Corr. 9. Of fälfe witneffiug out ofjudgìnenti&C: Chap.4. X07 flampedupon the affolions, by right reafon, and as eleïiio dicit excellentiam, fo e.rcehene tis dicìt magi's out plue, as election or choice imports excellency in the party ele- Fted, foexcellency imports the belt, or molt eminent ; now that in our choice the belt is atwaies to be chofeti, is the fecond rule in moral Philofophy, which he that followsnó, goès against the truth, and fo jullite is broken. CHAP. IV. Offalls witnefug eier ofjudgment: Four things to which the tongue may do harm.' The branches of this kind of parewitneffing, r. Contumelious fpeaking. Z. Tainting, 3. Backbiting. Which se, I. By words. zt By letters. 3. By deeds. 4. in ail theme a man may be afalfe witnefs, though he fpeak, the "truth. A ND thus áe hivedone with falfe teflimonya given in judgment. Now for of faife roil- ../A. that which is out of judgment: When a Man is out of judgment, he is not eeßo' our of i o lay with thofe in the Pfalm, Ego sum Dominus lingua men; my tongue is my own, I plc/smog. May fpeakwhat I will; for nema oft Dominus Tali, Nil; ad licita, no inan is Lord of Pfalm 12,4. his own, further then to imply it for a lawful ufe. Solomon bath a Perangc fpeech; Benot a witnefs egainflthy Neighbourwithout caufe; which fpeech implies that a Prov.24.28. man being not called, may be a falfe witnefs againft his neighbour, when there is no carafe. How can this be ? In common ordinary.talk,when a man fpeaks evil of his neighbour,hebears false witnefs againít him,though hebe not before any Judge.Therefore he advifes to put far from us,protervitntem orie, es lebiorum, Prov.4.24: e froward mouth, andperverfelips, we mutt not breath out flandersagainll him, who it maybe loth not think the leafs evil ofus. That we mayunderhand this; we tuft know, that there are four things to which the tongue maydo harm. For r. a man hath favor or good efieem among men, this is in the mind. z. A good report, which confifts in fpeaking Well of . him. 3. Friend'Ihip with friends, &c. 4. A tare or dignity, as a Supériour And as all theme may be hurt by the tongue ; fo may the faults of the tongue,ex- tra judicium, bediflinguifhed. Of the fir( and fecond Solomon fpeaks,when he faith, Agoodname rather to be Prov.22.e: chore's thengreat riches, and lovingfavour rather thenfilver andgold. Of the third in Prov.ao4. another place he faith, afaithfulfriendWan unknown treafure*.Again( the fourth, * Sothe vulgar we have an example in Rebibekah,who reproached and hlafphemed K.Hezekishs Latinread the and in him God himfelf words, which our Authorfol. Againflthefe, there are divers faults of the tongue which we are now to sews, fpeak of. Et-ay37,23. t. Contumely and difgrace, which is against the firfl (credit and favour) and t. contumely; is when a man is prefect : Inch men as ufe thefe,the Apohle calli 4bemal,defpighti Rom.i.3o. 'fill, which difgrace a man to his face, by opprobrious fpeeches. z: If it beper tales, oblique, glauncingly by jells, it is called fubfannatio, taunt- 2,Taunting.. ing, and this is againfl the fourth,viz.againft ones dignity.Thofe that are laugh - ed at are moriones, fools, the of£fcourings of men, fit to be laughed at. Now to makea man as one of them, to lethim in thateftate that he (hall be fcoffed as , is an impairing of his Rate and dignity; and gives him a great wound. This was Sault reafon why he would have his harnefs-bearer tokill him, he i Sam.31.4 would rather be killed, then be mocked by the uncircumcifedPhilihims; for an ingenuous nature counts only probrum to be deli&lum, reproach to be a crispe, o. ther railings are tobe peglefled. 3. As twoare when one is prefent, fo there is a third, who hurts a good Name 3: serkbitiog: behind ones back. Obtretlator, a Backbiter, he offends againfl the feéond,which '.Byword,. is good Report, and the fourth,viz.Friend(hip. Plautus calls himMm nominis, a Moule (that is the Gnawer oreater up) ofones good name. But Saint Paul catlethhim by histrueName, Diabolus, the Devil, AstillaEr, in lingua, a Devil in the Tongue,that is a falfe accufer ordetra&or 6,íi he fpeaks againil one to this z tin 33. man,then to another,then to a third,thereby tomake him lofe fomeofhis friends, and then they call him fufurro; a talebearer,and indeed he often foprevails that Sffa á.
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