Francois Fenelon - The Existence of God

An ancestor of the French divine who under the name of Fenelon hasmade for himself a household name in England as in France, wasBertrand de Salignac, Marquis de la Mothe Fenelon, who in 1572, asambassador for France, was charged to soften as much as he could theresentment of our Queen Elizabeth when news came of the massacre ofSt. Bartholomew. Our Fenelon, claimed in brotherhood by Christiansof every denomination, was born nearly eighty years after that time,at the chateau of Fenelon in Perigord, on the 6th of August, 1651.To the world he is Fenelon; he was Francois de Salignac de la MotheFenelon to the France of his own time.

Fenelon was taught at home until the age of twelve, then sent to theUniversity of Cahors, where he began studies that were continued atParis in the College du Plessis. There he fastened upon theology,and there he preached, at the age of fifteen, his first sermon. Heentered next into the seminary of Saint Sulpice, where he took holyorders in the year 1675, at the age of twenty-four. As a priest,while true to his own Church, he fastened on Faith, Hope, andCharity as the abiding forces of religion, and for him also thegreatest of these was Charity.

During the next three years of his life Fenelon was among the youngpriests who preached and catechised in the church of St. Sulpice andlaboured in the parish. He wrote for St. Sulpice Litanies of theInfant Jesus, and had thought of going out as missionary to theLevant. The Archbishop of Paris, however, placed him at the head ofa community of "New Catholics," whose function was to confirm newconverts in their faith, and help to bring into the fold those whoappeared willing to enter. Fenelon took part also in some of theConferences on Scripture that were held at Saint Germain andVersailles between 1672 and 1685. In 1681 an uncle, who was Bishopof Sarlat, resigned in Fenelon's favour the Deanery of Carenas,which produced an annual income of three or four thousand livres.It was while he held this office that Fenelon published a book onthe "Education of Girls," at the request of the Duchess ofBeauvilliers, who asked for guidance in the education of herchildren.

Fenelon sought the friendship of Bossuet, who revised for him hisnext book, a "Refutation of the System of Malebranche concerningNature and Grace." His next book, written just before theRevocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, opposed the lawfulness ofthe ministrations of the Protestant clergy; and after the Edict,Fenelon was, on the recommendation of Bossuet, placed at the head ofthe Catholic mission to Poitou. He brought to his work ofconversion or re-conversion Charity, and a spirit of concession thatbrought on him the attacks of men unlike in temper.

When Louis XIV. placed his grandson, the young Duke of Burgundy,under the care of the Duke of Beauvilliers, the Duke of Beauvillierschose Fenelon for teacher of the pupil who was heir presumptive tothe throne. Fenelon's "Fables" were written as part of hiseducational work. He wrote also for the young Duke of Burgundy his"Telemaque"used only in MS.and his "Dialogues of the Dead."While thus living in high favour at Court, Fenelon sought nothingfor himself or his friends, although at times he was even in want ofmoney. In 1693as preceptor of a royal prince rather than asauthorFenelon was received into the French Academy. In 1694Fenelon was made Abbot of Saint-Valery, and at the end of that yearhe wrote an anonymous letter to Louis XIV. upon wrongful wars andother faults committed in his reign. A copy of it has been found inFenelon's handwriting. The king may not have read it, or may nothave identified the author, who was not stayed by it from promotionin February of the next year (1695) to the Archbishopric of Cambray.He objected that the holding of this office was inconsistent withhis duties as preceptor of the King's grandchildren. Louis repliedthat he could live at Court only for three months in the year, andduring the other nine direct the studies of his pupils from Cambray.

Bossuet took part in the consecration of his friend Fenelon asArchbishop of Cambray; but after a time division of opinion arose.Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Mothe Guyon became in 1676 a widow at theage of twenty-eight, with three children, for whose maintenance shegave up part of her fortune, and she then devoted herself to thepractice and the preaching of a spiritual separation of the soulfrom earthly cares, and rest in God. She said with Galahad, "If Ilose myself, I save myself." Her enthusiasm for a pure ideal,joined to her eloquence, affected many minds. It provokedopposition in the Church and in the Court, which was for the mostpart gross and self-seeking. Madame Guyon was attacked, evenimprisoned. Fenelon felt the charm of her spiritual aspiration,and, without accepting its form, was her defender. Bossuet attackedher views. Fenelon published "Maxims of the Saints on the InteriorLife." Bossuet wrote on "The States of Prayer." These were therival books in a controversy about what was called "Quietism."Bossuet afterwards wrote a "Relation sur le Quietisme," of whichFenelon's copy, charged with his own marginal comments, is in theBritish Museum. In March, 1699, the Pope finally decided againstFenelon, and condemned his "Maxims of the Saints." Fenelon readfrom his pulpit the brief of condemnation, accepted the decision ofthe Pope, and presented to his church a piece of gold plate, onwhich the Angel of Truth was represented trampling many errors underfoot, and among them his own "Maxims of the Saints." At Court,Fenelon was out of favour. "Telemaque," written for the young Dukeof Burgundy, had not been published; but a copy having been obtainedthrough a servant, it was printed, and its ideal of a true king anda true Court was so unlike his Majesty Louis XIV. and the Court ofFrance, and the image of what ought not to be was so like what was,that it was resented as a libel. "Telemaque" was publiclycondemned; Fenelon was banished from Court, and restrained withinthe limits of his diocese. Though separated from his pupil, theyoung Duke of Burgundy (who died in 1712), Fenelon retained hispupil's warm affection. The last years of his own life Fenelon gaveto his work in Cambray, until his death on the 7th of January, 1715.He wrote many works, of which this is one, and they have beencollected into twenty volumes. The translation here given wasanonymous, and was first published in the year 1713.

H. M.

I cannot open my eyes without admiring the art that shinesthroughout all nature; the least cast suffices to make me perceivethe Hand that makes everything.

Men accustomed to meditate upon metaphysical truths, and to trace upthings to their first principles, may know the Deity by its idea;and I own that is a sure way to arrive at the source of all truth.But the more direct and short that way is, the more difficult andunpassable it is for the generality of mankind who depend on theirsenses and imagination.