Moderation in talking and in silence: wisdom from Jeremy Taylor

These and many more evils, and the perpetual unavoidable necessity of sinning by much talking, hath given great advantages to silence, and made it to be esteemed an act of discipline and great religion. St. Romualdus upon the Syrian mountain severely kept a seven years silence; and Thomas Cantipratensis tells of a religious person in a monastery in Brabant that spake not one word in sixteen years. But they are greater examples which Palladius tells of; Ammonaz who lived with three thousand brethren in so great silence as if he were an anachoret; but Theona was silent for thirty years together; and Johannes, surnamed Silentiarius, was silent for forty-seven years. But this morosity and sullenness is so far from being imitable and laudable, that if there were no direct prevarication of any commands expressed or intimated in scripture, yet it must certainly either draw with it, or be itself, an infinite omission of duty; especially in the external glorifications of God, in the institution or advantages of others, in thanksgiving and public offices, and in all the effects and emanations of spiritual mercy. This was to make amends for committing many sins by omitting many duties, and instead of digging out the offending eye, to pluck out both that they might neither see the scandal nor the duty; for fear of seeing what they should not, to shut their eyes against all light ...

Silence therefore is the cover of folly, or the effect of wisdom; but it is also religious; and the greatest mystic rites of any institution are ever the most solemn and the most silent; the words in use are almost made synonymous: "There was silence made in heaven for a while", said St. John, who noted it upon occasion of a great solemnity and mysterious worshippings or revelations to be made there ... I remember it was reported of St. Paul the hermit, scholar of St. Anthony, that having once asked whether Christ or the old prophets were first, he grew so ashamed of his foolish question that he spake not a word for three years following: and Sulpitius, as St. Hierome reports of him, being deceived by the Pelagians spoke some fond things, and repenting of it held his tongue to his dying day ... Though the pious mind is in such actions highly to be regarded, yet I am no way persuaded of the prudence of such a deadness and Libitinarian religion [after Libitina, Roman goddess of funerals] ... so such importune silence was called, and understood to be a degree of stupidity and madness; for so physicians among the signs of that disease in dogs place their not barking; and yet although the excess and unreasonableness of this may be well chastised by such a severe reproof, yet it is certain in silence there is wisdom, and there may be deep religion.

But now although silence is become religious, and is wise, and reverend, and severe, and safe, and quiet as Hippocrates affirms of it, 'without thirst, and trouble, and anguish'; yet it must be 'seasonable', and just, not commenced upon chance or humour, not sullen and ill-natured, not proud and full of fancy, not pertinacious and dead, not mad and uncharitable. He that is silent in a public joy hath no portion in the festivity, or no thankfulness to him that gave the cause of it. And though of all things in the world a prating religion, and much talk in holy things, does most profane the mysteriousness of it, and dismantles its regards, and makes cheap its reverence, and takes off fear and awfulness, and makes it loose and garish, like the laughters of drunkenness, yet even in religion there are seasons to speak; and it was sometimes 'pain and grief' to David to be silent; but yet although tedious and dead silence hath not a just measure of praise and wisdom; yet the worst silence of a religious person is more tolerable and innocent than the usual pratings of the looser and foolish men.

From Taylor's sermon 'The Good and Evil Tongue', Part I, in The Whole Works of Jeremy Taylor, Volume IV.