not onely so but wee our selues would put a bridle vnto our tongue and diligently weigh in the balance of our hearts our words before wee vtter them that they hurt no man and that our tongue destroy not our owne soule so shall it come to passe that with this one care wee shall auoide infinite sins which are committed with the tongue And so I conclude this whole discourse of the tongue with these few short lessons which I would wish euery good Christian to register in his heart and practise in the course of his life For the beter gouernment then of this little member it would greatly profite to obserue these foure things viz. First what wee should speake Secondly the manner of our speech Thirdly the time when wee should speake Fourthly and the cause why we should speak For the first wee are to obserue this of the Apostle Ephe. 4.29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouthes but that which is good to the vse of edifying that it may minister grace to the hearers And this in another place he expresseth more plaine But fornication Ephe. 5.34 and all vncleanenesse or couetousnesse let it not bee once named among you as it becommeth Saints neither filthinesse neither foolish talking neither iesting which are things not comely but rather giuing of thankes Euen as the Marriner doth carefully auoid all dangerous places delineated in his Map or Charte So the seruant of God in his daily speech should warily shunne the dangerous rockes of communication discouered in the word of God that his soule suffer not shipwrack thereon 2 In the manner of our speech wee should bee circumspect that we speake considerately aduisedly without too much affectation of curious delicate or exquisite words but with grauity mildnesse sobriety we vse a Christian simplicity and plainenesse in our speech without obstinate selfe-conceite as they which striue to haue the vpper hand in whatsoeuer they shall speake whereby the conscience of many is troubled charity and patience infringed and their friends offended It is a note of a generous minde sometime to yeeld and in such contention leaue the palme to another according to the counsell of the Wise-man Giue eare and bee still Eccl. 32. Verse 7.9 in many things be as one that is ignorant be as one that vnderstandeth and yet hold thy tongue 3 The third thing to bee obserued is the fit and opportunate time of speaking that we speake in due time For as the Wise-man saith Ecle 20.5 Some man keepeth silence and is found wife and some holdeth his tongue because he hath not to answere and some keepeth silence wayting a conuenient time A wise man will hold his tongue till hee see opportunity but a foole will regard no time Nobile lingua bonū si norit tempore fari At si non norit nobile lingua malum The tongue is sure a noble Good if time to speake it knowes If not the tongue 's a mischiefe great from whence much euill flowes 4 The last thing in speech to bee considered is the cause for some will vtter wise sentences that they may be thought to bee wise and others because they would shew the acutenesse of their wit and eloquence the first is an note of an hypocrite the other the marke of a foole desirous of vaine-glory He therefore that would speake must not onely haue a care that his words be good but also that the end and intention be good which is if in our speech wee seeke onely the glory of God and good of our neighbour If any thinke it hard to obserue these rules I counsell him to make his refuge the safe port of filence which will bee a remedy to shun innumerable sinnes which otherwise men are wont to fall into through a misgouerned tongue as that Mirrour of wisedome counselleth Pro. 17.28 A foole when hee holdeth his peace is counted wise and he that stoppeth his mouth prudent And Bernard saith Sint verba tua rara vera ponderosa rara contra multiloquium vera contra falsiloquium ponderosa contra vaniloquium Let thy words bee few true substantiall against many words false words vaine words The third Part. VER 27. Pure Religion and vndefiled c. THE Apostle hauing shewed negatiue what Religion is not that it cannot stand with an vnbrideled and misgouerned tongue hee now describeth the same affirmatiue shewing what the true and pure Religion is and that by the properties effects thereof heere he maketh mention but of 2 things 1 The workes of mercy towards our distressed brethren 2 And innocency of our owne liues The effects of true religion Vnder these by a figure called Synecdoche comprehending all other duties of Christianity Now in that the Apostle saith Pure Religion and vndefiled before God euen the Father Hee distinguisheth betweene the true Religion and the counterfeit and false Religion of hipocrites inferring that there is a Religion approued among hipocrites but not with God and a Religion that is pure before God and allowed of him but not with the hipocrits of the world the true Religion acceptable vnto God sheweth it selfe in mercy loue charity towards our brethren and innocency purity of our own liues which being wanting in hipocrites howsoeuer they please themselues what shew soeuer they make to the world yet is it not the true Religion before God And this much the very name of Religion implyeth which commeth as Lactantius would haue it à religando Lact. lib. 4. cap. 25. Religion how deriued quia per hoc pietatis vinculū Deo religamur obstringimur Of binding because by this band of piety we are bound and knit to God Againe this Religion is called pure and vndefiled not onely that it might be distinguished from the impure superstitions of the Gentiles But also because it ought to be voide sincere from all hipocrisie and dissimulation With how many impurites the sects of the Simonians Nicholaytans Carpocratians and of the old Gnostici Irenaeus Augustine were polluted defiled Irenaeus Augustine other ancient Writers do witnes at large The first effect of true Religion is charity towards the fatherlesse widowes signifying by them all our brethrē which stand in need of our help but especially our mercy should extend to the fatherlesse widowes of whō God seemes to haue the greater care because they are exposed to most wrong and are destitute of the protectiō of their husbāds fathers which were wont to defend them and stand for them and therfore in a peculiar and singular manner in holy Scripture Psalm 68 hee is called The Father of the fatherlesse and Iudge of the cause of the widowes Which appellation in very deed is most conuenient for the Maiesty of God for there is a false and there is a true magnanimity of minde The false magnanimity exerciseth his rule and tyranny ouer the poore the weake and such as are
wheate againe Typha a kinde of wilde corne but typham or chaffe onely which in the nature of things is very admirable seeing it is a Maxime in Philosophy Omne agens sibi simile generare euery agent ingendreth his like So it chanceth vnto them in whose hearts if the word of God be sowne it bringeth not forth the frnite of this seed but chaffe or Typham that is not the fruit of godlinesse but the chaffe of vanity Now that this word of God may be vnto vs the sweete sauour of life vnto life 2. Cor. 2. the Apostle teacheth heere how wee must prepare the ground of our hearts euen by casting out the noysome weeds of vices which hinder the fruitfull and happy haruest of the seed of the word and heere hee nameth two filthinesse or vncleanesse and malice because they defile and perturbe the minde that wee cannot hearken nor be obedient to the word of God By vncleanesse he vnderstandeth all impurity which springeth of gluttony Siouth begetteth lust gluttony bringeth it forth drunkennesse fornication incest adultery and such like which spring of fleshly lust as a Father very truely saith libidinem torpor gignit gula parit quid miri igitur filiam parentes sequi Slouth begetteth lust gluttony bringeth it forth what maruell then if the daughter doth follow her parents Math. 5.19 Out of the heart saith our Sauiour proceed euill thoughts murthers adulteries fornications thefts false testimonies slanders c. And the Apostle Paul would haue all Christians to bee free from all vncleanesse as for fornication and vncleanesse Ephe. 5. Augustine let them not be once named among you Vbi carnis immunditia ibi habitatio diaboli qui maximè inquinato corpore gaudet saith Augustine The deuill dwelleth with vncleanesse of the flesh who most delighteth in a polluted body For wisedome cannot enter into a wicked heart Wisd 1. nor dwell in a body sub ect vnto sinne And this not onely the sacred Scripture forbidded but also humane wisedome In hoc saith Seneca nos amplectuntur vt strangulent non aliter igitur quam latrunculâ— viatoribus insidiantes eosque seducentes ac perimentes declinandae sunt Pleasures embrace that they may strangle vs which as thieues that lie in wait that they may seduce and kill trauellers wee should auoid And surely the counsell herein Scip. Afri counsell that Scipio Africanus in Liuie gaue to King Masinissa is excellent Vince animum caue ne deformes multa bona vitio vno tot meritorum gratiam maiore culpa quam causa culpae est corrumpas Vanquish thy minde and take heed thou do not deforme many good gifts with one vice and corrupt the beauty of 〈◊〉 many deserts with a greater fault then the cause of the fault is Which a man should the easier do if he wold consider the vilenes filthines shortnes and end of this vice the long shame and the short time and how perhaps the pleasure of a short minute shall be punished with the repentance of many yeares and peraduenture with euerlasting damnation Seeing then that the Wisedome of God cannot rest in polluted and vncleane hearts O let vs cleanse and purge our hearts of all vncleane and polluting sins that the soule-sauing word of God may enter and dwell heerein The second vice heere noted is maliciousnesse Maliciousnesse what which Augustine defineth to be nocendi amor the loue of doing hurt Saint Ambrose to bee mentis deprauatio a deprauatioÌ„ of the minde And Cicero versuta fallax ratio nocendi A subtile and deceitfull kind of hurting all which commeth to one sense The minde then must first be puâ—â—â—ed of all malice before the heauenly seed of the word can take any roote in our hearts that is our hearts must bee sweeped cleane from enuy hatred desire of reuenge and wishing euill to our neighbour for our hearts cannot bee capable of them both neither can the light of Gods Spirit dwell together with the darkenesse of these vices This pestilent vice alwaies accompanieth vertue glory and prosperity Vulgus liuor in plateis habitant sic vt mala fere omnia saith that famous Orator The common people and enuy dwell together in the streetes as for the most part doth all wickednesse And there are certaine effectuall remedies to quench malice and enuy Sed morbo ipso peiora but worse then the disease it selfe The remedies of enuy are worse theÌ„ entry it selfe Misery and an Infamous life Of the one sprang this prouerbe miseriam solam inuidia carere that miserie alone wants enuy and to the other pertained this of Socrates who when Alcibiades demanded on a time of him by what meanes hee might auoide enuy and malice answered Viue vt Thersites Thersites a filthy and base pesant cuius vitam si nescires in Homerica leges Iliade Liue as Thersites did whose life if thou knowest not thou maist reade in Homers Iliados a scossing and a perfect Socraticall answere For it is no wise part to forsake vertue that thou maist auoide enuy and better it is to bee noble Achilles with enuie then base Thersites without it Achilles a noble and valiant Captaine And very aptly hee calleth it Superfluity of maliciousnesse a metaphor taken of a stomack surcharged with meates or drinkes which laboureth to cast out Omne superuacuum pleno de pectore tollit So when it once aboundeth in the heart it is cast forth at the mouth in cursed speeches And this brethren is the cause that among so many which all their life long haue frequented the hearing of Sermons that they are nothing bettered thereby because they come with hearts laden with all filthinesse and superfluity of maliciousnesse which they should first vngorge How many are there among vs of whom we may complaine as the Prophet did once The word of God is to them at a reproach they haue no delight therein For what haue wee profited I meane the greatest number by so many Sermons so many cryings out Who hath forsaken his wicked custome of blaspheming swearing backbiting cursing deceit or vsury Who hath cast off his hatred contention desire of reuenge Who hath cast off his vnchaste loue Surely with horrour of minde I speake it I may say with Saint Augustine it seemeth vnto mee by so many admonitions Nos non alium referre fructum quam vt Dei aduersus eos causam in extremo iuditio tueatur that wee reape no other fruit then to defend the equity of Gods iustice in condemning them at the last iudgement So that the Preacher may say with the Prophet Esay 49. I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength in vaine but my iudgement is with the Lord and my worke with God The Apostle alludeth here to the parable of our Sauiour Iesus Christ The seed is the word of God whereof some fell by the way side some among thornes some on stony ground and some on good ground
paragon his Paradise c. yet let the Christian confesse the bearing of the Crosse the suffering of affliction the triall of their faith to bee their happinesse and felicity with the blessed Apostle which saith Blessed is the man that endureth temptation Wee are heere taught what is the condition and state of the godly in this world that they are euen as sheepe among wolues that is exposed to the hatred slander and iniuries of the wicked and that they are proued and exercised by diuers temptations and thereby prepared to receiue the Crowne of Glory so would the Lord haue Abel Abraham Iacob Ioseph Moses Dauid c. to bee subiect to this crosse For if any man will follow mee Mat. 16.24 1. Tim. 3. let him forsake himselfe and take vp his Crosse All that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution The Apostle expresseth also the time when it shall bee giuen when wee are tryed the Crowne is promised after our conflict the hire is not rendred before wee haue done our labour 2. Tim. 2. No man saith the Apostle is crowned except hee striue lawfully 2. Tim. 4.7 The Vse There is no garland where is no gole to run vnto There is no Crown where the race is not lawfully runne And setting downe his trauaile before his reward hee saith I haue fought a good fight and haue finished my course I haue kept the faith There is no price where there is no striuing Heere wee learne that is is not enough once or twice to resist sin for the whole life of man is a continuall warfare vpon earth Againe wee are heere taught that our life was not giuen vs of God that wee should serue our lusts follow our fleshly pleasures to giue our selues to couetousnesse and ambition whereby the soule is defiled but that wee should serue the Lord c. This being so they then flatter and deceiue themselues which thinke to bee partakers of the reward without euer entring into the combate and tryall of temptations That hee might stirre vp our mindes with the greatnesse of the reward and our heauenly happinesse hee vseth heere a metaphor taken from such as contend and striue for masteries Champions and Conquerours in signe of glory haue Crownes giuen them either Ciuicas Murales Castrenses Nauales made some of Lawrell some of Oake c. So all good Christians that fight in the cause of the soueraigne Emperour of heauen and earth haue a Crowne of heauenly glory reserued for them as the reward of their labours O sweete comfort to the faithfull the which in this life endure so many labours so many crosses so many persecutions in the life to come they shall be free from all these things raigne with God for euer A shadow heereof is figured in the Welles which Isaac digged in Gerar Gen. 26.20.21.22 A Figure the first for which they contended with the Philistimes they called Contention the second for which they also stroue they called Hatred the third which without contradiction they enioyed they called latitudinem largenesse saying dilatauit nos dominus the Lord hath now made vs roome To signifie vnto vs that before wee come to the fountaines of liuing waters where there is true rest true safety eternall felicity wee must first passe through hatreds contentions labour strife in this life The Apostle Paul calleth this reward 1. Cor. 9. An incorruptible Crowne The Spirit of God also in another place promiseth to the Church of Smirna a Crowne of Life Apoc. 2.10 This being so brethren I may iustly cry out vnto this wicked age with the Prophet Esay Quare appenditis argentum non in panibus laborem vestrum non in satietate Esay 55. Wherefore lay yee out your siluer and not for bread and your labour without being satisfied By siluer is meant the time of this present life that precious gold which wee should lay out for eternall felicity which yet wee spend not vpon Bread that is vpon necessary things but on things of no value and profite Simile Should not hee bee iudged for a foole and a mad-man who being ready to perish with famine and hauing but one peece of siluer should lay out the same to buy him a fether to weare in his hat Would yee not iustly say to such a one O foole were it not better for thee to buy bread to releeue thy hunger So may I say to the children of this world which follow vanities Why yee fooles spend yee your time a thing so precious in sinfull vanities and not in bread not in things necessary for your saluation but rather in filthy pleasures worldly delights in the pursuit and greedy scraping together of corruptible riches This Crowne of glory is not giuen as a due desert for the worthinesse of the worke of patience but by the promise of God as a free reward of our labour An Example God dealeth with his children as a bountifull and louing father who promiseth his sonne that if hee will doe such or such a thing hee will make him his heire of all his ample inheritance which farre exceedeth the deserts of his child yet the father performeth it for his promise sake and not for the obedience of his sonne and therefore saith the Apostle heere that such as are tryed receiue the Crowne of eternall Life by promise To this the Apostle Paul subscribeth I haue fought a good fight 2. Tim. 4 7. I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith henceforth is there laid vp for mee a Crowne of righteousnesse And least hee might seeme arrogantly to claime the same as merited for the worthinesse of his workes hee ascribeth all to the gift of God when hee addeth Which God the righteous Iudge shall giue mee at that day If it were giuen of God then did not the Apostle merite it by his workes As hee saith againe Rom. 6.23 Eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord. For if a man could merit eternall life then must there needs bee a proportion betwixt that which meriteth which is mans righteousnesse and that which is merited which is Eternall Life but betwixt these the one being temporall the other eternall there can be no proportion at all and therefore saith the Apostle Rom. 8.18 I count the afflictions of this present time not worthy of the glory which shall be shewed vnto vs. Again 2. Cor. 17. Our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre more excellent and eternal weight Let vs then hold for a truth that this crown is due to patience not by our merites but by the promise of God and in as much as patience is a noteable effect of a true liuely and iustifying faith Now this reward is most sure and firme and shall neuer faile vs in regard of the vnchangeable and euer-liuing God vpon whom it is grounded Verse 17. With whom is
answered Oportet sapientiam ab nisipientibus feriri Fooles must needs strike at wisedome Valer. And Valerius giueth the reason Esse enim meliorem indicat quem carpit he plainely sheweth that he whom he back-biteth is a better man then himselfe The third kind of these Serpentine tongues are the counterfeit and hipocriticall back-biters The hipocriticall backbiter and those also cast forth the poyson of their tongues three manner of waies dolendo augendo nominando by counterfeit sorrow faigning good will to their neighbour by encreasing and amplyfying their neighbours faults by naming him with praise but presently adding his vices First they will faigne in words gesture and sighes that they speake not for any ill will when they defame their neighbour and publish his infirmities but that they speake charitably when yet they are full of impiety enuy and malice As I am sorry for such a man or such a woman that he would do such a thing otherwise he were a good man c. Secondly the hipocrites will back-bite augendo as when they speake of any small infirmity of their neighbour they will in words amplifie the same saying There is like to grow a great inconuenience of such a mans doing of purpose that they might aggrauate a small offence and so make the party odious vnto others Thirdly nominando as when they will name any man with praise but will presently adde the vices he is subiect vnto This vice is directly contrary to the law of charity the very band of perfectnesse Coloss 3. whereby we are if wee bee in Christ coupled together in one mysticall Body This is a manifest breach of the second Table of Gods Diuine Law and therefore God himselfe in the ordering of the Common-wealth of Israel his people commandeth that none should go about as backbiters and slanderers among his people Leuit. 19. The second thing which I promised to handle of this matter In three respects a grieuous sinne was how grieuous a sinne this is which wee may gather three manner of waies in regard of the generality cruelty and contrariety of this vice In regard of the contrariety it is a great and dangerous sinne The contrariety for it is contrary to our good name which of all worldly things is most precious as Salomon saith Prou. 22. A good name is to bee chosen aboue great riches And the Wise-man Eccl. 41.12 Haue regard to thy good name for that shall continue with thee aboue a thousand treasures of Gold And Augustine Qui famam suam negligit sibi crudelis est Hee that neglecteth his good name is cruell to himselfe This the very Poet confesseth Ouid. Omnia si perdas famam seruare memento Qua semel amissa postea nullus eris Though all things else thou loose good name keep still with thee Which lost is credite lost thou nought esteem'd shall be And Plautus Plaut in Mustella Ego si bonam famam mihi seruasso sat ero diues I shall thinke my selfe rich enough if I retaine a good name A good name therefore is the most precious Iewell that any man hath whether hee bee Prince or Subiect noble or ignoble of what estate soeuer he be A good name is an ornament which adorneth and beautifieth euery degree and calling but the back-biter robbeth and spoyleth a man of this precious treasure therefore is a great sinner yea a most grieuous thiefe and therefore the back-biter is bound by the Canon Law to make restitution Quia non dimittitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum Augustine because sinne is not forgiuen except that which was taken away bee restored If then the good name of a man is aboue all earthly treasure he that robbeth him thereof sinneth grieuously and is bound to restitution if he looke to haue his owne sinnes forgiuen For this perpetuall bond this vice carrieth with it that howsoeuer thou repentest howsoeuer thou sorrowest except thou make restitution of thy neighbours good name thou standest still guilty before God And how few doe wee see that are so studious of their saluation that they haue any care to restore their neighbours good name O brethren in what danger now standeth the back-biter Seeing then that this vice bringeth with it tantam malorum segetem an occasion of so many euils who is so wicked who is so prodigall of his saluation that euen gratis that is for no profite at all will fall into so many mischiefes and carry in his tongue such poyson a sword sharpe arrowes and death it selfe Secondly 2 In respect of the generallity the greatnesse of this sinne appeareth in regard of the generallity of it for there are many sinnes which though they be committed yet not at all times in all places and of all persons But this vice excepteth no time no place no person therefore this Apostle saith That this tongue is full of deadly poyson Chap. 3. and more dangerous and infectiue then any poyson For the poyson of the Scorpion hurteth onely such as he striketh with his taile and none other The Viper infecteth none but such as he biteth The Basiliske killeth none but such as he reacheth with his sight The venemous roots hearbs and plants infect none but those which either handle smell touch or taste some of them But the back-biters tongue stingeth and striketh infecteth and poysoneth killeth and destroyeth at hand and farre off at home and abroad by sea and by land such as meddle not as well as such meddle with it friend or foe no loue so neerely linked no friendship so firme no band of duty so strong no desert so well deseruing which the poysoned tongue of the wicked doth not or hath not molested Heere we may iudge of the greatnesse of this sinne by the generality thereof An euill the more generall it is the more greater and more euill it is But this is an euill and a generall euill therefore the more great and dangerous Thirdly as by the generality 3 In respect of the cruelty thereof so this sin is much aggrauated by reason of the cruelty thereof Summa iniquitas est fratres detrahere quia omnis qui detrahit homicida est It is a great iniquity to back-bite our brethren because he that back-biteth is a murtherer saith a Father for euen as a murtherer taketh away the life of his neighbour so doth the backbiter his good name which to an honest man is dearer then his life He is also occasionaliter as a Schooleman termeth it homicidij causa by way of occasion the cause of homicide when through his tongue he giueth occasion to another to kill hate or contemne his neighbour and therefore the back-biter is compared to a Lyon Ezech. 19. He is become a Lyon he hath learned to catch the prey and hath deuoured men Gregory expoundeth these words of Iob Why do yee persecute me as God and are not satisfied with my flesh