The Evil Tongue Tried and Found Guilty, Chapter 4

The Evil Tongue Tried and Found Guilty · Chapter 4

p. 92CHAP. IV. The greatness, and hainousness of the Sin of Reproaching and defaming the good names of men, is prov'd and demonstrated at large.

THat which I have next to do, is to open and manifest the hainous, horrid, and hurtful nature of the sin of slandering, defaming, and reproaching; or the raising, upholding, or receiving and entertaining an evil report of others. Now I shall first shew that it is a sin; and secondly, that it is a very great and grievous sin. First, That it is a sin, is manifest in the 9th. Commandement, Exod. 20.16. Thou shalt not bear false Witness against thy Neighbour.

The whole scope and meaning of this Commandement is, to forbid, and keep p. 93men from hurting, or any way, by any means wronging or abusing one anothers good names; and to bid and injoyn them to do all they can to preserve and secure one anothers good names for, and to them. But now by speaking evil one of another, raising and upholding, receiving and entertaining evil reports of, and against one another; we do really break and transgress this Law, and therefore we do sin against God, men, and our own Souls, Exod. 23.1. Thou shalt not raise or receive a false report, Psal. 34.13. Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile, Jam. 4.11. speak not evil one of, or against another (Brethren:) he that speaketh evil of his Brother, and Judgeth his Brother, speaketh evil of the Law, and judgeth the Law, 1 pet. 3.10, 11. For he that will love life, and see good dayes, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from, or that they speak no guile. Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace and ensue it, Tit. 3.2. That they speak evil of no man, Eph. 4.31. Let all bitterness, p. 94and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you.

Secondly: There are two other Witnesses giving in their testimony, besides the Scriptures to manifest the truth; the First is the general vote of all men, who do all unanimously condemn it in general, Heathens as well as men called Christians, as I may manifest afterward. Secondly, The Consciences of the practitioners of this Sin: I say their Consciences, though miserably and wofully corrupted and debauched, do arraign, accuse and condemn them, and cry out shame against them, for what they do in this matter, which appears, First, by their earnest desire, manifested to such, to whom they declare their will and pleasure of others; that they do by no means discover or make known that they had such evil reports from their mouths; and if it happen that they do declare that they had them from their mouths, Oh! how are they offended at it, and take it as if they had done them much wrong and injury; and they will ever after account p. 95them their Enemies, and be ready to acquaint them with some evil report or other, if they can. Now what reason is there why they should be so shy of their names, and afraid to have themselves known to be the Authors or Fomentors of evil reports, but that their Consciences (as was said) do arraign and condemn them of great wickedness; and that they have sinned against God and men by what they have reported. Secondly, This further appears by their evasions and put offs, when the persons wronged by their wicked tongues, do reprove them for what they have spoken; they will not own or acknowledg the fact, if possible they can evade it: But if it be so plainly proved to their faces, as that they cannot deny it, then they will mince it, and tell them it is true, they did say some such thing of them, but they did not intend them any hurt, or wish them any wrong; and that they did not speak so of them from malice or hatred, for they bear them no ill will; or that they did not mean by what they reported, or said, p. 96as such and such persons were pleased to understand and take it; that they were not the first Authors of it, but some body told them so; that they do not believe the report to be true, and that they are sorry there should be so much stir about it, and that they are so much offended at it, and the like. By all which, it is evident, that they are Condemned of themselves, Tit. 3.11. and that the guilt of the sin layes them under shame and consusion, and that they do know they have done wickedly and abominably.

But Secondly, I shall, the Lord assisting, manifest the hainousness and horridness of this sin of reproaching and defaming the good names of men, and evidence the hurtful and prodigious nature and issues of it; and although I cannot fathom the bottom, nor reach the height, nor discern the breadth and length of it, yet I shall go as far as I can to detect and lay open this Monster, this Villanous and destroying Sin; that all, who please, may see it, and flee it, avoyd and refrain it, loath and abhor it, and keep at a distance p. 97from it; and never have any Communion with it; for be you assured of it, that it is a God-provoking, and a Soul-damning Sin; it will make all the practitioners of it, most abominable and loathsome to God and men. It is a sin that is exceeding sinful, and let not the commoness of it, nor because it is frequently practised by Professors of the Gospel and holiness, cause thee to think otherwise, or better of it then it will be declared to be; Synesius speaking of this sin, saith, Quoniam nulli ceque mores deo execrabiles sunt, ac famigerratoris, qui ex obscuro vulnus infligit, ignavissimus enim quum sit maxima infert mala; because no courses are so execrable to God, as the Tale-bearers, who woundeth in secret, for being a fellow most false-hearted, most cowardly base, great are the evils which he causeth. Now as there are some sins bigger, and in some sence, especially with respect to men, greater, and more notorious than others; so I doubt not but (through grace) to make it appear, that this sin is one of the vilest and most pernicious sins p. 98in the world. I know that Omne peccatum suam habet excellentiam, every sin hath some peculiar vileness, wherein it may be said to excel other; and doubtless if any sins among their fellows, may be branded with a blacker mark than others, of ignominy this is one of them; which I shall now demonstrate and prove.

First: That this sin is very hainous, and exceeding sinful, appears from the names & appellations the Scripture gives it, and the actors of it.

First, They are called, or named back-biters, and the sin, back-biting; and this name is given them from the manner of their procedures, against the good names and reputations of men, as well as from the matter or work it self; and that is because they do bite and sting, stab and wound men secretly, or behind their backs, whereby they do devour men, as the Apostle Paul tells us, Gal. 5.15 But if (saies he) ye b te and devour one another, take heed ye be not consumed one of another, Rom 1.30. they are ranckt p. 99amongst the worst of sins, and sinners, even such as God had given up to judicial hardness and impenitency in sinning, 24.28, 29. verses, and the 5th. verse of the second Chapter, compared (foreign) is his name given him by the spirit of God, and I do assure you it is a most odious and ignominous one; for he is a sordid, base Coward, who dares not look the person whom he reproacheth in the face, but hides his head in the dark, though he will speak openly, but so as that the reproached shall not know it, until he hath spit his Venom far and near on him, like the Serpent. This Obloquutor is a most subtle and wily worker, for he hath been taught of the Devil; the Devil hath tutored him in the cursed art of back-biting. This was one of the Corinthians sins, which did so much afflict and trouble the spirit of blessed Paul, 2 Cor. 12.20. For I fear lest there be foreign, and that when I come, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already. Blessed Paul saw such wickedness, and p. 100God-provoking evil in this sin, as to cause great sorrow of heart in him, though committed by others, and not by himself; the Scripture doth often elsewhere mention this sin with a black mark of ignominy, as Psal. 15.3. Prov. 25.23.

Secondly: There is another name given them in Scripture, much like the other, and that is foreign, Susurro, Rom. 1.30. that is, a Whisperer. This whispering Reproacher, is so near of kin to the aforesaid Back-biter, as that they are Brethren in the same Iniquity; Children of the same Father, and acted, and carryed on by the same spirit; and designing the same ends, namely, to rob and spoyl good men of their good names, and reputations among men; and thereby break and hinder that friendship and communion that should be, or had been among Neighbours, Friends, and Relations. There is only this difference in the way and manner of their procedures in their cursed work, namely, that the whisperer doth his work a little more secretly p. 101than the back-biter. Yet so, as that both do agree in this, to do all they can to hide themselves and their sins from such as they do rob and spoyl of their good names. The whisperer doth his work somwhat more subtily and closely than the back-biter doth. The whisperer doth like a Serpent, whiz and hiss out his poyson, by laying his mouth a little closer to the ears of his hearers, then doth the back-biters; his speaking is called foreign, Susurras, Whispering, 2 Cor. 12.20. because he acts and proceeds more closely, and secretly. But the whisperer slanders, defames, and reproacheth men; & so doth the back-biter also. The whisperer endeavours to separate friendship, Prov. 16.28. by raising or upholding an evil report of men, & so doth the Back-biter also; and in a word, they do both aim at, and intend to wrong and hurt the good names of men, and they are both alike, odious and abominable to God and men, as appears by the spirit, his putting them both on the black role, Rom. 1.30 Among the very scum of the earth. I hey are p. 98duplicate page p. 99duplicate page p. 100duplicate page p. 101duplicate page p. 102such as speak each of them with three tongues (loqui lingua tertia) because like a Serpent he stingeth thee at once. First, himself. Secondly, Him to whom he makes the evil report. Thirdly, He of whom he makes the evil report. And the same man or woman, who acts more exactly as a whisperer in one place, and to one person, will act in another place, and to another person, exactly as a backbiter; so that their sin and work is the same, though somtimes they do a little differ in the manner of doing it.

Thirdly, Another name given them in Scripture, is, foreign, Devil, 1 Tim. 3.11. They have the Devils name upon them; they are called by his name, and well they may; For

First, They do in their defaming and reproaching, act by, and from him; by his instigation and Counsel.

Secondly, They do the same work the Devil doth, or would do, had he a mouth and tongue to speak as they have, but wanting such instruments for the work as they have to defame and reproach p. 103withal, he is pleased to imploy in his work such as have them: He made use of the Serpent, that went upon his belly, to accuse and slander God to Eve, Gen. 3. but now he makes use of such as go upon their Legs, and drudg up and down for him as his Slaves, or Servants. Hence our Saviour tells us, Joh. 8.44. that men do the Lusts of their Father the Devil. The meaning is, that they do the works which he stirs them up, and prompts them to do, and such as the Devil doth exercise and imploy himself about. It is true, he can immediatly as a Spirit slander and accuse us to God, as he did Job; and in the 12th. of the Rev. 9, 10. ver. he is called the Accuser of the Brethren, but not immediatly to men, but to God, or before God, saith the Text. For wanting a bodily tongue, he cannot do it to men; and therefore he makes use of the tongues of men and women to do this devillish work withal.

Thirdly, As they do the Devils works by back-biting, and deforming, so they design and carry on the Devils ends. By p. 104all which, and upon these and the like accounts, they are called (and that rightly and worthily) Devils, but I shall speak more fully to this afterward.

Fourthly, Defamers and Reproachers are called in Scripture by the odious name of Railers; he that raiseth an evil report, or upholds, or spreads it abroad, is called foreign, a Railer, 1 Cor. 5.11. Now Railers are marked out in Scripture, as the vilest and the worst of men; they are opprobrious & contumelious speakers of men; belching out evil, and casting out dirt and dung on the good names of men. A Railer (saith a Learned man) is an evil speaker, which upbraideth others with their true faults in a reproachful manner. This was the sin that made Rabshakeh so abominable to the Jews, 2 King. 18.19, 28. compared with 2 Chron. 32.17, 18. and Nabal to David, and his friends, 1 Sam. 25.14. and Shemei to David, and his Army, 2 Sam. 16. 'Tis true, these men did rail openly to the faces of men whom they did reproach; they did as it were fly on them with opprobrious p. 105words, wherein they did very wickedly; but is the back-biting or whispering Railer one tittle better than the open? no, in no wise. For, as was shewed before, the open Railer and defamer, gives men opportunity to debate the matter with him, and to clear himself to them that hear him railed at; but the back-biting Railer deprives a man of such an opportunity, though he doth the same; yea, more mischief to him, then the open Railer to his face doth.

Fifthly, Such as raise, uphold, or entertain evil reports of others, are called in Scripture false-accusers, 2 Tim. 3.3. the word in Greek is foreign, Devils; which the Latine renders Calumniatores, & Criminatores. And undoubtedly, men may be false-accusers of others, when they do report the real faults of others; as by their adding unto what is real, making them more or bigger than they are, or by aggravating them, beyond what they will bear. So by many other waies and means of their own devising, designed to render them odious to men.

p. 106Sixthly, They are called by that reproachful name, Reproachers; for as their work is to reproach other mens good names, so their sinful work lays them under the odious names of Reproachers. For as Solomon saith, Prov. 23.7. As a man thinketh in, his heart, so is he; So I may say, as a man reproacheth others, so is he. He reproacheth others, and makes them vile; so he reproacheth himself, and makes himself vile; and while he designs to lay others under reproach by his evil reports, he makes himself a reproach, and incurs the odious name of a Reproacher, by the just judgment of God upon him, Neh. 4.4. Psal. 89.41. Prov. 14.34. Prov. 18.3. For as he that follows Drunkenness, is rightly named a Drunkard; and he that follows Whoredome, is rightly named a Whoremonger; so is he that reproacheth others, rightly named a Reproacher: and this reproach shall hardly ever be wiped away, Prov. 6.

Seventhly, They are named, or called, Revilers; which is indeed a vile name, p. 107but their names are (as was said) according to their works. He that speaks evil of others, is a vile person; a Reviler is set in among men who are very vile indeed, 1 Cor. 6.10. the word that is here rendred Reviler, is the same in the original, that in the 1 Cor. 5.11. is rendred, Railer. It is foreign. he is put among, and accounted one of the prophane and debauched crue of Idolaters, Adulterers, Sodomites, Thieves, and Drunkards, which shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. Now a Reviler is one, who speaks evilly and dishonourably of others, tauntingly and reproachfully, disdainfully and villifyingly of persons better than himself, Math. 5.11. 1 Cor. 4.12. Exod. 22.28. and that before their faces, and behind their back. As now to instance, to say, or report, that such a man or woman is a Thief, a Defrander, a Drunkard, or an unclean person; or that he or she is a Fool, or a silly person, such do by their so doing, revile them, Math. 5.22. whosoever shall say to his Brother Racha, or Fool, shall be in danger of the Councel, and Hell fire.

p. 108Eighthly, They are named, or called, Defamers; for they who defame others, are justly named Defamers for their so doing; for (as was said) their work gives them their name, or they have their names from their work. Now to defame a man, is to take away, or deprive him of his good fame and reputation amongst men, and thereby rendring him despicable and of no account, 1 Cor. 4.13. Jer. …0.…0.

Ninethly, They are named, or called, Blasphemers; for by their evil speaking, or speaking evil of others to their dishonour, shame, and disgrace, they do blaspheme them. Many think that there is no blasphemy but against God, his Names, Attributes, Words, Ordinances, Work, and Providences; but they are mistaken; for one man may commit blasphemy against another, and it is usual for men so to do, yea and professors of the Gospel too, Rom. 3.8. So St. Paul tells us, that he was slanderously reported of; so it is read in our Bibles, but in the Original, it is foreign, Blasphemously; p. 109and such as did so report of him, were blasphemers; and so are all such now, as do defame and reproach men; especially if such as they do defame and reproach, be the peculiar people of God. And I do appeal to any man or woman, who read these lines, if it be not a vile and cursed name; and if all such as blaspheam and dishonour others, are not properly and rightly so called. This word is diversly translated, as in 1 Cor. 4.13. it is defamed, because a defamer is a blasphemer; but the Greek word is foreign. In the 1 Cor. 10.30. foreign, is rendered evil spoken of; so that he who speaks evil of another, blaspheams him. Oh! take heed and beware of speaking evil of others, if you would not be marked with the black name of blasphemers, and not suffer their condemnation and punishment.

Tenthly, They are named, and called Slanderers; for so they are, whither they raise and spread a false report to the reproach of a man, or whether they do slanderously speak of, and spread abroad p. 110the real evils of him: so such are called, 1 Tim. 3.11. as the word is there translated, so in the 2 Sam. 19.27. Psal. 101.5.

Eleventhly, They are named, or called Make-bates, 2 Tim. 3 3. as you may see there in the margin of your Bibles; so in the 2 Tit. 3. And indeed such as defame, and raise, or spread evil reports of others, are the only Make-bates in the world: They are the men or women who raise and make strife and contention, brawling and discord among Brethren, Relations, and Neighbours, and therefore they are abominable and hateful to God, Prov. 6.16, 17, 18, 19. But more of this anon.

Twelfthly, They are named, and called Tale bearers, from their going up and down to hear and tell tales; which is a most silthy, loathsome practice; yet such as defamers do practice and delight in, though God hath expresly forbidden it, Levit. 19.16. Thou shalt not go up and down as a Tale bearer among thy people. This vile generation of men are often p. 111spoken of, and condemned in the book of the Proverbs, chap. 11.13. Pro. 20.19. Pro. 26.20, 22. The Scripture speaks of them, as a most base, pestilent, and pernicious generation of men and women; and compares them to Pedlars, who go up and down to get, and vend their Pedlary Wares. But intending to speak far more of them afterwards; I shall forbear to do so now.

I might have enumerated many other of their vile names, which God himself gives them; as Peace-breakers, Filthy persons, Calumniators, Detractors, Evil-speakers, Tatlers; but, I shall have occasion to meet them again in another place, with others as bad; therefore let them suffice at present. Now as Lyons, Wolves, Serpents, Toades, Adders, and the like have their names from their hateful natures, and hurtful practices. And as Drunkards, Thieves, Idolaters, and Adulterers, and the like, have their names from their hateful natures, and wicked practices; so have defaming back-biters, their odious and hateful names from their p. 112vile and abominable natures and practices. And put all the fore-named venomous Beasts together in one, and he cannot be so pernicious and hurtful unto men, as one defaming and reproaching tongue is. Now what should be the reasons why the holy God should give this sin, and sort of sinners, so many, horrid, odious, cursed, loathsome, hateful, and abominable names: But to shew and convince all men, that the sin of speaking evil of others, or of one another, is an exceeding great and hainous sin, and the persons committing it, exceeding great and hainous sinners; to shew and convince all men that this sin is most vile and hateful to God; dangerous and hurtful to men, and to their own Souls. And it is observable, that such persons who labour most by their poysonous foul tongues, to make, and represent other men vile, abominable, and hateful to men, should thereby make and render themselves to God and men, the most vile and contemptible of all men. The consideration of which should make them fear and tremble.

p. 113But while I am speaking of this matter, I would earnestly desire the Reader to search and try, and seriously to ask himself the question, if this be not thy sin; thy often repeated and reiterated sin; thy unrepented sin? If so, then know, that thou art under these and the like odious, and abominable names which God himself hath given and put upon thee; and as they are most hateful and abominable, so they are set on thee by the Lord, to declare thereby his hatred of thee and thy sin, and to shew thee that both thy self, and sin, are exceeding hateful unto him, which thou mayest do well to consider and lay to heart before it be too late; And beg the Lord to open thine eyes, that thou mayest see, and be thoroughly convinced of what thou hast done; and that he will be pleased to give thee pardon and repentance unto life.

2. The second thing propounded to be opened, was to shew and lay open the root and fountain of this sinful sin; this God-provoking, and Soul-damning sin, of raising, upholding, receiving, and entertaining p. 114of evil reports against, or speaking evil of one another or defaming and reproaching. Now although there is properly but one root and fountain of all enormities, namely, an evil wicked heart, out of which proceeds all sinful words and deeds, Math. 15.18, 19. For out of the heart proceeds Evil thoughts, Murders, Adulteries, Fornications, Thefts, False-witness, Blasphemies. But yet there are many roots, and springs of sins in the heart, which produce and bring forth many sins. Many corrupt streams flow from these poysonous springs; and many wild branches, and cursed apples of Sodom do grow and spring from these evil roots. There are some Mother-Lusts habituated in the heart, which are exceeding fruitful, from which proceeds many filthy brats: And as the root is, so is the fruit: As is the Fountain, so are the streams: As is the Mother, so is her Daughter. A corrupt and evil Tree, cannot but bring forth evil fruit. A Lyon will produce and bring forth a Lyon. An Adder will bring forth an Adder. A p. 115Serpent will bring forth a Serpent. A Swine will bring forth a Swine; and a Dog will bring forth a Dog. So evil and wicked Lusts within, will produce and bring forth many evil and wicked fruits in word and deed; whereof this is one, to speak evil, and receive evil reports of men, whereby they are wronged, and hurt in their good names and reputations.

1. Now, the first root, or spring which I shall name, is, Pride. The prevalency and over - flowing of cursed Pride. Pride is a big-bellied Lust, it is exceeding fruitful, and like Jordan, continually overflowing all its banks. It brings forth a hundred fold, and among other vile and filthy fruits it bears, this is one, namely, Defamations and Slanders, which is a fruit far more loathsome and abominable than the Apples of Sodom, more pernicious and hurtful than the poyson of Asps, Rom. 3.13. It is full of deadly poyson; wherever it fall and wounds, it is incurable, Jam. 3.8. As it is said of Joseph, the Iron entred into his p. 116Soul, or his Soul came into Iron; so it may be said of such who have received the fruit of a back-biting and defaming tongue; it is entred into his Soul, he is held fast in the iron chain of it, he hath gotten a deadly and an incurable wound thereby. And as Pride was the root and cause that brought the Devil, Adam, and Eve under sins reproach, or the reproach of sin; so Pride in mens hearts puts them upon the cursed work of defaming and reproaching one another, Psal. 119.51.69. ver. The Proud have had me greatly in derision, The Proud have forged a lie against me, Psal. 12.2, 3, 4. Psal. 86.14. Psal. 123.4. Who is it that soweth discord amongst you? It is a proud person, Prov. 6.16.19. Prov. 21.23, 24. So the proud men slandered and defamed blessed Jeremiah, chap. 43.1, 2, 3. so in 1 Sam. 2, 3. compared with the 6.14. verses of the first Chapt. Psal. 31.18. Psal. 10.2, 4, 5, 7. Psal. 36.3, 4.11, ver. compared. Now as the Scriptures do abundantly confirm and establish this truth, so we have experience likewise p. 117further confirming it: For, we do find by observing and considering of persons and practices, that evil speakers, or defamers, and villifiers of others, are exceeding proud men and women; such as have high and haughty carriages, looks, and speakings; such as do manifest in almost all their words, deportments, and walkings, that their hearts are full of pride and haughtiness. You shall never see (excepting under some violent temptation) any humble, serious person imploying himself in this cursed and diabolical work. You shall never hear such persons open their mouths to back bite and defame others; especially if they are reputed to be good men: no; for they know themselves to be vile, and that they are as bad as the worst of men by nature, Rom. 3.23. That they stand in as much need of pardoning, and healing grace themselves, as any men upon earth do, and that if they are in any thing better, or not so bad as others, it is not of themselves, but the gift and free grace of God to them: Oh! say they, who, and what hath made p. 117us to differ from the most prophane and debauched persons, who wallow in wickedness, and from hypocrites? who is it, and what is it that hath preserved and secured my feet from falling, as others have done? Is it not the God of Grace, and the grace of God? 1 Cor. 4.7. 1 Pet. 1.5. Eph. 2.8. Jude 24. And do we not stand in need of his spirit and grace continually, to guard and keep us from sinning, as others have done? Are we not as liable and subject to temptations, as they are, on whom they have prevailed; and if we had been tempted as they were, and God had left us to, and in the temptation as he hath left them, might we not, yea, should we not have sinned as they have done? Gal. 6.1. Have we not as many Lusts in our hearts as they? and are they not as ready to close in with temptations, and to break forth into words and deeds, as others who have so fouly sinned? yea, are we not guilty of as great, as Godprovoking and Soul-damning sins in the sight of God, as such and such men are in the sight of men? And shall we think p. 119or speak vilely and reproachfully of them who have sinned? Oh! God forbid! God forbid I especially seeing God hath forbidden, and straightly charged us not to do so. Yea, say such meek and humble hearts, if God had not forbidden us to reproach and defame others, by speaking of, or reporting the sins and miscarriages they are guilty of, whereby they may be defamed and reproached; yet the consideration of our selves, what we are in, and of our selves; what iniquities we are guilty of before God; what vile and abominable hearts we have; how liable to commit the foulest sins; how apt to be tempted, and to close in with temptations; how weak and impotent we are of our selves, and what deceitful hearts we have; how we do stand in need of daily pardoning, healing, and preserving grace from God, yea, and of pitty, and compassion from men; we could not, we should not dare to open our mouths against our Neighbours, or Brethren, who have sinned, and thereby add affliction to their bands, especially if they were good men.

p. 120But now on the other hand, proud persons will do all they can to cast dirt on the good names of men, especially Religious good men; they will not spare their invenomed Arrows, but freely shoot them to mischief, and hurt mens good names and reputations. Proud persons do swell with pride against others, as Toads do with poyson; and it is an ease to their stomacks, to spit out some of it on the good names of such whom they disdain, and think vily of. And because they cannot (as Zoylus the Slanderer said) otherwise vent themselves to hurt and mischief them, they will do as Campion the Jesuit advised; Fortiter calumniare aliquid haerebit: reproach valiantly, somewhat will stick: So they hope they shall not fail to lay them under some odium and shame.

Now, as humble and serious men are of Lamb-like spirits and practices, meek and harmless; so on the other side, proud men are of Lyon-like spirits and practices. And as a Lyon from his proud and cruel nature, cares not what hurt and mischief he doth, nor who he devours; so proud p. 121men care not whose good names they do murder and devour; let them be innocent or nocent, let them be good or bad, let them be high or low, superiours, equals, or inferiours, Brethren, or strangers; it is all one to them; they will down with them to the ground, without any pitty or compassion, Psal. 10.4, 10. and St. Paul tells us in 1 Tim. 6.4. that railings proceed from pride. Proud persons are so good, righteous, excellent, wise, honourable, and deserving in their own eies and account; and others are so vile, base and unworthy, as that they are the objects of their scorn and contempt, as David complains, Psal. 123.4. And if they see such objects of their contempt respected, and honoured by others, they will do all they can to render them vile and contemptible, that so they may be cast out of the hearts and fellowship of men. Pride in men, is like that filthy weed the naturalists speaks of, which will not suffer any good Corn, or plant, to grow near it. Most men (especially good men) do stand in their light, and lie in p. 122their way, especially such as have some atchievments, which themselves want. They think so well of themselves, and so vily of others, as that they will not endure they should have, or carry away any honour or respect; and in case they do, these proud Goliahs will not fail to dirt, and daub them, to vilifie and debase them, and to load them with infamy and reproach, until they have made them look like Bedlams, that so they may be hated and despised, and not respected or regarded. They scorn and disdain them, as if they were some venemous beasts, or evil Ghosts, and will pursue them with much heat and indignation, until they have satisfied their Lusts upon their good names and reputations. But their fury is hottest against such as they think do not love and honour them; or that rebukes and reproves them for their pride. Solomon tells us, in Prov. 9.7. That he that reproveth a Scorner, getteth to himself shame; and he that rebuketh a wicked man, getteth himself a blot: and verse the 8th. Reprove not a Scorner, lest he hate thee. p. 123So if he see or think that anothers honour and fame doth any whit diminish his, then will he pursue him with rage and spite, to make them hateful and dishonourable. See some instances, 1 Sam. 18, 6. to the 14th. verse, David had a little deserved honour, ascribed to him by the women of Israel in their dances, when he had wrought a great work and salvation for Israel. Proud Saul hears it, and presently swells against poor David, and labours to make him vile and miserable, as you may read at large in that and other Chapters of the first book of Samuel. So proud Goliah in the confidence he had of his own worth and excellency, is said to disdain David, and he speaks villifyingly and contemptibly to, and of David, 1 Sam. 17.41, 42, 43, 44. So also did Nabal, 1 Sam. 25, 10, 11. Who is David, and who is the Son of Jesse? which were dis-daining and villifying expressions; as much as to say, David is a base inconsiderable Fellow, not worthy to be minded or regarded; and shall I take such notice of such a despicable p. 124wretch as David, so as to send him a piece of bread. So proud Haman dealt with, and carried himself to Mordicai, and the Jews, Ester 3.1, 2, 3.5, 6, 7, 8. he scorned Mordicai, and debased him, and the rest of the Jews, and raised an evil report of them, and sought their ruine, verse 8, 9. and all because Mordecai gave him not that reverence which his proud heart expected, or thought he deserved. So Paul, his adversaries did to him, Acts 17.18. What will this Babler say; this pittiful, ignorant fellow, say; this contemptuous expression was an evident fruit of their pride and high thoughts of themselves, base and unworthy thoughts of worthy Paul. So did the proud men to blessed Jeremy, chap. 43.2. they raised an evil report of him, which proceeded from the pride of their hearts. And lastly, so did the proud Pharisees deal with Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory; they did all they could to render him odious to the Jews, that so they might not own him, and honour him; that so they might not believe his words, nor shew him any respect, p. 125which designs they carried on by vilifying and undervaluing him, and by reproaching and defaming him, Mark. 6.3.5, Math. 12.24. Math. 9.3. Now as proud men dealt with Christ and his Servants in the Scripture, so do proud men deal with good men now; as sad experience shews.

Secondly, As pride is one root and spring of defaming and evil-speaking, so hatred is another; I say hatred; for it is well known that hatred, and (as we say) ill-will, will never speak well of the person hated, no, in no wise. Such will think, imagine, construe, and speak the worst they can of all the words, carriages, and actions of those whom they hate: hatred is a passion directly opposite and contrary to Love. Now as love thinks, imagins, construes, and speaks the best of the carriages, words, and actions of those whom they love, 1 Cor. 13.5, 7. Rom. 13.10. so on the other side, hatred will make men construe, and speak all things in the most rigid and barbarous sence. Yea, as love hath a faculty to p. 126turn brass into gold, and iron into silver; so hatred hath a faculty to turn gold into brass, and silver into iron. Let the hated speak never so well, and carry himself never so peaceably, kindly, and affably towards the person hating, all will be construed, and represented to be but hypocrisie. If he carry himself chearfully and comfortably, the hater will confirm it to be lightness and frothiness. Let the hated be free and liberal, and it will be construed to be ostentation. Let him be moderatly frugal, and dutifully saving, and it will be construed Covetuousness. Let him be serious and sparing of his words, and it will be construed to be his pride. Let him be innocently familiar with his friends, it will be construed Lustfulness and wantonness. Let him but caution, instruct, and mildly reprove, it will be construed harshness and cruelty. Thus it is where a Wife hates her Husband, or the Husband the Wife, as sad and woful experience shews. And so it is among Brethren, Friends, and Neighbours.

p. 127Now as love will earnestly seek and endeavour to preserve the honour and reputation of persons, and to do them all the good they may; so on the other hand, hatred seeks and endeavours to take from, and rob persons of their due honour and reputations, and to spoyl them of all enjoyments, as thinking them unworthy of them. This was one of the cursed fruits of Saul, his pride, and hatred of David. Of the false Teachers, pride and hatred of Paul. Of the Jews pride, and hatred of Christ, Joh. 15.25. and of David; his Enemies pride and hatred caused them to defame and reproach him, Psal. 109.2, 3, 4, 17, 20, 25. Evil hatred will not rest or be quiet; it burns in the heart like fire, and be studious of revenge, Ezek 25.15. and vent its self it will, and catch hold of what it can, of the object hated. If it cannot reach the soul, it will if possible reach the body; if not the life, estate, or liberty, then it will fasten on, and burn their good names with their fiery tongues, Prov. 26.23, 24. Prov. 16.27. David complains p. 128of it to God, in the 9th. Psal. 13. verse, Consider the trouble which I suffer of them that hate me: so also in Psal. 41.5, 6, 7. Mine Enemies speak evil of me; they gather iniquity, and when they go abroad, they tell it. But why do they do so, or from whence is it? saith he, verse 7. They hate me. Why do they whisper together, against David, speak evil of him, and devise his hurt? why? It was because they hated him, saies the Text. Why do any men or women now defame, whisper against, back-bite, and slander their Relations, Friends, or Neighbours; carry about tales of them to their reproach? why? It is because their proud hearts do hate them, with bitter and cruel hatred. For otherwise it would be impossible for them to do so wickedly, especially against their near Relations and Friends. But hatred will make the hated as vile, base, and odious as possible, that so the haters may have some colour and pretence for their hating of them, and provoke and excite others thereby to hate them likewise, as such vile objects as they have represented p. 129them to be. Hatred travelleth with mischief towards the hated. Haman hated Mordecai and the Jews, and he was never quiet until he had sealed and established his mischievous designes against them. Esther, 3. To destroy Mordecai and all the Jews. Hamans proud hatred could not confirm its self to the immediate object of his hatred; I mean Mordecai, but it must extend its self to all the Jews; so true is that maxime which we have from Aristotle, saith he, hatred is alwaies foreign, against the whole kind of its object. Yea, this hatred will make men rejoyce at their devouring the good names of the hated, Jer. 11.15. For as love will make a man rejoyce in doing good to the object of his love, so hatred will make a man rejoyce in doing mischief to him he hates. As it is reported, that when Thales was asked, how a man might be chearful and bear up in afflictions? answered, if he can see his Enemies in worse case than himself. The Poet hath given us the Character of such kind of men:

p. 130Pectora felle virent, lingua est suffusa veneno:

Risus abest, nisi quem visi fecere dolores.

Their Breasts with Gall, their Tongues with Venom flow:

They laugh not, till they see men brought to woe.

So that all such as are defamers and reproachers, such as back-bite, and speak evil of men, may be, and are justly called proud haters of men; yea, and without doubt of God also, whatever their profession be, Prov. 21.24. Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath, saies Solomon, or rather the spirit of God.

Now is there any man in the world, who shall rightly and impartially consider and weigh the roots of this wickedness without envy or prejudice, but will easily conclude that whatsoever such persons profess to the contrary, yet they are a vile generation of men and women, and p. 131such as ought not to be believed nor regarded, but to be shuned and avoyded, and not at all to be believed and hearkened unto in their evil reports, but to be looked on with indignation and sharp reproofs? Prov. 25.23. As the North wind driveth away rain, so doth an angry countenance, a back-biteing tongue. Will any wise man give heed, hearken to, believe, or countenance pride and hatred? If not, why will they give heed, hearken unto, believe or countenance the fruits and expressions of them? For, can there any good fruits spring from such roots of bitterness, Heb. 12. or any good water flow from such filthy loathsome Fountains? Jam. 3. Ought you not to consider that such persons as do design and hate men, will not stick to speak falsely of them, with a design to hurt and injure them? Is not hatred full of gall and wormwood, of wrath and burning zeal? Is it not full of venome and bitterness; of restless cruelty, and ruining designs against the objects of their hatred? Oh! that men did but seriously weigh these things, and p. 132consider from whence they proceed, then assuredly they would abhor to give any countenance to such tongues, or credit what they assert and affirm, but would rather rebuke them sharply, and declare their indignation against such practices and practicers.

Thirdly, As this wickedness springs and flows from the roots and fountain of pride and hatred, so also from malice: I say malice; and assuredly this is another of the cursed roots and corrupt fountains of detracting, and defaming; of back-biting and reproaching; and of robbing men of their good names and reputations, Col. 3.8. Malice is inveterate anger, and an evil affection of the heart, which properly desireth the hurt of our Neighbour, and rejoyceth in his falling into sin or affliction, and the men in whom it prevails, are called malicious men, and their reproaching words, malicious words, Joh. 3. Epistle, 10th. verse, shews what root they spring from. This sin lies deeply rooted in the hearts of men, and mostly vented against the good, names, credit, p. 133honour and reputations of men. This wickedness quickly grows up into enmity and irreconcileableness, once in, and never out; so that a man was as good meet a bare robbed of her whelps, as a man full of malice. It will rend and tear like a fierce Lyon, and not spare, nor be restrained. It will admit of no parly or debate, nor suffer pity to be shewed to a man in distress. It is full of venemous poyson, neither will it be satisfied without the ruine and destruction of a man, that it is set against. And therefore, when it cannot reach to murder, and take away his life, it will not fail to do all it can, though in the dark, to murder a mans good name, and to give him a mortal wound in his reputation: like the Panther, who (as it is said) will tear a mans picture if he cannot come at the man himself to tear him. The Apostle James tells us, that wars and fightings comes from the Lusts of men, Jam. 4.1, 2, and I am sure that evil speakings, defaming and reproaching words and carriages, come from this devilish lust of malice: and p. 134hence it is that malice and evil speakings, or speaking evil one of another, are joyned together in Scripture, 1 Pet. 2.1. Eph. 4.31. Col. 3.8. declaring thereby, that such as will indeed keep clear from evil speaking, or speaking evil of one another, must of necessity banish and remove malice out of the heart, which is one of the roots and causes from whence they do proceed; and in the charge the Apostle gives the Ephesians, there is this remarkable in it, chap. 4.31. saies he, Let all bitterness and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you; and when he comes to malice, he adds another all, foreign, cum omni malitia, with all malice; as much as to say, there must not be so much as one small sprig of the bitter root of malice suffered to abide within; all must be rooted out as ever you would be secured and kept from blaspheaming and evil speaking: see also Col. 3.8. 1 Pet. 2.1. All which places shew that evil speakings proceed from malice in the heart. Malice is like fire in combustible matter; it will p. 135swell and smoak, and be restless until it have vent, and break out. And we may without breach of charity say, that such men and women as do speak evil of others, or of one another, to traduce and defame them, that they are malicious against them; or the malice that is in their hearts against them causes them to speak of, or against them as they do. But intending all possible and convenient brevity throughout, I shall not inlarge as I might do.

Fourthly, Evil-speaking, &c. proceeds from that which St. Paul calls foreign, malignitas, malignity, Rom. 1.29. which signifieth morosity, or churlish behaviour, which is a vice that construes all that a man doth or speaketh in the worst part; and this evil-mindedness towards a man, will cause him to speak the worst of him that he can, to make him odious and hateful. This vicious frame of spirit towards him, will cause him to think, and speak the worst; yea, to fancy and imagine what the Devil pleases of a person. And though it be p. 136there by the Apostle reckoned one of the Heathens vices, yet I am sure it is every jot as much, nominal Christians vice, as it was the Heathens. Now when men, whose hearts are full of malignity against others, have a mind and desire to reach them a blow, or by any means in any way to hurt and mischief them, they cannot obtain their ends so easily and safely on any thing that is his or theirs, as on their good names and reputations, to rob and spoyl them of these treasures and pretious Jewels. For should they finger their Lives and Estates, they know humane Laws will then seize on them for their so doing. Therefore they do like sower surly mastief dogs fly on, and tear out the throats of their good names, with their venemous tongues.

Fifthly, This wickedness proceeds from cursed Jealousie; I say from cursed Jealousse. There is a holy and blessed Jealousie, and there is a vitious and cursed Jealousie. A holy and blessed Jealousie respects a mans self, the cursed Jealousie respects others. All such men and women p. 137as do believe the account that the Scripture gives of their hearts, and are accordingly acquainted with their prodigious wickedness, and cunning shifting deceitfulness, how apt they are to deceive and to be deceived by the world and Devil; how frequently they gad and wander abroad, and fix on Idols; to decline their duty, and to be false to God and men in duty; how prone to promise much, and do nothing, to joyn issues with the world and Devil against God and our own peace; how apt they are to err and misconstrue the mind and providences of God, and to gather up, defile, and pollute themselves with the dust and dirt of the world: surely such cannot but be very suspicious and jealous of them, and be constrained to keep a strict guard and watchful eye over them, Prov. 4.23. And were men and women continually (as their duty is to be) in the exercise of this holy and godly jealousie over their own hearts, they would not be so guilty as they are of being jealous of others; especially of their Christian Friends and Relations.

p. 138But now, there is a vitious cursed jealousie which is exercised, and laid out about, and on others, where it ought not to be. This jealousie is a head-strong Lust and passion, it is like a wilde Bull in a net, like a Bear robed of her whelps, and like a roaring Lyon. It is the raging fire of hell, kindled with the Devils breath; strong and violent in its motions, wicked and pernitious in its designs, and ends, toward the objects of its fury, Prov. 6.34. It is like the raging Sea, whose waters cast up mire and dirt, Isa. 57.20. and that on the good names of good men. This jealousie is so exceeding furious and desperate, that it will not spare nearest Relations, no more, nor so much, as it will an open professed Enemy. It is so strong a poyson, as that neither reason, evidence, interest, nor any arguments can restrain or mitigate the force and killing power of it. It is like fire in oyl, the more you throw water on it, the more it will flame; whether a man be innocent or nocent, it is all one to this cursed Lust; for the innocent shall feel p. 139the sury & weight of it as much as the nocent. This cursed mad passion, is brought forth, and feed with their own fancies and evil imaginations, begotten and bred by the Devil in the womb of pride and a guilty Conscience. For it is an experienced truth, that very few or no persons are jealous of others, but such as are as bad and vile themselves as they do imagine them to be, of whom they are jealous; for their Consciences accusing and condemning themselves, they do from thence by the help of the Devil, suppose and fancy that others are like themselves. So Saul, whose Conscience told him that he had a murderous mind against David, and sought his ruine; from thence suppose and fancy that David had the like towards Saul, 1 Sam. 24. but it was not so; for David was his true subject as Saul himself confessed to him; but notwithstanding, Saul ('tis said) eyed David from that day, and forward, which was a certain sign and fruit of abounding jealousie. This cursed jealousie in Saul, made him even sick again; and like a p. 140strong vomit in the stomack, restless until he had vomited it up on David his life and reputation. And therefore 1 Sam. 23.19, 20, 21. It is said, that when the Ziphites informed Saul where David was, and that he might come and do to him, according to all his desire, and that they would deliver David into Sauls hand, that then Saul said, blessed be ye of the Lord, for ye have compassion on me; shewing thereby, that he was even sick, and in great distress and trouble before with envy and jealousie against David; and that he was so miserable, and that he stood in need of the peoples pity and compassion, and that it was a great ease of his grief, that they would take notice of him and help him out of his trouble, by delivering David into his hand. Blessed Jeremy was also in almost the like case by his adversaries jealousies of him, Jer. 37.13, 14, 15, 16. They imagined that Jeremy was falling away from the Jews to their Enemies the Caldeans: say they, thou fallest away to the Caldeans. No, saies he, it is not so, It is false, I fall not away to the Caldeans. p. 141But his answer was not believed, nor his denying it accepted, but to the dungeon he must, for all that. They were jealous of him, and suspected his truth and faithfulness to them, how innocent soever he was; and although nothing of unfaithfulness was, or could be proved against him, yet as soon as one Irisah is jealous, and vents it to others by and by, without any further proof, poor Jeremy is condemned and executed: Such was the violence and rage, the fury and madness of their Jealousie against innocent and faithful Jeremy, as that condemn and execute him they will, only upon the high presumption of their suspicion of him.

And in like manner doth the evil spirit of suspition and jealousie work now amongst us, among Husbands and Wives, Brethren, Neighbours, and Friends, which is not barren or unfruitful, but spawns abundantly in men and womens ears, and on their good names, even to the ruine and destruction of their Souls and outward concerns. Now as this cursed Lust is usually groundless, so it is restless p. 142and endless. It is usually groundless, and it is an unclean bird which can flie without wings; a Serpent that can go without leggs; for let but the Devil suggest to a man (especially a woman) that such a person doth not love him or her; that they past by him or them at such a time, and took no notice of them; that in such a place they were together, and they did not drink to them; or that they do not visit them as often as they do others; and therefore they may be sure that such do contemn, or at least, they do not regard them. Thus the Devil raises jealousies in the heart immediately, by suggesting such and the like trifles, especially to Women and sorry effiminate men; because they are more easily imprest with them, then men are. Thus the Devil made bold with the holy God himself, by raising jealousies of him in the heart of Eve, Gen. 3.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. by insinuating to her, as if God was not so good to her as he might be, and that he forbid her to eat of the Tree of knowledg, on purpose to keep her in ignorance. Whereupon, p. 143she presently became jealous of God, and would neither trust, obey, nor think well of him any longer, but see if she could mend her self, and to eating she went, and calls her Husband to partake with her. Now as the Devil did at first with Eve, so he continues to deal with her Sons, and especially her Daughters; but this is not all the Devil now doth, namely, to suggest such conceits and fancies, I mean objects for them to work on, but he hath alwaies Agents ready for his turn, and these are such as the Apostle calls Tatlers, and Moses Pedlars, Levit. 19.16. These he irritates, moves, and provokes to help him in his work, to carry on his designs against mens good names and reputations; and among other waies and methods he takes, this is one, namely, to move persons to jealousie, or to jealous thoughts one of another; and he gives his Agents their errands, instructs them in the matter and manner of his and their works; he hints to them what they shall speak, and how they shall speak, that so they may effectually raise jealousies in p. 144them, and so cause them to back-bite and reproach them. First saies, the Devil, there are such men and women that I would have defamed and reproached, but I cannot justly charge them with any crime that may lay them under reproach: wherefore go to, I will send you to such persons, and when you come, endeavour to raise jealousies in them of such and such persons which I have marked out for reproach. Go to the Wife of such a man, and say to her, I am affraid your Husband doth not love you very much; or you may ask her the question (as the Devil did Eve, yea, hath God said so) what, is your Husband kind and loving to you? but this you must do wisely and cautiously, and usher it in with other discourse, or in talking of other matters, that so it may not be suspected: Then if she answer you slightly, or ask you, why you ask her such a question, you shall answer that it is for no hurt, but in love to her, for we wish you well; and further, you may tell her, that you have nothing to say against her Husband, but desire his p. 145good also; but then you shall after you have drawn a little breath, insinuate also into her, that you do heartily wish her Husband did Love her, because you hope he is a good man, and one that fears God; but that you cannot tell what to say, as to his Love to her: for, for ought she or they know, he may love other women better than her, such as are more beautiful and younger than you are. We saw him talk very familiarly with such and such women the other day, at such a mans house, or in the street, which causes suspition. But pray forsooth, doth he let you do what you will, spend what you please, shew his good likeing and approbation of all that you say and do? doth he cry you up, and praise you to your face, and doth he in all things comply with, and conforme to you or no? No, that he doth not, I do assure you; very well, why, then it is evident that he doth not love you? and that was it we told you we did fear. For you may be sure, if he did love you better than other women, and as good Husbands love their Wives, he would then permit p. 146you to speak, and do what you please, spend what you please, shew his good likeing of all your doings, and praise you; yea, he would never do any thing without your leave and consent; he would not go abroad to visit Friends, or to do his business, without you went with him, or your free consent first obtained to go alone; he would not speak or talk with friends, but with your consent, and in your presence; wherefore you need no further proof of his want of love to you, and that he loves others better than you.

Reply. I, but this I can say for my Husband, that he seldome goes abroad without me, and that I want nothing, but have as much food and raiment, and other comforts as he hath himself; he doth no way restrain me of my liberty and Christian priviledges; he is very affable and kind to me; he never begins any quarrel with me, nor gives me one bitter word, unt…l I do provoke him; he is a careful and laborious man, and one that takes pains to provide enough for his Family; and if I stand in need of any thing, and ask it of p. 147him, he is ready to give it me; and I do hope he loves me.

We answer you Mistriss:

All these, and such like things are nothing to the purpose, he may do all that, and much more, and yet not love you; for if he did love you, as a Wife is to be loved, he would do all, and much more than we have said: So that now forsooth it is evident, he loves you not, and now the Wife begins to be jealous of her Husband.

Now by these and the like Stratigems, do they, with the Devil, raise jealousies, and promote strife and evil speakings between man and wife; I do speak what I know, and testifie what I have seen. And as they do promote this wickedness between Husbands and Wives, so also among others, as I could abundantly and largely prove and demonstrate, were it my work and design so to do; but I do design all possible brevity.

Now, this cursed jealousia is like fire that will catch hold on every straw; a look, a word, yea the least omission of p. 148the least mite of duty, or what is lookt for and expected from him. A jealous person will make the worst of every thing, in the person that he or she is jealous of. If he speak and do well, it will be accounted a feined and hypocritical work or speech; if he be sweet, loving, and kind, it is accounted dissimulation; and if at any time it wants matter to feed on, it will form many Ideas, it will conceit a thousand things, and the Devil will help them to matters enough to feed the fire of jealousie. So that a jealous person will make great matters of small, yea of none at all. They are like Cambyses, who did but dream that his Brother should be King of Persia, and he put him to death. So if jealous persons do, by the help of the Devil, but Dream, that such do not love them, or that they slight them, or that they are guilty of such and such sins, or have any way wronged them, by and by it is taken for granted, and the next opportunity laid hold on to defame and reproach them for the errors or sins they have dreamt or fancied such to be guilty p. 149of. Yea, jealousie is like a fire that will eat and burn into the heart, it will pass a positive judgment and sentence on the secret thoughts of an object of jealousie, when it cannot fasten any thing else on him, either on his words or deeds. So that upon the whole, we may conclude, that a jealous person is an exceeding great plague to him, or her self, and also to all others who are concerned in their jealousie. The truth is, as they are Monsters among men, so are they monstrously grievous and pernitious to men; there is no living with them in peace and comfort any where; for at home, they shoot their invenomed arrows at, yea to the hearts of their near Relations; and abroad, they shoot fiery darts at their good names. A jealous person is not fit to live amongst men, no, nor usefull to beasts; for they are worfer than beasts unto men, as some can experience. A man can have no friendship nor fellowship with jealous persons, let them be near or far off, Relations or Neighbours; neither are our good names in any safety p. 150among them, no more then our lives would be in a den of Lyons. For they will ever be gnashing at us, not with their teeth, but tongues, which will bite harder than their teeth, and make deeper wounds. A jealous spirit is a devillish spirit, a base sordid and cruel spirit, and it will never spare a good name, but ruine it, if it be possible.

We read in Scripture of a godly jealousie, such as Job had towards his Children, and Paul towards the Corinthians and Galathians, 2 Cor. 11. but that was the fruit of their love to, and zeal for the good of their Souls, and so they did manifest it to them; and they had grounds and reasons enough for it, by their evident evil doctrines and practices. But now the evil, cursed jealousie and suspicion I have been speaking of, hath another original work and end: It proceeds from a wicked proud heart, and guilty conscience; it is exercised and busied about the Devils work, and drives on a wicked design; namely, to blast, defame, and ruine mens good names and reputations; and the sin p. 151is reckoned up amongst other abominations, 1 Tim. 6.4. and else where; and indeed, were I put to my choice, whether to live with jealous Relations, or with mad Bedlams; I think I should rather choose to live with the Bedlams than with the other. But the Lord deliver me, and all that fear his name, from this generation of men and women, for undoubtedly they are the worst, and vilest of persons on Earth. O! my Soul, come not thou into their secret, for in their anger they will murder the innocent. Cursed is their anger, for it is fierce; and their wrath, for it is cruel. This cursed Lust and Passion is another root of slandering and defaming.

Sixthly, Another root is, an idle, vain mind: I say an idle vain mind: For the mind that is not fixed on, and exercised about some civil, moral, or spiritual good, is the mind that is ready to receive and form evil; and when the mind hath prepared the matter, it is restless until the tongue hath vented it. These are the busie bodies the Apostle speaks of, 2 Thes. p. 1523.11. and the Tatlers, 1 Tim. 5.13. And withal, they learn to be idle, wandring about from house to house; and not only idle, but Tatlers also, and busie-bodies, speaking things which they ought not. Now experience shews beyond all contradiction, that such men (especially women) who are not good keepers at home, minders and followers of their own business, but are idle wanderers about from house to house, are the most common and notorious back-biters and defamers. And indeed they are proper, and fitted instruments for the Devil to make use of in this devillish work. For he knows it is a vain thing, to expect this service from such as are spiritually minded; who have their minds, affections, and trading in Heaven, Phil. 3.20. Rom. 8.6. Col. 3.2. such as mind their business, and particular callings, as their duty in obedience to the will of God, and with faith in him; and who diligently follow every good work that God hath put into their hands to do, as they ought: I say such persons are not for the Devils turn, and therefore p. 153he will not ordinarily seek to imploy them. But he hath others ready at hand; even such as are idle and vain, vain and idle mindes and hands he sends forth, and they are easily perswaded to his service, as a work suitable to their spirits; yea to run before they are sent, before they are hired by him.

Seaventhly, This wickedness is the fruit of Envy, I say of Envy. For such as men Envy, they will not, yea, they cannot forbear to defame and traduce. Now the objects of mens envy are some excellencies and priviledges which the Enviers themselves do want, and which they would have, but cannot obtain them; and therefore they will blast them all they can, in whom they are, that so they may not be respected and honoured for them; and (as they think) thereby, they shall suffer the less diminution of their own affected glory. For it is certain, that proud and envious persons cannot abide to have any equals, much less superiours in their sancied worth, honour, and renown with them. Envy is a most pernitious root of p. 154bitterness, and very common amongst all sorts of men, though few or none will own it; for it is such a base forbid wretch, such a loathsome and hateful Villain, as that it is ashamed of its self, to own its own name. Envy at the good endowments, honour, credit, riches, parts, reputation, or other good things which the soveraign Lord of all is pleased to bestow upon any men, is a soul and a devillish wickedness. Shall my eye be evil towards men, because God is good? and shall I not thereby envy the goodness of God, and so highly provoke him, and incur his wrath and hot displeasure against me? Is it not, or do I not thereby controle and envy, yea, condemn God himself? yea, undoubtedly I shall, and so doth every envious person, who envies and grudges at the prosperity of other men which God gives them, because it so pleases him. Envy is the evil eye which the Lord tells us proceeds out of the wicked hearts of men, with its Companions, Mark. 7.20, 21, 22, 23. For out of the heart of men proceed evil Thoughts, Adulteries, p. 155Murders, Thefts, Covetuousness, Wickedness, Deceit, Laciviousness, an evil Eye, Blasphemy, Pride; these things defile the man. This envious eye, is a defiler both of a man himself, his Soul, body, and spirit, and of the good names of others, by back - biting and reproaching them. Where this sin and cursed passion prevails, it is a cause of much wickedness among men, yea, of every evil work, saith the Scripture, Jam. 3.16. For, where there is envy and strife, there is confusion, and every evil work; and saies he, it is a devillish sin, ver. 15. The Devil is full of envy against good men, because they are in a better condition then himself; and therefore he is alwaies seeking to mischief them, because he envies them and their happiness. Envy is alwaies plotting and contriving evil against men; they cannot rest until they have made them vile and contemptible, whom they envy. Cain envied his Brother Abel, and kills him, Gen. 4. Saul envies David, and puts him to shame, and seeks his ruine, though he was his Son-in-Law, 1 Sam 18.9. p. 1561 Sam. 20.31, 34. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, envied Moses, and reproached him, Numb. 16.1, 2. Psal. 106.16, 17. So some of the Romans envied Paul, and spoke slanderously of him, Rom. 3. Envy and Jealousy are near of Kin, they travel about night and day with mischief, and are very fruitful and successful. They do ordinarily go hand in hand, to bring forth fruit unto death, and they are both as strong as Lyons in their works, Prov. 27.4. Wrath is cruel, and Anger is outragious; but who is able to stand before envy, or jealousie (as it is in the Margir?) It is a sin that is full of deadly Poyson, and so is the fruit of it also, Jam. 3.8, 14, 16. It is a sin that is full of stings under its tongue, to destroy mens good names▪ Envious men cannot endure to see others better then themselves, or to be more respected or regarded. Envious men are exceeding proud men (for envy is the daughter of pride) and therefore do think themselves worthy of as much, or more honour and respect than others are; and if they have not all they expect, and think p. 157they may justly claim from others; and that others whom they think are no more deserving than themselves, have more honour and respect shewed, and given to them than they, they rage, and are mad, and so revenge themselves both on the honours, and honoured; they will fall on their good names, and secretly, or openly, (or both); they will do all they can to render them odious and contemptible. As it is reported of Licinius, that he persecuted the Christians to death, because he understood they did not pray for him, as they did for Constantine. Licinius, his envy could not bear, to think, that Constantine should be more honoured and prayed for, than himself. So it is with envious persons now, they will persecute the good names and reputations of all the objects of their envy, even to the death, with their back-biting tongues, and reviling speeches, that so they may divest them of their honour, and rob them of their credit and reputations, and monopolize the whole into their own hands; yea, although they be near Relations. p. 158For envy knows no man, but to hurt and mischief him; and envy is fierce and desperate.

Such men are a plague unto themselves: for their envy at others, is the rotting of their own bones, Prov. 14.30. and they are the like plagues to others, by their defaming & back-biting tongues, Prov. 12.4. A vertuous woman is a Crown to her Husband, but she that maketh ashamed, is as rottenness in his bones. This sin is every where in Scripture condemned, and forbidden. God will not allow us to envy the worst of men in their prosperity, Prov. 3.31. Prov. 23.17. Psal. 37.1. and we find in experience, that where there is envy, there is evil speaking; and where there is evil speaking against men, there is abounding envy, and accordingly the Scripture speaks of them as of cause and effect, 2 Cor. 12.20. 1 Tim. 6.4. 1 Pet. 21.

Eightly, Defaming, and evil-speakings, proceeds from mens Atheism, and incredulity. They do not believe that p. 159there is a God, or that he is such a God as hates all iniquity; that he hath forbidden and strictly charged them not to back-bite and speak evil of men; or that he neither sees, regards, or takes notice of their words and deeds, or will call them to an account, and judg them openly for, and of what they have spoken secretly to others reproach, Psal. 14.1, 2, 4, 6. Psal. 73.11. Jude 14, 15. For did they indeed believe these things, they would not, they could not do so wickedly as they do, in blasting the good names and peputations of men, especially good men. Did they indeed believe that God is the Living, holy, just, jealous, and allseeing God, and that he will take vengeance of their inventions and reproaching hard words, which they do speak against men, that he seeth in secret, and is privy to all their whisp… and back-bitings, Ezek. 33.30, 3…▪ The Jews thought themselves safe enough, from all observation, when they … of the Prophet Ezekiel behind …, and so kept it from him; they did not believe nor imagine p. 160that they had a witness so nigh them; that God saw and took notice of the reproaching words they spake against him; but they were mistaken, for God saw and detected them, and brought their works of darkness to light. But I say, did men indeed believe and think so of God, they would refrain their tongues from evil, and lips from speaking guile, Psal. 34. Did they believe and understand how precious the names of good men are in Heaven, in the sight of God and Angels, and that God will one day plead their cause, and clear their innocency, honour, and exalt them, and recompence tribulation to them who troubled and wronged them, according to all the hard speeches which they have spoken against them, Jude 14.15. surely they would rather cut off and pull out that mischievous and unruly member, then imploy it in such base dirty work: But I hasten.

Ninethly, Defaming and evil speaking proceeds from anger and displeasure, from wrath and offence taken at them, (I put them altogether); for experience shews, p. 161that when men are offended at, angry, and displeased with persons, especially if their anger be run up into wrath, that they will let loose their tongues against them, cast dirt into their faces, and speak freely to their reproach, and shoot their arrows of indignation against them, even bitter words. A meek Moses, in a fit of anger, will call a whole Congregation of the Lord, Rebels, Numb. 20.9, 10. how much more will such do so, who have a name to live, but are dead, Rev. 3.1. and whose hearts are alwaies disposed to this evil work. In Prov. 29.22. It is said that an angry man stirreth up strife, which he doth by bitter reproaching words. When men are boyling hot with anger, they neither care nor fear to speak what they please; for then they are like Fools, they utter all their mind. That which lurked there before, and was kept in; now comes forth by whole-sale, on the persons they are offended at, displeased, and angry with. For these are the seasons for malice, pride, jealousie, envy and all hatred, to come forth and shew themselves. p. 152We say that Children and Fools will speak truth; so when men are besotted and be-fooll'd with the hot passion of anger, they will declare themselves to be a company of malitious and envious creatures towards them, what-ever shews they made before of love and friendship. Passion doth now unmask and unvail them, and God makes use of these seasons of mens angry fits, to convince them of their mist…ke…, and misapprehensions of them, in taking secret Enemies into communion with them, instead of friends. And now they having unadvisedly discovered themselves to be their envious and malitious Enemies, they have an opportunity to withdraw from them, and avoyd their Company, which else might have been a snare unto them.

Tenthly, Somtimes this wickedness proceeds from their Zeal. They will defame and speak evil of men, from a kind of zeal they have against some sins which they do suppose such persons are guilty of. The Jews were Zealous for their Temple and Laws, and could not bear to hear any p. 153to blaspheam or speak against them; and their zeal was so strong, that when they supposed that Christ spake contemptibly of them, they charge him with Blasphemy, Joh. 10.36. So also they dealt with Stephen and Paul, Act. 6.11.13, 14. Act. 18.12, 13. So there are many now who live in the practice of many foul sins; yet having a kind of Antipathy in their fancies against some one sin, that another may fall into, through the strength of temptation, and their own carelessness; Oh! how will they fall upon him with their mouths, and tear him with their Lyon-like teeth, and rend him with their Bear-like claws; render him the vilest wretch upon earth; tumble his good name up and down like a foot-ball; aggravate and augment his sin, reproach and villifie him; yea and doom him to Hell without Baylor Mainprize, and never entertain a good thought of him more, but make him a Heathen and a Publican, and look on him with disdain and contempt, as the Scribes and Pharisees did on the Samaritans and Publicans, p. 164and all this in zeal against their sin; and that while themselves are laden with sins, and led away with divers Lusts. We read in Joh. 16.2. that the Jews should put the Servants of Christ out of their Synagogues; that is, Excommunicate them out of all Communion with them, as if they had been a generation of vile and abominable wretches; yea, saies Jesus Christ, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doth God Service. So in Isa. 66.5. Just so do some Zealots do now with mens good names; they will raise up (in indignation against them) Reproach, and reprobate such as they hear have committed some sin, which they are Zealous against, and as they fancy, lies at a distance from their hearts and practices; and that while their own sins are courted and embraced. When Paul was a Blasphemer, a Persecuter, an injurious person, and a Murderer, 1 Tim. 1. Act. 9. he was a great Zealot against such as he deemed Transgressors of his Laws; and he used and abused them as Blasphemers; yea, he compelled them to p. 265Balspheam, and that in Zeal, against their Sin. Phil. 3.6. Acts 22.3. And for the Law, so it is said in 2 Sam. 21.1, 2. that Saul slew the Gibeonites in his Zeal to the children of Israel. And as he did, so do Men and Women now, reproach and defame, kill, and slay the pretious Names, and Reputations of good, men in their Saul-like Zeal, against their pretended Sins. And such Zealots do usually with Jehu, drive on furiously.

11. Lastly, The Devil is another cause or agent of this wickedness. He is ordinarily the Author of this great Iniquity, and therefore it is peculiarly named by his name, and called devillish, Jam. 3.15. and the fire of Hell, Jam. 3.6. Defamers and Reproachers may call the Devil their Father and Schoolmaster, their Helper and Leader; for he sets them on, instructs them, and strengthens them in their works he drives or drawes them to it, and makes them speak what he pleases, and of whom he pleases, to their reproach and infamy; and they must needs go (we say) whom p. 156the Devil drives. It is seldome that men go about this devillish work, without or before the Devil sends them, or without his help, counsel, and instructions. The Devil is the Authour and helper on of the work, by his Slaves and Servants, his Drudges and Vassals. He puts them in mind of their work, and hastens them forward to it. He sets fire to the fuel that is in their hearts, and shews them whose houses they shall burn, whose good names they shall reproach: He casts a mist before their Eyes, and raises a smoak in their Consciences, to smoother them, that they may not speak, and hinder them. He stirs up, and blows the Lusts of Pride, Malice, hatred, Envy, Anger, and Jealousie, that are in their hearts, and kindles them into a flame against such as they are sent and imployed to reproach, that so they may do it without fear or scruple. He perswades them that they are their Enemies, and that they may do God service by reproaching them: He will not suffer them to be at rest until they have done their work to purpose; and when they p. 157have done, he will rock them asleep, and give them a quietus est, speak peace to them, and perswade them to speak speace to themselves. And in case they are discovered, and persecuted for their Villany, then he teaches them how to come off nobly, by lying, equivocating, and the like. So that then we may conclude, that whenever we do see, or hear Reproachers, surely there is the Devil too. And if it be demanded from whence they came, it may be truly answered, from the Devil they are come. And if they are asked whose Servants they are, and whose work they do, it may be truly answered, the Devils Servants they are, and his work they do. Back biting Reproachers do wear the Devils Livery, and bear his Image; they have his heart, hands and tongue; they can transform themselves as often as they please, and work almost as subtily as he. And as the Devil loves and delights in reviling and back-biting, so do they also. Is he diligent in the work? so are his Servants also: Is the Devil willing and ready to send, and imploy p. 168them in this work? so they are ever willing and ready to obey him: when they do back-bite and reproach, it is from the Devil; when they do tear and wound others good names, they do it in, and from the Devil. They may write the name and ends of the Devil upon all, as I could open at large, were it necessary. But seeing I have occasionally once and again on other heads, spoken of this before, I shall say no more of it now.

Thus you have seen some of the roots and springs of this devillish sin; where it is conceived and bred, and by whom it is begotten and brought forth; and you may know what the Daughter is by the Father, and Mother; the Devil and filthy Lusts. This foul Monster, is not the issue of one cursed womb only, or the fruit of one vile Lust only, but of many. This Apple of Sodom proceeds from many bitter roots, together with the help of the Devil; for he doth more than usher and Midwife this Monster into the world, as hath been above declared. O! horrid wickedness. O! Cursed Monster, that is begotten, p. 169bred, brought forth, and nourished by such Parents, by the Devil, and so many abominable Lusts. Certainly Beasts will engender and bring forth Beasts: Vipers and Adders will bring forth their like: Cursed evil roots will bring forth the like fruits. What better fruits can such Serpents spawn and bring forth, than such monstrous, savage Creatures, or rather abominations, as have been before expressed and declared? and what spawn, or fruit is there more monstrous and abominable, than a back-biting, defaming, reviling, and a reproaching tongue? which I shall further prove, and demonstrate.

Thus I have manifested the sinfulness of this sin of open reviling, and of secret whispering and back-biting, slandering, defaming, reproaching, or raising, upholding, spreading, and receiving evil reports of others. First, from the names the Scripture gives them. Secondly, from the roots, springs, and causes of it, or from whence this grievous sin doth proceed.

p. 170Now I shall manifest, and prove the horred and prodigious nature of this sin.

First, Secret and open Reproachers, and Defamers of the good names of men, are Murderers; I say Murderers. The sin is a murdering sin, and the Actors of it are real Murderers. They do not only sin against, and transgress the Nineth Commandement, but the Sixth also; and if there be any Murderers in the world, they are Murderers who take away mens good names, as I shall (the Lord helping) demonstrate and prove, 1 Joh. 3.15. We are informed, that he that hateth his Brother, is a Murderer: than how much more is he a Murderer, who not only hates him, but reviles, back-bites, defames, and reproaches him; who not only hates him, but doth him all the hurt and mischief he can; who wounds and stabs his good name to the heart.

But for the fuller and clearer opening of this, be pleased to consider, that every good man hath four choice & rare Jewels, which he dearly loves, and calls his darlings p. 171and dearly beloved, which are nearer and of more account to him then ten thousand worlds: And these are; First, his Soul; Secondly, his Conscience; Thirdly, his good name; Fourthly; his life.

First, the Soul is of such an infinite value, as that our Saviour tells us, that the whole world is not to be compared to it, Math. 16.26. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own Soul; or what shall a man give in exchange for his Soul?

Secondly, His Conscience is also of infinite value; it is so excellent, pretious, and choice a Jewel, as cannot be valued according to the true worth of it. A man will rather lose all that he may, or can part withal, than his good Conscience. He will rather suffer any tortures, and torments, burnings, rackings, starving, or any grief or sorrow, rather than part with, and lose a good Conscience. Witness all the Martyrs and Witnesses of Christ; who, rather than they would part with Conscience, would yield up their bodies, estates and lives to the malice and fury of their p. 172Adversaries. So Paul tells us, Act. 20.23.23. (saies he) None of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto my self, so that I might finish my course with joy; that is, that I may keep a good Conscience, 2 Cor. 1.12. For our rejoycing is this, the testimony of our Consciences, &c. And as they are ready to suffer any torments and losses, rather than to lose their good Consciences, so also they are ready to take any pains, to labour with all their might, to sweat and toyl night and day, rather than lose or part with good Consciences, Act. 24.16. All such men and women as know and experience what a good and quiet Conscience is, will easily grant what I have said.

Thirdly, A mans natural life is a rare Jewel also, which he will not easily part withal. It is of more worth than any, or all earthly good things, Math. 6.26. The Devil spake truth in this, Job. 2.4. Skin for skin, and all that a man hath, will he give for his life.

Fourthly, a good name, is a good mans rich and choyce Jewel: and although he p. 173be far more obnoxious and liable to have this Jewel taken from him, than any other good he enjoys (as experience shews) yet the Jewel is a Jewel still, and of never the less value for that. It is far better, and much more to be desired than fine gold, yea, than many thousands of gold and silver. It is of greater worth than health, ease, strength, wealth, long life, yea than life its self. I say, than life it self. I do not say that a great name is better than these things, no, but a good name, which is the fruit and reward of grace and vertue; not of worldly riches, and lofty titles of honour. I know that many men have great names, but not good names; but one good name is worth ten thousand great names. Solomon tells us, that a good name is rather to be chosen, then great riches. It is a great judgment threatned to wicked men for their wicked words and deeds; that their names shall rot: but a choice mercy promised to the Righteous, that their memory shall be blessed, Prov. 10.7. The memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall p. 174rot; So in Psal. 112.6. The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance, Eccles. 7.1. A name (or a good name, as it is read in our Bibles, because that is the meaning and purport of it) is better than precious oyntment; oyntment was very pretious, and in great account among the Jews upon many accounts. I shall name two; first, because with Oyntment they did Consecrate their Kings and Priests, and all their holy Vessels, to the Lord, separating them from common use, unto holy and special uses; as I might abundantly manifest, (but that I labour and aim at all possible brevity.) The Lord Jesus, who was both King, Priest, and Prophet, and the substance of all the Types and Shadows that we read of among the Jews, is said, in Psal. 45.7, 8. to be anointed by God the Father, with the oyle of gladness above his fellows, &c. Secondly, Because of the sweet fragrant smell and savour of their oyntment; it made a sweet and desirable perfume, to which these and many other Scripture-expressions do allude, Cant. 1.3. Psal. p. 17545.8. 2 Cor. 2.14, 15, 16. Eph. 5.2. Now a good name is far more rich and excellent then many and great riches; far more sweet, pretious, and desirable, and upon many accounts, of transcendent (by greater worth then the most rare and choice oyntments that ever were in the world made by man. A good name is a kind of spiritual food, Prov. 15.13. a good report maketh the bones fat. The meaning is, it maketh the spirit of a man chearful, strong and prosperous. In Psal. 38.4. We read that David had no rest or health in his bones, by reason of his sin; he means, in his mind and conscience he had no rest. I may say of a deserved good name, as Solomon doth of Wisdom, Prov. 3.15. She is more precious than Rubies, and all the things thou can'st desire, are not to be compared to her. Length of daies are in her right hand, and in her left hand, Riches and Honour, ver 16. The Jews have a saying, praestat habere amicum in foro, quam anrum arca reconditum; that it is better to have a Friend abroad, than Gold laid up in a Chest at home. p. 176And doubtless we cannot have a better friend abroad, than a good name; nor a better friend at home, than a good conscience. A man may have a good name abroad, with a bad conscience at home; and a good conscience at home, and a bad name abroad; but he is the happy man who hath both. Nazianzen saith, pracipuum beneficium est in rebus honestis laudari laus enim parit aemulationem, aemulatio virtutem virtus faelicitatem: it is a chief benefit in vertuous things to be praised, for praise causeth emulation, emulation bringeth forth vertue, vertue happiness; Fame & a good name is, or ought to be the fruit & reward of Vertue. A woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised, Prov. 31.30. and he that feareth the Lord, is the honourable man, Psal. 15.4. A good conscience at home, and a deserved good name abroad, are two rare and excellent companions indeed; and he that doth by a vitious course of life, deprive himself of his good name, is a self-Murderer; and all such as do unjustly, irregularly, and unduly deprive any man of p. 177his good name, is a murderer also, as really as he is who doth so take away another mans life, as I shall by and by prove and demonstrate. A good name is so rare, choice, and excellent a mercy, both to a man himself and to others, as that his life is hardly worth the keeping without it, especially if he be a professor of the holy name and waies of Jesus Christ. Without a good name, a man is dead while he liveth; he stinketh above ground, and he is a burden to himself, and all sorts of men, excepting such as make sport with his name, as the Philistims did with Sampson, when they had put out his eyes. A good name, is a good mans Ornament and Crown amongst men, yea, in a sense, his Estate and Life. Therefore, when a good man is robbed of his good name, he is robbed of the best Jewel and richest Estate he hath without his Soul and Conscience, or that which falls within the power of men to rob him of: A good man, were far better be a poor man, with a good name, than a very rich man with a bad, yea, a good man were better dye with p. 178a good name, than live to gray hairs with a bad and dirty name. And therefore, such as do murder their good names, are greater murderers than such are, who do murder their bodies, and deprive them of their natural lives; and such men and women will one day find answerable punishment from the Lord, who is privy to all the wickedness of their hearts, and murder of their tongues.

Now the two first of these excellent Jewels, namely, their Souls & Consciences, are beyond the reach of these back-biting Murderers, they cannot come at them to do them any hurt; every man may greatly wrong, if not utterly ruine his own Soul and Conscience by sin, Prov. 8. ult. but men cannot wrong each others Souls and Consciences without their own consent; yea, the Devil cannot wrong them without their own consent: No, though Men and Devils do all their daies assault them, yet can they not win them, nor take them Captives.

But now the other two Jewels, namely, their natural lives and good names, are every p. 179day exposed to the rape and violence, to the malice and envy of all men, to be torn and ravished with the Lusts and Teeth of wilde Beasts. There is no safety, no City of refuge for them in the world, especially their good names. They are not, they cannot be secure any where night or day, from devouring Wolves, roaring Lyons, and subtle Foxes, either at home, or abroad. If they escape the teeth of Adders abroad, they are in danger of being bitten with Vipers at home, as sad experience shews: Yea, the more eminently, and singularly good their names are, the more obnoxious they are to the sury of these Murderers. None that we know, or read of, either in sacred Record, or in humane Authors, that have been so much defamed & reproached, as the Saints, who have been most renowned for godliness, as Jeremy, David, Job, Nehemiah, Paul, Luther, Calvin, and many others. And it is the portion of all such as will live godly in Christ Jesus, to suffer persecution; not only from the swords of men, but from their p. 180tongues also, 2 Tim. 3.12. Ismael persecuted Isaac with his tongue, Gal. 4.29. and what persecution is there so bad and pernitious as that of the tongue.

Now, that this is a murdering sin, and the Authors and Actors of it are murderers, I shall prove, Ezek. 22.9. In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood, Prov. 12.6. The words of the wicked, are to lay wait for blood, but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them, Prov. 18 8. The words of a Tale-bearer, are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly, Prov. 11.9. An Hypocrite with his mouth, destroyeth his Neighbour, Hos. 7.16. Their Princes shall fall by the sword, for the rage of their tongue, Psal. 10.7, 8, 9. I might heap up abundance of other Texts of Scripture if it were necessary, to confirm this assertion, that back-biting defamers are Murderers in the judgment of the Blessed and only Wise God; whatever men may think of them, or whatever they do think of themselves; yet they are in the account of God, horred Murderers; and for a further confirmation p. 181of it, the Lord assures us, that their tongues are most poysonous, venemous and deadly stings, swords, arrows, and fire.

First, God calls their back-biting, defaming tongues, Asps, and the poyson of Asps, Job 20.14, 16. Deut. 32.33. The cruel venom of Asps, Rom. 3.13. the poyson of Asps is under their lips.

Secondly, They are called and compared to Dragons, Deut. 32.33. Psal. 44.16, & 19. verses compared.

Thirdly, They are called and compared to Vipers, Job 20.16. The Vipers tongue shall slay him.

Fourthly, They are called and compared to Adders, Psal. 140.3. Adders poyson is under their lips.

Fifthly, They are compared to Serpents, Psal. 140.3. Psal. 58.4. Now as the poyson of these venemous beasts is deadly and mortal, so are back-biting defaming tongues, Jam. 3.8. They are full of deadly poyson; they are full, yea full of deadly poyson; namely, to kill and murder the good names of good men. p. 182And one such tongue, is all these vile hurtful beasts, and it hath all the venome of them all in it. O monstrous tongues! O, horred monsters!

Sixthly, They are compared to Lyons, Psal. 35.16, 17, 21. Psal. 57.4. Psal. 58.6. For as Lyons do tear and rend Creatures with their paws, so do back-biting defamers tear and rend with their cursed tongues, the good names of their Neighbours, Friends, and Relations.

Seventhly, They are compared to Dogs, Psal. 22.13, 16. Psal. 68.23. Now, there are two sorts of Dogs which are very mischievous; there is the barking Dog, which will give warning before he bite and tear; and there is the still sullen Dog, which will bite and tear a man before he sees him, or is aware of him. The first sort do fitly resemble the open Scolds and Revilers; and the latter sort do fitly resemble the whispering and back-biting Revilers; and the latter sort are much worser then the other.

Eighthly, Their tongues are called and compared to sharp swords, ready fited p. 183and prepared for slaughter, Psal. 57.4. Psal. 64.3, 4. Prov. 12.18. So likewise, to arrows and spears, Psal. 57.4. Now we know, that swords are prepared and intended instruments to kill, and destroy. Just so are back - biting and defaming tongues, which indeed are the worst and most pernitious swords.

Ninethly, they are called and compared to fire, that rageth, burneth, and consumeth without mercy, Psal. 57.4. Prov. 16.27. and not only common, ordinary fire, but the fire of Hell, Jam. 3.6. And the tongue is a fire, it setteth on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire of Hell. By these few hints that I have given, you may clearly see what a monstrous, horred, pernitious, and prodigious evil, a back-biting, defaming tongue is; what a cruel murderer and destroyer it is; what account God hath of it; and how exceeding hateful it is to him. St. Jerome saith, Quicquid separat fratres infernum est appellandum, whatsoever separateth those that are in Brotherly peace, is to be called Hell. St. Cyprian saith, perver sus p. 184in ore suo portat perditionem, & in labiis suis ignem condit: the perverse carryeth destruction in his mouth, and in his lips he hideth fire. And therefore exhorteth the Servants of God, that they decline them, and shun all speech and conference with them. Calvin tells us in his Exposition on Math. that they that do proudly lift up themselves, or do hurt men with any opproprious words, are Murderers; and that Christ adjudgeth them to Hell fire, which break out into Reproaches; yea, the Holy Ghost tells us, that the tongue is a world of iniquity, Jam. 3.6. the meaning is, that the tongue hath all the murdering, killing, and poysonous qualities in it, that all the swords, spears, fire, and venemous beasts have in them, to murder, kill, and devour men, especially their good names.

Now of all murder, next to Conscience, and Soul-murder, this is the worst; for, as was said, a holy, wise, and publick man, had much rather (was he put to his choice) part with his life, then his good name. For it is far better to dye honourably, p. 185then live contemptibly. Nothing did so much trouble and afflict Job, as his Friends defamings; he lost his Children, and Estate, his Health, Ease and Strength; but these losses troubled him not; but he was exceedingly troubled at his Reproaches; especially those he received from his friends, as may be seen in many places of his book.

Secondly, Such as defame and reproach mens good names, are Thieves, and Robbers; I say Thieves and Robbers. The open Defamers and Reproachers, are the high-way Thieves and Robbers; and the back-biting Defamers, are the secret and night-Thieves and Robbers. For as night-Thieves break in, and carry away a mans goods secretly, and unknown to the Owner: So these secret, whispering, and back-biting Reproachers, do rob a man of his rich Jewel, his good name, so secretly, and in the dark, as that it is a hard matter for him to find it out, and convict them. And these are the worst sort of Thieves as all men know; and so are Back-biters, the worst Revilers of all the herd. Many p. 186think that the hands are the worst instruments of Robbery, but they are greatly mistaken; for the tongue is the worst Thief and instrument thereof. And as the tongue destroys more than the sword, so the tongue destroys more than the hands, by robbing and spoyling men of their good names; I say, then the hands of Thieves, do mens Estates by their robberies. These tongue-robbers, are much more abominable, and more inexcusable than common Thieves, who rob men of their Estates: For

First, they oftentimes rob through a kind of necessity to satisfie their hunger, as Solomon speaks, Prov. 6.30. but cursed back-biting Robbers do not so; for it is not hunger, or necessity puts them upon it.

Secondly, Common Thieves and Robbers do not steal and rob men from hatred, malice, and envy; not because they do hate and envy them, but to enrich themselves. But now, tongue-Robbers do steal, and rob, from malice, hatred, and envy, at, and against their persons, p. 187and good names, as hath been shewed before.

3. These tongue-Robbers do rob and steal from men their richest treasures; I say their richest treasures (viz.) their good names; and they will not be contented and satisfied with any lower prize then the best that can be taken from them by men. But now common Thieves will be content, if they can get a mans money, plate, or other goods, though they get not his Jewels.

Fourthly, Common Thieves and Robbers do not seek the ruine and destruction of a man in robbing him, but tongue-Robbers do; they would put out his name from under Heaven, if they could: they would not leave him root or branch remaining, whatever they do pretend to the contrary. So that in these and other respects (which I could name) tongue-Thieves are the worst Robbers, and the most to be dreaded, watched, and abhorred.

Now every man knows what a Thief is: a Thief is one, who doth either secretly p. 188or openly take away, appropriate to himself, and make use of that which is none of his own, but the property of some other men. Now every mans good name is as much his interest and property, as any thing whatsoever he possesseth in the world: I say, as much as any money or cloaths are which he hath; and therefore such as do secretly or openly take, or endeavour, by evil speaking, or by raising an evil report on him, to take away his good name, he doth thereby rob him of his property and interest, and so he is a notorious Thief, and he shall undoubtedly suffer the punishment of a Thief hereafter, though he may escape the Gallows here. A Defamer is a notorious Transgressor of the eighth Commandment, as well as of the nineth and sixth. For, when God forbids men to steal, in the eighth Commandment, he clearly informs us, that we must not take from a man unjustly, unduely, or irregularly, any thing that is his. And where God forbids us, as he doth in the tenth Commandment, not to Covet, he expresly shews there, what p. 189his meaning is in the other Commandments, that respect men by these words, Nor any thing that is thy Neighbours. That is, thou shalt neither Covet, nor take away from thy Neighbour, (that is, any man) what is his, Gen. 20.17. Deut. 5.21.

If any Object, and say, But suppose he have by sin forfeited his good name, and we speak evil of him, and blaze abroad his sin; are we then by so doing, Thieves and Robbers?

I Answer, Yes, that you are; For,

First, It is not once or twice sinning, or committing this or that sin, be it what it will, that may, or ought lawfully to deprive a man of his good name; for then, such as the holy God doth must honour, and respect; men might dishonour & reproach, which assuredly God will not endure. We find some of the most eminent Servants of God sinning with a high hand against God and men; as Noah, Lot, Sampson, Ely, David, Solomon, Asa, Jehosaphat, Peter, and others; yet God highly honoured them, and hath notwithstanding p. 190withstanding preserved their names, and made them as sweet perfumes to all generations; and he will not by any means allow any man upon earth to touch them with the tip of their tongues, to detract from their honour and reputations.

Secondly, It may be thou doest not certainly and infallably know he hath so sinned; or in case thou doest, thou knowest not but that he hath repented; For it may be he hath repented of his sin; or his broken bones are set in joynt again, as the word is, Gal. 6.1. (though by sin they were broken) by faith and repentance. And if God hath pardoned and healed him, surely thou oughtest to do so too. If God hath covered his sin, Psal. 32.1. then great will be thy sin to uncover it. For if God cover thy Neighbours Nakedness, well mayest thou do it; yea, thou art indispensibly bound to do so. And wo be to those who do uncover that which God hath covered.

Thirdly, In case he be guilty, and hath in a sense forfeited his good name and reputation, by following a course of sin, p. 191yet it may be, prayers, sharp reproofs, and admonitions may recover him again: bring him to repentance, and reformation, and so he may be more holy, meek, righteous, and circumspect than he was before he fell; a greater honour to the Gospel, and more useful in his generation to men; and if so, he hath regained what he lost by sin, and much more. And know, that it is the will of God, and thy duty, when thou certainly knowest a reputed good man, to fall into any scandalous sin, to endeavour his conviction and restoration, and not to lay open his shame, and declare his folly, nor harbour hard and uncharitable thoughts of him, and labour to render him odious to others: No, that is contrary to the heart, and will of God, and the high-way to make the offender desperate.

Fourthly, In case he have by often repeating of his sin, by remaining obstinate under reproofs and admonitions, forfeited his reputation; yet thou hast nothing to do with, nor any authority to seize on the forfeiture, no, that belongs not to p. 192thee to take it and spread it abroad, to dispose of it at thy own will and pleasure. If a man have forfeited his Estate for committing of Murder, and being Condemned for it, he hath now no more title unto, and interest in his Estate, but it is lost in Law to the King: may any man, who will, make seisure of it? I know not: why? because it belongs to the King, or to such as he shall appoint to seize on, and take hold of the said forfeiture. Just so it is in this case, a man hath forfeited his good name by sinning; I but thou hast nothing to do to seize it, and dispose of it as thou pleasest: No, no, for he hath not forfeited it to thee, but to his sove…aign Lord and King; so that he may take it and dispose on't as he thinks fit: but who gave thee power to do so? or who hath required this of thee? Oh! consider these things, and lay them to heart; you may be Thieves and Robbers in seising on, and disposing of forfeited names and reputations, as well as in seising on, and disposing at your own will and pleasure, such as are not so forfeited. p. 193And I would seriously advise you, as you love your Souls, not to meddle with them in such way, for they will prove to you in the end, as the Ark did to the Philistims, and their Dagon; and your Soveraign will condemn you for Treason against his Crown, Laws, and Dignity.

Every man is bound by the Law of nature, and the second Table of the written Law of God, to do his utmost to preserve and secure to his Neighbour whatever is his. For there is ever implyed in all the negative precepts and commands of God, positive duties, as all men confess; so that when God forbids us to Murder, or Steal, he doth in the same commands, require us to do all we can, as we have opportunity, to secure and preserve our Neighbours lives, health, peace, and interests, or what ever is our Neighbours. Oh! then how great is their sin, who do not only utterly neglect to secure and preserve their good names, but do maliciously and violently rob them of them, as all back biting defamers do. And doubtless they shall have one day, judgment p. 194without mercy, who have not shewed mercy to them, Jam. 2.13. And the Apostle Paul assures us, that Thieves shall not inherit the Kingdom of God, 1 Cor. 6.10. David complains to God of such Thieves, Psal. 119.61. See also Nahum. 3.1. and Prov. 21.6, 7. St. Ambrose speaking of Theft, saith, Adeo contra naturam, ut inopia hoc magis extorquere videatur, quam natura suadere; it is so contrary to nature, that want may seem rather to force it, than nature to perswade it. But now it cannot be so in mens robbing of good names, for they cannot be constrained by want, to take and steal them away from men.

Thirdly, Such as speak evil of, and cast reproach on the good names of others, are notorious Transgressors of the Seventh Commandement also. They are guilty of Rape and Whoredome, of that filthy, beastly sin of Ʋncleanness, which God will judg, Heb. 13.4. For as that sin consists in defiling a man or womans body, so also in desiling a man or womans good name. For as a man by committing that folly p. 195with a woman, makes her unclean, and she him, with whom she commits it; so by defaming, and ravishing anothers good name, he makes him unclean before men, by representing his pure name in a whorish garb and dress. And as a man by casting dirt on clean Cloaths, and white Linnen, makes them odious, and filthy, stinking, and unsavory, hateful, and loathsome; so do those men, who do reproach the good names of good men; I say, they do thereby defile and pollute them; making them look like base Harlots, and filthy Varlots. For, look as Whoremongers do defile and pollute the bodies of their Strumpets, so do these Whoremongers, I mean Defamers and Reproachers defile and pollute mens good names with their filthy tongues. Now, look as men may, and do defile, and pollute the great, the holy, the unspotted, and glorious name of God, so they may, and do defile and pollute the good names of good men also. And how do men defile, and pollute the holy and glorious name of the blessed God? but by blasting, p. 196and darkening the shining lustre, beauty, honour, excellency, and loveliness of it; and by rendering it vile and contemptible, as the Jews did in Babylon, and Professors do now, Ezek. 20.39. Mal. 1.7, 12. Rom. 2.14. Now as Gods Name was polluted by them, so he threatens to pollute them, by making their names contemptible, Mal. 2.9. yea, he had done it, by giving their names to Reproach, Ezek. 22.4. hence they are for their polluting and defiling the name and worship of God, frequently called Adulterers, Whores, and Whoremongers in the Scripture, Jer. 3. Ezek. 16. Isa. 57. Jer. 9. Hosea 7. Now then if they are Adulterers, who do defile and pollute the glorious Name of God, and his holy things, then surely they are Adulterers, who by Reproaches do defile the good names of men; especially if they are good men, and have the name of God written on, and his glorious Image stampt upon them. Yea, such are the worst Adulterers, though the other are abominable and vile, yet these are more vile and abominable; and their sin is p. 197greater, who do ravish & defile the good names of good men: For,

First, Carnal Adulterers, may commit Carnal filthiness with persons, not from the root and heat of hatred, malice, and envy against them, but only from the heat and strength of Carnal Lusts abounding in their hearts, through want of watchfulness, and the fear of God to restrain them, as it was with David, 2 Sam. 11. but now these tongue-Adulterers do defile and pollute the good names of men, because they do hate and envy them.

Secondly, These Adulterers are greater sinners than such as do defile the bodies of persons in their ends; I say in their ends: For, Carnal defilers may not intend any further mischief or hurt to them, but barely to satisfie their filthy Carnal Lusts on them (though that is bad enough to both); but now these tongue-D…filers do ordinarily design and intend the ruine and destruction of such as they do defile, and pollute with their filthy tongues. Yea, as Jeremy speaks, p. 198Jer. 23.40. to make them an everlasting Reproach, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.

Thirdly, The other vile Adulterers do act in committing their Carnal wickedness with consent; they do both agree to commit Ludeness; but these tongue-Adulterers do ravish and commit rapes on the good names of men: They extort their good names from them by force and violence: They will defile them by meer might and malices directly against their wills. Now we know that such Adulterers as defile the flesh of others by force and rapine, are the worst sort of Whoremongers, who commit Carnal Adultery, as Amnon did, 2 Sam. 13. by force and violence. Just so do these tongue-Adulterers.

Fourthly, Carnal-Adulterers and Defilers will seldome do as Amnon did; namely, defile so near Relations as their own Sisters, or their Fathers Wives, as the incestuous Corinthian did, 1 Cor. 5.1. No, nature will so loath that, as that men must be very much given up of God p. 199to hardness of heart, blindness of mind, and searedness of Conscience, before they can do so; but ordinarily their wickedness is committed with strangers. But now these back biting defaming tongues will not spare any, who fall in the way of her malice, hatred, and envy; let them be never so near them, let them be Husbands, Wives, or Parents, they will ravish and defile them for all their Relation; yea, they will defile their good names with much more vehemency than they will do others. And as Adulterers do cause such as they defile to sin, so these tongue-de…lers do greatly tempt and provoke such whose names they defile to sin also; for there are few who can bear it, to see their good names ravished and polluted by Adders-tongues; but with Absalom they will meditate and act revenge on them, as Sampson did on the Philist…ns for his two cyes. And as Amnons defiling Absaloms Sister, did tempt Absalom to study and act murder against Amnon, 2 Sam. 13. so do defiling tongues by their defaming of others, greatly provoke them to a retaliation; p. 200namely, to return reviling for reviling, as may be seen by that earnest dehortation, 1 Pet. 3.9. And if it so happen, as that the persons whose good names they have ravished and defiled, should by the power of grace, and the spirit and fear of God, be restrained from retaliating, and making such evil improvements of the injury done unto them by these Revilers and Desilers; yet, let all such know that their sin is never the less for that; for they have done what they could to tempt and perswade them to it.

We read in Scripture, that Shechem defiled Dinah, Jacobs Daughter, Gen. 34.5. by lying with her; and the like we read of many others. So likewise we read of the tongues defiling of men, Jam. 3.6. not by lying with them, but by belying them; not by Carnal Copulation, but by Verbal Crimination. Our Saviour tells us in Math. 15.19, 20. that the works of the tongue do defile the man, as well as other things; and let all such men and women know, that they are already doom'd, and sentenced to Hell by the Lord Jesus p. 201Christ himself, who are defilers of good names with their tongues, as well as those other sinners mentioned in Rev. 21.8, 27. So in 1 Cor. 6.10. Pray read the Texts, and mind them well.

Fourthly, As Defamers are guilty of Whoredom, and filthy Ʋncleanness; so they are notoriously guilty of transgressing the Tenth Commandement. For they are exceedingly Covetous; they do greedily covet, and earnestly desire to gain to themselves the reputations, love, honour, and respects they see them possess and enjoy whom they do envy; and finding no other way so feasable, and probable, to obtain their ends as this, they will not spare any Arrows, or neglect any opportunity to obtain what they do greedily gape after; but to work they will go with their tongues, to stain their Reputations, and that either by raising or spreading evil reports of them; digging up some old sin or other that hath been buried many years in the grave of Oblivion, and put it into a new dress, with additions and aggravations, and so send it flying p. 202abroad; or else if they do think that way will not take, nor effect their ends, then they will speak contemptuously, and villifying of him, as if there were no worth, nor desert in him, wherefore he should be respected or desired; and by this means they prevail greatly with some silly Souls to slight and contemn him, yea, if he have but one small speck of blemish about him, but a white pimple in his face, they will represent him as a person full of maunge and itch all over his body. If he have but a defect in his speech, he must be taken for a rude Ignoramus. Thus the Jews dealt with blessed Jeremy, chap. 18. v. 18. Thus they dealt with Jesus Christ. So did some with the Apostle Paul. They walkt in both the aforesaid waies with them, somtimes by down-right slanders; and when they saw that, that way would not find acceptance, then they fell to villifying, & speaking contemptibly of them, Math. 12.24. Mark. 6.3. Rom. 3.8. 2 Cor. 10.10. And all this, because they do either hate his person, envy his fame, or seek and desire to wrest his Crown p. 203from him to themselves, that so they may glory, and triumph in the praise they have by wicked tongues gotten from him.

But in case they do despair of getting it to themselves, what they labour to take from him, yet their Coveteousness being attended with Envy, they will not suffer the honour and fame he deservedly hath, to abide with him; no, but they will disrobe and spoyl him of it, although they themselves may never have it to wear about them, to the augmenting of their own Fame and Renown. Yet I say, they will spoyl him of it, by doing to him, as a Souldier did in the Army, who when he lay Seige to a Town, and saw a brave Horse of the Enemies, which he earnestly coveted and desired, which he could not, or durst not adventure over (for fear of the Enemy) to fetch him to himself, be made no more ado, but shot and kill'd the horse, saying, though I cannot have thee for my use, yet I will kill thee, that another may not have thee from me alive; just so do Defamers, and Coveteous Reproachers, p. 204with the good names of good men; they do envy them, and covet their fame and honour, love, and respect unto themselves; but if they cannot win it to themselves, as their covetuous, greedy hearts do desire, yet they will shoot their invenomed Arrows at them, that so neither they who have it, may keep it, nor any other take it away from them, for themselves; and therefore kill it they will without mercy. These Covetuous Defamers are like unto Balaam, 2 Pet. 2.14, 15. saies the Apostle, An heart they have exercised with covetuous practices; Cursed Children, which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam, who loved the wages of unrighteousness. Now if you will know what that way of Balaam was, pray look into the 22, 23, 24, Chapters of Numbers, there you shall find him hired by Balack King of Moab, to Curse or Defame Israel, and promised to reward Balaam for his pains. Balaam attempts it, to Balack he goes with a design to blaspheam and defame, to curse and reproach p. 205them, according to Balaks desire, that he might enrich himself thereby, which Peter calls the wages of unrighteousness. Balaams Covetous heart carried him out to curse and ban the people of God, in hope of getting to himself thereby riches and fame; he would willingly have raised himself upon Israels ruine; and so do Defamers do now. And so did Covetous Judas: he sold his Lord for thirty pieces of Silver, as, or for a Traytor and Blasphemer, to the Priests. But why did he do so? why, it was because he was Covetous; so did the Covetous Scribes and Pharisees, Luk. 16.14. they derided Christ, why? because they were Covetous; or from their Covetous hearts. Now back-biting Defamers do earnestly covet the good Names and Reputations of good men; they care not who they do debase and dishonour, so they may but gain by it. Covetousness and Envy, or Covetous and Envious persons, are Companions in this Iniquity together, and are seldome or never separated from each other in defaming. Saul (as hath p. 206been shewed) greatly Envied Davids praise and fame, and he coveted all to himself; and therefore sought by all means to ruine David, his fame and life. Covetousness and Envy will have all the riches, and honour of other men, or they will not be satisfied. Solomon tells us, Prov. 1.19. that he that is greedy of gain, (whether of same, honour, or riches) takes away the Life of the owners thereof. If their lives must go for it, much more their good names, which they may get at an easier rate than their lives. When men have a mind to extol and magnifie a colour to the beholders, they will lay it by some base or dirty colour, that so it may shine forth the more gloriously. So when men Covet to make great and glorious their own names, and reputations, they will lay them by, and compare them with such as they have made base and dirty. So Saul dealt with David, 1 Sam. 22.7, 8. saies he, hear now ye Benjamites, will the Son of Jesse give you Fields? &c. He laboured to make David black and dirty, that so he might shine the brighter in the p. 207peoples eyes. Now, Wo be to them who Coveteth an evil Covetuousness, Hab. 2.9. for although they do think to make a rich purchase of it, and to advance and magnifie themselves by what they gaine by their Covetous devices, yet assuredly they will find it a Cursed wedg of gold to them at long run; yea, even in this life, as Achan and Saul, and many others have done.

Fifthly, Evil speakers, or Defamers, are peace-breakers, make-bates, and sowers of discord, strife, and contention amongst Neighbours, Friends, and Relations. They break and scatter peace, they raise and foment bitter envyings and strife among Friends and Relations, that were in sweet friendship and concord, as sad experience shews. Now if Peace-makers are blessed, and pronounced so to be, by Jesus Christ, Math. 5.9. then without all question, Peace-breakers are accursed, and that both of God and men; and doubtless they are the most Accursedst Generation of men and women on Earth, who are indeed Peacebreakers; and there are no greater p. 208Peace-breakers upon Earth than whispering and back-biting defamers are. Peacebreakers are men marked out for Wrath and Vengeance, Heb. 12.14. and they are the objects of Gods hatred and abomination, Prov. 6.16, 19. These six things doth the Lord hate, yea, seaven are an abomination unto him. What is the seaventh? look into verse 19. and you shall find, it is sowing of discord among Brethren. And that this is the work of the generation of men and women that I am speaking of, you may see, Prov. 16.28. A froward man soweth Strife, and a whisperer separateth chief Friends. This froward whisperer is also branded with a mark of ignominy in verse 27. he is then called an ungodly man, or a man of Belial. So in Jam. 3.8, 10, 14, 16.

These Peace-breakers, make, cherish, and foment war, where God hath commanded and made peace. They raise, and maintain war in the hearts, looks, tongues, and hands of Relations and Friends. They divide and cut asunder the Nerves and bands of peace, There is no p. 209peace to be found, or long enjoyed, where these wicked Tale-bearing and Defaming tongues come, and are hearkened unto, and entertained. They carry the fire of Hell about with them, to kindle flames of strife and contention; and they are unweary in blowing the coals, like their Father the Devil, Jam. 3.6, 8. Prov. 16.27. These are the men who go from place to place, from one man to another, to gather up poysonous seeds, and sow them abroad, to break all quietness and friendship, Ezek 22.9. In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood, saith the Prophet. So there are Defamers who carry tales to break peace among dear Friends and Relations. They do go to one, and report such, or such a fault, of such a one, unto his Friend or Relation, and endeavour to raise some hard thoughts in him of his Friend or Relation, and so on, until they have made Friends become Foes, and Relations Enemies one to another. These are the persons of whom Jeremy speaks, Jer. 6.27. saith he, They are all grievous Revolters, walking with slanders: p. 210Though God expresly forbids them to do so, Levit. 19.16. Thou shalt not go up and down as a Tale-bearer: Yet in spight of God and his Authority, they will do so. And very assiduous and diligent they will be in their cursed work, whatever the issue be, or whatever God saies against them; they will not cease to serve the Devil and their own and others Lusts; for they are Enemies to peace, as their Father the Devil is; and they love not to see Friends and Relations to live in love and peace by them.

God hath every where commanded all men upon pain of death, not only to live in peace, and to avoyd all peace-breaking; but also to follow peace with all men, Heb. 12.14. Psal. 34.14. 1 Pet. 3.11. Mark 9.50. And God assures us, that all peace-breaking comes from Lusts, and the Devil, Gal. 5.19, 20, 21. Jam. 3.14, 15, 16. Jam. 4.1, 2. and that such shall be shut out of Heaven, and are accursed. Yet notwithstanding, these wretched men will with their envious hearts and tatling tongues, kindle flames of strife and contention, p. 211in all Societies, in Families, Churches, Corporations, and Neighbourhoods: yea, they cannot sleep, nor be at rest at home in their own spirits, until they have made some to fall, Prov. 4.16. And this they do by raising, and somthing of jealousie and suspicions of one another, and so prejudice the minds, and stir the passions and affections against one another; from whence proceed smart and bitter words from one to another, until the whole house be in a flame, and near consuming. And herein I speak what I do know, and testifie what I have seen, and sadly experienced. God is the God of Peace, Phil. 4.9. 1 Thes. 5.23. and Christ is the Prince of Peace, Isa. 9.6. And he hath charged every man to live in Peace, to follow Peace, Rom. 13.18. Oh! then how great, how pernitious, and hainous sinners are peace-breakers? O, how hateful are they to God, Angels and men! O, how many can sadly lament and say, Oh what a sad distracted life have I lived with my Family, Friends, and Neighbours, since these cursed Tale-bearers, and wicked p. 212Make-bates came amongst them? Oh, what a happy, sweet, and peaceable life did I live before! but since it hath been turned into gall and wormwood, into strife and contention, into wrath, debate, and confusion, I cannot now live in peace night nor day with them. They are so possessed and filled with jealousie and suspicion of me; with prejudice and wrath against me, that I cannot have any peace or friendship with them; but when I am for Peace, they are for War, as David complains, Psal. 120.5, 6, 7. Peace-breakers (as all back-biting Defamers are,) are the plagues of mankind. They are the greatest plagues in a Nation, Family, Corporation, Neighbourhood, and in a Church; for they carry about the breath of the Devil, and Hell-fire in their mouths, to kindle flames of discord, strife, and contention amongst men. So that if men labour and do all they can to live and enjoy peace with their Friends, and Relations, and give them no offence; but labour to enjoy their peace, and keep up friendship; they labour in vaine, they cannot obtain p. 213it: For these Enemies have already so strongly possest their fancies, corrupted their minds, and estranged their affections, as that it is impossible for them to restore them to their right wits again. Oh, horrid wickedness! Oh, Prodigious villany! Oh, monsters of men! great is the wickedness of such as disturb the peace of Neighbours, and Friends; of Masters and Servants; but much greater is the wickedness of those who disturb and break the peace of Husbands and Wives, by raising jealousies and suspicions of one another. These wicked persons are Enemies to the Publick and Common-wealth: for saith Lyra, peccat non solum contra proximum, sed contra publicae Justitiae bonum; he sinneth not only against his Neighbour, but against the good of publick Justice. And indeed a peace-breaking Defamer, is a common publick Enemy to man-kind; and so are all such as give heed to, and countenance his defamations.

Sixthly, As these Monsters are peacebreakers, so they are also love-breakers; p. 214They do by their defaming Tales, break the bond of Perfectness, Col. 3.14. Yea, they do not only break Love among Neighbours, Friends, and Relations; but they do also with their fiery tongues, raise, and foment hatred in their hearts against one another, even among those who were knit together in the bond of Love. So strong and vehement is the venemous breath and the poysonous tongue of a defaming Tale-bearer, as that he can with the same, blow out Love, and kindle Hatred in the hearts of near Relations at the same time, and with the same blasts. For the Devil and their own wicked hearts tell them, that they need do no more to effect both, than to render them vile one to another, and to raise jealousie and suspicion in their hearts against, or of one another, and the work is done. And saies the Devil to them, (who is alwaies with them in the work) I will by my wiles and suggestions, keep the fire of jealousie and hatred a burning in them: I will see that it shall never go out when once you have kindled it: I will p. 215watch it night and day; and when I see it begin to go out, I will blow the coals, and strengthen the flames, both by my own mouth, and by my Agents; and I question not but to keep them well enough, from ever having, or entertaining a good opinion of one another any more; and if so, then the work is done. For saith the Devil, I will not fail to possess their fancies, and perswade them that all that they do hear, is true of them: that they do not love, nor regard one another; that they may not trust, or acquiess in one another, nor expect any love one from another. I will so work on their fancies, and imaginations, as that they shall seldome or never think or speak well one of another; nor put a charitable construction upon any thing they shall say or do; but they shall still take all in the worst sense imaginable. Yea, further, if they do not, or cannot see or find any fault or miscarriage in each other, either in word or deed, which they may take hold of, to strengthen and inflame their jealousie and hatred; then I will put them up on imagining and furnishing, that it may p. 216be, it is so, and so; yea it is very probable it is as they think; and although they see nothing spoken or done, whereby they may fasten any guilt upon them, yet it may be they are naught behind the door; and whatever their words and carriages be before them, yet love them, they do not, but slight and hate them they do; and all their seeming expressions of love and respect to them, are but the fruits of hatred or hypocrisie. Thus the Devil, their Father, carries on, and maintains the work they have begun, in breaking love; kindling and raising hatred; so that now their comfortable Sun-shine of love, is turned into the fire of Hell; their sweet delight in each other, into bitterness; and their pleasant communion into sorrow and grief; their trust and confidence in each other, into cursed wrath and jealousies, and their honey into gall and wormwood; the Seeds of which will probably never be rooted out any more. Notable is that saying of Seneca, Horum sermo nocet multum, & licet non statim prodit, semina relinquit in animo, & sequitur: p. 217Much hurt doth their speaking bring; and though it appear not presently, it leaveth seeds in the mind, it followeth afterwards. Yea further saith he, diutiùs haeret quàm auditur; & durat, & intervallo recurrit, it stays longer than it is heard; it abideth and maketh recourse, though it go away.

These back-biting Revilers, are they who set their mouths against the Heaven…, and whose tongue walketh through the Earth, Psal. 73.9. For the holy God hath strictly charged and commanded all men to love one another as men; Friends as Friends, Relations as Relations, and Saints as Saints, Math 5.43.44. Math. 19.19. Joh. 13 34. 1 Pet. 1.22. Eph. 5.33. Tit. 2.4. And as this is their indispensible duty to one another, so thereby they do resemble, and are like God, Math. 5.44, 45. And such as do not conform to, and obey him therein, are men of his wrath and indignation; for they are haters of God himself, who love not Men, especially Relations, and good men, 1 Joh. 4.20, 21. Joh. 15.23. Now, p. 218if they who love not others, as hath been said, are haters of God, and hated of God; and if he who loveth not, but hateeth his Brother be a Murderer, 1 Joh. 3.15. then how hateful are such to God, and what foul and horrid Murderers are they in the sight of God, who with their venomous tongues, do all they can to break Love, to divide the heart & affections of Lovers; and cause them who lived together in sweet love, to hate one another by their back-biting, tatling and defaming tongues? These Monsters set their mouths against the Heavens, and bid defiance to the Laws and Lordship of Jesus Christ; like Julian the Apostate, who (as 'tis said) when he was wounded, took his blood, and threw it up into the a…r, in defiance of the Lo…d Jesus. So these wretches, though they know they do sin with a high hand against Christ, and his known Laws, yet they will act thus villanously against him, and his Laws, by back-biting and defaming, by reproaching and reviling their Brethren; and thereby cause burning wrath, and hatred in them, p. 219against each other. Thus Doeg stirred up Saul's hatred against poor David. Thus did Ziba stir up Davia's hatred against Mephibosheth. Thus the Jews stirred up Zedekiah and the Princes hatred against Jeremy; and the false Apostles, thus stirred up the peoples hatred against Paul, 1 Sam 22. 2 Sam. 16. Jer. 18. Rom. 3. Phil. 1. All of them did it by slandering and defaming these blessed Servants of God; that so they might make them vile and hateful unto them.

God hath appointed Love among men to be the great bond and ligament of human society, to keep them from wronging and hurting one another; and to draw and incline them to mutual designs and endeavours to promote and carry on the good, profit, and benefit one of another; and each member of the Society, the good of the whole. All which he hath commanded, and enforced, with Laws of his own; and hath given men wisdom, prudence, and opportunities to exert and exercise, to express and declare it; with Consciences to egg them on to do their p. 220duty, and improve their opportunities. But these vile Monsters, with their defiling and reviling tongues, do extinguish and root out this Love, and place Hatred in the room of it one to another; and so bring-in all mischief, confusion, and every evil work amongst them; so that every mans hand is against his Brother; and Neighbours are made hateful one to another, and tempted to hate one another, as Enemies to each other. Now I do appeal to any sober and prudent person in the world, whether these defamers and backbiters are not a most hateful, vile, and a loathsome Generation? whether they are not the very scum of the world, the Monsters of men, the greatest of Sinners, and Devils incarnate? whether they are not rightly named by the holy God, Lyons, Serpents, Dogs, Asps, Adders, Dragons, fire of Hell, and Devils? For what sort of sinners else in the world are there like them, so wicked and cruel, and pernitious to mankind as these are? what sort of men are there in the world, that are such Plagues to private Families, p. 221and publick societies as they are? that are such Thorns and Bryers as they are? yea, in some sense they are worse, and more mischievous to humane societies, than the Devil himself; not in their will, but in their practice and success. For the Devil himself, of, and by himself, cannot do so much mischief, as these men do (as was shewed before). These men would not have any to love such, as they do not love; and they would have all men to envy and hate such as they do. And therefore they will first endeavour to make them vile, hateful, and loathsome, whom they would have hated, to them, whom they would have to hate them. Secondly, they will labour to excite and stir u… their hatred against them, by possessing their fancies and conceits that such men do hate them; and by raising jealousie and suspition in them; causing them to think that it is so indeed, when there is no such matter? And Oh! what cruel irreconcilable malice and hatred do they stir in men, yea, in nearest Relations one against another thereby; that it is lamentable p. 222to behold. Oh! what heart-burnings, envyings, contentions, strifes, debates, judgings, censurings, and bitter railings, do they hereby occasion; causing such to look on, and account each other, as so many Bedlams and frightful Ghosts; and tempting them in all places, and before all persons, to think, and speak the worst of one another, that possibly they can. Oh! how will God break them one day, in his fiery indignation, who have with their wicked tongues, endeavoured to break his bonds of Love and Peace amongst men. But I hasten.

Seventhly: Back-biting defamers, do with their cursed Charms, break, and hinder that sweet, pleasant, harmonious, and profitable Communion, that men, especially Saints and Relations should have one with another. Man is a sociable Creature, and cannot well, nor comfortably live in the world without free converse and communion with his fellow Creatures, that are of the same make and capacity; the neglect whereof makes men fall short of birds and beasts. For we see that birds p. 223of the same feather will flock together, and beasts of the same kind, will keep company together, though they cannot communicate one to another, as man can. It is the will of God that men should have free, pleasant, and profitable fellowship and communion one with another, in, and about the things of this life; but especially good men, and near Relations; hence sales God in Gen. 2.18. It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a help meet for him, one fit and capable of conversing with him, and to have and hold communion with him. But now these wicked tongues hinder and obstruct it, by making them vile in one anothers eyes; and raising suspitions and distrusts of one another, so that they look shie on each other, and desire not, nor delight in each others company. For, saies the Prophet Amos, chap. 3.3. Can two walk together except they be agreed? So these, who were agreed and could walk, converse, and hold communion together before these Adders came amongst them; cannot, yea, they have no hearts to do it now, because p. 224they have other thoughts and apprehensions of one another than they had. For it is certain, that, as some men are ready to defame and revile, so there are as many, who are as ready to receive and entertain what is spoken to them, as the Defamers are to speak it; and therefore are every jot as bad as the Defamers are, and they shall be shut out of Heaven, as much as the other, Psal. 15. For, are not such as receive and entertain Thieves, and Stollen goods, as bad as they that stole them? God hath appointed men to live one with, and one by another; to be comfortable and profitable one to another; and that they should hold communion together without fear or diffidence one of another; and many, and great are the advantages that would accrue to humane life thereby, as all men know. But especially, there should be intimate and friendly communion between, and among good men, and near Relations. For, without it, they cannot profit one another, nor perform their respective duties to each others souls or bodies. They should p. 225have, and hold spiritual as well as bodily communion. They ought to have communion of hearts and mouths in the worship and service of God together, Rom. 15.6. without which, their performances will not be accepted in Heaven, Math. 18.19. 1 Pet. 3.17. But these wretched Make-bates, do estrange and divide hearts; they break union and communion in Families, and Churches; so that when they worship God together, it is not with communion of hearts; they do not with one heart, and one mouth do it: For the heart of the Wife is divided from the Husband; the Childs heart from the Father, and the Servants heart from his Master; one Church-members heart from another, and one Brothers heart from another. So that God is rather mocked than worshiped; his Name rather prophaned than sanctified by them. For they have no delight in one another, neither do they desire the company of one another, neither are they free to walk, or worship God together; neither would they at any time do it, did they know how to avoyd it. p. 226Thus a Makebate separateth chief friends, and all free, profitable, chearful, and heart-satisfied communion, by the burning coals of his lips, Prov. 16.27, 38. What (say they)? will you make, or account such, and such persons your Friends, and hold communion with them? Why, we have, heard such, and such things, such miscarriages of them, and therefore you should not keep them company. Away with them, have no more to do with them, they are not fit companions for you. You will disgrace and dishonour your selves by keeping friendship and communion with them; for they are but a company of dissemblers, and they will deceive you, as Joab told David, that honest Abner came to have converse with David, but to search out his Counsels, and play the Traytor with him, 2 Sam. 3.25. He spake evil of him to David, and endeavoured to hinder his converse and communion with him, because he hated and envyed Abner, and was jealous that he might in time stand in his light; therefore he labours to render him odious and contemptible p. 227to David; though Solomon tells us that Abner was an honester, and a better man than Joab, 1 King. 2.32. These foul-mouth'd back-biting Joabs, that I am discoursing of, are very expert in Joabs cursed art, but more successful than he was; for though David hearkened to Ziba, yet he would not to Joab. But as God in the end met with Joab, so he will with them, who practise the same wickedness now, and break the communion of Neighbours, Friends, and Relations; though they seem now to be in sport.

Eighthly, The horrid wickedness, and prodigious nature of this sin, lies in this; that it hinders and obstructs all acts of Charity, both in judgment and acts. For, when once defaming Back-biters have possessed and prejudiced the mind… and fancies of men against the defamed persons, they will not pass a charitable judgment on their persons, nor any of their words or deeds; nor yet afford them any good words, nor do any office of love, or charitable work for the…, For by this means they are become vile, p. 228and hateful to them; yea, they are now ready prepared to think and speak disdainfully, and vilifyingly of them to others also; and although these defamed persons stand in never so much need of their Charity, yet they shall go without it; and, instead thereof, they shall be snipt and snub'd, judg'd and censured, reviled and defamed, slighted and contemned, & be denyed all charity & kindness: For these Back-biting mischief - makers, have alienated their hearts from them, & prejudiced their spirits against them, & so have made their Friends, their bitter Enemies.

Thus they hinder some from doing good, and others from receiving goo…. And oh, what evil, and sin do they cause, and horrid mischief do they do thereby? Oh, how exceeding great is their sin, and how great shall be their punishment? For if they shall have judgment without mercy, who shew not mercy to men, Jam. 2.13. how great shall be their judgment, and punishment, who with their wicked tongues, do hinder others from shewing mercy to such as need it? God hath commanded, p. 229and strictly charged all men, as they have opportunity and ability, to do good unto all men, Gal. 6.10. and that they do good, be ready to distribute, willing to communicate, 1 Tim. 6.17, 18. So in 1 Pet. 4.9, 10. And, As God doth every where in Scripture command men to be charitable, to objects of charity; so he highly commends it, 1 Cor. 13. and promiseth, greatly and largely to reward it, Heb. 6.10. Math. 25. So also God hath threatned all such as neglect this work and duty, with everlasting flames of wrath, Math. 25.41.46. Now these men do by their evil tongues as it were forbid men to obey and do the will of God, and so cause them to sin against God and men. And as by their so doing, they do provoke God to curse them, Math. 25.41. Deut. 27.24. so they do provoke men to curse them also.

Ninthly, These men do by their back-biting and defaming, sadden and grieve, trouble and vex, the hearts of such as they speak evil of. They grieve the hearts of such, as God would not have grieved, and p. 230sadden the spirits of such as God would not have saddened, Ezek. 13.22. Because with lies ye have made the heart of the Righteous sad, whom I have not made sad. They do not grieve them by eating, or doing indifferent things before them, which they think not lawful, Rom. 14. as some did there; no, but by speaking that, and in such a way of them, as they know to be sinful and offensive in its own nature, and cannot but wrong and grieve them. For as Achan did by his Rebellion against God, his Law, and Authority, trouble the Camp of Israel, Josh. 7.25. so do these Defamers trouble and grieve the hearts of men by apparent, positive; and moral wickedness; for they do know that such defaming words are forbiddenfruit; and that if it did not sadden and grieve men, they ought not to do it. But now when they do sadden and grieve their hearts by wicked and sinful words, by defaming and abusing them; by robbing them of, and murdering of their jewels and darlings; surely their sin is very great and grievous. And if they are p. 231good and righteous men, who are abused and grieved by them, the Lord Jesus Christ himself is also abused and grieved. For what - ever wrong or injury is done to them, the Lord Jesus takes as done to himself, Isa. 63.9. Acts 9.4, 5. Zach. 2.8. And it will be no valid excuse, to say, that they did not own them, or look on them as Saints, and related to Christ as such; for if they are so, and Jesus Christ accounts them so, their guilt shall be never the less, nor their punishment neither; for they will be found in the judgment of the Lord Jesus to be Ravishers and Defilers of his Spouse. And certainly, it cannot but greatly sadden and grieve their very hearts and souls, to have their pretious names to be defamed and reproached; to be ravished and defiled by back-biting poysonous tongues. Such as do grieve them, are said to destroy them, Rom. 14.15. But if thy Brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not Charitably; destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died. But back-biting defamers do not destroy their p. 232Friends and Brethren with their eating of meat, but with their sinful and wicked tongues. Wo be to those who grieve such as Christ would not have grieved; who grieve Jesus Christ in, and through them, whom he loves. See what Jesus Christ saith of such, Math. 18.6, 7. But who so shall offend one of these little ones, which believe in me, it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the midst or depth of the Sea. Wo unto the world, because of offences, for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh: And a thousand woes to you, who by your envious, hateful, and defaming tongues, do offend and grieve such as are near and dear to Christ; such as are to him as the apple of his eye, and as a signet on his right hand. And to conclude, let all such know, that (without Repentance) all their griefs, and all the sighs and sorrows which they have caused, and laid upon them, will rise up in Judgment against them; and then they shall receive the dismal woes which are p. 233now pronounced against them; for then will the righteous God render to every one according to his works, Rev. 2.23. Isa. 3.11. Rom. 14.

Tenthly, These men do by their back-biting and defaming tongues, incapacitate men for, and blast their opportunities of doing good in the world to men; so that when they would do good, they cannot, because their service will not be accepted. For these wicked defamers have so prejudiced their hearts against them, and render'd them so vile & odious unto them, as that their services (how useful soever they might have been to them, had they not been defamed) will by no means be accepted or regarded; and all because these defamers by their poysonous tongues have prejudiced their minds against them, and alienated their hearts from them. And having once made them hateful unto men, they will quickly be perswaded to hate, and reject their best works, their gifts and graces too. If they are holy men, able Ministers of the Gospel, and such as the blessed God hath p. 234evidently called to the work, and eminently owned and blessed in the work of preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to the converting and establishing; to the sanctifying, and comforting of many souls; to the forming of them into Churches, and setting up the order and discipline of Christ amongst them; walking exemplarily and holily before them, and witnessing with many handships and sufferings (from men) to the blessed truths and waies of Jesus Christ: Yet, I say, they shall be hated (I mean their persons); and their preaching, and all other services, loathed and rejected; because they are defamed and reproached by the wicked tongues of such as hate and envy them; and their persons looked on as vile and contemptible by many men, as if they were good for nothing, but to be cast out on the dunghil; not only as unsavory salt, but as filthy offscouring; though God who knows their hearts and ways, hath chosen and sent them, hath blest and prospered them in his work, and made them gloriously instrumental in his service, to the enlargement p. 235of his Kingdome. And notwithstanding God hath hedg'd up the way of defamers of his Ministers, and fenced them against the slanderous and back-biting tongues of all men, 1 Tim. 5.19. Against an Elder receive not an accusation, but before [or under] …wo or three Witnesses: Yet I say, they, who hate and envy them, will defame and revile, back-bite and slander them; and others will receive and spread what is told them, without so much as the testimony of one indifferent and impartial Witness; although they do thereby utterly spoyl and ruine their Ministry, and rebel against God; yea, and damn their own souls by their so doing.

Now a greater wrong and injury they cannot do, to holy and publick-spirited men, than to rob them of, and blast their opportunities of honouring God, and serving Men in their generations. For such men do not account their lives worth the keeping, unless they are fruitful and profitable. They had rather dye (if God see it good) than be useless and barren, than to live and spend the Lords mercies, and p. 236cumber the ground. There is nothing more grievous to them in the world, than to live such Swinish lives as most men (yea and professors too) do live, who are either altogether idle, or, if laborious, they bring forth fruit unto themselves, not to honour God, and profit others, as they Hos. 10.1. But now the greatest aim, delight, choice, and endeavour of holy publique-spirited men, is, to please, and honour God; and to serve, and profit, especially the souls of men, as forty instances might be given in Scripture of Paul, and other holy men. But when once these holy, and publick-spirited men are defamed, they have (if God do not wonderfully appear for them, and prevent the ends of Defamers) lost their blessed and desirable opportunities to serve God, and profit men. Publique-spirited David had a design, and an opportunity (as he thought) when he was King, to shew kindness, and to do good to Hanun King of the Ammonites, 2 Sam. 10.1, 2, 3. which he would have improved, but that David was hindred from doing, and Hanun p. 237was hindred from receiving the good that David would have done to him, by back-biting, defaming Courtiers, as you may read in ver. 3. For they raised an evil report to Hanun of David and his Servants, and made Hanun jealous and suspicious of them; and so prejudiced his mind against them, as that, when kindness was offered him, he would not accept of it. Just so do Defamers do to, and deal with, men now; they do all they can to tye up good mens hands from doing good to the souls of men, so that they may complain of them as Paul did of such men, 1 Cor. 16.9. For a great door, and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many Adversaries.

Oh! how great is their sin, and how dreadful shall be their punishment, who do with their defaming tongues, hinder, and obstruct, discourage and weaken the hearts and hands of Gods people, especially his Ministers in their work, in serving God and the souls of men; who hinder, and obstruct the free passage and acceptance of the Gospel amongst men; and p. 238who labour to make such barren, as God hath commanded to be fruitful; and undoubtedly as these wretches do therein the Devils work, who labours to hinder the Gospel, the profit and salvation of Souls; so they shall in due time reap, and receive his reward.

And as these back-biting Defamers do rob good men of their blessed opportunities to do good, so they do rob others of opportunities of receiving good also, and thereby they do greatly wrong their souls. For, Experience tells us, that men once entertaining an evil report against a good man, will never after accept of his endeavours, to do good to their souls; yea, although they had high thoughts of him, but a little before they heard him defamed, and could freely have yielded up themselves to their Ministerial guidance; and they might probably have found much profit and good, in, and by attending on their Ministry: yet now all is blasted. They will not so much as hear such preach, nor are they willing that others-should hear them neither.

p. 239Eleventhly, These Defamers do endeavour to harden the hearts of such as they do defame, and to make them desperate in sinning. For when men see that they have been robb'd of their good-names and reputations amongst men; and for ought they know, they may never regain them; they are thereby exceedingly tempted to desperate courses; and if they have already sinned, they are now under a new temptation to sin more and more. For one great argument of encouragement to perswade and draw them to Repentance, is taken from them by their Reproaches; namely, their hope of holding and keeping their honour and reputations amongst men, and so dispairing of that, they are now (if God prevent not) in the high way of being hardened in sin. For so long as men are perswaded, or can live in hope, that, although they have sinned, yet that upon repentance they shall lose nothing which is dear to them (by their sinning); neither the love and favour of God, nor respect and honour from men; they are greatly encouraged p. 240to repent, turn to God from whom they have departed, and to give all reasonable satisfaction to men whom they have offended. But now on the other hand, when they see themselves deprived of one of their greatest comforts and richest jewels, they are ready to say with those in Jer. 2.25. but thou said'st there is no hope; no, (what followed) for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go, So when Absolom saw that he could not be admitted into his Father's presence, and that Joab refused to come to him; he was more desperate than before, and sets Joabs Corn on fire, 2 Sam. 14.29, 30.

Men cannot bear to be slighted, despised, and contemned of their fellow-Creatures; and I know no way so probable and powerful to harden mens hearts, and make them desperate in sinning as this is. When Hanun, & the Ammonites thought that they had made themselves odious to David, 2 Sam. 10.6. they grew desperate: So when men see that they are loathed and despised of men, and made vile and hateful to men, then, (together p. 241with the Devil) they do either sink under dispair, or plot and contrive how they may be revenged on such as have defamed them; by rendring evil for evil, and reviling for reviling, as the Apostle speaks, 1 Pet. 3.9. And so running on from one sin to another, until they have cast themselves under such ho rid guilt, and hardness of heart, as that they are in a far more miserable and hopeless condition than they were before; and so not knowing what to do, they (with the Devil's help) betake themselves to the pleasures of sin, and of the world; and instead of repenting for what is past, they persist, and add sin to sin, occasioned by the irreparable loss of their good names, which have been extorted from them by wicked tongues; and so they are guilty of destroying and damning the souls of such, as for who… Christ died, Rom. 14 15. And so they are not only, the accursed murderers of their good names, which are dearer to them than their natural lives (a, I shewed before) but they are murderers of their souls too; yea, and that of such, for whom p. 242the Lord of glory shed his pretious blood. For although it is certain, that not any soul for whom Christ died with an intention to save, shall ever perish, Joh. 6. Joh. to Joh. 17. Tit. 2: Yet when ever we do cause such to sin against God, we do thereby put them into the way of damnation, Rom. 6.22. Heb. 12.14. 1 Cor. 6 9, 10. and tempt them to think, speak, and do, that which would inevitably damn them, were it not for the decree of Heaven, the Covenant of Grace, the blood of Christ, and the unchangeable love of God to them. But that they are not damned by our means, is no thanks to us; for by our causing them to sin, and harden their hearts, obey the Devil, and dishonour God; we have exposed them to the everlasting wrath of the great God; as much, as if God should damn them for it, although be will not do so. Yet I say we are never a whit the less guilty of damning them, because we have made, or tempted them (at least) to do that which would damn them, did not Christ prevent it. As suppose I should take a man, p. 243and throw him into some deep pit of water, from whence he cannot deliver himself; but when I have thrown him in, some men should come and deliver him, and save his life, as Judah and Reubin did Joseph, Gen. 37. Am I not as really a Murderer, as if the man had perished in the pit; in that I threw him into a perishable condition, where he must unavoydably have perished, had not some friend delivered him out of his great danger? why, this is the case of the defamers, and defamed; the defamers do throw the defamed into the pits of sin, by tempting them to sin, and by hardning their hearts against Repentance (as hath been shewed) and there they do leave them in a perishing and hopeless condition, where they would undoubtedly perish, did not the Lord Jesus help them out.

Now there are many sins which men are tempted to commit by defaming back-biting tongues; I shall mention some of them. First, They stir up the Lusts of hatred, pride, and envy, anger, wrath, or boyling choler, malice, and malignity in those p. 244whom they defame, tempt and prompt them to hate them; and to carry about a great deal of spite, malice, envy, wrath, and venome in their minds against them. They have stirred up those roaring and devouring Lyons against themselves; others have raised those horrible tempests in their souls, which neither men nor Angels can calme, or cause to cease. For these Cursed defamers have made (by their grievous temptations) such to hate, as would not have hated; to be malitious, who would not else have been malitious; to sin so, as otherwise they would not have sinned. They have strengthened, stirred up, and moved their Lusts to act, which else would not have done so; and so, with the Scribes and Pharisees, they make the defamed twofold more the Children of Hell then themselves, Math. 23. For by this means, they do cause them to fight and rebel against God; for, God hath expresly for bidden them to sin and let loose their Lusts, Psal. 4. and commanded them to mortifie and destroy them, Col. 3.5. Rom. 8.13. and we are charged to help p. 245one another in this work, and provoke one another to Love, and to good works, Heb. 10.24. But now when men shall tempt one another to sin, they do thereby bid them raise up, and rebel against God.

Secondly, They do stir up, and inflame thoughts, and intentions to revenge themselves on such as have defamed them, and to avenge themselves with their own hands and tongues; as David did intend to have done, when Nabal defamed him, 1 Sam. 25. and thereby tempted him to revenge himself on him, which accordingly he did, so far as he could. I say by defaming mem, we do tempt them to execute vengeance on us with their own hands, contrary to the express will of God, Rom. 12.19, 20, 21. 1 Pet. 3.9. Heb. 10.30. And by their so doing, do throw themselves into the hand of the living God. For they being infinitely provoked by their defamer's tongues, they cannot without much grace, and the help of the Spirit, refrain, or restrain themselves from retaliating, and returning railing for railing, defaming for defaming; p. 246although God hath forbidden them to do so, Prov. 20.22. Say not thou, I will recompence evil, but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee. And experience shews that the best of men know how hard a matter it is to bridle Lusts when they are stirred, heighthned, and inflamed by such contemptuous and horrid abuses from men. Men can more easily bear a thousand stroaks from the immediate hand of God, than one from the hands or tongues of men; especially if they are their equals, or inferiours.

Thirdly, As they stir up, strengthen, inflame, and draw forth abundance of the lusts of mens hearts, quicken and move them to revenge; so they do grievously tempt them to omit and neglect their duties to God and men; and herein they do act like the Devil, and go hand in hand with him, in driving and carrying on his designes, namely, to rob Christ of his due honour from his Creatures, and they of the profit they might receive from him in the setled and well performance of them. For such is the force and power of a defaming p. 247tongue on the minds of persons defamed or that it doth unexpressibly distract, divide, and discompose their hearts; and render them altogether uncapable and unfit for Meditation, Prayer, or any other Duty. So that if they would persorm them as God requires, and as they have done; so, as to honour, and please God: yet they cannot, because of the grief and trouble that is in their minds, which they have received from their defamers; so that now they cannot bring forth their graces to act in duties, without which duties are not accepted in Heaven; partly through, or from the distraction and trouble of their minds; and partly from guilt that is on their Consciences; and partly from fears that God will not hear, nor accept them; because they know, that they must worship him without wrath and doubting, and with a spirit reconciled to men, 1 Tim. 2 8. Math. 5.23, 24. all which they know (as the case stands with them) they cannot do. But what experience teaches all men, I need not speak much, as in this case it doth. Therefore.

p. 248Fourthly, They do by their defaming, greatly tempt, and provoke the defamed to wish, desire; yea, and rejoyce in the falls, sins, and miseries of them, expresly contrary to the will of God, Prov. 24.17. Rejoyce not when thine Enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth. For when men lie under the burden of Reproach, and seel the grief and smart of defaming and reproaching tongues, which have robb'd them of their good names; they can hardly contain themselves from desiring and wishing they might fall into sin and misery, who have so egregiously and villanously wronged them; and when they fall, they are ready to rejoyce at it, though God be dishonoured thereby, and their own souls greatly wronged. But in case such as are defamed, do refrain from making such sinful improvements of their sufferings from them; yet the defamers do nevertheless tempt them so to do; and their sin, and guilt is not one Iota the less for that; for they have assaulted them with violent and strong temptations to do as hath been p. 249said. And assuredly, such as tempt and provoke others to sin, are most horrid and prodigious sinners; and so are all such as rejoyce in their sins and miseries, and in causing them to sin, 1 King. 21.25. Rom. 1.32.

Fifthly, They do (as was said) harden their hearts, and keep the persons they defame from repentance. For by their defaming and reproaching them for their real sins, they do so deject, distract, discompose and divide their minds, and cause them to busie and exercise their thoughts about their sufferings, and the Authors of them, and so much hinder them of their hopes of regaining what they have lost, as that they cannot mind nor seriously consider what they are to do, nor attend to their proper work; and so being in this sad and woful plight, by means of their wicked defamers, they are far more disposed and prepared to sin more and more, than to repent, and to run further off from God rather than to return to him: And oh! how great must their sin needs be, who cause others to sin, harden their hearts p. 250from repentance, and cause them to damn their souls; yet, thus defamers are guilty of, and much more as I could instance in, were it needful so to do; but I think I have said enough to evince what I said, and to convince all who are willing to see and be convinced of the horrid sinfulness of this sin; and that among other evils they do by their defaming, this is one, namely, they do tempt and provoke to sin such as they do defame, yea, and make them desperate in sinning, and harden them against repentance.

Twelfthly, These wicked defamers do greatly tempt and provoke such to sin against God and men, to whom they do carry and vend their defamations of others. For, by their reporting matters of reproach and slander to them of others, they do give them occasion to sin against God, and such as are defamed, and thereby they lay a snare, and spread a Net to catch the Souls of their Auditors in, and move them to transgress and commit iniquity likewise. For by their filling the ears and minds of such as hear them with their p. 251defamings, they do give them occasions and opportunity to stir up their Lusts of Pride, Malice, Hatred, Envy, Jealousy, Wrath, and Anger against them, and provoke them also.

First, To receive, accept, and entertain the Reproach that is cast on them by the Reporters, expresly against the will of God, Psal. 15.3. Exod. 20.16. Exod. 23.1. For, (as was shewed before) men are exceeding apt and willing to receive and entertain evil reports of one another: yea, they are glad and rejoyce at the hearing of such stories of each other, as if they had found some great treasure. It is well known that such men and women who are very apt to be offended at, & greatly to envy the praise of others, are exceeding apt and prone to rejoyce at their hearing of the evil reports of others. But whether or no they will receive and entertain such reports, these wicked defamers will do all they can to possess them with their stories, and perswade them that they may, and ought to believe what they say against, or report of them, whom they desire p. 252should be reproached, that so they may mischief them, although they do ruine the Souls of their hearers by their so doing, Psal. 15.1.3.

Secondly, They tempt them to hate such as are reproached. For these defamers do endeavour to render them odious, hateful and abominable unto them, that so they may (if possible) provoke them to hate, and abhor them. And the hearts of men are very apt, and exceeding prone to loath and abhor such as are defamed, especially if they are such as the… had little or no esteem of before: Thus they do cast a stumbling block in the way of men, to stumble, fall, break their bones, wound their Consciences, dishonour God, grieve the spirit, and damn the souls of such as they carry their wicked defamations to: And oh, how great is their sin who tempt, and provoke others to sin, by laying snares and provocations in their way, and put an opportunity into their hands to sin if they will.

Now, if he be partaker of, and involved in the guilt of anothes sin; who when p. 253he hath an opportunity so to do, will not hinder him from sinning, or recover and restore him when he knows he hath sinned, as appears he is 1 Tim. 5.22. Gal. 6.1, 2. how much more is he guilty? and how much greater is his sin, who instigates, tempts, provokes, and intices another to sin, as most certainly all defamers, & reproachers do, and that more ways than I shall now mention. And if he is a Murderer who hateth his Brother? 1 Joh. 3.15. how much more is he a Murderer, who provokes and tempts another to hate, loath, and abhor him, which all Reproachers assuredly do? God hath expresly forbidden men to hate others, Levit. 19.17. but these men do greatly tempt and provoke them to hate, loath, and abhor such as they hear defamed by them.

Thirdly, As they do tempt their Auditors to hate the Reproached, so they do tempt and provoke them to spread the Reproach to others, and so to fail in with them in their wickedness, and to do as they have done, and so these wicked defamers have p. 254put a sword into their Neighbours hands to murder two at one blow; namely, their own souls, and the good name of him whom they have reproached, and so have quickned, and stirred them up to rebel against God, and transgress his Royal Law (as hath been shewed before); and in so doing, they do sin with a high hand against the holy God, and provoke him to wrath and vengeance. For of all sinners they are assuredly the greatest who tempt and provoke others to sin; and it is all one with respect to the Tempters, whether or no the tempted do so improve the temptation; for the sin, and the greatness of it, lies in the Tempters laying of the temptation before him, and so provoking him to believe, receive, speak, and do as he would have him, although the tempted refuse so to do. Now it cannot be denyed, but that Defamers or Reproachers do intend in their reproaching of others, to make their hearers partakers with themselves in their wicked practice, and by carrying tales to them, aggravating and augmenting of some real p. 255sin of another to them, they cannot but hope to obtain their desire by their endeavours. For what ends and designs can Reproachers have in their eye, in labouring to possess their hearers with reproaches? but to perswade them to believe, receive, and improve them to the wrong and ruine of the Reproached; and because Reproachers will not fail of obtaining their wicked ends, they do imploy, or at least endeavour to set others about their work, that so they may accomplish their designs upon the Reproached.

Fourthly, These Reproachers and Defamers do tempt and provoke their hearers to rash, unlawful, and uncharitable judgings, and censurings of the Reproached, contrary to the express will of God, Math. 7.1, 2. and they do thereby expose them to the judgments of God; for says the Text, Judg not, that ye be not judged; for with what judgment ye judg, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. Now experience shews, that men (especially p. 256Women) are exceeding prone and apt to receive, and so to improve the reproaches they hear of others. Yea, David himself was once overtaken with this soul wickedness; for no sooner did a vile treacherous Ziba reproach Mephibosheth to David, but presently he censures and passes a rash, unjust, and uncharitable judgment on innocent Mephibosheth, never once examining the matter, nor wait for any defence from the repeoached; but Ziba's counterfeit coyn was currant money with David. If a reviling, slandering, and lying Ziba do but say a Mephibosheth is a Traytor, it must, without asking a question be granted, that he is guilty, & judgment must pass accordingly upon him, as a real Traytor, 2 Sam. 16. And although their hearers may be kept by the power and light of God, from improving the reproaches that are brought to them by these defamers, against the reproached, yet the Reproachers sin is never the less sinful, no thanks to them.

Fifthly, They tempt and provoke their hearers, to withdraw, and keep from the persons p. 257reproached, all friendly and neighbourly communion, favours, helps, and kindnesses, which they have, or are bound in duty to shew and afford them, as they have occasion & opportunity offered, which will one day be found to be no venial sin. For we are charged and commanded as we have opportunity to do good to all men, Gal. 6.10. and to provoke one another to love and to good works, Heb. 10.24. But these Reproachers are such enemies to good works, as that they do by their reviling tongues labour to tye up the hands, and shut up, and harden the hearts of men against their friends and neighbours, and to hinder them all they can from doing their duty. And experience shews us, that when men are once offended with, and prejudiced against men, they are thereby taken off from doing their duty to them, although it is their sin so to do: I say, it is their sin to make such uses of reproachers, that Reproachers do cast upon their Neighbours; but so it is, and Reproachers are the procurers of it, and the greatest weight of guilt will lye at their doors one p. 258day, and the other shall not go unpunished. I could have enlarged every particular, and have added many more, but that my design is to be very brief, that so I may not weary the Reader.

I suppose, I have said enough to convince such as are willing to be convinced, that the sin of Reproaching, Defaming, or speaking Evil of one another, is a great and abominable sin, a God-provoking and Soul-damning sin, if there be any such sin in the world.