Ninth Commandment. Suondly, There is~ Slander!ng of, a~d Detra8:ing from, another, wronging hiDl un~ juftly in his Fame and Reputanon, whtch we ought tenderly to preferve and cherilb. God and Nature have intrufted us mutually with each other's good Name. Thy Bro· the<'s Credit ls put as a Precious Depojitum into thy Hands; and tf thou wickedly la· vitbefi it out by fpreading Falfe Rumours of him, or carelefiy keepefi it by fuffering another to do fo when it is in thy Power to jufiifie him, know atfarc~ly t~at it will be ilriEtly requit'd of thee; for. in thisRefpeEt every Man is his Brother's Keeper. Now this Slandering of qthers may be either in Judicial Procefs, or elfe in Common and Ordinary Convorfe. . Firfl, In JudicialProcefl; and , then it is truly and properly Fa!fe Wit~e/fing : When rhou rifefi up again{l thy Brother in Judgment, a•d attelleil that whjcb ,thou knowefi· w be falfe and forged, or which thou art not moll inbllibly atrured fo be true: And this Sin is the more heinous and dreadful upon the Account of Two Aggta· vating Circumftances that attc~d it: . Firjl Since ufually all Afbons 10 Law and Judgment concern etther the l'~rfon or the E!l;te of rhy Brother, by a Falfe Witnefs thou not only wrongeft him in his Name and Reputation, bur in oneofthefe, aad fo art not only a Slaaderer, but a Thief or Muttherer. Pruv. 11. 9· An Hypocrite with bir Mouth llejlruyetb hir Neighbo11r. And by fo much the more odious is thy Crime in that rhou porvene!t the Law, whicll was intended to be a Fence and Safeguard to every Man's Property, and turneft it again!t itfelf, making it the lnflrument ofthy InjuJlicc and Cruelty. The Pfalmilt, Pfal. p. 2. compares Ducg's Malicious Tongue to a Sharp Razor 1 and certainlJ when thou giveft a Falfe TeftiltiOny againll thy Brother thy Tongue is a Sharp Razor; and it not only wounds his Credit, but cuts his Tlu:oat. Secondly, Since ufually all Judicial Proceedings exaEt from the Wime!fes a Tremen· dous Oath folemnly taken by the Name of the Great God of Heaven, to give in a Falfe Tellimony is not only to be guilty ofSlander, but of Perjury too : Yea, and let me add one Thing more to make i~a mol! Accumulate Wickednefs, fuch a Falfe Tefiitnony is not only Slander and Perjury, but it is Blafphemy too: For what elfe is it but to bring the molt Holy God, who is Eternal Truth, to confirm a Fal!hood, and a LiQ 1 What can beanhigher Affront to hia moll SacredMajefty than this l For a Swom Whnefs is thercfote accepted beconfe be brings God in to lie a Witnefs too. And wilt oot thou tremble;O Wretch, to cite God to appear a Witnefi to that which a Thou!imd Wit~ oetfeswithin theo (1 mean thy own Confcience) do all depofe robe falfe and forged i and fo to transfer thy lnjuilice, and Rapine, and Bloody Mutther, upon him, ana !helter them all under the Shadow of his Veracity and FaithfulnelS~ · You fee then how horrid an Impiety this is; and yet how common, not only tbofe who by this Wicked Means fuffer Wrong, but others, who are converfimt in fuch Judici· ary TJials, do too truly report. May it pleafe God to put it into the Hearts of our Rulers tocnaEt more Severe and Rigorous Laws againft thofe who are found guilty of ir. it is fad to think, that wborcas a Thief !hall be adjudge<i to Death for ilealing fomc petty, inconfiderable, Matter, and perhaps too for the Relief of his Prefling Neceflities ; yet Two Villains that have confpit'd together by Faife Accufati"Us, and Perjut'd Teflimonies, to take away a Man's whole Efiate, or pofiibly his Life, !hould for thefc far greater Crimes be fentenc'd to fo eafie a Punilbment, that only Shamoand Re. proacb make up the Sovereft Part of it. Certainly methinks it were butju(t that the leafi theylbould fu!Fer fhould boa Retaliation of their Intended Mi!i:hiefs; and that the Jame they defign'd againfi their Brot'b.etfhould be iofiiEtcd upon themfelves, whether it be lofs of Life, ot lofs of Goods and Eftatcr. It is but all Equity that the Complotters and Artificers of Mifcbief lhould perilb by their own Craft. And if this Ri· gour and Wbolelome Severity were but once nfed, we !hould not Have fo many Oaths f:t out to Hire, nor would any make lt a Trade to be a Witnefs, but lonocency would be f<cured under tbe ProteUion of the Laws, and the Laws tbettlfelves be innocent of rhe Ruin of m•nJ Hundreds, who by this Means fall into the Snares of Ungodly Men. Of this One Thing hm fure that God himfelfihought it amo!t Equitable Lav< when he thus provided for the Safety of his People- Ifrael, Deut. rg. r8 rg, 20. lf tbe Witnifr be a Fal{e Witncft, and tejlijie faljly ogainjl hir Brutber the'n foal/ yol' tlo umo him as be had tboNgbt to do unto birBrotbtr, Jo /halt tho; put away tbe l!.Vil frol!t among you; and tbf!{e wbo remain fhall bear, and fiar, and jhall hence• forth commit nomore any fuch Evil among you. Secondly, There is a Slandering of others in our Common al\d Ordinary Converfe. And this IS done T\vo Ways; either, Fir {I;
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=