Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/141

 Suspicious in  the  principle  which  produces  it. For, how  has this uncertainty  of  a  future  state  been  formed  in  the  mind  of  the unbeliever? It requires  only  to  trace  the  origin  of  an  opinion,  to know  whether  the  interests  of  truth,  or  the  passions,  have  established it  on  the  earth.

At his  birth,  the  impious  man  bore  the  principles  of  natural  religion common  to  all  men:  he  found  written  on  his  heart  a  law which forbade  violence,  injustice,  treachery,  and  every  action  to another,  which  he  would  not  have  done  to  himself. Education fortified these  sentiments  of  nature:  he  was  taught  to  know  a God,  [to  love  and  fear  him:  virtue  was  shown  to  him  in  the  rules; it was  rendered  amiable  to  him  in  the  examples;  and  though, within himself,  he  felt  inclinations  in  opposition  to  duty,  yet,  when he yielded  to  their  seductions,  his  heart  secretly  espoused  the  cause of virtue  against  his  own  weakness.

Thus did  the  impious  man  at  first  live  on  the  earth. With the rest of  mankind,  he  adored  a  Supreme  Being,  respected  his  laws, dreaded his  chastisements,  and  expected  his  promises. Whence comes it,  then,  that  he  no  longer  acknowledges  a  God;  that  crimes appear to  him  as  human  policies;  hell  a  vulgar  prejudice;  a  future state a  chimera;  and  the  soul  a  spark  which  is  extinguished  with the body? By what  exertion  has  he  attained  to  the  knowledge  of things  so  new  and  so  surprising? By what  means  has  he  succeeded to  rid  himself  of  these  ancient  prejudices,  so  rooted  among men, so  consistent  with  the  feelings  of  his  heart  and  the  lights  of reason? Has he  searched  into,  and  maturely  examined,  them? Has he  adopted  every  solid  precaution,  which  an  affair,  the  most important in  life,  requires? Has he  withdrawn  himself  from  the commerce of  men,  in  solitude,  to  allow  leisure  for  reflection  and study? Has he  purified  his  heart,  lest  the  passions  may  have  misled him? What anxious  attentions  and  solicitude  to  investigate the truth  are  required,  to  reject  the  first  feelings  which  the  soul has imbibed!

Listen, my  brethren,  and  adore  the  justice  of  God  on  these  corrupted hearts  whom  he  delivers  up  to  the  vanity  of  their  own judgment. In proportion  as  his  manners  become  dissolute,  the rules have  appeared  suspicious;  in  proportion  as  he  became  debased, he  has  endeavoured  to  persuade  himself  that  man  is  like the beast. He is  become  impious  only  by  shutting  up  every  avenue which  might  lead  him  to  the  truth;  by  no  longer  regarding religion as  an  important  concern;  by  searching  into  it  only  for  the purpose of  dishonouring  it  by  blasphemies  and  sacrilegious  witticisms. He is  become  impious  only  by  seeking  to  steel  himself against the  cries  of  his  own  conscience,  and  delivering  himself  up to  the  most  infamous  gratifications. It is  by  that  path  that  he  has attained to  the  wonderful  and  sublime  science  of  unbelief;  it  is  to these  grand  efforts  that  he  owes  the  discovery  of  a  truth,  of  which the rest  of  men  before  him  had  either  been  ignorant,  or  had  detested.

Behold the  source  of  unbelief,  the  corruption  of  the  heart. Yes,