3 96 TheEvil ofCorrupt Communication. Vol.II. (the authority of God forbidding it, or the awe of his prefence, who continually ítands by us, and hears and fees all that we fay and do) is of equal force to reftrain us from lewd and filthy words: for they both proceed from the fame ill difpo- fition of mind, and are done in equal contempt of the divine Prefence and Au- thority. V. It is uncivil and unmannerly, very difagreeable and highly difpleafing to all fober and modeft perfons. It is a clownifh and rude thing, fays Tully, de offic; lib. I. Si rerum turpitudini adhibetur verborum obfccenitas, If to things which are immodefl in themfelves, we add the obfcenity of words. Nothing that trefpaffes upon the modefty of the Company, and the decency of Converfation, can become the mouth of a wife andvirtuous Perfon. This kind of Converfation would fain pafs for wit among fome fort of Perfons, to whom it is acceptable but'whatever favoursof rudenefs and inimodefty, and ill manners, is very far from deferving that name; and they that are foberand virtuous, cannot entertain any difcourfeof thiskind with approbation and acceptance : A well-bred Perfon will never offend in this way; and therefore it cannot but be efteem'd as an affront to modeft Company, and a rude prefuming upon their approbation, im- pudently taking it for granted that all others are as lewd and diffolute as them- felves. This fort of Converfation was not only offenfive to righteous, Lot but was a perpetual vexation to him, and grieved him at his very heart. So St. Peter tells us, 2 Pet. 2. 7, 8. that Lot was vexed with the filthy converfation of the wicked. For that righteous man dwelling among them, in feeing and hearing, vexed his righ- teous foulfrom day to day with their unlawful deeds. In feeing and bearing, that is, in feeing their lewd a/lions, and hearing their filthy talk, his life became a burden to him; and therefore God tingled him out, and delivered him both from that wicked Company, and from that dreadful Judgment of fire and brimftone, which came down from Heaven upon them, and confumed them with an utter deftrultiou, for an Example to all Ages, and an admonition to all good Men, that theyought to be in like manner affe&ed, as righteous Lot was, with the filthy Con- verfation of the wicked. VI. As by this practice we offend againft Nature and Reafon and true Morali- ty ; fo it is likewife a dire& contempt and defiance of the Chriftian Religion, which does fo"ítri&tly forbid, and fo feverely condemn it in Chriftians. Our Blef- fed Saviour feems snore particularly to cenfure and condemn this Vice, when he fays, Mattb. 12. 36, 37. That every idle word that. men fhall fpeak, they (hall give an account thereof in the day of judgment. Every idle word, pKyt, ápy3v, every vain and unprofitable word, that no ways tends to edification ; that is the very lowed fenfe the words can bear. But then how muchmore (hall we give an ac- count in that day of every lewd word, which tends to corrupt and debauch the Minds and Manners of Men. Some Copies have it, pá¡.0 unvneÿv, every naughty and wicked word, every falfe and malicious, and calumniating word : " An idle " word, fays St. Bafil, is that which is not for edification, all fuch words fhall come under Exatnination in that great Affembly of the wholeWorld ; and what " then fays he, (hall be done to wordsof ScurrilityandCalumny, and Obfcenity? But that which will bell dire& us to the meaning of this Phrafe, is what the jewifh Mailers obferv'd, that by an idle word the jets did commonly understand immodefi and únchafle fpeech, fcurrilous and obfcene words. And then it follows, for by thy words thoufhalt bereified, and by thy words thou (halt be condemned. Men are commonly apt to make a very light matter of filch words; but becaufe they Phew theMind and Manners of the Man, his inward Temper and Difpofiti- on, therefore Men fhall be called to a ftri&t account for them in the day ofJudg- ment, and be condemned for lewd and diffolute words, as well as for acts of fil- thïnefs and uncleannefs i becaufe thefe come from the heart and defile the Man, they proceed from an impure Spring and Fountain ; and tho' we only perceive them to come out of the Mouth, yet they proceed out of the abundance of theheart, from an evil difpofitionof mind. 4 SO
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=