A Bridle for the Tongue, Imprimatur – Dedication
Imprimatur.
Geo. Stradling. S. T. P. Rev. in Christo. Pat. D Gilb. Epiſc. Lond. ſac. domeſtic. Ex Aed. Sab. Jun. 22. 1663.
A BRIDLE FOR THE TONGUE; OR, A Treatiſe of ten Sins of the Tongue. viz.
Curſing,
Swearing,
Slandering,
Scoffing,
Filthy-ſpeaking,
Flattering,
Cenſuring,
Murmuring,
Lying and
Boaſting.
SHEWING, The nature of theſe ſins, and how many wayes men may be guilty of them; with the Cauſes and Aggravations of them, and Remedyes againſt them: Together with many Conſiderations, Rules, and Helps for the Right ordering of the Tongue: Divers common places ſuccinctly handled, and divers Caſes cleered.
By William Gearing Miniſter of the Word.
Solicitam ori tuo cuſtodiam pone, non enim eſt quicquam in nobis, quo faciliùs peccare poſſumus, quam linguâ. Hier. Epiſt. ad Demetriad.
London, Printed by R. H. for Tho. Parkhurſt at the Sign of the Three Crowns over againſt the Great Conduit at the lower end of Cheapſide. 1663.
To the Right Honourable, Sir Orlando Bridgeman, Knight and Baronet, Lord Chief Juſtice of his Majeſtyes Court of Common-Pleas, &c. and to the vertuous Lady his wife.
Right Honourable.
AS Man is a reaſonable creature, ſo is ſpeech given to him by God to expreſs his reaſon, and a tongue to utter that expreſſion: Brute creatures can make a noiſe, but man only can articulate his voice; his mind provideth the matter, his breath the convoy, and his tongue frameth diſtinct and ſignificant words and ſyllables, and carrieth the ſenſe of our minds from us by the ear to the heart of others: The Tongue is the ſecretary of the mind, and the Interpreter of the heart; it is the great huckſter by which we negotiate and traffique one with another.Plin. nat. hiſtor lib. 7 cap. 16. The Teeth, ſaith Pliny, ſerve not only to grind our meat for our daily food and nouriſhment, but neceſſary alſo they be for the framing of our ſpeech: the fore-teeth ſtand us in good ſtead to rule and moderate the voice by a certain concent and tunable accord, anſwering as it were to the ſtroke of the Tongue; and according to that row and rank of theirs wherein they are ſet, as they are broader or narrower, greater or ſmaller, they yield a diſtinction and variety in their words, cutting and hewing them thick and ſhort, framing them pleaſant, plain, and ready, drawing them out at length, or ſmothering and drowning them in the end: but when once they be fallen out of the head, man is bereaved of all means of good utterance, and explanation of his words: Therefore God in Scripture threatens to ſtrike the wicked on the cheek-bone,Percutire maxillam, figura quaſi proverhiali ſignificat poenam cum ignominia & dedecore conjunctam. Druſ. obſerv lib. 3 cap 5. and to break the teeth of the ungodly. Pſal. 3.7. And to ſmite on the cheek-bone, and break out the teeth, ſaith Druſius, ſignifieth in a proverbial ſpeech, a puniſhment joyned with reproach and infamy. The Tongue hath no Rein by nature, but hangeth looſe in the midſt of the mouth, taking that hollow place as its appointed limits for the nimbleneſs thereof. Man hath many importers, his ears, his eyes, and all his ſenſes in their ſeveral employments, but only one exporter, ſc. the Tongue, and that finds work enough to utter all their reports.
The Tongue in Scripture is called Mans Glory; but alas! fooliſh man turneth his glory unto ſhame; he hath no member more fit to honour God, and edify his Neighbour; and none whereby God is more diſhonoured, and Mankind more injured: Moſt commonly when Gentlemen meet, they talk of their Hawks and Hounds, their Feaſts and Banquetings, their pleaſures, ſports, and paſtimes; when Gentlewomen meet, they talk of their Attires and Habits, new faſhions and new fangles: when Husbandmen meet, their diſcourſe is how the year will fall out, what the price of Corn and Cattle is: Neighbours can meet together to conferre about Town-buſineſs; but God is quite forgotten,Clara cum laude la…it a. Gloſs. in Rom. 16. as a dead man out of mind: Some indeed (for faſhion ſake) will a little talk of God, but it is in a cold and dead manner without any life at all, not talking of him with delight: Men nowadayes count it a ſhame to them to read the Scriptures, to pray, to entertain one another with holy diſcourſes, for fear of being talkt of by others; ſo carrying the light in a Theeves Lanthorn: Whereas wiſdoms Maidens of honour will cry in the Market-place;Prov. 9.3. and whoſoever hath the Law of God in his heart, cannot but ſpeak of him and not be aſhamed. But alas! if ever mens tongues were ſet on fire with hell, it is in this age: and if prophaneſs, ſlanders, revilings, lying, blaſphemies, ſcoffings, oaths and execrations, were taken out of mens words, how few would remain! but pertinent and profitable ſpeech that ſavoureth of grace and godlineſs is as rare as the other aboundeth.
Phyſitians take great notice of the tongue, judging thereby of the health or ſickneſs of the body: ſo our words ſhew plainly the qualily of our ſouls; and as a veſſel is known by the ſound, whether it be whole or broken; ſo are men proved by their ſpeech, whether they be ſound or rotten at heart: Holy tongues are alwayes deſirous to be ſpeaking good, to ſpeak of Gods name, which to do, is truly to ſanctify it,Polan. Syntag. cap. 10. de lege. ſaith Polanus: This is the practice of the glorified Saints, and muſt be ours: A Father takes moſt delight, in his child, when it can talk of him, and with him; ſo God loveth to hear us praiſing him, and making him our ſong: And as the Bees mingle nothing in their little mouths but honey; ſo ſhould our tongues be alwayes honied with the love of God, and to feel no pleaſant ſweetneſs, but to hear the praiſes of God paſs thorow our mouths, with ſo daily thankfulneſs for all our bleſsings, that ſome honey-dew may paſs into the hearts of the hearers. 'Tis good to ſpeak of God reverently, not to ſhew our own eloquence; but with a ſpirit of humility to diſtil the precious balm of true devotion, ſometime into the ears of one, ſometime of another, which muſt be done ſweetly by way of inſpiration; for marvellous it is, how much a ſweet and amiable perſwaſion to any good, is of force to attract the hearts of men unto it. Words are not to be affected by us for curioſity or vain glory: to what end ſaith St. Auguſtine, is a golden key, if it open not what we deſire? and what hurt if the key be of wood, ſo it do the deed which the other cannot? ſeeing all that we expect from a key, is but to open what before was ſhut up: therefore all painted and gawdy words muſt be avoided, that edify not. A good man had rather his words go forth in a plain dreſs, then in the garb of an Harlot. But albeit our words are to be without vain affectation, yet Rhetorical and Hyperbolical expreſſions are ſometime uſeful and excellent: ſuch ſpeeches as are according to the rules of Art, which are laid down in Rhetorique, which delivereth rules of elegant ſpeech; and what is according to Art, muſt needs be lawful, uſeful, and commendable. 1. Becauſe the Arts are gathered out of the creatures by the wiſdom of God which is in the creatures, or from the divers actions and affections of the creatures, working according to the ſevera ends they are directed unto; which ends are good, as may appear by the examination of particular Arts, as Logick, natural Philoſophy, Aſtronomy, &c. This elegant kind of ſpeaking God hath given to ſome men more then others, according to the wiſdom and paſſionateneſs of affection beſtowed on them; indeed this kind of ſpeech is the moſt excellent of all other; and we ſhall obſerve that the moſt lofty writings of the Scriptures are written in this ſtile; as the book of the Canticles is a continual Allegory; and why was David called the ſwee-ſinger of Iſrael? was it not for that the Pſalms of all other Scriptures are moſt full of Metaphors, Allegories, Hyperbolies, &c. So the Songs that are in Scripture, and the Books of the Prophets do abound with theſe figurative ſentences. 2, Becauſe the Arts do not contradict each other; for what is true in one Art is not falſifyed by another Art; and what is true in Logick, Grammar, &c. is not falſe in Rhetorick or Theology. 3. All Arts are ſubſervient to Divinty; She is the Miſtriſs, the reſt are the handmaids; therefore this is to be noted, that we are not alwayes bound to ſtrict propriety of ſpeech, but have liberty allowed us out of the word of God to adorn our ſpeeches with figurative ſentences: He is rightly eloquent ſaith Cicero, who obſerving a decorum, and tempering his ſtile according to his perſon, can ſpeak fitly, fully and fluently of all things, temperately of mean things, and weightily of matters of importance.
As for prolixity and ſhortneſs of ſpeech, either may be uſed commendably in their time; as Mariners ſometime ſail with large ſpread, and ſometime with narrower gathered ſails: we ſhould affect rather to be great doers then great ſpeakers: It is ſaid of our Saviour, he began firſt to do, and after to teach. Act. 1.1. Didac. Stell. de contemp. mundi.It is a monſtrous thing for a man to have his tongue larger then his hand. God hath made the tongue of man leſs then his hand: and cloſed it up in his mouth, teaching him thereby to uſe but few words, and many deeds, ſpeak little and do much: and Solomon tells us, that in the multitude of words there wanteth not ſin. Prov. 10.19. Emyſſen ſaith: there is as much difference between ſaying and doing, as between leaves and fruit: He that ſayes onelyonly, is like the Figtree in the Goſpel, which brought forth leaves only: He that doth alſo, is like Aarons rod which brought forth bloſſoms and Almonds: Bloſſoms as leaves, and Almonds as fruits: that man only knoweth to ſpeak well, that hath learnt to do well. The Scripture mentioneth three Tongues which are in every well dispoſed man. 1. The tongue of the heart; loqui veritatem in corde ſuo; for a man to ſpeak the truth in his heart. Pſal. 15.2, 2. The tongue of the mouth; non agere dolum in lingua ſua, ver. 3. 3. The tongue of our works: the works which I do, ſaith Chriſt, they bear witneſs of me, Joh. 10.25. God little regardeth words without works; for he is not as Mercury, to whom Tongues only are offer'd in Sacrifice: Better it is with the Lacedemonians to do well, then with the Athenians to ſpeak well.
Yet the ſpeaking little, ſo much commended in Scripture, is not to be underſtood of few words only, but that we ſhould not ſpeak many unprofitable words; for in matters of ſpeech, the quality, not the quantity is to be regarded; but the two extreams are to be ſhunned: for too much to play the ſullen, refuſing to contribute to familiar diſcourſe in good company, ſeemeth to have a diſtaſt or a diſdain; ſo to talk alwaies, not affording any opportunity to others to ſpeak, ſavoureth of vain glory and vanity;Multa non multum. Multa dicendo nihil dicunt. Auguſt. ſo that Balaams Aſs ſpake more to the purpoſe then ſuch men do: Speech is often like unto coyn, which paſſeth for currant, not in regard of the mettall only, but of the ſtamp that is ſet upon it.
Now the deſigne of this Treatiſe which I humbly dedicate to your honours, is to ſet forth the evils of the Tongue, and more particularly of ten ſins of the Tongue; to ſhew the nature of thoſe ſins, the ſeveral branches, the miſchiefs, and aggravations of them, with remedyes againſt them, whereunto I have added divers conſiderations, rules, and helps for the government of the tongue, ſhewing alſo wherein the right ordering of the Tongue conſiſteth, all which is fitted to the times, as the ingenuous Reader will well diſcern.
Right Honourable,
I Have made bold to ſend this ſlender Treatiſe into the world, under your honours name and patronage, which I have preſumed to do, understanding the goodneſs of your diſpoſitions to be ſuch, that I cannot in the leaſt doubt, but that you will pardon my boldneſs, and cheriſh this ſmall ſpark and evidence of my unfeigned affection to your Honours. My Lord! Judges and Magiſtrates are fingers of that great hand that governeth the world; the Gods of the earth to be diſpenſers of Gods mercy to good men, and executioners of his judgements upon evil-doers: Compaſſion is the handle, Juſtice the edge, and Mercy the point of the Magiſtrates ſword: the Magiſtrate is a common ſervant for the common good and wealth of all; and he is a happy man indeed, that liveth leaſt for his own, and moſt for the good of others; it is the right uſe of authority, when Governours reſpect not their own ends in publique actions, nor wear the ſword of Juſtice in their own ſheath, as I hear your Lordſhip doth not.
Whereas many in high places make Tacitus their Gospel, ſtudying Lucian more than the old Teſtament, and Macchiavel then the New; your Lordſhip knows that there is no Nobility like to the New-birth in Chriſt, no Beauty like to the beauty of the Daughter of Sion, who is all glorious within; no Honour to the Service of God; no Glory to the Croſs of Chriſt, no Gain like Godlineſs, no Treaſure to that which is laid up in Heaven; no cloathing to the righteouſneſs of Chriſt; no Ornament to the ornament of Humility and Meekneſs; no Crown to that of Immortality; no kingdom to the Conqueſt of our Selves; no Learning to the knowledge of Chriſt, no Wiſdom to that of the Spirit; no Joy to that of a good conſcience, no Life to a Heavenly converſation. The Lord grant that you may alwayes account it to be more honour to you to be a ſervant of God, then a Judge over men; as Theodoſius the Emperour eſteemed it more honour to be Membrum Eccleſiae, then Caput Imperii, a Member of the Church of Chriſt, then Lord of the World; and that you may be like unto Moſes; who as he pleaded the cauſe of God to the people with the ſword of Juſtice, ſo he pleaded the cauſe of the people to God with the tears of Mercy; for good Governours ſhould have manus ad clavum, oculos ad aſtra, their hands at the Stern, and their eyes to Heaven. The Lord continue your Lordſhip long to execute judgement and juſtice among us, which even the Heathens acknowledge to be mentem Dei, Harmoniam Caeli, & concordiam mundi; and enrich you Both with all Heavenly bleſsings: So prayeth (my Lord and Madam)
Your Honours in all Goſpel-Services to be commanded. W. GEARING. From my Study at Mayfield in Suſſex. Auguſt 24. 1663.