The Evil Tongue Tried and Found Guilty, Title page – To the reader
The Evil Tongue TRYED, And found GUILTY: OR,
The Hainousness, and exceeding Sinfulness of Defaming and Back-biting, opened and declared.
Wherein is shewed, that a Defaming and Back-biting Tongue, is a most pernitious and grievous plague to man-kind.
Published for common good; namely, to convince the guilty of their sin, and perswade them to Repentance. To stop the mouths of Defamers and Back biters; and to caution all persons against this Epidemical and dangerous Evil.
By Stephen Ford, Minister of the Gospel in London.
London, Printed for Nath. Crouch, in Exchange - Alley, over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhil, 1672.
AN EPISTLE TO THE READER.
Good Reader,
I Think these are the last dayes, wherein (according to our Saviours Predictions, Math. 24.) Iniquity abounds. And amongst many other notorious abominations which are Rife and Rampant in this Land among all sorts of men; the sin of Defaming & Back-biting, of casting dirt on each others good names and reputations, rendring one another odious and contemptible, is not the least, nor most rarely to be found among us; but rather one of the most common, general, and most pernitious wickednesses that is practiced and countenanced; and that by many who have escaped the pollutions of several other iniquities and like abominations. For sad experience shews, that such as will not swear or drink to excess, yet will Back-bite, Reproach, and Defame; such as will not rob men of their goods, nor murder their bodies, yet will freely rob them of, and murder their good names, as if they were in sport; yea, wipe their mouths, and say, they have done no evil; although they have thereby rebell'd against, and dishonoured God; given a mortal stab to the good names of men; exposed their own names to perpetual Rep oach, and their Souls to everlasting Perdition; as assuredly such do as practice this wickedness, and are Countenancers of it in others; which have occasioned these lines which I have here written, and sent abroad into the world, for the detecting and laying open of this soul Monster; this pernitious and horrible wickedness; this prodigious a-abomination; that such as will, may see the ugly shamefulness of it; loath and abhor it; flee from it; have nothing to do with it, nor with the practizers of it. That they may fence and arm themselves against it, and avoyd all occasions of it. If they have been guilty of it, they may Repent; if guiltless, they may be thankful. That they may Watch, Pray, and stand upon their guard, that they enter not into temptation to commit this sin; or if tempted to it, they may resist it, and fight against it, as against a Soul-murdering Enemy, under the deep and piercing convictions of the Devil, and dreadful danger of it, if it should prevail and be entertained.
Reader, I shall not trouble thee with a long Epistle, but only to entreat thee to read, and seriously to mind these following particulars in thy passage to the Book it self.
1. I do entreat thee to lay aside all prejudice in reading of this Book, which may be moving in thy mind, either against the work or work-man. Read with a single and an unbyassed eye and heart, if ever thou expectest any benefit by what thou readest.
2. See that thy aims and ends be right, and such as will be approved of in Heaven; namely, to find out the truth and will of God; to know thy self and sins more clearly, in order to a right and profitable practice and improvement of all, in order to repentance and amendment of what is evil, &c. and conforming to the will of God in that which is thy duty, and in all that God may be glorified, and thy Soul profited.
3. Pray for the Holy Ghost, to help and assist thee with light, life, and power; with quicknings, teachings, and convictions, that in his light thou may'st see thy own darkness and sin, and be enabled to make a right judgment of the Truths, asserted and opened in this book.
4. I do entreat thee to over-look all the humane weaknesses which thou may'st find in this book, and pass … charitable judgment on what may possibly occasion thy censure, and on the intention and design of the Author; and let not his frailties hinder thy acceptance of the great Truths laid before thee for thy Souls profit.
5. Weigh and consider with an impartial judgment what thou readest; and judg if the sum and substance of what thou findest here written will not hold weight in the Balance of the Sanctuary and right reason; and if it do, then receive, entertain, and improve it well for the truths sake, and thy own Souls sake.
6. If thou wilt avoyd this sin, detected and opened in this book then I advise thee to observe & follow these few Rules.
1. Do all thou can'st to get and keep deep and working convictions in thy heart, of the greatness, hainousness, and pernitiousness of the sin of Back-biting, Defaming, and Reproaching. Labour to be thorow sensible of the horrible nature and prodigious consequences of it; how hateful and provoking to God; how mischievous to men, and pernitious to thy self?
2. Begin thy Reformation, or eschewing of it, with heart, tears, and bitter sorrow for what is past, and sue out pardons through the blood of Christ. Let deep humiliation, and serious Reformation go together.
3. If thou wouldest avoyd and eschew the said sin, then lay the Ax to the Roots of it, and endeavour the removal of the causes, or else thou may'st labour in the fire; thou may'st cut off some of the branches and fruits to day, but they will sprout forth again to morrow from the old Roots. Thou wilt not long be able to divert or stop the streams, unless thou first drain the fountain. What the Roots and causes of this great wickedness are, thou wilt find in the book it self.
4. If thou would'st avoyd this sin, then avoyd the occasion and appearances of it.
5. Consider, and have thine eyes fixt on thy own deformities and filthy botches; the evils of thy own heart and wayes, and then thou wilt find work enough at home. Thou wilt find thy own heart reproach thee, and thy miscarriages reprove thee so, as that thou wilt have little mind to think or speak evil of others.
6. Remember and lay to heart the judgment to come, that the great and All-seeing God, whose eyes are now upon all thy wayes, will shortly judg thee as well as others.
7. Commit thy self to the Lord in well doing, and entreat him to awe thy heart with his fear; to set a watch before thy mouth, and keep the doors of thy lips, that thou reproach not with thy tongue.
8. I entreat thee to read these few sheets once and again, (throughout), and yield up thy judgment and conscience to the light and authority of the Scripture-Reason thou shalt find in them. Read and ponder the whole, and then judg.
I shall hold thee no longer in the Porch, but commend thee to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to make thee wise unto Salvation.
S. Ford.