhichIs Called the Signified Will. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 252Chapter IV. Of the Conformity of Our Will to the Will Which God Has toSave Us. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 254Chapter V. Of the Conformity of Our Will to That Will of God's Which IsSignified to Us by His Commandments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 255Chapter VI. Of the Conformity of Our Will to That Will of God Which IsSignified unto Us by His Counsels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 257VII. That the Love of God's Will Signified in the Commandments MovesUs to the Love of the Counsels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 259Chapter VIII. That the Contempt of the Evangelical Counsels Is a GreatS i n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 261Chapter IX. A Continuation of the Preceding Discourse. How Every One,While Bound to Love, Is Not Bound to Practise, All the EvangelicalCounsels, and Yet How Every One Should Practise What He Is Able. . . p. 262Chapter X. How We Are to Conform Ourselves to God's Will Signfied untoUs by Inspirations, and First, of the Variety of the Means by Which GodInspires Us. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 264Chapter XI. Of the Union of Our Will with God's in the Inspirations WhichAre Given for the Extraordinary Practice of Virtues; and of Perseverancein One's Vocation, the First Mark of Inspiration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 266viii
Treatise on the Love of GodSt. Francis de SalesChapter XII. Of the Union of Man's Will with God's in Those InspirationsWhich Are Contrary to Ordinary Laws; and of Peace and Tranquility ofHeart, Second Mark of Inspiration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 269Chapter XIII. Third Mark of Inspiration, Which Is Holy Obedience to theChurch and Superiors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 270Chapter XIV. A Short Method to Know God's Will. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 272Book IX. Love of Submission, Whereby our Will is United to God'sGood-Pleasure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 274Chapter I. Of the Union of Our Will to That Divine Will Which Is Called theWill of Good-Pleasure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 274Chapter II. That the Union of Our Will with the Good-Pleasure of God TakesPlace Principally in Tribulations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 275Chapter III. Of the Union of Our Will to the Divine Good-Pleasure in SpiritualAfflictions, by Resignation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 277Chapter IV. Of the Union of Our Will to the Good-Pleasure of God byIndifference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 278Chapter V. That Holy Indifference Extends to All Things. . . . . . . . . . . p. 280Chapter VI. Of the Practice of Loving Indifference, in Things Belonging tothe Service of God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 281Chapter VII. Of the Indifference Which We Are to Have As to OurAdvancement in Virtues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 284Chapter VIII. How We Are to Unite Our Will with God's in the Permissionof Sins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 286Chapter IX. How the Purity of Indifference is to Be Practised in the Actionsof Sacred Love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 288Chapter X. Means to Discover When We Change in the Matter of This HolyL o v e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 289Chapter XI. Of the Perplexity of a Heart Which Loves Without KnowingWhether It Pleases the Beloved. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 290Chapter XII. How the Soul amidst These Interior Anguishes Knows Not theLove She Bears to God: and of the Most Lovefull Death of the Will. . . . . p. 292Chapter XIII. How the Will Being Dead to Itself Lives Entirely in God'sWill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 293Chapter XIV. An Explanation of What Has Been Said Touching the Deceaseof Our Will. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 295Chapter XV. Of the Most Excellent Exercise We Can Make in the Interiorand Exterior Troubles of This Life, After Attaining the Indifference andDeath of the Will. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 296Chapter XVI. Of the Perfect Stripping of the Soul Which Is United to God'sWill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 298ix
Treatise on the Love of GodSt. Francis de SalesBook X. Commandment of Loving God Above All Things. . . . . . . . . . . p. 301Chapter I. Of the Sweetness of the Commandment Which God Has GivenUs of Loving Him Above All Things. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 301Chapter II. That This Divine Commandment of Love Tends to Heaven, YetIs Given to the Faithful in This World. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 302Chapter III. How, While the Whole Heart Is Employed in Sacred Love, YetOne May Love God in Various Ways, and Also Many Other Things Togetherwith Him. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 303Chapter IV. Of Two Degrees of Perfection with Which This CommandmentMay Be Kept in This Mortal Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 305Chapter V. Of Two Other Degrees of Greater Perfection, by Which WeMay Love God Above All Things. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 307Chapter VI. That the Love of God Above All Things Is Common to AllLovers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 310Chapter VII. Explanation of the Preceding Chapter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 311Chapter VIII. A Memorable History to Make Clearly Understood in Whatthe Force and Excellence of Holy Love Consist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 313A Confirmation of What Has Been Said by a NoteworthyComparison. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 315That We Are to Love the Divine Goodness Sovereignly AboveOurselves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 317Chapter XI. How Holy Charity Produces the Love of Our Neighbour. . . . p. 318How Love Produces Zeal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 320Chapter XIII. How God Is Jealous of Us. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 321Of the Zeal or Jealousy Which We Have for Our Lord. . . . . . . . . . . . p. 323Chapter XV. Advice for the Direction of Holy Zeal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 325Chapter XVI. That the Example of Certain Saints Who Seem to HaveExercised Their Zeal with Anger, Makes Nothing against the Doctrine ofthe Preceding Chapter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 328Chapter XVII. How Our Lord Practised All the Most Excellent Acts ofL o v e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 331Book XI. Sovereign Authority Which Sacred Love Holds over All the Virtues,Actions and Perfections of the Soul. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 334Chapter I. How Agreeable All Virtues Are to God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 334Chapter II. That Divine Love Makes the Virtues Immeasurably MoreAgreeable to God than They Are of Their Own Nature. . . . . . . . . . . . p. 336Chapter III. That There Are Some Virtues Which Divine Love Raises to aHigher Degree of Excellence than Others. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 338That Divine Love More Excellently Sanctifies the Virtues When They ArePractised by Its Order and Commandment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 339x
Treatise on the Love of GodSt. Francis de SalesChapter V. How Love Spreads Its Excellence Over the Other Virtues,Perfecting Their Particular Excellence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 340Chapter VI. Of the Excellent Value Which Sacred Love Gives to the ActionsWhich Issue from Itself and to Those Which Proceed from the OtherVirtues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 342Chapter VII. That Perfect Virtues Are Never One without the Other. . . . . p. 344Chapter VIII. How Charity Comprehends All the Virtues. . . . . . . . . . . p. 347Chapter IX. That the Virtues Have Their Perfection from Divine Love. . . p. 349Chapter X. A Digression upon the Imperfection of the Virtues of thePagans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 350Chapter XI. How Human Actions Are Without Worth When They Are Donewithout Divine Love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 353Chapter XII. How Holy Love Returning into the Soul, Brings Back to LifeAll the Works Which Sin Had Destroyed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 355Chapter XIII. How We Are to Reduce All the Exercise of Virtues, and AllOur Actions to Holy Love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 358Chapter XIV. The Practice of What Has Been Said in the PrecedingChapter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 359Chapter XV. How Charity Contains in It the Gifts of the Holy Ghost. . . . . p. 361Chapter XVI. Of the Loving Fear of Spouses; a Continuation of the SameSubject. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 362Chapter XVII. How Servile Fear Remains Together with Holy Love. . . . . p. 364Chapter XVIII. How Love Makes Use of Natural, Servile and MercenaryF e a r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 365Chapter XIX. How Sacred Love Contains the Twelve Fruits of the HolyGhost, together with the Eight Beatitudes of the Gospel. . . . . . . . . . . p. 368Chapter XX. How Divine Love Makes Use of All the Passions and Affectionsof the Soul, and Reduces Them to Its Obedience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 370That Sadness Is Almost Always Useless, Yea Contrary to the Service ofHoly Love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 372Book XII. Containing Certain Counsels for the Progress of the Soul in HolyL o v e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 376Chapter I. That Our Progress in Holy Love Does Not Depend on Our NaturalTemperament. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 376Chapter II. That We Are to Have a Continual Desire to Love. . . . . . . . p. 377Chapter III. That to Have the Desire of Sacred Love We Are to Cut Off AllOther Desires. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 378Chapter IV. That Our Lawful Occupations Do Not Hinder Us fromPracticising Divine Love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 378Chapter V. A Very Sweet Example on This Subject. . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 380xi
Treatise on the Love of GodSt. Francis de SalesChapter VI. That We Are to Employ in the Practice of Divine Love All theOccasions That Present Themselves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 380Chapter VII. That We Must Take Pains to Do Our Actions VeryPerfectly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 381Chapter VIII. A General Means for Applying Our Works to God'sService. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 382Chapter IX. Of Certain Other Means by Which We May Apply Our WorksMore Particularly to the Love of God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 383Chapter X. An Exhortation to the Sacrifice Which We Are to Make to Godof Our Free-Will. . . . . . .
Treatise on the Love of God St. Francis de Sales. This document has been generated from XSL (E
