A Practical and Polemical Commentary Upon 2 Timothy 3-4, Part 1 · Subpart 3 · Section 2
11. False accusers.
The last dayes will be perilous, for men shall be false accusers, slanderers, back-biters,foreign, Calumniatores, Criminatores, Obtrectatores, Delatores. or, in plaine English, Devills. The Devill hath many names given him in Scripture, but his most proper and peculiar name, by which he is knowne, and his malicious nature is discovered to us, is, Devill. (i. e.) a Slanderer, or false accuser; because 'tis his great work to slander both God and Man. He slanders God to the Saints, and the Saints to God; since he cannot ruine them, he will raise lies and false accusations against them. Revel. 12.10.See Mr. Ienkin on Iude 9. Hence he's stiled by way of eminency, foreign, the slanderer of slanderers, the great slanderer and make-bate of the world, the Devill, Matth. 4.1. and 5.5.11. and 25.41. Iohn 8.44. 1 Pet. 5.8.
2. The word is taken in a more large and generall sense, for any one who is like the Devill, of a Devillish quality, especially in slandering, and falsly accusing others. Hence the Apostle would have women to be grave, not slanderers, or Devills. 1 Tim. 3.11. for to carry slanders up and down, is to act for the Devill, and to act like the Devill, no child so like the Father,Hi cum Diabolo commune nomen habent, & sunt qui recta aliorum dicta & facta depravant, corrumpunt, & in alium sensum torquent. Hemingius. Qui sibi nullius boni conscius est, omnes ut invidus carpit & criminatur. Bulling. as these are like the Devill, and therefore in Scripture they have one and the same name given them. viz. Devills. Thus in the last days men shall be vile, and voyd of goodness themselves, and therefore they will maliciously calumniate the goodness of others, 'Twill be their delight (as 'tis the Devills their Master) to coyne false Reports, and raise lyes against the Saints, misinterpreting them and their actions to the world, putting false Interpretations, on what they do or say.
1. If they see any Vertue in the Saints, they either deny it, or diminish it, or else they put some sinister gloss upon it.
2. If they see any infirmities in them, they presently blaze them, they aggravate and augment them, making them farre greater then they are; they make pounds of pence, and mountains of Mole-hills.
3. If they can find no faults,foreign sunt, qui mendaciis & confictis criminibus aliorum innocentiam vexant. Estius. they will invent some, as the Devill did by Iob 2.9, 10, 11, and 2.5. and this properly is slandring. Thus Ieremiahs adversaries dealt with him. Ier. 13.18. Come let us devise devices against him. q. d. Though we can find nothing justly against him, yet we'l go and coyne something. So that to slander, is not simply to tell to another, what our neighbour doth or saith (for that may be done for our neighbours good, and for publick benefit;) thus those that told Eli of his sonnes wickednesse, were no back-biters: nor Ioseph who told his father of his Brethrens ill-doings. Gen. 37. nor those that told Paul of the contentions and fornications of the Corinthians. (1.1.5.) because they did it not cum animo nocendi, maliciously, but out of love, and for their good. But slandering properly is a malicious, bitter, reproachfull spreading of false tales. 'Tis a going up and down with an intent to do them a mishchief. Thus Doeg accused David, and Abimilech to Saul. 1 Sam. 22. and Haman slandered the Jewes to the King, and the Pharises oft traduced Christ and his Apostles. So then, a slander is the Devills arrow, shot by mans bow, he lends him his lyes and malice, and borroweth the slanderers Tongue to utter them. And is not this the great sin of our Age? Do not many cast off their Trades, and make it their Trade, like Pedlars, to go up and down with the Devills pack? at one Town they open their pack, and there they vent Atheisme, they come to another, and there they vent Papisme, they go to a third, and there they cry Rantisme, they go so a fourth, and there they vent blasphemy against God, and railing against Magistrates and Ministers Gratis, they expect nothing for their (idle, addle) speaking, I see no reason why they should, unlesse they vented better stuffe. These Rake-hells are the Devills Factours, Merchants. Levit. 19.26. Thou shalt not go up and down as a Talebearer; the word is Rachell, (whence our English word Rake-hell) which properly signifieth a Trafficker, that goeth up and down with his wares, so these go from place to place with false Accusations.
2. As those oft blend and mixe their wares, so these oft coyne false Tales against their Neighbours.
3. As those buy at one place, and sell at another, so these Pedling-Devills make merchandise of their words, hearing a false Tale at one house, and selling it at another. The back-biter is (mus nominis saith Plautus) a mouse that is alwayes gnawing on the good name of his neighbour,Infeli…issimum c…n…lationis genus, de miseriis pecca…um cape… solatium. Sa…vian. Sometimes she whispers in secret, and anon he openly defames, yet subtilly covering all with a deep sigh, professing his great sorrow for such a ones fall, when they should delight in the vertues of others, they feed upon their vices.
Let such consider, 1. That this sin is hatefull in respect of its Originall, it comes more especially from the Devill, and brings men to him. He at first slandered God to man, man to man, and a man to himself. Other sinnes make men like to beasts, but this makes men like the Devill himself: Hence Gerson calls them Caniuos dentes Diaboli. The Devills dog-teeth, and the Holy Ghost rangeth them amongst the wicked. Psal. 50.20. Rom. 1.30. By such persons and practises, the Devill upholds his kingdom. Lying and slandering, are the pillars of Popery.
2. Such breed great strise in Cities, Families, Kingdomes. Prov. 16.28. and 26.20. especially if it be a son, servant, or bosome friend, and be done maliciously to get an estate, as Ziba when he accused Mephibosheth to David. 2 Sam. 16. and Tertullus accused Paul for Self-ends. Acts 24.25.
3. They are the worst kind of Thieves, they robbe a man of his good name, which is a choyce Treasure. Prov. 22.1. Eccles. 7.3. Thieves may be shunned or out-run, but who can avoyd a slanderous Tongue.Longè damnosior est fur nominis, quàm numinorum; quia calumnia leviter volut, sed graviter vulnerat; leviter volat, sed non tam leviter violatur. Beza. Calumniare audacter, aliquid saltem adhaerebit. A Thiefe may make satisfaction for what he stole, but this sin scarce admits of any sound restitution. Though the fame be false, yet it leaves a scarre behind it. Hence Machiavel taught his Schollars to lye lustily, some dirt would stick however.
4. 'Tis a kind of murder, it's called the poyson of aspes. Rom. 3.13. and the aspe spits poyson a great way off. 'Tis death for one to poyson his neighbour; slandering, is poysening him. Their poysonous mouthes breathe forth nothing but curses,A convitiis ad caedam transitus valdè est brevis. lyes, reproaches; upon which murders often follow. Rom. 3.13.15.16. Ezek. 22.9. 2 Sam. 10.3.18. Hamans Princes misinterpreting, & traducing Davids kindness, brought the sword upon them, & cost many lives. The slanderer kills three at once, viz. The Speaker, the Receiver, and him that is spoken against. Hence his Tongue is compared to destructive things, as a sword, a razor and coales of Juniper (which they say, will keep fire a year about (Psal. 55.21. and 120.3. and Solomon compares the mischief of an evill Tongue, to a hammer (or maule) a sword and an arrow. Prov. 25.18. a slanderous Tongue is no small evill,V. Clerks Mirrour. cap. 124. it's a hammer to knock out his neighbours braines, a sword to kill him, and a sharp arrow to wound him. A malicious slanderous Tongue, is a most pernicious evill. Prov. 12.18. and 18.8.
5. 'Tis a sin which Gods soul doth more especially abhorre. It's not onelyonly abominable, but an abomination it self (in the abstract) to him. Prov. 6.16.19. especially when 'tis raised against his servants; to traduce any man is ill, but God takes it very ill, when we belye and slander his holy harmless ones. Numb. 12.8. Were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? We should be afraid to defame any, but especially Gods meek Moses's, those are his jewels, and he will not let them and their names lye alwayes in the dirt; David cuts off such from the earth, Psal. 10.1.5. and God shuts them out of Heaven. Psal. 15.1.4. [See more in those that handle the ninth Commandement.]