cure a wounded reputation: the most earnest and diligent
endeavour can hardly ever effect this, or spread the plaster so far
as the sore hath reached. The slanderer therefore doth engage
himself into great straits, incurring an obligation to repair an
almost irreparable mischief.

Ninthly, this practice doth also certainly revenge itself, imposing
on its actor a perfect retaliation; "a tooth for a tooth;" an
irrecoverable infamy to himself, for the infamy he causeth to
others. Who will regard his fame, who will be concerned to excuse
his faults, who so outrageously abuseth the reputation of others?
He suffereth justly, he is paid in his own coin, will any man think,
who doth hear him reproached.

Tenthly, in fine, the slanderer, if he doth not, by serious and sore
repentance retract his practice, doth banish himself from heaven and
happiness, doth expose himself to endless miseries and sorrows.
For, if none that "maketh a lie shall enter into the heavenly city;"
if without those mansions of joy and bliss "every one" must
eternally abide "that loveth or maketh a lie;" if [Greek], "to all
liars their portion" is assigned "in the lake which burneth with
fire and brimstone;" then assuredly the capital liar, the slanderer,
who lieth most injuriously and mischievously, shall be far excluded
from felicity, and thrust down into the depth of that miserable
place. If, as St. Paul saith, no "railer," or evil-speaker, "shall
inherit the kingdom of God," how far thence shall they be removed
who without any truth or justice do speak ill of and reproach their
neighbour? If for every [Greek], "idle," or vain, "word" we must
"render a" strict "account," how much more shall we be severely
reckoned with for this sort of words, so empty of truth and void of
equity: words that are not only negatively vain, or useless, but
positively vain, as false and spoken to bad purpose? If slander
perhaps here may evade detection, or escape deserved punishment, yet
infallibly hereafter, at the dreadful day, it shall be disclosed,
irreversibly condemned, inevitably persecuted with condign reward of
utter shame and sorrow.

Is not he then, he who, out of malignity, or vanity, to serve any
design, or soothe any humour in himself or others, doth by
committing this sin involve himself in all these great evils, both
here and hereafter, a most desperate and deplorable fool?

Having thus described the nature of t