Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/381

 ence to  the  powers  established  by  God,  not  only  through  fear  of their  authority,  but  through  an  obligation  of  conscience:  to  respect our superiors,  to  bear  with  our  equals,  to  be  affable  toward  our  inferiors, to  love  all  men  as  ourselves. It alone  is  capable  of  forming good citizens,  faithful  subjects,  patient  servants,  humble  masters, incorruptible magistrates,  clement  princes,  and  zealous  friends. It alone renders  the  honour  of  marriage  inviolable,  secures  the  peace of families,  and  maintains  the  tranquillity  of  states. It not  only checks usurpations,  but  it  prohibits  even  the  desire  of  other's  property; it  not  only  requires  us  not  to  view  with  an  envious  eye  the prosperity of  our  brother,  but  it  commands  us  to  share  our  own riches with  him,  if  need  require;  it  not  only  forbids  to  attempt  his life, but  it  requires  us  to  do  good,  even  to  those  who  injure  us;  to bless  those  who  curse  us,  and  to  be  all  only  of  one  heart  and  of  one mind. Give me,  said  St.  Augustine,  formerly,  to  the  heathens  of his  time,  a  kingdom  all  composed  of  people  of  this  kind:  good God, what  peace! what felicity! what a  representation  of  heaven upon the  earth! Have all  the  ideas  of  philosophy  ever  come  near to the  plan  of  this  heavenly  republic? And is  it  not  true,  that  if  a God  hath  spoken  to  men,  to  lay  open  to  them  the  ways  of  salvation, he  could  never  have  held  any  other  language?

To all  these  maxims,  so  worthy  of  reason,  it  is  true  that  religion adds mysteries  which  exceed  our  comprehension. But, besides that, good  sense  should  induce  us  to  yield  thereon  to  a  religion  so venerable  through  its  antiquity,  so  divine  in  its  morality,  so  superior to  every  thing  on  the  earth  in  its  authority,  and  alone  worthy of being  believed,  the  motives  it  employs  for  our  persuasion  are sufficient to  conquer  unbelief.

First. These mysteries  were  foretold  many  ages  before  their  accomplishment, and  foretold  with  every  circumstance  of  times  and places; nor  are  the  vague  prophecies,  referred  to  the  credulity  of the  vulgar  alone,  uttered  in  a  corner  of  the  earth,  of  the  same  age as the  events,  and  unknown  to  the  rest  of  the  universe. They are prophecies which,  from  the  beginning  of  the  world,  have  constituted the  religion  of  an  entire  people;  which  fathers  transmitted  to their  children  as  their  most  precious  inheritance;  which  were  preserved in  the  holy  temple  as  the  most  sacred  pledge  of  the  divine promises: and,  lastly,  to  the  truth  of  which  the  nation  most  inveterate against  Jesus  Christ,  and  their  first  depository,  still  at  present bears witness  in  the  face  of  the  whole  universe:  prophecies,  which were not  mysteriously  hidden  from  the  people,  lest  their  falsehood should be  betrayed;  like  those  vain  oracles  of  the  Sybils,  carefully shut up  in  the  capitol,  fabricated  to  support  the  Roman  pride,  exposed to  the  view  of  the  pontiffs  alone,  and  produced,  piece-meal, from time  to  time,  to  authorize,  in  the  mind  of  the  people,  either  a dangerous  enterprise  or  an  unjust  war. On the  contrary,  our  prophetical books  were  the  daily  study  of  a  whole  people. The young and the  old,  women  and  children,  priests  and  men  of  all  ranks, princes and  subjects,  were  indispensably  obliged  to  have  them  continually in  their  hands;  every  one  was  entitled  to  study  his  duties