Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/338



What can  the  purest  and  most  irreproachable  virtue  expect from the  injustice  of  the  worlds  seeing  it  hath  formerly  found  subjects for  scandal  and  censure  in  the  sanctity  even  of  Jesus  Christ? If, before  their  eyes,  he  work  wonderful  miracles;  if,  on  this  occasion, he  restores  sight  to  the  blind,  the  Jews  accuse  him  of  being a sabbath-breaker;  of  working  miracles  through  Beelzebub  rather than in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  of  only  wishing,  through  these impostures, to  overturn  and  to  destroy  the  law  of  Moses;  that  is to  say,  that  they  attack  his  intentions,  in  order  to  render  suspicious and to  criminate  his  works.

If he  honour  with  his  presence  the  table  of  the  Pharisees,  that he may  have  an  opportunity  of  recalling  and  instructing  them,  he  is looked  upon  as  a  sinner,  and  as  a  lover  of  good  cheer:  that  is  to say,  that  they  make  a  crime  to  him  of  his  works,  when  they  find  it convenient  not  to  search  into  the  integrity  of  his  intentions.

Lastly. If he  appear  in  the  temple,  armed  with  zeal  and  severity, to avenge  the  profanations  which  disgrace  that  holy  place,  the  zeal with which  he  is  inflamed  for  the  glory  of  his  Father  is  no  longer in their  mouth,  but  an  unjust  usurpation  of  an  authority  which  belongs not  to  him:  that  is  to  say,  that  they  exercise  themselves  in vague  and  unfounded  reproaches,  when  they  have  nothing  to  say against his  intentions  or  his  works.

I say,  and  I  say  it  with  sorrow,  that  the  piety  of  the  godly  doth not, at  present,  experience  more  indulgence  amongst  us,  than  the sanctity of  Jesus  Christ  formerly  met  with  in  Judea. The pious are become  objects  of  censure  and  derision  to  the  public;  and  in  an age  where  dissipation  is  become  so  general,  where  scandalous  excesses of  every  kind  furnish  such  ample  matter  to  the  malignity  of conversations  and  censures,  favour  is  liberally  shown  to  all,  excepting to  virtue  and  innocence.

Yes, my  brethren,  if  the  conduct  of  the  godly  be  apparently  irreproachable, and  furnish  no  materials  for  censure,  you  fix  yourselves on their  intentions  which  appear  not;  you  accuse  them  of  labouring toward  their  own  purposes,  and  of  having  their  own  particular views and  designs.

If their  virtue  seem  to  draw  nearer  to  an  equality  with  our  own, and sometimes  abate  from  its  severity  to  attach  us  to  God,  by  an ostensible  conformity  to  our  manners  and  customs;  without  searching into,  or  giving  yourselves  any  concern  about  their  intentions,  you constitute as  a  crime  in  them,  the  most  innocent  complaisances, and concessions  the  most  worthy  of  indulgence.