Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/469

 it may  more  surely  recall  them  to  rule  and  duty. I know  that truth loves  neither  rash  nor  indiscreet  defenders;  that  the  passions of men  require  a  certain  deference  and  management;  that  they  are in the  situation  of  sick  persons,  to  whom  it  is  often  necessary  to disguise  and  render  palateable  their  medicines,  and  to  cure  them without their  privity. I know  that  all  deferences  paid  to  the  passions, when  their  tendency  is  to  establish  the  truth,  are  not  weakeners,  but  auxiliaries  of  it;  and  that  the  grand  rule  of  the  zeal  of truth,  is  prudence  and  charity. But such  is  not  the  intention  when they weaken  it  by  nattering  and  servile  adulations:  they  seek  to please,  and  not  to  edify;  they  substitue  themselves  in  the  place  of truth;  and  their  sole  wish  is  to  attract  those  suffrages  which  are  due to it  alone. And let  it  not  be  said  that  it  is  more  through  sourness and ostentation,  than  through  charity,  that  the  just  claim  a  merit in disdaining  to  betray  truth. The world,  which  is  always  involved in deceit,  of  which  the  commerce  and  mutual  ties  revolve  only  upon dissimulation and  artifice,  which  considers  these  even  as  an  honourable science,  and  which  is  totally  unacquainted  with  this  noble  rectitude of  heart,  cannot  suppose  it  in  others;  it  is  its  profound corruption which  is  the  cause  of  its  suspecting  the  sincerity  and  the courage of  the  upright:  it  is  a  mode  of  acting  which  appears  ridiculous, because  it  is  new  to  it;  and,  as  it  finds  in  it  so  marked  a singularity,  it  loves  better  to  suppose  that  it  is  rather  the  consequence of  pride,  or  folly,  than  of  virtue.

From thence  it  is  that  the  truth  is  not  only  disguised,  but  is  likewise openly  betrayed. Last dissimulation  of  the  priests  of  our Gospel, — a dissimulation  of  falsehood. They are  not  satisfied  with quoting the  prophecies  in  obscure  and  mollified  terms:  but,  seeing that the  magi  did  not  return  to  Jerusalem,  as  they  had  intended, they add,  no  doubt  in  order  to  calm  Herod,  that,  ashamed  of  not having been  able  to  find  that  new  King  of  whom  they  came  in search,  they  have  not  had  the  courage  to  return:  that  they  are strangers little  versed  in  the  knowledge  of  the  law  and  of  the  prophets; and  that  the  light  of  Heaven,  which  they  pretended  to  follow, was  nothing  but  a  vulgar  illusion,  and  a  superstitious  prejudice of  a  rude  and  credulous  nation. And such  must  indeed  have been their  language  to  Herod,  since  they  themselves  act  according to  it,  and  do  not  run  to  Bethlehem  to  seek  the  new-born  King, in order,  it  appears,  to  complete  the  persuasion  of  Herod,  that there was  more  credulity  than  truth  in  the  superstitious  research  of these  magi.

And behold  to  what  we  at  last  come:  in  consequence  of  a  servile compliance with  the  passions  of  men,  and  of  continually  wishing  to please  them  at  the  expense  of  truth,  we  at  last  openly  abandon  it; we cowardly  and  downrightly  sacrifice  it  to  our  interest,  our  fortune, and  our  reputation;  we  betray  our  conscience,  our  duty,  and our understanding;  and,  consequently,  from  the  moment  that  truth becomes irksome  to  us,  or  renders  us  displeasing,  we  disavow  it; and deliver  it  up  to  oppression  and  iniquity;  like  Peter,  we  deny that we  have  ever  been  seen  as  its  disciple. In this  manner  we