Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/344

 were you,  in  this  manner,  to  reason  on  the  rest  of  men? We have seen many  wives  faithless,  to  their  honour  and  to  their  duty;  but do modesty  and  fidelity  no  longer  exist  in  the  sacred  bond  of  marriage? Many magistrates  have  sold  their  honour  and  disgraced their function;  but  are  justice  and  integrity  consequently  banished from every  tribunal? History, hath  preserved  to  us  the  remembrance of  too  many  perfidious,  dissembling,  unfaithful,  and  dishonourable princes,  equally  faithless  to  their  subjects,  their  allies,  and their enemies;  but  are  integrity,  truth,  and  religion,  for  ever  excluded from  a  throne? The past  ages  have  seen  many  subjects, distinguished for  their  names,  their  offices,  and  the  gifts  of  their sovereign, betray  their  prince  and  country,  and  keep  up  the  most criminal intelligence  with  the  enemy:  would  you  find  just  the  master whom  you  serve  with  so  much  zeal  and  courage,  were  he  merely upon such  grounds  to  suspect  the  truth  of  your  fidelity? Why then is  a  suspicion,  which  excites  the  indignation  of  all  other  descriptions of  men,  only  supportable  when  directed  against  the pious? Why is  a  conclusion,  so  ridiculous  in  every  other  case, only judicious  when  against  virtue? Doth the  perfidy  of  a  single Judas give  you  grounds  to  conclude  that  all  the  other  disciples were traitors  and  without  faith? Doth the  hypocrisy  of  Simon  the magician prove,  that  the  conversion  of  the  other  disciples  who embraced faith  was  merely  an  artifice  to  accomplish  their  own  purposes;  and  that,  like  him,  they  walked  not  uprightly  in  the  path of the  Lord? What can  be  more  unjust  or  foolish,  than  of  the guilt of  an  individual  to  constitute  a  general  crime? It is  difficult, I confess,  but  that  vice  may  sometimes  assume  the  garb  of  virtue; that the  angel  of  darkness  may  not  sometimes  have  the  appearance of an  angel  of  light;  and  that  the  passions,  which  generally  strain every nerve  to  succeed,  may  not  sometimes  call  in  the  appearances of piety  to  their  aid,  particularly  under  a  reign  when  piety,  held in honour,  is  almost  a  certain  road  to  fortune  and  favour. But it is  the  height  of  folly  to  reflect  upon  all  virtue  for  the  impious  use which some  individuals  may  make  even  of  piety;  and  to  believe that some  abuses,  discovered  in  a  holy  and  venerable  profession, universally dishonour  all  who  have  embraced  it. The truth,  my brethren',  is,  that  we  hate  all  men  who  are  not  similar  to  ourselves; and  that  we  are  delighted  to  be  enabled  to  condemn  piety, because piety  itself  condemns  us.

But one  has  so  often  been  deceived,  say  you. I confess  it:  but in reply,  I  say,  that,  granting  you  are  even  deceived  while  refusing to suspect  your  brethren,  and  while  rendering  to  a  fictitious  virtue that esteem  and  honour  which  are  due  to  real  virtue  alone,  what would be  the  consequence? By what  would  your  credulity  be followed,  either  sorrowful  or  disgraceful? You would  have  judged according to  the  rules  of  charity,  which  doth  not  easily  believe  in evil,  and  which  delighteth  in  even  the  appearances  of  good;  according to  the  rules  of  justice,  which  is  incapable  of  every  malignity or  deed  to  others  which  it  would  not  wish  to  have  done  to itself;  according  to  the  rules  of  prudence,  which  judges  only  from