Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1848-07-19
EVIL SPEAKING.
"The faults of our nei5hbors with FREE
dom ue blame"

| uOW CC OtNWE.
The practice Of evil speaking is a We.
ry common one. Every body denoun-
ces it, and yet almost every body, to a
greater or less extent INDUCES in it
Persons are NOT generally aware Of the
extent 10 which they themselves become
the slaves oflhis pernicious habit. Now
and then we meet with man who is
scrupulously careful ulIhe reputation OF
others, who is noncommitlal with re-
gard to the supposed in in6milies Of his
friends and neig ghbors. But such one
is rara auis among human bipeds,
ami is at once sci down as man of un-
usual discretion.
Some very weIl-meaning persons car
ry this habit 10 SO great an extent, that
it may be said to be the sin which doth
most easily beset them. 'Trilrs light
as air are confrmaiions strong as Holy
Writ;" and il is only necessary that
they should hear such and such things
said 81 another, with or without the
proofs, for them to suspect such and
such other things; and presently The
suspicion becomes as tangible before
them as realityl itself, and is spoken
with as little hesitation as though they
knew j, To be infallibly true.
Not unfrequenrly does this this prac-
tise involve the reputation of Ministers
of the Gospel. A minister's reputation
should be very dear to every member Of
his flock; nay, more. to every Christian.
Lessen his influence, and if he be a
good man, you lessen the influence of
the Gospel he breaches; you limit and
hinder his usefulness among his fellows.
", how thoughtlessly some men (and
,0omen too, sport with ministerial char
acter. Somebody it may be imasines
that certain minister does not conduct
himself with due sobriety or due grew.
~, and therefore, without apprising The
uIrnlsreT 0I rug uIsCuveIy u1 uIesu Idurrs,
or praying for him that they may ba Ie>
moved, the said somebody with strong
and lively perceptions Of what is pro.
per or improper in ministerial depoIt-
ment. feels at perfect liberty to speak
freely Of them, in every circle where
The brothers name may be mentioned.
In thus speaking OF them how eIoquent-
Iy the said somebody discourscs. Wha;
grave inferences are drawn-what sage
predictions are u,:cred-what woful la.
mentalions are expressed! The retailer
of small SANDER becomes weeping Jer-
emiah, and is sready at once to fly away,
if he only had wings like dove, TO some
shore ofhappy deliverance fiom human
infrmiry and Inconsistency
We cannot suppose that malicious
design is al the bottom Of this sort OF evil
speaking. II is bad habit. and moths
ing more nor less. But the sin is tire
mendous. Let the evil speaker be,ln-
troduceJ to the brother whom he is thus
traducing. and his counlenance is lii up
with d smile ds though he loved him
most tendc,y and approved him most
cordially. What deception and hypo
cracy!
But It IS not confined by any means to
ministerial defam Alion. Ii is quite COM
mon among lay brethren. Tue intirm-
lilies of one another should be borne
with, and not exposed Or ildiculed. -
y hat brotheriy love can exist with
such state Of things? What must the
world ,hink of a religion which will pro-
duce such fruits!
What good will il do you Mr.. Speak
freely, to parade aud animadverl upon
the supposed defects in your brothers
character? Have you never erred? "a
friend should bear IA friends intirmi,ies,"
but you make them even 'greater than
they are"
Do you speak to ediiicalion, Mr.. Tell
all, while you are thus freely discouIs-
ing upon the real Or supposed defects of
Mr.. Thoughless2 Or is it likely that
your auditors have any special reasons
for admirng your candor and charity
after listening TO one Of your gratuitous
and ungenerous discourses.
1t is utterly vain to deplore the wan,
OF brotherly love in others, while we
bridlc not the "unruly member" our
selves.
Iti utterly vain TO hope for revival
ofreIigion so long as Christians speak
unadvisedly and indecorously of one
another.
Finally, we commend to ali such.
P.ul 10 the Corinthians, Cd epistle and
18Th chapter. Read it again and again.
1t contains more sound philosophy aud
profitable instruction than volume of
animadversions upon ministerial delin-
quencies;
Ingrati,ude is objectionable, and dries
up the fountain of all goodness.