8 The wordes of a talebearer are as flatterings, and they go downe into the bowels of the bellie.
Solomon here sheweth vs, that the foole which medleth with slandering, and to beare false witnesse, and to carrie about wicked tales, doeth not onely seeke his owne destruction, but theirs also of whome hee speaketh sinisterlie: and it is chiefly his purpose to hurt his neighbours by his mouth and to destroy them. And for to shew the same, he vseth a similitude taken of a speare or lance which hur∣teth a man, and is so sharpe and pricking, that not onely it pearceth vnto the bones, but vnto the deepest parte of a man, and woundeth him to death. And heerein hee speaketh according to the Psalme. The similitude may bee taken from the poyson which hurteth the man, and pearceth to the bowels. Wee haue seene heeretofore di∣uers times, that tale cariers and slanderers, liers, and false witnes∣ses, doe bring great hurt, and worke great destruction: as wee may see it heere againe, when Solomon doeth compare them vnto mur∣therers and poysoners, which spare not the liues of their neighbors. Nowe if we must labour to flye suche kinde of people, which desire the destruction, either of our goods, or of our good name, or of our bodies, muche more them which labour to destroy our soules by false doctrine. And let vs learne, that as wee woulde haue none to hurt vs either with tongue or with weapon, euen so also let vs not hurt any other man.