And here it may be asked,-Whether the inconveniencies and ill effects which the world feels,from the licentioufness of this practice-are not fufficiently counterballanced by the real influence it has upon mens lives and conduct-That if there was no evil-fpeaking in the world,. thousands would be encouraged to do ill, -and would rufh into many indecorums, like a horfe into the battle,-were they fure to escape the tongues of men.

That if we take a general view of the world,we shall find that a great deal of virtue,at leaft of the outward appearance of it,-is not fo much from any fixed principle, as the terror of what the world will fay,and the liberty it will take upon the occafions we shall give.

That if we defcend to particulars, numbers are every day taking more pains to be well fpoken of,than what would actually enable them to live fo as to deferve it.

That

That there are many of both fexes, who can fupport life well enough, without honour or chastity,-who without reputation, (which is but the opinion which the world has of the matter,) would hide their heads in fhame, and fink down in utter despair of happiness.No doubt the tongue is a weapon, which does chastise many indecorums, which the laws of men will not reach,- and keeps many in awe,-whom confcience will not,-and where the cafe is indifputably flagrant, fpeaking of it in fuch words as it deferves, -fcarce comes within the prohibition.

the

-In many cafes, 'tis hard to exprefs ourselves fo as to fix a diftinction betwixt oppofite characters,and fometimes it may be as much a debt we owe to virtue, and as great a piece of justice to expose a vicious character, and paint it in its proper colours, as it is to fpeak well of the deferving and defcribe his particular virtues.

2

And, indeed, when we inflict this punishment upon the bad, merely out of principle, and without indulgences to any private paffion of our own,-'tis a cafe

which happens so seldom, that one might venture to except it.

However to those, who in this objection are really concerned for the cause of virtue, I cannot help recommending what would much more effectually ferve her interest, and be a furer token of their zeal and attachment to her. And that is,in all fuch plain inftances where it seems to be duty, to fix a distinction betwixt the good and the bad, to let their actions speak it, instead of their words, or at leaft to let them both speak one language. We all of us talk fo loud against vicious characters, and are fo unanimous in our cry against them, that an unexperienced man, who only trufted his ears, would imagine the whole world was in an uproar about it, and that mankind were all affociating together, to hunt vice utterly out of the world.

Shift the fcene,and let him behold the reception which vice meets with, he will fee the conduct and behaviour of the world towards it, fo oppofite to their declarations, he will find all he heard, fo contradicted by what he faw,-as to leave him in doubt, which of his fenfes he

is

is to truft,or in which of the two cafes, mankind were really in earnest. Was there virtue enough in the world to make a general stand against this contradiction, --that is, was every one who deserved to be ill spoken of-fure to be ill looked ontoo; was it a certain confequence of the lofs of a man's character,to lose his friends, to lose the advantages of his birth and fortune,-and thenceforth be univerfally flighted.

Was no quality a fhelter against the indecorums of the other fex, but was every woman without diftinction, who had justly forfeited her reputation,- from that moment was fhe fure to forfeit likewise all claim to civility and respect.

Or in a word,-could it be established as a law in our ceremonial,that whereever characters in either fex were become notorious, it should be deemed infamous, either to pay or receive a vifit from them, and that the door was fhut against them in all public places, till they had fatisfied the world, by giving teftimony of a better life. - A few fuch plain and honeft maxims

faithfully put in practice,

would force us upon fome degree of reformation. Till this is done, it avails little that we have: no mercy upon them with our tongues, fince they escape without feeling any other inconvenience.

We all cry out that the world is corrupt, and I fear too juftly, but we never reflect, what we have to thank for it, and that it is our open countenance of vice, which gives the lye to or private cenfures of it, which is its chief protection and encouragement.--To thofe however, who still believe, that evil-speaking is some terror to evil doers, one may answer, as a great man has done upon the occafion, after all our exhortations against it,-'tis not to be feared, but that there will be evil-fpeaking enough left in the world to chaftife the guilty,--and we may fafely trust them to an ill-natured world, that there will be no failure of juftice upon this score.

that

The paflions of men are pretty severe executioners, and to them let us leave this ungrateful task,—and rather ourselves, endeavour to cultivate that more friendly one, recommended by the apostle,-of let