A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties

§. Sect. 7 Other duties respecting our outward profession.

And these are the duties which respect our inward disposition: now of those which concern our outward profession; in which respect, our ¹testimony of our neighbour, must be both true and charitable; and neither false simply, nor in show of words true, but false in sense; neither yet uncharitable and malicious; all which ought to be observed of us in all our testimonies, both public and private, being ready in all things, and at all times, to profess the truth concerning our neighbour, with charity, both in respect of his virtues, which (as just occasion is offered) we ought to acknowledge and commend, both in his presence and absence; and also his vices, which we are to tell him of before his face, and not suffer sin to rest upon ²him; and not to make mention of them behind his back, but upon necessity, as to those that may help to reform him, or to those who may be hurt or corrupted by his company or example, that they ³may, taking warning hereby, escape these dangers. And contrariwise we ought to avoid flattery, wherein we may offend in respect of the matter of our speech, as when we praise men for their vices; or the manner, in commending, either feignedly or above measure; or the end, either seeking our own profit like parasites, or the hurt of the party whom we flatter. And on the other side we must shun evil and cursed speaking, which any ways tendeth to the impairing of our neighbours credit and good name. The which is used either in his presence, by reviling and contumelious speaking; by deriding and scorning him; or in his absence, by whispering or talebearing, slandering and backbiting.