mplete possession. She even went so far as to
announce herself as mother-by-grace to Father La Combe.

This meant that God had sanctified their relationship, so she was his
actual mother, all brought about by a miracle no less peculiar and
wonderful than the story of the bread and wine. Through this miracle of
motherhood she thought she must be near him always, care for him,
"mother" him, drudge for him, slave for him, share his poverty and pain.

Such abject devotion is both beautiful and pathetic. That it bordered on
insanity, there is no doubt. Father La Combe accepted the "motherhood"
as sent by God, but later distrusted it and tried to send Madame Guyon
away.

She accepted this new cross as a part of her purification. She suffered
intensely, and so did he. It was a relationship divinely human, and they
were trying to prove to themselves and to others that it was something
else, for at that time people did not believe in the divinity of human
love.

Rumors became rife, charges were brought and proved. The Church is now,
and always has been, very lenient in its treatment of erring priests. In
fact, those in authority take the lofty ground that a priest, like a
king, can do no wrong, and that sins of the flesh are impossible to one
divinely anointed. And as for the woman, she is merely guilty of
indiscretion at the worst.

Madame Guyon's indiscretion took the form of religious ecstasy, and she
claimed that the innermost living God was guiding her footsteps into a
life of "Pure Love," or constant, divine adoration. Charges of "false
doctrine" were brought against her, and Father La Combe was duly
cautioned to have nothing to do with Madame Guyon in any way. For a time
he assumed a harshness he did not feel, and ordered her back to her home
to remain with her kinsmen: that he had a communication from God saying
this was His will.

Madame started to obey, but fell ill to the point of death, and Father
La Combe was sent for to come and take her last confession and bestow
the rite of extreme unction. He came, a miracle was performed and
Madame got well.

The relationship was too apparent to waive or overlook--scandal filled
the air. Nuns and monks were quitting their religious devotions to talk
about it.

Common, little, plain preachers might have their favorites, but Father
La Combe and Madame Guyon were in the world's eye. The churchly
authorities became alarmed at the influence exerted by Father La Combe
and