Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/351

 which hurries  away  the  rest  of  men,  watchfulness  and  vigour  should not sometimes  fail  them  for  an  instant,  and  that  they  should  not sometimes feel  a  momentary  influence  of  the  fatal  vortex? You are their  seducers;  and  you  pretend  to  be  displeased  because  they allow themselves  to  be  seduced? No longer,  therefore,  reproach  to them  your  scandals,  which  weaken  their  faith,  and  which  they  shall one day  reproach  to  you  before  the  tribunal  of  Jesus  Christ;  and triumph no  more  over  their  weaknesses,  which  are  your  own  work, and for  which  they  shall  afterward  demand  vengeance  against  you.

I have  also  said,  that  even  your  maxims  cannot  be  excused  from severity and  extravagance  with  respect  to  the  pious. Judge from what I  shall  now  repeat. You are  continually  saying  that  such  an individual,  with  all  his  devotion,  fails  not,  however  to  prosecute  his own designs;  that  another  is  very  attentive  in  paying  court  to  his superiors; again,  that  a  third  has  a  piety  so  delicate  and  sensible, that the  merest  trifle  wounds  and  shocks  it;  that  such  an  individual pardons  nothing;  that  the  other  is  not  sorry  to  be  thought still agreeable  and  amusing;  that  a  third  has  a  very  commodious piety, and  lives  a  very  easy  and  agreeable  life;  lastly,  that  another is full  of  caprice  and  fancies,  and  that  none  of  her  household  can put up  with  her  temper:  such  are  your  daily  discourses;  nor  do your  satires  stop  there,  for  you  boldly  decide  from  thence  that  a devotion,  blended  with  so  many  faults,  can  never  lead  them  to  salvation:  behold  your  maxims. Yet, nevertheless,  when  we  announce to  you,  from  this  seat,  that  a  worldly,  idle,  sensual,  dissipated, and almost  wholly  profane  life,  such  as  you  lead,  can  never  be  a way  to  salvation,  you  say  that  you  cannot  see  any  harm  in  it;  you accuse us  of  severity,  and  of  exaggerating  the  rule  and  duties  of your  station;  you  do  not  believe  that  more  is  required  for  salvation. But my  brethren,  to  which  side  here  do  severity  and  injustice belong? You condemn  the  pious,  because  to  their  piety  they add some  particulars  which  resemble  you;  because  they  mingle some of  your  faults  with  an  infinity  of  virtues  and  good  works, which amply  repair  the  errors:  and  you  believe  yourselves  in  the path of  salvation,  you  who  have  only  their  faults,  without  even  the piety which  purifies  them? O man! who then  art  thou  that  thus pretendest to  save  those  whom  the  Lord  condemneth,  and  to  condemn those  whom  he  justifieth?

Nor is  this  all;  and  you  shall  immediately  see  how  little,  on  this point, you  are  consonant  with  yourselves. In effect,  when  the pious live  in  total  retirement;  when  no  longer  keeping  any  measures with  the  world,  they  conceal  themselves  from  the  eyes  of  the public; when  they  resign  certain  places  of  emolument  and  distinction, and  divest  themselves  of  all  their  employments  and  dignities, for the  sole  purpose  of  attending  to  their  salvation;  when  they  lead a life  of  tears,  prayer,  mortification,  and  silence,  (and  happily  our age  hath  furnished  such  examples,)  what  have  you  then  said? That they carried  matters  too  far;  that  violent  counsels  had  been  given them; that  their  zeal  was  not  according  to  knowledge;  that,  were all to  imitate  them,  public  duties  would  be  neglected;   that  those