Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/241

 quently in  apparent  truth,  over  all  the  sects  which  have  ever  appeared upon  the  earth.

Let us  unfold,  therefore,  the  motives  and  the  rules  of  this  essential point  of  the  law:  the  motives,  by  establishing  the  equity  of  the precept through  the  very  pretexts  which  seem  to  oppose  it;  the rules, by  laying  open  the  illusions  under  which  every  one  justifies  to himself  their  infractions;  that  is  to  say,  the  injustice  of  our  hatreds, and the  falsity  of  our  reconciliations.

Part I. — The  three  principles  which  usually  bind  men  to  each other, and  by  which  are  formed  all  human  unions  and  friendships, are fancy,  cupidity,  and  vanity. Fancy — We follow  a  certain  propensity of  nature,  which,  being  the  cause  of  our  finding,  in  some persons, a  greater  similarity  to  our  own  inclinations,  perhaps  also greater allowances  for  our  faults,  binds  us  to  them,  and  occasions us to  find,  in  their  society,  a  comfort  which  becomes  weariness  in that  of  the  rest  of  men. Cupidity — We seek  out  useful  friends; from the  moment  that  they  are  necessary  to  our  pleasure  or  to  our fortune, they  become  worthy  of  our  friendship. Interest is  a  grand charm to  the  majority  of  hearts;  the  titles  which  render  us  powerful, are  quickly  transmuted  into  qualities  which  render  us  apparently amiable,  and  friends  are  never  wanting  when  we  can  pay  the friendship of  those  who  love  us. Lastly, Vanity — Friends  who  do us  honour  are  always  dear  to  us. It would  seem  that,  in  loving them, we  enter,  as  it  were,  into  partnership  with  them  in  that  distinction which  they  enjoy  in  the  world;  we  seek  to  deck  ourselves, as I  may  say,  with  their  reputation;  and,  being  unable  to  reach  their merit, we  pride  ourselves  in  their  society,  in  order  to  have  it  supposed that,  at  least,  there  is  not  much  between  us,  and  that  like loves like.

These are  the  three  great  ties  of  human  society. Religion and charity unite  almost  nobody;  and  from  thence  it  is,  that,  from  the moment men  offend  our  fancy,  that  they  are  unfavourable  to  our interests, or  that  they  wound  our  reputation  and  our  vanity,  the human and  brittle  ties  which  united  us  to  them  are  broken  asunder; our heart  withdraws  from  them,  and  no  longer  finds  in  itself,  with respect to  them,  but  animosity  and  bitterness. And behold  the three most  general  sources  of  those  hatreds  which  men  nourish against each  other;  which  change  all  the  sweets  of  society  into  endless inveteracies;  which  impoison  all  the  delight  of  conversations, and all  the  innocency  of  mutual  intercourse;  and  which,  attacking religion in  the  heart,  nevertheless  present  themselves  to  us  under appearances of  equity  which  justify  them  in  our  eyes  and  strengthen us in  them.

I say,  from  the  moment  that  men  offend  our  fancy;  and  this  is the  first  pretext,  and  the  first  source  of  our  withdrawing  from,  and of our  hatreds  against,  our  brethren. You say,  that  you  cannot accord with  such  a  person;  that  every  thing  in  him  offends  and displeases you;  that  it  is  an  antipathy  which  you  cannot  conquer; that all  his  manners  seem  fashioned  to  irritate  you;  that  to  see  him