The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-10-01
For tho Voice of Freedom.
A Short Sermon-No. 2.

1ho" SHAT not go up and dozen az q tals Ssars-
among thy people-Lev. 10 :16.
IL was maxim Of Pttacus one of the seven visa
men Oh Greece, that mo man should ever give him.
self the liberty Of speaking i'll of another, whether an
enemy Or friend" Now the thing here required
although corresponding entirely with the word of in
spratlon, seems never to have entered the mind NJ
'he caumniator or fit has, he totally disregards It
as belonging to any part of the code of laws BY
which his morality is governed And to a cuiet. al
lent observer, it is matter of painful curiosity tn
see how many are the ways in which Satan ennlors
his sub-agents to stir up and keep in constant mo.
ton spirit Of strife and luminosity in community.
or ne knows full well that "where no wood is tina
nfe goeth out and where there no tae-bearer the
strife ceaseth" and his vigant eye is ever on ths
look out to see that there are sufficient number
OF his faithful eissares in the field aborine to ans
tain HIS interest; for he knows too that vera st;n
and contention, and war and commotion. 1.-THE SLAM.
derer's legitimate ofspring) to cease his kingdom
| must fall
But, as before remarked 1t Is painful to the Dbl.
| lanthropic mind to observe in how many ways IN.
sanderer may give vent to the malgnty of his heart
And here would just remark that do not wish tn
be understood to say that all the sin of SANDER and
detracon is confined exclusively to the female psrt
| OF community; but this understand me to say. that
in oar opinion nnetenths of the petty brois and dis
cords that are cankerng and fostering out the yery
| heart strings OF very many communities, are pro-
| ouced by some OF the female portion Of society
| Mems minds, generally, are more national Thew
may, perhaps, prefer throwing fire brand into the
Mexican camp rather than into aneighbor's bosom.
! But yet, cases are not wanting among us Of msy
yes, MEN, who seem willing to be the DEVILS peddleys.
The causes arc various. Sometimes it proceed. from
| naTrornes Of soui which cannot brook erotbers
superiority. The slanderer may BIO of the sane
trade or profession, and less favored rival for pub
| lie patronage. Desparing of success by honorable
competition, he endeavors to help his o.rs credit by
injuring that of his riral He may perchance be an
editor OF some popular periodical. All, IN editor r.
And what boisterous anathemas, and bare msrepre
sensations, will he not unfrequently pour forth (no<
IN hispe7s) upon the head of neighboring brother
editor, whom he suspects of having treated him un-
fairly. And then the retort! Oh, the bomb-shells
OF war are messengers of peace in comparison
Again. Another method Of slandering others.
which is lamentably common, Is the nisconstructiu
of their language. This frequently done by nt.
Placed emphasis, or by exasgeration, or by drawing
false or disalowed differences. 1t is done also by
lame and garbled quotations, of which the prince Of
sianderers gave specimen worthy ofhimself, when
he would have induced the Son of God to cast him.
self from the temple. The text from Psalm 81 was
wholly inapplicable, but was made to suit bis pur-
pose by abridgng it. The omission by the teInpter
of the words ito keep thee in all thy ways" was a.
slight one in appearance, yet it the pivot on
which the meaning of the passage turned
The same thing is virtually done when an individ.
ua either nentionaly,or through cupable careless
ness, msinterprets the conduct of others. "Mcn's
actions" as some one observes, shave two aspects,
which disingeniousness and spite may view thcm;'
and in such cases, to msapprehend is calurnnious.
1t is lamentabe that so many illustrations of this
species of SANDER may be found even among the
protested friends of religion, in their eaousies and
animostes; the "hard speeches" arising out oftheir
differences of doctrine policy, modes of admins
tering ordinances, or governing the church when
instead of exercising that charity which "hopeth
all things they nurture that jealousy which creates
beams from notes, and makes a brother " an offend.
er for q word"
And is it strange that out of the abundance Of
such heart the mouth should often speak words
which come within the prohibition of the commands
Of the bible, "Thou shalt not 90 up and down as O
tale bearer among thy people ?''-" Thou shalt not
bear false witness against thy neighbour"
Another covert method of SANDER is by 3" listening
to the calumnes Of the tale-bearer, without express
ing any Interpretations" No retailer of scandal ever
tells his story without watching to discover, either
n the countenance or remarks of his auditor how It
S received. In many cases it is in an individuals
bower to arrest the progress of q malignant report
simply by look of disapprobation "The north
wind" says Solomon, "driveth away rain, SO doth
IN angry countenance back biting tongue"
If guilt is Incurred by listening to the calumnies Of
others, how much more by repeating them!
Another, and an adrot way of propagating calum-
~, is by asking questions. "Have you heard" say
hey, "of this or that fault in one whom it Is
heir purpose to malign. Is it true he has dono
his or thatY" Their design in making these cnquir-
es is maleyoent, and so far slanderous. They wish
o originate train Of thought to the injury Of the
'erson of whom they speak; to give hint which
hall awaken curiosity and occasion further inquiry.
t is base, dastardly method employed for drawing
ut and making public, through the agency of anoth-
r. what we are afraid or ashamed to be considered
be authors of themselves.
But forbear | might fill columns enurneratin9
auses and methods for propagating ISLANDERS, but /
ill close this article by quotation from celebra-
ID author:
81 happened" says Cotton AIather, d" to be pres
at in the room Of dying man, who could uotleav
le world in peace until he had lOmented to a chris
IN acquaintance, TLzn he had Gent tr q this sc