Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1873-01-24
Scandal.

Scandal.
THERE is perhaps no sin more preva-
lent among professors of religion and
less recognized as sinful than speaking
evil of others. There are many persons
who would not for the world steal dol
ar, or tell downright lie, or carry on
Sunday trade, or give up churchgoing,
who yet make habit of talking scandal.
This sometimes is even dignifed with a
religious semblance. Some evidently
consider that Sunday talk is discussing
religious people. If Parson This or
Deacon That is put under the micro
scope, and his defects, real or supposed,
pointed out; If the misdoings of another
sect or rival congregation are descanted
on, this is religious conversation. 1t may be
the worst abuse of the tongue. How
much less opposed to the association of
| Sunday, how much less irreligious it
would be to discuss the markets and the
harvest, or even the theater and the ball
room, than thus to offend against the
charity which is the very essence of true
christianity. ST. Paul tells us that we
may read the Bible in its original ton
CUES, and preach it in all the languages
of the world, and possess the most pro-
pound it with angelic eloquence, and be
the instrument Of doing more good in
converting sinners than if we healed the
sick and raised the dead, and in ostenta-
tious benevolence give all our property
to the poor, and in the enthusiasm of
zeal give our body to the stake; and yet
that, if destitute of charity, all this would
profit us nothing. Ard of charity he says
that it 'thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not
in iniquity," and "beareth all things" or
covereth over all things. it takes no
pleasure in hearing or talking of the fan
cied or real faults of others. Elsewhere
he says: "Let all bitterness and evil
speaking be put away from you, with all
malice" st. James says: "Speak not
evil of one another" And the Old Tes-
lament also describes the righteous man
as one who '1ifteth not up a reproach
against his neighbor."
The most malignant kind of evil
speaking is inventing the slander; but. as
Isaac Barrow says there is not much diff
ference between the great devil who
makes it and the little imps who circu-
late it. Says one: ''I don't bear false
witness. I only tell what I've heard"
But how do you know it is not false?
How seldom they who spread an evil re-
port take any pains to investigate its
truth. 1t may be false, and, if so, you
are bearing false witness. Be sure before
you repeat charge that it is true. Once
uttered, you cannot recall it. He to whom
you tell it tells others. If you find out
you were mistaken, you are unable to
correct the mistaken views you have
given to others. And, even if we know
the accusation is true, we ought not to
publish it, unless to do more good than
by concealing it. Before repeating an
prompt me? Am seeking the good of
others?" If it is not painful duty, is it
not pleasurable sin?
Yes there are people who evidently take
pleasure in spreading evil reports. Is it
from wanton exercise of powery They
love to be the cause of excitement and
wonder in others. They pretend to pre-
vent mischief by enjoining their auditors
they wish to secure the monopoly of be-
ing the first to tell it themselves? Often
this practice arises from envy. The rich,
the wise, the good are rendered less su-
perior to ourselves when some evil is said
of them. So by slander they are brought
down more to our level. Sometimes it
arises from hatred and revenge. This is
a cowardly method of retaliation. Some
times it arises from pride. There is a
secret self-laudation in finding fault with
another The scandal-monger seems to
say: elbow much better I am !'' Some
seem to think that there is fixed
amount of merit and of praise in the
world and so the more they deprive
others of it the more they reserve to them
selves.
How hypocritical is the sorrow of the
evil speaker. He prefaces his scandal
with: "I've been dreadfully shocked to
hear such and such things! I'm very,
very grieved to have to tell you so and So"
But how often beneath this mask there is
rejoicing in iniquity." There is pos.
tive satisfaction, there is an exultation,
ill-concealed, at the inconsistencies and
disgrace of an enemy, of rival, of any
one who has stood high in the estimation
of others. The evil speaker should bear
in mind that, whether the person malign-
ed be guilty or innocent, the speaker con-
demns himself as lacking that charity
without which he is nothing
A friend of the writer, just dead, would
never tolerate evil-speaking i'll his pres
ence, always saying: "Don't take the
Judges chair" Another, when evil is
spoken against another, says: "Go on.
I'm ready to hear. Only, remember, I
shall go at once to the person and tell
him all you say of him." Another used to
exclaim: "Stop the trial till we send for
the accused, and hear what he has to say
for himself" Utterly opposed to this
love of scandal is the charity which
thinketh no evil. 1t delights in goodness,
looks for it, is prompt to recognize every
sign of it, and heartily commend it to
others. AS mother, because she loves
her child, is 10th to accept as true any ac-
cusation brought against it, but is prompt
to believe whatever Is said in the child's
praise; so charity to our neighbor will
lead us to believe all things in his favor,
so far as it is possible, and even, in the
absence of evidence, to "hope all things"
AS greedy yultures pouncing down on
putrid carcase, as filthy flies buzzing
round sinking dirt-heap, are the gos-
sipers who, with evident relish, utter de-
traction, or listen to it. AS the lark
which scars and sings only in the light,
as bees which are attracted only by the
| flowers that exhale sweetness, so are the
possessors of that charity which thinketh
no evil, but .rejoiceth in the truth
Nea0naan Hall, D. d., an ". 7. I1adepen-
de?lt.
E'ET wasn't so very late -only a quarter
| Of twelve" ''How dare you sit there
and tell me that lie? was awake when
j Jo11 al -. IL.