Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/394

 amid all  the  scandals  which  have  so  long  afflicted  the  church,  it  is not  surprising  that  men  have  sometimes  been  found  who  have  denied the  existence  of  a  God;  and  that  faith,  so  weakened  in  all, should in  some  be  at  last  wholly  extinguished. As chosen  and  extraordinary souls  appear  in  every  age,  whom  the  Lord  filleth  with his grace,  his  lights,  and  his  most  shining  gifts,  and  upon  whom  he delighteth  in  liberally  pouring  forth  all  the  riches  of  his  mercy;  so, likewise, are  seen  others  in  whom  iniquity  is,  as  I  may  say,  consummate, and  whom  the  Lord  seems  to  have  marked  out,  to  display in  them  the  most  terrible  judgments  of  his  justice,  and  the most fatal  effects  of  his  neglect  and  wrath.

The church,  where  all  these  scandals  are  to  increase  even  to  the end, cannot  therefore  boast  of  being  entirely  purged  from  the  scandal of unbelief:  she  hath,  from  time  to  time,  her  stars  which  enlighten, and her  monsters  who  disfigure  her;  and,  along  with  those  great men, celebrated  for  their  lights  and  for  their  sanctity,  who  in  every age have  served  as  her  support  and  ornament,  she  hath  also  witnessed a  list  of  impious  men,  whose  names  are  still  at  present  the horror of  the  universe,  who  have  dared,  in  writings  full  of  blasphemy and impiety,  to  attack  the  mysteries  of  God,  to  deny  salvation  and the promises  made  to  our  fathers,  to  overturn  the  foundation  of faith,  and  to  preach  free-thinking  among  believers.

I do  not  pretend,  therefore,  to  say,  that  among  so  many  wretches who speak  the  language  of  unbelief  among  us,  there  may  not  perhaps be  found  some  one  sufficiently  corrupted  in  mind  and  in heart,  and  so  far  abandoned  by  God,  as  actually,  and  in  effect to be  an  unbeliever:  I  mean  only  to  establish,  that  these  men, grounded in  impiety,  are  rare;  and  that,  among  all  those  who are continually  vaunting  their  doubts  and  their  unbelief,  and  make a deplorable  ostentation  of  them,  there  is  not  perhaps  a  single  one upon whose  heart  faith  doth  not  still  preserve  its  rights,  and  who doth not  inwardly  dread  that  God  whom  he  apparently  refuses  to acknowledge. To overthrow,  it  is  not  always  necessary  to  combat our pretended  unbelievers;  it  would  often  be  combating  only  phantoms;  they  require  only  to  be  displayed  such  as  they  are:  the wretched declaration  of  unbelief  quickly  tumbles  down,  and  nothing remains but  their  passions  and  their  debaucheries.

And, behold  the  first  reason  upon  which  I  have  established  the general proposition,  that  the  majority  of  those  who  make  a  boast of their  doubts  have  actually  none;  it  is,  that  their  doubts  are  those of licentiousness,  and  not  of  unbelief. Why, my  brethren? Because it is  of  licentiousness  which  hath  formed  their  doubts,  and  not  their doubts licentiousness;  because  that,  in  fact,  it  is  to  their  passions and not  to  their  doubts  that  they  hold:  lastly,  because  that,  in  general, they  attack  in  religion  only  those  truths  inimical  to  their  passions. Behold reflections  which,  in  my  opinion,  are  worthy  of  your attention; I  shall  lay  them  before  you  without  ornament,  and  in the  same  order  in  which  they  presented  themselves  to  my  mind.

I say,  in  the  first  place,  because  their  doubts  have  sprung  from licentiousness and  not  licentiousness  from  their  doubts. Yes, my