, and
that in the very heart of the Roman Catholic Church; a devout reader of
the Bible, and one who valued the ministrations of priests as advisers
and "confessors," rather than as transacting the penitent's own work for
him, her superior intelligence, and her happy art of carrying conviction
to the listeners, raised the jealousy of the clergy, just as her pure
life was a silent rebuke to all lax livers, whether monk, nun, or
priest. D'Aranthon, the bishop, had welcomed her to his diocese, and at
first received her doctrines with appreciative favour. But he was a man
easily persuaded, swayed by the last person who talked to him, and as
her opinions became more pronounced, he began to perceive that they were
dangerous to the stability of the corrupt, priest-ridden Church of which
he was an "overseer." He had appointed Father La Combe as Madame Guyon's
"director," her spiritual guide and instructor. But in practice the
position was reversed, and it was she who led La Combe into higher
regions of thought and experience, of which he soon became the
eloquent exponent.

La Combe's preaching attracted great attention at Thonon, on the other
side of the Lake of Geneva; and the bishop was anxious lest these new
doctrines should spread, and he himself should get into trouble at Rome
on their account. He now wanted to circumscribe Madame Guyon's sphere of
influence by getting her to become prioress of a convent at Gex. He
evidently thought that by having her here under some restraint, and by
keeping her close to the duties of the cloister, he would be able to put
a stop to the propagation of her heretical opinions. But though she gave
a little too much heed to visions and dreamy imaginings, she had lost no
whit of the practical common-sense and clearness of sight which had
distinguished her in many mundane emergencies. She absolutely refused to
make over her property for the good of the sisterhood, and would not
undertake an office which would shut her up from her mission of
proclaiming far and wide, as the Divine Hand opened the way, the message
of the Saviour's love and the Holy Spirit's sanctifying power. This
refusal brought much persecution and annoyance both to herself and to
Father La Combe, who had manfully refused to obey the bishop when he
ordered him to use his influence in making Madame Guyon comply with his
expressed wishes.

A party was now formed at Gex specially for the persecution of Madame
Guyon, and after muc