telleth us) the property of fools to delight in doing harm ("It is
as sport to a fool to do mischief"). Is it not in earnest most
palpable folly, for so mean ends to do so great harm; to disoblige
men in sport; to lose friends and get enemies for a conceit; out of
a light humour to provoke fierce wrath, and breed tough hatred; to
engage one's self consequently very far in strife, danger, and
trouble? No way certainly is more apt to produce such effects than
this; nothing more speedily inflameth, or more thoroughly engageth
men, or sticketh longer in men's hearts and memories, than bitter
taunts and scoffs: whence this honey soon turns into gall; these
jolly comedies do commonly terminate in woeful tragedies.

Especially this scurrilous and scoffing way is then most detestable
when it not only exposeth the blemishes and infirmities of men, but
abuseth piety and virtue themselves; flouting persons for their
constancy in devotion, or their strict adherence to a conscientious
practice of duty; aiming to effect that which Job complaineth of,
"The just upright man is laughed to scorn;" resembling those whom
the psalmist thus describeth, "Who whet their tongue like a sword,
and bend their arrows, even bitter words, that they may shoot in
secret at the perfect;" serving good men as Jeremy was served--"The
word of the Lord," saith he, "was made a reproach unto me, and a
derision daily."

This practice doth evidently in the highest degree tend to the
disparagement and discouragement of goodness; aiming to expose it,
and to render men ashamed thereof; and it manifestly proceedeth from
a desperate corruption of mind, from a mind hardened and emboldened,
sold and enslaved to wickedness: whence they who deal therein are
in Holy Scripture represented as egregious sinners, or persons
superlatively wicked, under the name of scorners ([Greek], pests, or
pestilent men, the Greek translators call them, properly enough in
regard to the effects of their practice); concerning whom the wise
man (signifying how God will meet with them in their own way) saith,
"Surely the Lord scorneth the scorners." '[Greek] (scoffers, or
mockers), St. Peter termeth them, who walk according to their own
lusts; who not being willing to practise, are ready to deride
virtue; thereby striving to seduce others into their pernicious
courses.

This offence also proportionably groweth more criminal as it
presumeth to reach p