Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/119

 throw one  in  your  turn,  and  to  unite  with  those  who  bruise  and  beat him in  pieces? Setting religion  aside,  how  beautiful  it  is  to  declare for the  unfortunate! How much  real  dignity  and  greatness  of  soul in sheltering  under  our  protection  those  abandoned  by  the  world! And, even  admitting  the  rules  of  charity  were  not  to  make  it  a  duty to us,  the  feelings  alone  of  glory  and  humanity  should  in  this  case be sufficient.

Thirdly. You not  only  violate  the  holy  rules  of  charity,  but you are  also  a  breaker  of  those  of  justice;  for  the  faults  of  your brother are  public;  let  it  be  so;  but  place  yourself  in  the  same situation, would  you  exact  from  him  less  deference,  or  less  humanity, were  your  disgrace  to  be  no  longer  a  mystery? Would you agree, that  the  public  example  gave  to  your  brother  a  right  against you, which  you  arrogate  to  yourself  against  him? Would you accept on  his  part,  in  justification  of  his  malignity,  an  excuse which would  render  him  still  more  odious,  mean,  and  cruel? Besides, how do  you  know  whether  the  author  of  all  these  reports  be not  an  impostor? So many  false  reports  are  circulated  in  the world; and  the  malice  of  men  renders  them  so  credulous  on  the faults of others! How do  you  know  but  these  calumnies  have been circulated  by  an  enemy,  a  rival,  or  some  envious  person,  in order  to  ruin  him,  who  has  thwarted  his  passions  or  his  fortune? Are such  instances  rare? Whether it  be  not  some  heedless  person who has  given  occasion  to  all  these  discourses,  by  an  indiscreet expression, uttered  without  thought,  and  laid  hold  of  through malice. Are such  mistakes  impossible? Whether it  be  not  a  mere conjecture, originally  circulated  as  such,  and  afterwards  given  as  a truth? Are such  alterations  uncommon  in  public  rumours? What could have  a  greater  appearance  of  feasibility,  to  the  children  of the  captivity,  than  the  alleged  misconduct  of  Susanna. The judges of  the  people  of  God,  venerable  through  their  age  and  dignity, deposed  against  her;  the  people  exclaimed  against  her  as  an adulteress;  they  looked  upon  her  as  the  disgrace  of  Israel;  nevertheless, it  was  her  modesty  alone  which  drew  upon  her  these  insults; and  had  not  a  Daniel  been  found  in  her  time,  who  had  the courage to  doubt  a  general  report,  the  blood  of  that  innocent  woman must  have  stained  the  whole  people. And, without  departing from  our  gospel,  were  not  the  sacrilegious  reports,  which  held out Jesus  as  an  impostor  and  Samaritan,  become  the  public  discourses of  all  Judea? The Priests  and  Pharisees,  to  whom  the the dignity  of  their  station,  and  the  regularity  of  their  manners, attracted the  respect  and  confidence  of  the  people,  strengthened them by  their  authority. Nevertheless, would  you  excuse  such amongst the  Jews  as,  on  reports  so  common,  spoke  of  the  Saviour of the  world  as  a  seducer,  who  imposed  on  the  credulity  of  the people? You expose  yourself,  then,  to  the  guilt  of  having  calumniated your  brother;  however  circulated  the  rumours  against  him may be,  his  crime,  of  which  you  have  not  been  a  witness,  is  always dubious to  you,  and  you  do  him  an  injustice,  when  you  propagate as true,  what  you  have  only  heard  from  public  reports,  often  false, and always  rash.