a treatise of the love of god francis de sales

But amongst all the divers colours of the doctrine which she displays, the fine gold of holy Charity is everywhere spread, and makes itself excellently visible, gilding all the science of the saints with its incomparable lustre, and raising it above every other science. Represent to yourself beautiful doves amidst the rays of the sun you will see their plumage break into as many different colours as you change your point of viewing them because their feathers are so fitted to display the light, that when the sun comes to spread his splendour on them, a multitude of reflections are made, producing a great variety of tints and glancing colours, colours so agreeable to the eye that they surpass all other colours, even the enamel of richest jewels colours so resplendent and so delicately gilded that the gilding makes their own colours more bright than ever for it was this sight which made the royal prophet say If you sleep among the midst of lots you shall be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and the hinder parts of her back with the paleness of gold.16 The Church is indeed adorned with an excellent variety of teachings, sermons, treatises and spiritual books, all very beautiful and pleasant to the sight by reason of the admirable mingling which the Sun of Justice makes of his divine wisdom with the tongues of his pastors, which are their feathers, and with their pens, which sometimes hold the place of tongues, and form the rich plumage of this mystic dove.

So this heavenly spouse when he thought good to begin the promulgation of his law, cast down upon the assembly of those disciples whom he had deputed for this work a shower of fiery tongues, sufficiently intimating thereby that the preaching of the gospel was wholly designed for the inflaming of hearts. THE Holy Ghost teaches that the lips of the heavenly Spouse, that is The Church, resemble scarlet and the dropping honeycomb,15 to let every one know that all the doctrine which she announces consists in sacred love of a more resplendent red than scarlet on account of the blood of the spouse whose love inflames her, sweeter than honey on account of the sweetness of the beloved who crowns her with delights.

A treatise of the love of god francis de sales