Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/122

 over them,  and  responsible  for  their  conduct,  whether  they  fall  or remain  steadfast,  is  the  concern  of  the  Lord,  and  not  yours;  consequently, that  your  continual  and  public  lamentations  over  their irregularities proceed  from  a  principle  of  pride,  malignity,  levity, and intolerance;  that  the  church  has  its  pastors  to  superintend  the flock; that  the  ark  has  its  ministers  to  sustain  it,  without  needing the interference  of  any  foreign  or  imprudent  succours;  and,  lastly, that by  these  means,  far  from  correcting  your  brethren,  you  dishonour piety  you  justify  the  discourses  of  the  wicked  against  the just, and  you  authorize  them  in  saying,  as  formerly  in  the  Book  of Wisdom — why  professeth  the  righteous  to  have  a  right  to  fill  the streets, and  the  public  places,  with  their  clamours  and  upbraidings against our  conduct,  and  holdeth  it  out  as  a  point  of  virtue  to defame  us  in  the  minds  of  our  brethren?

Thirdly. Remember, that  the  zeal  regulated  by  wisdom  seeks the salvation,  and  not  the  defamation,  of  the  brother  it  wishes to edify;  that  it  loves  not  to  injure;  that,  in  order  to  render  itself useful,  it  studies  to  render  itself  amiable;  that  it  is  more  affected with  the  misfortune  and  loss  of  its  brother,  than  irritated  against, or scandalized  by,  his  errors;  that,  far  from  going  to  publish them to  others,  it  would  wish  to  be  enabled  to  conceal  them  from itself; and  that  the  zeal  which  censures  them,  far  from  lessening the evil,  serves  only  to  augment  the  scandal.

Fourthly. Remember, that  the  censorious  zeal  which  you  display is useless  to  your  brother,  seeing  he  witnesses  it  not;  that,  far  from being of  service,  it  is  even  hurtful  to  his  conversion,  to  which  you raise up  obstacles,  by  irritating  him  against  your  censures,  should he happen  to  be  informed  of  them;  that  it  is  injurious  to  his  reputation, which  you  wound;  and,  lastly,  to  those  that  listen  to  you, who, respecting  your  pretended  virtue,  never  entertain  a  doubt  that they can  err,  while  following  your  steps,  and  no  longer  place  slander among the  number  of  vices. Zeal is  humble,  and  has  eyes  for nothing but  its  own  wants;  it  is  simple,  and  much  more  disposed to be  credulous  with  regard  to  good  than  evil;  it  is  merciful,  and is always  indulgent  to  the  faults  of  others,  in  the  same  proportion as it  is  severe  to  its  own  weaknesses;  it  is  gentle  and  timorous,  and prefers to  have  failed  in  sufficiently  blaming  vice,  to  rashly  exposing itself  to  go  too  far  in  censuring  the  sinner.

Thus, my  brethren,  you  who,  returned  from  the  errors  of  the world, now  serve  the  Lord,  allow  me  to  conclude,  with  addressing to you  the  same  words  formerly  spoken  by  a  holy  father  to  the servants of  Jesus  Christ,  who,  through  an  indiscreet  zeal,  made  no scruple  of  tearing  in  pieces  the  characters  of  their  brethren:

"A tongue  which  has  confessed  Jesus  Christ,  which  has  renounced the  errors  and  splendours  of  the  world,  which  every  day blesses  the  God  of  peace  at  the  foot  of  the  altar,  and  is  often  consecrated, by  participation  of  the  holy  mysteries,  should  no  longer be  intolerant,  dangerous,  and  full  of  gall  and  bitterness  against  its brethren.  It  is  disgracing  religion,  after  having  offered  up  pure prayers  and  thanksgivings  to  the  Lord  in  the  assembly  of  believers,