Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/393

 our mysteries,  to  which  they  can  find  no  satisfactory  answer;  that, after all,  the  whole  appears  very  uncertain:  and  that,  before  engaging to  follow  all  the  rigid  maxims  of  the  gospel,  it  would  be proper  to  be  well  assured  that  our  toils  shall  not  be  lost.

Now, my  intention,  at  present,  is  not  to  overthrow  unbelief  by the  grand  proofs  which  establish  the  truth  of  the  Christian  faith. Setting aside  that  elsewhere  we  have  already  established  them,  it  is a  subject  far  too  extensive  for  a  Discourse,  and  often  beyond  even the capacity  of  the  majority  of  those  who  listen  to  us;  it  is  frequently paying  too  much  deference  to  the  frivolous  objections  of those  who  give  themselves  out  as  free-thinkers  in  the  world,  to employ  the  gravity  of  our  ministry  in  refuting  and  overthrowing them.

We must  take  a  shorter  and  more  easy  way,  therefore,  at  present. My design  is  not  to  enter  into  the  foundation  of  the  proofs which render  testimony  to  the  truth  of  faith;  I  mean  only  to  expose the  falsity  of  unbelief:  I  mean  to  prove,  that  the  greatest  part of those  who  call  themselves  unbelievers,  are  not  so;  that  almost all those  sinners  who  vaunt,  and  are  continually  alleging  to  us  their doubts, as  the  only  obstacle  to  their  conversion,  have  actually  none; and that,  of  all  the  pretexts  employed  as  an  excuse  for  not  changing their  life,  that  of  doubts  upon  religion,  now  the  most  common, is  the  least  true  and  the  least  sincere.

It appears  surprising  at  first,  that  I  should  undertake  to  prove to those  who  believe  to  have  doubts  upon  religion,  and  are  continually objecting  them  to  us,  that  they  have  actually  none:  nevertheless, with  a  proper  knowledge  of  men,  and,  above  all,  with  a proper  attention  to  the  character  of  those  who  make  a  boast  of doubting,  nothing  is  more  easy  than  this  conviction:  I  say,  to their  character,  in  which  are  always  to  be  found  licentiousness, ignorance, and  vanity;  and  such  are  the  three  usual  sources  of their  doubts:  they  give  the  credit  of  them  to  unbelief,  which  has scarcely a  share  in  them.

First. It is  licentiousness  which  proposes,  without  daring  to  believe them. First reflection.

Secondly. It is  ignorance  which  adopts,  without  comprehending them. Second reflection.

Lastly. It is  vanity  which  boasts,  without  being  able  to  succeed in  drawing  any  resource  from  them. Last reflection.

This is  to  say,  that  the  greatest  part  of  those  who  call  themselves unbelievers, are  licentious  enough  to  wish  to  be  so;  too  ignorant to be  so  in  reality;  and  nevertheless,  sufficiently  vain  to  wish  to appear  so. Let us  unfold  these  three  reflections,  now  become  so important  among  us;  and  let  us  overthrow  licentiousness  rather than unbelief,  by  laying  it  open  to  itself.

Part I. — It  must  at  once  be  admitted,  my  brethren,  and  it  is melancholy  for  us  that  we  owe  this  confession  to  the  truth, — it  must be admitted,  I  say,  that  our  age  and  those  of  our  fathers  have  seen real unbelievers. In that  depravity  of  manners  in  which  we  live,  and