He who divulgeth secrets cannot or will not forebear to publish other things, and so is not fit to be trusted with anything.

How can he abide long time in peace who occupieth himself with other men's matters...?

The old country doctor of my boyhood days always began his examination by saying, "Let me see your tongue." It is a good way to start the examination of anybody.

It is required of us that we be tender of the good name of our brethren; where we cannot speak well, we had better say nothing than speak evil; we must not take pleasure in making known the faults of others, divulging things that are secret, merely to expose them, nor in making more of their known faults than really they deserve, and, least of all, in making false stories, and spreading things concerning them of which they are altogether innocent. What is this but to raise the hatred and encourage the persecutions of the world, against those who are engaged in the same interests with ourselves, and therefore with whom we ourselves must stand or fall? "Consider you are brethren.

It is a sign of a perverse and treacherous disposition to wound the good name of another, when he has no opportunity of defending himself.

Gossip is a low form of communion with the saints.

It is easier to be silent altogether than to speak with moderation.

A gossip is a beast of prey who does not even wait for the death of his victim.

"All generalizations are false, including this one," yet we keep making them. We create images - graven ones that can't be changed; we dismiss or accept people, products, programs, and propaganda according to the labels they come under; we know a little about something, and we treat it as if we know everything.

...none are more liable to slanders and calumnies than godly teachers. Not only does it arise from the difficulties of their office, that sometimes they either sink under it, or stagger, or halt, or blunder, in consequence of which wicked men seize many occasions for finding fault with them; but there is this additional vexation, that, although they perform their duty correctly, so as not to commit any error whatever, they never escape a thousand censures. And this is the craftiness of Satan, to draw away the hearts of men from ministers, that instruction may gradually fall into contempt. Thus not only is wrong done to innocent persons, in having their reputation unjustly wounded, (which is exceedingly base in regard to those who hold so honourable a rank,) but the authority of the sacred doctrine of God is diminished...Not only so, but as soon as any charge against ministers of the word has gone abroad, it is believed as fully as if they were already convicted.

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted, then used against you.

A real Christian is a person who can give his pet parrot to the town gossip.