Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/39

 increasing the  patrimony  of  our  fathers,  and  places  no  other  bounds to our  desires  than  those  of  the  laws,  which  punish  violence  and manifest injustice. Can you  assure  us,  that  the  rules  of  the  conscience do  not  observe  more  narrowly,  and,  with  regard  to  these matters, do  not  enter  into  discussions  which  the  world  is  totally unacquainted with? The world  has  declared,  that  a  gentle,  effeminate, and  idle  life,  is  an  innocent  life;  and  that  virtue  is  not  so  rigid and austere  as  we  wish  to  make  it. Before giving  credit  to  this, merely upon  its  assertion,  have  you  consulted  whether  the  doctrine brought us  by  Jesus  Christ  from  heaven,  subscribed  to  the  novelty and to  the  danger  of  these  maxims?

What, my  brethren! in the  affair  of  your  eternity,  without examination or  attention,  you  adopt  common  prejudices,  merely because they  are  established? You blindly  follow  those  who  march before you,  without  examining  where  the  path  leads  to  which  they keep? You even  deign  not  to  inquire  at  yourselves  whether  or not  you  are  deceived? You are  satisfied  in  knowing  that  you  are not the  only  persons  mistaken? What! in the  business  which must decide  your  eternal  destiny,  you  do  not  even  make  use  of your  reason? You demand  no  other  pledge  of  your  safety  than the general  error? You have  no  doubt  or  suspicion? You think it unnecessary  to  inform  yourselves? You have  no  mistrust? All is good,  and,  in  your  opinion,  as  it  ought  to  be? You who  are  so nice,  so  difficult,  so  mistrustful,  so  full  of  precaution  when  your worldly interests  are  in  question,  in  this  grand  affair  alone  you conduct yourselves  by  instinct,  by  fancy,  by  foreign  impressions? You decide  upon  nothing,  but  indolently  allow  yourselves  to  be dragged  away  by  the  multitude,  and  the  torrent  of  example? You who, in  every  other  matter,  would  blush  to  think  like  the  crowd; you who  pique  yourselves  upon  superiority  of  genius,  and  upon leaving to  the  common  people,  and  to  weak  minds,  all  vulgar  prejudices; you  who  carry  to  a  ridiculous  extreme,  perhaps,  your mode of  thinking  on  every  other  point,  upon  salvation  alone  you think with  the  crowd,  and  it  appears  that  reason  is  denied to you  on  this  grand  interest  alone. What, my  brethren! when you  are  asked,  in  the  steps  which  you  take  to  ensure success to  your  worldly  expectations,  the  reasons  which  have  induced you  to  prefer  one  party  to  another,  you  advance  such  solid and prudent  motives;  you  justify  your  choice  by  prospects  so  certain and  decisive;  you  appear  to  have  so  maturely  considered them before  adopting  their  execution;  and  when  we  demand  of you  whence  it  comes,  that  in  the  affair  of  your  eternal  salvation you prefer  the  abuses,  the  customs,  the  maxims  of  the  world,  to the  examples  of  the  saints,  who  certainly  did  not  live  like  you, and to  the  rules  of  the  gospel,  which  condemn  all  those  who  live  as you  do;  you  have  nothing  to  answer  but  that  you  are  not  singular, and that  you  must  live  like  the  rest  of  the  world? Great God! to what purpose  are  great  abilities  in  the  conduct  of  projects  which will perish  with  us! We have  reasons  and  arguments  in  support of vanity,  and  we  are  children  with  regard  to  the  truth. We pique