Observations Divine and Moral, Chapter 41
CHAP. XLI. Of Slaunder.
HE is a Slaunderer, who wrongs his neighbours credit, eyther by unjust raysing, orBernard. upholding an evill report against him. Of which two, viz. the raysing, or receaving a false report, (seeing that if there were no receavers, there would be no theevs) one of good skill in discerning doubteth whether is more damnable. We must then get amongst others, this mark of him that shall sojourn in the Lords tabernacle, and dwell in his holy Psal. 15.mountayn, that we neyther rayse, nor take, or hold up a reproach against our neighbour. Though the North winde beProv. 25. not alwayes to be wished, because it driveth away rain: yet is an angry countenance to drive away a backbyting tongue. As a man may be wounded in his body with the sword taken out of his own hand… so may he in his credit, by the injurious relation of the very thing, which his hand hath done, or tongue spoken. And the same also sometimes being good in it self; and eyther wrested to some other sense then he intended; as were the words of Mark. 14.Christ by false witnesses: or craftily made an opportunitie whereupon to build some false, but colourable insinuation of evill; as was Davids being at Nob with the High priest, 2 Sam. 21. and 22.by Doeg: Sometimes also being evill; as when men without just, and necessarie occasion blaze abroad the faults of others; eyther in idlenes, for want of other talk; or of hatred, by way of revenge; or in flatterie, to please other men; or in envy, as grudging at their good name. And it may wel be thought, that persons oftner calumniate others of love to themselvs, then of hatred to them: thinking therein to build their own credit, upon the ruines of other mens: which is, as if one, to make his own garment seem the fayrer, should cast mire upon his neighbours.
Some slaunders are such as confute themselvs in theHubert. eyes of all reasonable men, as eyther being so great, or so senselesse, as are incredible: or when the known qualitie of the person accused, fastens a slaunder upon the accusation: as did Platoes with Diogenes, when he heard one accuse him of evill. Some also there are, which turn to the advantage of the slaundereds credit afterwards, namely such, as a litle time will plainly manifest to have been false, and feyned. For then they, who before have wronged them, through credulitie, will hold themselvs their debters for amends afterwards; which also it may come to passe they may make them, by not beleeving some ill (though just) report of them, in after time.
Slaunderers of any others may rightlyest be called divelish, Taffin.seeing the divell hath his name of Slaundering. He sometimes slaunders God to men; as to Eve, of envie, inGen. 3. Iob 1. the beginning: sometimes men to God, as Iob of hypocrisie: and continually man to man, by his venemous instruments thus anotamized in their parts, by the Apostle.Rom. 3. Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongue they have used deceipt; the poyson of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing, and bitternes. And truely it may be, he should not much misse the mark, that affirmed, slaunders, and false reports to have raysed as great, and many quarrels amongst equals; conspiracies from inferiours; and from superiours violent oppressions; as all injuries in truth offered, or other provocations whatsoever.
Men commonly with one stroak wound, or kill but one: whereas a slaunderous blow reacheth to many. He wounds himself with his own slaunderous tongue; his mouth making his flesh to sin: He wounds him in the ear, to whom he slaundereth; specially if credulous, as the most are, in receaving false reports: And as for him, whom he slaundereth, he wounds him in his good name (though him onelyonly Herodotus▪by suffering evill, the former two as workers of it) and withall, oftens makes way by so doing for further wrong to be offered him, eyther by himself, or others. Thus Maximinus Eusebius.the tyrant set awork certain vile persons to accuse the Christians of heynous evils, that so he might persequute them with more shew of reason: like as men, when they would have their dogs killed, give out, that they are mad.
David never complayns of the sharpnes of the swords of the Philistims, or other enemyes; but of the sharp swords Psalm 3. 57. 58. 64. &c.of the tongue of slaunderers, he oft, and piteously complains, in the book of the Psalms, as peirceing deeper then the former. And yet for fence against those sharp swords God hath put into the hands of his innocent servants two bucklars: the one inward, viz. a conscience, upon due knowledg, and examination, excusing before God; and this is of proof: The other, such a conversation before men, as may ward our credit and good name from being wounded in the eyes of such as know us, and are equally mynded; and such, as are not apt eyther greedily to devour, or lightly to admit slaunders, and vituperies raysed against us.Calvin. Yet, if the divell could by the serpents slaunders impeach the credit of God himself with our first parents, in their state of innocencie; no marvayl, if his serpentlike instruments can prevayl with sinfull men, & women this way, even against Gods faithfull servants. We must therefore prevent slaunders what we can; bear what we cannot avoyd; and alwayes be mindefull, by earnest prayer, as well to commend our good name to God, that he may take charge of it, as our persons and estates.
Better never accused, then quit, though after the clearest, and most honourable manner, that may be: seeing after a bold slaunder something ever will stick behinde: by which the ignorant of the truth will be abused, and adversaries take advantage to upbrayd. But how great soever matter of greif or shame unjust slaunder causeth; yet he that is reproached for well doing, hath the spirit of glory 2 Pet. 4.resting upon him, and being innocent, may say, that the evill is not against him, but against another, whom the slaunderer Chrisost.takes him to be. The advised consideration partly of the cause, and partly of the end, which the Lord will make, aboundantly sweetens all the sowrnes of the reproaches, which he suffers: and such a one may know himself to have atteyned to the highest pitch of Christianitie, and conformitie with Christ, when for weldoing he is ill dealt with. It is kingly, sayth one, say we,Antisthenes. Christian like, to do well, and to be ill spoken of. Yet is it not enough, that when we are slaundred, we be from under the desert of it directly: but we must withall consider, whether we have not drawn it upon our selvs deservedly, in regard of God by slaundering others, & that so God payes us home in our kinde: or by some other scandalous sin, which the Lord will punish in us by slaunderous tongues; as he did David by Shemei: or whether we have not given vehement occasion of mens suspecting us; and so accusing our selvs as one sayth, of suspicion; what marvayl, if others think, and speak evill of us?