Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/375

 of all  that  had  been  foretold,  after  the  consummation  of  the  mysteries of Jesus  Christ,  the  exaltation  of  his  name,  the  manifestation  of his  gifts,  the  calling  of  his  people,  the  destruction  of  idols,  the  conversion of  Caesars,  and  the  agreement  of  the  universe,  still  doubt, and take  upon  themselves  to  confute  and  to  overthrow  what  the toils of  the  apostolic  men,  the  blood  of  so  many  martyrs,  the  prodigies of  so  many  servants  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  writings  of  so  many great men,  the  austerities  of  so  many  holy  anchorites,  and  the  religion of  seventeen  hundred  years,  have  so  universally  and  so  divinely established in  the  minds  of  almost  all  people.

For, my  brethren,  amid  all  the  triumphs  of  faith,  children  of  unbelief still  privately  spring  up  among  us,  whom  God  hath  delivered up to  the  vanity  of  their  own  thoughts,  and  who  blaspheme  what they know  not;  impious  men,  who  change,  as  the  apostle  says,  the grace of  our  God  into  wantonness,  defile  their  flesh,  contemn  all rule, blaspheme  majesty,  corrupt  all  their  ways  like  the  animals not gifted  with  reason,  and  are  set  apart  to  serve  one  day  as  an example  of  the  awful  judgments  of  God  upon  men.

Now, if,  among  so  many  believers  assembled  here  through  religion, any  soul  of  this  description  should  happen  to  be,  allow  me, you, my  brethren,  who  preserve  with  respect  the  sacred  doctrine which you  have  received  from  your  ancestors  and  from  your  pastors, to seize  this  opportunity  either  of  undeceiving  them  or  of  confuting their incredulity. Allow me  for  once  to  do  here  what  the  first  pastors of  the  church  so  often  did  before  their  assembled  people,  that is to  say,  to  take  upon  myself  the  defence  of  the  religion  of  Jesus Christ against  unbelief;  and,  before  entering  into  the  particulars  of your  duties  during  this  long  term,  allow  me  to  begin  by  laying  the first foundations  of  faith. It is  so  consoling  for  those  who  believe to find  how  reasonable  their  submission  is,  and  to  be  convinced that faith,  which  is  apparently  the  rock  of  reason,  is,  however,  its only consolation,  guide,  and  refuge!

Here, then,  is  my  whole  design. The unbeliever  refuses  submission to  the  revealed  truths,  either  through  a  vain  affectation  of reason,  or  through  a  false  sentiment  of  pride,  or  through  an  illplaced  love  of  independence.

Now, I  mean  at  present  to  show,  that  the  submission  which  the unbeliever refuses,  through  a  vain  affectation  of  reason,  is  the  most prudent use  which  he  can  make  even  of  reason:  that  the  submission which  he  refuses  through  a  false  sentiment  of  pride,  is  the  most glorious step  of  it:  and,  lastly,  that  the  submission  which  he  rejects through  an  ill-placed  love  of  independence,  is  the  most  indispensable sacrifice  of  it. And from  thence  I  shall  draw  the three great  characters  of  religion: — it  is  reasonable,  it  is  glorious, it is  necessary.

O my  Saviour,  eternal  author  and  finisher  of  our  faith,  defend thyself, thy  doctrine. Suffer not  that  thy  cross,  by  which  the  universe hath  been  submitted  to  thee,  be  still  the  folly  and  the  scandal of proud  minds. Once more  triumph  at  present,  through  the  secret wonders  of  thy  grace,  over  that  same  unbelief  which  thou  for-