The e11il of 13ackbiting. rtportcd of him behind his back, ir tcndcth to mak~ him hate you, and fo to make him worft·. 9· 6. 6. It Ua great mak$-hale and peace-hreak_tr where ever it i1 pralii[td. It tendeth to fct peo– ple together by the cars; When it i$ told th:u fuch a one fpake evil 0f. you in fuch a place ; 1here arc then heart·burnings and rehearlils, and fiding$, and. (uch enfuing malice, as the Devil intended by this dc!ign. ' 9· 7· 7• They tbat. u[t ID [Peak..,'vil ofotherJ bihi11dthcir b.ck1, it I tt>Jio ••e will fptakJaljhoodJ of tbcm whm they du not k,_now ''· fame IS too ordmanly a lyar, and they tlull be lyars, who will be its rndfr:ngers. How know you whether the thing that you report is uue? Is it only bccaufe a ue– dibl on fpakc it? But how did that pcrfon know it to be true ? Might he 110t take it upon trufi as \h .ts you? And might he not take a pcrfon to be credible that is not? And how commonly doth fad-ion, or inrerefi, or paffion, or credulity, make that perfon incredible in one thing, '"Yho is credible in orhers where h: hath no fuch temptation ? If you know it not to be true, or have r.ot fufficient evidence to prove it, you are guilty oflying and jl!Jndering intcrprerativc:ly, though it iliould prove true: becau{i:: it might have bun a lye for ought you knew. 9· 8. 8. It iJ groj1 injuj!ict to talk of a man1 f•ultJ, before you have heard him [peak._ for bimjilf. I know it is ufual with fuch to f1y, 0 we have heard it from fuch, lS we are certain will not lye. But he is a fooliili and umighteous Judge, that will be peremptory upon hearing one pury only fpeak, and knowcth not how ordinary it is, for a man when he fpc:aketh for himfclf, to blow away the moll confident and plaufiblc accufations, and make the cafe appear to br.: quite another thing. You know not what another bath to fay, till you have heard him. 9· 9· 9· BadthitiHg teacheiiJ others to backbite: Your t:x.ample invireth them to do the like: And fins which are common, are eaftly fwallowc:d, and hardly repented of: Men think that t~e cornmonnefs jufiificth or extcnuateth the fau1r. . 9· zo~ zo. It e"Ncouragttb ungodly mtn to the oaiom fin of b.~ckJiting tmd jlandiring the moft reli– gioU1 righttoJH ptrfott. lt is ordinary with the Devils family to mal<t Chrifis faithfulltfi fcrvams their table·talk, and the objects of their reproach and fcorn, and the fong of drunkards? What abun· dance of lyes go currant among fuch malignant perfons, againfi the mofi innocent, which would all be (hamed, if they had fir(\ admitted them to fpeak for themfelves? And fuch flanders and Jyes are the Devils common means to keep ungodly men from the love of godlinc[5, and fo from re– pentance: and falvation. And backbiting Profdfors of Religion encoungc men to this : For with what rncafure they mete, it !hall be meafurcd to them again. And they that art thernfelvcs evil fpoken of, will think that they are warranted to requite the backbiters with the like. 9· r r. 11· It ;, a fin which commonly txcludeth true profitable rtproof and exhortation. Thty that fpeak moll behind mens backs, do ufttally fay leaf\ to the finncrs fact, in any way which tendeth to his falvation. They will not go lovingly to him in private, and fer home his fin upon his con– fcience, and exhort him to repentance : but any thing Chall fc:tvc as a fufficicnt excufe againfi this duty; that they may make the fin of b<Ckbiting ferve infiead of it: And all is out of carnal feJf•. faving: They fear mm will be offended if they fpeak to their faces, and therefore they will whifper again(\ them behind their backs. 9· 12· 12.II i1 at tbe ltaft but idle tal/1,., and a mif[pending of your time: What the better are the hearers, for hearing of other mens mif..doings ? And you know that it no whit profit· eth the perfon of whom you fpeak. A •kilful friendly admonition might do him good 1 But to neglect this, and talk of his faults unprofitably behind his back , is but to aggravate the fin of your uncharitabkncfs, as being not contented to rcfufe your help to a man in fin, but you mufi alfo injure him and do him hurt. • CHAP:
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