Against evil-speaking.

Preached before the King and Queen, at Whitehall, Feb. 25. 1693-4.

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TIT. iii. 2.

To Speak evil of no man.

ENERAL perfuafives to repentance and a good life, and invectives againit fin and wickedness at large, are certainly of good ufe to recommend religion and virtue, and to expose the deformity and danger of a vitious course. But it must be acknowledged, on the other hand, that thefe general difcourses do not fo immediately tend to reform the lives of men; because they fall among the crowd, but do not touch the confciences of particular perfons in fo fenfible and awakening a manner, as when we treat of particular duties and fins, and endeavour to put men upon the practice of the one, and to reclaim them from the other, by proper arguments taken from the word of God, and from the nature of particular virtues and vices.

The general way is, as if a physician, instead of applying particular remedies to the diftemper of his patient, fhould entertain him with a long difcourfe of difeafes in general, and of the pleasure and advantages of health; and earnestly perfuade him to be well, without taking his particular difeafe into confideration, and prefcribing remedies for it.

But if we would effectually reform men, we must take to task the great and common diforders of their lives, and represent their faults to them in fuch a manner, as may convince them of the evil and danger of them, and put them upon the endeavour of a cure.

And to this end I have pitched upon one of the common and reigning vices of the age, calumny and evilfpeaking; by which men contract fo much guilt to themfelves, and create fo much trouble to others; and from

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which, it is to be feared, few or none are wholly free: for who is he (faith the fon of Sirach, Ecclus xix. 16.) that hath not offended with his tongue? In many things (faith St. James, chap. iii. 2.) we offend all: and if any man offend not in word, the fame is a perfect man.

But how few have attained to this perfection? And yet unless we do endeavour after it, and in fome good meafure attain it, all our pretence to religion is vain. So the fame Apostle tells us, chap. i. 26. If any man among you feem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

For the more diftinct handling of this argument, I fhall reduce my discourse to these five heads.

I. I fhall confider the nature of this vice, and wherein it confifts.

2. I fhall confider the due extent of this prohibition, To fpeak evil of no man.

3. I fhall fhew the evil of this practice, both in the causes and effects of it.

4. I fhall add fome further confiderations to diffuade men from it.

5. I fhall give fome rules and directions for the prevention and cure of it.

I. I shall confider what this fin or vice of evil-speaking here forbidden by the Apostle is: undeva baxoqnuerv, not to defame and flander any man, not to hurt his reputation, as the etymology of the word doth import. So that this vice confifts in saying things of others which tend to their difparagement and reproach, to the taking away or leffening of their reputation and good name : and this, whether the things faid be true or not. they be falfe, and we know it, then it is downright calumny; and if we do not know it, but take it upon the report of others, it is however a flander; and so much the more injurious, because really groundless and undeferved.

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If the thing be true, and we know it to be fo, yet it is a defamation, and tends to the prejudice of our neighbour's reputation: and it is a fault to fay the evil of others which is true, unless there be fome good reason for it befides; because it is contrary to that charity and goodaefs which Christianity requires, to divulge the faults of

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others, though they be really guilty of them, without neceffity, or fome other very good reafon for it.

Again, It is evil-speaking, and the vice condemned in the text, whether we be the first authors of an ill report, or relate it from others; because the man that is evil fpoken of is equally defamed either way.

Again, Whether we speak evil of a man to his face, or behind his back. The former way indeed feems to be the more generous, but yet is a great fault, and that which we call reviling; the latter is more mean and base, and that which we properly call flander or backbiting.

And, laftly, Whether it be done directly and in exprefs terms, or more obfcurely, and by way of oblique infinuation; whether by way of downright reproach, or with fome crafty preface of commendation; for fo it have the effect to defame, the manner of address does not much alter the cafe. The one may be more dextrous, but is not one jot lefs faulty: for many times the deepest wounds are given by these smoother and more artificial ways of flander; as by afking questions: "Have you not heard fo and fo of fuch a man? I fay no more; "I only ask the question: " or by general intimations, that 66 they are loth to fay what they have heard of fuch 66 a one, are very forry for it, and do not at all believe "it," if you will believe them: and this many times without telling the thing, but leaving you in the dark to fufpect the worst.

Thefe, and fuch like arts, though they may feem to be tenderer and gentler ways of ufing mens reputation; yet in truth they are the moft malicious and effectual methods of flander; because they infinuate fomething that is much worse than is faid, and yet are very apt to create in unwary men a strong belief of fomething that is very bad, though they know not what it is. So that it matters not in what fashion a flander is dreffed up; if it tend to defame a man, and to diminish his reputation, it is the fin forbidden in the text..

II. We will confider the extent of this prohibition, To Speak evil of no man, and the due bounds and limitations of it. For it is not to be understood abfolutely, to forbid us to fay any thing concerning others that is bad. This in fome cafes may be neceffary and our duty, and

in feveral cafes very fit and reasonable. The question is, In what cafes by the general rules of fcripture and right reafon we are warranted to fay the evil of others that is true?

In general, we are not to do this without great reason and neceflity; as for the prevention of fome great evil, or the procuring of fome confiderable good to ourselves, or others. And this I take to be the meaning of that advice of the fon of Sirach, Ecclus xix. 8. Whether it be to a friend or foe, talk not of other mens lives; and if thou canft without offence, reveal them not; that is, if without hurt to any body thou canst conceal them, divulge them not.

But because this may not be direction fufficient, I fhall inftance in fome of the principal cafes wherein men are warranted to fpeak evil of others, and yet in fo doing do not offend against this prohibition in the text.

1. It is not only lawful, but very commendable, and many times our duty to do this, in order to the probable amendment of the perfon of whom evil is fpoken. In fuch a cafe we may tell a man of his faults privately; or where it may not be fo fit for us to use that boldness and freedom, we may reveal his faults to one who is more fit and proper to reprove him, and will probably make no other ufe of this difcovery, but in order to his amendment. And this is fo far from being a breach of charity, that it is one of the beft teftimonies of it. For perhaps the party may not be guilty of what hath been reported of him, and then it is a kindness to give him the opportu uity of vindicating himfelf: or if he be guilty, perhaps being privately and prudently told of it, he may reform. In this cafe the fon of Sirach advifeth to reveal mens faults, Ecclus xix. 13. 14. 15. Admonish a friend, (says he), it may be he hath not done it: and if he have done it, that he do it no more. Admonish thy friend, it may be he hath not faid it and if he have, that he speak it not again. Admonish a friend: for many times it is a flander ; and believe not every tale.

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But then we must take care that this be done out of kindness, and that nothing of our own paffion be mingled with it; and that under pretence of reproving and reforming men, we do not reproach and revile them, and

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tell them of their faults in fuch a manner, as if we did it to fhew our authority, rather than our charity. It requires a great deal of addrefs and gentle application, so to manage the business of reproof, as not to irritate and exafperate the person whom we reprove, inftead of curing him.

2. This likewife is not only lawful, but our duty, when we are legally called to bear witness concerning the fault and crime of another. A good man would not be an accufer, unlefs the publick good, or the prevention of fome great evil, fhould require it. And then the plain reafon of the thing will fufficiently justify a voluntary accufation. Otherwise it hath always among well-mannered people been esteemed very odious for a man to be officious in this kind, and a forward informer concerning the misdemeanor of others. Magiftrates may fometimes think it fit to give encouragement to fuch perfons, and to fet one bad man to catch another, becaufe fuch men are fittest for fuch dirty work: but they can never inwardly approve them, nor will they ever make them their friends and confidents.

But when a man is called to give teftimony in this kind, in obedience to the laws, and out of reverence to the oath taken in fuch cafes, he is fo far from deferving blame for fo doing, that it would be an unpardonable fault in him to conceal the truth, or any part of it.

3. It is lawful to publifh the faults of others, in our own necessary defence and vindication, when a man cannot conceal another's faults without betraying his own innocency. No charity requires a man to fuffer himself to be defamed, to fave the reputation of another man.. Charity begins at home. And though a man had never fo much goodness, he would firft fecure his own good name, and then be concerned for other mens.

We are

to love our neighbour as ourselves; fo that the love of ourfelves is the rule and measure of our love to cur neighbour: and therefore firft, otherwise it could not be the rule. And it would be very well for the world, if our charity would rise thus high; and no man would hurt another man's reputation, but where his own is in real danger.

4. This alfo is lawful for caution and warning to a

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