nly will take those to be, who presume to revile others for
using their own judgment freely, and dissenting from them in
opinion. Again, this course doth blind the hearer's mind, so that
he cannot discern what he that pretends to instruct him doth mean,
or how he doth assert his doctrine. Truth will not be discerned
through the smoke of wrathful expressions; right being defaced by
foul language will not appear, passion being excited will not suffer
a man to perceive the sense or the force of an argument. The will
also thereby is hardened and hindered from submitting to truth. In
such a case, non persuadebis, etiamsi persuaseris; although you stop
his mouth, you cannot subdue his heart; although he can no longer
fight, yet he never will yield: animosity raised by such usage
rendereth him invincibly obstinate in his conceits and courses.
Briefly, from this proceeding men become unwilling to mark, unfit to
apprehend, indisposed to embrace any good instruction or advice; it
maketh them indocile and intractable, averse from better
instruction, pertinacious in their opinions, and refractory in their
ways.

"Every man," saith the wise man, "shall kiss his lips that giveth a
right answer;" but no man surely will be ready to kiss those lips
which are embittered with reproach, or defiled with dirty language.

It is said of Pericles, that with thundering and lightning he put
Greece into confusion; such discourse may serve to confound things,
it seldom tendeth to compose them. If reason will not pierce, rage
will scarce avail to drive it in. Satirical virulency may vex men
sorely, but it hardly ever soundly converts them. "Few become wiser
or better by ill words." Children may be frightened into compliance
by loud and severe reprimands; but men are to be allured by rational
persuasion backed with courteous usage; they may be sweetly drawn,
they cannot be violently driven to change their judgment and
practice. Whence that advice of the apostle, "With meekness
instruct those that oppose themselves," doth no less savour of
wisdom than of goodness.

Fifthly, as for examples of extraordinary persons, which in some
cases do seem to authorise the practice of evil-speaking, we may
consider that, as they had especial commission enabling them to do
some things beyond ordinary standing rules, wherein they are not to
be imitated: as they had especial illumination and direction, which
preserved