Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/120

 But I  go  farther:  when  your  brothers  disgrace  should  even  be certain,  and  the  malignity  of  reports  should  have  added  nothing  to its  criminality;  how  can  you  know  that  the  very  shame  of  seeing it so  public  may  not  have  recalled  him  to  himself;  and  that  a  sincere repentance,  and  tears  of  compunction,  may  not  have  already effaced and  expiated  it  before  God? Years are  not  always  required for grace  to  triumph  over  a  rebellious  heart;  there  are  victories which it  leaves  not  to  time;  and  a  public  disgrace  often  turns  out the moment  of  mercy,  which  decides  upon  the  conversion  of  a  sinner. Now, if  your  brother  is  in  a  state  of  repentance,  are  you  not unjust and  cruel  to  revive  faults  which  his  penitence  has  effaced, and which  the  Lord  hath  ceased  to  remember? Do you  recollect the sinful  woman  in  the  gospel? Her irregularities  were  notorious, seeing she  had  been  known  through  the  whole  city  as  a  prostitute; nevertheless, when  the  Pharisees  reproached  her  with  her  sins,  her tears and  love  had  effaced  them  at  the  feet  of  our  Saviour;  the goodness of  God  had  remitted  her  errors,  yet  the  malignity  of  men was unable  to  obliterate  them.

Lastly. Your brothers  disgrace  was  public;  that  is  to  say,  it was  confusedly  known  that  his  conduct  was  not  free  from  reproach, and you  come  to  particularize  the  circumstances,  to  proclaim  his deeds, to  explain  the  motives,  and  to  lay  open  the  whole  mystery; to confirm  what  they  but  imperfectly  knew;  to  tell  them  of:  what they knew  not  at  all;  and  to  applaud  yourself  for  appearing  better instructed in  your  brother's  misfortune  than  those  who  listen  to you. Some degree  of  character,  though  wavering,  yet  remained to him;  he  still  preserved,  at  least,  some  remains  of  honour,  a spark  of  life,  and  you  completely  extinguish  it. I do  not  add, that these  public  reports,  perhaps  originated  from  people  of  no character,  persons  of  neither  reputation  nor  consequence  to  convince. Hitherto none  durst  yield  credit  to  rumours  so  poorly  supported;  but  you,  who,  by  your  rank,  birth,  and  dignities,  have  acquired an  influence  over  the  minds,  remove  every  shadow  of  doubt or uncertainty. Your name  alone  will  now  serve  as  a  proof  against the innocency  of  your  brother;  and  in  future  it  will  be  cited  in justification  of  the  general  reports. Now, can  any  thing  be  harder or more  unjust,  both  on  account  of  the  injury  you  do  to  him,  and of the  service  you  fail  to  perform? Your silence  on  his  fault might alone  perhaps  have  stopped  the  public  defamation,  and  you would have  been  cited  to  clear  his  innocence,  as  you  now  are  to blacken  it. And what  more  respectable  use  could  you  have  made of your  rank  and  influence? The more  [you  are  exalted  in  the world, the  more  ought  you  to  be  religious  and  circumspect  on  the reputation of  your  brethren;  the  more  ought  a  noble  decency  to render  you  reserved  on  their  errors. The discourses  of  the  vulgar are soon  forgot,  they  expire  in  coming  into  the  world;  but  the words of  the  great  never  fall  in  vain,  and  the  public  is  always  a faithful  echo,  either  to  the  praises  they  bestow,  or  to  the  censures they allow  themselves  to  utter. My God! thou teachest  us,  by concealing  thyself  the  sins  of  men,  to  conceal  them  on  our  part; to reveal  our  faults,  thou  waitest  with  a  merciful  patience  the  day