Life of St John Vianney.pdf - the Catholic Kingdom!

"""""CALUMNIES OF THE WORLD. 141in several instances was unintentionally the means ofthwarting them."We have hitherto only spoken of the persecution ofthe good, the cross laid upon him by mistaken, and forthe most part well-intentioned men ;but the Cure of Arsbore toomany tokens of resemblance to his Master not tobe honoured by the enmity of the world. That enmitywas exhibited in a tissue of vile and slanderous attacksupon that which, of all earthly blessings, is dearest to aholy soul the spotless purity of his fame. Strong heartshave been crushed, and lives of vigorous usefulnesshave been blighted, by the blast which now felluponhim. A few evil prying eyes, a few venomous tongues,and the prince of this world needs no more to blackenthe fairest fame, and set the brand of hypocrisy uponthe saintliest life. The Cure of Ars, that man of austerestpenance, so simple and candid in his speech, so grave andmodest in his bearing, was represented as a vile hypocrite,a man of evil and scandalous life. He received anonymous letters, filled with scurrilous insults, and infamousplacards were fixed upon the walls of his presbytery.These calumnies,"said M. Monnin to him one day,must have been the work of very wicked men."Oh, no,""replied he, they were not wicked, onlythey understood me better than other people. Oh, howglad I was," continued he, to see myself thus trampledunder foot by all men, like the mud in the streets ! Isaid to myself, Well, now your Bishop must treatyou as you deserve. He must now drive you out withblows. And that thought consoled me and sustained mycourage."But, M. le Cure, how could they accuse you ofleading an evil life ?"