The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-05

you are IaltDIul 10 CnriSt IN his pEoAiuitiOu
against judging, is a gross misconception OF the
Masters teaching. Such practice runs into IN
sipidness and weakness of character. 1t results
In distorted views of right and wrong, ana opens
you up great territory for all kinds or
impositions ana receptions 1t is a
spurious charity that shuts its eyes to mems
actions. 1t will do much harm to the cause of
Christ When Christians cease to commend the
good with hearty appreciation and reprove the
evil with scathing rebuke, then is their cause IN
a bad plight; indeed, q poor weak thing, it had
better be buried
While it is true that we are not to 60 among
men puncturing every action with our little
needle of criticism, and weighing every word In
own little balances, it is not designed that we
shall always sit at a continuous love-feaSt with
everybody, as though the millennium had come,
and there were nothing so wrong any more but
what might be covered with the cloak of charity.
1t is the true place of Christian ethics to strike
the golden mean between the prohibition-judge
not-andthe direcJiou-by their fruits ye shall
know them. And here let this be said, that it
is the most natural thing in the world to make
estimate of men and things We are always
measuring people by their appearance. manner
words. actions, or the results they produce in
their lives. No true gospel forbids this. In the
declaration of Christ-''by their fruits We shall
know men"--He announces the inevitable law of
human nature, that the outer life is the revela-
ton OF the inner man. What a man is deter
mines what be does, and what he does or the
he is You may reason either way and say that
being a good tree it will bear good fruit,
or you may test the fruit, and, finding it good,
decide that the source whence it comes is good
Whatever flows from your lifeis governed, as re.
CARDS its intrinsic worth, by what you are, and
what you are will most certainly show itself in
your everyday life. Of that men will take
knowledge, and they have right to do it. Con-
tinually in all our acts we revealing our true
self, not only to God. who looks not on the
lint fha hpQP hJ1f &C
well, also. to the world, which has only the out
ward to Judge from.
Now do not think it Christian spirit at all
which sets down and deliberately dissects peo-
pie and analyses character, setting the good
equalities over against the bad, and then strik-
ing the balance, weighing motive and principle,
measuring strength with weakness. In the ma
Jority of cases the conclusions reached will be
false and unjust. You cannot tell motive, nor
count the number of impelng conditions or
weigh the force of attendant circumstances. The
analytical process of deciding upon character is
exceedingly difficult Single, detached acts are
no criterion of judgment, because we can never
know the whole surroundings of the case. We
cannot, with sufficient nicely, give full credit to
origi mating causes, the particular humor at the
time, or the real object the individual had
in design. I believe in the pro-
hibition against Judgment and con-
domination Of people is especially applicable to
that form Of criticism which seeks to test men
by one single act, or by certain course pursued
under the press of specified circumstances.
know that proverbial philosophy teaches that
men are revealed by little things. that straws
show which way the wind blows and all that
but proverbial philosophy is not all gospel. You
will make many mistake and do many a wrong
II you make single acts the index of character
But while such analytical process is forbidden
by the prohibition there is no doubt that men
unconsciously rate their fellows by the series of
things they see them do and hear them say. 1t
is the accumulation of the things we do and the
way we do them that creates the atmosphere in
which we live, and as men breath that atmos-
phere they unconsciously test the character. 1t
is here an act and there another, it is this word
and that it is the general habit of life, the man
ner Of doing things that add up at last rough
aggregate from which, however, very nice
average OF the man is taken. It is this ag-
gregation of the whole character which de-
termines the general estimate in which he is
held by those who know him. There
is a certain rugged, offhand justice in the world
that upon tho whole, is usually correct
in its measure of people. and Christ
in his direction, SPY their fruits ye shall know
them" So much for the general estimate of
character, which is allowable. as set over against
that analytical process which criticises aud dis
sects detached actions
And now as to another direction in which
Christs warning against judgment is applicable
think it unjust to judge all men by one infexi-
Bile standard or scale Of course, when a man
runs square up against the Decalogue there is
nothing more to be said When he lies, or
steals or cheats, or swears, you cannot brlt con-
denim. But in matters of disposition, propensi-
ty, in things that grow out of moods and
humors, and tempers, l think there should be
the exercise of the broadcast charity. When
you measure calico you can do it with yard
stick, and when you weigh sugar you do it
with standard iron weight, but when you
measure people you ought to have large
consideration for q score of NIT
igating circumstances For instance, it is
much easier for some men to be
good-tempered, genial. self-sacrifcing than for
others; they are made SO and others not
And we ought not to expect as much from one
who is tuned to a low key get from one
who is higher strung. When one whose music
in life is set to minor chord does break out into
bright ripple of waltz and schottische. now and
then, he ought TO get much more credit for it
than he whose life is set altogether to that kind
of music. Faults and failings of disposition, as
well as excellencies, are largely matters of in
heritance. Weakness of character as we'll as
strength is frequently dependent upon education
and surroundings. and bodily health comes in, too
for its measure of consideration. No mans GO
ing to be much of an angel with the dyspepsia
and if he must 60 hobbling along with the rheu-
matism you have no right to expect him to be
1.-the and active. The man who must peer
gloomily into an apothecary's window for kidney
cure, pulmonic syrup and hypophosphates is
not going to be great success as sunshine in
the WOrlu, anu you nave no right TO expect 1t.
And to all this must be added the thousand and
one events that run their criscross through
life You may get short, sharp answer from
a friend that you take in high dudgeon, whereas
you would bear kindly with it if you knew the
history of that friends day, with its score of lit
tie worries or perhaps its one great disappoint
ment All these may be little things,
but they make up life for man, and
life is what we are. and we ought
to remember them in our association
with people. 1t will lead US to look kindly upon
shortcomings and failings, and help us to get the
best out of people instead of always being hurt
and offended by the worst side of everybody.
know the grace of God can and does accomplish
marvels, and we ought to expect it to overcome
all obstacles,Iand dispositions. and characters.
would certainly take the ground that with Gods
help we are inexcusabie for hundred weak
nesses and foibles, faults. failngs and sins. But
the direction in which thought runs now is not
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