comfortable walking with God. 193 raging againft Profeffors , fawcily and unfeafonably med- lingwith , and mifcenfuring other mens matters; yea, and would you thinke it , fometimes even higheil Myileriesof State; reviling the Miniftery, cipecially if managed with man ifefiation ofthe Spirit,and an holy impatiency, to fee the devil' domineere and revel' it in the blood of the peoples Conies without contradiaion. When they come together at fuch times, everyone opens his packe of tales; for I have told you heretofore, that a Tale-bearer is compared to a *Pedler, as the word in the Original' clearely intimates, who having fbrnifhedbimfelfe , and filled his packe withvariety ifIni k,tf, ofpeddling and petty fluffes , trots up anddowne for vent mu /hart *:: fromhoufe tohoufe, where he findes heft cuttome and fpeci- 71.2.6,. all entertainement : I fay at fuch meetings it is their manner Lib' 19 le, Of to open every one his packe of falfe flanderous tales ; Mercari° which theyhave raked and fcraped together by their owne Se malicious furmifes , liftnings, whifperings, pragmatical' in- quifitiveneffe into other mens bufinelles, or formodde idle Intelligencers, whom they entertaine for thatpurpofe ; and there, out of an itchinghumour of talkativeneTeand tattling, they lay abroad fuch rotten wares, to the empoyfoning of the cares ofthofe that heare them, ;he defamingoftheirbre- thren farre better then themfelves, and certaine remonfira- tion to their owne confciences, that theyare as yet the chil- dren ofthedevil' the father of lies and Flanders and haveof him already learned the very language ofhell. Were fuch meetings mingled and fealoncd w ith gracious talke ; (andall our talke ought alwaiei to bee withgrace,Coloff. 4.6.) with holy conferences, ande helping one another towards heaven ; with planting and preferving Chriflian love , andkinde af- fedions one towards another , it were an happy thing ; but while there is nothing but ribald and rotten communica- tion, lowingmany times much feed of bitterneire and heart- burning againft their brethren, in the cares ofone another, and a curfed facrifice, as it were , of fpitefull and flanderous tongues, offered up untoSatan ; fuch miferable meetings are &ter for Pagans, then Profefforsof Religion ; for theconfi- 0 Rory
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