Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-03-07
REV. ALLAN'S OPINION.
Makes A Forcible Argument in
Favor of the Women's Self
Elevation Society.

~ orc atouS ub Win euCn un-
mixed good to humanity in the large
and individually as is the Woman's
Self Elevation Society. Its pledge
reads: Il do hereby solemnly pledge
my word to speak no evil of any wo
msn, whether such report be true or
not" There is no evil so destructive
of the very Fundamental principle of
the human side of the Christian re-
iigion, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor
as myself" as the Islander habit, or
evil speaking, be the matter true or
false. tits so set down iu Holy Writ.
"He that hideth hatred from living
lips and be that uttereth q SANDER is
fool, SAYS the wise man. And the
IMAM after Gods own heart" speaks
as tSe inspired oracle of God when
he says, "Whoso privlly slandereth
his neighbor, him l will cut 0 / :" aud
1t. Tilothy speaks of the qualifica-
lions Of a deacOn's wife thus: Even
SO must the wives be grave, not Sian
derous," and the ninth command
ment says, Thou shall not bear false
witness against thy neighbor" But
Our Lord, Jesus Christ's own words.
quoted above, which are the warp
and wool of the universal Brother
hood of Mank nd established by
Christ, by virtue of which every man
becomes, IN the deep, true sense. his
brothers keeper, utterly forbid us to
say anything, true or false, to the
detrlment of our brother. And the
Episcopal church is scriptural here
as usual and universal. In her cate
chlsm she IN part answers the ones
ton, What is the duty toward thv
neighbor," 10 the following words:
"My duty towards my neighbor is to
hurt nobody by word or deed. To be
true and jnst IN all my dealings; to
bear no malice 10 my heart; to keep
my hands from picking and stealing,
my tongue from evil speaking, living
aud slandering." In speaking of the
sins which shall bar US from the HOLY
Communion, she ranks Islander as
"grlevous crime" and requires that
we shall be in love and charity with
our neighbors. OF course, if we are
IN love and charity with them We
cannot say anything unkind of them.
true or false. Aud because it is an
attempt 10 fulfill in letter and spirit.
the express words of our blessed Lord.
aud because the failure to observe the
Bible or the catechism keeps commu
mites and churches in continual "hot
water" because it sewers friendships.
estranges husbands. wives, fathers.
mothers, brothers. sisters, because il
wrecks homes, hearts and churches:
because it blights lives; because evil
speaking is unchristlan to the last de
gree, Is cowardly. contemplate, base.
mean and little. | give to this move
ment which seeks to put an end to
speaking my unqualified and I'M
stInted praise and support, only re
GREETING that 1t is not as catholic and
far reaching as the Bible and the
prayer hook in including men AS well
as women. For we men know bv
painful experience that women do say
ugly and mischief making things
about us when we come under their
displeasure. By this would not bar
Just censure of man if is proven to
lead an immoral life. Such a man
is not censured enough, pei haps. |
Someone. through mistake, called this |
movement "The Self Preservation So
ciety." 1t was an arrow at random
sent, which found d mark the archer
little meant, perhaps; but if we are
to preserve society, preserve Christi
anity in the individual. preserve the
church in any kind of Christian feel
ing of co operative effort, of basal
Christianity at all, if we are to have
any piety at all, we must stop evil
speaking. This movement, for ought
know, may be begun in the spirit of
self preservation, and love for Christ,
and our fellowmen may have little
part in it or be side issue and incl
dental good sought; but be it so, 1t
8 better to cease evil speaking from
selfish motive than not ut all. II
must, if persevered in, reach higher
motive at length. So say to the la
lies who are forming this society,
'GOd sDeed Won in Ghriet,o rac,o ,,