Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/142

 my brethren,  find  me,  if  you  can,  men  wise,  temperate,  pure,  regular, and  lovers  of  truth,  who  believe  not  a  God,  who  look  forward to no  future  state,  who  look  upon  adulteries,  abominations,  and incests, as  the  inclinations  and  innocent  pastimes  of  nature. If the world  has  seen  impious  characters,  who  bore  the  semblance  of wisdom  and  temperance,  it  was  either  that  they  better  concealed their irregularities,  in  order  to  give  more  credit  to  their  impiety, or the  satiety  of  pleasures  which  had  brought  them  to  that  feigned temperance, debauchery  had  been  the  original  source  of  their  irreligion;  their  hearts  were  corrupted  before  their  faith  was  wrecked; they had  an  interest  to  believe  that  all  dies  with  the  body,  before they succeeded  in  persuading  themselves  of  it;  and  a  long  indulgence of  luxury  had  fully  disgusted  them  with  guilt,  but  had  not rendered virtue  more  amiable  to  them.

What consolation  for  us  who  believe,  that  we  must  first  renounce probity, modesty,  manners,  and  all  the  feelings  of  humanity,  before we  can  renounce  faith;  and,  to  be  no  longer  Christian,  must first cease  to  be  man!

Behold, then,  the  uncertainty  of  the  impious,  already  suspicious in its  principle;  but,  secondly,  it  is  foolish  in  the  proofs  on  which it depends.

For, surely,  very  decisive  and  convincing  proofs  must  be  required to  make  us  espouse  the  cause  of  unbelief,  and  to  render  us tranquil  on  what  we  are  told  of  an  eternal  state  to  come. It is not  natural  that  man  would  hazard  an  interest  so  serious  as  that of eternity  on  light  and  frivolous  proofs;  still  less  so,  that  he would  thereon  abandon  the  general  opinion,  the  belief  of  his  fathers, the  religion  of  all  ages,  the  agreement  of  all  nations,  and  the prejudices of  his  education,  had  he  not,  as  it  were,  been  forced  to it  by  the  evidence  of  the  truth. Unless absolutely  convinced  that all dies  with  the  body,  nothing  can  bear  a  comparison  with  the madness and  folly  of  the  unbeliever. Now is  he  completely  convinced? What are  the  grand  reasons  which  have  determined  him to adopt  this  vile  cause? We know  not,  says  he,  what  happens  in that  other  world  of  which  you  tell  us:  the  good  die  equally  as  the . wicked:  man  as  the  beast;  and  no  one  returns  to  say  which  was  in the  error. Press him  a  little  farther,  and  you  will  be  shocked  to  see the weakness  of  unbelief:  vague  discourses,  hackneyed  suspicions, everlasting uncertainties,  and  chimerical  suppositions,  on  which nobody in  their  senses  would  wish  to  risk  the  happiness  or  disquiet of a  single  day,  and  upon  which  he,  however,  hazards  an   eternity.

Behold the  insurmountable  proofs  which  the  freethinker  opposes to the  belief  of  the  universe;  behold  that  evidence,  which,  in  his mind, prevails  over  all  that  is  most  clear  and  most  established  on the  earth. We know  nothing  of  what  passes  in  that  other  world of which  you  tell  us. O man! open here  thine  eyes. A single doubt is  sufficient  to  render  thee  impious,  and  all  the  proofs  of  religion are  too  weak  to  make  thee  a  believer. Thy mind  hesitates to believe  in  a  future  state,  and,  in  the  mean  time,  thou  livest  as though  there  were  none. The only  foundation  thou  hast  for  thine