And behold, my brethren, the abuses which still reign among us against the law of God. We have shown to you that, in spite of the doubts and the obscurities which our lusts have spread over our duties, the light of the law, always superior to our passions, dissipated, in spite of ourselves, these obscurities, and that we were never hearty in the transgressions which we tried to justify to ourselves. But it is little to be willing, like the Pharisees, to darken the evidence of the law: like them, we likewise strike at its immutability; and, as if the law of God could change with the manners of the age, the differences of conditions, the necessity of situations, we believe that we can accommodate it to these three different circumstances, and in them find pretexts, either to mollify its severity or altogether to violate its precepts.
First. In effect, the heart of men is changeable; every age sees new customs spring up among us; times and the customs always determine our manners. Now, the law of God is immutable in its duration, always the same in all times and in all places; and, by this first character of immutability, it alone ought to be the constant and perpetual rule of our manners. — First reflection.
Secondly. The heart of man is vain: whatever levels us with the rest of men, wounds our pride; we love distinctions and preferences; we believe that, in the elevation of rank and of birth, we find privileges against the law. Now, the law of God is immutable in its extent; it levels all stations and all conditions; it is the same for the great and for the people, for the prince and for the subject; and, by this second character of immutability, it ought to recall to the same duties that variety of stations and conditions which spreads so much inequality over the detail of manners and of the rules. — Second reflection.
Lastly. The heart of man connects every thing with itself; he persuades himself that his interests ought to be preferred to the law and to the interests of God himself; the slightest inconveniencies are reasons, in his eyes, against the rule. Now, the law of God is immutable in all situations of life; and, by this last character of immutability, there is neither perplexity, nor inconveniency, nor apparent necessity, which can dispense us from its precepts.— Last reflection. %
And behold the three pretexts, which the world opposes to the immutability of the law of God, overthrown: the pretext of manners and customs; the pretext of rank and of birth; the pretext of situations and inconveniencies. The law of God is immutable in its durations; therefore, the manners and the customs can never change it: the law of God is immutable in its extent; therefore, the difference of ranks and of conditions leaves it every where the same: the law of God is immutable in all situations; therefore, inconveniencies, perplexities, never justify the smallest transgression of it.
Part 1. — One of the most urgent and most usual reproaches which the first supporters of religion formerly made to the hea-
