Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/432

 morality? More should  then  be  exacted  of  him  who  owes  less. The transgressions  of  the  law  should  then  dispense  from  its  severity those  who  violate  it. It would  suffice  to  have  passions,  to  be entitled  to  gratify  them. The way  of  heaven  would  be  rendered easy to  sinners,  while  all  its  roughness  would  be  kept  for  the  just. And the  more  vices  men  should  have,  the  less  should  they  have occasion for  virtues.

Again, allow  me,  my  brethren,  to  add,  in  the  last  place,  if  the change of  manners  could  change  the  rules,  if  customs  could  justify abuses, the  eternal  law  of  God  should  then  accommodate  itself  to the  inconstancy  of  the  times,  and  to  the  ridiculous  taste  of  men;  a Gospel  would  then  be  necessary  for  every  age  and  for  every  nation; for  our  customs  were  not  established  in  the  times  of  our fathers, and  undoubtedly  they  shall  not  pass  to  our  last  descendants;  they  are  not  common  to  all  the  nations,  who,  like  us,  worship Jesus Christ. Therefore, these  customs  cannot  either  become  our rule or  change  it,  for  the  rule  is  of  all  times  and  of  all  places;  therefore, new  manners  do  not  form  a  new  Gospel,  seeing  we  should anathematize even  an  angel  who  should  come  to  announce  to  us  a new  one;  and  that  the  Gospel  would  be  no  longer  but  a  human and little-to-be-trusted  law  for  men,  if  it  could  change  with  men; therefore, the  rules  and  duties  are  not  to  be  judged  by  manners  and customs, but  the  manners  and  customs  are  to  be  judged  by  the  duties and  rules;  therefore,  it  is  the  law  of  God  which  ought  to  be  the constant rule  of  the  times,  and  not  the  variation  of  times  to  become even  the  rule  of  the  law  of  God.

No longer  tell  us,  then,  my  brethren,  that  the  times  are  no  longer the same;  but  the  law  of  God,  is  it  not? That you  cannot  reform manners universally  established:  but  you  are  not  charged  with  the reformation of  the  universe:  change  yourself;  save  your  own  soul with which  you  are  intrusted:  behold  all  that  is  exacted  of  you. Lastly, that  the  Christians  of  the  primitive  times  had  either  more force or  more  grace  than  we;  ah! they had  more  faith,  more  constancy, more  love  for  Jesus  Christ,  more  contempt  for  the  world: behold all  that  distinguished  them  from  us.

Have we  not  the  same  sources  of  grace  as  they,  the  same  ministry, the  same  altar,  the  same  victim? Do the  mercies  of  the  Lord not flow  with  the  same  abundance  upon  his  church? Have we  not still among  us  pure  and  holy  souls,  who  renew  the  fervour  and  faith of the  primitive  times,  and  who  are  living  proofs  of  the  possibility of the  duties,  and  of  the  mercies  of  the  Lord  upon  his  people? u Tell  us  no  longer,  then/5  says  the  Spirit  of  God,  "  that  the  former days  were  better  than  these;  for  thou  dost  not  inquire  wisely  concerning this." To follow  Jesus  Christ,  sufferance  must  always  be required. In all  ages,  it  hath  been  necessary  to  bear  his  cross,  not to conform  to  the  corrupted  age,  and  to  live  as  strangers  upon  the earth: in  all  times,  the  holy  have  had  the  same  passions  as  we  to resist,  the  same  abuses  to  shun,  the  same  snares  to  dread,  the  same obstacles to  surmount:  and  if  there  be  any  difference  here,  it  is, that, in  former  times,  it  was  not  merely  arbitrary  customs  which