Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/471

 scandal. Secondly, he  persecutes  it  by  endeavouring  to  corrupt the priests,  and  even  by  laying  snares  for  the  piety  of  the  magi; and this  is  what  I  call  a  persecution  of  seduction. Lastly, he  persecutes it  by  shedding  innocent  blood;  and  this  is  a  persecution  of power  and  violence. Now, my  brethren,  if  the  brevity  of  a  Discourse permitted  me  to  examine  these  three  descriptions  of  persecution of  the  truth,  there  is  not  perhaps  one  of  them  of  which  you would not  find  yourselves  culpable.

For, first,  who  can  flatter  himself  with  not  being  among  the  number of  the  persecutors  of  truth,  under  the  description  of  scandals? I even  speak  not  of  those  disorderly  souls  who  have  erected  the standard of  guilt  and  licentiousness,  and  who  pay  little,  if  indeed any, attention  to  the  public  opinion:  the  most  notorious  scandals are not  always  those  which  are  most  to  be  dreaded;  and  avowed debauchery, when  carried  to  a  certain  degree,  occasions,  in  general, more censures  upon  our  conduct  than  imitations  of  our  excesses. I speak  of  those  souls  delivered  up  to  the  pleasures,  to  the  vanities, and to  all  the  abuses  of  the  age,  and  whose  conduct,  in  other  respects regular,  is  not  only  irreproachable  in  the  sight  of  the  world, but attracts  even  the  praises  and  the  esteem  of  men;  and  I  say  that they persecute  the  truth  through  their  sole  examples;  that  they undo, as  much  as  in  them  lies,  the  maxims  of  the  Gospel  in  every heart; that  they  cry  out  to  all  men,  that  shunning  of  pleasure  is  a needless  precaution;  that  love  of  the  world  and  the  love  of  virtue are not  at  all  incompatible;  that  a  taste  for  theatres,  for  dress,  and for all  public  amusements,  is  entirely  innocent;  and  that  it  is  easy to lead  a  good  life  even  while  living  like  the  rest  of  the  world. This worldly regularity  is  therefore  a  continual  persecution  of  the  truth; and; and  so  much  the  more  dangerous,  as  it  is  an  authorized  persecution which  has  nothing  odious  in  it,  and  against  which  no  precaution is  taken;  which  attacks  the  truth  without  violence,  without effusion of  blood,  under  the  smiling  image  of  peace  and  society: and which,  through  these  means,  occasions  more  deserters  from  the truth than  ever  all  tyrants  and  tortures  formerly  did.

I speak  even  of  those  good  characters  who  only  imperfectly  fulfil the duties  of  piety,  who  still  retain,  too,  public  remains  of  the passions of  the  world  and  of  its  maxims:  and  I  say,  that  they  persecute the  truth  through  these  unfortunate  remains  of  infidelity and weakness;  that  they  are  the  occasion  of  its  being  blasphemed bv the  impious  and  other  sinners;  that  they  authorize  the  senseless discourses of  the  world  against  the  piety  of  the  servants  of  God; that they  are  the  cause  of  souls  being  disgusted  with  virtue,  who might otherwise  feel  themselves  disposed  to  it;  that  they  confirm, in the  path  of  error,  those  who  seek  pretexts  to  remain  in  it:  in  a word,  that  they  render  virtue  either  suspicious  or  ridiculous. Thus, still every  day,  as  the  Lord  formerly  complained,  through  his  prophet Jeremiah,  the  backsliding  Israel,  that  is  to  say,  the  world, justifies herself  more  than  treacherous  Judah,  that  is  to  say,  the weaknesses of  the  good:  I  mean  to  say,  that  the  world  thinks  itself secure when  it  sees  that  those  souls,  who  profess  piety,  join  in  its