Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/465

 of the  world,  his  grace  hath  only  succeeded  in  making  a  timid  disciple of  the  Gospel. That grand  air  of  confidence  and  of  intrepidity with which  you  formerly  apologised  for  the  passions,  has  forsaken you ever  since  you  have  undertaken  the  defence  of  the  interests  of virtue:  that  audacity  which  once  imposed  silence  on  truth,  is  now itself mute  in  the  presence  of  error;  and  truth,  which,  as  St.  Augustine says,  gives  confidence  and  intrepidity  to  all  who  have  it  on their  side,  has  rendered  you  only  weak  and  timid.

I admit,  that  there  is  a  time  to  be  silent  as  well  as  a  time  to  speak; and that  the  zeal  of  truth  hath  its  rules  and  measures;  but  I  would not that  the  souls,  who  know  God  and  serve  him  continually, hear the  maxims  of  religion  subverted,  the  reputation  of  their brethren attacked,  the  most  criminal  abuses  of  the  world  justified, without  having  the  courage  to  adopt  the  cause  of  that truth which  they  dishonour. I would  not  that  the  world  have  its avowed partisans,  and  that  Jesus  Christ  hath  no  one  to  stand  up for  him. I would  not  that  the  pious  and  good,  through  a  mistaken idea of  good-breeding,  dissemble  upon  those  irregularities  of  sinners which they  are  daily  witnessing;  while  sinners,  on  the  contrary, consider it  as  giving  themselves  an  important  and  fashionable  air, to defend  and  to  maintain  them  in  their  presence. I would  that a faithful  soul  comprehend  that  he  is  responsible  to  the  truth alone; that  he  is  upon  the  earth  solely  to  render  glory  to  the truth: I  would  that  he  bear  upon  his  countenance  that  noble and,  I  may  say,  lofty  dignity,  which  grace  inspires;  that heroical candour  which  contempt  of  the  world  and  all  its  glory produces: that  generous  and  Christian  liberty,  which  expects only eternal  riches,  which  has  no  hope  but  in  God,  which  dreads nothing but  the  internal  judge,  which  pays  court  to,  and  spares nothing but  the  interests  of  righteousness  and  of  charity,  and which has  no  wish  of  making  itself  agreeable  but  by  the  truth. I would  that  the  sole  presence  of  a  righteous  soul  impose  silence on  the  enemies  of  virtue;  that  they  respect  that  character of truth  which  he  should  bear  engraven  on  his  forehead;  that they crouch  under  his  holy  greatness  of  soul,  and  that  they  render homage, at  least  by  their  silence  and  their  confusion,  to  that virtue which  they  inwardly  despise. Thus, the  Israelites,  taken up with  their  dances,  their  profane  rejoicings,  and  their  foolish and impious  shouts  around  the  golden  calf,  stop  all  in  a  moment, and keep  a  profound  silence  on  the  sole  appearance  of  Moses,  who comes down  from  the  mountain,  armed  with  the  law  of  the  Lord and with  his  eternal  truth. First dissimulation  of  the  truth, — a dissimulation  of  silence.

The second  manner  in  which  it  is  dissembled,  is  that  of  softening it  by  modifications,  and  by  condescensions  which  injure  it. The magi,  no  doubt,  could  not  be  ignorant  that  the  intelligence which they  came  to  announce  to  Jerusalem  would  be  highly  displeasing to  Herod. That foreigner,  through  his  artifices,  had  seated himself  on  the  throne  of  David;  he  did  not  so  peaceably  enjoy the fruit  of  his  usurpation,  but  that  he  constantly  had  a  dread  lest