[3.] It comes through rashness and unruliness of tongue: some men never learned to bridle their tongues, and the apostle James telleth us that 'therefore their religion is vain,' James i. 26. Till we make conscience of these evils, as well as others, we content ourselves with a partial obedience, and therefore cannot be sincere. But many never set themselves to learn this part of their duty, and therefore divulge a report before they try it, or receive any just proof of it. Possibly it may not come from downright malice, but their tongues hang too loose, without the coercion and just restraint of grace, and so they either report false things, or speak truth to an evil end: Prov. xi. 13, * A tale-bearer revealeth secrets ; but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.' Whisperers must be talking, and be it true or false, out it comes. Certainly it is a sin as long as you knew it not to be true, or, if you do, when you have no warrantable call to mention it. To reveal secrets which you may conceal without wrong to God, or your own consciences, or the common good, or the good of your neighbour, is loquacity, or the sin of idle and impertinent talkative- ness, the disease of a whisperer and tale-bearer.
[4.] It comes from carnal zeal, which is nothing else but passion for our different interests and opinions. The bitter envying which the apostle speaketh of, James iii. 14, hath made mad work in the world as to strifes, and confusions, and quarrels, and bloodsheds, and perse- cutions. But usually it venteth itself in evil-speaking ; for the apostle maketh ' backbitings and whisperings ' the fruits of ' swellings and tumults,' 2 Cor. xii. 20. Oh, what false and lying tales are there car- ried to and fro, that a man knoweth not what or whom to believe ! So many lies walk under the disguise of religion, that not to credit them, or countenance the report, seemeth a decay of affection, but surely not to religion, but only the interest of a faction.
But a question ariseth, Is all speaking evil of another unlawful ?
Ajis. I cannot say so, but yet it is hard to keep it from sin.
1. He that doth it without just cause is plainly a detractor, and so a grievous sinner before God. You may impose and impute false crimes upon others, which is properly called slander, and God thereby convinceth the professor of the true religion to be a hypocrite : Ps. 1. 20, ' Thou sittest and spcakest against thy brother, and slanderest thy
278 THE TENTH SERMON. [ROM. I. 29, 30-
own mother's sou.' God doth not only reject tlie liars for hypocrites, but also the backbiters and slanderers. Those that allow themselves in the frequent practice of this sin, what hopes can they have of acceptance with God, since he hath entered his plea against them ? For the act to be sure is sinful ; there can be no other end in it but the wronging of our brother's fame and reputation, to his loss and hurt. The nature of the thing showeth it.
2. lie that doth but speak what he hath heard from others, with- out any a.ssertion or asseveration of his own, as not knowing the truth of the report, can hardly be excused from sin. For if without just cause he speaketh those things that may wound the re})utation of others, he is in part accessory : for he reporteth those things which may induce the hearers to think ill of another, or at least beget a suspicion in their minds concerning him, and so is a concurring cause to -wrong another's name and good report. Now we should be so jealous of sin, that we should not countenance it in others without a just and weighty cause.
3. He that doth speak that which is true, but tendeth to the infamy of another, may be guilty of sin, if he have not a sufficient call and warrant. As for instance — (1.) If it be a matter we have nothing to do with, but only speak of their faults for talk sake ; this is to be ' busy-bodies and tattlers,' 1 Tim. v. 13: as we all love to speak of other men's faults, when we look little at home. This is a sin, when it is not matter of our cognisance. Or (2.) If we aggravate things beyond their just size and proportion ; for then we do not exercise Ciu-Lstian lenity and meekness towards those that are fallen, Gal. vi. 1. Or (3.) If we urge their crimes, and deny their graces ; this is like flies to pitch on the sore place. Is there no good amongst all this evil ? But it may be done, when crimes are public, and men them- selves have forfeited all good repute, and God doth as it were hang them up in chains for a warning to the rest of the world ; or when their reputation may injure the truth, and seduce the souls of others, or be an injury to the just who are slandered by them. In short, when the glory of God, or love to the public good, or the avoiding some great danger that may befall others by their esteem, then a lesser good is to be neglected to procure a greater, and a growing evil pre- vented, when men, by dissembling their wickedness, seek a fame to the manifest hurt of others' souls.