Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/191

 the wisest,  the  most  humane,  and  the  most  upright,  should  likewise be the  most  opulent;  that,  besides  the  portion  of  wealth  destined to them  by  nature,  they  should  also  be  charged  with  that  of  the weakest, to  be  its  depositaries,  and  to  defend  it  against  usurpation and violence:  consequently,  that  they  were  established  by  nature itself as  the  guardians  of  the  unfortunate,  and  that  whatever  surplus they  had  was  only  the  patrimony  of  their  brethren  confided  to their  care  and  to  their  equity?

Who, lastly,  is  ignorant  that  the  ties  of  religion  have  still  more firmly cemented  the  first  bonds  of  union  which  nature  had  formed among men;  that  the  grace  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  brought  forth the first  believers,  made  of  them  not  only  one  heart  and  one  soul, but also  one  family,  where  the  idea  of  individual  property  was  exploded;  and  that  the  gospel,  making  it  a  law  to  us  to  love  our  brethren as  ourselves,  no  longer  permits  us  to  be  ignorant  of  their wants, or  to  be  insensible  to  their  sorrows?

But it  is  with  the  duty  of  charity  as  with  all  the  other  duties  of the  law:  in  general  the  obligation  is  not,  even  in  idea,  denied;  but does the  circumstance  of  its  fulfilment  take  place? A pretext  is never  wanting,  either  to  dispense  with  it  entirely,  or  at  least  to  be quit  for  a  moiety  of  the  duty. Now, it  would  appear  that  the Spirit of  God  hath  meant  to  point  out  to  us  all  these  pretexts,  in the  answers  which  the  disciples  made  to  Jesus  Christ  in  order  to excuse  themselves  from  assisting  the  famished  multitude  which  had followed him  to  the  desert.

In the  first  place,  they  remind  him  that  they  had  scarcely  wherewithal to  supply  their  own  wants;  and  that  only  five  loaves  of  barley and  two  fishes  remained:  behold  the  first  pretext,  made  use  of by  covetousness,  in  opposition  to  the  duty  of  compassion. Scarcely have they  sufficient  for  themselves;  they  have  a  name  and  a  rank to support  in  the  world;  children  to  establish;  creditors  to  satisfy; public charges  to  support;  a  thousand  expenses  of  pure  benevolence, to  which  attention  must  be  paid;  now,  what  is  any  income, not entirely  unlimited,  to  such  endless  demands? In this  manner the world  continually  speaks;  and  a  world  the  most  brilliant,  and the most  sumptuous.

Now, I  well  know,  that  the  limits  of  what  is  called  a  sufficiency are not  the  same  for  all  stations;  that  they  extend  in  proportion  to rank  and  birth;  that  one  star,  says  the  apostle,  must  differ  in  lustre from  another;  that,  even  from  the  apostolic  ages,  men  were seen in  the  assemblies  of  believers,  clothed  in  robes  of  distinction, with rings  of  gold,  while  others,  of  a  more  obscure  station,  were forced to  content  themselves  with  the  apparel  necessary  to  cover their nakedness;  that,  consequently,  religion  does  not  confound stations; and  that,  if  it  forbid  those  who  dwell  in  the  palaces  of kings  to  be  effeminate  in  their  manners,  and  indecently  luxurious in their  dress,  it  doth  not  at  the  same  time  prescribe  to  them  the poverty and  the  simplicity  of  those  who  dwell  in  cottages,  or  of  those who form  the  lower  ranks  of  the  people:  I  know  it.

But, my  brethren,  it  is  an  incontestable  truth,  that,  whatever