Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-02-20
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 dignified with 4
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 it's original ton
CUES, and preach it in all the languages
Of the world, and possess the most pro-
found knowledge of theology, and 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. And of charity he says
that It ''thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not
in iniquity," and "beaTeth all things" or
covereth over all things it takes no
pleasure in hearing or talking of the fam
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 "lifteth not up a reproach
against his neighbor."
The most malignant kind of evil
speaking is inventing the SANDER; 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: 81 don't bear false
witness. | 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
you repeat charge that it is true. Once
uttered, you cannot recall it. lie to whom
you tell it tells others II 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
evil report, we should ask: ''Does charity
prompt me? Am | seeking the good of
others?" Ii 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 a wanton exercise of power? They
love to be the cause of excitement and
wonder in others. They pretend to pre-
vent mischief by enjoining their auditors
not to tell anybody! Is not this because
they wish to secure the monopoly of be-
ng 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 SANDER 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: Glow much better | am ~ Some
seem 70 think that there is a fixed
amount of merit and of praise il the
world; and so the more they deprive
others of it the more they reserve to them
selves.
How hypocritical is tie sorrow of the
evil speaker. He prefaces his scandal
with: GIVE been dreadtully shocked to
hear such and such thingsi Pm very,
very grieved to have to tell you so and So"
But how often beneath this mask there is
a rejoicing in iniquity." There is pos
tive satisfaction, there is an eXultation,
ill-cOncealed, at the inconsistencies and
disgrace of an enemy, of a rival, of any
one who has stood high in the estimation
of others. The evil speaker should bear
in mind that, whether the person maiign-
ed be guilty or innocent, the speaker con-
dennis 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
MIN all you say OF MIN. Announcer uSeu 10
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, isprompt to recognize every
sign of it, and heartily commend it to
others. AS a mother, because she loves
her child, is 10th to accept as true any &C
cusation brought against it, but is prompt
to believe whatever is said in the child's
praise; so charity to our neighbor viii
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 vultures bouncing down on a
putrid carcase, as filthy flies buzzing
round sinking dirt-heap, are the Cos
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
Newman Hall. d. d.. IN N. 7. Iadepen-
dent.