The tongue lies, flatters, deceives.

The tongue idles, swears, blasphemes, swears.

The language justifies the guilty in court and accuses the right.

The tongue in the merchant class sells a bad thing for a good one.

The language concerns monarchs, who are not subject to any earthly court.

The tongue also torments holy men, who do no harm to anyone by their kindness.

Our Lord Himself, the Savior of the world, was crucified from the tongue, Who committed no sin, and there was no flattery in His mouth (1 Peter 2:22). The tongue spews blasphemy against the great, holy, and terrible name of God. In a word, the tongue leaves nothing, but spews out poison on everything, which is hidden in the human heart.

§ 38. The tongue does countless evil in the world.

1) The tongue of one monarch slanders another: from what enmity, quarrels, battles, bloodshed occur; so many thousands of innocent people fall; so many widows and orphans who weep remain; so many states, cities, villages are desolate; so many sums of money and all dependents are wasted in vain.

2) The tongue dispels heresies, schisms, and temptations, and for this reason much harm is done to the Holy Church, to the destruction of people, to the church rulers of anxiety and labor, as the deed itself shows.

3) The tongue fills the ears of kings, princes and other powers that be with slander, from which many innocent people die.

4) The tongue also burdens the judicial seats with insidious and unscrupulous slander, from which those present and clerical servants are useless to worry and embarrass.

5) The tongue, touching the authorities with backbiting, makes them suspicious, from which they have contempt, disobedience from the ruled, and in themselves fearlessness, self-will; there is confusion and all kinds of disorder in society.

6) The language of the weak and faint-hearted leads to unbearable sorrow, despondency and despair.