z8 Back-bìaìxrg endCenfuring. preach down the love of others, and to exhói t you. to hate your brother , or to abate your charity to him. And he that patiently hearkeneth to fuck, is a partaker of their fin. And he that believeth them, hat h taken the infe&íon. Mofi ofour o- dious thoughts of others, and our falfe and un- charitable cenfurei, do come in this way. For the moil part, mencenfure and feparate and per- fecute molt, where they are acquainted lull, but goby hear-fay, and judge of men by .back-biters mif-reports And acquaintance and familiarity ufually reconcileth them; and ihewcth them their errour. You think it is a fair excufe for you whenyou either believe or report evil of another, to fay, that you heard it from very bondi and religious, or reverendperfons; or you heard it from many, andconfidently uttered; But God hath not allowedyou to receive back-biters, be- caufe theyare godly ; or becaufe they are ninny. This very age and timeBoth a%perimentallycon- fute this excufe : In which it is fo common a thing, for falfe reports and news to be uttered with confidence, and that by multitudes', and ma- ny of them religious, and yet neither truth nor, ground at all , for what is faid. Back-biters; and haters of God are conjoyned Rom. i.30. He that back- biteth not with his tongue, nor dothevil to his neighbour, nor'taketh up Ìhv mark Q` a Citizenñof neigh bour, is one that bath Zion. Pfal. 15. ;. An angry countenance muff drive away a back-biting tongue. Pro. 2S. a ; Paui was afraid of that which we all now feel the evil of, even this evil fpirit which I am now deteS Ming. Z Cor. T Z: aa. Left there be debates envy- ings
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