Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/283

 them? Paul formerly  exaggerated,  then,  when  the  Roman  governor, in spite  of  the  pride  of  a  false  wisdom,  and  all  the  prejudices  of  an idolatrous  worship,  trembled,  says  St.  Luke,  while  hearing  him speak of  righteousness,  of  temperance,  and  of  the  awful  spectacle of a  judgment  to  come? Paul, then,  exaggerated,  when  the  inhabitants of  cities  came  striking  their  breasts,  melting  in  tears  at  his feet, and  bringing  into  the  middle  of  the  public  places  the  lascivious or impious  books,  and  all  the  other  instruments  of  their  passions, in order  to  make  a  sacrifice  of  them  to  the  Lord?

You accuse  us  of  adding  additional  terrors  to  the  words  of  the Gospel; but  where  are  the  consciences  which  we  disturb? Where are the  sinners  whom  we  alarm? Where are  the  worldly  souls, who, seized  with  dread  on  their  departure  from  our  discourses,  go to  conceal  themselves  in  the  deepest  solitudes,  and,  by  holy  excesses of  penitence,  to  expiate  the  dissoluteness  of  their  past manners? The ages  which  have  preceded  us  have  often  been  such examples. Do we  ever  witness  such  instances  now? Ah! would to God,  said  formerly  a  holy  father,  that  you  could  convict  me  of having  inspired  a  single  soul  with  these  salutary  terrors! Would to God,  said  he  to  some  worldly  sages  of  his  time,  who  accused him of  exaggerating  the  dangers  and  the  corruption  of  the  world, that a  single  instance  might  support  your  assertion! And I  may say to  you  here,  with  even  more  reason  than  that  grand  character, Would to  God  that  the  consequences  of  so  blessed  an  indiscretion could be  shown  to  me! Would to  God  that  you  had  examples with which  to  reproach  us,  in  justification  of  your  censures! Ah! we with  pleasure  would  suffer  the  blame,  could  but  the  success  be shown  to  us  with  which  we  are  reproached!

Alas! we manage  only  too  much,  perhaps,  your  weakness;  we respect,  perhaps  too  much,  customs  which  a  long  usage  has  consecrated, in  the  fear  of  appearing  to  censure  the  grand  examples  by which  they  are  authorized;  we  dare  scarcely  speak  of  certain  irregularities, lest  our  censures  should  appear  to  fall  rather  on  the  persons than  on  the  vices;  we  are  obliged  to  content  ourselves  with showing truths  to  you  from  afar,  which  we  ought  to  place  immediately under  your  eye;  and  even  your  salvation  frequently  suffers through the  excess  of  our  precautions  and  our  timid  prudence. What shall  I  say? Weakness often  extorts  from  us  praises,  where zeal ought  to  place  anathemas  and  censures:  like  the  world,  we allow  ourselves  to  be  dazzled  by  names  and  titles;  that  which  formerly encouraged  the  Ambroses  intimidates  us;  and,  because  we owe  you  respect,  we  often  keep  back  from  you  that  truth  which  we ought  still  more  to  respect:  yet,  after  all  this,  you  accuse  us  of  exaggerating, of  overstraining  truths,  and  of  fashioning  from  them phantoms of  our  own  brain,  in  order  to  alarm  those  who  listen  to  us.

But what  advantage  could  we  draw  from  an  artifice  so  unworthy of that  truth  confided  to  us? These overstrained  and  puerile  declamations might  suit  the  venal  eloquence  of  those  Sophists,  who, amid the  Grecian  schools,  anxiously  sought  to  attract  disciples  to themselves,  by  vaunting  the  wisdom  of  their  sect. But for  us,  my