Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/382

 there, and  to  discover  his  hopes. Far from  flattering  their  pride, they held  forth  only  the  ingratitude  of  their  fathers:  in  every  page they announced  misfortunes  to  them  as  the  just  punishment  of  their crimes; to  kings  they  reproached  their  dissipations,  to  the  pontiffs their profusion,  to  the  people  their  inconstancy  and  unbelief;  and, nevertheless, these  holy  books  were  dear  to  them;  and,  from  the oracles which  they  saw  continually  accomplishing  in  them,  they awaited with  confidence  the  fulfilment  of  those  which  the  whole universe hath  now  witnessed. Now, the  knowledge  of  what  is  to come  is  the  least  suspicious  character  of  the  Divinity.

Secondly. These mysteries  are  found  upon  facts  so  evidently  miraculous, so  well  known  in  Judea,  so  agreed  to  then,  even  by  those whose interest  it  was  to  reject  them,  so  signalized  by  events  which interested the  whole  nation,  so  often  repeated  in  the  cities,  in  the country, in  the  temple,  and  in  the  public  places,  that  the  eyes  must be shut  against  the  light  to  call  them  in  question. The apostles have preached  them,  have  written  them,  even  in  Judea,  a  very  short time after  their  fulfilment;  that  is  to  say,  in  a  time  when  the  pontiffs, who  had  condemned  Jesus  Christ,  still  living,  might  so  easily have controverted  and  proclaimed  their  imposture,  had  they  really been a  deception  upon  mankind. Jesus Christ,  by  fulfilling  his promise of  rising  again,  confirmed  his  gospel,  and  it  is  not  to  be supposed,  either  that  the  apostles  could  be  deceived  on  a  fact so decisive  and  so  essential  for  them, — on  that  fact  so  often foretold, and  looked  forward  to,  as  the  principal  point  on  which all the  rest  was  to  turn;  that  fact  so  often  confirmed,  and  that before so  many  witnesses;  nor  that  they  themselves  wished  to deceive  us,  and  to  preach  a  falsehood  to  men  at  the  expence  of their  own  ease,  honour,  and  life,  the  only  return  which  they  had  to expect  for  their  imposture. Would these  men,  who  have  left  to us  only  such  pious  and  wise  precepts,  have  given  to  the  earth  an example  of  folly  hitherto  unknown  to  every  people,  and,  without view, interest,  or  motive,  have  coolly  devoted  themselves  to  the most excruciating  tortures,  and  to  a  death  suffered  with  the  most heroical piety,  merely  to  maintain  the  truth  of  a  thing  of  which  they themselves knew  the  falsehood? Would these  men  have  all  tranquilly submitted  to  death  for  the  sake  of  another  man  who  had  deceived them,  and  who,  having  failed  in  his  promise  of  rising  again from the  grave,  had  only  imposed,  during  life,  upon  their  credulity and weakness? Let the  impious  man  no  longer  reproach  to  us,  as a  credulity,  the  incomprehensible  mysteries  of  faith. He must  be very  credulous  himself  to  be  able  to  persuade  himself  of  the  possibility of  suppositions  so  absurd.

Lastly. The whole  universe  hath  been  docile  to  the  faith  of these  mysteries;  the  Caesars,  whom  it  degraded  from  the  rank  of gods;  the  philosophers,  whom  it  convicted  of  ignorance  and  vanity; the voluptuous,  to  whom  it  preached  self-denial  and  sufferance; the rich,  whom  it  obliged  to  poverty  and  humility;  the  poor,  whom it commanded  to  love  even  their  abjection  and  indigence;  all  men, of whom  it  combated  all  the  passions. This faith,  preached  by