Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/151

 an opponent,  to  become  entitled  to  destroy  him;  to  bear,  with  impatience, the  authority  of  a  father,  or  the  severity  of  a  master,  to embrue  your  hands  in  their  blood:  in  a  word,  you  have  only  to bear  within  you  the  impressions  of  every  vice,  to  be  permitted  the gratification of  all;  and,  as  each  finds  the  fatal  seeds  in  himself, none would  be  exempted  from  this  horrible  privilege. It is  necessary, therefore,  that  man  conduct  himself  by  other  laws  than his inclinations,  and  another  rule  than  his  desires.

Even the  Pagan  ages  acknowledged  the  necessity  of  a  philosophy, that  is  to  say,  of  a  light  superior  to  the  senses,  which  regulated their  practice,  and  made  reason  a  check  to  the  human  passions.

Nature alone  led  them  to  this  truth,  and  taught  them  that  blind instinct ought  not  to  be  the  sole  guide  of  the  actions  of  men:  this instinct therefore,  either  is  not  the  original  institution  of  nature,  or it  must  be  a  corruption  of  it,  since  all  the  laws  ever  framed  on  earth have avowedly  been  made  to  restrain  it, — that  all  those  who,  in every  age,  have  borne  the  character  of  wise  and  virtuous,  have  rejected its  impressions, — that,  amongst  all  nations,  those  infamous individuals who  yielded  themselves  up  without  reserve  or  shame to brutal  sensuality,  have  been  always  considered  as  monsters,  and the disgrace  of  humanity, — and,  the  maxim  once  established,  that our inclinations  and  desires  cannot  be  considered  as  crimes,  society can no  longer  exist;  men  must  separate  to  be  in  safety,  must  bury themselves in  the  forests,  and  live  solitary  like  the  beasts.

Besides, let  us  render  justice  to  men,  or  rather  to  the  Author who has  formed  us. If we  find  within  us  inclinations  to  vice  and voluptuousness, do  we  not  also  find  sentiments  of  virtue,  modesty, and innocence? If the  law  of  the, members  drag  us  toward  the pleasures of  the  senses,  do  we  not  also  bear,  written  in  our  hearts, another law,  which  recalls  us  to  chastity  and  temperance? Now, between these  two  tendencies,  why  does  the  freethinker  decide  that the inclination  which  impels  us  toward  the  senses  is  most  conformable to  the  nature  of  man? Is it  from  being  the  most  violent? But its  violence  alone  is  a  proof  of  its  disorder;  and  whatever proceeds from  nature  ought  to  be  made  moderate. Is it  from  being the strongest? But there  are  just  and  believing  souls  in  whom  it it  is  always  subject  to  reason. Is it  from  being  more  agreeable? But a sure  proof  that  this  pleasure  is  not  made  to  render  man  happy,  is, that disgust  immediately  follows  it;  and  likewise  that,  to  the  good, virtue has  a  thousand  times  more  charms  than  vice. Lastly, is  it from  being  more  worthy  of  man? You dare  not  say  so,  since  it  is through  it  that  he  confounds  himself  with  the  beast. Why, then, do you  decide  in  favour  of  the  senses,  against  reason,  and  insist, that it  is  more  conformable  to  man  to  live  like  the  beast  than  to  be a  reasonable  being?

Lastly, were  all  men  corrupted,  and,  like  the  animals,  not  gifted with reason;  did  they  blindly  yield  themselves  up  to  their  brutal instinct, and  to  the  empire  of  the  senses  and  passions, — you,  then, perhaps, might  have  reason  to  say  that  these  are  inclinations  inseparable from  nature,  and  in  example  find  a  sort  of  excuse  for  your