uld not wish
him to do to you. Besides, everyone hates and fears a backbiter; because
as he brings to you a bad story about another, he will in the same
manner bring to someone else a bad story about you. It is certainly an
honor to be able to say of a person: "He never has a bad word of
anyone"; while on the other hand, he must be a despicable creature who
never speaks of others except to censure or revile them. Never listen to
a backbiter, detractor, or slanderer--it is sinful. Another way of
injuring your neighbor is revealing the secrets he has confided to you.
You will tell one friend perhaps and caution him not to repeat it to
another; but if you cannot keep the secret yourself, how can you expect
others to keep it? Again you may injure your neighbor by reading his
letters without his consent when you have no authority to do so. This is
considered a crime in the eyes even of the civil law, and anyone who
opens and reads the letters of another can be punished by imprisonment.
It is a kind of theft, for it is stealing secrets and information that
you have no right to know. It is dishonorable to read another's letter
without his consent, even when you find it open. To carry to persons the
evil things said about them by others so as to bring about disputes
between them is very sinful. The Holy Scripture (Rom. 1:29) calls this
class of sinners whisperers, and says that they will not enter into
Heaven--that is, as long as they continue in the habit. If ever, then,
you hear one person saying anything bad about another, never go and tell
it to the person of whom it was said. If you do, you will be the cause
of all the sin that follows from it--of the anger, hatred, revenge, and
probably murder itself, as sometimes happens.

*381 Q. What must they do who have lied about their neighbor and
seriously injured his character?
A. They who have lied about their neighbor and seriously injured his
character must repair the injury done as far as they are able, otherwise
they will not be forgiven.

382 Q. What is the Ninth Commandment?
A. The Ninth Commandment is: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife.

383 Q. What are we commanded by the Ninth Commandment?
A. We are commanded by the Ninth Commandment to keep ourselves pure in
thought and desire.

384 Q. What is forbidden by the Ninth Commandment?
A. The Ninth Commandment forbids unchaste thoughts, desires of another's
wife or husband, and all other unlawful impure thoughts a