Now, always remember that ancient and wise advice. Take care
how you praise a potter's pots, a philosopher's books, a woman's beauty,
a speaker's speech, a preacher's sermon to another potter, philosopher,
woman, speaker, or preacher; unless, indeed, you maliciously wish
secretly to torture them, or publicly to expose them, or, if their
sanctification is begun, to sanctify them to their most inward and
spiritual sanctification.
Backbiting, again, would seem at first sight to be a sin of the teeth
rather than of the tongue, only, no sharpest tooth can tear you when your
back is turned like your neighbour's evil tongue. Pascal has many
dreadful things about the corruption and misery of man, but he has
nothing that strikes its terrible barb deeper into all our consciences
than this, that if all our friends only knew what we have said about them
behind their back, we would not have four friends in all the world.
Neither we would. I know I would not have one. How many would you have?
And who would they be? You cannot name them. I defy you to name them.
They do not exist.
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