What a picture St. James gives of the terrible effects of an unbridled tongue. And an unbridled _pen_ is more dangerous. “The tongue is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” “Wherefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings--be pitiful, be courteous; not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, but contrariwise, blessing.” Jude says, that even “Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.” It is therefore extremely manifest, that evil-speaking, or assailing the character of brethren in the ministry, or in the church, or even others--except by kind and faithful reproof, for evident faults--is contrary to the instructions of the word of God, and is wrong. The Bible allows us to reprove others plainly for their sins, with meekness, and in love, but not with harshness, or opprobrious language. And this is agreeable to the counsel of the wisest and best of men. Mr. Adam, an eminently pious minister in England, who died in 1784, in his “Thoughts on Religion,” says, “We should study only the good of others, let them do what they will to us. If I aim at the real spiritual improvement of those I converse with, I shall never say any thing to irritate or vex them, but keep a constant guard on myself. Speaking evil of others at all, unless it be to prevent mischief to religion, or our neighbor, proceeds from pride. Say all the good you can of all; but if you would have ill spoken of any, turn that office to the devil.” Cudworth said, “_Truth_ and _love_ are two of the most powerful things in the world, and when they both go together, they cannot easily be withstood. The golden beams of truth, and the silken cords of love twisted together, will draw men on with a sweet violence, whether they will or no.” “Certainly,” says Bishop Hall, “God abides none but charitable dissensions; those that are well grounded and well governed; grounded upon just causes, and governed with Christian charity and wise moderation; those whose beginning is equity, and end is peace. If we must differ, let these be the conditions; let every one of God’s ministers be ambitious of that praise which Gregory Nazianzen gave to Athanasius; to be an adamant to them that strike him, and a loadstone to them that dissent from him; the one not to be moved with wrong, the other to draw those hearts which disagree. So the fruit of righteousness shall be sown in peace of them that make peace. So the God of peace shall have glory, the church of God rest, and our souls, unspeakable joy and consolation in the day of the appearing of our Lord Jesus.”