Article November 30, 1907 Issue

JUDGING AND SPEAKING EVIL OF OTHERS

JOEL RUFUS MOSLEY.

Mrs. Eddy says that "we should go forth into life with the smallest expectations, but with the largest patience; ... with a charity broad enough to cover the whole world's evil, and sweet enough to neutralize what is bitter in it" (Miscellaneous writings. p. 224). plutarch reports Simonides to have said that he never repented that he had held his tongue, but often that he had spoken. Except as "the law of kindness" is in our tongue, this is also the experience of us all. The habit of voicing evil suggestions, while not so universal as the practice of entertaining them, is an error that none of us has wholly escaped: and. at the same time, it is an evil that has to be overcome before we can have the sweet peace of a deservedly good conscience. St. Peter says, "He that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil." It is bad enough, and sad enough, to think evil: it is still worse to voice it. unless we voice it to the one. and to "him alone." of whom it has been thought. In a much larger way than we realize. it is by our words that we are justified and by our words that we are condemned. "Out of the word springs the deed, and out of the deed springs life. And every one who speaks a good word creates a deed and fosters life" (Frederick Van Eden in "The Quest," p. 512). Hence the wisdom of the admonitions, "Speak evil of no man." and speak of (as well as think on) "the things" that are just, pure, lovely, and of good report.

That we should speak evil of no man, but tell our brother what we judge to be his fault, "between thee and him alone," is not only an admonition of Jesus and of those who understand him best, but also a law of conscience, reason, and love. The natural and inevitable punishment that comes to us as we violate this law. as well as the blessings that invariably and necessarily come to us as we obey it. is of itself sufficient proof not only that it should be obeyed, but that it will at length be universally obeyed. Indeed, all laws or ways of God are so beneficent, reasonable, and right, and all violations of these laws so contrary to the happiness and well being of ourselves and others, that sooner or later they will be universally loved as well as obeyed. The very punishments that come from the violation of divine law. as well as the reward that comes through conformity thereto, should make us see and rejoice that, if we are condemned at all. we are—to quote one of Shakespeare's fine lines—"condemned into everlasting redemption." And, if by everlasting punishment we mean the punishment that exists so long as divine law, the law of love. is transgressed rather than conformed to. and that this punishment is for the reformation of the guilty as well as for the protection of the innocent, then everlasting punishment is one aspect of everlasting redemption.

The folly as well as the injustice of all evil speaking about an absent friend or foe becomes apparent when we remember that the only legitimate reason for uncovering one's sup posed or actual faults is to do him good, to do others good, or to do ourselves good. Now we know that unless the one of whom we speak evil is good enough to meet evil with good (and, if he is a good as this, he is too good to have evil spoken of him). he is as a general rule made worse rather than better by this violation on our part of the law of justice and love. Those who listen to things of evil report are as a general rule lowered rather than elevated in the scale of being. And we know that it hurts rather than blesses us every time we voice any evil about one. unless it seems to be necessary in order to protect the innocent or to save evil-doers from themselves. Even where this seems to be necessary. great wisdom and love are required, or we shall be led into the temptation of doing evil under the pretense of doing good. Then, too. we must never forget that innocence is its own protection: that it also has the protection of God: and that the best way to help the more innocent against those whom we believe to be less innocent is to work to make every one more and more innocent. "Love is the liberator" (Science and Health. p. 225). and so long as we violate the law of love in any way we cannot have the perfect sense of perfect love which is perfect freedom.

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