Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/474

 to extinguish  in  its  birth,  that  light  which  comes  to  illuminate  the whole world.

The sole  mention  of  the  cruelty  of  that  impious  prince  strikes us with  horror;  and  it  does  not  appear  that  so  barbarous  an example  can  ever  find  imitators  among  us:  nevertheless,  the  world is full  of  these  kinds  of  public  and  avowed  persecutors  of  the truth: and,  if  the  church  be  no  longer  afflicted  with  the  barbarity of  tyrants,  and  with  the  effusion  of  her  children's  blood, she is  still  every  day  persecuted  by  the  public  derisions  which  the worldly make  of  virtue,  and  by  the  ruin  of  those  faithful  souls, whom she,  with  grief,  so  often  beholds  sinking  under  the  dread  of their  derisions  and  censures.

Yes, my  brethren,  those  discourses  which  you  so  readily  allow yourselves against  the  piety  of  the  servants  of  God,  of  those  souls who, by  their  fervent  homages,  recompense  his  glory  for  your  crimes and insults;  those  derisions  of  their  zeal  and  of  their  holy  intoxication for  their  God:  those  biting  sarcasms  which  rebound  from their person  upon  virtue  itself,  and  are  the  most  dangerous  temptation of  their  penitence;  that  severity,  on  their  account,  which forgives them  nothing,  and  changes  even  their  virtues  into  vices; that language  of  blasphemy  and  of  mockery,  which  throws  an air  of  ridicule  over  the  seriousness  of  their  compunction;  which gives appellations  of  irony  and  contempt  to  the  most  respectable, practices of  their  piety;  which  shakes  their  faith,  checks  their holy resolutions,  disheartens  their  weakness,  makes  them,  as  it were,  ashamed  of  virtue,  and  often  is  the  cause  of  their  returning to  vice: — behold  what,  with  the  saints,  I  call  an  open  and declared persecution  of  the  truth. You persecute  in  your  brother, says St.  Augustine,  that  which  the  tyrants  themselves  have never persecuted:  they  have  deprived  him  only  of  life;  your scheme is  to  deprive  him  of  innocence  and  virtue:  their  persecution extended  only  to  the  body:  you  carry  yours  even  to  the  destruction of  his  soul.

What, my  brethren! is it  not  enough  that  you  do  not  yourselves serve  the  God  for  whom  you  are  created? (This is  what the  first  defenders  of  faith,  the  Tertullians  and  the  Cyprians, formerly  said  to  the  Pagan  persecutors  of  the  faithful;  and  must it  be  that  we,  alas!  have  the  same  complaints  to  make  against Christians?)  Is  it  not  enough? Must you  also  persecute  those who serve  him? You are  then  determined  neither  to  adore  him yourselves, nor  to  suffer  that  others  do  it? You every  day  forgive so  many  extravagancies  to  the  followers  of  the  world,  so many  unreasonable  passions;  you  excuse  them; — what  do  I  say? you applaud  them  in  the  inordinate  desires  of  their  heart;  in their  most  shameful  passions  you  find  constancy,  fidelity,  and dignity: you  give  honourable  names  to  their  most  infamous vices; and  it  is  a  just  and  faithful  soul  alone,  a  servant  of  the  true God, who  has  no  indulgence  to  expect  from  you,  and  is  certain  of drawing  upon  himself  your  contempt  and  censures? But, my  brethren, theatrical  and  other  amusements  are  publicly  licensed,  and