The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-06-19
The Sin Of Backbiters.%

There Is Il NdSl uSdl VI oIilcLChS0 w
tween theoretical religion, and practi-
cal, Srriptural gOdliness.
Bul judging from What we see auu
What we hear in our ordinary every
day intercourse with men, we are
forced to the conclusion that majority
of Ine people do not know that there
is Il Instruction. ..,
The Bible is very clear in defining
the relation which men sustain to each
other, and in setting forth the: condr-
tions upon which men are saved.
This relation and those CONDITIONS
are not set forth anywhere In the Old
or New Testament Scriptures more
clearly than in the fifteenth division of
the Psalms. No thoughtful man cali
read this searching passage of Scrip.
ture without raising III his own mind
the solemn question if these things are
true. "WhO then eau be saved ?' We
cannot or do not question the truthful
ness of their teaching. That this
Psalm reads thousands of protesting
Christians out of the kingdom and pa
tience of God, no man (whose opinion
| is worth anything on the subjecl) will
question, or for moment deny.
Strange as it may seem, there are not
few preachers who belong to this
class. Preachers who almost every
day violate one or more Of the precepts
of this Psalm. am panied TO say it,
but it is the truth, and just because 1t
is the truth, | say it: do not belleVe
that there is any one class OF men pro-
Tossing to love God and to be an exam
ole TO their fellowmen in all right liv-
| h,h nj lufa
precepts of the fifteenth Psalm than do
certain class of our preachers; espe-
cally that part of IL which forblds
"backhiting," and taking up re
proach" against ones neghbor. Ii
auy preacher feels inclined to deny the
truth of this statement and can show
that he himself is not guilty, and that
the class of preachers referred TO III
this paper are innocent OF the charge
preferred against them, we shall be
very glad to hear his testimony. But
we do not care to listen to The vaporiz-
ings of any preacher who secretly feels
himself condemned under this lndict-
ment and has no proof to show that
the charge is not true of other preach
ers.
What is it to backbite? Mr.. Web
ster SAYS to backbite sis to censure or
revile the absent" To take 'up re-
proach" is almost identical In mean
ing with that of backb:ting.
1t is by no means an unusual thing
to hear preacher condemn In the
most uncharitable terms possible, the
offense or reported sin of one Of his
brethren.
If there is a report about brother,
which Cf true) would place him under
the ban of public opinion, and in some
T cases excommunicate him from the
communion and fellswship of the
church, there are some preachers who
will sit up all night to gather the gos-'
sip, and when they have gotten 1t, roll
lit under their tongues as "a sweet NOR
sci, and wherever they can get hear
ling they peddle ont, not what lhey
know, but the SANDER they have
heard. "Taketh not up a reproach
against bis neighbor." Is this taking
of a reproach
In this way they often do irreparable
hurt to the name and character OF all
innocent man who Is never given
|chauce to deny the report, or defend
himself against the vile slander OF his
heartless and reckless traducers.
1t is worth nothing TO the case OF
the reproach bearer, to say the man Is
guilty of the offense with which he
stands charged. No Christian and es-
pecially no Christian minister will
lake up the reproach which stands
against the offender, i. e., repeat what
he has heard.
Not few people think they have
license to repeat everything they hear.
This is a great mistake; no man has
right to repeat what he has heard, If it
be calculated 10 damage another.
"Back kbteth not with his tongue"
Ouly few days ago heard number
of preachers backbiting Georgia evan
gelist.
Perhaps those preachers would not
like to admit that they were backbit-
ing their brother. But they were,
nevertheless. Not one of them will
tell the evangelist what they said
about him in my presence. What
they said was a very grave refectlon
upon his moral character, and II true,
ought to be said to the preacher him
self. If not true, what they said was
was nothing more or less than slander.
Some man has said. II am not afraid
of the criticisms of any man Is prepar-
ed to die" But some men are not
prepared to die, and no one can tell
what these will do or say.
A preacher ought to be good man,
and must be a good man if he at last
gets to heaven. But no man will ever
get to heaven who is a backbiter, or
who taketh up reproach against his
neighbor, unless he ceases this evil
land learns to do better.-"David," in
Wesleyan Christian Advocate.