Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/378

 ages after  the  actions  which  they  relate,  and  it  is  saying  every  thing to add,  that  that  theology  was  the  fruit  of  poesy,  and  the  inventions of that  art  the  most  solid  foundations  of  their  religion.

Here, it  is  a  train  of  facts,  reasonable,  natural,  and  in  agreement with itself. It is  the  history  of  a  family  continued  from  its  first head down  to  him  who  writes  it,  and  authenticated  in  all  its  circumstances. It is  a  genealogy  in  which  every  chief  is  characterized by his  own  actions,  by  events  which  still  subsisted  then,  by  marks which were  still  known  in  the  places  where  they  had  dwelt. It is a  living  tradition,  the  most  authenticated  upon  the  earth,  since Moses hath  written  only  what  he  had  heard  from  the  children  of the  patriarchs,  and  they  related  only  what  their  fathers  had  seen. Every part  of  it  is  coherent,  hangs  properly  together,  and  tends  to clear  up  the  whole. The features  are  not  copied,  nor  the  adventures drawn  from  elsewhere,  and  accommodated  to  the  subject. Before Moses,  the  people  of  God  had  nothing  in  writing. He hath left  nothing  to  posterity  but  what  he  had  verbally  collected from his  ancestors,  that  is  to  say,  the  whole  tradition  of  mankind; and the  first  he  hath  comprised  in  one  volume,  the  history  of  God's wonders  and  of  his  manifestations  to  men,  the  remembrance  of which  had  till  then  composed  the  whole  religion,  the  whole  knowledge, and  the  whole  consolation  of  the  family  of  Abraham. The candour and  sincerity  of  this  author  appear  in  the  simplicity  of  his history. He takes  no  precaution  to  secure  belief,  because  he  supposes that  those  for  whom  he  writes  require  none  to  believe;  and all the  facts  which  he  relates  being  well  known  among  them,  it  is more  for  the  purpose  of  preserving  them  to  their  posterity  than  for any instruction  in  them  to  themselves.

Behold, my  brethren,  which  way  the  Christian  religion  begins  to acquire  influence  over  the  mind  of  men. Turn on  all  sides,  read the history  of  every  people  and  of  every  nation,  and  you  will  find nothing so  well  established  upon  the  earth. What do  I  say? — you will find  nothing  more  worthy  the  attention  of  a  rational  mind. If men  be  born  for  a  religion,  they  are  born  for  this  one  alone. If there be  a  Supreme  Being  who  hath  manifested  the  truth  to  men, this alone  is  worthy  of  men  and  of  him. Every where  else  the origin is  fabulous;  here  it  is  equally  certain  as  all  the  rest;  and the latter  ages,  which  cannot  be  disputed,  are,  however,  only  the proofs of  the  certitude  of  the  first. Therefore, if  there  be  an  authority upon  the  earth  to  which  reason  ought  to  yield,  it  is  to  that of the  Christian  religion.

To the  character  of  its  antiquity  must  be  added  that  of  its  perpetuity. Figure to  yourselves  here  that  endless  variety  of  sects and of  religions  which  have  successively  reigned  upon  the  earth. Follow the  history  of  the  superstitions  of  every  people  and  of  every country; they  have  flourished  a  few  years,  and  afterward  sunk  into oblivion along  with  the  power  of  their  followers. Where are  the gods of  Emath,  of  Arphad,  and  of  Sepharvaim? Recollect the history of  those  first  conquerors:  in  conquering  the  people,  they conquered the  gods  of  the  people;  and,  in  overturning  their  power,