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Now this Dilfcharge being given in order to these Ends, ' it cannot be imagined that it 'should be intended to defeat them. But it is in all reason 'to be supposed, that the Creditons did not intend to take off the Obligation of Equity and Confcience; only they designed 'to put the Man into a Condition of doing something, wards the enabling him to dif'charge his Debt.

to

"So that unless it were express'd at the Composition, that the Creditor would never ex'pect more from him, upon account of Equity and Confcience, but did freely forgive 'him the rest, the contrary whereof is ufually done; I say, unless it were thus express'd, there's no reason why the Cre'ditor's favour, in making a Compofition, should be abused to his Prejudice; and why a

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Legal Discharge, given him on purpose for this Reafon among others to put him into a Capacity of Recovering himself, and giving full Satisfaction; 'should be so interpreted, as to extinguish the equitable Right of the Creditor to the Remainder of his Debt. V. AB? TilIotfon's Serm. Vol. VIII. p. 413.

I have recited this Cafe at large, for the Conviction of all Perfons concerned.:

And if the Sick Man hath been guilty in this Inftance, by making a fraudulent Compofition: and hath enriched himself by cheating his Creditors, (as as too many, especially of late, have done;) I admonith him, in the Name of God, (fo far as his Circumftances will admit) to make Speedy Reftitution

And because Men are apt to be too favoura ble to themselves; let him take the Advice of his Spiritual Guide, or fome other Prudent Friend, How, and in What Man ner, to make fuch Restitution.

Of Injuries done to our Neigh bour's Reputation, and Good

.Name.

A

Good Name is better than precious Ointment. Eccl. 7. 1. And accordingly, as all other precious things, ought very highly to be valued and secured.

Not only for that private Benefit which it brings to a Man's own Person, (a good Report maketh the Bones fat. Prov. 15. 30.) but chiefly for that Publick Capacity which it gives us, to be more fignally Instrumental to the Welfare of Others.

And therefore, to injure a Man's Reputation, and to deprive him of his Good Name, is the highest Injustice.

:

Now there are Two Principal Ways, to which all Others may be reduced, whereby this Injury.

may

may be done. 1. Slander. 2. Detraction.

T

Of Slander.

Slander,

is to fpeak

falfly against our Neighbour to his Prejudice. By aссиfing him of fuch Defects and Vices, as he is not guilty of. Which may be done, Either

1. Publickly. By accusing him before a Court of Justice. When false Witnesses shall rise up, and in David's Phrafe, lay to his Charge things that he knew not. Pfal. 35. 11. Or,

2. Privately. When Malicious Designing People do run about into all Companies, Whispering their Poisonous Stories, and In finuating their false Reports. Which is usually done in this

:

1. Sometimes the Slanderer doth invent the Story. And, in plain English, is guilty of a down-right Lye.

Such a Man Said or did such a Thing; which he never faid or did in his whole Life. Or,

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2. If he did not invent it, yet if he reports it as a Truth, when he knows it to be false. Or,

3. Having no certain Knowledge whether it be falfe or No, if then he doth Divulge it with fuch Artifice and Design, as may Dispose and Prejudice the Hearers to Believe it: He who doth thus, in any of these Ways, Report a Falfhood, he is guilty of Slander.

Nay further,