A direction for the government of the tongue according to Gods word

This talebearing is of divers sorts. One is,¹ when men whisper abroad secretly the fault of another, whereas they should rather admonish the party, as Ham when he had seen his fathers nakedness,² ran straight and told his brethren. The second, when they add to or change the thing said or done, as it serveth for their purpose. Some of the witnesses which came against Christ, charged him to say, I will destroy this Temple which is made with hands, and in three days build another without hands. Where first they change his meaning; for Christ spake of the temple of his body. Secondly, they add to the words. For Christ said not, I will destroy this temple: but,³ destroy ye this temple. Therefore the Holy Ghost noteth them with the name of false witness bearers. The third, when men surmise, and tell that which was never ⟨p. 50⟩done. When Jeremiah was going out of Jerusalem to the land of Benjamin, ⁴and was in the gate of Benjamin, Irijah took him, and said, Thou fleest to the Chaldeans. Then said Jeremiah, that is false, I flee not to the Chaldeans, but he would not hear him. The fourth is the coloured tale-bearing, when one speaketh evil of another, with fine prefaces and preambles, feigning that he is very sorry that his neighbour hath done such or such a thing: that he speaketh it not of malice, but of a good mind: that he is constrained to speak: that he speaketh not all he could speak: that the party to whom the tale is told must keep it secret.⁵ Luther writeth of this fault very well. This vice (saith he) whereby we tell abroad the things which we hear of others, and take them in worse part, is very rife, and of great force to sow discords: the rather because it often showeth it self under the pretence and name of counsel and good advise. And it is a notable visard for a talebearer, to transform him self into an angel of light, ⟨p. 51⟩