Carnal Reason, Essay 2 – To the reader
The Sin of almost who not: A Horrid Sin, and yet little laid to heart, seldom by any Repented of.
IF Satan to gratiate and gain himself credit, could with one lye so lesson Gods Honor, Goodness and Fidelity to our First Parents, as to make him an Impostor, and thereby frustrate and make fruitless, all that he had done and preached to them immediately before, Gen. 3.4, 5. how easie is it for his Instruments, wicked men, with one slander, to raise their low merit on the ruines of anothers reputation, and to deprive him of his good name, which a virtuous life for many years hath deservedly gained him. A mans honest fame, being like the Merchants wealth, which is got in many years, and lost in an hour.
Nor is a slander or calumny, other than the Devils mind in thy mouth, his heart in thy lips; for he speaks in and by thee, as then he did by the Serpent, when ever thou backbitest or slanderest, Mat. 16.2…. Iohn 8.44. Or as Chrysostome hath it, a lye or slander is but the Devils Arrow, shot by mans Bowe: He lendeth thee his lyes and malice, and borroweth thy tongue to utter them; because the Devil wants a tongue.
The Accuser of the Brethren makes choice of wicked men to traduce those whom he cannot seduce as he desireth; as we may plainly see in our Saviours example; who notwithstanding h… fulfilled all righteousness, and did all things well, for in his mouth was found no guile, nor fault in his manners, nor error in his Doctrine, which of you (said he) can rebuke me of sin? yet the world traduced him for a Samaritan, a Blasphemer, a Sorcerer, a Wine-bibber, an… Enemy to Caesar, and what not?
There was never any so innocent or vertuous, to whom such Belialists took not exceptions; because they are as deeply in love with vice… as others are with virtue Yea, whom all men commend, you have some Thersites will take occasion to blast. As for their deserts, they will sk…p them over, as some nimble Commentators will skip over hard places; but their failings, infirmities and miscarriages they will set out with discants, no less tedious than maliciou… and odious.
Nor canst thou more manifest thy self to be of Satans highest …m,, than by calumniating. Gregory Nazianzen used to tell his …riends, that Iulian the Apostate would prove a notorious wick…d man, he took such delight in disputing against the good and …oodness.
Tale-bearers know no better way of commending themselves, …han by disparaging others: But it proves the contrary, for he …ut resembles the silly Flie, which findgeth her own wings, and …orments her self in the flaming light that she labours to extin…uish and put out: He but discredits himself, to discredit others; …Tamar defiled herself, to be revenged on her Father in Law …dah.
But O the mischief thou dost! for thy slander passing through …any mouthes (as one Dog sets many Dogs on barking) does multiply …nd encrease like a snow-ball, or like a stone cast into a pond, which …akes but one circle, but that one begets an hundred; and in …se the slander spreads it self, the first Relator may have to an…er for the sins of a thousand: Neither are some more prone … raise slanders, than others are to believe and spread them; as … see by our Saviours example, Matth. 28.12. to 16.
Again, As these spitting Adders will smite their stings very deep, do their wounds are commonly incurable. A slander once raised, …ill scarce ever dye; witness that lye raised upon our Saviour, Mat. …8.12. to 1…. It is like Wildefire, that cannot be quenched; for … the least, it leaves such a scar of suspicion upon the parties …ame and credit, that even death it self, which cures all other …ings, will not be able to cure.
Again thirdly, Take away a mans good name, and all vertuous …ctions will seem but counterfeit hypocrisie and slender rea…ons, even conjectures and probabilities, strike as great a stroke, …nd work as forcibly with the common people, as deep demon…rations. Wherefore no wonder that it is said, Deut. 27.24. …ursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly; and Psalm 101.5. Him …at privily slandereth his neighbour, will I destroy. And yet how great is …he number of those that backbite and slander their neighbours! …is the sin of almost who not. It was said of Golden mouthed Chrysostome, …hat he never spake ill of any man; finde out such another, and …ll put his name in the Chronicle with letters of Gold. O that so many …ves and fishes, as did feed five thousand in the wilderness, would …ut stop their mouthes, who amongst us do make it their fore and …er Grace at the Table, to disgrace some Innocent; Perhaps their Masters …hom they live by, or their own faithful Minister, or some emi…nt Christian, and then the sin is triple; for he that delpiseth, tra…uceth, or any way wrongs one of Christs Ambassadors of the Mi…istry, or active Christian, strikes at the Image of God in him, by whose Spirit he both speaks and acts; and God takes it as if i… were done to himself: For proof of both, see Matth. 25.45. Is… 37.22, 23. Psalm …4.22, Acts 9.4, 5. 1 Thess. 4.8. Iohn 15.25, 24, … Numb. 16.11. 1 Sam. 8.7. Mark 9.42. 2 Kings 2.24. Wherefore loo… to it in time, and consider withal, that the Backbiter is bound i… Conscience, Reason and Religion, to restore the good name o… his neighbour, which he hath by detraction taken away; an… that is exceeding hard, if not impossible: And yet how many ha… thou injured by tale-bearing, backbiting and slandering! An… must not God work a miracle, to perswade thee to make restitution… As first, to go to the parties wronged, and there confess the wrong and crave their pardon: then to go from house to house to vindicate and clear the party, where ever thou hast wickedly staine… and aspersed his good name, which even makes me cry out, Lord who shall be saved! Or, many are called, and but a few chosen.
… And yet the willing ear detracts as much, if not worse, than th… slanderers tongue; this being the Tempter, the other the tempted. Th… Receiver we know is as bad as the Thief, for he makes it as much his own sin, as if he had been the first Relator; and were ther… no Receivers in this case, there would be no Thieves: For ever… the least check or frown of a standerby, will silence the barking tongue, Prov. 25.23. O that men would spit at this Asp or Sl… worm, so soon as it but begins to hiss. O for an Antedote that woul… cure this poyson of Aspe…, it were worth a million of mone… says,
R. Junius.
YOu are desired to read these 22 pages in your Families, to lend them t… your Neighbours, and to send your Friends …o fetch them; at least that you will fasten them to some wall. The which done, your Consciences wil… more than requite you: for which read Acts 11.14. James 5.20. Da… 12.3.
End of the text · Richard Younge, Carnal Reason (1669)