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SECT. XXXI.

Of our Duty with relation to his good Name and Repulation. Of Calumny, Evil-speaking, &c.

1. Q. What is the ninth commandment?

A. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

2. Q. What do you here understand by bearing of false witness?

A. The false accusing of, or witnessing against him in judgment; which is commonly attended with perjury, as well as lying, and so becomes an offence at once against the third commandment, by our taking God's name in vain; and against this of injuring our neighbour, by bearing false witness against him.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-Prov. vi. 18, 19. These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. Luke, iii. 14. He said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

3. Q. Is there any thing else forbidden in this commandment?

A. There is; namely, all sort of calumny and evilspeaking against any; whether it be in or out of judgment. Tit. iii. 2. Put them in mind, to speak evil of no man.

4. Q. How do you distinguish between calumny and evil-speaking?

A. By calumny I mean a reproach falsely raised

upon, and reported against, an innocent person. When we are the makers, as well as spreaders of an untruth; at least, do know what we say of our neighbour to be false, or have just reason to believe it to be so. By evil-speaking, I understand, the relating of what is or has been told to us as true; when we do it not to the person concerned, for the better discovery of the truth; or, to some friend of his, in order to his being admonished of it; but to our indifferent acquaintance: and that whether it be done with a design to defame him, or only in the common way of discourse, which makes but little difference with respect to our neighbour's reputation, how much soever it may lessen our own guilt.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-Exod. xxiii. 1. Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked, to be an unrighteous witness. Psalm xxxi. 19, 20. O, how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

Lev. xix. 16. Thou shalt not go up and down as a tale-bearer among thy people. Psalm xv. 3. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. He that doeth these things shall never be moved. Prov. xi. 13. A tale-bearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter. xviii. 8. The words of a tale-bearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. xxvi. 22. The words of a tale-bearer, &c.

5. Q. Is there any thing more forbidden in this commandment?

A. To this commandment must be reduced all * subornation of false witnesses in judgment; all *credit or countenance that is given to them; all * counterfeiting of hands, and seals, or any other writings, to his prejudice; all * tale-bearing, *rash speaking, and * censuring; all * credulity, or being ready to believe what is evil of our neighbour; all * encouragement that is given to those who are apt to speak evil of other men.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-1 Kings, xxi. 10. And she (Jezebel) wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: and set two men, sons of Belial, before him to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. Matt. xxvi. 59. Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death. Psalm xv. 1, 3. Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle, who shall abide in thy holy hill? He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. Matt. vii. 1, 2. Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. Eph. iv. 25. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour.

6. Q. What is required of us by this commandment?

a

A. To be religiously strict in speaking truth of our neighbour; *not only to take care that what we say be true, but that by our manner of delivering it, by

our descanting upon it, or otherwise circumstantiating of it, we do not give occasion to any to mistake us. bTo be charitable both in what we hear and say of other men. * To vindicate their reputation as far as fairly we can; and to hold our tongues, d'at least not to aggravate their faults where we

cannot.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-Psalm xv. 1, 2. Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth from his heart. Eph. iv. 25. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour. 1 Pet. iii. 10. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. Matt. vii. 1, 2. Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 1 Cor. xiii. 5, 7. Charity doth not behave itself unseemly: seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil. Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

C

d

Luke, xxiii. 41. And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. Acts, xxv. 7. And when he was come, the Jews, which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.

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SECT. XXXII.

Of the Sin of coveting what is our Neighbour's.

1. Q. What is the last commandment?

A. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house ; thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife; nor his servant, nor his maid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is his.

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2. Q. What is the sin forbidden in this command. ment?

A. The unlawful desire of what is another man's. 3. Q. When is such a desire unlawful?

A. When it puts men upon any deliberate thoughts and contrivances to obtain that which our neighbour cannot part with to us, as his wife; or to get any thing which is another's (though he might part with it,) without the consent and allowance of him to whom it belongs.

4. Q. What if a man's desire be so bounded as not to put him upon any undue means to obtain what is another man's.

A. If it be so bounded within the use of lawful means, that he is determined not to make use of any other, though he should never obtain it, it is not sinful.

As if Ahab had only desired Naboth's vineyard for the convenience of it, and as soon as he saw Naboth would not part with it, had rested in the refusal, and gone no farther, he would have done nothing amiss. But if a inan's desire be violent and unreasonable, if it makes him resolve to compass what he covets by any means; if fair means will not do, to have it by foul ones; such a desire as this is sinful. And,

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