Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/408

 piety, which  the  corruption  of  our  manners  hath  now  rendered  so common  even  to  both  sexes.

First, of  licentiousness. They reach  the  avowal  of  impiety  only when the  heart  is  profoundly  corrupted;  when  they  actually  live in private  in  the  most  shameful  debauchery;  and,  were  they  known for what  they  are,  they  would  for  ever  be  dishonoured  even  in  the eyes of  men.

Secondly, of  meanness. They act  the  philosopher  and  the  wit; while, in  secret,  they  are  the  most  sneaking,  the  most  dissolute,  the most abandoned,  and  weakest  of  sinners,  the  veriest  slaves  of  every passion, unworthy  of  modesty,  and  even  of  reason.

Thirdly, of  deceit  and  imposition. They act  a  borrowed  character;  they  give  themselves  out  for  what  they  are  not;  and,  while so loudly  exclaiming  against  the  godly,  and  treating  them  as  impostors and  hypocrites,  they  are  themselves  the  very  cheat  they  decry, and the  hypocrite  of  impiety  and  freethinking.

Fourthly, of  ostentation  and  wretched  vanity. They act  the hero, while  inwardly  trembling;  for,  on  the  first  signal  of  death, they betray  more  cowardice  than  even  the  commonest  of  the  people;  they  make  a  show  of  openly  insulting  that  God  whom  they still inwardly  dread  and  even  hope  to  render  favourable  one  day  to themselves;  a  character  of  childishness  and  buffoonery,  which  the world itself  hath  always  considered  as  the  lowest,  the  vilest,  and the most  risible  of  all  characters.

Fifthly, of  temerity. Without erudition  or  knowledge,  they  dare to set  up  as  deciders  upon  what  they  are  totally  ignorant  of;  to condemn  the  greatest  characters  of  every  age;  and  to  decide  upon important points  to  which  they  have  never  given,  and,  indeed,  to which  they  are  incapable  of  giving,  a  single  moment  of  serious  attention;  an  indecency  of  character  which  can  accord  only  with  men who have  nothing  more  to  lose  on  the  side  of  honour.

Sixthly, of  folly. They pride  themselves  in  appearing  without religion: that  is  to  say,  without  character,  morals,  probity,  fear  of God  and  of  man,  and  capable  of  every  thing  excepting  virtue  and innocence.

Seventhly, of  superstition. We have  seen  these  pretended  freethinkers, who  refuse  to  consult  the  oracles  of  the  holy  prophets, consulting conjurors;  admitting  in  men  that  knowledge  of  futurity which  they  refuse  to  God;  giving  in  to  every  childish  credulity, while  rising  up  against  the  majesty  of  faith;  expecting  their aggrandizement and  fortune  from  a  deceitful  oracle,  and  unwilling to hope  their  salvation  from  the  oracles  of  our  holy  books;  and, in a  word,  ridiculously  believing  in  demons,  while  they  make  a boast  of  disbelieving  a  God.

Lastly, what,  in  my  opinion,  is  most  deplorable  in  these  characters, is,  that  they  are  in  a  situation  which  precludes  almost  every hope of  salvation. For an  actual  unbeliever,  if  such  there  be,  may in a  moment  be  stricken  of  God,  and  overwhelmed,  as  it  were, under the  weight  of  that  glory  and  majesty  which  he  unknowingly had blasphemed:  the  eyes  of  this  unfortunate  wretch  may  still  be