Prototypes, or, The primary precedent presidents out of the book of Genesis showing, the…Prototypes, or, The primarie precedent presidents out of the booke of Genesis shewing, the…

I call upon your consciences to find out your sins in the like kind, if not degree, have you not spoken of the faults of your governors or of others, to others merely to disgrace, or else merely to hold up talk when other matter failed. Brethren do not count this a small offence, a talebearer, a whisperer, a revealer of secrets, is no small offender. He doth not walk according to the plain rule of our Christian Religion, do as you would be done to, he doth not bridle his tongue, he doth not walk according to charity. He is injurious to the name of another, and a wrong doer to the whole world, by scattering abroad examples of evil, he shows himself no hater of sin, that loves as it were the smell and favour of it. He is a manifest transgressor of Gods Commandment, and at last makes himself odious to those that hear him, and to those that are ill spoken of by him. For the hearer cannot choose but discourse thus, if he spare not another's name, whether will he spare mine in another place, and therefore I have no reason to trust him or be familiar with him, and he whom he hath misreported will hear of it at last, and then he will hate him, as a person treacherous and false-hearted, and cannot but reason thus with himself, so long I have lived by him and so near, so often have I been in his company, he never opened his mouth to admonish me, but in mine absence to do me disgrace he hath not been sparing. It cannot be that he wisheth my good in his ⟨p. 86⟩heart, that useth not his tongue to do me the greatest good, that is, to reform, but doth employ it to do me the greatest hurt he can, that is, to disgrace me.

I call upon your consciences to find out your sinnes in the like kind, if not degree, have you not spoken of the faults of your governours or of others, to others meerely to disgrace, or else meerely to hold up talke when other matter failed. Bretheren do not count this a small offence, a talebearer, a whisperer, a revealer of secrets, is no small offender. Hee doth not walke according to the plaine rule of our Christian Religion, doe as you would be done to, he doth not bridle his tongue, he doth not walke according to charity. He is injurious to the name of another, and a wrong doer to the whole world, by scattering abroad examples of evill, hee shewes himselfe no hater of sinne, that loves as it were the smell and favour of it. He is a manifest transgressor of Gods Commandement, and at last makes himselfe odious to those that heare him, and to those that are ill spoken of by him. For the hearer cannot choose but discourse thus, if hee spare not anothers name, whether will he spare mine in another place, and therefore I have no reason to trust him or be familiar with him, and he whom he hath misreported will heare of it at last, and then hee will hate him, as a person treacherous and false-hearted, and cannot but reason thus with himselfe, so long I have lived by him and so neare, so often have I beene in his company, hee never opened his mouth to admonish me, but in mine absence to do me disgrace hee hath not beene sparing. It cannot be that he wisheth my good in his