Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/115

 places, sets  in  flames  the  forests  and  countries  it  reaches:  such  is  the destiny of  detraction.

What you  had  mentioned  in  secret  was  nothing  at  first,  and seemed stifled  and  buried  under  its  own  ashes;  but  this  fire  lies hid for  a  while  only  in  order  to  burst  forth  with  redoubled  fury: that nothing  soon  acquires  reality,  by  passing  through  a  diversity of mouths;  every  one  will  add  to  it  whatever  his  passion,  interest, disposition of  mind,  or  his  own  malignity,  may  hold  out  to  him  as probable. The source  is  hardly  perceptible;  but,  assisted  in  its course by  a  thousand  foreign  streams,  the  united  torrent  will  overwhelm the  court,  city,  and  country;  and  that,  which  at  its  birth was only  a  private  and  imprudent  pleasantry,  but  a  simple  idea, but a  malicious  conjecture,  will  become  a  serious  affair,  a  public and formal  dishonour,  the  subject  of  every  conversation,  and  an eternal  stain  upon  the  character  of  your  brother. Repair now,  if you  can,  the  injustice  and  scandal;  restore  to  your  brother  the good name  of  which  you  have  deprived  him. Will you  pretend  to oppose  the  public  inveteracy,  and  singly  hold  forth  his  praise? But they will  regard  you  as  a  new  comer,  who  is  ignorant  of  what  has taken place  in  the  world;  and  your  praises,  come  far  too  late,  will serve only  to  draw  upon  him  fresh  satires. Now, what  a  multitude of crimes  proceeding  from  only  one! The sins  of  a  whole  people become your's;  you  defame  through  the  mouths  of  all  your  fellowcitizens;  you  are  likewise  answerable  for  the  guilt  of  all  who  listen to you. What penitence  can  expiate  evils  to  which  it  can  no longer  afford  relief? And will  your  tears  be  able  to  blot  out  what shall never  be  effaced  from  the  memory  of  man? Again, were  the scandal to  end  with  you,  your  death,  by  terminating  it,  might  be its  expiation  before  God. But it  is  a  scandal  which  will  survive you. The shameful  histories  of  courts  never  die  with  their  heroes. Lascivious writers  have  transmitted  to  us  the  anecdotes  and irregularities of  the  courts  which  have  preceded  us;  and  licentious authors  will  be  found  amongst  us,  to  acquaint  the  ages  to come  with  the  public  rumours,  the  scandalous  circumstances,  and the vices  of  our  own.

O my  God! these are  of  that  description  of  sins  of  which  we know  not  either  the  enormity  or  extent;  but  we  know,  that  to  become a  stumbling-block  to  our  brethren  is  to  overturn  for  them the work  of  thy  Son's  mission,  and  to  destroy  the  fruit  of  his  labours, of  his  death,  and  of  all  his  ministry. Such is  the  illusion  of the  pretext  which  you  draw  from  the  lightness  of  your  slanders; the motives  are  never  innocent,  the  circumstances  always  criminal, the consequences  irreparable. Let us  examine  if  the  pretext  of  the public notoriety  be  better  founded. This is  what  yet  remains  for me to  investigate.

Part II. — Whence comes  it  that  the  majority  of  precepts  are violated by  those  very  persons  who  profess  themselves  their  observers, and  that  we  find  more  difficulty  in  bringing  the  world to acknowledge  than  to  correct  its  transgressions? The reason  is,