Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/409

 opened by  the  Lord  in  his  mercy;  he  may  make  his  light  to  shine through his  darkness,  and  reveal  that  truth  which  he  resists  only because he  knows  it  not:  he  has  still  resources,  such  as  perhaps rectitude, consistency,  principles  (of  error  and  illusion,  I  confess, but  still  they  are  principles):  he  will  be  equally  warm  for  his  God when known,  as  he  was  his  enemy  when  unknown. But the  unbelievers, of  whom  I  speak,  have  scarcely  a  way  left  of  returning to God;  they  insult  the  Lord  whom  they  know;  they  blaspheme that religion  which  they  still  preserve  in  their  heart:  they  resist the impressions  of  conscience,  which  still  inwardly  espouse  the cause of  faith  against  themselves;  in  vain  does  the  light  of  God shine upon  their  heart,  it  serves  only  to  render  more  inexcusable the treachery  of  their  impiety. Were they,  saith  Jesus  Christ, absolutely blind,  they  would  be  worthy  of  pity,  and  their  sin  would be less:  but  at  present  they  see,  and  consequently  the  guilt  of their  irreligion  is  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  dwelleth  for  ever  upon  their  head.

Let us  repair,  then,  my  brethren,  by  our  respect  for  the  religion of our  fathers;  by  a  continual  gratitude  toward  the  Lord,  who hath permitted  us  to  be  born  in  the  way  of  salvation,  into  which  so many  nations  have  not  as  yet  been  deemed  worthy  to  enter, — let us repair,  I  say,  the  scandal  of  unbelief  so  common  in  this  age,  so countenanced  among  us,  and  which,  become  more  bold  through the number  and  quality  of  its  partisans,  no  longer  hides  its  head, but openly  shows  itself,  and  braves,  as  it  were,  the  religion  of  the prince and  the  zeal  of  the  pastors. Let us  have  in  horror  those impious and  despicable  men,  who  pride  themselves  in  turning  into ridicule the  majesty  of  the  religion  they  profess:  let  us  fly  them  as monsters  unworthy  to  live,  not  only  among  believers,  but  even among those  connected  together  by  honour,  probity,  and  reason; far from  applauding  their  impious  discourses,  let  us  cover  them with shame  by  that  contempt  which  they  merit. It is  so  low  and  so mean,  even  according  to  the  world,  to  dishonour  that  religion  in which  one  lives;  it  is  so  beautiful,  and  there  is  so  much  real  dignity in  making  a  pride  of  respecting  and  of  defending  it,  even  with  an air  of  authority  and  of  indignation,  against  the  silly  speeches  which attack it. By despising  unbelief,  let  us  deprive  it  of  the  deplorable glory it  seeks. From the  moment  they  are  despised,  unbelievers will be  rare  among  us;  and  the  same  vanity  which  forms  their doubts will  soon  annihilate  or  conceal  them,  when  it  shall  be  a  disgrace among  us  to  appear  impious,  and  a  glory  to  be  a  believer. It is thus  that  this  scandal  shall  be  done  away,  and  that  altogether  we shall  glorify  the  Lord  in  the  same  faith,  and  in  the  expectation  of the  eternal  promises. Amen.