THE ARRAIGNMENT of an unruly Tongue.  
WHEREIN The Faults of an evil Tongue are opened, the danger discovered, the Remedies prescribed, FOR The taming of a bad Tongue, the right ordering of the Tongue, and the pacifying of a troubled mind against the wrongs of an evil Tongue.  
By GEORGE WEB, Preacher of God's word at Stepleashton in Wiltshire.  
LONDON, Printed by G. P. for john Budge, and are to be sold at his Shop in Paul's Churchyard, at the Sign of the green Dragon. 1619.   

TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL Sir GABRIEL DOUSE Knight, and the right virtuous and worthy Lady, the Lady JOAN his wife, Increase of Grace, and all true Happiness.  
Right Worshipful,  
THIS petty Pamphlet (for so I may better style it, than a Treatise) being so bold against the abuses of the tongue, cannot but expect the critical censure of many a Tongue. The Malicious tongue will defame it, the Scorners Tongue deride it, the Slanderous Tongue backbite it, the Censorious Tongue will whip it, the Curious tongue will hang, draw, & quarter it: Therefore it needeth a protecting Patronage, to give some countenance unto it, against those oppressions which it is likely to incur by coming under the Press. And what fit Patronage could it find then your two names? both which, for the Tongue, the one in witty speech, the other in discreet silence, not myself alone, but divers others also have held in admiration. Besides that, the near affinity, wherewith, of late, by marriage, I am linked unto your Family, and the many favours upon the same by you both vouchsafed unto me, do require this as a testimony of my grateful remembrance of the same. I have therefore presumed to Dedicate unto you both, a as monument of my duty which I own unto you both, this poor present, humbly desiring a favourable acceptance. Though it every not your coffers, yet it may your conscience: for herein you shall find (although unpolished) both an Antidote against a bad Tongue, and an Amulet for a good Tongue; how we may bridle our own, how we may tame others Tongues. In many things we sin all: And many times we all sin with this little member, our unruly Tongue. And what man liveth but is wronged by the tongue? Happy is that man who can avoid the strife of Tongues; happier he that can set a watch before his own tongue: A pattern for both these is here proposed. God bless it, both to you both, and to all that read it. And so humbly craving pardon for this my boldness, I commend you both to the Lord, and to the Word of his Grace, who is able to perfect that good work which he hath begun in you.  
Your Worships in all Christian duties to be commanded, G. W.   

The Contents of the Treatise.  

CHAP. I. THe Tongues 1. Use, 2. the Excellency in the Creation, 3. Misery by Depravation. 4. The Abuses of it. 5. The proceeding against it.  
CHAP. II. The Tongue, 1. Arraigned. 2. Indicted of 1. High Treason. 2. Petty Treason. 3. Felony. 4. Murder. 5. Breach of the Peace.  
CHAP. III. The transgression of the Tongue against all the ten Commandments.  
CHAP. FOUR The Hue and Cry sent forth against a naughty Tongue: a description of it. 1. From the Haunt of it. 2. From the Habit thereof. 3. From the Companions.  
CHAP. V The Examination of an unruly Tongue. 2. His Plea for himself. 3. The Confutation of the Plea.  
CHAP. VI A deliberation for the punishment of an evil tongue. How impossible it is to avoid it: How hard to endure it: How insufficient human punishments are to tame it.  
CHAP. VII. The Magistrate's office for the punishment of an evil tongue. The politic laws of Nations, for the punishment thereof.  
CHAP. VIII. The judgements of God against an evil tongue. 1. In this life. 2. In the life to come.  
CHAP. IX. The Doom, or Sentence denounced against an evil tongue.  
CHAP. X. The binding of the tongue to the good behaviour. Rules and Directions for the same.  
CHAP. XI. How we are to put off an evil tongue, when in our hearing it wrongeth others.  
CHAP. XII. How we are to endure the stroke of an evil tongue, when it concerneth ourselves.  
CHAP. XIII. A Conclusion of the whole Treatise.    

THE ARRAIGNMENT OF AN UNRULY TONGVE.  

CHAP. I.  
The Tongues, 1. Use, 2. Creation, 3. Depravation, 4. Abuse. 5. The proceeding against it.  
AMong all the members of Man's body there is none of greater use, none more subject to abuse then the Tongue: 
The Tongue jam. 3.5.  It is but a little member, yet a great stirrer in mortal affairs: of which it may be said, as sometimes it was of Origen, Where it is well, 
Vbi bene, Nemo melius, Vbi male, Nemo peius.  there none is better, where evil, nothing worse. It is a Fountain, whence waters flow both sweet and bitter, 
jam. 3.16, 11, 10, 8, 6.  It is a Forge both of Blessing and Cursing, It is a Shop both of precious Balm and deadly Poison, It is the Trouchman both of Truth and Error: Fire and Water are enclosed in it, Life and Death are in the power of it; 
Pro. 18.21:  It is a necessary good, but an Unruly evil, very profitable, but exceeding hurtful: we cannot well want it, nor want woe because of it.  
If Man had been created only for GOD, 
The use of it.  he should not have needed a tongue, for the Lord knoweth the Minds meaning without the tongues narration; If he had been made for himself alone, the motions of his mind had been sufficient for himself without a tongue to be his Informer; but God made Man a sociable living creature, one Man to be a comfort unto the other, and therefore he had need of such an Organ as the tongue to be his intelligencer and Interpreter: without a tongue we should have been all Mutes; the palate would have wanted a taster, the Mind a speaker, and Man, the World of the World, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  would have stood in the World but as a Cipher.  
Therefore the great Creator, whose works are all perfect, 
The Creation of it.  in the Creation did create this necessary member; and placed it within the head the principal watch-towre of the Body. And within this Body, of our Body hath appointed it a threefold Office, to be Taster, Interpreter, 
Mat. 19.8. jam. 1.17.  and Controller. God (as he is absolutely good, and the fountain of all goodness) in the Creation made all things good, 
Gen. 1.27.  and Man most good, and the tongue of Man for a special good: He sawevery thing that He had made, and behold it was good, very good. 
Zanc. de oper. Dei. Lib. 2.  The tongue was then a goodly member, full of grace, full of goodness; A member wherein Man did most resemble Angels exercise, and God's Image; A sweet Organ or Organon of delightful speech, 
1. Pet. 3.4.  a glorious Trumpet to sound 
Psal. 45.1.  out the praises of the Creator, a faithful Interpreter of the hidden Man, a fair Secretary of a most fair Heart; The Heart did then indite a good matter, and the Tongue was the Pen of a ready Writer. Speech was then rare and precious, and the Tongue could well discern how to be silent without sullenness, modest without wantonness, simple without ignorance, witty without wickedness, conceited without offence. And in a word, the use and exercise of the Tongue at that time was so good, that of it the encomium might be truly given, which was given of the rest, 
Gen. 1.27.  when they were at the best, It was good, very good.  
But as Man continued not long in his innocency, 
The depravation of it.  so neither the Tongue in his Integrity. As in the Apostasy of Adam, the poison of sin like a fretting canker ran through the whole Nature of Man, so among the rest of the members it did corrupt the Tongue. And (if my conjecture be not much deceived) the tongue was one of first of the bodily members in this corruption; sure I am, the first corrupting instrument was the tongue: By the tongue of the Serpent was Eve seduced, 
Gen. 3.1, 2, 3.  and her tongue did seduce Adam; and since that time the tongue among our members hath been the most unruliest, 
jam. 3.6.  defiling the whole body, and setting on fire the whole course of Nature.  
When sin had made a division between Man and GOD, 
Isay 59.2.  it did divide between the tongue and good, so that there is no greater division of tongues, than there are vices of the Tongue: And though the substance of the Tongue be not taken away by sin, yet the quality of it is now perverted and depraved, so that of a necessary good, it is become an unruly evil, and so much the more evil, because it is incorrigible. The fiercest Beasts, the wildest Birds, the wiliest Serpents are and have been tamed by the Art of Man, but the tongue (witness an Apostle) can no Man tame. 
jam. 3.7, 8.   
If we well consider with ourselves the dangerous abuses, hurts, and inconveniences occasioned by the tongue since this estate of his depravation, it may justly grow to a disputable question, whether we gain or lose more by it? Whether there be a greater benefit of Nature, or hazard of Grace in it? For if we observe the testimony of Scripture and the occurrents of times, we shall meet with more mischief caused by the tongue, and more prayers and precepts bend against the abuse of it, then against any other of the members severally, or all of them jointly.  
Our great Creator hath in the fabric of our bodies for the most part, fitted us with pairs of parts, two Eyes, two Hands, two Ears, two Feet, only this one is but one, one Tongue, and yet this one Tongue is more troublesome than all the rest. No Creature hath so excellent an use of the Tongue as Man, no Creature doth more abuse, or is more abused by the Tongue, than Man; Half the sins of our life (according to Nazianzen his account) are committed by the tongue. 
Nazianz. in deplor. cala●. animae. Basil. in Psalm 32.  Basil goeth farther, saying, that our whole life is full fraught with the Tongues offences. Farther yet another Father (and yet no farther than the truth) that there is no wrong or injury done in the world, 
Ambr. office lib. 1.  but first or last the tongue hath a share in the same.  
Against this unruly Tongue, 
The proceeding a 'gainst it.  because so many and so grievous complaints have been made in all ages, both by Christians and by the Heathens, by Divines, Philosophers, Poets, and all sort of people; This present Treatise doth intend a judicial proceeding, that so the misdemeanours thereof being discovered, it may at the least be bound to the good behaviour, for the better quiet of the good, and terror of the bad, when they shall see what hurt cometh by, and what danger happeneth unto a wicked tongue.   

CHAP. II.  
The Tongue Arraigned and indicted of, 1. Treason, 2. Felony, 3. Murder, 4. Riot and Routs.  
FIrst therefore we will call the malefactor to the bar, 
The Tongue arraigned.  that it may be examined of his abuses, and upon inquisition it may appear, what the cause is why so many, and that so often, have been moved to be his accusers, and to put in their bills of complaint against the same, and accordingly it may either clear his innocency, or else be found guilty.  
And because general accusations (as Lawyers teach us) will bear no Actions, 
The Tongue indicted.  unless they be confirmed by particular informations; we will frame particular Indictments against this unruly member the Tongue, and lay open (as near as we may) his particular misdemeanours. Neither shall we need to seek far for matters criminal to object against it, seeing there is no crime so capital, no offence so heinous, but the. Tongue is either principal in it, or accessary unto it.  
What crime is more capital than Treason? And what Treason is there, wherein the Tongue hath not a share? 
Of High-Treason against God.  We may indite it for High-Treason both against God and the King. Against GOD the Tongue is a Traitor in the highest degree. 
By Blasphemy.  1. By Blasphemy; for so it is objected against the railing tongue of Rabshakeh: 
Isay 37.23.  Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? Against whom hast thou exalted thy voice? even against the holy one of Israel. And of antichrist's tongue it is said, 
Reu. 13.6.  He openeth his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell therein: And of the tongue of the son of Shelomith, (whose blasphemy is recorded Leuit. 24.) 
Levit. 24.  it is said that it pierced or smote through the name of God. 2. By Idolatry; 
By Idolatry.  for there is no Idolatry, but the tongue is a chief Actor in it, 
Exo. 32.4. Hab. 2.8. Isay 42.17.  either as an Herald to proclaim it, or as a Doctor to teach it, or as a Proctor to plead for it, or as a Priest to sacrifice unto it? It is the tongue that nameth the work of men's hands, 
1. Kin. 18.21.  Baali, It is the tongue which pleadeth for Baal, It is the tongue which with Micha crieth out for the loss of his Idol, 
judg. 18.24.  Ye have taken away my gods. 3. 
By Perjury.  By Perjury likewise the tongue is a Traitor unto GOD, 
Henry. 8. anno 33. cap. 1.  for if it be Treason in the Common-Law to counterfeit the King's Seal, and to abuse his name to the prejudice of his Laws, then can it be no less than Treason to counterfeit the Privy Seal of the King of kings, to abuse his name to the countenancing of a lie, and to make him, as much as in it lieth, accessary unto evil; yet all this (and what not?) doth a perjured tongue, 
Levit. 19.12.  and therefore it is said to pollute the name of GOD, and it is threatened with this curse, 
Deut. 5.11.  that it shall not escape unpunished.  
Now if the Tongue be guilty of such capital Treason against God, 
Against the King.  no wonder if it prove a Traitor against the King: If it be not the Plotter, yet it is the Broker of every kind of Treason; next to the heart, the first practice of Treason is from the tongue; 
2. Sam. 20.1  Sheba. his tongue was the Trumpet to Israel's rebellion. And Shinicies Treason was the Treason of the Tongue; 
2. Sam. 16.5.  judas did first betray his Master with his Tongue, 
Math. 26.14, 15.  before he arrested him with his hands. And a better Jude noteth this as a badge of a Traitor, 
Jude 8.11.  to speak evil of dignities. And Korah his Treason is called by the same Author, The gainsaying of Korah; therefore the Wiseman, to keep us from the very beginnings of Treasons, giveth this caveat to the Tongue, Curse not the King, 
Eccles. 10.20.  no not in thy thoughts: For a bird of the air will carry the voice, and that which hath wing shall divulge it.  
As the Tongue hath been indicted for High-Treason, 
Of Petty Treason.  so in the next place we may indite it for petty-treason; 
1 By Concealment.  not only by way of concealment against the King of Heaven, 
Rom. 1.18.  in keeping back the truth in unrighteousness: 
Clipping.  And by clipping the coin of Truth, 
Psal. 4.2. Psal. 52.2, 3.  by loving vanity and seeking after leasing, by loving evil more than good, and lying rather then to speak righteousness: And by forging and counterfeiting false coin, 
Counterfeiting. Psal. 36.4.  Lingua concinuat dolos, It deviseth (or only frameth) mischiefs, It worketh deceitfully; but also by Witchcraft and secret poison, 
Witchcraft.  both which in the censure of our Law are no less than pettie-treasons.  
The tongue is a Witch, for so the Apostle Paul complaineth of the Galathians, 
Gal. 3.1.  that they were bewitched with the glozing tongues of their false teachers, and for a practiser by poisonings, 
Poisoning.  Saint james testifieth of an evil Tongue that it is full of deadly poison; 
jam. 3.8.  and the Psalmist, 
Psal. 58.4.  The poison of it is like the poison of a Serpent, and in another place, 
Psal. 140.3.  Adder's poison is under their lips.  
The next Indictment against the Tongue may be for Felony, 
Of Felony.  wherein this wretched member may evidently be convicted for a most notorious malefactor; for to omit those petty Felonies and Burglaries daily committed by the in-breaking up the closet of men's secrets, and prying into all men's actions: the Tongue is a common pickpurse, a notorious Robber, it will not stick to rob a man before his face, behind his back, in the Highway, and in private corners, all is fish with it which cometh to the net: but especially is it guilty of a threefold Felony. 
In taking away.   
1 It robbeth a man of his good name, 
A man's good name. Eccles. 7.3. Pro. 22.7.  which is more precious than cyntments, and more to be desired then treasures.  
2 It robbeth a man of his goods, 
His goods. 2. Sam. 16.4.  as Ziba his Tongue did Mephibosheth of his lands.  
3 It robbeth a man many times of his life, 
His life.  as Doegs' slanderous accusation against David did put David's life oft times in hazard, and those false Tongues which jezabel had suborned to raise up false witness against Naboth, 
1. Sam. 22. 1. King. 21.  rob him both of his Vineyard and life in one day.  
In which respect we may further indict the tongue for murder (manslaughter is too light a term to be given unto it) There is no murder like unto the murder of the Tongue; 
Of Murder.  of such tongues the Prophet Ezechiel testifieth; 
Ezek. 22.9  They carry tales to shed blood. 
Psal. 55.2.  And the Psalmist saith; 
Psal. 55.2.  They cut like a Razor, yea, 
jer. 18.18.  They are very swords: Therefore jeremies' adversaries did this way wreak their malice upon the Prophet, Come and let us smite him with the tongue. An evil tongue doth murder three at once: 1. The party whom he doth defame. 2. The party unto whom he doth defame him. 3. Himself that is the defamer. And therefore doth describe this bloody tongue to be always armed with a threefold weapon, 
Pro. 25.18.  an Arrow, an Hammer, and a Sword; an Arrow to wound the party whom he would defame in his absence whiles he is far off; an Hammer to knock him on the head with a false report unto whom he doth make the report: a Sword to stab his own Soul in committing that evil which God doth hate.  
The tongue may further be indicted for all manner of Riots, Routs, 
Of Riots & Routs.  excesses and misdemeanours. 1. 
quarreling.  For a quarreler and makebate; For whence come wars and jars, contentions and strifes? do they not commonly proceed from the tongue? It defileth (saith S. james) the whole Body, 
jam. 3.6.  and setteth on fire the whole course of Nature. It is the tongue which breaketh the peace betweeve neighbours, giveth shrewd wives sharp weapons to fight against their husbands, breeds quarrels among servants, and setteth men together by the ears: 
Association.  It may be indicted for association and confederacy with an evil heart: They encourage themselves (saith the Psalmist) in an evil matter, 
Psal. 64.5.  they commune of laying snares privately: They say, Who shall see them? It may be indicted for a Knight of the Post. 
Knight of the Post.  It is ready to call evil good, and good evil, 
Esay 5.10.  to put darkness for light, and light for darkness, bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter: 
Drunkenness. Pro. 35.31  we could convince it for a drunkard also, for the tongue is the first taster of a drunken cup, and the first that will bewray itself in a drunken fit. And for incontinency it hath long since been presented at the Spiritual Court, for there is no such common a whore as is the tongue: It will suffer any whosoever will, to lie with her. It is both Pander, 
Incontinency.  Bawd and Lecher, It hath the very attire of an Harlot, mentioned by Solomon, Prou. 
Pro. 7.11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18.  7. She is lewd and stubborn: Her feet abide not in her house, with an impudent face she is provoking to uncleanness: come, let us take our fill of love. Moreover the tongue hath long agone been whipped for a vagabond or a wandering rogue: 
A Vagabond.  It goeth (saith the Psalmist) through the earth, 
Psal. 59.14 15.  it roveth up and down evening and morning, and maketh a noise like a dog, and wandereth up and down grudging, if it be not satisfied. It hath been taxed for a talebearer, 
A talebearer. Leu. 19.16  wandering like a peddler of tales among the people, Idle and yet a busy-body, 
1. Tim. 3.13.  tattling and prattling of that which it hath nothing to do withal. It hath stood on the Pillory for a Cheater. 
A Cheater. Psal. 52.2.  It deviseth mischief, and worketh deceit; In a word (that we draw not this indictment too much beyond the ordinary length) It is both a common Barreter, 
A common Barreter. Pro. 6.19. An incorrigible member. Psal. 12.4.  Sowing discord among brethren, And an incorrigible member; A Tongue that speaketh proud things, saying, With our tongues we will prevail, our lips are our own, who is Lord over us?   

CHAP. III.  
The transgression of the tongue against all the ten Commandments.  
WE shall not need production of witnesses for confirmation of the premises, 
The Tongue's transgression of all the Commandments.  the crimes objected are so common, the misdemeanours so notorious, that they cannot be denied. If now the Tongue shall go about to traverse this Indictment, and stand to the trial of the Law, we may as easily convict it by the very letter of the Law; for if we examine it by the Law of Laws, the Law of God, we shall find it guilty of the breach of every Statute in the Law, and if we go through the whole Decalogue; we shall evidently perceive that there is none of all the ten Commandments, but is many ways transgressed by the Tongue.  
Against the 1. 
Against the first Commandment.  Commandment the Tongue is a transgressor, not only in becoming itself an Idol (for many a man's Tongue is his God, whiles he doth more glory in it, and is more confident on it, then in God) but also in being the common teacher and maintainer of Idolatry, Atheism, 
Psal. 14.1.  and impiety. 
Psal. 115.4. Rom. 1.15. Psal. 94.7.  How many a time hath the Tongue denied God? how often hath it called upon a false god? who but the Tongue is a blasphemer against God? what Errors or Heresies have there ever been, but hath been set abroach by the Tongue? how often hath it tempted God? how often hath it dishonoured him by distrustful speeches? how often hath it disgraced him with disdainful speeches? It is the complaint of GOD himself against it; 
Mal. 3.13.  Your words have been stout against me, Malach. 3.13. And job setteth out this disdainful dialect of the Tongue in this manner, They say unto God, 
job. 22.14, 15  Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy ways; who is the Almighty that we should serve him? and what profit should we have if we should pray unto him?  
Against the second Commandment the Tongue offendeth, 
Against the 2. Commandment.  by being the ordinary factor for Superstition and Will-worship. What pleadeth for Baal, 
1. King. 18.21.  but the Tongue? What a crying did it keep for the loss of an Ephod, Teraphim, and a molten Image, taken away by the Danites, 
judg. 18.23  from one Micha, a man of Mount Ephraim? What an Hubbub did the tongue make at Ephesus in defence of Diana, and her Idolatrous service? 
Act. 19.24, 28, 32, 34.  It made (saith the Text) such a confused noise, that some cried one thing, some another, and at last there was a clamour with one voice, about the space of two hours, crying out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. Neither hath the Tongue, as yet, lost its old wont, but is still a pertinacious corrupter of God's true worship, 
Deu. 12.32 Col. 2.23.  a maintainer of false worship, a binder of men to rash vows, 
Eccl. 5.4. Math. 15.7  and a dissembling hypocrite, in daring to pass into God's presence many times, without the privity of the heart.  
Against the third Commandment the Tongue offendeth, 
Against the third Commanlement. Exod. 20.5  by taking the name of God in vain: for how often hath it used the sacred name of God, without a reverent respect unto 
Deu. 28 58  to it; upon the least toy, and trifle which doth occur? 
Deu. 32.32  How vainly and idly hath it often tattled of the great and weighty affairs of Religion? How many scurril jests hath it forged upon the sacred Scripture phrase? 
Esay 66.2.  How forgetful hath it been to give unto God his due deserved praise? 
Phil. 4.6.  How slightly hath it made mention of God's wondrous works? 
Zach. 5.4. Math. 5.33 Esay 48.1. Leu. 24.16  To omit the fearful sin of swearing, forswearing, careless swearing, common swearing, cursing and banning; wherein, who so notorious a delinquent as is the Tongue?  
Against the fourth commandment the Tongue offendeth; 
Against the fourth Commandment. Psal. 119.13. Eccles. 5.1.  sometimes by silence, when it should speak to the praise of God, sometimes by speech, by rash uttering of prayers or praises unto God: How often hath it afforded a lip-seruice unto God, 
Isay. 1.14, 15.  having God in the mouth, when he was not thought upon in the heart? A silly Tongue that thinketh it can deceive God with smooth words, crying, The Temple of the Lord, 
jer. 7.4, 8.  the Temple of the Lord: as if all Religion did but consist in words: Whereas the Prophet jeremy telleth the Tongue, that in such a case it doth but deceive, Trusting in lying words that cannot profit. And if that be the true sanctifying of the Sabbath which is described unto us by the Prophet Esaiah, 
Esay 58.13  To turn away our foot from the Sabbath, from doing our own pleasure upon Gods holy day, to call the Sabbath a delight, not doing our own ways, nor seeking our own pleasure, nor speaking our own words; Then how guilty must the Tongue needs be of Sabbath profanation, which upon that day doth commonly utter more words of her own then of God, and is more voluble in words of course then in words of grace. 
Col. 3.16.   
And as the tongue is thus guilty of the breach of the commandments of the first Table, 
Against the fifth Commandment.  so likewise of the second. Against the fift Commandment it offendeth, by want of reverence, in proud, disdainful, and reproachful speaking unto, or of our Superiors, Equals, & Inferiors. Thus there are Tongues (fit for eagle's meat, and to be food for Ravens) which mock the father, 
Pro. 30.17.  and despise the instruction of the mother: So there are tongues of Parents, 
Col. 3.21.  which provoke their children unto anger; Husbands tongues which are too bitter against their wives; 
Ver. 19  Wives tongues too sharp against their Husbands: Tongues of Inferiors, 
Exod. 4.25 Num. 16.3. Ephe. 6.9.  too maundy against their Superiors; Tongues of Superiors to insulting over their Inferiors: To omit the many unreverent and unseemly speeches which fall out many times among Equals.  
Against the sixth Commandment the Tongue offendeth, 
Against the sixth Commandment.  by chiding, brawling, quarreling, skolding, reproaching, railing and bitter speaking: 
Math. 5.22 Eph. 4.31. jer. 18.18.  For there is a murder of the Tongue, as well as a murder of the Hands; there is a smiting with the tongue, as well as with the hand: 
Pro. 12.18.  There is a Tongue (saith Solomon) that speaketh words like the pricking of a sword. Nay, an evil Tongue doth wound deeper than any sword; For a sword will only wound those who come within the compass of his stroke: no distance of place can defend from the stroke of an evil Tongue. A sword can hurt only the body, but an evil Tongue, both body, goods, and name.  
Against the seventh Commandment the Tongue offendeth, 
Against the 7. commandment.  by being a Pander or Bawd unto Uncleanness; 
Gen. 39.7. Eph. 5.4. 1. Cor. 15.33.  sometimes by soliciting to uncleanness; sometimes by obscene & filthy speeches: and we know, that evil words corrupt good manners; sometimes by reading amorous books, sometimes by singing lustful songs: and ever, when it doth overflow with filthy, corrupt, and unseemly communication.  
Against the eighth Commandment the Tongue offendeth; 
Against the eighth Commandment.  by apparent stealth, stealing away men's hearts, 
2. Sam. 15.2.3.  as Absalon did, by flattery and assentation; and their good name, 
Gen. 39.14.  as joseph's Mistress did, by slandering and backbiting; & their goods, as Gehazi did by lying: 
2. King. 5.22.  and as many a crafty Merchant daily doth, by forging, falsifying and dissembling. 
Against the ninth Commandment. Ephe. 5.3.   
Against the ninth Commandment the tongue offendeth, by prating, cogging, lying, boasting, 
Leu. 19.16 1. Sam. 22.9. 1. King. 21.12.  flattering, fawning, accusing, slandering, talebearing, false witness bearing, pronouncing unjust judgement, & divers other such like practices, prejudicial unto peace and truth.  
Against the tenth Commandment the Tongue offendeth, 
Against the tenth Commandment.  by venting forth the evil thoughts and concupiscences of the heart: For, 
Math. 15.19, 20.  out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, blasphemies, etc. And these have the Tongue to be their Broker.   

CHAP. FOUR  
The Hue and Cry against a naughty tongue. A description of it. 1. From its haunt. 2. From the Physiognomy or Habit of it. 3. From his companions.  
THus have we seen the Indictment framed against the Tongue, and examining it according to the Tenor of the Law, we find the Bill found by the grand Inquest of the Prophets and Apostles. Now it remaineth that we call the offender into Coram, to see what he can plead for himself; and if it be found guilty, to receive his reward.  
And to the end that our Hue and Cry may the more effectually proceed in the search and inquisition of this so notorious a malefactor, we will describe him by his proper notes and characters: as namely, by the places whither most commonly he doth resort, by his physiognomy and habit, and by the company with whom he doth frequent.  
And first, 
His Haunt  for the place or haunt of an evil tongue, it is most true that he is an ubiquitary, here and there, and every where: This lewd tongue is a daily traveler, 
Psal. 73.9.  It walketh through the earth: A mere Perepatetique, 
Psal. 55.10  Day and Night he goeth about City, Court, and Country: yet many times, 
Psa. 10.8, 9  He sitteth in the lurking places of the Villages, and lieth in wait like a Lion in his den. But the most proper places of his residence, are Alehouses, Taverns, Playhouses, Bakehouses, Wool losts, and Gossip meetings. And he is seldom, if ever, absent thence, where are any either of the family of Flattery, or Ill-will.  
As for his gesture and Physiognomy, 
His gesture and Physiognomy.  he is but a little man, or rather member; not very large, but a great Reacher, sullen and choleric in complexion; His Dialect is cursing, 
jam. 3.9. Psal. 73.9. Psal. 10.7. Psal. 55.21 Psal. 52.2  deceit,. and fraud: The words of his mouth are smother than butter, but war is in his heart. A deep Plotter, and a great Boaster. We have a full description of him, Pro. 6.12. 
Pro. 6.12, 13, 14.  A naughty person, a froward mouth: He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers, frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually, he soweth discord.  
And for his habit, 
His Habit.  we shall ever find him suited with a Sword, a Razor, with Bow and Arrows, and with a Box of Poison. With a Sword; for this very Tongue is a sharp Sword: Swords are in the lips of it, 
Psal. 57.4. Psal. 59.7. Pro. 12.18. Psal. 52.2.  and it speaketh words like the pricking of a Sword. A Razor it hath: for the tongue deviseth mischief like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. And he is an Archer also. 
jer. 9.3.  The tongue is bend like a Bow for lies, and lo, the wicked bend their Bow; 
Psal. 11.2.  they make ready their Bow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart. And there be four principal Arrows which it doth shoot forth.  
The 1. Arrow is Envy, an arrow made in hell by that envious one the Devil: The feathers of this Arrow are these two. 1. Sadness at others prosperity. 2. Gladness at the adversity of other men. It is headed with the rusty iron of Self-consuming emulation, 
jam. 3.5.  and this is Sagitta venenata, an arrow full of deadly poison. But (as one well taxeth it) it is but a fools bolt soon shot, 
Basil. in Sermone de invid a. Pro. 14.30  a shaft which more hurteth them who shoot with it, than those at whom it is shot; for Ennuie is the rotting of the bones. And (as job testifieth, 
job 5.2.  it killeth the foolish, & slayeth the Idiot.  
The second Arrow of an evil Tongue, is the Arrow of Hatred, an Arrow made in hell by that old Serpent who is a murderer from the beginning. 
john 8.44.  The feathers of it are Ill will and Spite: It is headed with a desire to do hurt. 
1. Sam. 18.11.  And this is Sagitta occulta, the secret or hidden Arrow, like the javelin which Saul darted against David, thinking therewith to have nailed him to the wall; he that shooteth it, 
2. joh. 2.11 jam. 3.16.  is a manslayer and a murderer. And where this Arrow is in request, there is confusion and every evil work.  
The third Arrow of an evil Tongue is Mocking, 
Psal. 1.1. Eph. 5.4.  an Arrow framed in the shop of the Scornful, the feathers of it are Morologie and Eutrapelie, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  scoffs and jests, it is headed with a desire to disgrace: and this Sagitta volans, the slying Arrow, 
Psal. 91.5.  drawn out of the quiver of the proud and vainglorious, an Arrow ready upon the string in the bow of Belials children, but it shall fall down upon their own pate who are delighted in it. 
Psal. 64.8.   
The fourth Arrow of an evil Tongue is the Arrow of Backbiting, made by Satan, and shot by Sathanists, 
Reu. 12.10  the feathers of it are Lies and Slanders, and it is headed with a desire to defame. And this is Sagitta Parthica, the Parthian Arrow shot behind one's back, a most pernicious Arrow to the prejudice of others credit and reputation, an Arrow that woundeth a far off, and which killeth three men, the slanderer, the party slandered, and the receiver of the slander with one stroke. And as this unruly Tongue doth go with one of these four Arrows always ready upon his string: 
jam. 3.8. Psal. 58.4.  So it carrieth with it a Vial full of deadly poison, the poison of it is like the poison of a Serpent, and that not of an ordinary sort of Serpents, but venenum Ptiudos: 
Psal. 140.3 Deut. 32. job. 20.16.  the poison of Asps is under his lips, which kind of poison is elsewhere in sacred Scripture noted to be most noxious and pernicious.  
Lastly, 
His company.  the companions of an evil Tongue (for how shall one better be known then by his company?) are these:  
First, Idleness, a lazy, lousy rascal, which will not betake him to any labour, 
Pro. 20.4.  by reason of the cold, a disorderly liver, 
2. Thes. 3 11.  no worker, yet a busy-body, and a great prater, his condition is beggary, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  and his clothing, Rags.  
The second companion of an evil Tongue, is Malice; a mad-brained Monster, with a sullen look, 
Pro. 6.11. Pro. 23.21  and a fiery face, with superfluity of choler: He can never speak well, 
jam. 1.21. 1. Pet. 2.1.  but is full of guile, dissimulation and evil speaking.  
Another companion of an evil Tongue is Envy, whose description is this: A withered body, 
ovid. Metamor. l. 2.  feeding upon itself, having a pale face without blood, a lean body without juice, squint-eyes, black teeth, an heart full of gall, a tongue tipped with poison, never laughing but when others weep, never sleeping, but musing upon mischief. And this, above all other companions of an evil tongue is most outrageous: 
Pro. 27.4.  For, Wrath is cruel, and anger raging, but who can stand before envy?  
Another companion of an evil tongue is curiosity, a finical fellow, of a spruce gesture, having Eagles eyes and large ears, desirous ever to be acquainted with other men's evils; a busy prior into other men's behaviour, 
Plutarch. de curiosnate.  which with Plutarch's Lamia doth put on his eyes when he goeth abroad, and layeth them aside when he is at home. This curiosity and an evil tongue are linked together by the Apostle as unseparable companions: 
1. Tim. 5.13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  prattlers and busy-bodies, speaking things which are not comely.  
Another companion of an evil tongue is subtlety, an old fox, with a wary and dissembling gate, His throat is an open sepulchre, 
Psal. 5.9. Psal. 55.2.  he flattereth with his tongue, the words of his mouth are softer than butter, yet war is in his heart: 
Luther in Psal. 15.3.  Whose usual practice (as Martin Luther noteth) is to transform himself into an Angel of Light, and under fine prefaces and glorious terms to backbite. The cunning hypocrisy of it, and the Tongue together, is elegantly, by eloquent Bernard represented unto us. 
Bern. in Cant. ser. 24.  Some there be (saith he) whose stomachs being glutted with the faults & infirmities of their brethren, when they mean to disgorge the same, do shroud their malice and hatred under the cloak of feigned respect, after an enforced sigh, with great gravity, and with a well composed countenance, they will mutter forth their slanderous speeches. And such backbitings and slanders (saith he) are so much the more dangerous, because the Hearers are thereby occasioned to imagine and conceive, that the same proceedeth, neither of envy, nor ill will, but out of mere sorrow and compassion.  
Another companion of an evil Tongue is, Detraction; an hungry companion with a biting tooth, a privy thief from another's good name, one that laboureth to hide the good graces that are in others, and to suborn contrary surmises, as the devil did to our first parents concerning God, 
Gen. 3.9. job 1.9.  and unto God concerning job. And this Detraction doth work sometimes upon bare suspicion, as the children of Ammon slandered David in the ears of their Lord Hanun, as if he had sent Ambassadors, under pretence of love and honour, 
2. Sam. 10.3.  to spy out the Land, and to take his City and destroy it: Sometimes without any ground at all, or shadow of just suspicion, as Korah, Dathan and Abiram did detract from Moses and Aaron, 
Numb. 16.  accusing them that they went about to exalt themselves above the whole Congregation, and did take too much upon them: Sometimes by relating false reports, as Ziba did of his Master Mephibosheth, 
2. Sam. 16.3.  as if he had affected the Kingdom of Israel, and therefore remained behind at jerusalem: Sometimes by misreporting speeches, or actions, in themselves warrantable, yet wrested to another sense than they were done or spoken, as the false Witnesses did the words of our blessed Saviour, 
joh. 2.19.  concerning the dissolution and reparation of the Temple of his Body; 
1. Sam. 21. & 22.9.  and Doeg the dealings of David and his company with Abimelech. 1. Sam. 21.  
Another companion of an evil Tongue is Impudency; a brazenfaced shameless companion. The Psalmist compareth him to a mad dog, 
Psa. 59.3, 6  which runneth up & down from place to place, raving and raging, and is never satisfied: He hath learned of the Sycophant in Plautus, 
Plutarch. in lib. de discernend. amic. ab adulat.  to swear, forswear, face and outface any thing: and with Mede the Parasite of Alexander the Great, hath proposed unto himself this Maxim both in flattery and in infamy, to do it audacter, boldly and impudently.  
These are the seven hellish spirits which an evil Tongue doth take unto himself, 
Luk. 11.26.  as his choicest Companions, and with whom most commonly and familiarly he doth converse: And these are the most proper Characters and marks, whereby we may know him and find him out.   

CHAP. V.  
The tongues examination. 2. Plea for itself. 3. Confutation of this plea.  
BY this time having thoroughly pursued our Malefactor, 
The examination of the Tongue.  we have found him out, & brought him Coram, we should now proceed to his punishment, and to denounce the sentence against him; but that (as Nichodemus sometime said to the Sanhedrim of the jews) it might be thus excepted against our proceedings. Doth our law judge any man before it hear him, and know what he hath done? Therefore that we proceed judiciously, and according unto law: Let us call the Malefactor to the Bar, and hear him plead for himself, if so be he have any thing to say for himself, why sentence should not be denounced against him.  
Wherein we can expect no less than a cunning Apology: 
The Tongues first Plea. The necessary use and serviceable office of it.  for this subtle Tongue is not now to learn to tell his tale; he will plead his necessary use, and the good service that he hath done, that he hath been always an Officer in the body corporal; least idle of all the members, more serviceable than all the senses, and hath been employed in most adventures, as the only Ambassador, Interpreter, and Orator for the Heart; But this will not serve his turn, for his profitable use cannot privilege his abuse; Necessary servants escape not due corrections when they offend in their service, no more may this: hath he been an Officer in the body? yet he hath not been good in his office; hath he not been Idle? It had better many times that he had been less busied; hath he been serviceable to the other members? he hath also many times wrought them much unquietness? hath he been the heart's Ambassador, Orator and Interpreter? yet hath he not been so faithful in his employments, many a time he hath gone before he was sent; many a time gone a wrong way, looking Westward, when he should have gone by East; many a time hath he proved a subtle Orator, a fraudulent Ambassador, and a false Interpreter: and therefore doth deserve to be punished.  
He will further plead the excellency of his skill, 
His second Plea: The skill thereof.  that He is the only Linguist and most expert Artist, the Master of Eloquntion, and Schoolmaster of Pronunciation, tuner of Music, and teacher of the Liberal Sciences: and besides all this, the only Disputant in the world for the trial of Controversies. But what of all this? Is the Tongue a Linguist? Many times it speaketh more Languages than is fit. Pleadeth he his faculty for Eloquence? And may he not be censured for all the Solaecismes, Traulismes, Tantologies, & all other barbarisms in the Speech? And for the Arts, it may be wondered how the Tongue dareth to claim the sanctuary thereof, seeing, that besides the Sophisms, errors and absurdities which he hath foisted into them; he hath invented new Arts and Sciences, scarce honest, full of craft and subtleties, to deceive the world: And therefore this cannot privilege him from the doom of justice.  
He will reply, 
3 Plea: the cunning thereof.  and show the misery which would happen unto many without his help, as that forsooth; Wit would want a Broker, innocency a Defender, Error an Excuser, were it not for the Tongue: Mirth would be Mute, Boldness Blank, and Traffic a Bankrupt, without the Tongue: without which also, poor people would be ever put to the worst, and Women, the weaker Sex, would want a weapon to defend themselves. But this serveth rather to aggravate, than any way to extenuate the offence: for it is true indeed, thou naughty Tongue lendest shrewd wives a mischievous weapon to offend their husbands; Thou armest servants against their Masters, and settest neighbours together by the ears; Thou art an Abbetter of all quarrels, thou art that same Daws which troublest all things: And therefore thou deservest no favour, but the very rigour of the Law.  
But here the Tongue is ready with another excuse; What, would you have a man stand still like a block, to put up all wrongs and injuries which are offered unto him, and to be silent upon a disgrace? A silly worm when it is trod upon will erect itself: I am a tongue, I cannot choose but speak. But, sirrah Tongue, who gave you that authority? must you needs avenge yourself? A poor revenge, God wots, is the revenge of the Tongue; yet seeing you are so eager, and will needs be meddling, it is fit you should be held in with bit and bridle.  
But, 
4 Plea; by posting of the fault.  Why should I be punished (saith the Tongue) who, if I do offend, the fault is not mine, but theirs who do abuse me, I am but an organon or instrument; if there be a fault in me, their fault is the greater who make me faulty. True indeed; but yet in matters of offence the accessary is liable to offence as well as the principal: The Serpent was but the instrument abused by Satan to deceive man, yet in the punishment the Serpent hath his doom as well as Satan.  
Here the convicted Tongue hath no more to say, 
5 Plea; by entreaty.  but from Apology falleth to Entreaty: He hath often pleaded for others, and begged their pardon, hopeth to obtain favour now for himself, especially promising reformation for the time to come. But it is well known, that this delinquent hath been often in this offence; Besides that, it can equivocate, dissemble, lie, promise much, but perform little; and therefore there is no mercyto be showed, where no amendment can be expected.  
What now can this unruly Tongue plead for itself, 
The excluding of the tongue from all benefit of the Law.  unless (which is the last refuge of convicted Felons) it claim the benefit of his Clergy? But as for that he can have no hope; for besides that the Law doth exempt such notorious and capital offenders from the benefit of their book, it is welknown, that the Tongue hath most offended against the Clergy, to whom, albeit the Tongue is most beholding, yet none are more than they traduced and abused by the Tongue.  
Wherefore, seeing this unruly member hath no just Apology, by which it may plead for itself, nor can allege any reasonable exception, why the censure of justice should not pass upon it, let it stand by and hear his Doom.   

CHAP. VI  
A deliberation for the punishment of an evil tongue. How impossible it is to avoid it. How grievous to endure it How insufficient all earthly punishments are to tame it. The proper punishment by the lawof God allotted unto it.  
WHat shall be given unto thee? 
A deliberation for the punishment of a false Tongue.  what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue? Harsh it is to endure, hard to tame, impossible to avoid thee: Nor man, nor means can prevent thee, for let a man be as faithful as Abraham, 
Gen. 18.19 Gen. 26. Gen. 27. 1. Sam. 12.2. john 1.47.  as simple as Isaac, as subtle as jaacob, as innocent as Samuel, as upright as David, as sincere as Nathaniel: yet he cannot possible avoid the lash of an evil Tongue; though a man use all the policy in the world, he cannot prevent it. Though he should resolve with David, 
Psal. 55.6, 7, 8. How impossible to avoid it.  O that I had wings like a Dove, for than I would flee away and be at rest, lo, than I would flee away and be at rest, I would wander far off and remain in the wilderness, yet could he not escape from this storm, wind, 
Psal. 139.9  and tempest: Though a man take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the utmost parts of the sea, yet thither would an evil tongue fly after him, even so far off would it reach him. There is no poison so venomous but there may be some Antidote against it. But there is no Antidote against the venom of the Tongue; There is no fire so raging, but that some kind of moisture may extinguish it. The fire of an evil Tongue is like the fire of hell which goeth never out.  
The Arrow which is shot out of the strongest Bow, and sent forth with the greatest force, can hurt no farther than it can reach. But let a man be never so far off, let him be beyond the Seas, let him be in never so far remote Regions, and distant Countries, the Arrow of an evil Tongue will reach him and wound his good name; other weapons only hurt the present, this hurteth those also who are absent; there is none that can be privileged from its stroke.  
As none can avoid it, 
How hard it is to endure it.  so who can well bear it? flesh and blood can hardly brook it; If a man had the meekness of Moses, 
Num. 12.3 job. 1.21. jam. 5.11. jud. 15.15. Psal. 69.20 1. King. 3.  the patience of job, the strength of Samson, the experience of David, and the wisdom of Solomon: yet of himself were he never able to endure the uncessant wrongs by an evil Tongue; for a good name is better than a precious ointment, 
Eccles. 7.1. Pro. 22.1.  and more to be desired then great riches, yea, then silver and gold; who can brook the impeachment of this? Other wounds may be cured, other losses may be recovered, but this is a wound which can never be healed, a loss which can never be recovered. And therefore there is no smart like to the smart of the Tongue: the words of it are devouring words, 
Psal. 52.4. Pro. 11.18. Pro. 26.22.  They are like to the pricking of swords, yea, They are wounds, & they go down to the innermost Chambers of the belly.  
Yet what remedy can there be devised against it? 
The difficulty of taming of it.  what penalty to inflict upon it? what Art to tame it? let a man have the courage of Caleb, the policy of Achitophel, 
Num. 14.8  the severity of jehu, 
2. Sam. 16.20. 2. King. 10.17. Exod. 1.10  the cunning of Pharaoh, the cruelty of Phalaris the invention of Perillus, yet he shall not be able to tame an unruly Tongue, or reform this incorrigible monster: 
Pro. 14.4.  for the words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, who can sound the bottom of them? who can hope to exhaust them? A Tongue enraged is harder to be tamed; 
Pro. 18.19.  than a strong City is to be conquered. The contentions of it, are like the bars of a Castle. How plainley and pregnantly doth the Apostle james demonstrate this! first he showeth that it is easier to tame a wild horse than a wild Tongue. We put bits (saith he) in horses mouths that they may obey us; 
james 3.3.  and we turn about their whole body: 
verse 4.  but the Tongue can no man tame. Then he doth instance in the Ships, which although they are great bulks, & are driven with fierce winds, 
verse 7, 8.  yet can be ruled & turned about with a little rudder or helm: But the Tongue, a little member, can no man rule or order. Then he instanceth in Beasts, Birds, and Serpents, which although they be fierce, and wild and subtle, yet they are, and have been tamed by the Art of man: but the tongue can no man tame, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. And therefore the very Heathen did acknowledge, that contra Sycophanti morsum nullum est remedium: There is no remedy or cure, against the biting of an evil Tongue.  
What then shall be given unto thee? 
The stubbornness of it.  what shall be done unto thee, thou false Tongue? There is no Balm will supple it, for an evil tongue will reward evil for good, 
Psal. 35.11  and like a nettle, the more gently it is touched, the more sharply it will sting. There is no charm can charm it, for what is commonly said of the Belly, Venture non habet aures; The belly hath none ears, may be as truly verified of the Tongue, Lingua non habet aures, the tongue hath no ears. And although they who have this evil tongue, have ears as well as tongue; yet, as they imitate the poison of the Adder in their Tongue, so they have the deafness of the Adder in the Ear: 
Psa. 58.4, 5  They are like the deaf Adder which stoppeth her ear, and will not hearken to the voice of the Charmer, charming never so expertly.  
What then shall we do to tame this unruly member? 
The insufficiency of earthly punishments against it.  Shall we bind it to the good behaviour? It never had it, and is out of hope now to be brought unto it. Shall we make his Mittimus and send him to the jail, to see whether imprisonment will reclaim it? There are no locks able enough to keep him in, no setters strong enough to ensnare it. The Head, the Hands, the Feet, may be imprisoned, but the Tongue cannot be imprisoned; no, though it be put in Herod's prison, and watched with four Quaternions of Soldiers, 
Act. 12.4.  it will break prison, and walk at liberty: For, it is well known, that although it be kept in with a double door of lips, and within that hath two perculleises of Teethen grates to environ it, yet it will escape and range abroad. Shall we doom it to the whip? It will reverberate lash for lash, and be sure to put him to the worst that shall adventure to meddle with it. Shall we burn him in the hand, and sear him with the letter Tau? 
jam. 3.6.  It will set on fire the whole course of nature, itself being set on fire of hell. Shall we drown him? All the water in the Sea will not wash away its pollution. Shall we hang, draw and quarter him? So it hath done many an ones good name. But where shall we find a Gallows or Gibbet high enough for the same? Shall we behead him? So long as it is able to wag, it will never cease to speak.  
What then shallbe given unto thee? What shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue? Surely, no other thing then that which David upon the like deliberation doth deliver, 
Psal. 120.  Sharp Arrows of the Mighty with coals of juniper. Where by the Mighty we may either understand the Lord of Hosts, 
Wolphius.  who is the Lord strong and mighty, 
Psal. 24.8.  the Lord mighty in battle, the Magistrates, who is the Lords; 
Molerus.  Deputy? a man of might: And by the sharp Arrows and juniper coals, we are to understand the sharp punishments & dreadful judgements, which either the Magistrate in the course of Law, or God Almighty in his most just judgement doth inflict upon an evil Tong. Here then we are to take notice; first, of the law of Nations against an evil Tongue. Secondly, of God's secret judgements. First, of the temporal. Secondly, of the eternal punishments which do belong unto the same.   

CHAP. VII.  
The Magistrate's Office for the punishment of a naughty tongue. 2. The politic laws of Nations for the taming of the same.  
THAT the Magistrate by his authority is to take order against an evil Tongue, 
The Magistrate's Office for to punish a naughty Tongue.  and with severity to punish the same, it is as apparent as the Sun; for he is a man of might, he sitteth in the Seat of God to execute 
Psal. 82.1.  the judgements of God, 
2. Chro. 19.6. Rom. 13.4.  he beareth not the sword in vain, but is to execute vengeance upon evil doers: Neither only upon evil doers, but upon evil speakers also, as upon liars, railers, backbiters and slanderers: for so David doth profess of his practice in such an Office, 
Psal. 101.5  whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off. He intendeth not a punishment only for the perjured tongue, and public defamer, but also for the secret calumniator and privy slanderer, neither is it a check or petty punishment which he doth threaten against it, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. significat exterminare, seu constringendo & coarctando disperdere.  as to banish it his Court, to punish it by the purse, or to inflict a slight punishment upon it; but he would even cut it off, root it out and utterly destroy it.  
The laws of Nations have been divers, 
Politic Laws of Nations for the punishment thereof.  yet all dreadful for the punishment of an evil Tongue. The judicial law given by God himself unto the jews, (and therefore the best pattern for all human laws) did thus proceed against it: 
Deut. 19.16, 17, 18, 19, 20.  If a false witness rise up against any man, to testify against him that which is wrong, then both the men between whom the controversy was, were to stand before the Lord, before the Priests, and the judges which were in those days: And the judges were to make diligent inquisition. And if the witness were proved false, that his tongue had testified falsely against his Brother, than the mischief which he had thought to have done against his brother, was to light upon his own head, and he was severely to be punished ad terrorem aliorum, for the fear and terror of others.  
And lest we should think this judicial course to be limited only to a false Witness, and to a perjured Tongue, the Wiseman, 
Pro. 19.5, 9  Prou. 19.5, 9 doth extend it to all manner of injuries committed by the Tongue. A false witness (saith he) shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies, shall not escape. And to this judiciary course of proceeding against an evil tongue, our blessed Saviour doth seem to allude, 
Math. 5.22.  Math. 5.22. when he saith; Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause, shall be in danger of judgement, and whosoever shall say unto his brother, Racha, shall be in danger of the Council. Where, under that one word (Racha) he doth understand all manner of opprobrious speeches, and disdainful gestures: and by the terms of judgement, Council, and Hell fire there mentioned, he doth glance at the three Courts of judgement in jerusalem. 
Betram. de Polit. jud. c. 13.  The first whereof was for the determining of matters litigious about wealth and possessions, and in that were three judges. The second for matters criminal, which were judged by a Council of three and twenty. The third, for matters of more serious weight and importance, to be determined by the Sanhedrim, or great Council of seventy and one. And in these Courts the jews (as Drusius relateth) did thus proceed against such as offend with the tongue: first, they had private, and after that more public admonitions to refrain from that wicked course: if this could not prevail, they were excommunicate from the Synagogue: if this would not serve to reform them, they were further excommunicated from all society and company of other men: if this would not restrain them, the great Anathema Maranatha was denounced against them: If yet they proceeded in their evil, they were judged worthy to be stoned to death.  
Leaving the judicial Law of the jews, come we to the Laws of Nations, and we shall find, how in all Ages, & among all Nations, there have ever been sharp punishments provided against shrewd Tongues. The Grecians (as Thucydides reporteth) were wont to punish the lavish Tattling of the Tongue with lashes of rods, whipping the whole body. The Egyptians (as Polybius recordeth) did boar an hole thorough an unruly tongue. The Persians (saith Strabo) made them slaves, who could not be Masters over their Tongues. The Indians (as Acosta noteth) did exclude such as had unruly Tongues, 
Acosta lib. 6. c. 9  from all companies. 
Suidas in Canopo. Ruffin. hist. eccl. lib. 2.  The Chaldeans (as Suidas observeth) did condemn them to perpetual darkness. 
Eusebius l. 5 c. 21.  The Romans (as Eusebius testifieth) had a Law to break the legs of him who had a naughty tongue; which custom was put in execution (as Nicephorus relateth) in the time of the reign of the Emperor Commodus, 
Niceph. l. 4.26.  upon a profane wretch who had slandered Apollonius a godly Professor, and afterwards a blessed Martyr; The ill tongued accuser, not being able to prove his allegations, was judged to have his legs broken, because he had accused, and defamed a man without a cause. Herodotus maketh mention of a Lieutenant of King Darius, 
Herodot. in Clio.  who caused one of his Soldiers to be put to death, for that his tongue had been too lavish against Alexander, though an enemy. And he relateth another History of Antigonus, who imprisoned a foul-mouthed Peasant in a Cage, depriving the whole body of liberty, because of the too much liberty of the Tongue. Leontius the Emperor (as Sir Martin Cognet in his Politic discourses doth deliver) after he had put justinian to flight, 
Politic discourse of Sir Martin Cognet. c. 37.  caused two of his talebearers to be trailed by the heels and to be burned. The Emperor Pertinax caused the skins of slanderers to be flaied from their Bodies: and Maximinus another Emperor took order to have the Tongues of unruly railers to be pulled out of their mouths.  
Excellent were those Laws, which Titus, Nerua, and trajan (as Suetonius writeth) made against tattling Tongues, the least mulct wherein was whipping cheer. Domitian, Anthony, and Macrinus banished them the Confines of the Empire, yielding this for their reason, that they who did not punish them, 
L. praevar. de verb. Leg. tit. ad Segnat.  did encourage them. The Civil Law in like manner doth inflict banishment to an evil Tongue: The Canon Law doth debar it from the receiving of the Sacraments: The Common Law of this our Land doth adjudge the false tongue to the Pillory, 
Westm. 1. ca 23. Kech. 2. c. 5. Eliz. 1. c. 7.  the skolding Tongue to the Tumbril, or Cucking-stool; the railing Tongue to the good behaviour; the slanderous Tongue, if it be Scandalum Magnatum, to the loss of an ear; if against a private person, to the censure of the Magistrate, according to the quality of the offence.  
Thus we see how odious among all Nations an evil Tongue hath always been, and what strict Laws from time to time, have been enacted against the same. But because these good Laws are not always put in execution, & the Magistrate may prove many times remiss, let us proceed further to behold a more dismal doom from a greater judge, the judgement of almighty God, and the fearful punishments which he doth inflict upon an evil Tongue.   

CHAP. VIII.  
The judgements of God against an evil Tongue. 1. In this life. 2. In the life to come.  
WHO is so mighty as the Lord? 
God will surely punish an evil tongue. Ex. 15.12. Psal. 75.7. jam. 4.2. Psal. 9.16.  Who is like unto him? glorious in holiness, fearful in his works, doing wonders? He is the judge: yea that great judge, which can save and can destroy: yea, He is known by the judgement which he executeth: And among the rest of his judgements this is one of the most remarkable, his punishments against an evil Tongue: For he himself hath undertaken the censure of it; He hath protested that he will come a swift witness against it; 
Mal. 3.5.  He hath sworn that vengeance is his, 
Heb. 10.30  and He will repay it.  
The judgements of almighty God against an evil Tongue, are of two sorts (according to that which before was noted out of the Psalmist) Sharp Arrows, and coals of juniper: The first sort Temporal punishments; the second sort eternal: The first for this life; the second for the life to come.  
Even in this world the Lord will not suffer a naughty tongue to go unpunished: For, 
God's judgements in this life against an evil tongue. Psal. 11.2.  as wicked tongued people do bend their Bow, and make ready their Arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart; 
Psal. 7.12, 13.  So God above doth bend his Bow and make it ready: He prepareth for them the instruments of death: He ordaineth his Arrows against such kind of persecutors. Let us take a view of some of those Arrows, which God even in this world, doth shoot against wicked and malicious Tongues.  
The first Arrow which God doth shoot against those who shoot at others with their Tongues, 
God's Arrows against evil Tongues.  is their own Arrow, 
Disgrace.  the Arrow of Disgrace: Their own tongue (saith the Psalmist) shall fall upon themselves. 
Psal. 64.8.  
Ps. 7.15, 16  And again, He hath made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the Ditch which he made: his mischief shall return upon his own head, and his viclent dealing shall come upon his own pate. And again, These wicked people are ensnared in the work of their own hands. 
Psal. 9.16.   
The second Arrow directed against an evil Tongue, 
Poverty.  is Poverty; 
Pro. 14.23.  In all labour (saith Solomon) there is profit, but the talk of the lips tendeth to poverty. And who seethe not that this curse sticketh close to those that have evil Tongues; 
Psal. 59.15  That they wander up and down begging their bread; 
Ps. 109.10.  their children also prove vagabonds and beggars, and seek their bread out of desolate places?  
The third Arrow which the Lord shooteth against an evil Tongue is Misery: for the Psalmist plainly telleth those who abuse their Tongue, 
Misery.  that GOD doth hear them and will afflict them. 
Psal. 55.19  Psal. 55.19. And Solomon showeth them, what must be their sole expectation. He that hath a perverse tongue, falleth into mischief. 
Pro. 17.20 & 14.  Prou. 17.20. he may never look for quietness and peace, for his Tongue of strife will be like a continual waterbreach. 
Pro. 4.17.  Prou. 17.14. He can never take comfort in his food, for he eateth the bread of wickedness, and drinketh the wine of violence. Prou. 4.17. He can never hope to be established: 
Pro. 26.28  for a false tongue worketh ruin. He can never be in safety, for he carrieth about with him always a guilty conscience. The flying Arrow of God's judgement is ever ready to fall upon his pate: 
job. 15.21. Psal. 11.6. Psal. 52.5.  the Lord will reign snares, fire and brimstone, and horrible tempest, this shall be the portion of their cup. God will destroy them for ever, he will take them and pluck them out of their tabernacle, and root them out of the Land of the living.  
Infinite are the examples which we may read in histories both divine & human, 
Examples of God's judgement upon evil Tongues.  of God's dreadful judgements upon evil Tongues: for the lying Tongue, we have in the Scriptures the example of Gehezi, 
2. King. 5.27.  strucken with leprosy, both himself and all his posterity. 
Act. 5.5, 10  Ananias and Saphira his wife, for the same fault strucken with sudden death; in human Histories we read how worms did eat out the lying tongue of Nestorius; 
Nicephorus.  and Popiel, 
Monstrelus.  King of Polonia, an accustomable liar, eaten out with Rats. For the swearing and blasphemous Tongue, we have in sacred Scriptures a blasphemer stoned to death with stones, 
Levit. 24.23.  
2. King. 19  Zenacheribs' Army destroyed in one night by the pestilence, and himself slain by his own sons in the Temple of his Idols for the same offence. In Ecclesiastical Histories we read of an Arrow (sent as it is supposed, 
Socrates Eccl. hist.  from Heaven) wounding to death blasphemous julian: of Michael a jewish Rabbin, breaking his neck down a pair of stairs, even then whiles he was swearing and blaspheming the name of jesus. 
Fincilius de mirac. lib. 2.  And of a swearing Courtier at Mansfield, 
Spangeb. in elegantiis ve teris Adami.  in the midst of his blasphemous oaths taken up and carried away by the Devil. To omit that which our own Chronicles do record of Alphred, 
Stow in vit. Adelstan. Jdem in vita Alfredi. Jdem in vita Elizah. Act. & Monum. pag. 2101. & 2105.  of Earl Godwin, of Anne Aueries, of the Gentleman of Cornwall, who being used to swearing and blasphemous speeches, as he was riding over a bridge, his horse sprang over with him on his back into the river where he was drowned, having no other words in his mouth for his last farewell, but these, Horse and man and all to the Devil. For the slanderous and backbiting Tongue we have likewise many examples of Gods great and fearful judgements: In the sacred Scriptures we read of wicked jezabel, 
2. King. 9.36.  for her false accusing of Naboth, devoured by dogs: 
Hest. 7.10.  of Haman hanged upon the Gallows, for his false accnsing of the jews: 
Dan. 6.  of daniel's accusers devoured by Lions, because of their false suggestions. In the Ecclesiastical Histories we read of fearful judgements of God upon three slanderous traducers of Athanasius, 
Niceph. lib. 9  The one of whom was presently strike dead, the others eyes fell out of his head, the third perished with a fearful burning within his entrales. In our own Chronicles we read of Thomas Arundel, 
Act. & Monum. pag. 700.  who having abused his Tongue to an unjust sentence against the Lord Cobham, was stricken with so sore a pain and swelling in his Tongue, that he could neither swallow nor speak. So of justice Morgan, for his rash proceed in speech against the Lady jane, 
Ibid. pag. 1912.  we read that he was stricken with madness, and a little before his death had none other word but her name in his mouth. The like fearful judgement we read to have befallen one William Fenning in Q. Mary's days, 
Jbid. 1907.  who, for greediness to gain the goods of one john Cooper, had slanderously accused him of traitorous words by him spoken against his Prince: by which the poor innocent man was condemned to death as in cases of treason: but the judgement of God shortly seized upon his false accuser, striking him, even whiles he was well & lusty, with a sudden disease in his belly, so that his bowels gushed out.  
Infinite are the like examples of Gods dreadful judgements upon evil tongues, even in this life. But if any wretched tongue shall set light by these, because they do not befall all them who offend in this kind, yet let them fear and tremble at those fearful final torments which GOD hath prepared for these offensive Tongues after this life, from which it is impossible for any of them to escape without repentance.  
For as God hath Arrows here to wound an evil Tongue: 
God's judgements after this life upon an evil tongue.  So hath he Coals hereafter to burn an evil tongue. The Arrows indeed are sharp; for they are the Arrows of the Mighty: But the Coals are more terrible; for they be juniper coals of long continuance, of perpetuity. These coals are the fire of Hell, the assured portion of a wicked Tongue: for so S. 
jam. 3.6.  james saith, that it is set on fire of hell, and therefore it shall to the fire in Hell; It is the verdict of our Saviour, that the railing tongue is in danger of Hell fire, Mat. 5.22. 
Math. 5.22 Psal. 9.17.  So saith the Psalmist, They shall be turned into hell. So the Apostle Paul, 2. 
2. Thess. 1.9  Thess. 1.9. They shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord. And of them the Apostle Jude testifieth, 
Jude 13. & 15.  That to these raging waves, foaming out their own shame, is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. And again, The Lord will come with ten thousand of his Saints, to execute judgement upon them, and to punish them; not only for their ungodly words, but also for their hard and hateful speeches. And it is well worth the noting, that the Rich man in Hell-torments complained most of the torments of his Tongue: Father Abraham, 
Luk. 16.24.  have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in the flame; as if hell flame were most fierce against an evil Tongue, and that most sure to endure the same.  
Now, 
The bitter pains of Hell.  as there is no coal so hot and raging as the juniper coal, for so S. Jerome testifieth; 
Hieron. ad Fabiol. Plin. nat. hist. lib. 8.  and Pliny allegeth a natural reason of it, viz. the gummy matter of that wood more than in any other tree: so (to prosecute the same Metaphor) Par nulla figura Gehennae; 
Mat. 13.42 Reu. 21.8. Heb. 10.27 Math. 3.12  There is no pains like to the pains of hell. This fire is a furnace of fire, a lake of brimstone, a devouring fire, an unquenchable fire. The furnace whereinto the three children were cast, 
Dan. 3.19.  being made seven times hotter than it was wont to be, was exceeding violent. But how much more infinitely shall this furnace of hell fry, whose fire is infinitely hotter than that was? O! Who is able to dwell with this devouring fire? Who can endure the fiery rage of these Coals? They are coals of juniper.  
Yet dwell in it they must who are doomed to it, 
The perpetuity of those pains.  and so must an evil tongue. As there is no escaping of it, so no coming out of it. juniper coals (as Pliny writeth) do keep in fire for a long continuance: yea, 
Plin. ut supra.  some maintain, 
Libri Sufflatorii ut citatur a M●iero, in Psal. 120.  that the coals made of juniper wood, being covered with ashes, keep in fire for a whole year together. But what is this to the perpetuity of the pains of hell? There the Worm dieth not, 
Mark. 9.44  and the fire never goeth out; the fire shall never be quenched: 
Luk. 3.17.  
Reu. 20.10  they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. This is the portion, and the endless affliction of an evil Tongue.   

CHAP. IX.  
Sentence of condemnation denounced against the naughty tongue.  
Having thus heard the unruly tongue Indicted, 
A transition to the doom of a false tongue.  Arraigned, Convicted and Condemned, what now remaineth, but that we apply it to the terror of those who offend herein; and for our direction, both in the use, and against the abuse of the Tongue? 
Sentence denounced against it.   
And here first, the consideration of the premises may strike a terror into the hearts of those who are guilty of the crimes of an evil Tongue, Liars, Swearers, Railers, Backbiters, Slanderers, filthy Speakers, and all the rest of that rabble of wicked-tongued creatures: Alas, in what a fearful estate are they? How odious in the sight of God? How injurious unto men? What a scorn to the Angels? How obsequious to the devils? And how liable are they unto the dreadful curses of almighty God, both in the life present, and that which is to come?  
Thou lying tongue, 
The lying Tongue.  which, like a false clock, dost run too fast, and either for pleasure, or for profit, dost coin untruth, consider what wrong thou dost, and into what misery thou dost thrust thyself. Thou pervertest the use of speech; thou abusest the sense of hearing; thou dissoluest, as much as in thee lieth, human Societies; thou bearest the image of the devil; thou art worse than a Thief; for thus the Wise man speaketh, 
Eccles. 1.20, 23, 24, 25.  A lie is a wicked shame in a man, yet it is oft in the mouth of the unwise: A thief is better than a man accustomed to lying, but they both shall have destruction to their heritage: the condition of liars are unhonest, 
Pro. 6.17.  and their shame is ever with them. A lying Tongue is one of those sixthings which God doth hate, 
Pro. 12.22  and lying lips are abomination to the lord 
Pro. 19.5.  A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies, shall not escape: the tongue that loveth, or maketh lies, 
Reu. 22.15 Reu. 21.8.  shall be excluded out of the heavenly jerusalem, and shall have his part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.  
And as for thee, thou Swearing tongue, which art swollen with oaths, as a Toad with venom, 
Mal. 3.5.  The Lord will come as a swift witness against thee; And there is a Flying book of curse and vengeance, 
Zach. 5.2.4  which doth hover over thee: Thine oaths are registered in the book of accounts, & when the great day of reckoning cometh, they shall be set in order before thee, and laid unto thy charge: Thou art reserved unto the day of destruction, 
job 21.30. Luk. 16.24.  & the time will come when thou shalt be miserably tormented in that flame.  
Neither mayst thou hope to escape, 
The mocking Tong.  thou mocking tongue who art tipped with flouts, scoffs, and scorns against thy neighbour: 
Psal. 2.4, 5.  he that sitteth in the heavens, shall laugh at thee: the Lord shall have thee in derision, he shall speak unto thee in his wrath, and vex thee in his sore displeasure. Why then dost thou judge thy brother? 
Rom. 14.10.  Why dost thou set at nought thy brother? we shall all stand before the tribunal seat of Christ. Then shalt thou be depised, who didst despise others. Then shalt thou be a scorn to Devils, which here didst scorn thy betters. And we know who hath said it, and he will be sure to perform it, that both the mocking tongue, and the railing tongue, 
Mat. 5.22.  and the wrathful tongue is in danger of hell fire. 
The slanderous Tongue.   
Needs must then the slanderous and backbiting tongue be in dreadful danger, 
Psal. 64.3.  which tongue is bend like a Bow, and shooteth out as Arrows bitter words. Thou wretched tongue art a very murderer, and not a single manslayer, but thou killest three men, as it were with one stroke: 
Pro. 25.18  In which respect Solomon the wise calleth thee, 
Pro. 25.18  an Arrow, a maul, & a Sword. An Arrow, in respect of him that is absent, whom thou woundest afar off in his good name, in his goods, in his friends: and sometimes in his life. A Maule or Hammer to knock him, who receiveth thy slander, in the head, eius enimaurem dum inficis, animam interficis, whiles thou dost infect his ear, thou dost destroy his soul, casting thereinto seeds of suspicion, hatred and contempt. Lastly, to thyself thou art a Sword, in destroying thine own soul, by committing that sin which is most odious unto God; for he which slandereth his neighbour behind his back, 
Leu. 19.14  committeth the same offence, with him that raileth on the deaf, 
Deut. 27.24.  and is like him that smiteth his neighbour secretly, both which are accursed; and therefore no marvel though this be said to be that seventh sin which God doth abhor: 
Pro. 6.19.  for there is no sin which maketh a man so like the Devil as this doth, for from slandering and backbiting he hath his name DIABOLOS, which is a common name to him with slanderers: And as the Lord doth greatly detest this sin, so he hath threatened grievously to punish it, 
Psal. 50.20 Psal. 52.5. Ezek. 22.9.  not only the tongue offending, but also the ear abetting, and the place harbouring, and that not in this life only, but also in the life to come: 
1. Cor. 6.10.  for if Railers shall not inherit the Kingdom of God, much less shall slanderers.  
In the same predicament art thou, 
The filthy Tongue.  filthy Ribald tongue, which like a sink dost run over with obscene and unseemly speech. 
1. Cor. 15.33.  Evil words corrupt good manners; 
Mat. 12.36  And of every idle word which men do speak, they must give an account at the Day of judgement. If of every idle word, then what shall become of the tongue that speaketh wanton words, scurrilous words, & filthy speech? Better it is to have no mouth, then to have it thus polluted; better to be without a tongue, 
A caveat for the Tongue. Eph. 4.29.31.  then to have it thus defiled.  
Wherefore the counsel of the Apostle is very profitable: Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good and edifying, And again, Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, & clamour, and evil speaking be put away; Which lesson that we may the better learn, let us take a brief notice, first how we may rule our own Tongue; secondly, how we may bear the wrong of another's unruly tongue.   

CHAP. X.  
The binding of the tongue to the good behaviour, with certain rules and directions for the same.  
MAny and excellent are the Treatises which have been written, 
The right government and well ordering of our own Tongues.  both by Philosophers and Divines concerning the well ordering and government of the tongue, out of whose savoury writings I will only gather this little handful of Directions.  
That we keep our tongue in order, two things are principally requisite: First, a good Heart: Secondly, a good Eare. A good Heart is necessary to a good tongue, because the Heart is the fountain of speech; 
Pro. 4.23. Luke 6.45 Mat. 15.19  For, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh: And if the Fountain be defiled, the streams that issue therehence cannot be clean: for, 
job 14.4.  who can bring a clean thing out of that which is unclean?  
A good Art likewise is necessary to the keeping of a good tongue, 
A good Art.  for it is a matter of no mean skill to learn the language of Canaan: 
Esay 19.18  He (saith Saint james) is a perfect man that can rule his tongue. 
jam. 3.2.  And the Wiseman saith: that A word spoken in his place, 
Pro. 25.11.  is like apples of gold, with pictures of silver. So that, Hic labour, hoc opus est, This is a laborious labour, an Art of Arts, to rule the tongue.  
To the better learning of which Art, 
Rules for it.  two rules are to be observed in all our speech. First, Meditation before we speak: secondly, Moderation in speaking.  
Meditation before speech is very necessary unto our speech; 
Meditation before speech.  for the tongue is the messenger of the heart: therefore so often as we speak without meditation, the messenger runneth without his errand. This Meditation in this kind is twofold: First, concerning the lawfulness; secondly, concerning the expediency of our speech. First, 
For the lawfulness.  we must premeditate whether that which we would speak, be lawful to be spoken: 
Eph. 4.29.  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouths: 
Psal. 34.13  Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips that they speak no guile. Secondly, 
For the fitness.  we must premeditate, whether that which we are about to speak, be fit to be spoken in regard of time, place, 
Pro. 10.32  and person: For, the lip of the righteous will know what is acceptable. 
Pro. 12.23.  A wise man concealeth knowledge, and he that hath knowledge, spareth his words; yea, 
Pro. 17.27.  even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise.  
The next thing required in the Art of Speaking, is Moderation; 
Moderation in speech.  for this cause God hath given man but one Tongue, with two Ears, to teach him he should be more ready to hear then to speak; 
Lam. 1.19.  he hath also placed it within, and guarded it with a double hedge, one of flesh, another of bone, and moreover, hath bound it with a bridle to the breast; By all these, recommending unto us Moderation of speech: which Moderation doth require these three properties in our speech: 1. Truth: 2. Charity: 3. Modesty.  
For the first; we ought so to moderate our speech, 
Truth of Speech.  that we speak nothing but the truth; A good tongue will speak the truth from the heart, 
Psal. 15.3. Pro. 3.5.  and a righteous man hateth lying words: And, 
Pro. 12.19  the lip of truth shall be established for ever. Secondly, when we speak, 
Charity in Speaking. 1. Cor. 16.14. 1. Cor. 13.4, 5, 6, 7.  Charity must guide our speech; Let all your things be done in love: And this love, or charity, suffereth long, is kind, envieth not, vaunteth not herself, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Lastly, Modesty is required to the moderation of our speech: 
Modesty in speech.  A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness therein is a breach in Spirit, Pro. 
Pro. 15.4.  15.4. Therefore the Apostle requireth, that our speech be gracious, 
Col. 4.16. Tit. 3.2.  uncorrupt, and full of meekness.  
These few caveats being well observed, 
The been fit of keeping a good tongue.  the Tongue more easily will be ordered, and he that can do this, shall reap an incomparable benefit by it: 
Pro. 18.21.  For, Life and death are in the power of the tongue: And, 
Pro. 21.23. Psal. 34.12 13. 1. Pet. 3.10  Whosoever keepeth his mouth, keepeth his soul from evil. And therefore we are so often in the book of God, called to the practice of it: What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good, keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips that they speak no guile.  
But what man is able of himself to observe this? 
None can do it without God's special help. job 39.37.  A man may lay his hand upon his mouth, like job, & steadfastly purpose, with David, 
Psal. 39.1.  that his tongue shall not offend, yet all in vain, without the special help of God: for, 
Pro. 16.1.  the government of the tongue is of the Lord.  
Therefore the Apostle Paul, 
Therefore we must pray to God for the well-ordering of our tongues. Eph. 6.19.  although he had an excellent gift for the well-ordering of his tongue, yet desireth the Ephesians to pray for him, that utterance might be given unto him. And so must we, if ever we hope to have comfort in the use of our Tongues, pray unto God that he would guide our Tongues, that he would set a watch before our mouth, 
Ps. 141.3.  and keep the door of our lips: 
Psal. 51.15  And, that He would open our lips to show forth his praise; 
Psal. 19.14  So shall the words of our mouth be always acceptable in the sight of the Lord, who is our strength and our Redeemer.   

CHAP. XI.  
How we are to put off an evil Tongue, when it goeth about in our hearing, to traduce and scandalise others.  
IF it be a matter of so great difficulty to temper our own Tongue, 
A caveat for the taming other men's Tongues.  much more hard and difficult will it be to tame another man's Tongue, especially where it claimeth a transcendent liberty unto itself. 
Psal. 12.4.  With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are our own, who is Lord over us? And yet this is a point of wisdom needful to be observed of us, how to demean ourselves unto an evil Tongue, and that in a twofold case. First, when it concerneth others. Secondly, when it cometh more nearly home unto ourselves.  
And first, 
No credit to be giden to an evil tongue where it traduceth others.  when in our hearing it goeth about to traduce or slander others, we must be careful not to give any credit, countenance, favour or respect unto it in such a case: for there is an express prohibition in the Law of God against it, Exod. 23.1. 
Exod. 23.1  Thou shalt not receive a false report. And it is the advice of the Wiseman, Eccles. 7.21. 
Eccl. 7.21.  Give not thine heart to hear all the words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee. And in another place it is reckoned as the property of a wicked man, to listen to an evil tongue. 
Pro. 17.4.  A wicked man giveth heed to false lips, and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue. And on the contrary the Psalmist doth record it as a note of a good man, & of a citizen of heaven, that he will not receive (or endure to hear) a false report against his neighbour. 
Psal. 15.3.   
Besides which express testimonies of holy writ, 
Why we should not give any countenance to an evil Tongue. 1. Cor. 13.4, 5, 6.  evidence of reason will evince as much. 1. The rule of charity will require it: for charity suffereth long & is kind, charity envieth not, charity thinketh not evil; it rejoiceth not in iniquity, it beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 2. The rule of equity may enjoin it, 
Mat. 7.12.  Whatsoever you would that men should do unto you, so do ye unto them. Now there is no man that willingly would have another to receive a false report in prejudice of himself; and therefore Quod tibi fieri non vis, alterine feceris. 
Dictum Alexandri Severi.  Do not unto another, what thou wouldst not have done unto thyself. 3. The inconvenience which cometh many times from the receiving of these sinister reports, may deter us from hearing of them; for by this means many innocents have been brought into trouble and great disgrace. Potiphar, being so credulous of his wives report concerning joseph, cast him into prison, David, 
Gen. 39 2. Sam. 16.3.  giving too hasty an ear to Ziba his slander, wronged Mephibosheth in his goods. 
Hest. 3.8.  Ahashuerosh, upon the hearing of Hamans' false suggestions against the jews, caused a most cruel Edict to be proclaimed for their utter destruction. Infinite are the examples of those, who by hearing of false tongues, have been injurious unto others. 4. It is injurious to our own souls, to give any credit or countenance to an evil tongue: for he whose ear is open to loosetongued creatures, becometh accessary to their sin, 
Hieron. Si deesset auditor, deest & detracta tor.  and guilty of the same offence with them; for it is a true position, as in cases of felony, so of slander, If there were not a receiver, there would not be a purloiner. Yea in this case of slander there is more danger then in cases of felony: for a Thief by himself may steal, & without a receiver may rob his neighbour of his goods, but a Talebearer cannot rob a man of his good name, nor yet impair his credit, unless there be another to hear and to admit his slanders: wherefore Bernard doubteth not to affirm, that Talebearers and Talehearers are guilty alike. 
Bernard. de inter. Dom. Jdem de confid. lib. 2. in fine.  And the same Author is very vehement in this point, Whether (saith he) a talebearer or a Tale-receiver be more dangerous and damnable, it is hard to judge: for the Talebearer hath the Devil in his tongue, and the Talehearer hath the Divelin his ear.  
Now that we may the better keep off the slanderer, 
Remedies against the bringing of evil reports unto us.  and Talebearer, and so keep ourselves from being accessary to their sins by receiving their evil reports, there are three principal remedies to be observed of us, and to be opposed against them, who shall go about to trouble our ears with false reports.  
The first is a deaf ear: 
A deaf ear.  we must not afford an evil Tongue so much as the hearing, Eccles. 7.21. 
Eccl. 7.21.  Give no ear, neither take heed to their words. A notable example to this purpose we have in Gedaliab, the son of Ahikam, jerem. 40. 
jer. 40.14, 15, 16.  unto whom when johanan, the son of Kareah had told in secret a conspiracy of Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, that he was hired by BAALIS, King of the Ammonites, to slay him; and oftentimes related this report unto him, and that with great vehemency, Wherefore should he slay thee, and so the jews which are gathered unto thee shall be scattered, and the remnant in judah perish? Although the report indeed was true (as afterward it proved) and johanan spoke in good will, and with an honest mind, yet Gedaliah, good man, not suspecting any such attempt, hoping the best, and joth to entertain any hard conceit against Ishmael, would by no means give ear to this report, but sharply reproved johanan, and forbade him to speak any more of it: Thou shalt not do this thing (saith he) for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael. A notable example for our imitation; although not for improvident simplicity, yet against overrash credulity, that we stop our ears against such encharmers, and shut them against the reports of an evil tongue.  
The second remedy against the receipt of an evil Tongue, 
A frowuing look.  is a Frowning look: for so saith Solomon, Pro. 
Pro. 25.23  25.23. As the North wind driveth away rain, so doth an angry countenance the slandering tongue. When the sky is full of clouds, and in all likelihood ready to power down their rain upon the earth, if the wind change into the North, that Northern wind will scatter abroad the clouds, and stop them from breaking forth into a Tempest (and therefore it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the clearer of the sky:) Even so, when a talebearer, 
Hesiod.  or slanderer doth come unto us with a cloud of many idle words, which he desireth to power in, as rain into our ears, a frowning countenance, and an angry look will put them off. To all evill-tongued creatures therefore, we should show ourselves stern, as unwilling to defile our ears with their pollution: For (as Hierome well observeth) if with a silent countenance we give ear unto the talebearer, 
Hieron. ad Fab.  we shall encourage him to slander; but if we hear him not with some show of delight, he will learn not willingly to speak that, which he shall perceive is not willingly heard.  
The third Remedy against the reports of an evil tongue, 
A sharp reproof.  is a sharp reproof. It is the Apostles rule, 
Ephe. 5.11  that we should have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them: As our Saviour sharply reproved Peter for his flattery, bidding him, 
Mat. 16.25  avant, Satan, for he was an offence unto him: So should we give a sharp check to a slanderous Tongue, bidding it, avant, Satan, for it is an offence unto us. If we cannot by countenance put the slanderer to silence, we must by speech curb his wicked tongue; and not that alone: but if they will not desist, we are to complain of them; and if all this will not serve, we must endeavour, according to our place and power, that real punishments be inflicted on them, 
Psal. 101.5  according to that of David, Psalm. 101.5. Him that privily slandereth his neighbour, I will destroy.  
And thus much briefly for our direction against the hearing of an evil Tongue, when before us it is ready to traduce others. Now we are in the next place to consider how we are to demean ourselves, in case of evil reports against ourselves.   

CHAP. XII.  
How to endure the stroke of an evil Tongue, when it concerneth ourselves.  
EVery one is a better Physician to another then to himself: 
The difficulty of enduring an evil report against ourselves.  we can better endure the sight of other men's wounds, then feel them in our own bodies. It is hard to carry ourselves upright in the hearing of evil reports against others; more hard to endure them when they light upon ourselves; yet both these are to be learned: and this latter the sooner, that we may the better perform the former.  
A good man must endeavour to endure an evil Tongue, 
The duty for it.  and to carry himself like a Christian in the bearing of the same: For thus the Apostle doth admonish us, 
2. Cor. 6.4.5, 6, 7, 8.  2. Cor. 6. In all things approve yourselves as the servants of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, inlabours, in watchings, in fastings, by pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand, and on the left, by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report. An excellent lesson for our imitation, yet hard to be learned, by reason of our inbred corruption: And therefore that we may the sooner be brought to the practice of it, these four virtues are necessarily required: first, Patience: secondly, Experience: thirdly, Meditation: four, Providence.  
Patience is a principal Antidote against an evil tongue; 
Patience.  for so our blessed Saviour doth advise us, Math. 
Mat. 21.19  21.19. In patience possess your souls: And the Apostle james, Be ye patiented unto the coming of the Lord, 
jam. 5.7.  jam. 5.7. There is no such salve against the wound of a skolding tongue, a railing tongue, a slanderous tongue, or any other kind of wicked tongues, as Patience: He that is patiented (saith Solomon) is a man of great understanding. 
Pro. 14.29.  And again, He that is slow to anger, 
Pro. 16.32  is better than the mighty: and he that ruleth his own spirit, is better than he that conquereth a City. This Patience is like unto the Tree which Moses cast into Marahs' Spring, 
Ex. 25.25.  and it seasoned the bitterness of the waters: It is like jonathans' Armour-bearer, 
1. Sam. 14.  which helped him to vanquish all his enemies.  
That Patience is an excellent virtue, 
The way to get patience.  and an absolute remedy against the poison of an evil tongue, no man can deny. But some, peradventure, will reply, How shall we get this patience? How is it possible to retain it, when a man is thus virulently smitten with the tongue? I answer with Solomon; A sound spirit will bear this infirmity. 
Pro. 19.14.  And to the bearing of such an infirmity there had need be a sound spirit: It is not for every meacock, for every common man, to be endued with it, but (as the Spirit saith) This is the patience of Saints; 
Reu. 14.12  as if none but Saints could have it, and all they who are Saints on earth, and would be Saints in heaven, may not be without it. To the procuring, and retaining of which Patience, there are required these four properties: First, A deaf Ear; secondly, A silent Tongue; thirdly, A quiet Heart; four, a good Conscience.  
He who would have patience, 
A deaf Eare.  and therewith repel the blow of an evil tongue, must carry about him a Deaf Ear, and not hear, at leastwise seem not to hear the words of a malicious Tongue. An excellent precedent whereof we have in David, who from his own practice doth commend unto us this course, Psal. 38.13, 14. 
Psal. 38.13 15.  They that seek after my life (saith he) laid snares for me, they that sought mine hurt, spoke mischievous words against me; but I as a deaf man heard not. And again in the next verse: Thus I was as a man that heareth not. The like example we have in the Heathen Aristides, 
Aristides.  who being reviled by a railing tongue, went his way as if he had taken no notice of it; and being further provoked by his insulting enemy raging and railing against him in this manner; Why dost thou haste away? tarry, Aristides, and hear me: made this answer unto him; Therefore I go away, because howsoever thou hast the power of speaking, yet I have not the power of hearing. The like is reported of the Emperor Augustus, who to one that with bitter words and reproaches did provoke him, turned away his ears from him, with this reply: If thou canst not be master over thy Tongue, yet will I be master over mine Ears.  
The next property of Patience is a silent tongue, 
A silent Tongue.  when we are evil spoken of, to make no reply. And this practice doth holy David commend unto us in the above quoted place, I was (saith he) as a dumb man that opened not his mouth, 
Psal. 38.14.  as one in whose mouth are no reproofs: which his patiented silence and silent patience did notably manifest himself in his mild behaviour towards railing Shimei, 
2. Sam. 16.7, 8, 9, 10, 11.  when most traitorously and treacherously that vile monster did revile him; albeit he was egged on by Abishay to be avenged on him, yet we hear no other reply of his but this: What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? let him alone; let him curse, for the Lord hath bidden him.  
The like example of silence against an evil Tongue we may behold in Saul, who when he was anointed over be King of Israel, and all the people whose heart God had touched, did so acknowledge him, yet some children of Belial scoffed at him, 
1. Sam. 10.27.  and despised him, and spoke reproachful speeches of him. Against all which the text noteth this to his singular commendation. But Saul held his peace, or was as one that took no notice of it.  
A third thing required unto Patience is a quiet heart, 
A quiet heart. 1. Pet. 3.4.  which thing (as the Apostle Peter speaketh) in the sight of God is much esteemed; a property unto patience very necessary: for from whence come wars, 
jam. 4.1.  and fightings, and discontents? Come they not hence, even from the lusts which fight in our members? Now although we crave not that Stoical apathy to be quite void of passions, yet we must labour to curb our passions, that they be not too much stirred up to disdain or revenge. Say not in thy heart, 
Pro. 20.22  I will recompense evil for evil: but imitate the Example of examples, jesus Christ the Saviour of our souls, who when He was reviled, 
1. Pet. 2.21  reviled not again, when He suffered, threatened not, but committed himself to him who judgeth righteously.  
Lastly, 
A good Conscience.  unto Patience there is required a good Conscience; for where the Conscience can plead Innocency, there Patience will work most effectually. This was Paul's Armour of proof against all evil Tongues. Our rejoicing 
1. Cor. 1.12.  (saith he) is this, the testimony of our Conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world: which is contrary to the common practice of the world, where we daily hear these and such like speeches, If it were true, if I were guilty of that whereof I am accused, it would never grieve me; but because it is altogether false, therefore it grieveth me at the very heart: whereas the Apostles rule is quite contrary: It is (saith he) thanksworthy, if a man for conscience towards God endure grief, suffering wrongfully; what glory is it, 
1. Pet. 2.19 20.  if when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye take it patiently? but if when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable to God.  
The next Remedy (besides Patience) against the hurt of an evil tongue, 
Experience.  is Experience, the very daughter (as the Apostle speaketh) of Patience. 
Rom. 5.4.  Now Experience in this case may be applied to a threefold object. First, to the quality of an evil Tongue. Secondly, to the commonness of the erime. Thirdly, to the commodity which we may reap thereof.  
The quality, 
Of the quality of ill-toungd people. 2. Sam. 23.26. 1. Sam. 10.27. joh. 8.44. Psal. 69.12 Psal. 59.7.  or condition of those who smite us with the tongue, may teach us good experience, and by consequence work within us patience: for, what are they for the most part, that whet their tongues with slanders? Are they not wicked people? sons of Belial, unthrifts, children of the devil, Drunkards, Dogs? Now then consider thus with thyself. Shall I be offended with every dog that barketh at me? Shall I respect a Drunkard's tale? Shall I fret at an unthrists tongue? Let them go as they are, I will not care for them, nor for their words: For, can a man expect Grapes of Thorns, or Figs of Thistles?  
Again, 
Of the commonness of this trial. 1. Cor. 10.13.  Experience may guide us to take notice of the commonness of this trial. There doth no temptation herein overtake us, but such as is common unto man: yea, which is most common unto the best men; for the best are most smitten with the tongue. And therefore our Saviour giveth this comfort and counsel unto us; Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake, 
Math. 5.11.12.  rejoice and be glad, for great, is your rewand in heaven; for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you.  
And this is another fruit of experience, 
Of the commodity thereof.  which may sweeten the bitterness of an evil tongue unto us, when we do consider the good which from these kind of trials will redound unto us; 
Heb. 12.1.  For, Howsoever no trial for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous, yet afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness to them that are exercised thereby. And we know who hath said, that, 
2. Tim. 3.12  All they who would live godly in Christ jesus, shall suffer persecution. And this wrong which is offered by the Tongue, is a kind of persecution, witness the Apostle, Gal. 4.29. Now then, thus consider with thyself when thou art wronged by an evil tongue; 
Gal. 4.29.  What am I the worse? what is mine adversary the better for these distasteful speeches: If it be true which he reporteth, I may reap a benefit by his tongue, to see my fault and to amend it; if it be false, what need I grieve at it? Good men will not believe it, evil men's censures I regard not; my Witness is in heaven, He will defend mine innocency, He will cause all this to turn to the best unto me.  
And certainly this serious Meditation with ourselves, 
Meditatition.  is a singular good remedy against the malady of an evil Tongue; wherein remember this short direction: 
M. Grenham in his Sermon of a good name.  Dost thou endure the smart of an evil tongue? First, consider with thyself, whether that whereof thou art accused be good or evil: if good, then there is cause to rejoice in it, and not to grieve; if evil, then go a degree further, to find out whether it be for some evil work which thou hast committed, or for some occasion which thou hast given: If it be for some evil done, then see whether it hath wrought in thee the true sorrow for that sin; whether thou takest this as a correction from God; and whether it leadeth thee to repentance: If it be upon occasion only given upon suspicion; Then consider with thyself thy frailty in offering the occasion, and the mercy of God who hath kept thee from that evil, and doth by this means warn thee to beware of giving the like occasion.  
I will add to this purpose, that golden meditation of Seneca; 
Senec. de Jra. c. 23. & 24.  Let every man (saith he) when he is provoked by others evil words, thus say within himself; Am I mightier than Philip, that mighty Macedonian? yet he was wronged with the tongue of a Peasant, and would not take notice of it. Can I do more in mine own defence than Augustus, who had the taxing of the whole world? yet he was content to wink at the tongue that taxed him. Why should I so take to heart a few evil or idle words? Who am I that I may not be spoken against? Many have pardoned their enemies; shall not I forgive a few foolish speeches? If he be a youth who doth thus traduce me? his age may excuse him; If a woman? her sex; If a stranger? his liberty; If a familiar? his acquaintance may seem to privilege him. Is this the first time that he hath thus offended? it may be he hath often pleased. Hath he used this liberty of a lewd tongue a long time? we may the better endure that, to which we have becne long enured. Is he a friend? he did what he would not. Is he an enemy? he hath done no more than we might well expect. If he be wise, let me yield to him; if a fool, let me pardon him. The very best are not without their blemishes: There is no man so circumspect, but may sometimes be tripped; none so faultless, but may fail.  
The last remedy against an evil tongue is Providence, 
Providence.  and that two ways: first, for the getting: secondly, for the keeping of a good name. The right provident course to get a good name is, first, 
To get a good name.  to be careful to avoid all evil, both outward and inward, secret and open, great and small: for, as dead flies cause to stink and putrefy the ointment of the Apothecary, so doth sin, seem it never so small, crack the credit of a man, 
Eccl. 10.5.  and expose him to the talk of tongues: therefore he who would not be evil spoken of, must be jealous of his own doings, and not only refrain from evil, but also abstain from the very appearance of evil. 
1. Thess. 5.22.  2. He who would avoid the hurt of an evil Tongue, must not only abstain from evil, but also be plentiful in well-doing: for there is no way more ready for a good name then good works, according to that of our Saviour, 
Math. 5.16  Mat. 5.16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your heavenly Father. And to this purpose the Apostle doth advise us, 
1. Pet. 2.12  to have our conversations honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against us as evil doers, they may by our good works, which they behold, glorify God in our behalf. Now because it is a matter of as great importance to keep a good name, as to get it, therefore he who would stop the tongue of the slanderer, must be careful to use the best means to preserve his credit and reputation. The means to keep a good name, 
To keep a good name.  are in effect the same whereby a good name is gotten; and therefore I will shut up this caveat in a word, with that heavenly counsel of holy David: What man is he that desireth life, 
Psal. 34.12, 13.  and loveth many days, that he may see good, keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips that they speak no guile; depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and ensue it.   

CHAP. XIII.  
The Conclusion of the whole Treatise.  
THus have we heard this unruly member of our Body, 
A brief repetition of all the Premises.  the Tongue, Arraigned, Indicted, Examined, and found guilty; Sentence of judgement hath passed against it, and order hath been taken for the execution of the same: what now remaineth, but that every one who doth wish well unto himself, should well look unto himself, that this naughty Tongue be not found within himself. David's care, should be every good man's caveat; 
Psal. 39.1.  I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I offend not with my tongue. A lesson which Pambo was many years a learning, and yet, as himself professeth, he could never thoroughly learn. And indeed, who can so well observe it as he should? 
jam. 3.2.  S. james saith, that if any man sin not in word, he is a perfect man, able to bridle all the body. O let us labour and strive for this perfection: And because it is a matter exceeding the power and skill of man, so well as he ought to guide and rule his Tongue, therefore we are earnestly to beg it at the hands of God; 
Psal. 141.3. Psal. 51.15.  that He would set a watch before our lips, and keep the door of our mouth; That he would open our lips when they should be open, and shut them when they should be shut; that he would give the right utterance unto us, that so both the thoughts of our heart, 
Ephe. 6.19  and the words of our mouth might always be acceptable in his sight, 
Psal. 19.14  who is our Strength and our Redeemer. The like course we likewise are to take against the injury of other men's tongues; that seeing it is so difficult a thing to tame an evil Tongue, so grievous to endure it, and so impossible to avoid it, we should therefore have recourse unto almighty God, by hearty prayer, that he would preserve us against it, and teach us true wisdom to bear and endure it. Yea, O Lord, vouchsafe unto us both sanctified Tongues and Ears, that our Tongues may evermore sound thy praises, our Ears ever be attentive to thy will: make us zealous for thy glory, patiented in our own cause, and keep us from the strife of Tongues; So we thy people, 
Psal. 79.13  and the sheep of thy pasture shall praise thee for ever, and from generation to generation set forth thy Glory. Amen.  
FINIS.