The Drunkards Character, Section 98 – Section 99
§ 98.
Fiftly,5 They Iraduce us because they cannot otherwise burt us. these drunkards speake evill of us, because they can not doe evill unto us; and traduce us, because they cannot otherwise hurt us.
Because the Law binds their hands, they will be smiting with their tongues; and because they dare not smite us on the mouth, (as Annanias served Paul, Act. 23. 2.) they will smite us with the mouth, which is as bad, or worse. For as these spitting Adders wil smite their stings very deepe; so their wounds are commonly incureable.
Many particular persons know to their smart,A slander once raised will scarce ever dye. that a slander once raised will scarse ever dye, whereas truth hath much a doe to bee believed, a lye runs far, before it can be stayed; yea so far, that even death it self, which delivereth a man from all other enemies, is not able to deliver him from this of the tongue. A report once comming into the mouth of the vulgar, whether true, or false, like wild-fire, can never be quenched; why? report and heare-say is the alone oracle of the common people, and what they speake, is hard to disprove, would any undertake the same; for it is the jealous mans misery, hee may prove his wife false, hee can never prove her true; besides, the evill minded would have it true, and what men would have to be, they are apt to believe.
Yea, in this case a wicked drunkard will beleeve that to bee true, which lately hee knew to bee false; for a lyer may tell his lyes so often, till in the end▪ hee forgets that himself was the deviser and so believeth them himself; wherin men are parties, they are apt to be partiall.
But this is not all the mischiefe, for their evill reports will increase, as well as continue: a mans good name is like a milkwhite Ball,Yea the slander is increased, that will infinitely gather soyle in tossing: for this is there manner, one, begins a whisper; another, makes it a report; a third, enlargeth it to a dangerous calumny; a fourth, adds somewhat of his own, the which is augmented and divulged for a truth by a thousand. So that as a stone cast into a pond, begets circle upon circle: or as a little Ball rowled in the Snow, gathers it selfe to a great lump: so the report that is but a little sparke of fire at the first, proves a great flame, by that it hath past through many mouths. Or admit the best that can come, I am sure a man once wounded in his good name, is seldome cured, without skarres of suspicion: as fine linnen being once stained with black Inke, though it be wash'd never so, will retaine an Iron-mould ever after.
O the malice and mischiefe of aslanderer,The sinne and p…ntsh ment of a slanderer. for he not only woundeth the party of whom he speaks, but the party likewise to whom hee speakes, if hee either rashly believes it, or is delighted in hearing it, or further divulgeth it, or doth not defend the absent wronged party; so slaying three at once, with the one Arrow of his viperous and venimous tongue, himselfe being one of the number, as Luther well observes: wherein hee puts downe Menelaus, that Romane Archer, in the warres betweene Constantius and Magnantius; for although hee could shoote three Arrowes at once at one loo…e, and therewith wound three at the least, yet he could kill but one, with one Arrow.
Yea, in case this slander spreades it selfe; the first relater may have to answer for the sinnes of a thousand, wherefore no marvaile if after those words, Deut. 27 24. Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly, it bee added, and let all the people say, Amen: no marvaile if, Psalm. 101. 5. it be written, him that privily slandereth his neighbour, will I destroy.
§ 99.
SIxthly, drunkards traduce and slander us,6 They must doe what Sathan will hnve them because they must doe what Sathan will have them: yea, it is hee that speaketh by them, as once he did by the Serpent; neither could hee speake for want of a tongue, if it were not for wicked men. A calumny, saith one of the Fathers, is the Divel's mind, in the mouth of a man, his Arrow, shot by mans Bow; he lendeth him his lyes and malice, and borroweth his tongue to utter them, because the Divell wants a tongue: heare this all yee, whose tongues runnes so fast on the Divells errand; it is but his heart in your lippes.
The accuser of the bretheren makes use of wicked men, to traduce those, whom hee cannot seduce as hee desireth: he makes them drunke with malice, as well as with Wine, and they spew out cursing and slander against such as are better, or would have them better then ver they meanes to be, Mat. 5. 44. whence it is, that the Divell is not more blackemouthed then a slanderer; nor a slanderer lesse malicious than the Divell, Ioh. 8. 44 where they are proved his children, and hee their father.
Yea, they shew themselves to be of the same house,The receiver as bad … as the talebearer. who easily and willingly believe their slanders, neither doth Sathan lesse profit, or advantage himselfe by them. For first, while he fils their eares, he kills their soules, as one of the Fathers hath it. Secondly, as he which reports a slander, hath the Divell in his tongue: so hee that receives it, hath the Divell in his eare, as Bernard excellently; the one, is the Foot-post, and messenger of Sathan; the other is the Recorder or Register of Hel: and were their no receivers in this kinde, there would bee no theeves; if some had not itching eares to heare false rumours, others would not have scratching tongues, like the pens of Libellers, to make and move them; for see we not, that the least check or frowne of a stander by, will silence the barking tongue: and indeed, had they both their due, tale-bearers should be hanged by their tongues, and tale. hearers by their eares, as Plautus speaks. And so I have given you the subordinate reasons, the principall follow.