A godly and learned exposition vppon the Prouerbes of Solomon: written in French by Maister Michael Cope, minister of the woorde of God, at Geneua: and translated into English, by M.O.

7 A fooles mouth is his owne destruction, his lippes are a snare for his soule.

For to shewe that the vanitie and follie, that the malice and wickednes of the fooles woordes hurt him: and that the euil hee seeketh to doe to another by his mouth and his lippes, wherewith hee vttereth flatteries, slaunderinges, lyes, false witnessings, wanton and lasciuious woordes, vayne othes and blasphemies, shal fal vpon his heade, and that he shalbeare the punishment, Solomon vseth twoo similitudes. The first is taken from a thing, which may bee diminished and broken, and can by no meanes be repayred and set vp againe.

And thus the fooles, are deceiued in their speaking: For albeit they knowe wel that they flatter and lye, yet they say, Wee wil preuaile with our tongues, our lippes are our owne: who is Lorde ouer vs? But the holye Ghost demaundeth that the Lorde woulde cut off all flattering lippes: as hath beene doone towardes many: amongest the which wee may set Cham, the builders of Babel Tower, Ismael, Roboham, Sennacherib, Nabuchadnezer. And with these examples, wee haue also diuers threatnings.

The second similitude is taken from beastes, which runne into the netes and snares, out of the which they cannot escape, and so must dye. Euen so the foole is taken by his woordes, and is con∣demned: Wherevppon followeth his destruction. But the thinges are not altogether like: For the beastes are simple, and thinke on none euil when they runne into the cordes, nettes, and snares. And so they perishe without their fault. And the foole by the vanitie and folly, by the wickednesse and abhomination which proceedeth and commeth out of his mouth, and his lippes doeth set cordes and nettes for his neighbours, which haue done him none euil: and therefore his iniquitie shal fal vppon himselfe, and shal perish therein. The preachers of the popish Church and the singers or quier men doe set snares for the poore sim∣ple and vnlearned: But at the last they shalbe taken therein themselues, with al those which seeke by their talebearing the destruction of their neighbours. After this sense we may say that this present sentence doeth folowe the former: for of strife and blowes doe come and proceede great ouerthrowes and

destructions: and because wee feare them, wee must be carefull to speake wisely: to the which let vs vnderstande that Solomon doth exhort vs: but after the opinion of some, wee are exhorted vnto fasting, abstinence, sobrietie and temperancie: for as they take it, Solomon doeth shewe the hurt that commeth of gluttonie & drun∣kennes, of the abundance and superfluitie of meates and drinkes, which passe through the mouth and betweene the lippes. True it is, that the gluttons and drunkardes doe kil themselues, and sende their bodies and their soules vnto perdition. Notwithstanding the first sense seemeth vnto me to agree best.

Notes

• Psa. 12. 4. 5. Gene. 9. 22. & 11. 4. 21. 9. Psa. 31. 18. 19. & 35. 19 & 50. 17. &. 52. 3.
• Pro. 1. 17.
• Psa. 9. 16. Mich. 3. 5.