SERM, true that is of Tacitus, how bvoid of confideration, of XVII. judgment, of equity, the busy and talking part of man kind is. Whoever therefore gives heed to flying tales, and thrufts himself into the herd of those who spread them, is either strangely injudicious, or very malignantly disposed. If he want not judgment, he cannot but know, that when he complieth with popular fame, it is mere chance that he doth not flander, or rather it is odds that he fhall do fo: he confequently fheweth himself to be indifferent whether he doth it or no, or rather that he doth incline to do it; whence, not caring to be otherwise, or loving to be a flanderer, he in effect and just esteem is fuch; having at least a slanderous heart and inclination. He that puts it to the venture whether he lieth or no, doth eo ipfo lie morally, as declaring no care or love of Exod. xxiii. truth. Thou shalt not (faith the Law) follow a multitude to do evil: and with like reason we should not follow the multitude in speaking evil of our neighbour. 2. 5. Another flanderous course is, to build cenfures and reproaches upon flender conjectures, or uncertain fufpicions, (those útóvosxı πompaì, evil furmises, which St. Paul 1 Tim. vi. 4. condemneth.) Of thefe occafion can never be wanting to Matt. ix. 4. them who feek them, or are ready to embrace them; no Ziba. 3. xix. 27. upon innocence, no wisdom can any-wife prevent them; and if they may be admitted as grounds of defamation, no man's good name can be fecure. But he that fuch accounts 2 Sam. xvi. dareth to afperfe his neighbour is in moral computation no less a flanderer, than if he did the like out of pure invention, or without any ground at all: for doubtful and falfe in this cafe differ little; to devife, and to divine, in matters of this nature, do import near the fame. He that will judge or speak ill of others, ought to be well affured of what he thinks or fays: he that afferteth that which he doth not know to be true, doth as well lie, as he that b Plebi non judicium, non veritas. Tac. Ann. xvi. . Non eft confilium in vulgo, non ratio, non difcrimen, non diligentia-ex opinione plurima, ex veritate pauca judicat. Cic. pro Planco. Λαῷ μὴ πίτευε πολύτροπός ἐςιν ὅμιλος. Phocyl. Prov. xiv. 15. The fimple believeth every word. affirmeth that which he knoweth to be falfe; (for he de- SERM. ceiveth the hearers, begetting in them an opinion that he XVII. is affured of what he affirms :) especially in dealing with the concernments of others, whofe right and repute juftice doth oblige us to beware of infringing, charity should difpofe us to regard and tender as our own. It is not every poffibility, every feeming, every faint fhew or glimmering appearance, which fufficeth to ground bad opinion or reproachful difcourfe concerning our brother: the matter should be clear, notorious, and palpable, before we admit a disadvantageous conceit into our head, a distafteful refentment into our heart, a harsh word into our mouth about him. Men may fancy themselves fagacious and fhrewd, (perfons of deep judgment and fine wit they may be taken for,) when they can dive into others hearts, and found their intentions; when through thick mifts or at remote distances they can defcry faults in them; when they collect ill of them by long trains, and fubtle fetches of difcourfe: but in truth they do thereby rather bewray in themselves fmall love of truth, care of juftice, or sense of charity, together with little wisdom and discretion: for truth is only feen in a clear light; juftice requireth ftri&t proof: charity thinketh no evil, and believeth all things 1 Cor. xiii. for the best; wisdom is not forward to pronounce before 5, 7. full evidence. (He, faith the Wife Man, that anfwereth a Prov. xviii. matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.) 13. In fine, they who proceed thus, as it is usual that they speak falfely, as it is cafual that they ever speak truly, as they affect to speak ill, true or false; fo worthily they are to be reckoned among flanderers. 6. Another like way of flandering is, impetuous or negligent fputtering out of words, without minding what truth or confequence there is in them, how they may touch or hurt our neighbour. To avoid this fin, we must not only be free from intending mischief, but wary of effecting it; not only careful of not wronging one distinct perfon, but of harming any promifcuously; not only abftinent from aiming directly, but provident not to hit cafually any perfon with obloquy. For as he that dif SERM. chargeth fhot into a crowd, or fo as not to look about reXVII. garding who may stand in the way, is no lefs guilty of doing mischief, and bound to make fatisfaction to them he woundeth, than if he had aimed at fome one person : fo if we fling our bad words at random, which may light unluckily, and defame fomebody, we become flanderers unawares, and before we think on it. This practice hath not ever all the malice of the worft flander, but it worketh often the effects thereof, and therefore doth incur its guilt and its punishment; especially it being commonly derived from ill temper, or from bad habit, which we are bound to watch over, to curb, and to correct. The tongue is a fharp and parlous weapon, which we are bound to keep up in the fheath, or never to draw forth but advisedly, and upon juft occafion; it must ever be wielded with caution and care: to brandish it wantonly, to lay about with it blindly and furiously, to flash and smite therewith any that happeth to come in our way, doth argue malice or madness. 7. It is an ordinary way of proceeding to calumniate, for men, reflecting upon fome bad difpofition in themfelves, (although resulting from their own particular temper, from their bad principles, or from their ill custom,) to charge it presently upon others; prefuming others to be like themselves: like the wicked perfon in the Pfalm, Pfal. 1. 21. Thou thoughteft that I was altogether fuch an one as thySelf. This is to slander mankind first in the gross; then in retail, as occafion ferveth, to asperse any man: this is the way of half-witted Machiavelians, and of desperate reprobates in wickednefs, who, having proftituted their confciences to vice, for their own defence and folace, would fhrowdd themselves from blame under the fhelter of common pravity and infirmity; accufing all men of that whereof they know themselves guilty. But furely there can be no greater iniquity than this, that one man should undergo blame for the ill confcience of another. Remedium pœnæ fuæ arbitrantur, fi nemo fit fan&tus, fi omnibus detrahatur, fi turba fit pereuntium, &c. Hier, ad Afellam, Ep. xcix. These seem to be the chief kinds of flander, and moft SERM. common ways of practifing it. In which defcription the XVII. folly thereof doth, I suppose, so clearly shine, that no man can look thereon without loathing and defpifing it, as not only a very ugly, but a moft foolish practice. No man furely can be wife, who will fuffer himself to be defiled. therewith. But to render its folly more apparent, we shall display it; declaring it to be extremely foolish upon feveral accounts. But the doing this, in regard to your patience, we shall forbear at present. SERMO N. XVIII. THE FOLLY OF SLANDER. PROV. X. 18. He that uttereth flander is a fool. SERM. I HAVE formerly in this place, difcourfing upon this XVIII. text, explained the nature of the fin here condemned, with its feveral kinds and ways of practifing. II. I fhall now proceed to declare the folly of it; and to make good by divers reafons the affertion of the Wife Man, that He who uttereth flander is a fool. 1. Slandering is foolish, as finful and wicked. All fin is foolish upon many accounts; as proceeding from ignorance, error, inconfideratenefs, vanity; as implying weak judgment and irrational choice; as thwarting the dictates of reafon and best rules of wisdom; as producing very mischievous effects to ourselves, bereaving us of the chief goods, and expofing us to the worst evils. What can be more egregiously abfurd, than to diffent in our opinion and difcord in our choice from infinite wifdom; to provoke by our actions fovereign justice and immutable severity; to oppofe almighty power, and offend immenfe goodness; to render ourselves unlike, and contrary in our doings, our difpofition, our ftate, to absolute perfection and felicity? What can be more desperately wild, than to disoblige our best friend, to forfeit his love and favour, to render him our enemy, who is our Lord |