Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/372

 church was  as  yet  under  oppression  and  obscurity;  and  the  enemies of  faith,  even  the  prophets  of  the  idols,  in  viewing  their  good order, their  innocence,  and  their  majesty,  with  what  difficulty  did they refuse  to  them  their  admiration  and  their  homage! Alas! and at present  the  rapid  moments  which  you  consecrate  here  to  religion, and which  ought  to  sanctify  the  remainder  of  the  day,  often  become themselves the  greatest  guilt  of  it.

Lastly, niy  brethren,  to  all  these  inward  dispositions  of  prayer of adoration,  and  of  gratitude,  which  the  sanctity  of  our  temples exacts of  you,  there  is  likewise  to  be  added  the  external  modesty, and the  decency  of  ornaments  and  of  dress — last  disposition  of the  blessed  in  the  heavenly  temple:  but  on  this  part  I  shall  be very  brief.

And, in  effect,  should  any  instruction  on  our  part  be  necessary to you  on  this  point,  O,  worldly  women? for it  is  you  whom  this part of  my  discourse  principally  regards. To what  purpose  all  that display, I  say  not  only  of  ostentation  and  of  vanity,  but  of  immodesty and  of  impudence,  with  which  you  make  your  appearance in this  house  of  tears  and  of  prayer? Do you  come  here  to  dispute with Jesus  the  looks  and  the  homages  of  those  who  worship  him? Do you  come  to  insult  the  mysteries  which  operate  the  salvation of believers,  by  seeking  to  corrupt  their  heart  at  the  feet  even  of the  altars,  where  these  mysteries  take  place  for  them? Are you determined that  innocence  shall  in  no  place  of  the  earth,  not  even in the  temple,  that  asylum  of  religion  and  piety,  be  protected  from your profane  and  lascivious  nakedness? Doth the  world  not  sufficiently furnish  you  with  impure  theatres,  with  assemblies  of  dissipation, where  you  may  make  a  boast  of  being  a  stumbling  block to your  brethren? Even your  houses,  open  to  dissipation  and  to riot,  do  they  not  suffice  for  you  to  figure  with  an  indecency  which would formerly  have  been  suited  only  to  houses  of  debauchery  and of guilt;  and  which  is  the  cause  that,  not  respecting  yourselves, that respect  is  lost  for  you,  of  which  the  national  politeness  hath always been  so  jealous? For modesty  alone  is  estimable,  as  St. Paul  formerly  reproached  to  believers. Must the  holy  temple  be also  stained  by  your  immodesties? Ah! when you  appear  before your earthly  sovereign,  you  mark,  by  the  dignity  and  by  the  propriety of  your  deportment,  the  respect  which  you  know  to  be  due to his  presence;  and  before  the  Sovereign  of  heaven  and  of  the earth, you  make  your  appearance,  not  only  without  precaution, but even  without  decency  or  modesty;  and  you  display  under  his eyes an  effrontery  which  wounds  even  the  eyes  of  the  wise  and respectable! You come  to  disturb  the  attention  of  the  believers who had  expected  to  have  found  here  a  place  of  peace  and  of  silence, and an  asylum  against  all  the  objects  of  vanity;  to  disturb  even  the deep meditation  and  the  holy  gravity  of  the  ministers,  and  to  sully, by the  indecency  of  your  dress,  the  purity  of  their  looks  attentive to the  holy  things.

Thus the  apostle  desired,  that  the  Christian  woman  should  be covered  with  a  veil  in  the  temple,  on  account  of  the  angels;  that