[Manna - July 14]
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger,...and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. Ephesians 4:31
FROM his high standpoint of appreciation of the divine law, the advanced Christian sees that in the Lord's sight hatred is murder, slander is assassination, and the destruction of a neighbor's good name is robbery and rapine. And any of these things done in the church, among the professed people of God, is doubly evil--the assassination and robbery of a brother.... The only exception to this rule, "Speak evil of no man," would come in where we might know of an absolute necessity for making known an evil--where the relating of the evil would be contrary to our heart's wishes, and only mentioned because of necessity-- because of love for others who, if not informed, might be injured. Z.'99-71 R2444:6; R2445:1