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A77383
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A Bridle for the tongue: or, The trial and condemnation of Whispering-Backbiter. Being a profitable and pleasant discourse, designed as an essay to detect the sin of detraction, an evil too common in this age.
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E. P.
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1700
(1700)
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Wing B4494A; ESTC R173265
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19,892
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45
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to another this is no new thing he first receives it and why should he keep it in his Mind If he hath heard of the defaming of many and others saying Report and we will report it Jer. 20. 10. Why should not he take the same liberty Besides my Lord if he doth sometimes add to the Report or Accusation he hath heard it is but to amplify it and to make it more taking and convincing to them to whom he carries it for what is a Report or Story if it finds no Credit in the Hearers Moreover several other Circumstances should be considered as it may be he can hear but with one Ear and so cannot hear both Parties but reports it according as he hears it as also they whom he backbites as you are pleased to call it may be such as are more esteemed and applauded in the Corporation than he and their Graces and Virtue excels him and his and therefore his design may be good that so he may keep up his Fame equal with others He is not the first that hath envied the commendable Fame and Deserts of others there was David hated others Prosperity And I have also read a Passage out of Plutarch of Aristides Banishment called Ostracism His Accuser being asked what Wrong Aristides had done him he reply'd None neither do I know him but it grieves me to hear every body call him a just Man If this was a cause of Banishment well might it procure hard words for Men naturally hate to be out-stript either in worldly or spiritual Riches And my Lord besides Judg. Hold Mr. Equivocator you run too fast Attorny General You must not think Mr. Equivocator to sham off the Crimes at this rate You say he is a good Man in the main pray in what main The main of a good Man is to love our Sovereign above all and his Neighbour as himself This is inserted in our old Charter and reviv'd in the new Deut. 6. 5. Levit. 19. 16 18. and his Neighbour as himself Mat. 22. 37 40. which cannot be done by a detracting Tale-bearer And again you 'll see how he is resented in our Corporation as fair a face as you would put on his bad Cause Envy Murder Debates Deceits Malignity Whisperings Backbiters haters of God c. Rom. 1. 29 30. Pray where is his Goodness when he is a Companion with such a Gang of mercenary Wretches And saying Report and we will report Jer. 20. 10. was the Practice of the great Enemies of our City and Commonwealth And whereas you would vindicate his adding to a Report I am satisfied that he that will add to a Report will raise one too when he pleaseth which is expresly contrary to our old Charter and new for it is said Thou shalt not raise a false Report put not thy hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous Witness Exod. 23. 1. Now if he takes liberty to add what doth he less than put his hand with the wicked to be an unfaithful Witness Again by the same rule he may improve every little Infirmity into a mountainous Guilt and the little or small Freckle into a Leprosy What Reputation can be secured from such who have their dead Flies to cast a stink on their Brethren at pleasure to corrupt all their odorous Virtues And as to your Instance of Aristides's Banishment it 's recorded as an Instance of Heathen Cruelty but Backbiter out-does the Cruelty of Ostracism as far as Death is worse than Banishment for in murdering the Name he destroys the Livelihood and the Greeks have a saying That a Life is no Life without a Livelihood Yea a Backbiter or Detractor is a Thief and robs a Man of that which is better than precious Ointment or great Riches Eccles 7. 1. Prov. 22. 1. Equivocator My Lord all I would further have said was to desire that his bad Memory and the want of the use of his right Ear may be considered and that his Evidences may be heard Judg. Yes he shall have all the favour that can be allowed by the Charter of our Corporation and if his Evidences are Persons of any degree of Morality and Repute they shall be heard Let them be called into Court Equivocator Crier pray call Mrs. Busy-body she is own Cousin to the Prisoner Clerk Crier call her into Court. Crier Mrs. Busy-body O yes O yes Mrs. Busy-body She cannot leave her Twattle Mrs. Busy-body Ready ready Sir Why do you not attend the Court Busy-body I have so much business betwixt one Friend or Neighbour and another that alas I am seldom at home or rarely out of imploy my Lord. Judg. Pray what was your Imploy Busy-body My Lord if I hear of any one failing committed it 's my desire and endeavour that no body may be ignorant of it But I remember I have read That the Lips of the wise shall instruct many And this as my Cousin Backbiter hath told me must be by carrying ones failings to another Judg. Didst thou ever seriously read over the Charter of our Corporation I fear that thou seldom lookest at home Constable No my Lord when I search'd for Busy-body I saw her House all out of order and she was just going out Judg. How did you know she was going out Constable Why my Lord she had two Glasses in her hand and I have been informed of it and that by some that had experience of it Judg. Hold Pray Mr. Constable what Glasses were they Constable My Lord one was a magnifying Glass and the other a multiplying Glass with the former she with her Cousin Backbiter makes a small failing a great one and with the latter one failing many Judg. It 's a shame that such ignorant and pertinacious Practices should be suffered in the Suburbs of our Corporation let her be taken into Custody Crier She is withdrawn and absconded my Lord but I shall take care to have her apprehended for it 's one Man's work to have a serious sight of his own Sins and judg himself aright Clerk of the Sess Call Mr. Zeal into Court Crier Mr. Zeal O yes O yes Mr. Zeal Ready my Lord but I cannot see the way into Court. Whispering-Backbiter Pray take him by the hand Mr. Equivocator for he is almost as blind as a Post He is handed up Judg. Old Gentleman what is your Name Zeal Zeal My Name is properly Blind Zeal my Lord. Judg. I thought so I have heard much of you Zeal Yes my Lord I was with Saul when he would have slain the Gibeonites 2 Sam. 21. 2. and with Jehu 2 Kings 10. 16. and with Saul now called Paul Acts 9. 1. Phil. 3. 6. yea and with those Jews my Lord Rom. 10. 2. Yea my Lord and I know Mr. Backbiter to be a very zealous Man by this for he cannot rest if he hears the Report true or false of another's failing alas he can rest no more than he that lies upon a Bed of Thorns till others know it and this is
the North Wind driveth away Rain so doth an angry Countenance a backbiting Tongue Prov. 25. 23. I frowned upon him and told him he must go to the Person of whom he heard it and to the Person that was thus defamed and know the certain truth of the matter before he run about declaring it at Dan and publishing it at Askelon And upon this he takes up his Pack and away he goes and hath never come near me since Yea my Lord if he can hear of any fault that hath been committed if it were long since if it hath been heard determined remitted and buried yet this Backiter hath been for digging it up and reviving it verifying a saying in our old Charter Prov. 16. 27. An ungodly Man diggeth up evil and in his Lips is a burning Fire And this fearing I have intruded upon your Lordship's Patience is what I have to say at present my Lord. Judg. These are foul and unsufferable Practices Love-truth My Lord I could say much more of things of this nature how hasty and diligent he hath been in this Evil of Detraction Judg. There hath been enough said at present Mr. Love-truth The Bench ariseth and the Court is adjourned till two of the Clock in the Afternoon The Prison-Keeper Mr. Newman remands Backbiter to the Prison again not denying his Friends to come to see him So there came Mrs. Busy-body Mr. Liar Mr. Blind-Zeal Prejudice Hate-Peace and several others whose Names I took no account of so he sent for his Counsel Mr. Equivocator and gave him his Fee telling him he was afraid it would go hard with him if he did not speak and his Evidence did not swear to the purpose to justify his Proceedings The hour being come Mr. Newman hastens the Prisoner to the Court. When the Judg with the Mayor Recorder and Sheriffs with the Justices of the Peace and Quorum were sat Mr. Newman was commanded to put up Whispering Backbiter to the Bar which was done accordingly Attorny General Mr. Clerk of the Sessions What further Evidence have you against the Prisoner Clerk Here is Mr. Vnity subpaena'd to appear Judg. Let him be called Crier Vnity O yes O yes Mr. Vnity I am here my Lord but I dare not come into Court till Backbiter and his Friends are searched Judg. What are you afraid of Mr. Vnity Vnity Why my Lord I know they use to carry white Powder about them with which they use to shoot those they have a prejudice against and it murders a Man in his Name before he can hear the Report Judg. That is Treason by the Law there dare be no such an Attempt in Court Vnity My Lord They are not afraid to speak evil of Dignities 2 Pet. 2. 10. Being searched it appeared they had left those Instruments at home Judg. Mr. Vnity Pray how long have you known the Prisoner Vnity My Lord ever since there have been Swellings Tumults Wrath Strife and Debates they all came into our Corporation with Whispering Backbiter 2 Cor. 12. 20. Attorny General My Lord and Mr. Sheriff Order you know right-well the Confusion that hath been in some Companies in our Corporation of Christ Church and undoubtedly it hath been for want of regarding what you and I have endeavoured to maintain in conjunction with Mr. Fear-God namely Discipline and Order if it please your Lordship let Mr. Vnity give in his Evidence Judg. Mr. Vnity be as brief and express as you can Vnity I desire to have the liberty to speak in the presence of this honourable Court for he whose Hatred is covered by Deceit his Wickedness shall be shewed before the whole Congregation Prov. 26. 26 28. For a lying Tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it and a flattering Mouth worketh ruin It was accounted good and pleasant to dwell together in Unity Psal 133. 1. especially Brethren in one Society Endeavouring to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Ephes 4. 3. Till we all come to the unity of the Faith ver 13. But my Lord the Prisoner hath been a mischievous Instrument in setting particular Societies together by the Ears by him also neighbourly Union and Friendship hath been broken May be some different apprehensions have been about some Sentences in our Charter then Backbiter comes in and blows up the fire of Contention and sets them at work to smite one another on the backside with the Tongue crying out Hereticks Idolaters c. because they cannot see through their Eye-holes as tho it were possible yea the likeliest way to work a Reformation by Defamation like him mentioned by Dr. Taylor that seeing a Flea on his Neighbour's Forehead goes to knock it on the head with his Hammer and so knocks his Neighbour's Brains out Thus my Lord doth Whispering-Backbiter think to slander Men out of the faults he imagines them to be in when alas instead of healing The words of a Tale bearer are as Wounds that go down to the innermost parts Prov. 18. 8. Yea my Lord I have known when that great Union and Amity hath been betwixt two Persons yea and Companies in our Corporation till Backbiter hath been at work and In carrying his Pack with all he could pick up hath uttered or whispered what hath soon broke the Bond of Unity Prov. 16. 28. A froward Man soweth Strife and a Whisperer separateth chief Friends Yea my Lord such Prejudice and Inveteracy hath been begot by Backbiter's means that it hath appeared next to an impossibility to reconcile them as Mr. Sheriff Order and Mr. Church-Discipline know right-well And this is what I have to say at present my Lord. Attorny General My Lord I very well know what Mr. Vnity saith to be true and so doth Mr. Sheriff also There are other Evidences may be called if your Lordship please Judg. I think there have sufficient Testimonies been given in against him to prove him guilty according to his Indictment And if further occasion should be they shall be examin'd Mr. Backbiter what Reason canst thou give why Sentence according to the Law of our Corporation should not be passed upon thee Thou hast heard what evident Testimonies have been given in against thee Backbiter My Lord you were pleased to allow me Counsel to speak for me and plead my Cause for alas my Lord I know not how to speak for my self Attorny General No Mr. Backbiter you have spoken so much falsly against others that you have nothing truly to say for your self Judg. where is your Counsel What is his Name Let him appear Backbiter My Lord his Name is Equivocator a Kinsman of mine Judg. Where is he Crier Mr. Equivocator Here Sir Why do you not attend your Client's Cause Equivocator Here ready my Lord and I am fee'd to plead the Prisoner's Cause and I think my Lord he is a good Man in the main and tho it may be true what hath been said by these Gentlemen that have witnessed against him that he carries Reports from one